D and L are officially going to Comfort Zone Camp in June. I completed the parent interview on the phone today and they are signed up and ready to roll. This will be their second camp with Comfort Zone and they are REALLY excited.
Check out this helpful reminder from the founder.
Friday, May 28, 2010
summer?
appointments have been made for:
-oil change
-hitch installation
-vet
-haircut
-counselor
-gynecologist
-D Doctor
-L Doctor
-dentist for all
call me if you'd like to be added to the calendar ;)
It's my first official day of summer and I'm super excited.... except for all of the above...
-oil change
-hitch installation
-vet
-haircut
-counselor
-gynecologist
-D Doctor
-L Doctor
-dentist for all
call me if you'd like to be added to the calendar ;)
It's my first official day of summer and I'm super excited.... except for all of the above...
Thursday, May 27, 2010
my new experiment
As many of you can see... I've gained alot of weight over the last few months. I've decided that enough is enough.
I certainly don't have the willpower to make drastic changes, and stick to them, so I've decided to challenge myself in very small ways.
Starting this week, I have cut out the sodas.
The crazy thing is... I don't keep sodas at my house. I tend to be a social drinker. (ha)
It all started when I would indulge on a Dr. Pepper when I was "out". And since I'm "out" quite alot, I tend to drink alot of soda.
This week, I have limited my liquid intake to WATER, and water only.
Interesting enough, I have not suffered the headaches that others report after stopping caffeine cold turkey.
But I have been so tired by the end of the day.
One night this week, I managed to get myself and the kids in bed, and asleep, by 6:30pm. It was an amazingly long night and we caught up on some much needed rest.
The downside to that was the fact that L woke at 8:30pm and was wandering through the house. When I questioned him, he asked me if it was morning or night. That poor kid thought it was 8:30am. :)
Tonight, I'm struggling to stay up and post this simple blog. Did caffeine really keep me running these past few months?? We'll see how I adapt over the next few weeks...
I certainly don't have the willpower to make drastic changes, and stick to them, so I've decided to challenge myself in very small ways.
Starting this week, I have cut out the sodas.
The crazy thing is... I don't keep sodas at my house. I tend to be a social drinker. (ha)
It all started when I would indulge on a Dr. Pepper when I was "out". And since I'm "out" quite alot, I tend to drink alot of soda.
This week, I have limited my liquid intake to WATER, and water only.
Interesting enough, I have not suffered the headaches that others report after stopping caffeine cold turkey.
But I have been so tired by the end of the day.
One night this week, I managed to get myself and the kids in bed, and asleep, by 6:30pm. It was an amazingly long night and we caught up on some much needed rest.
The downside to that was the fact that L woke at 8:30pm and was wandering through the house. When I questioned him, he asked me if it was morning or night. That poor kid thought it was 8:30am. :)
Tonight, I'm struggling to stay up and post this simple blog. Did caffeine really keep me running these past few months?? We'll see how I adapt over the next few weeks...
Sunday, May 16, 2010
empty schedule
This morning I woke up feeling like I wanted to wear a dress. That in itself is very odd. I was pleasantly surprised that the dress I wore to Thayer's service still fit...even though it appears that I am 17 pounds heavier than when I wore it last.
Turns out that the 17 pounds must have accumulated in my breasts... because by the time church was over... I was uncomfortable with the fit of the top and I was ready to run home for a t-shirt.
wow. that was random.
back to this morning...
I wondered why I had wanted to wear a dress. I was perplexed at my odd mood... and then I thought "what day is today?! It can't possibly be the 16th. That would be weird."
By golly, it IS the 16th. Twenty-one months since Thayer's death. Can that actually be? Are we working towards two years? so quickly?
I then noticed the calendar days for the week to come. Pretty much NOTHING going on this week. I got an eerie feeling as I remembered the calendar week following Thayer's death. That week, too, had been pretty empty of activity...as if God kept it clear knowing we would be rather busy with the business of death.
I briefly thought to myself that I hoped God wasn't keeping next week open for similar reasons.
Today the kids took off to play with a neighbor. I did a little bit of planting in the yard, and did some thinking about entering a writing contest, but then I was unsure of what to do. I rarely have time to just do nothing. It was odd.
I decided to take a chunk of time and finish reading I Will Carry You by Angie Smith. Angie is the author of a well known blog and I was super excited to see that she has published a book of her journey. She's got some great things to say about "the sacred dance of grief and joy".
My Dad came over for a quick visit. He casually mentioned that my Mom and my niece had been in a minor car accident this afternoon.
Woah.
Thankfully no one was hurt. But after he left, I thought... that could have been way worse! That could have been the event that delegated the empty schedule for next week.
We can never see it coming.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:34
Turns out that the 17 pounds must have accumulated in my breasts... because by the time church was over... I was uncomfortable with the fit of the top and I was ready to run home for a t-shirt.
wow. that was random.
back to this morning...
I wondered why I had wanted to wear a dress. I was perplexed at my odd mood... and then I thought "what day is today?! It can't possibly be the 16th. That would be weird."
By golly, it IS the 16th. Twenty-one months since Thayer's death. Can that actually be? Are we working towards two years? so quickly?
I then noticed the calendar days for the week to come. Pretty much NOTHING going on this week. I got an eerie feeling as I remembered the calendar week following Thayer's death. That week, too, had been pretty empty of activity...as if God kept it clear knowing we would be rather busy with the business of death.
I briefly thought to myself that I hoped God wasn't keeping next week open for similar reasons.
Today the kids took off to play with a neighbor. I did a little bit of planting in the yard, and did some thinking about entering a writing contest, but then I was unsure of what to do. I rarely have time to just do nothing. It was odd.
I decided to take a chunk of time and finish reading I Will Carry You by Angie Smith. Angie is the author of a well known blog and I was super excited to see that she has published a book of her journey. She's got some great things to say about "the sacred dance of grief and joy".
My Dad came over for a quick visit. He casually mentioned that my Mom and my niece had been in a minor car accident this afternoon.
Woah.
Thankfully no one was hurt. But after he left, I thought... that could have been way worse! That could have been the event that delegated the empty schedule for next week.
We can never see it coming.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:34
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
a really long post about sandwiches
Several weeks ago, the counselor asked me something along the lines of "what do you see for your future?" And I think that's when I blogged about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches... lots of them.
Then, today, I was encouraged by someone else to start envisioning where I see myself 10-15 years down the road. Where I might want to live, what I might like to do, what I might need to finance for the kids, etc.
And this is very wise advice. Set goals in order to acheive goals.... that's pretty much what they were telling the kids in karate class tonight too.
I'm hearing this recurring theme, about future, from many different angles these days.
And honestly, I still can't see past the sandwiches!
I've been reading a wonderful book, A Grace Disguised by Jerry Sittser. He explains what I'm struggling with -way better than I can. (I'm happy to say that I'm not currently as desolate as he describes.... but hopefully you can get the picture...)
He writes:
Those who suffer loss live suspended between a past for which they long and a future for which they hope....
they find themselves living in a barren present that is empty of meaning. Memories of the past only remind them of what they have lost; hope for the future only taunts them with an unknown too remote even to imagine.
He also writes:
It is impossible not to imagine the future, and it is equally impossible to imagine the future without using the present as material for our imagination. After doing woodworking as a hobby, for instance, you can imagine a career in carpentry. After viewing slides of New Zealand, you can imagine what it would be like to travel there. After winning your first college debate, you can dream about becoming a great trial lawyer. The problem with those who have suffered loss is that they are deprived of familiar material from the present in order to envision the future.
Much of what I imagined for my future became impossible after the accident.
I agree. What I had imagined for my future crumbled when Thayer died. And here, in my present... of doing whatever I do each day... I find it difficult to find, or even imagine a foundation to build my future plans upon.
I know I've got to raise the kids. and that's as far as I see. beyond that, I dunno... maybe I'll learn to knit.
I received this amazing picture in an email today from missionary friends who live in a tribe far away. They wanted to share a picture of the new bridge. (Take note of the old "bridge" underneath. yikes!!)
This picture spoke alot of things to me.
Tonight:
I'm seeing myself on that old bridge....reluctantly letting go of the bank behind, nervously half crawling, focusing on my balance, trying not to slip into the rushing river. So focused on the task, that I have no idea what lies on the bank ahead.
Where I'd like to be:
boldly secure on that new bridge, backpack stocked, strutting across with a clear focus on the destination.
hmmmm...wouldn't we all like to be on that new bridge?!
I'll pack the sandwiches.
Then, today, I was encouraged by someone else to start envisioning where I see myself 10-15 years down the road. Where I might want to live, what I might like to do, what I might need to finance for the kids, etc.
And this is very wise advice. Set goals in order to acheive goals.... that's pretty much what they were telling the kids in karate class tonight too.
I'm hearing this recurring theme, about future, from many different angles these days.
And honestly, I still can't see past the sandwiches!
I've been reading a wonderful book, A Grace Disguised by Jerry Sittser. He explains what I'm struggling with -way better than I can. (I'm happy to say that I'm not currently as desolate as he describes.... but hopefully you can get the picture...)
He writes:
Those who suffer loss live suspended between a past for which they long and a future for which they hope....
they find themselves living in a barren present that is empty of meaning. Memories of the past only remind them of what they have lost; hope for the future only taunts them with an unknown too remote even to imagine.
He also writes:
It is impossible not to imagine the future, and it is equally impossible to imagine the future without using the present as material for our imagination. After doing woodworking as a hobby, for instance, you can imagine a career in carpentry. After viewing slides of New Zealand, you can imagine what it would be like to travel there. After winning your first college debate, you can dream about becoming a great trial lawyer. The problem with those who have suffered loss is that they are deprived of familiar material from the present in order to envision the future.
Much of what I imagined for my future became impossible after the accident.
I agree. What I had imagined for my future crumbled when Thayer died. And here, in my present... of doing whatever I do each day... I find it difficult to find, or even imagine a foundation to build my future plans upon.
I know I've got to raise the kids. and that's as far as I see. beyond that, I dunno... maybe I'll learn to knit.
I received this amazing picture in an email today from missionary friends who live in a tribe far away. They wanted to share a picture of the new bridge. (Take note of the old "bridge" underneath. yikes!!)
This picture spoke alot of things to me.
Tonight:
I'm seeing myself on that old bridge....reluctantly letting go of the bank behind, nervously half crawling, focusing on my balance, trying not to slip into the rushing river. So focused on the task, that I have no idea what lies on the bank ahead.
Where I'd like to be:
boldly secure on that new bridge, backpack stocked, strutting across with a clear focus on the destination.
hmmmm...wouldn't we all like to be on that new bridge?!
I'll pack the sandwiches.
Sunday, May 09, 2010
mother's day
I received a great card in the mail this week. It reads:
Good moms let their kids lick the beaters.....
Great moms turn the mixer off first.
I must have laughed outload for several minutes. I think it is hill-ar-i-ous.
But when I shared the message with my kids, my mom, and my sisters.... they didn't seem to "get it".
I'm thankful for my twisted sense of humor :-)
As well as receiving that funny card from my friend Sandra, I also received several other cards in the mail this week. I was especially touched to receive an encouraging card from a highschool classmate who faithfully keeps up with my journey.
Today, I was surprised when another friend left flowers on my doorstep in honor of the day.
I am continually amazed when I am reminded of how many people keep me in their thoughts and prayers.
And I SO need those prayers:)
(My friend, Lisa, witnessed one of my "freak out" moments as a mom. It was rather embarrasing and I feel like I don't live up to the praise that people penned in the cards this week.)
Anywho. back to mom's day....
The mother's day festivities began earlier this week when my sisters and I took our mom out for dinner. Following a mother/daugher dinner... it seems like nothing says "i love you" more than a trip to the dollar store and a drive through the car wash.
fun times.
:-)
This morning, the boys shared some gifts with me. (thanks to mom and dad for helping with those!) and we went to church (which was depressing for several reasons),and we had lunch with my family.
Mom and I took a walk on the local trail and visited the city cemetery (to see the roses)
It was a beatiful day!
While thinking about mother's day... I realized that I am very thankful for my own mother and I am thankful that God has allowed me to be the mother of those two crazy kids. It's quite a blessing :)
Good moms let their kids lick the beaters.....
Great moms turn the mixer off first.
I must have laughed outload for several minutes. I think it is hill-ar-i-ous.
But when I shared the message with my kids, my mom, and my sisters.... they didn't seem to "get it".
I'm thankful for my twisted sense of humor :-)
As well as receiving that funny card from my friend Sandra, I also received several other cards in the mail this week. I was especially touched to receive an encouraging card from a highschool classmate who faithfully keeps up with my journey.
Today, I was surprised when another friend left flowers on my doorstep in honor of the day.
I am continually amazed when I am reminded of how many people keep me in their thoughts and prayers.
And I SO need those prayers:)
(My friend, Lisa, witnessed one of my "freak out" moments as a mom. It was rather embarrasing and I feel like I don't live up to the praise that people penned in the cards this week.)
Anywho. back to mom's day....
The mother's day festivities began earlier this week when my sisters and I took our mom out for dinner. Following a mother/daugher dinner... it seems like nothing says "i love you" more than a trip to the dollar store and a drive through the car wash.
fun times.
:-)
This morning, the boys shared some gifts with me. (thanks to mom and dad for helping with those!) and we went to church (which was depressing for several reasons),and we had lunch with my family.
Mom and I took a walk on the local trail and visited the city cemetery (to see the roses)
It was a beatiful day!
While thinking about mother's day... I realized that I am very thankful for my own mother and I am thankful that God has allowed me to be the mother of those two crazy kids. It's quite a blessing :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
