And bring on the next......

My oldest daughter is not what you'd call athletic.
But she tries.
She tried soccer when she was 5 and then again this year.

Last year she tried Tennis for the first time.

In Junior High she played one year of Volleyball.

She just finished her first year of wishing she could play managing the basketball team.

The ONE sport that has lasted is swimming. She has been  part of a summer swim  league for the past 5 years. I haven't talked about that much here, but trust me summer is coming and I will.

Yesterday she came home and said she signed up for track.
Then she started crying.

I tried to sound real upbeat and encouraging, because I knew that's what she needed.

She said she wanted to get in shape for swim this summer and at the time it sounded like a good idea. Run around a track all afternoon with some big scary guy coach yelling at you not to stop.
She had forgotten that it actually involved meets.
So we spent some time going over the events she could possibly do.

I made it clear that she was not to even attempt the hurdles.
That sounds mean, but just trust me.

We thought maybe the long jump. You land in a nice pile of soft sand.
She was too worried it would get in her hair.

She can't do any of the throwing events because she has a shoulder injury.
from swimming.

Finally we just started laughing.
I told her how amazing and brave I thought she was and that I love how I never know what to expect from her. And that I wish I could not take life or even my own limitations so seriously.

That night as she was going to bed, she yelled...
"Bring on the next!" in a strong confident voice.

All I can say is.......stay tuned.

It is still February ya know.

This morning she broke out the flip flops and the self tanner.

Found a skirt in the back of her closet.

Dug through the dryer to find the one perfect tank top, even though her drawer is full of other ones.

Painted her toe nails instead of eating breakfast.

Clipped a little bow in her perfectly curled, sprayed hair.

Got in the car, late as usual.

Tried to quickly pull out of the garage as the garage door took it's time to open.

And drove to the bus stop in SNOW!

"Will you bring my jeans and shoes when you come to town later?" she quietly asked.



The spring like weather we have been having gave her a little too much hope!

The FUN plan

My oldest daughter has a friend who goes to a private school in California.

She is like some sort of genius or something.
She has been in public school and home schooled. When she took the WASL test and the SAT tests her scores were so high that people/schools/scholarship programs started calling. She received a full 4 year scholarship to this private school on the shores of Malibu or something.

We have no idea why she is friends with us.


Well actually I do.

My daughter is fun.

And even really smart, educated, know things I can't even fathom people need to have fun.

So, she was home this weekend and my daughter and 2 other girls were so excited to see her and have some fun with her.

Here is the problem.
We live in a very small, nothing to do, everything closes at 8 town.

So the girls came up with a brilliant plan.

The big town.

60 miles south is a large town with movie theaters, restaurants that actually stay open in the dark, and the MALL.....

So the 4 girls gather all us parents together and lay out their plan of action.
1 of the girls is 18, has a licence, a good driving record, very trustworthy, acts like an adult, respected in the community......

 this was part of their pitch. 

They wanted to be allowed to drive to this big town, get ice cream, go to the mall, and see a movie. A real movie that just came out, not one that's 2 months old and finally came to our town's 1 screen movie theater.

So, we let them.

The plan was for the girls to get home by 11 pm and all stay the night together.

I felt fine really.

Until I fell asleep in my chair because I was trying to stay awake so that at 11pm  I could call her and make sure they had made it home ok. And now it was 2 am and I had no idea if they were home, and maybe the other Mom also fell asleep in her chair and had no idea they were not home, and they were attacked in the dark parking lot after the movie, or slid  off the road from all the ice that had magically appeared............

It was rough.
I wasn't sure if I should try and call and wake the whole house up and look like a crazy Mom.

So I just slipped to my knees and prayed.

Not for my daughter, but for myself.

That I would trust the plans He has for her, and realize deep down in the very pit of my soul how much more He loves her than I ever could begin to imagine.

And it worked. I went to bed feeling full of peace and not like a crazy Mom on the verge of waking up the whole town.

Although I did call bright and early the next morning.

But instead of my daughter being extremely cranky for being woken up so early, she was so happy and thankful for being allowed to do something so fun last night.
She said her friends had the most amazing time and that the really smart, brilliant, genius friend had peed her pants on the way home because they were laughing so hard and were too scared to stop anywhere and get out of the car and use the bathroom.

I'd say my daughter's plan worked perfectly.

It's healthy to live vicariously through your children...... right?

Friday we went up to the highschool to watch the basketball games.

My oldest is the basketball manager so she was busy filming the game. She has to go way up to the top of the stands and sit in a booth with the game announcer and the guy on the radio.
She was so cute up there looking all official and I kept taking pictures of her from across the gym.

Until she finally looked at me and mouthed "knock it off!"

Later I kept talking to her about her filming career. I told her she needed to get into the photography classes that the school offered and then I told her that the paper was having a contest for best local video or photograph and that she should enter.

I guess I was going on and on (her words) about it, because she finally looked at me and said that maybe I was the one who wanted to do all this.

hmmm. Interesting.

How I love His Word

He never disappoints.
I on the other hand tend to dissappoint myself far too often. But He knows this about me, He's talked to me about it before. He also knows that when I do something particularly hard, for Him, well...He never disappoints.

That's how it's been getting into this reading the Bible in a year thing. I've done this before, with my church, on my own....
But I knew I needed to do it again this year.
I've been going through some things that I know will only get resolved if I keep my mind filled with Him and His ways.

This week I needed to catch up and stay with it. So, I did a lot of reading.

He decided I was ready for some meat.

Don't you love how alive the Bible is sometimes, when scripture you have read over and over again becomes new and He teaches you something amazing from something you've already read?

At first the specific verses He had for me this week were hard to understand. I couldn't get why I needed to hear, know, feel them. But as they wouldn't leave me and I had to go in search of what it was He was trying to tell me, my eyes were opened in new way.

Meat.

Sometimes meat can be hard to chew and sometimes I want the easy digestion of my all familiar milk.

But I've been asking for some tough questions lately and He must think I'm ready to handle some tough answers.

He never disappoints.

I would share the scripture, but it is so painfully personal that I don't feel I'd do it justice trying to explain.

Is that weird?

I will tell you though to keep asking. Keep reading. Keep not being satisfied with the all familiar milk.
And if you disappoint yourself like I do. Know that He knows that, and wants you to know that it is He that never disappoints.

He/Him/His= Jesus
Just to be clear.

going random

Joining Mer again this month.
(Hope it's ok to use her nickname)





#1 One of the reasons I love 10 on the 10th is because of the challenge. It's like my version of playing Suduko, which they say keeps your mind sharp. But I don't really like Suduko. at all. I don't like numbers. I like letters. To me numbers and letters are complete opposites. I almost like letters as much as Marla.
obviously coming up with this 10 isn't much of a challenge since I'm going random.

#2 Speaking of Marla I have always wanted to make her a necklace from an M scrabble game piece. But I have no idea how or will probably never get around to doing it. Does anyone want to make her one and send it to her? If you do, could you just in tiny print sign it from O Mom too. Do you think she already has one?

#3 Speaking of Scrabble. You know how sometimes they come out with stuff for a limited time in the color pink? I would love the scrabble game in pink. Can ya just see the light and dark pink board and the tiles all in pink....I would play everyday. every day? June ?

#4 Do you think it was a little rude of the grocery clerk to look at me weird after she saw my tiny heart box of chocolate I was buying and asked me who it was for and I said myself?

#5 Speaking of the tiny heart box of chocolate, I know it was only .88 cents, but it totally could have fit more than 3 pieces in there. My body was having a freak out moment and it was craving chocolate. It happens every so often once a month.

#6 My oldest daughter called me from school this morning with a bad headache. She said the school nurse would not give her any advil, so I called to give my ok. They said there was a new policy that they were not allowed to give any medication to students even with a parents' permission.
hmmm.

#7 Is this random enough for you? Random is kinda fun.

#8 I am a little confused as to why Ellen is on American Idol. Does she suddenly produce records or something?

#9 And speaking of Idol, has Kara grown on anyone a little more since last year? At first we were so annoyed by her being there. This year she seems a little funner.
And funner is totally a word.

#10 This is my favorite song right now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gz3QR_0EIE

I don't think they're talking about bad tacos!

Ray Lewis is football player.

I'm not sure what team.

he had a rough upbringing, and maybe made some bad choices along the way.

I watched an interview of him yesterday.

He preached to me.


"Sometimes in life you don't get everything you want, but if you've got someone in your life that has given you everything you NEED, then don't complain."
Ray Lewis

I'm thinking of writing this in my daughter's room kitchen.

Superbowl

It's really all about the food.

Although, I do like to watch football. I even yell at the tv sometimes.
I think I like it even more than my husband, who usually falls asleep.

Football reminds me of my Dad.

He yelled at the tv watched alot of football when I was little. I remember sitting with him and asking question after question about what was going on, what the rules were, who did we want to win.

This is one of those times he would ask, "What are you, writing a book?"

But he always answered every question.

Sometimes I like to call him after the Superbowl and say hi and see what he thought about the game.
I remember when the Seattle Seahawks played in the Superbowl a few years ago and we lost. All because of some really bad calls from the refs.....

After the game, I called my Dad.

We talked about that game, the players, and those awful calls from the refs....

It made me miss him.

It also made me so thankful for him too. He alone gave me the love of watching a football game. It doesn't sound like much, but it's a memory. A good memory.

Actually now that I think about it, it might have been my sister who was obsessed with the Dallas Cowboys in the 80's, who gave me the love of watching the Cowboys Football!


Back to the food.......

I'm no Ree. Have you seen what she's making? I want to be adopted.

But we will have chips and dip, that much I know.
My husband wants some kind of cheese dip made with Velveeta.

Velveeta grosses me out. What is it? Is it even cheese? We'll have to see about that one. I even have a coupon, but still...

And did I try and say the other day that we don't eat Junk food around here?

Anyway,
Enjoy the day. Whether you're a football watching, velveeta eating fan or not just enjoy the day and make memories whatever you do. You never know how important those things will be to someone else down the road.

Go Cowboys!

Are they even in the Superbowl this year?

ha ha! I said I liked to watch football not that I knew what was going on...........

Shopping

My daughter, the teenager who goes to public Hgh School, has been wanting to go shopping since Christmas.
She did get money for Christmas that was to be spent on a shopping trip for her, and we she has just been too busy to go.

She sent me an email yesterday reminding me she wanted to go. In the email was an Ad from a store that had a 20% off coupon in it.
I thought, oh she is so sweet and responsible.

Then I clicked on the ad.

This is what I saw....

http://www2.victoriassecret.com/commerce/onlineProductDisplay.vs?namespace=productDisplay&origin=onlineProductDisplay.jsp&event=display&prnbr=GJ-254786&page=1&cgname=OSCLOSHTZZZ&rfnbr=3400

I'm sorry, but this just isn't what I had in mind.

GladiTuesday

I'm joining Gretchen today.

Things that make me glad today. Because life is a choice really and today I choose to see gladiness.

Gretchen talks with alot of "i" at the end of her words and it just makes you feel so much glad i er! 

1. The Bachelor
Yes the show. My oldest daughter and I watch it together (my husband tries for about 2 minutes and then can not keep quiet so we have to kick politely ask him to leave) and it makes for great conversationies about the whole dating thing. And last night made us both about cry when Corey told him that she was saving her self for marriage.......we were just really proud of her. Of course she got kicked politely asked to leave after that, but it made for great conversationies with my daughter.

2. February
I love the color pink and knowing that every single store I go to this whole month will be covered in pink, just makes me happy. I don't even mind if I can't buy anything. There is just something gladdi about the color pink.

3. Tuesdays
My 2 younger daughters have Ballet on Tuesdays. I love that they both love it and they are so cute in their PINK little outfits. But the best part really is that I get an hour and a half of visiting with a dear friend while the girls dance all their energy out. Dancie their energy outie.

4. Weather patterns
My husband had to sell his dozer (big tractory machine thingy) this last fall. It was our snow plow, we have about 1/4 mile long driveway (I actually have no idea how long it is that just seems about right) When he sold it we had no idea how we would plow our driveway this winter. Turns out we have gotten almost NO snow, which is unheard of for Eastern Washington, and have not even needed a plow. I think all the snow went to North Carolina this year.

5. The Library
Ballet is right next to the Library so the girls always get to pick out a movie and a couple of books and I get to print out up to 10 things for free. I just love the Library, they even decorate. A Library covered in pink, now that just makes me smile!


Hope you have a GladiTuesday!

Blessings in the midst of trials

My husband is still out of work. He is a carpenter. Most of his work has been framing houses or millwork (trim and cabinet installation). He has worked for several different builders over the years. Some of those builders are completely out of business right now. Some have downsized their number of houses they build by over 75%. It's shocking really. He has been on unemployment for the first time in his 18 years of working.

His unemployment just ran out last week.

The President "ok'd" an extension of Emergency Unemployment Benefits recently. The only problem is, you have to apply by mail for this extension once your benefits run out, and it can take up to 4-6 weeks to get an answer.

Kinda defeats the purpose of this being an emergency, but I won't complain.

If he doesn't qualify for this extension, then yes, I will complain.

To who? I have no idea. Probably here, so consider yourself warned.

There have been some amazing blessings through this though.

I know that on the other side of all this we will be a different family. A better family. I am honestly trying my best not to rush God through this. Ohhh how I want to be on the other side of this, but I am still learning, I still see it everyday. So, I'm taking notes and storing them in my heart so they don't get lost.

Here's a couple:

Little things can leave the most amazing memories your children will cherish for their lifetime:
We rescued a kitten a little over a year ago. When she was old enough to need to be fixed, we didn't have the money, so I didn't do it. This last Fall she had kittens. 4 of them. 1 died a few days after birth. 1 was so tiny (the runt) that I feared we would lose it too. My youngest was determined to love that little one to life. She did. Every single day she would go to the garage and sit and hold it and and make sure it got it's spot to eat and would watch over it the whole time making sure none of the other 2 kittens pushed it around. It made it! And today you should see her and "Whittie", they are inseperable.
For Christmas we gave one kitten to my Mom, who's cat had just recently died. She says it was the best present she's ever received!
The other day my girls were playing with the cats and my youngest daughter started to quietly cry.
I asked her what was wrong.
She said nothing was wrong. She was just so happy and that having these kittens had made this the best year ever!
Of course that made me cry. I had just been feeling like this was the worst year ever.
not anymore. If I'd had the money at the time, I would have gotten the cat fixed and would have missed this event which turned into a huge blessing for my girls.

Food:
I have never been a huge junk food buyer. Like, I don't think I have ever bought a box of twinkies or anything hostessy. But we have in the past eaten very conviently. The freezer was always stocked with frozen burritos, eggos, hot pockets, fries......and the cupboards had cans of soup, crackers and chips. Easy quick to fix food.
Well if you've ever been on a grocery shopping budget you know that these type of items can be made by spending alot less money. Yes, I'm talking from scratch. I started slowly. The girls love pancakes and waffles for breakfast and I just couldn't afford to buy them all the time. So I started making them from scratch. Same for the fries. Do you realize how much stuff you can make from a .99 bag of potatoes? And the homemade fries are now a family favorite!
If you looked in our freezer now, you'd see only meat, some frozen fruit, and frozen bread. With the cupboards not holding so much quick snacky stuff, we eat tons more fruit and veggies. Basically because sometimes that's all there is to snack on.
I am by no means a healthy food expert but it does feel good to know I'm not putting so much processed food into my kids diets. My youngest gets headaches alot and my middle daughter has some attention/dyslexia issues. I can't say that these have gone away, but I can see a huge improvement with them. Is it the food? I don't know for sure, but my Mommy instinct says yes.
If our finances hadn't changed, I don't know that I would have changed our eating habits so much and I love the way my girls eat today.

Blessings in the midst of trials.

What blessing can you find from a trial in your life? They are there. We just need to make the choice to see them.


*disclaimer: I did not mean to start a debate in any of the following areas;
Unemployment
President Obama
PETA
Food choices

I realized after I wrote all this that these are very some touchy subjects now a days. I'm just trying to share the blessings our family is receiving through a hard time. So, PETA instead of telling me how irresponsible I am, how about tell me where I can get my cats fixed for free.
:)