I was talking to an old friend tonight. I am looking forward to seeing her and her extended family tomorrow to mourn her dad's death and celebrate his memory. It made me think of some of my favorite people who have impacted my life and who I look forward to seeing again in heaven. She and I were also realizing tonight that there are some things that people [in our families] just don't get. Often family can't see the forest through the trees. Because of their blindness, they let you down over and over and over. She and I were both amazed at how blood can mean so little and how our true family- those in our hearts- are the chosen family that have ended up in our lives through a variety of circumstances (birth and blood being one, marriage and friendship also being some of the routes) are the ones that buoy and encourage us through the most challenging times.
When we hung up the phone, something struck me that I will share with her tomorrow. How awesome is it that our Heavenly Father loves us! And that He chooses to allow us to be a part of His family. He doesn't force it. Yet He invites us in as His children by grace through faith. Our blood ties have nothing to do with it, however His blood was spilled for it. All as a gift- given freely without strings. He gives it to us because we are part of His chosen family- wanted, loved and redeemed!
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not die but have eternal life. John 3:16
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Well, how'd I do?
I posted a list of summer time goals back in June. Well summer officially ended as autumn moved in this week. It has been over for me since August as I went back to my job of teaching in a small school. So here is my check in of how I did on my goals...
So there you have it, my goals. Met, yet to be met, works in progress, or knocked off the list! Here is to a job well done! (Photos- The inside of the National Building Museum in Washington, DC [below] and the exterior of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA [above right])
Read “The
Create a BUDGET!!!- Hubs and I are still working on this one. This is a team sport when you are married and the other player on the team and I work different shifts. We definitely opened discussions about finance that have brought us forward in the effort, but not there. I did however work with a mini budget as I was traveling with the kiddos. This at least got some of the extra spending reeled in.
Stick to said budget- Stuck to the mini budget. See above on the regular budget.
Stay “No-shampoo”- Okay, this sounds way gross to most people I know. I don't use regular shampoo. It has all kinds of cancer causing chemicals, it was not making my hair look good (it was all greasy) and I couldn't seem to find something that worked well. I tried a bunch of different things and finally was able to make my own special recipe of "No-shampoo" shampoo. Sounds crazy huh? But my hair looks good, is growing, and it is super easy on the wallet. Success!
Rest my voice- Miracles happen. As one of my friends said "I don't think you'll survive 4 hours, let alone 4 weeks!" After 10 weeks of vocal rest my nodules healed. I have been allowed to return to work. I am trying to find a speech language therapist who will work with adults to strengthen my voice. I can tell it isn't like it used to be yet, but it is so strong compared to June!!!
Write- Hey I can call this a success, I've been writing this blog!
Spend time daily praying- This I have done much better on. I worked to have personal devotion time, to have study with other Christians of the Word, and to pray, pray, pray. This fall has come and I am yet again blessed to enjoy devotions at work. It is sometimes hard for me to be faithful about praying. I struggle with prayers that are not answered. I struggle with listening (I like to talk, listening is hard). I just sometimes struggle. But God is good and He is faithful. I try to be as well.
Walk more- This was easy when we went to the little house. It is in a beautiful park on a hill, has paths, is in a town with sidewalks, and most of it is shaded (cooler!). Home is hot, on a short street, off a busy rural route. Not overly conducive for regular exercise. I did start parking much further away from anything- church, store, work, etc. My kids are often telling me I am torturing them by forcing the few extra steps, but it is helping me to meet my goal of more.
Occasionally ride a bike- I did. And I got both kids riding. My bike is broken though, so until it is fixed it really was [and will remain] occasional.
Visit at least 5 new spots with the kids- We did pretty well on this. Dorney, Areas of Philly, a new county park, Adventure Aquarium, and a couple museums.
Visit some favorite “standards” with the kiddos- Well we hit some old favorites, though not all the ones we wanted on this either. The little house, the pool, grandparents homes, and a couple museums.
Sew- Okay this one didn't happen.
Crochet- This one either.
Have BBQ- Well nothing at our house. We started planning and then lost trees. They are moved over to our side yard where they are drying out. Seems like each time we start moving ahead 2 steps we get knocked back 1. We did go to some, so that was a start.
So there you have it, my goals. Met, yet to be met, works in progress, or knocked off the list! Here is to a job well done! (Photos- The inside of the National Building Museum in Washington, DC [below] and the exterior of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA [above right])
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Back to...
This is the season for "Back to School" in our house! Work started up officially this week. My classroom is looking good and falling into place. I am gaining excitement about the year as I gear up for an official start. Meanwhile my kids are also getting ready as school starts officially next week. Supplies are in bags under the dining room table, I still need to sort them by child a bit better. It is exciting to watch as they each progress in their academic endeavors but also in their spiritual and emotional endeavors as well. I know someday I may look back at this hectic season and think how I miss it or how I didn't take the time to completely enjoy it. Tonight however, exhaustion is keeping me from the enjoyment. I am off to bed!!!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Dynamite Daytrips...
This year we have taken some really dynamite daytrips. Some have been pricey, some have been economical. Some of our "old standards" didn't happen for various reasons. Here are our thoughts about a few:
Adventure Aquariums; Camden, NJ-
Daytrip attended by 2 adults (myself and my sister) and 4 children (Lovely Lady, Little Man, Daring Nephew, Adventurous Niece). Drive from Bucks Co., PA took us through sections of Philly that were unique. We saw lots of wall murals, a bunch of open fire hydrants, and lots of older model cars along the way. It was interesting to see how you could tell so clearly the changing of a city neighborhood. The GPS routed us, next time I think we will consult a map and follow it's guidance instead though. Once in Camden, we went straight to the Aquarium. Look up the per person cost prior to going- it sin't cheap and there really weren't any discounts available "at the door." The Aquarium itself was fantastic! It is set up to have some displays to observe unique fish (tropical fish, sharks, etc) and animals (hippos, turtles). It is very different from many other aquariums in the number of interactive exhibits. They had touch tanks of numerous shapes and sizes, allowing visitors to touch sharks, jelly fish, and rays. Little Man was especially excited by the Cow Nose Rays, and couldn't believe that he was allowed to reach in to their watery space and interact with them. Food choices were limited, we chose to hit a place on the way home to eat. There is a children's botanical garden next door, however we didn't get to check that out (too hot and too late). Overall, definitely a place I would go to again!
Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom; Allentown, PA-
We try to hit a theme park at least once during the summer. This year was Dorney Park. We were able to get tickets from Daring Nephew's Boy Scout Troop at a discount. There were 8 of us for the theme park- me, Hubby, 2 sisters were the adults; children-Lovely Lady, Little Man, Daring Nephew, Adventurous Niece. Drive was not bad, it is not far from Rt. 78. Paid parking was okay, we got there quite early though and had a handicapped person/permit. Entry was easy since we already had our ticket. Scooter Cart rental and handicapped rider pass was a bit of a pain: wait in one line, they send you to another line where you work on the handicapped pass, finally you get sent to another building area to rent your scooter. The park itself is quite large with something for everyone. All the kids found rides they liked, even my typically non-riding Lovely Lady! One hat was lost (caught air on a coaster, was in sight just not an area we could get it) and while we were promised it would be mailed, we have yet to have received it. Wild Water Kingdom was fun for the kiddos, they especially liked the wave pool. Unfortunately swim diapers were not mandatory and the big house sprinkler was shut down for poop. The water must have been filtered with the lazy river water also as that was shut at the same time. They reopened quickly, however our tummies were turned at the thought and we went back to the wave area. Life vests are available, but they don't push them. We had one not so strong swimming duckling that we forced it on for river rapid tube run! The Mama in me wishes they had forced it before I let that duckling down without the first time. The rides are all open after the Wild Water Kingdom closes, so we still had lots to do. I would say for our crew, they most difficult part of the day was due to terrain. It is quite hilly and not very shady making it rough for our scooter riding member and for the rest of us to walk! We liked it all the same, and will return another time.
National Building Museum; Washington, DC-
The National Building Museum was not a completely new stop for us. I had gone a few years back with the kids. It was not something they enjoyed at the time, meaning neither did I. We went this summer to specifically see the Lego exhibit. There is a cost for tickets to the exhibit; it is $5 per person ages 3 and up. Our group had 9, only one under 3. The ticket is for an hour window in the exhibit. We went from 11-noon. First you see replicas of some famous buildings- Sears Tower, WTC Tower 2, Dubai Tower, Fallingwater are just a few of the famous representations there. All out of Lego's! They had information about them also, like the design hours for the models and the hours put into the actual building with the Lego's. Then there was a Lego area for visitors to put their own best efforts to work. Finally you put your Lego buildings onto a city section for display. We wished we could bring them home instead! To escape the exhibit you were supposed to proceed through a Lego themed gift shop hosting Lego sets ($25 for some, Fallingwater was $100), Lego calculators (appr. $35) and more. They graciously let us escape with all 6 kids through the entrance instead! Oh and parking...Parking is difficult in that area of the city. We ended up at a quarter eating meter. Nickels got you 1.5 minutes, dimes- 3 minutes, quarters- 7 minutes. From the time we parked until we ran out of coins was about 2.75 hours or 165 minutes. You do the math!!!
Smithsonian Museum of American History; Washington, DC-
Parking was again a fiasco! We ended up parking near the Capital building at one end of the National Mall and walking to the museum at the other end. Ouch! The museum was a lot of fun though! We enjoyed exhibits about holidays (especially the replica of a Pikachu balloon from a Thanksgiving Day parade), TV stars (Kermit the Frog was there), First Ladies gowns, transportation and the inventions floor! The favorite had to be the escalator rides though for 2 of my young com padres! We went down, up, up, up, down, up, down, down, down! Guy waiting for his family at the time thought it was hysterical the first time we passed, was convinced we were running off sugar on the second. Cafe closed earlier than the museum, a disappointment for my weary, hungry travelers. We made due with our snacks from home, filled up on water at the fountain, and s-l-o-w-l-y trekked back to the car. The slow trek back was made most exciting by the blond squirrel along the National Mall, the counting of items of various colors (red, orange, purple), seeing an officer on a bike (Mom, he's Park Police!), and a short rest on a bench. We were relieved to be back to the car, even if the inside of it was 162 degrees!!! Okay, small exaggeration maybe but it was 99 outside so very hot! Again, hot day, fun outing, parking limited.
Adventure Aquariums; Camden, NJ-
Daytrip attended by 2 adults (myself and my sister) and 4 children (Lovely Lady, Little Man, Daring Nephew, Adventurous Niece). Drive from Bucks Co., PA took us through sections of Philly that were unique. We saw lots of wall murals, a bunch of open fire hydrants, and lots of older model cars along the way. It was interesting to see how you could tell so clearly the changing of a city neighborhood. The GPS routed us, next time I think we will consult a map and follow it's guidance instead though. Once in Camden, we went straight to the Aquarium. Look up the per person cost prior to going- it sin't cheap and there really weren't any discounts available "at the door." The Aquarium itself was fantastic! It is set up to have some displays to observe unique fish (tropical fish, sharks, etc) and animals (hippos, turtles). It is very different from many other aquariums in the number of interactive exhibits. They had touch tanks of numerous shapes and sizes, allowing visitors to touch sharks, jelly fish, and rays. Little Man was especially excited by the Cow Nose Rays, and couldn't believe that he was allowed to reach in to their watery space and interact with them. Food choices were limited, we chose to hit a place on the way home to eat. There is a children's botanical garden next door, however we didn't get to check that out (too hot and too late). Overall, definitely a place I would go to again!
Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom; Allentown, PA-
We try to hit a theme park at least once during the summer. This year was Dorney Park. We were able to get tickets from Daring Nephew's Boy Scout Troop at a discount. There were 8 of us for the theme park- me, Hubby, 2 sisters were the adults; children-Lovely Lady, Little Man, Daring Nephew, Adventurous Niece. Drive was not bad, it is not far from Rt. 78. Paid parking was okay, we got there quite early though and had a handicapped person/permit. Entry was easy since we already had our ticket. Scooter Cart rental and handicapped rider pass was a bit of a pain: wait in one line, they send you to another line where you work on the handicapped pass, finally you get sent to another building area to rent your scooter. The park itself is quite large with something for everyone. All the kids found rides they liked, even my typically non-riding Lovely Lady! One hat was lost (caught air on a coaster, was in sight just not an area we could get it) and while we were promised it would be mailed, we have yet to have received it. Wild Water Kingdom was fun for the kiddos, they especially liked the wave pool. Unfortunately swim diapers were not mandatory and the big house sprinkler was shut down for poop. The water must have been filtered with the lazy river water also as that was shut at the same time. They reopened quickly, however our tummies were turned at the thought and we went back to the wave area. Life vests are available, but they don't push them. We had one not so strong swimming duckling that we forced it on for river rapid tube run! The Mama in me wishes they had forced it before I let that duckling down without the first time. The rides are all open after the Wild Water Kingdom closes, so we still had lots to do. I would say for our crew, they most difficult part of the day was due to terrain. It is quite hilly and not very shady making it rough for our scooter riding member and for the rest of us to walk! We liked it all the same, and will return another time.
National Building Museum; Washington, DC-
The National Building Museum was not a completely new stop for us. I had gone a few years back with the kids. It was not something they enjoyed at the time, meaning neither did I. We went this summer to specifically see the Lego exhibit. There is a cost for tickets to the exhibit; it is $5 per person ages 3 and up. Our group had 9, only one under 3. The ticket is for an hour window in the exhibit. We went from 11-noon. First you see replicas of some famous buildings- Sears Tower, WTC Tower 2, Dubai Tower, Fallingwater are just a few of the famous representations there. All out of Lego's! They had information about them also, like the design hours for the models and the hours put into the actual building with the Lego's. Then there was a Lego area for visitors to put their own best efforts to work. Finally you put your Lego buildings onto a city section for display. We wished we could bring them home instead! To escape the exhibit you were supposed to proceed through a Lego themed gift shop hosting Lego sets ($25 for some, Fallingwater was $100), Lego calculators (appr. $35) and more. They graciously let us escape with all 6 kids through the entrance instead! Oh and parking...Parking is difficult in that area of the city. We ended up at a quarter eating meter. Nickels got you 1.5 minutes, dimes- 3 minutes, quarters- 7 minutes. From the time we parked until we ran out of coins was about 2.75 hours or 165 minutes. You do the math!!!
Smithsonian Museum of American History; Washington, DC-
Parking was again a fiasco! We ended up parking near the Capital building at one end of the National Mall and walking to the museum at the other end. Ouch! The museum was a lot of fun though! We enjoyed exhibits about holidays (especially the replica of a Pikachu balloon from a Thanksgiving Day parade), TV stars (Kermit the Frog was there), First Ladies gowns, transportation and the inventions floor! The favorite had to be the escalator rides though for 2 of my young com padres! We went down, up, up, up, down, up, down, down, down! Guy waiting for his family at the time thought it was hysterical the first time we passed, was convinced we were running off sugar on the second. Cafe closed earlier than the museum, a disappointment for my weary, hungry travelers. We made due with our snacks from home, filled up on water at the fountain, and s-l-o-w-l-y trekked back to the car. The slow trek back was made most exciting by the blond squirrel along the National Mall, the counting of items of various colors (red, orange, purple), seeing an officer on a bike (Mom, he's Park Police!), and a short rest on a bench. We were relieved to be back to the car, even if the inside of it was 162 degrees!!! Okay, small exaggeration maybe but it was 99 outside so very hot! Again, hot day, fun outing, parking limited.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Summertime...
Lots of exciting stuff going on this summer!!!
Lovely Lady is growing up. She is writing neat stuff, lots of poetry which happens to be better than mine. I am biased however. Her vocabulary grows along with her writing; which is good when writing and bad when articulating dissent in the ranks of family life. She also has grown into a really great big sister, cheering on and supporting her little brother really well. She is the kind of sister I'd want. She is dramatic, creative, beautiful, smart, and sweet. I love seeing her writing in her journal each day, playing with the old dog, and scooting on the scooter all over!
Little Man is certainly growing up too. He is swimming like a fish, even jumping off the diving board at his grandparents pool. Last night he hit an amazing high. We took him and his bike to a parking lot across the street from the park. With Lovely Lady cheering madly, he was able to take off on 2 wheels. He rambled around that lot for about an hour, not stopping once! He continues to be a Pokemon master, though conversations about Bakugan have started to creep in. He also articulates things carefully, making clear in no uncertain terms how he feels about life.
Well, as for me, I guess I am growing up too. I am reading all kinds of interesting books (The China Study, An Elephant in the Playroom, The Explosive Child, Lost at School, Boys Adrift to name a few!) that are pretty heavy. I did also read a couple lighter ones along with lots of magazine articles. I also have also been working on other stuff, like yanking out my Dave Ramsey books and creating an updated budget for the family. I joined a pool and am dragging the kids there as often as I can which we love! I also have been doing a ton of driving between the two homes. I think I'll be as sad as the children to see summer end. I am each year it seems. The more time passes filled with unfulfilled dreams the more I treasure this time with the kids. It all seems to go too fast!!!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The Mama Osprey
As I drove down Rt. 6, I couldn't believe how big the baby osprey had gotten. I finally could see it's head above the nest box edge. I made a u turn, pulled over across the street away from them and pulled out my camera. I don't know what caught her attention first- the crazy u turn or the sound of the window rolling down, but by the time the camera was out she had spotted me.
She started screaming at me! Her baby quickly hid. My babies started warning me from the backseat "You'd better not get out of the car, she looks like she's gonna get you!" She screamed loudly at me and watched me like a hawk (pun intended).
She made it very clear she wasn't about to let me get any good shots of the baby even when I left and came back further away in a different spot. I guess I can't blame her, I'd do the same for my kids. It was a beautiful sight and a fun experience as I learn how to work with my camera.
Don't forget to click on the pictures to see them larger. The one where she is staring at me is really cool when larger!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Fadazzling Toenails... The art of the family pedicure
My guilty pleasure of me time is my bi-annual pedicure at the salon. It usually happens right before school starts and right when it ends. My little piece of heaven. However as my kids get older, they have begun to think of those pedicures as "we" time rather than my "me" time. Tonight I found a fun solution to that. I went to Walmart and got all kinds of pedicure stuff. Files, clippers, trimmers, push things, and a bunch of nail polish colors.
When we got home, I got out a plastic tub, filled it with warm, soapy water and stuck Little Man's feet right in. Then one at a time I took them out, dried them, trimmed, pushed, and filed them. Next was my Lovely Lady's turn. We stuck her feet in the tub with a new batch of warm, soapy water. Then one at a time I took them out, dried them, trimmed, pushed, and filed them. She had picked her colors, cherub and chartreuse shimmer otherwise known as pink and green. We did her big, middle and pinky toes green. Her remaining toes got the sheerest pink.
Then it was my turn. I stuck my big ole' boats in the tub, filled with a new batch of warm soapy water. Then one at a time, they were taken out for the drying, trimming, filing, and pushing. However, the excitement was increasing as I pondered over my color choice. They expressed their thoughts of combinations. Mostly however, they were articulating their desire to paint my nails for me. Little Man carefully did my big toes, with Lovely Lady filling any missed spots. Then Lovely Lady did my remaining four smaller nails on each foot. Now I had to choose my color. I decided on a beautifully aquamarine shimmer, BonBons #0113. Carefully I spread it over my nails. First coat dried, then second coat. While shimmery aquamarine toenails might be enough for most 30 something moms, my children continued to encourage me. We top coated with Cosmos, a clear coat filled with fine glitter in a silvertone and larger flakes of star shaped glitter in a complimentary blue green. Little Man looked carefully at each one, then at me and stated matter-of-factly "They are fadazzling Mommy! They are fantastic and dazzling all in one!"
So here I sit. Toe seperators carefully removed, shimmery aquamarine toenails, covered in sparkles and glitter. The children are now asleep, I am having my "me' time. I reflect back on my evening realizing that this pedicure filled with "we" time blew away any others I have ever had. In the words of Little Man, my evening was "fadazzling" it was "fantastic and dazzling all in one!"
When we got home, I got out a plastic tub, filled it with warm, soapy water and stuck Little Man's feet right in. Then one at a time I took them out, dried them, trimmed, pushed, and filed them. Next was my Lovely Lady's turn. We stuck her feet in the tub with a new batch of warm, soapy water. Then one at a time I took them out, dried them, trimmed, pushed, and filed them. She had picked her colors, cherub and chartreuse shimmer otherwise known as pink and green. We did her big, middle and pinky toes green. Her remaining toes got the sheerest pink.
Then it was my turn. I stuck my big ole' boats in the tub, filled with a new batch of warm soapy water. Then one at a time, they were taken out for the drying, trimming, filing, and pushing. However, the excitement was increasing as I pondered over my color choice. They expressed their thoughts of combinations. Mostly however, they were articulating their desire to paint my nails for me. Little Man carefully did my big toes, with Lovely Lady filling any missed spots. Then Lovely Lady did my remaining four smaller nails on each foot. Now I had to choose my color. I decided on a beautifully aquamarine shimmer, BonBons #0113. Carefully I spread it over my nails. First coat dried, then second coat. While shimmery aquamarine toenails might be enough for most 30 something moms, my children continued to encourage me. We top coated with Cosmos, a clear coat filled with fine glitter in a silvertone and larger flakes of star shaped glitter in a complimentary blue green. Little Man looked carefully at each one, then at me and stated matter-of-factly "They are fadazzling Mommy! They are fantastic and dazzling all in one!"
So here I sit. Toe seperators carefully removed, shimmery aquamarine toenails, covered in sparkles and glitter. The children are now asleep, I am having my "me' time. I reflect back on my evening realizing that this pedicure filled with "we" time blew away any others I have ever had. In the words of Little Man, my evening was "fadazzling" it was "fantastic and dazzling all in one!"
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