THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Thermometers Lie

Yesterday my daughter started her first swim team practice.  It is an hour and a half of swimming laps starting at 6:30 AM.  No sleeping in for her this summer!


When I get home last night I noticed that she was sniffling.  I figured it was just from all of the chlorine and didn't think much of it.  Later on, while we were running errands, she complained of being cold.  Odd, since it was in the upper 70's.  A mom's first reaction -- putting my cheek on her forehead to see if she had a fever.  Yup, I could feel it.


When we got home I had her take her temperature - 100.3.  Not too bad, but neither of my kids have been sick like this for a long time and since a fever was one of the early symptoms I know it isn't a simple cold. 


I had her take a long bath with my lavender vanilla aromatherapy foam bath.  Love that scent!  She went to bed right after.


I checked on her when I went to bed around midnight.  As soon as my cheek touched her forehead I exclaimed "Oh shit!"  She was so hot!  She has never been one to have high fevers but my son has many times (usually 103-105 when he was sick) so my memories of nights with him being ill rushed to mind.  I had her get up and take her temperature.  The thermometer still showed a 100.something temperature.  Clearly the thermometer lies.  (I'm guessing her temp. was around 102-103.)


There is just something special about mom's checking temperatures, isn't there?  I don't know how many times my cheek has touched their foreheads to check for fever.  It has felt a cool forehead all the way up to 105.4. 


What I learned today, the thermometer lies.

THURSDAY THOUGHTS: How Much Do You Share With Your Teen?

I am the mother of a teenage daughter. 

It scares me.

A lot.

How is this happening already?

I don’t feel old enough for this.

With each passing day and experience she has,

I instantly remember what I was doing at that age.

It doesn’t help my anxiety.

At all.

And I was a good kid.  (My parents may disagree, but I really was.)

Even before becoming a mom my goal was to be very open and honest with my kids.

But how open and how honest should I be?

One day she asked me “When was the first time you kissed a boy?”

I thought about that, and the honest answer is around third grade.

So I dodged the question.

“You mean, like, as a boyfriend kind of kissing?”

“Yes,” she replies.

That would be around eighth grade, the same age that she is now.

And this fall she starts high school. 

When I think back to that time, I recall so many challenges,

So many opportunities for growth and for failure.

I’d like her to have a blissful four years

with fantastic, supportive girlfriends,

straight A grades, lots of extra curricular activities,

no alcohol, no drugs and no boyfriends.

I’m not asking a lot, am I?

Okay, I know that’s not realistic.

So do I tell her about my experiences with

completely unexpected backstabbing girlfriends,

or alcohol and what it’s like to get drunk,

or what drugs look like and their potential consequences?

Do I tell her that boys tend to think with their penis,

or when I first had sex and what it feels like?

And how it feels to have your heart broken?

Or is it out of my hands?

THURSDAY THOUGHTS: On a Friday

I have so many thoughts to share and I want to share them all with you.  My problem is trying to stick to one thought and not dumping everything all at once.  I am going to post them a little bit at a time from now on.  They will still be titled THURSDAY THOUGHTS (for now) but will be posted as they are written.  The other parts of my blog will probably take a backseat, and I am okay with that.  I hope you are too.

I often feel that I am NOT ENOUGH.

Not smart enough.

Not pretty enough.

Not important enough.

Not a good enough mother.

Not a good enough spouse.

Not physically active enough.

Not patient enough.

You get the idea.   

This thinking leads to loneliness, depression, over eating, grumpiness and wanting more but not sure how to get it.  What a shitty state to be in.

But then I realized that in God's eyes I have always been enough.  I was born with the odds heavily stacked against me yet I survived, grew and prospered beyond my own expectations. Why did it take me 39 years to finally get this?

I am starting to approach everyday life with excitement and appreciation in a way I've never felt before.  I am learning to be a role model and treat life as a gift and not a burden, no matter what the circumstance.  Each life event, whether good or bad, is an opportunity to grow and isn't that what life is all about?  I think so.

One personal accomplishment to share today:

To share some good news, a friend of mine asked to do some collaboration using her amazing jewelry skills and my polymer clay pendants.  This is the first one she's made and she entered it into a contest on Vintaj.  It doesn't look like it will win, but I am so excited to see my pendant as part of such a beautiful piece!  

THURSDAY THOUGHTS: Catch Up

The past several weeks have been full of ups and downs.  

My grandma passed away on March 4.  The funeral went well, although the Father's eulogy touched me greatly when he said that my grandma was a great cook throughout her life and that God will be able to use her talents to prepare a great feast for us when it is our time to join her.  Then it was announced that we would sing Amazing Grace and I lost it.  I can't even hear that song on a good day without crying, and I didn't know it was part of her service.  Before the first word was sung I started bawling and fought the urge to run out of the church.  My niece, Erin, and my brother, David, held me up from each side and made me feel loved.  I had to take many deep breaths (and try not to listen to the song) in order to make it through.  It is one of my favorite songs, but I find it incredibly personal and that I am not worthy of God's grace.  The last song they sung was another of my favorites, How Great Thou Art, which I listen to every morning on my musical angel that my other grandma had made for me.

It was wonderful to see a few of my relatives that I hadn't seen in a very long time.  My cousin, Dan, in particular.  He is such an adventurer and has accomplished so much in his life that I felt like I was meeting a celebrity.  Even though we were close as children I was nervous and had trouble even approaching him.  He did approach me, however, and we were able to catch up a bit (and I didn't act like a tongue-tied fool).  I feel blessed that I had a chance to see him again.

On the same day my son had his strings recital.  I felt bad for missing it, but Hubby did videotape some of it for me.   When I asked my son later how it went and if he had been nervous, he said "A little bit, but once the music started it was like I was in my own little world."  He got lost in the music.  That strikes me as an unusual comment for a 10 year old to make and further solidifies my sense that he has some great natural musical abilities.  

We had my Hubby's 40th birthday party.  It was a disco theme and he had set up our garage to be one big dance floor.  He draped black plastic on the walls, hung a disco ball and strobe light, and put in a black light.  He also had a bubble machine going.  The music was pumped and we had a blast.  (The kids later asked that we do it again for their birthday in July.)

My Hubby dressed the part, as is his custom.  He had a huge afro, a silver sparkle scarf tied around it, an exceptionally appropriate patterned shirt, black leather vest, plaid pants and big sunglasses.  We weren't able to find big jewelry or 70's style shoes but he looked great without them.

We had expected a bigger turnout so we were left with a lot of leftover food.  I think this will be one of his more memorable parties.

Last night my daughter and I went to see the Hunger Games.  She read all of the books some time ago, but I haven't.  The movie was awesome!  The lead character, played by Jennifer Lawrence, is incredibly beautiful.  I am not sure that I've seen her before but I plan to watch her other movies now.

THURSDAY THOUGHTS: Too Much?

Is it possible to have too many creative endeavors?  

That is what I've been asking myself lately.  I have so many ideas that I'm not sure it's physically possible for me to do them all, but the visions, dreams, hopes continue and push me forward.  I'm not complaining, creative energy is a wonderful feeling, but some days I feel more like a collector of dreams than realizing my dreams.  I feel passionate about all of them equally.



Right now I have a card idea that involves a doily die cut -- perhaps for a wedding.  I can see it in my mind, perhaps metallic grey card base, a pink doily extending off and around the crease to the back of the card, and a white organza ribbon and pink brad at the center point of the doily.  What a perfect card for Mother's Day or Weddings.


I want to paint on canvas.  It involves red, white and black acrylic, a poppy image perhaps, I am not really sure yet, but I can see certain elements in my mind, some red/black blending in the background and bold white element as a focal point.  I haven't painted since high school but for some reason I have a strong urge to do so and also the confidence that I can make something beautiful. 


I have a lot of new Copic markers waiting for me to play with them.  I spent a small fortune on them and haven't given them much of my time yet, because my visions keep pulling me elsewhere.

I have two photo frame projects in the works.  

I have a very elegant heart banner idea that I want to create and sell in the shop.


I have some new buttons and pendants waiting for the final coats of sealant and listing in the shop.  I also have a clay technique book that I want to go through and really explore the properties of polymer clay. 


I want to write, but that has been pushed to the back burner for a long time.


I want to scrapbook.  That is one thing I have been consistent on this month and have -- for the first time ever -- used up most of my monthly Studio Calico kit before the next one arrives.


I started some new owl die cuts that I am going to list in the shop.


I think that's it, but these are only the active, daily creative thoughts that I've been having.  There are tons more just floating in the back of my mind or written down for later.

Sometimes my brain just blossoms with colors, images and ideas and it is too exciting to let go of them.  

So, I ask, is it possible to have too many endeavors or is this simply a characteristic of artists in general?  

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Cupcakes Flopped

I was listening to Prince's Greatest Hits on Saturday when my daughter asked me, "Mom is that old time music?"  I said, "Why, do you think it sounds old?" and she said "Yes."  Damn did that make me feel old.  I then realized that she's only known music with hip hop influence, nothing rock 'n roll, so it made sense for her to not recognize that type of music.  Funny moment!


On Saturday I made two types of cupcakes preparing for Hubby's 40th birthday party.  I tested caramel toffee crunch and red velvet cupcakes (both from scratch).  The first batch of caramel toffee cupcakes were a complete bust.

completely sunken in the middle.  I Googled that problem and the answers were consistent, wrong temperature or opening oven door during baking, both of which I had done.  I threw these away and made another batch, only this time a half batch.


Both kinds are yummy but I actually like the red velvet more.  It is very chocolatey tasting.  I think we'll be making both of these for the party and maybe a yellow box mix one too.


The weather this week has changed for the better, now in the upper 60's and low to mid-70's.  I love this time of year!  I spend a lot of time outside enjoying the sunshine and watching the chickens roam the yard.


My son had an interesting end to last week with a new boy in his class giving him $50 in exchange for my son's French toast stick.  Luckily he mentioned it right away at pick up time and Daddy took the money to a teacher to be returned to the boy's father.  My son said this boy actually had $150 in his pocket!  Apparently the boy has had some issues and early this week was suspended for an unrelated infraction. 


Hubby made the best-ever venison chops this week.  I can take or leave venison and it is really hard to cook it well, but this was WONDERFUL.  So good that I picked the meat from the bone.  His secret?  Marinating the chops in buttermilk overnight.  The venison was so tender and flavorful.  If you eat venison you have to give this a try.  You'll thank me later.


My mom spent the weekend and early part of the week in the hospital.  It was worrisome because they couldn't figure out what was wrong with her.  High fever for many days, bad, painful cough, not getting enough oxygen and very dehydrated.  After a battery of tests and almost 4 days in the hospital they determined she has the rhinovirus.  This is not good timing as she has been very busy (and stressed!) trying to plan my Grandma's funeral. 


Here's to a wonderfully eventful week ahead for us all!

THURSDAY THOUGHTS: A Teeter Totter Week

This week started off with a gorgeous snowfall.  The flakes were huge and floating softly as they fell.  It was so pretty I shot some video of it.  And the next day we woke up to this:

I appreciate the snowfall much more this year since we've only had a few small snowfalls and nothing more than a few inches at a time.

The weather was perfect for this treat:

A huge mug of chipolte hot chocolate from Theo Chocolates.  The mix is made up of big yummy chunks of chocolate, no powder.  It is awesome!  

We had a REALLY bad night on Monday.  The kids were home alone for a couple of hours and when I came home I saw that there was dog poop in our family room.   Not a happy camper!

The tale begins with my daughter telling my son to let Milo outside.  He said he would after he was done with the computer game he was in the middle of.  Get where this is going?

He forgot to let Milo out.  

Why my daughter didn't let him out--who knows.  

So they both had the pleasure of picking up the mess.  It was a struggle to get this accomplished but I was just the supervisor standing by with my arms crossed and a scowl on my face so I could deal.

After this was done I sat down for a moment and saw that Milo had also puked on the floor.  Lovely.  I asked the kids to clean this up too.  I figured this was part of the mess they failed to clean up before I got home.  

They ended up fighting with each other trying to get the stuff to clean it up and I heard a crack and then really shrill crying from my son.  I was pissed.  Beyond pissed actually.  

I went to check on my son who was sobbing on his bed to find out what happened.  He said he'd kicked Milo's bone at my daughter and she responded by slapping him in the face.  I know from the sound I heard it was very hard and I felt sick.

I somehow was able to manage this all without losing it and explained to my daughter that it was never okay to hit someone, and that slapping someone across the face is much different than having a bone hit your foot.  I said when you are standing eye-to-eye with someone and you slap them across the face that causes more damage then a red cheek.  It is emotionally bruising too. 

I took her phone away from her for a week, and her world stopped.  At least that is the way she felt.  She went on like a two year old telling me I love my son more than her, etc., etc.   My daughter rarely gets this level of punishment so this was a big deal to her, and that is what she deserved.

I sent both children to their rooms with their doors closed and told them they were not allowed to come out unless they had to use the bathroom.  They were supposed to clean their room and reflect on their actions.  They spent 1 1/2 hours in their room before I allowed them to come out on the condition that they would sit and talk about what happened and find a way to make it right.

They acted so happy and played together so nicely after that, it was like two different children.  We have spent a big part of this week talking about these behaviors and ways to prevent them from happening in the future.

We watched an amazing movie called Courageous.  It is one of the best movies I've watched.  It is Christian based and shows how important having an active father figure in the home is.  I have not laughed nor cried as much at any movie as this one.  I highly recommend it, and wish more movies were this family appropriate.  It has already changed our home a bit with my Hubby wanting us to say a prayer before dinner and eating at the dinner table together (something we did occasionally, but not always).  He has also come in to say prayers with the kids and I before bedtime.  It is nice to see him choose to be more involved.

The end of the week was a fun one for me as I received my third batch of Copic markers.

Found a great deal on some new markers at the Sale/Trade board at 2 Peas in a Bucket and couldn't pass them up.  This is the stash I have now.  Haven't counted but around 50 I think.

I played around and got this:

from an old Prima Paintables cardstock sheet I had.  I was in poor lighting and kept getting shadows so I stopped trying to be perfect and just experiment with how the colors blend.  Not too bad for a first try.  

On a sad note, my Grandma (my last living grandparent) is about to die.  She's had no water or food or IV for 10 days and is somehow still hanging on.  It's quite a feat and doesn't depart from the strength she's shown throughout her life and as she has been battling Alzheimer's and has had a poor quality life for many years now.  My mom and my two aunts have told her "It's time to move on" but she still lingers. 

THURSDAY THOUGHTS: Big Update...Whew!

It has been many weeks since I've posted a proper update and I hate that.  I think it is so important to keep some sort of journal documenting life.  It passes by so quickly and now weeks have gone by and many moments have already been forgotten.  Here's a little recap of the past several weeks.

My daughter...

• had her first boyfriend, Jake.  The smile on her face was beautiful when she told me.  I think she was very happy to finally be able to say that she had a boyfriend because they were the first words out of her mouth when she saw my brother the next day.  Her friends had already had boyfriends, and I was dreading the day it would be her turn.  That weekend she spent glued to her phone sending so many texts, that I asked her to put the phone away and later, read her texts.  I was surprised to see that these texts were including "I love you."  After that we talked for about 45 minutes.  I think I really crushed her spirit at that time because her enthusiasm was much less from that day forward.  In the end it turned out to be a non-event.  He "broke up" with her one week later to move on to greener pastures.  I am breathing a sigh of relief, until next time. 
• went from an A/B student to a B student this quarter.
• is loving her dance team and is very excited for the variety show.  It has been a long time since she has shown passion for any thing in particular so this is a welcomed attitude.  (She is even trying out for the pom squad next fall.) 
• got to tour the high school she will be attending in September.  It was a chaotic cluster of adults and snotty teenagers trying to navigate using a small photocopied map that I could not read at all.  That meant my daughter was the navigator and, well, that didn't work out too well.  
• sent 5,653 texts last month.  

My son...

• has continued to amaze me with his viola skills.  I am wanting to find some more music for him to try playing because he seems to know the others almost entirely by heart.  He LOVES to play for anyone who will listen.
• may be attending a charter school next year.  We went to meet with the lead teacher at Badger Rock and think the school would be just what he needs.  They offer a lot more hands on experience, outdoor activities (including an on-site garden), and skills that are not just your typical math/science/reading in a classroom setting.  We will know late March if he has been accepted, but it is a lottery system so it's up to luck and fate whether or not he gets this opportunity.
• has been forgetting about the homework in his backpack, again, and leaving some of his work at school so it can't be completed at home.  These past few weeks have been rough for him.

My hubby...

• treated me to lunch as an early Valentine's present.  We ate the Med salad at Noodle's, then walked down State Street for a cupcake (the favorite for me, and cookies and cream for him) and coffee (black forest mocha, yum!!).  It was very decadent, especially for a weekday lunch.
• has been working like a dog.  Days, nights, weekends, events...  For awhile there he was slow and now it is just non stop work.  (That means NO massages for me.  It's probably been three months since I've had one.)

I am...

• creatively insane to the point of impairment.  I can't accomplish all that I'd like to and somehow my brain keeps coming up with more ideas and projects.  I have been neglecting my clay work, which needs improvement (not gonna happen when I'm not even doing it!), but I finished up several of my decorative balls and photographed them, now just need to list them and I will be showing a how-to on my blog as well.  I have completed several layouts and cleaned up my scrap room.  My next projects include a banner and my new found obsession - coloring with Copic markers.  I'm sure I'll be talking about them plenty here in the future.
• still dealing with stomach issues.  Had my physical last week and everything looks good.  My doctor thinks I may have an abdominal wall muscle issue so for now I'm trying to do some light strengthening exercises to see if that might help.  
• sad to learn that my Grandma will be gone soon, but happy that she will soon be free of suffering.

The chickens....

•  have been busy.  All four of them are laying now.  Average 2-4 eggs a day.

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Chugging Along

Well, the past two weeks have not been as fulfilling as they could have been and that's why I skipped posting last week.  I feel like my life has been very routine and boring.  Nothing wrong with that, just not interesting to read about on a blog.

Along with that, do you ever have days (weeks?) that you and your significant other just do not "click."  That has been me the past two weeks.  Not that we were fighting, but we didn't exactly get along either.  

On Sunday I felt like my Hubby was really working against me.  A new Bible study had just started on the book of Revelations.  The Bible study would have been a new and interesting experience for us.  We needed to leave the house a little over an hour earlier than we would normally for our church service and I knew this would be a challenge for the four of us.  

But that morning we were doing fine getting ready, though the kids were grumbling, when Hubby vocalized his opinion that "I (he) have better things to do" and "you can study the Bible at home" and things similar to that.  I told him politely that if he didn't want to go that would be fine, just drop me off and go do something else for an hour.  Of course that obvious answer didn't solve the problem because he kept picking at my desire to go and did attend with me.  Afterward his comments were "We don't have the materials" and "we didn't sign up ahead of time"  I offered to talk to Pastor Mike (the study leader) about it but I was sure that it wasn't too late to join in.  But, no, once we found a seat for church Hubby still kept on his grumpy face and I didn't want to put up with it anymore so I said that I was going to go back downstairs where the Bible study had taken place and see if I can find someone to give me a ride in the future so he didn't have to waste his time with the Bible study.  Of course he wasn't pleased with this solution at all and continued to make comments.  When I returned he immediately said "you're going to look really stupid when you have to call them and let them know you don't need a ride."  I ignored him.  I hadn't found a ride, but I did get several people to get in touch with so I was confident a ride could be found.  

Later that afternoon one of the church members called me and said she'd spoken to someone who was willing to give me a ride and gave me their phone #.  I haven't called them yet, and I haven't told Hubby that I have someone who can give me a ride.  

I am positive that he will not want me to get a ride and will go along with me instead but, really, what fun will it be to go through 10 more weeks of this when he obviously isn't supportive of it?  

You know what the kicker is?  The church sermon dealt with the importance of reading and knowing the Bible and bringing faith into our home.   Couldn't have been more appropriate.  

It is also the current lesson in my daughter's catechism class.  The pastor discussed God as our father and how he cares for us.  Then he asked my daughter, what does your Dad do that your Mom doesn't do and do you know what she said??  She said "watch TV!"  Can you believe that?  Really, I do watch TV.  I just do not watch any series, and could go days without turning it on, if it were just me in the house.  

So that's my current life in a nutshell.  Uncertainty, poor communication, irritation, and monotony.  I am positive next week will be better.  :o)

PS - One other thing that is super exciting, TWO of our baby chicks laid their first eggs yesterday!!  They are a really pretty peach color.  I will have to take a picture.  How coincidental is it that they both started on the same day?  And our one older chick who lays nearly every day did not lay one yesterday!  I think she was probably totally confused as to why the nesting boxes were no longer all hers.  This morning she laid a huge one. 

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Welcome 2012!

2012. 

Each day seems to pass by faster than the last and I wish everything would just slow down.  However, each day I grow wiser, calmer and more appreciative of my life, family and inner strength.  I love my life just the way it is.  This moment.  Today.

I am trying to pull those feelings from my heart and appreciate each moment as it comes.  That is my January "experiment" and I am going to share those results here.  I have come to realize that I am really good at letting life happen around me and not so good at making it happen.  Here's some of the highlights from this past week.

New Year's Eve ended up being low key.  Hubby has been working a ton and got two late appointments that afternoon while I went and had my hair colored (yay girl time!).  We ended up going out to eat at the Olive Garden.  It was a long wait to get a table so I enjoyed a lovely glass of Riesling - one of my favorite varieties.  After dinner we went home and watched Pirates of the Caribbean:  On Stranger Tides.  The ball dropped in New York about 20 minutes later and then the kids and Hubby went off to bed.  I stayed up until the music note dropped in Nashville (Wisconsin's actual 2012).  They let off fireworks and my heart rejoiced and I clapped my hands and thought...hello 2012.  I am so ready for you!

Sunday Hubby and I had a grocery date.  I've so enjoyed being able to do the grocery shopping and letting the kids stay at home.  Hubby and I have made it special by stopping for coffee before hand (a treat for both of us) and making it a fun time rather than a chore.  We bought a raspberry pie for dessert that night and I made fresh whipped cream.  Another treat.  (I've also come to realize that a lot of my pleasures in life revolve around food and drinks...).  After the kids went to bed Hubby and I celebrated the new year with a bottle of sparkling Muscato and local gourmet chocolates in front of the fireplace and played Yaht-zee and Bop It until 1 in the morning. 

Monday was a holiday for me.  I slept until 9:00 AM (VERY late for me!) while Hubby made homemade blueberry pancakes.  I did some scrapbooking and cleaning and organizing around the house.  I watched a ton of reality TV--Food Network and TLC.   Enjoyed a nice quiet day.

Tuesday I came home to homemade French onion soup that my Hubby made from scratch (broth and all) following Julia Child's cookbook recipe.  He even stopped to get fresh bread from the bakery (I could have eaten the whole loaf...YUM!)  My daughter had confirmation class that night so we dropper her off and stopped at Panera to grab some coffees and do some reading while we waited for her. 

Wednesday I went out to lunch with a coworker (more girl time...hello!) and had a nice quiet day otherwise.  Spent the evening listing some things in my shop and some computer work.  Right now (as I type) I'm enjoying a yummy Rum-Chata over ice. 

None of these things are wild but they are all special occurrences in my life and to think that almost every day contained some sort of treat makes me a very happy woman. 
I'd say my experiment is going well, but not as good as I'd like it to.  I want to focus more on appreciating my Hubby and getting in touch with those that are near and dear to me that I haven't spoken to in awhile. 

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - End of 2011

I can't believe 2011 is winding down.  It has been a marvelous year!  I am also excited for 2012 because I have a personal project I will be working on in the month of January and sharing on this blog.   More about that next week.  :o)

First off, a little gripe.  Movie ratings.  When exactly did the movie ratings get so whacked?  My kids are 10 and 13 now so once in awhile we find it nice to enjoy a movie together.  Problem is, I have yet to find a PG-13 rated movie that is not completely inappropriate for children.   We recently sat down to watch Little Fockers together.   We know that this movie series does get a bit risque and were prepared for some of that but in the first 10 minutes alone there was discussion of erectile dysfunction, condoms, sexual positions, sexual appetite and a drawing of a penis.  We turned the movie off.  Luckily most of this went over the kids' heads but it just leaves me wondering who in the heck comes up with these ratings?  I know it is also common to find swearing on daytime television these days.  Where does it end?  It has been very challenging to expose the kids to these more "mature" movies in a gradual & appropriate way.  If you have any advice, please share.  Otherwise I think we'll be sticking to PG and G rated movies for awhile longer. 

Last week I read about a girl named Katie Davis on one of the blogs I subscribe to.  Katie is 22 years old and is incredibly inspiring.  When I watch this video she just appears to glow and she inspires and humbles me with her courage.  Please do take the time to watch Katie explain her mission.  You may want to grab a few tissues first.

Catalyst Atlanta 2011 | Katie Davis from Catalyst on Vimeo.

There are many other videos about Katie and Amazima Ministries on YouTube that are well worth the time to watch. 

Now, an update on us.  We had an excellent Christmas spending time with both sides of the family, enjoying a wide variety of delicious food and drink and lots of laughter.  I was really wiped out on Monday!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from this past week:

K's Winter Strings Concert

December 22, 2011

He adores playing the viola and often practices on his own.  He has also converted some recorder music to his viola by reading the keys.

K's "big" gift this year - a new alarm clock / radio with mood light and nature sounds that she can dock her iPod in.

Left by Santa in her stocking - Reindeer Peeps.  Aren't they precious?  Other gifts she received this year, Just Dance 3 and Cooking Mama for Wii, Mario Kart for DS, iTunes gift card, Pirates of the Caribbean DVD, lots of drawing stuff, three books, Target gift card, perfume, money and candy.

Hubby received gourmet maple syrup and lots of martial arts books.

Awww....my guys.  I had to take this pic several times because neither of them wanted to give me a nice smile.

K's "big" gift from us--Madden NFL 12 for Wii.  Other gifts he received include Spore Hero and Star Wars for the Wii, Mario Kart for the DS, two books (Kingdom Keepers and the 2012 Guinness Book of World Records), a remote controlled helicopter, Power Rangers, Hex Bugs, iTunes gift card, money, Target gift card, a giant Nerf dart gun and candy,

My gift - some snazzy new sheepskin slippers.  Aren't they sexy?  I/we also received Chili's and Kohl's gift cards, liquor (Rum-Chata, which if you haven't tasted it is delicious!), a frame with our last name hand crocheted inside of it, a carving set and for White Elephant gift exchange we ended up with a pasta dinner set for two, Paula Deen's cupcake mix, water bottle, cozy socks and a Justin Beiber blanket.  (This resulted from many underhand dealings after the gift opening.)

So, plans to ring in the New Year?  We will probably stay at home again this year unless I can find something family appropriate yet fun for all.  Until next year...

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Grace Creates Unity

In case you are zipping through my blog, please take a moment to click on the link at the end of my post.  If I could ask everyone in the world to listen to this message I would.  

I can't believe it's been a month since my last update.  Time sure does fly! 

I had a mini meltdown the weekend before Thanksgiving that resulted in some tears and much-needed conversation between me and my family.  In short, I was feeling unloved and lonely.  Those are the feelings I've struggled with the most in my life.  Having a few years of therapy has helped tremendously and I've gotten much better at asking for things or seeking out the things I feel I'm lacking.  That weekend though I failed miserably.  I told my family I wouldn't be spending Thanksgiving with them after all because I felt so pushed down on everyone else's priority list.   I was fed up with feeling that way.

Long story short, I had a talk with each of my family members and - on my end at least - things feel settled. 

Thanksgiving did turn out to be really good.  I did visit my family for a short while that morning, and then had lunch on Hubby's side of the family.  The best part of the day was that I got to see both of my brothers and my parents as well as Hubby's side of the family.  To me, family is extremely important and I would give up almost anything to preserve that bond. 

That is part of the reason I think this time of year is a struggle for me emotionally.  People get so busy and so obsessed with buying things.  I continue to be amazed at the amount of stuff that gets exchanged.  Life is not about stuff.  I have stuff, and I continue to buy stuff, but my life has never been about acquiring more stuff.   I would freely give this all up if it meant having a better, closer relationship with my friends and family. 

This is what has been on my mind lately and (as usual) our church sermon was incredibly timely.  This is a must listen, particularly at this time of year:  Grace Creates Unity.

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Fall Has Arrived

Our oldest chicken, Adelita, laid her first egg on Saturday. My son has been checking twice a day since then to see if she's laid more...he's so excited! But she has not produced another yet. Come spring time she should produce about 2-3 eggs a week.

For the second (or third?) year in a row we've had pleasant weather for trick or treating! It was in the 40's I'd say, but no rain and no snow! We again took the kids to Willy Street. That area of the city is so fun -- everyone really gets into the decorating, costumes and spooky things for the kids.

This year my daughter went as Alice in Wonderland and my son was an Ice Ninja. They each gathered about a gallon of candy before we headed home. That will last them a long time.

I made treat boxes for the trick-or-treaters (we ended up having none at all this year), and Hubby made this dracula jack-o-lantern with a knife and an internet picture...not bad, eh?

The most notable treat of all, though, was for the adults. One house gave out warm spiked apple cider and another gave out shots of apple pie drink with whipped cream on top. See...I told you this neighborhood really gets into it!

We have also had an interesting couple of weeks contemplating a move from the city into the country. We found a farmette outside of Deerfield that we all really like, but it is a one bathroom house and I can't see that working out. It would take some work to get the house and property into tip-top shape but it definitely has potential. For now, this house is out, but the location and land were almost perfect. 

Thinking about moving and leaving our house now - which I love - is stressful but we long for that country setting.   I guess we'll see what the future holds.  Perhaps that perfect house will come along that we know is the one for us.


To finish out this past week, I went to an ENT specialist at the UW Hospital to look at some ear pressure and congestion along with clicking noises I get when swallowing.  Guess what?  I'm normal.  Hearing's good, no fluid in the ears, no wax, no strange deviations, no explanation.  That is one of the reasons I dislike getting things checked out unless they are really, really serious.  All ailments seem to be inconclusive and I feel like I've wasted time and money.  I am grateful that nothing is wrong, but I feel so disappointed that - for now - it is something I just have to learn to deal with.  Frustrating.  


Until next week ~ Warm Blessings!

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Our evenings

It has been an absolutely gorgeous fall week with temperatures starting in the 40's and 50's overnight and reaching into the 70's the past few days.  The leaves are turning brilliant colors--red, yellow and orange--which really stand out against the blue sky.  I need to get some photos before the snow starts flying.  Ha ha...kidding, though maybe not.

Almost every evening you can find me outside in our backyard soaking up the last of the day's sunshine and letting the chickens roam around our yard.  Sometimes I read and sometimes I just relax.  If the kids aren't busy they will come outside too.

Last night was just like that though short-lived.  It is pitch black by 7:00 PM.  Pretty soon I'll be coming home in the dark.  This is what our evening looked like:

 

Adelita (four months old)

Espresso (about 7 weeks old)

Smores

Marley (front) and Smores

My daughter swinging.  She's such a cool little thing.

My son - after I prompted him to give me a real smile he acted like he was tickling himself and this is the result.

When I'm not outside you can find me in my scrap room creating some custom popcorn boxes and treat bags for Four Eyes Designs.  I've had several orders recently and they've kept me busy.

I made 24 of these for a little girl's birthday party.

And I'm making 15 of these for a Saved by the Bell themed bachelorette party.  I recreated a design similar to the show's logo and am using three different phrases on them.  I need to finish these up in the next couple of days.

Not sure if I'll have a post next Thursday as I will be in Denver for a conference.  Looking forward to visiting a new city!