Thursday, December 27, 2007

Merry Christmas?


So I took down the tree today...
I found 3 sticks of butter behind the tree. Wrapped up pretty in their original packaging... Maybe Amie thought they were presents?

Friday, December 21, 2007

Abbie's teeth

Abbie: (Crying) My teeth are sad!

Mama: Why?

Abbie: They are scared!

Mama: Why?

Abbie: They are scared of my pinky finger!

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Slippery Curves

So our road conditions have really stunk this week. White out conditions, 2 feet of snow, packed snow and ice... our snow snow plows can't handle it!!! So, to our rescue... a zamboni on steroids and this evil monster:


Note the "horns" coming off of the blades. Now imagine it being RED with black "horns" and you have our local snow blower... eeeeevil!

Not something you like to see in your rear view mirror!!!

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Abbie makes my brain hurt!

Abbie: How old is Amie's head?

Mama: Her head is 1 year old... like the rest of her!?!

Abbie: I really think it is still zero.

Mama: No, her head had a birthday just like the rest of her.

Abbie: But her head is only as tall as this. (places hand above Amie's head)

Mama: Abbie, She is tall enough to be one... and so is her head.

Abbie: She is a baby until she turns five.

Mama: Ok.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Merry Christmas!

I have had these dresses since OCTOBER... it is about time I took some pictures to send to family. They have been emailed to the local photo shop and will be ready tomorrow for pickup!!! (Now if only my oldest two girls will stop stealing my postage stamps!!!

Saturday, December 15, 2007

AWWWW CRAP!


Abbie is very interested in classical music. She wants to listen to music that is Adagio... (YES, she knows what Adagio is- Thank you DISNEY CHANNEL!) Unfortunately, while I have a vast library of classical music... few are of the slow, funeral dirge, adagio that her taste demands.


SO... my Itunes program shuffled through all the classical music... it came upon Brandenburg, Concerto #6. (Yeah... like you even know what that is!!!) And she comes to me and INFORMS me, "This is Moderato." And pats my arm.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

ouch!!! OUCH!


" When searching for the source of your problems, do you look out the window or into the mirror?"

The IRS supports Christmas!

So, I have been on hold with the IRS for at least 15 mins... and I have heard a good portion of the music from the Nutcracker! It puts you in such a good mood! And they have been so nice! They are faxing all my paperwork that was ruined in the fire to our loan broker!

So January 18th!!! We will be home owners!!!

Monday, December 10, 2007

Jeremiah 29

It has been over 2 years since I started reading Jeremiah. Most of the book is very negative. But this passage finally broke through.

4 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." 8 Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them," declares the LORD.

10 This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. [b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."


We have always questioned, “Should we buy a home?” “What if we are called somewhere else?”

Like most young families, we have lived a very nomadic life. We have moved approximately every 2 years since we married. This is very stable compared to friends who are in the military or still going to school. But we still wait, with our suitcases packed, dreaming of the next “Shiny” or bigger better thing. In verse 8, are we pushing the envelope by pressing on to the next big thing, when we should be staying and doing what God told us to?

To be successful at a job or career, you must have some longevity. Ministry is no exception. While my husband is passionate about training up leadership from within, I feel that the most successful ministries have the same leaders for decades. (Read Jason’s article on Leadership training)

I believe that God is telling us to settle down. I am very passionate about gardening, but after having to leave Oak View and watching all that work disappear, I couldn’t start a new garden. I have been here for over 2 years and not done more than water the church lawn. So verse 5 really calls to me.

Also, verse 7 reminds me not to be angry about our flawed county and school system, but to do what is best and to pray for them. If our county prospers, we will prosper.

So today we are putting in an offer for a home we really want. If it is God’s will, we will be homeowners and permanent members of the town. It will be a testimony to the surrounding community, who constantly question with every disaster, that we are here to stay.

Please pray for our sanity as we juggle an offer, home loan application and possibly escrow in this tumultuous market.

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Abbie is sick

Mama, when you go to the doctor there is a frog in your throat that wants to be alive. And when you go to the doctor because you have a monkey jumping on your bed, they jump because they like to bump heads, but the doctor says no.

Friday, December 07, 2007

House dreams

Pray for our sanity. There is a house on the market and we are desperately WANTING IT! It is 3 br/2ba and built in 1978. So it is one of the newest houses in town. It is bank owned and being offered at 100k below last years price... EEEK! There may be a bidding war!!! Should we jump in? Am I too emotionally involved? Any advice?

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Abbie's first Joke

Abbie is notorious for, "Knock, Knock" and getting no answer...

But she is gradually putting a second line in. "Who is there?" Abbie: "Uh, (looking around the room) Shoe!" (Mama smiles politely)

Today-

Abbie: Knock, Knock.

Mama: Who's there?

Abbie: (Looking around the room) Owl!

Mama: Owl who?

Abbie: No, Owls say who!

Mama and Maggie laughed and told her what a good joke!!!

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Global Warming

"Oh, so Mother Nature needs a favor? Nature started the fight for survival and now she wants to quit because she is losing? Well, I say, 'Hard Cheese!'" - Nuclear plant owner C. Montgomery Burns

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Sustenance

Sustain. According to Wikipedia: Sustain is a parameter of musical sound in time. As its name implies, it denotes the period of time during which the sound is sustained before it becomes inaudible.

I need something to Sustain me before I become inaudible. I am tired. The spiritual oppression that surrounds me and my family is overwhelming.

If one more person "reminds me" to "give it to God" I will cause physical harm. (JUST A WARNING) This also includes handing me literature and articles on the topic.

Every night, as the evil swirls around us and I am reminded of everything we have lost and everything that is going wrong, I weep. I don't even pray. I can only see His hand reaching out to me. I touch his fingertips with mine and whisper, "Jesus" over and over until I fall to sleep. This is as close to "giving it to God" as I am going to get right now.

From Maggie

Maggie practices writing at school... sometimes she shoots off on a tangent and I must ask the teacher the assignment. But this one was clear - "I love my..."

"I love my moma because she can make fire. I love my papa because he can make hot chocolate. I love my sister because she is silly. I love my baby because she is cute."

Note: I assume she values my ease at heating the house.... not burning it down.

Sunday, December 02, 2007

Fruit of the god's

Amie loves fruit. Especially pears. We currently have organic, wax free, crimson anjou pears. We get a case delivered once a month for 1/4 of what you pay for yucky pears at Safeway.

So our pears are all VERY RIPE this week and perfect in Amie's opinion. She calls everything worthy, "Ball"(Her favorite things are round). After her 4th piece of pear this AM... she asks for "MORE" (Megalomaniac with English accent) she holds up the piece of pear up above her head... and looks up at it whispering.... "Ball".
Title = "Envy (The seven deadly Sins Series)"
Artist = Alain K. Khadem
URL= http://www.artisanart.us/envy.html

Saturday, December 01, 2007

Christmas Blessing

It is very hard to find your stuff when it is all thrown out the windows by fire fighters. But my Mother in Law and Sister in Law went through the stuff that wasn't thrown outside...

All our Christmas decorations (Many made by my great-grandma) and stockings (Made and personalized by Jason's grandma) were all safe and dry. They aren't even dirty or smoky!

OK... I know you have at least one of these!