The Best Story of All

Luke 2 (New International Version)

The Birth of Jesus

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.

2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)

3And everyone went to his own town to register.

4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,

7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,

18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Another Story for You

It was the early 1930s during the Dust Bowl days of Kansas, in the heart of the Depression. The Canaday family---Mom, Dad, 7 children---were having a tough time existing, so there would be no luxuries at Christmas that year. Mom told the children to go outside and find a Christmas tree and decorate it. After a lengthy search, they returned with a dead branch, the only thing they had been able to find. They stood it up in a bucket of sand and decorated it with pieces of paper tied with string. Little Judy, almost four, did not know how a Christmas tree was supposed to look, but somehow she knew it was not like that!

As Christmas approached, the Canaday children, like children everywhere, pestered Mom and Dad about what presents they might get under their "tree." Dad pointed out that the pantry was bare, that they did not have enough to live on, and there certainly would be no money for gifts. But Mom was a woman of faith and told her children, "Say your prayers. Ask God to send us what He wants us to have." Dad said, "Now, Mother, don't be getting the children's hopes up. You're just setting them up for a disappointment." Mom said, "Pray, children. Tell Jesus."

And pray they did On Christmas Eve, the children watched out the window for visitors, but no one came. "Blow out the lamp and go to bed", Dad said. "Nobody is going to come. No one even knows we're out here." The children turned out the lamp and got in bed, but they were too excited to sleep. Was this not Christmas? Had they not asked God to send them the presents He wanted them to have? Did Mom not say God answers prayer?

Late that night, when one of the children spotted headlights coming down the dirt road, everyone jumped out of bed and ran to the window. The commotion woke up Mom and Dad. "Don't get excited, children," Dad said. "They're probably not coming here. It's just someone who got lost." The children kept hoping and the car kept coming. Then, Dad lit a lamp. They all wanted to rush to the door at the same time, but Mr. Canaday said, "Stay back. I'll go."

Someone got out of the car and called, "I was wondering if someone here can help me unload these bags." The children dashed out the door to lend a hand. Mom said to her youngest, "Stay here, Judy, and help Mom open the bags and put up the gifts." A deacon from the church in town had gone to bed that Christmas Eve, and lay there tossing and turning, unable to get the Canaday family off his mind. Later, he said, "I didn't know what kind of shape you folks were in, but I knew you had all those kids."

He had gotten up and dressed and went around town, rousing people from their sleep to ask for a contribution for the Canaday family. He filled his car with bags of groceries, canned goods, toys, and clothing. Little Judy got a rag doll which remained her favorite for years. With so much food, Dad wanted to have a Christmas feast, to spread it all out and eat as they had never eaten before. Mom, ever the caretaker, said, "No, we need to make this last." And it did last, for weeks.

The next Sunday, Mrs. Canaday stood in church and told what the members---and one deacon in particular---had done for her family. There was not a dry eye in the house. Years later, the oldest sister Eva wrote up this story about her family for a school project. Eva said, "We were so thrilled by all the wonderful things in the bags, for a while; we lost sight of the most special gift. The best gift that Christmas was not in brown bags at all. It was Mom's faith, as she taught her children to bring their needs to Jesus and trust Him to meet them. And a Dad's love that wanted only to protect his children from hurt and disappointment."

When Carrie finished telling her story, she added, "Little Judy is my wonderful grandmother." Today, Judy Canaday Dryden lives in Sanger, Texas. As she relived this event from seventy years ago over the phone, one could hear the tear in her voice and feel her pride in being the recipient of such a precious heritage from her mother and father. At Christmas, we celebrate praying mothers and caring fathers and believing children. We give thanks for sensitive deacons and generous friends and sleepless nights. And we praise God for the hard times that teach unforgettable lessons, stories of faithfulness that get told and retold through the years, inspiring each new generation to place their faith in a loving Savior.

Thanks, Wanda, for sharing this with me by e-mail.

Grace Says the Darndest Things

I had bought some red and green tortilla chips for snacking. They were in a bowl in the center of the table and everyone was munching on them when Mom, Deb, and Pop first arrived. We were all chatting and munching, and finally we took the bowl away so not to spoil dinner.

Deb said to Grace, "So Grace... whatcha been up to?"

And Grace replied with attitude, "Well, I was trying to get that red chip in there!!!"

~~~~~
As Mom and Robert were changing Grace (yes, sometimes it takes two!), Mom asked, "Grace, how'd you get so smart?"

Grace said, "Well, sometimes my dad tries to fix things... and they backfire!"

~~~~~
This morning Grace got up and told Mom, "Daddy's in the bathroom making a big poop. It'll take three minutes!"

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Well not Santa, actually, but Pop, Mom, and Deb! Please pray for their safe travel!

I don't know who does more damage to our poor tree - Velcro or Grace.

By the way, I have only had time to wrap one gift. One gift, for Grace - wrapped and sitting in the same place where I wrapped it. Hadn't had a chance yet to label it, bow it, and set it under the tree.

And Miss Grace sneaked downstairs to the wrapping area, quietly went in the wrapping room and closed the door, and came out with said gift UNWRAPPED!

"It's my birthday!" she exclaimed.

I said no, took it from her quickly, and ushered her upstairs. Josh asked what the gift was. I said I didn't want to say because I don't think she really saw it. Through her tears she yelled, "Yes! It's a music box!!!"

Fun times.

Actually, generally it is pretty fun. Now that Grace is two she "gets" a lot of the stuff going on now. She recognizes Santa (and likes him), she knows he's coming, she gets excited about Christmas lights, and she helped decorate the tree and set up the Nativity.

Really: fun times. :)

Hope you're all ready for Christmas. I'm not even close, but oh well. Don't lose sight of Who it's all about. :)

xoxo

Yes, Virginia

Here's a story to warm you...

I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!"

My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous" cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.

Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" she snorted.... "Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go."

"Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything.

As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car."Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.

I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class.

Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went outto recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.

"Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby." The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.

That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it. Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially one of Santa's helpers.

Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going." I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.

Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were, ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team.

I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.

Did I Tell You? Robert Got a New Job!

You'll want to pause the Playlist at the bottom of the blog to hear the news story!

Here's The Deal

It's a wildly busy season.

Everyone I know is busy.

I'm way behind, as usual. I have much, much, much to do this week... and being the typical Monday, we're also down a car and Josh has back pain from horsing around with a friend this week. Did I mention it was MINUS TWELVE DEGREES when I drove Robert to work this morning? It's been that cold before (since we've been here), but not while the sun was shining!

So I wanted to pop in and say hello, but to ask you to not expect a whole lot of posting over the next few weeks. I will post as often as I can, but probably not daily - unless I somehow find those extra hours in the day you all offered me and get all caught up. :)

I also wanted to ask you to pop over to the prayer blog and say a prayer or two or ten for those who really need it right now. I appreciate it, and I know they do as well. I'm headed over now to add some new requests and update others. Thanks

xoxo

My Pensieve

My font button has disappeared.


I really like Blogger for the most part, but I am a lover of fonts and Blogger does not give many choices on this front. Today, in fact, it gives none.


But anyway, I'm back. I've been busyoverwhelmedtiredhavingabadweek, but now I'm back. Thanks again for missing me.


So, beginning in Goblet of Fire, a beautiful, magical object is introduced to Mr. Harry Potter. It is my favorite magical thing that the talented JK Rowling created, I think, because I wish I had one: The Pensieve. To be able to take all those jumbled thoughts in your head and put them in a bowl so that you could sort them out a little bit and make more sense of them... ah. In a sense, this poor blog has become such for me - a Pensieve.


Thanks for bearing with me.


Let's see - I'll start today with Christmas music. I try to turn it on as soon as Thanksgiving is over (I cannot really start Christmas until after Thanksgiving, despite what all the retailers would like me to do.) because we get to listen to it for such a short time. In fact, my local WalMart has stopped playing music altogether over the loudspeaker. It sure makes for depressing shopping. I would bring my own music but then I have kids usually with me to try to listen to as well. Anyway, I digress... (are you surprised?)


I was listening to the lyrics the other day for "It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year." Have you really heard them? I had to give pause to this part:

There'll be scary ghost stories and

tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago...

Hmmm... Is that a tradition in your house? 'Cause I'm picturing sitting around the tree or fireplace with cocoa and jammies and telling ghost stories? Hmmm...

Next: My children. Do you ever feel... a little... disconnected... from your kids? Maybe you don't have kids, but you still might know what I mean... like you wake up one morning and look at that loved one and think to yourself, are we in the same galaxy?


I don't know why my daughter plastered a big red L on her bedroom door.




Granted it's plaid but I don't really get it. That was my oldest daughter, of course, by the way.


Then as I walked away and came to J's door and found these three signs:

Hmmm.

Believe me, I do blame myself.

Finally, the last thing swirling around in my brain for attention... I am completely not ready yet for Christmas. Our decorations out include about 3 feet of lighting on the porch. I finally bought cards last night - but we ran out of time for the picture-type cards I'd been sending the past few years. I haven't done any shopping, baking, etc. I'm behind on my life and it's overwhelming!!! Anyone have some extra free time they could send my way? I would appreciate it.

It's a strange time in my life right now. God is showing me things about Himself (and about myself, unfortunately) that I feel like I need to dig into more deeply... and yet... I am hustling and bustling to just get through the day. I haven't eaten ANY frogs this week, done very many chores (trying to do the bare minimum - dishes and laundry), and I'm behind on projects that should have been completed many weeks ago.

But... despite the stress, I am blessed.

(Did you ever notice that stressed spelled backward is one of my favorite words?)

How about you? Are you all ready for Christmas?

xoxo

Just What We Need

I follow a few other blogs of people I've never met before, because I find them funny and entertaining, often encouraging and sometimes inspiring. Today, over on Fuschia's site (yes, that's how she spells it, and yes, it was her site that brought to my attention that I spell it wrong), today's post absolutely made my day. Check it out.

I Feel Good

(na na na na na na na)

I haven't felt good in a very long time. First a cold, then bronchitis, then this headache that has lasted for days. I'm still coughing at night, but when I woke up this morning, I felt clear and good and energetic - and it was an hour earlier, even.

Yesterday was the worst of the headache stuff - I couldn't even eat my frog. Maybe I'll eat two today. Right now I feel so good I almost feel giddy.

AND it's Friday! Yay!

God is good. ALL the time.

Enjoy your weekend...

xoxo

Don't Ya Totally Hate It When... #2

... Your headache of 8 days has finally let up, and you decide to make some fudge, and you get all the ingredients in the bowls, only to find out that you're missing one thing,

and you have to drive to WalMart,

and you haven't had a shower all day,

and it's 17 degrees outside...?

(At least WalMart was deserted and it was a quick trip, but I wonder why my headache is starting to come back...?)

The World is Quiet Here*

It's a beautiful day here today. Quiet. Sweet. Which is what I need, since I've been fighting headaches since Thanksgiving. Today I'm just hangin' out with my little one, eating taco soup and cuddling on the couch, and every once in awhile, checking out the scene from my front porch:

and my kitchen slider:

I'm also very content today in the knowledge that God has opened a new door for us. Robert was offered a new job today, still within the same company but out of the retail end of pharmacy. Although it's still within the same field, his position will be radically different from what he has done for the past - gosh - 25+ years. Please continue to pray for him for a smooth transition.

God is good. I hope you stop today and give thanks for all the ways He has blessed you.

Speaking of which... thank you to those who participated in my first-ever little giveaway.

The numbers of responders just blew my mind. ;) Actually, it was the only post I ever wished *everyone* would have responded to. That's okay... I know you're all busy... but do stop and give thanks.

So... we have a winner:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:4
Timestamp: 2008-12-04 18:46:48 UTC

Number 4... that would be the lovely Miss Wanda. :) Thanks for participating. I'll have a little goody in the mail to you soon. Enjoy!

*The title of this post is a quote from a favorite book series. Anyone know it, besides my kids? Do my kids know it?

I don't know what's up with the spacing on this post - sorry.

Finally, It's Here

Snow! We got it. Yesterday it was 65; today it's 26 and snowing. Barely, but it counts.

Lovin' the cold. It's the first day in I don't know how long where I'm wearing pants - because it's cold! Today I got up, ate my frog (mopping), went to Bible study, and just sat down to blog with a big bowl of taco soup, watching the snow falling out the window. Doesn't get much better than that. Yes it does - when I'm done here I think I'll go downstairs and spend some time with my Bug.

Gas is down to $1.44 here. What is it where you are? If you leave the answer in the comment, be sure to tell where you're at for those who don't know you. (Yes, I do have some readers who don't know all of my family!)

All righty then...!

Mmmm... Tasty

So... about that frog...

I had a lot of things on my list yesterday, a LOT! I didn't accomplish everything, but I did eat the frog. Yesterday's frog was reconciling my checkbook that I hadn't touched since mid-October. (I know, shameful.) Today's frog was to reconcile the savings and unspecified business accounts, transfer money, and pay bill. (Yes - singular. Sad, huh?)

While I was working on the computer, my poor, neglected 2yo kept coming over and pulling on my arms and hands, trying to get me to play with her - dance with her, actually. I was really task-focused and said, "Grace, I will play with you as soon as I eat this frog." She went away and back to her crayons and such, only to come back a few minutes later and said,

"Mommy... where is the frog? I want to see you eat the frog."

:)

I'm thinkin' I need to find a Cricut cartridge that has a frog... and do some kind of frog-eating embellishments for the front of my homemade planner...

~~~~~
On another note, Ro still has not heard about the job he applied for. They had originally told him he'd hear by Monday, and then yesterday sent him an e-mail saying Wednesday. And in the meantime, another job has opened up - a little more $, too, sooo... that complicates things... unless he doesn't get the first job. Anyway, continued prayers are appreciated.

Yesterday was productive; today, not so much. Fighting my headaches again. I have so much to do - Christmas is now 23 days away, and I'll have guests in less than that (I hope!). Too much to do to have headaches on top of it.

We're into December already and we have had no snow. Isn't that weird? I wouldn't really know, since it's only my second winter here but it seems weird to me. Last year, according to my blog, we had snow on October 21st. Now we're 6 weeks past that and no snow. In fact today it's windy, but it's in the 60s. Weird.

Gotta Eat Some Frogs Today

Here is something I don't like about myself:

I procrastinate. Even with things I like to do, I procrastinate. And oftentimes, the longer I procrastinate, the bigger the task becomes. And then - it becomes overwhelming. And then - I feel defeated before I even start.

Am I alone in this, or is there someone out there who does this, too?

So my director in my unspecified business endeavor sends me some motivational goodies from time to time and yesterday she sent me the following story. I thought it started out cheesy but when it got to the point, I realized it was great advice:

There's an old saying that says..."If the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is eat a live frog, then nothing worse can happen for the rest of the day!" Well, I don't know about you, but I think that's a pretty safe assumption.

Brian Tracy, in his book Eat That Frog! says that your "frog" should be the most difficult item on your things to do list, the one where you're most likely to procrastinate; because, if you eat that first, it'll give you energy and momentum for the rest of the day. But, if you don't...and let him sit there on the plate and stare at you while you do a hundred unimportant things, it can drain your energy and you won't even know it.

So, here's your assignment: for the next 30 days take a look at your list, circle the frog, and eat that first.

You'll thank us for it.

Enjoy an excerpt from Eat That Frog! And don't forget to share it with friends and co-workers.
To Life,
Mac AndersonFounder, Simple Truths

I like the advice so much that I think I'm going to add it to my task list in my homemade planner. Speaking of which, I'm planning to upload my planner to Office Depot, have them copy it 52 times (maybe with some extras), spiral-bind it, and add a cover. I still haven't found a commercial one that works for me... so that's what I'm thinking. It's December 1st and I'm going to start being consumed soon with potential new calendars so I have to act soon. :)

December. Already! Crazy. Thus begins the frenzy of the Christmas season. Perhaps it began last week for some of you. It saddens me - the hustle and rush of materialism. Yet, it excites me, too. Even the materialism... although we have decided to reduce our spending this year, still... one of the best days of the year as a parent is seeing your children's excitement and delight on Christmas morning. And one of the biggest challenges, especially in our culture, is to not let the real reason of Christmas get lost in all the hustle and excitement and ribbons and bows. I think it takes a conscious effort to make sure Christ is at the center of our Christmas celebrations.

Musings aside... I hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving. Happy Monday - and Happy December.

xoxo

Who Am I?

Before you play this video, scroll to the bottom of my blog and pause the Playlist, or you won't be able to enjoy it.

Thanks, Mom, for forwarding the link to me. This is beautiful.

With A Grateful Heart

Hey, hey, it's a giveaway! A lot of bloggers out there who have a lot of readers like to do giveaways. My readership is small - so you have a better chance to win! :) Details are at the end of this post.

~~~~~
The other day I was in one of those sentimental moods... Grace and I were hanging out and I was thinking about how much she has added to our lives... how she didn't really come earlier in our lives when we'd planned (she came about 4 years later than I would've liked!)... how I couldn't imagine life now without her... how some advised us to not even carry her to term... how, despite the pregnancy we had, how bright and beautiful and healthy she is. And I said, "Grace, I sure am thankful for you."

She looked at me deep in the eyes and said, "I'm thankful for you, too."

No, I don't really think she knows what it means to be thankful yet. Later when a little Thanksgiving blurb came on Noggin, Grace came running over to me and said, "Mama! Do you know what I'm thankful for?!"

I said, "Me!"

She said no.

I said, "What?"

And she replied, "Princesses!!!"

Of course. Me, too. Especially my princess.

I wish Thanksgiving were more than once a year. Maybe if it were more often it would lose its meaning. But don't you think we should really stop and think about all that we are blessed with on a more continual basis?

We should be thankful more and complain less.

~~~~~
Many thanks to those of you who commented on my last post and sent e-mails concerning my neighbor. There were a lot of great responses. When Robert got home, he went straight over, but there was no answer at the door. He did go back later and they answered - he gave them our phone numbers and just talked to them. This weekend he's going to go offer to hang their Christmas lights. What a guy I have.

In the meantime, here's the update and some answers to your questions... Scott had been at home when he evidently had a seizure. Apparently he's been having these neurological issues since he was discharged from the Army. They seem to be a result of something that happened while he was in, but they're not sure what's going on and are treating him for that. Anyway, the seizure evidently didn't subside quickly so his wife Mandy called 911 and he was taken by ambulance to the hospital. A relative watched the baby and Mandy went to the hospital to be with Scott. This all happened that evening. While he was being treated for the seizure stuff, they also determined he had appendicitis and performed an emergency appendectomy. Nice, huh? I'm not sure how long he'll be not working and all that. We don't know them that well (didn't even have their phone numbers), but maybe through this we can help meet their needs and shine Christ and get to know them better.

(By the way I found out because my neighbor Trish asked me about the emergency lights. SHE actually went down at the time it happened to offer help and childcare. I didn't even know there was anything going on. Doh!)

So thanks again, everyone, for your input and most of all for your prayers.

~~~~~
My prayer today is that God will change my heart to be ever grateful, not just on Thanksgiving but each day He blesses me with life.

Happy Thanksgiving ~
xoxo

~~~~~
Hey, hey!

What are YOU thankful for? Post a comment here on the blog with 5 things you are thankful for, at least one of which is not the typical God/family/etc. answer. Tuesday night I'll do a drawing of everyone who commented* and the winner will receive a gift from me. :)

*That sounds very poorly worded but my brain won't let me think any clearer at the moment. I trust you know what I mean!

So What Would You Do?

So this afternoon my neighbor friend stopped by and asked what I thought about all the lights and sirens last night.

In front of my house.

Around 8 p.m.

Knowing I was home because all the lights were on.

Hmmm... what lights? What sirens? (OK I have to admit I really don't know if there were sirens. I'm guessing not. Surely I would have heard something, right?) I must've been thoroughly engrossed in the Samba Showdown on Dancing with the Stars to not have noticed the lights from the fire truck and ambulance parked in front of my house last night.

Anyway... I'm not really writing this post about me, so I'll go on. Turns out my neighbor across the street had some seizures or something and 911 was called. He has a wife and a baby boy. Shortly after my neighbor friend left, my neighbor across the street came home. He wasn't driving, he didn't look so hot, and his wife had to help him into the house.

So naturally I want to go over and see if I can be of some help... But I am not good at these kinds of things. It's actually the right thing to do, as a neighbor, a friend, and most especially a Christian, but I don't want to impose or be a bother... nor do I want them to think I'm standing outside gossiping with the neighbors.

So what would you do? Suggestions?

Do You Know Where the 'S' Goes?

I was pretty shaken today. You know that feeling you get when something you've believed to be right for years and years and years turns out to be wrong?

Maybe you don't. And I'll admit it's a somewhat new experience for me.

But today I was shaken.

I've always been a pretty good speller. One of those things, thankfully, that came naturally to me. I don't claim to be the BEST speller - Christianne's Bee experience last spring definitely proved that for me - but still, decent. Imagine how I felt today when I found out that I have been spelling a word the wrong way for decades?

The word of which I speak is pronounced: few-sha

You know, the pink color.

Do you know how to spell it correctly?

Yes, it has an 'S'!

Which I knew, by the way. I just evidently put the 'S' in the wrong spot.

So how do you spell it?

I'll wait while you spell it.

...

...

I spelled it like this: F - U - S - C - H - I - A

But the correct spelling is actually: F - U - C - H - S - I - A

Really!

I know. I'm shocked, too.

Shhh!

We had pie tonight. This is what it looked like when we were through. Made us laugh!

I've been practicing my Shhh!s. Go ahead - ask me why! Well, I'll tell ya. I'm the new overseer of our very small church library!

I'm excited. I love things like this. Shhh!

Dewberries!

So Chris and Ro had a rockin' time at the concert last night. Ro has been to dozens and dozens of concerts over the past - uh - couple of dozen years (sorry, hon), and he said this is one of the BEST shows he's ever seen. Here's Chris posing with a DJ from WAY-FM, Wally:


Am I the only one who is a little creeped out by whatever that is on his chin? Yuck. No offense, Wally. Robert - thanks for not doing that.

So I am behind... on everything... behind on life... and the other night Ro had to work late so we ordered pizza. Cheese for the kids, sausage and olives for Ro and me. It was particularly good to me because we haven't had it for awhile, and the kids and I pigged out in front of the TV in the loft. Grace devoured her piece and asked for more. Pretty soon she noticed that mine was different from hers and asked me, pointing at my slice, if she could have some of those blackberries.

I told her they were olives, gave her a taste, and turned my attention back to the TV.

Eventually (yeah, eventually; I told you I'm slow these days) I realized Grace was gone, and then I heard her coming up the stairs. I said, "Whatcha got?" She opened up her hand, full of her pilfered treats, and exclaimed, "Dewberries!"

She had gone downstairs and picked a bunch of the olives off the pizza. She's the third child, remember, so okay/fine... :) She ate them and then went back down the stairs. This time she came up bringing the entire box (with half the pizza in it, nicely pockmarked from her digging). She plopped it down, exclaiming, "Dewberries!" and began to pick them out and eat them.

I love dewberries!

Oh yes, the dress. It is standard everyday playwear for Princess Grace. When we don't allow her to be fluffy, it is not a happy day.

Kick Back and Relax

Edited to add: Don't forget to stop over to the prayer blog. I've updated some of the posts. Dr. Sakkour definitely still needs our prayers, and there are a couple of praise reports re Pop and Lara!

It's Friday night, ya'll.

Josh, Grace, and I are dining on Sonic fare - chili cheese dogs, burgers, chicken, Tater Tots, and milkshakes.

Ro and Chris? They're in Denver waiting for a concert to start. Chris has been sooo excited. They are seeing Toby Mac, Relient K, and Family Force 5. Ro just sent this from his cell:

So I had biscuits and gravy for breakfast, Heart Attacks for lunch (they're Lil Smokies sausages, wrapped in bacon, sprinkled with brown sugar and baked), and a chili cheese dog for dinner. Boy. Well. It's been yummy.

Josh got his picture in the paper today for the poster contest he placed 2nd in recently. Neat!

Finally, I thought this was a pretty cool site. Curious what the #1 hit was for the day you got married or the day you were born? Check it out here, and thanks, Jo, for the link! :)

Remind me to tell you next time about Gracie and the Dewberries... have a good weekend!

Starting to Feel Like... Colorado

It's downright cold today, folks. I have pants on, it's so cold.

So I didn't write yesterday. And I wanted to. Believe it or not, I do try to post every day, although weekends usually become such a blur that I don't have much time. But I didn't write yesterday because I was on overload status.

It wasn't Grace. Wasn't the other kids. Wasn't the chores or the projects or all the to-do's that do tend to overwhelm me at times.

Nope. Yesterday... it was women.

You have to remember that as a stay-at-HOME Mom, I spend the majority of my day alone with a 2yo. Then add the other kids to that mix for a few hours... and if I'm lucky I get to spend some time with my Ro. But I'm not often in the company of other women.

It isn't that I'm a complete hermit: I blog. I e-mail. I even talk to some by phone here and there, and I talk to my mom several times a week. But that adult-woman interaction is pretty small in comparison to how I interact with others when you think about it.

But on Tuesday I went to Moms 4 Moms. Lots of women there - 50 or so this week - and their kids. It was fine, though, and afterwards I went back to the normal routine of my day. But then bring on Wednesday... Bible study in the morning for a couple of hours, home for awhile with kids/family, and then Flock at night - women only this week - for another 2 1/2 hours.

That's a lot of female bonding for just a few days. We're talking a total of 6 1/2 hours of that bonding in the course of 2 days. That's a lot for me.

Please don't think I don't love women - I do. I love the fellowship and the creativity and the chit-chat and the deeper talks.

But it's been a lot this week. That's all. :)

And I miss my ladies back home... I am making friends, plugging in, getting to know more and more women. It's all good, but you know, it's still all new. I miss the comfortable rhythm of the friends I hung out with back home.

It's easier here to be withdrawn and anti-social. It's easier to stay in bed and be lazy and just socialize through the wonderful wide web, easier to just focus on the family and be introverted, easier to pass the day in a good book. Especially on days like this... cold days... when just going to WalMart is too much to deal with.

Hey, though... I did get a shower at least.

One Seventy-Nine

So I thought I'd post a quickie while I'm waiting for Grace to finish pooping so I can change her and put her down for a nap.

Not so glad you said you missed me, now, are ya? ;)

Feelin' crafty this morning. Our Moms 4 Moms group had a crafty meeting this morning. I spent the first half learning about digital scrapbooking and the second half about knitting.

It's inspired me, folks.

I'm totally in the mood to (traditional, not digital) scrapbook and crochet.

I might even have a few minutes for it, too. Yesterday I straightened (NOT cleaned) the house and got all the laundry done. That was HUGE. I also updated my calendar, went through a couple weeks' worth of newspapers, finished a book... got a lot to do today still but... there just might be a half hour here or there...

One can dream, right?

Ah - 179? That's what I paid for gas this morning. :) $1.79/gallon. It's almost delightful to put gas in the tank now.

Don't Ya Totally Hate It When...

...You put the last load of laundry in the washer, and a half hour later you find a dirty pair of jeans, underwear, and socks that didn't make it to the hamper?

Especially when you can't blame the kids for this one?!?!

Haven't Missed Me A Bit, huh?

I can't believe a week has gone by since I last posted.

And I can't believe no one has razzed me about it.

Have ya'll stopped reading? :(

Well... I've been a bit under the weather. I'd had cold symptoms for 5 weeks when I went in to the doctor last Tuesday and got antibiotics for bronchitis. I've been on them a week now and today is the first day I'm starting to believe I'll be normal again. :) Everyone's fighting colds now... and this cough... boy... it's nasty. And I'm certainly not the only one! I know of several people, who like me, have coughed to the point of gagging. Not sexy.

The worst part, I think, has been the fatigue! If I got up and say, straightened up the loft, I would be wiped out for the rest of the day. We went to the Aquarium in Denver with Maggie on Saturday and that kicked my butt. I came home, fed the kids, and we all crashed early and slept hard.

So today I'm back... feeling better... behind on everything - blogs, studies, reading, to-dos, errands, shopping, calendars, bills, laundry, my unspecified business endeavor, everything. Today is catch-up day. As I'm sure will be tomorrow. And Wednesday.

Crikey... was just thinking today how close Christmas is! I have some projects I need to get done before then so I really need to get caught up fast! Are you all ready for the holidays? Seems they snuck up on me this year.

I'll leave you with a funny as I get back to my chores. The other day Ro overheard J say these things, one right after the other, as he was looking after Grace:

Look, Grace, there's Baby Jaguar.
Watch out ~ there are bombs everywhere!!!
Do you want to sing the ABC song?

And Lastly...

I just think I would be remiss tonight if I didn't say publicly how thankful I am for our military heroes, and especially those who put their lives at risk every day so that we can enjoy the lives we have here ~ lives of comfort, indulgence, and relative peace.

I have concerns for our military, honestly, as we move forward under a new Commander-in-Chief... but it just reiterates to me that we must trust in no one else but God Himself. And regardless of your political stance or views of the current war, I do hope that the next time you encounter a serviceman, whether active or retired, that you give him or her your sincere thanks. Freedom is never free.

Thing 2

We were surprised to learn from the Elks Lodge that Joshua had entered a poster contest they sponsored about being drug-free. Evidently the kids in his GT class all entered posters, and... Josh won! All the kids got a $25 WalMart gift card and a certificate for participating... and Josh came in 2nd place and won a $100 savings bond! Pretty amazing kid! I'm not sure if I was most impressed with his poster or his behavior while on stage accepting his award! (OK so maybe we did threaten him a little bit to leave his class clowning at home, but hey, he still did it!) The kids were honored after the Elks Lodge provided us all with an all-you-can-eat dinner. One of the highlights was the President (?) of the Lodge talking to the kids about heroes. She told them that they are heroes. It was a pretty cool night.

Thing 1

Christianne challenged the trumpeter ahead of her yesterday and was able to move up one chair in band! I'm really proud of her and the improvements she has made. She has joined the Trumpet Choir as well, and we're looking forward to hearing them perform this winter.

A Smile to Start Your Monday

Last night as Ro changed Grace's diaper, he said, "Oh! There's poo in there!"

Grace said, "That will be three dollars, please!"

~~~~~
This morning she was playing with Mickey and Minnie Mouse, when she suddenly threw Mickey to the floor. "Bad Mickey!"

"Why is Mickey bad?" I asked.

"Because... because... because... he's a guy."

Kung Fu Princess

Yesterday Grace was playing in the basement and found a couple of swim noodles. (Not familiar with them? They're about 6' long and look like this.) She grabbed them and went up to my mom and said, "Memaw, you wanna play Hi-Ya?" as she handed Mom a noodle.

Mom said, "Sure. How do you play?"

And Grace took her noodle and swung it at her Memaw, yelling, "HI-YA!"

Sort of surprised poor Memaw.

~~~~~
Grace's favorite TV show is Max & Ruby, a kids' show on Noggin and Nick Jr. based on the characters by Mary Wells. Recently we found a M&R book at the library that Grace particularly loves, in which Max, who can't talk or write yet, really wants some Red Hot Marshmallow Squirters. It has been really cool to go through the story with Grace, because on each page we say, "But Max wanted..." and Grace chimes in, "Red Hot Marshmallow Squirters!"

Really cool.

Until we began to deal with reality.

And trying to explain to Grace why we just can't go to WalMart and get some.

She wants Red Hot Marshmallow Squirters. I say we don't have any. She says, "Then go to the store and get some." I say they don't have them. She says, "Go to the store and get some," a little more strongly.

Yep.

Fun. :)

Well.

It isn't the way I would have liked it.

Which is often the way it is.

I have chosen to not get political with my blog, for a few different reasons, although if you know me you know that I have strong feelings on the matter so it isn't out of apathy. But this morning I'll say one thing and then I'll preach a little. Naw... no preaching... I'll sing you a song. :)

Here's my one thing:

God is in control.

Regardless of how egocentric we are, God is in control. God never changes. He is sovereign and He sets the rulers of our nations and quite simply, He is in control.

And now for a song. (I just had a Veggie Tales moment...)

Years ago when Robert and I came back to the church we began to get involved with churches that feature more contemporary worship styles. That isn't to say that we are anti-hymn; in fact, hymns remind me a lot of growing up in the church as a child, and many of them are spot on theologically (although some aren't - as well as some contemporary songs... you should test all things - really).

So this morning I was over at Geo's blog and the title of today's post reminded me of a song that we sang years ago... and the lyrics are actually quite appropriate for us today. Someone commented to me yesterday how the world has changed. True... but these words are as timeless, I think, as the Subject of their message, and it doesn't matter which side of the issues you are on - this message is for all of us. Here goes:

In Times Like These

Ruth Caye Jones

In times like these you need a Savior

In times like these you need an anchor

Be very sure, be very sure

Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

Chorus:

This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He's the One;

This Rock is Jesus, the only One!*

Be very sure, be very sure

Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

In times like these you need the Bible

In times like these O be not idle

Be very sure, be very sure

Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

Chorus

In times like these I have a Savior

In times like these I have an anchor

I'm very sure, I'm very sure

My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

*P.S. If you do happen to be a supporter of President-elect Obama, please, please, please do not mistake him for the Savior. I've actually heard this sentiment expressed personally on at least two occasions as well as seen it portrayed heavily in the media. Jesus is THE Savior, THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life. Period.

Didja Vote?

If not, please make it your afternoon's priority!

It's much more important than reading my blog!!! :)

All Hallow's Eve

Her Royal Highness, Princess Grace.

Josh's own idea - a box.

Shameless, aren't I? She has catalogs and coupons and recipes to hand out to adults she sees.

Do They Give You Free Samples?

So said Josh at our arrival at the Denver Mint today. We've been trying to take a tour since we moved here awhile back but it's been hard to coordinate schedules with tour availability - but we made it today. We were joined by our friends and had a great time. The tour guide kept calling on Harry Potter (Josh). Grace kept asking for "moneys." All in all, it was a pretty stinkin' cool tour this morning.

Been busy the last couple of days with the kids' conferences at school. I am just humbled and overwhelmed at how blessed we are with these kids. I don't want to go on and on and brag all day about them... but we are blessed!

Birth Order - Last Born Child

Traits -

• Outgoing
• Charming
• Personable
• Good manipulators
• Affectionate
• Uncomplicated
• Family and class clown
• Space cadet
• Entertaining

Often moody - one day on top of the world, next day down in the dumps - acting selfish, spoiled, impatient, etc. This is becasue the baby grows up being catered to, getting his own way, and having things done for him.

Many struggle with being taken seriously.

Tips for parents -

• Hold child responsible for behavior; don't laugh off bad behavior.
• Don't do everything for them or allow others to.
• Point out manipulations - call them on it.
• Teach them boundaries on clowning around

What say ye? Any babies out there?

I'll be on a little bloggy break until the middle of next week, taking care of some business.

Birth Order - The Middle Child

Type A Traits -

• Loner
• Quiet
• Shy
• Easily Frustrated
• Impatient
• Angry competitiveness
• Often rebellious

Type B Traits -

• Sociable
• Friendly
• Outgoing
• Takes life in stride
• Laid back
• Peacemaker
• Mediator
• Wants conflict resolved quickly

All middle kids hang out with their peers more than other birth orders. These peers are positive if the peer group is positive. They make good friends and are good at relationships. Typically they are the first to leave home. They often take on jobs like counselors, teachers, community work, etc.

Tips for parents -

• Encourage and praise social skills and family expression.
• Encourage positions of leadership.
• Watch peer groups - stop negative peer group associations.

Any middle kids out there who would care to comment?

Birth Order - Firstborns

This morning I went to the Moms 4 Moms group at our church (like MOPS), and heard a guest speaker talk about birth order. I've heard Kevin Leman speak before so these weren't brand new concepts to me, but they were still interesting and offer insight on understanding ourselves, our spouses, even our children.

If you're interested in studying more, I would encourage you to check out Leman's resources and others. But I thought it would be interesting to share some of the highlights of today's talk with you over the next couple of days.

The Firstborn Child (and Only Children)

In my family, this applies to me, Christianne, and because of the age gap, Grace. It also applies somewhat to Joshua, as he is the firstborn son.

98.2% of all Presidents and pastors are firstborns! Leading actors and actresses and talk-show hosts, as well as astronauts and doctors - these, too, are all predominantly first-born children.

General traits:

• good students, good grades
• like structure, lists, organization
• serious
• high achievers
• self-critical - don't like to be wrong
• control-minded
• perfectionists

Type A firstborns are compliant, good-natured, people-pleasers, and servants.

Type B firstborns are more common; they are often aggressive, strong-willed, power-driven, and set their own goals ahead of others. They are often prone to health problems related to stress and relationship issues.

Tips for parents of firstborns:

• Lower expectations. Allow them to be kids.
• Don't overschedule them.
• Teach them to say no to things.
• Teach them it's okay to not be the best at everything.
• Teach them to laugh, especially at their own mistakes.
• Appreciate their strengths.
• Teach them to help others, not criticize them.

What say ye? Any firstborns out there? Do you see these traits in yourselves, or in your firstborn children?

MoNdAy, mOnDaY

Today's one of those days where I pull up my blog and I don't think I've got anything to say.

Strange, isn't it? Me, without words on my mind that are just waiting to spill out.

I'm focused today, on all the things that need to be done this week. And I'm tired, because I stayed up too late ('til 2) finishing a book that I didn't even like much, and then I couldn't go to sleep because of this stinkin' cough.

I've got laundry going and half the house picked up. I've got the scrappin' bug so I'm hoping to get an hour in on that while Miss Grace naps. Phone calls to make, places to go, people to see. One of those kind of days. :) It's all good, though. I'm blessed.

This weekend was one of those where you work your butt off and you don't have much to show for it (at least not yet). Ro worked OT helping people hopefully not get the flu this season (good luck). I worked. Chris worked. Grace even helped pick up and set the table yesterday. Josh... I don't think he worked. He avoids it at all costs.

So anyway - just checkin' in. There are only 66 days left until Christmas, and thankfully a mere 2 weeks until the election. (As excited as I am by the prospects this year, I sure am SICK and TIRED of all the campaign ads and phone calls - how about you?) It's always such a busy time of year... but hopefully with all the hustle and bustle we'll take time to be thankful for how richly blessed all of us are.

Even Grace is asking for a nap now. TTFN.

Delusions of Grandeur

Robert scored a pair of snowboots for Grace this week for $5 on clearance... and they have Disney princesses on them. (We also got her a princess bed last night - $25 on Craigslist - but that's still a surprise. I want her in the crib as long as possible!) Grace found them yesterday morning and immediately oohed and ahhed.

She brought them over to me and said, "Look Mommy! It's me, with Snow White and Cinderella!"

~~~~~

After Grace woke up from her nap yesterday she called me. When I came in her room, she said in a very somber tone, "I want out of my cage now."

~~~~~

Such a busy weekend we have, but we are so blessed. If you've been praying for me on my cold, thank you. I still have it, but I don't recall ever having such a mild cold. I'm glad I'm not full-blown snotty and hacking for tonight's unspecified business endeavor. Robert is working OT this morning at the flu shot clinic and playing on the worship team tonight. Josh has a birthday party today... lots on the agenda, but it's all good. :)

Had a few really cold days last week but now it seems to be back to just chilly. No snow yet. According to my blog, we got snow first last year on the 21st of October, so we shall see. I personally think it should wait until November 1st. :)

Enjoy your weekends...

Some Things You Might Not Know About Me

Some call 'em quirks...

1. If I have to use a public restroom, I never use the first stall unless there's nothing left. I try to use the 2nd or 4th or 6th stall on my right-hand side.

2. I hate to waste bottled water, even if it's cheap Great Value bottled water. I will use it for dishes or to water plants before I just pour it out. I don't have the same issue with tap water, for some reason.

3. I don't like quiet keyboards. I greatly prefer the clicky variety.

4. My top 3 favorite worldly possessions are, in no particular order, my bed, my wedding ring, and my computer.

5. Bananas and walnuts make my throat itch, but I can eat them in other recipes without a problem.

6. When I stick my finger in my belly button I feel like I have to pee.

7. I love grape jelly on grilled cheese sandwiches.

8. My ideal spot - a computer and desk near a large window with a great view, rain drizzling outside, chilly, books all around me, and a comfortable couch with pillows and a quilt for reading, relaxing, and sleeping.

9. I am ashamed of this - but one time I scraped another car as I left a party, and I didn't leave a note or try to take responsibility. That happened about 21 years ago. :(

10. It actually disturbs me to have books on shelves at random, with no rhyme or reason. They should be separated by genre and organized alphabetically by author.

OK... your turn. What weirdities are there about you? What don't I know about you guys?

They're Hard to Find

Wednesdays are becoming my wacked-out crazy day. Too busy for my taste.

Anyway... I'm wiped out and not feeling the greatest, but I thought I'd pop in to share a Gracieism with you.

Today I had Bible study and she was in the nursery with another little girl named Ila, the caregiver Barbara, and Barbara's teen son Duggan. As we drove home, I said, "Did you have fun with Ila today?"

Grace said, "Yes. I had fun with Dugg, too."

"Dugg? You had fun with Dugg?"

"Yes," she said. "Dugg is a good man."

~~~
I also asked Grace if I were her best friend, but she told me no. I said, "Who is your best friend, then?"

"Aunt Debby," she said.

:) G'nite, all...

Sometimes I Wonder: Are You Just Messing With Us?

This is the most recent picture I have of my Ro, taken a couple of weeks ago as he installed a new hanging light in our (currently empty) dining room. (By the way, the light was new in the box, and we got it for $5! I think it's our best garage sale find so far.)

But there's a point to this photograph. Look carefully at my Ro. Look at his hair.

Once upon a time, we were brand new Coloradans (although I prefer to say and write ColoradOans), and, being the good citizens we are, we went to get our drivers licenses. Now that was one of the few things about our transition that truly... um... to use Grace's latest word... sucked. (I know. Don't say it.)

It was an all-day thing. By the time our numbers came up, we were more than ready to be done. At that time, you might remember, the time when we left Cali, Ro looked more like this than the picture above.

Oh wait, wrong picture. That was me. I'm sorry, here's what Robert looked like about a year ago:

So when it was Robert's time with the warm, personable DMV clerk that day in the drivers license office, she was filling in all his vital statistics. Height. Weight. Eyes. Hair. Robert quipped, "It would be brown if I had any." And the sweet lady replied, "I can see that." After she finished, Robert looked down at his temporary license to find that under hair she'd written BALD. We've chuckled about it several times over the past year.

Anyway, last Sunday, Robert and I went on a date. (If you haven't yet seen Fireproof, go see it.) Robert was driving, and he wasn't intentionally speeding... but you know... we were talking and ~ sure enough ~ he got pulled over.

The police officer was very nice. He still gave Robert a ticket (his first in MANY years), but he wrote it down for a smaller consequence than what was truly deserved. But we had to really laugh later, because as I was reading the details of the ticket on the way to the theater, under Robert's hair color, he'd written GRAY.

You know... it might be funnier to us than to you, but it cracks me up. Yes, Ro has some gray in his hair, but it is still predominantly dark, right? Too funny.

On a minor note, I am getting sick and I have an unspecified business endeavor event this weekend. Please pray for me! Thanks!