Just Keepin' It Real

Well...I had intended to post some beautiful, fun photos of our family playing in the nearly 8" of snow we got....but it was not meant to be...

Blake has come down with a horrible stomach bug. He kept telling us all through church this morning that he didn't feel good (this is where mommy guilt enters) and I thought he was just being whiny because he had spent the night with a friend and didn't get enough sleep. I blew him off all throughout church. He has been known to exaggerate an illness to get out of doing something. Well, our worship pastor invited us over to play in the snow...ride 4-wheelers, build snowmen, etc....but Blake didn't bite. I thought for sure that would bring him out of his funk. We stopped at Mickey D's for a quick lunch...and again, Blake didn't bite...he didn't order anything (this is where it gets fun)...while waiting in the drive-thru lane he just upchucked all over the van. (I know that's a little graphic for some, but I'm a mom and just keepin' it real) I was like "wow, he might really be sick." Again, I thought he might perk up a little. No dice. He's been in bed ever since with his bucket companion nearby and has used it more times than I care to talk about....or you care to read.

Please pray for my little man...he's not a very good patient....(he gets that from his dad) {{grin}}

All that to say we didn't get to play in the snow and it was a pretty snow...perfect for building snowmen and throwing snow balls. (this is really a record for us in NE Arkansas...we've had 2 snows and one ice storm this season) I will try to post pictures later of our snow and the pictures I took of us before church and the whole stomach bug thing...

Ok...mommy duty is calling...

Hello....

Hello....is anyone still out there? Does anyone remember me?

I started to apologize for my blog absence, but you know...sometimes life is more important than my world in a box...and it's ok to take a little break ...

So much has happened over the past few weeks that I barely know where to start.

(1) There was the Ice Storm from Hades (which I still need to upload the pictures and share with you so you will believe me that this was a bad...bad storm! We were without power for 4 days...my aunt and her family were without for 22 days and there are still people who do not have electricity yet!! That's a long time people!!

(2) I started a new Bible study by Beth Moore....Esther, It's Tough Being A Woman....it's been rockin' my world. My first AHA quote from the book is this..."let God heal our world-torn souls and make us experience His security in our reality. Stay open to all the ways He wants to speak to you about becoming more secure in your world." This was big for me! My reality may not be pretty or exactly as I'd like it to be, but I can be secure in my God and that He has a purpose and a plan for my life....these trials and struggles are not in vain. I don't need to rely on myself or others for some fake security or happiness. I need to rest in my Savior's arms and know that He holds me safe and secure. Another great thing I'm learning is that "God is never more present than when He seems strangely absent." I'm living this one right now. I know God is there...even when I can't feel Him or hear Him. I just have to wait and listen for the whisper.

(3) God is working in our Praise Team and I'm super excited at what He has in store for us this year. He is challenging us...both on a technical level and of course in our spiritual walk. He's opening up opportunities for us to attend some conferences and to grow our ministry. I can't wait to share with you as God blesses our team.

(4) We've had the privilege of hosting our friends from TN...John & Melissa (and their kids...Chastity, Dakota, & Destiny) while they visited Arkansas this past weekend. They arrived on Friday and were able to stay until Tuesday. I enjoyed visiting with them and sharing meals...I even shared with them my favorite dish...Frogmoor Stew (aka Low Country Boil)...which was shared with me this past summer when I was a guest at someones home in S. Carolina. Pay It Forward. They went to church with us on Sunday and attended our Small Group Sunday night...and Melissa was able to go to Bible Study on Monday night with me....which was awesome, but not as much as the chance to just talk....ya know...girl talk.

(5) On a more somber note, two women from our church...pillars of the church....graduated to Saint Hood this past week. I loved both of them dearly. Mrs. Joan was healed in Heaven of her Colon Cancer. She fought an incredibly brave battle of around 3 years. Her and my mom were diagnosed at around the same time and both underwent treatment at the same time. Although my mom's has stayed in remission, Mrs. Joan's came back. She still wore a smile and believed God had it all under control. I've known Joan for nearly 20 years ( her son and I dated briefly in high school), but not until I came to Southside did I really get to KNOW her. She always wore a smile and encouraged me each week when I would see her at church. Her daughter-in-law and I have become best friends and were actually out on a girls night out the night Joan went on to be with our Lord. This family is really like my family....The second lady I've known for even longer....Ms. Glenda's daughter Lisa and I have been best friends for a LONG time...and went to school together. Although her battle with brain cancer was short, it was no less brave. I've never seen someone fight with such dignity. Even in her darkest hours before brain surgery, knowing her time on earth was short, her thoughts were toward others. Both of these ladies will be missed, but I'm a better person for having known them.

I'm sure there are other things that I've forgotten.....oh yeah....like....
(6) Mallorye got a job! and...
(7) Quentin remembered Valentines and got me a digital camera...not the nice SLR one that I really, REALLY want, but a nice point & shoot...which is great since Mal washed my old one in the washing machine...they don't hold up well to that...lol....and....
(8) we're still going to counseling and so far we haven't killed each other. We're learning a ton about communication and relating to one another. We have a ways to go, but it's a process.
(9) basketball season is over! and Blake's not playing baseball this year (what the ??) so I have nothing to do!! Woo Hoo! I may get some scrapbooking done!

Ok, I'll try to keep up now....sabbatical over... I think. And I will get those ice storm pictures up here soon...maybe this weekend since I have nothing to do!

Have I mentioned I have nothing to do?

Probably shouldn't have mentioned that, huh??

Update of a Week Gone By

Updated; Another teenager (8th grade) at Mallorye's school was killed in an auto accident after school yesterday (Friday). Her mom is in critical condition. This is several kids in the past year and a half that have been killed or critically injured. Please pray for our students.

Where has the week gone!? It's been busy here, to say the least...

Baseball season has started and Blake had his first game on Monday. We lost 2-4, but Blake had an awesome hit that landed him a single. He's playing short stop for the most part...some third base...and a little pitcher. He has a game tonight, so wish us luck! (I'll try to get some pix) He's also getting ready for the 5K Ram Run at his school near the end of the month...his legs are so SORE!!

Mallorye's in the midst of EOC's (end of course exams) and getting her schedule ready for next year. She's having some friends over tonight to watch movies and hang out. They really need some down time, it's been a tough week. One of her friends, an acquaintance really, was killed this week in an auto accident. Her boyfriend was critically injured in the wreck as well. They were both well known and well liked kids and it's really tough on the community. They had a memorial service on Wednesday at the high school.

Quentin and I have just been trying to work and keep the house running...that's a job in itself!! Our ladies at church started a new Bible study on Monday that I'm going to..."The Frazzled Female"...you have to laugh! Oh, how I need this study!!!

Ok...everyone keeps interrupting my thoughts, so I'm gonna just end here. Hopefully, I'll be able to post this weekend at some point!!

If not, have a great weekend!!

In Need Of Some Prayer!

It's been quite the day around here...especially for Quentin.

He had his appointment to get his stitches out this afternoon (you know, from the whole sharpening knife incident) and his finger is not healing properly. So, they put steri-strips on it, but they're not wanting to hold very well. Looks like a nasty scar will follow.

While at the appointment, I had him mention his excessive snoring since being back from Iraq...so he's now set up for a sleep study at the end of the month. He's having a few minor issues since being back...some digestive trouble, hearing loss (he is getting hearing aids next week from the VA), back pain, and difficulty with his ankle (he injured in Iraq).

Please pray that his health issues will be resolved soon....he's normally not a person that gets sick or goes to the doctor very much at all, so this is difficult for all of us.

Also, his granny promoted to Heaven this evening. She lived a full life of 98 years! His mom is having a hard time and as an only child, I know Q feels a sense to "make it all better."

It's been alot for one day, but I know God has it all in control.

Time For Some Manual Labor

I can certainly tell that I'm not used to "manual labor." whew! My Monday thru Friday job is at a desk, and although I work my brain very hard, my body doesn't get much of a workout. All that changed yesterday!

In an effort to help alleviate some of the financial strain on our family as a result of soaring electric bills, I got a part time job on Saturdays. It's just a few hours, but those few hours were WORK! I'm cleaning a commercial account for a local cleaning service. Now, I clean my house every day, but this was different for some reason. I guess, because I made myself clean for the entire time with no breaks (like I do at home..you know? stop and have a soda, blog a bit, etc). Anywho, I am sore today! Wow! I thought I used my muscles more, but I guess I was wrong. I did find it very satisfying to be working hard and I loved that I was able to clean without interruption...that doesn't ever happen at home!! LOL!

Time to get ready for church...I'm praying the hot shower alleviates some sore muscles!

I've Got Answers...

What a week...I've kinda been off the Blog Bandwagon this week, not posting or reading much...just kinda skimmin' through. I blame it on the weather (Arkansas weather is very fickle) and the fact that both kids have been sick...Mal still is...poor thing. So, to recap a little...then I'll answer a few questions from the 20Q Post.

The weather has been crazy insane this week! Ranging from near 70 to 23 degrees. We even had rain, sleet, snow, and back to rain all in one day! Literally, Thursday I went to the grocery store on my lunch break...the roads were becoming quickly covered with sleet and snow and the sleet was still coming down...so I thought I should get prepared. I was in there less than 20 minutes and when I came out, it was RAINING and the snow/ice was MELTING!! Crazy!!

Both kids, to spite having had the flu shot, have been sick with the flu. Blake is doing much better and has went squirrel hunting with dad this morning. Mal on the other hand, is not faring so well. She woke me up (via text message...how funny is that) at 2am because she was praying to the porcelain god. Poor thing can't hold down water right now.

I had an MRI of my neck Wednesday afternoon to see why I keep having spasms. I'm thinkin' it's a pinched nerve, but they insisted on a picture to verify. No news yet, probably Monday.

Ok, now the answers to your burning questions....Angie asked the following questions;

What does your average day look like?

There is no such thing as average around here! But, I usually wake up around 5am and have my morning quiet time with God...right now I'm reading through the New Testament in a year with our church and going through Beth Moore's Bible Study "Stepping Up." I try to have my shower finished before I wake up the family around 6:15am...we are all out the door by 7am...kids to school, me and hubby to work. I work outside the home, so I spend my days there...fortunately, I have an extremely flexible job and can take off when I need to. I make it home from work around 4:15pm and the chaos begins! We have dinner as soon as I get home because usually someone has a ballgame or practice or something! Right now, Blake is in basketball season, so we're at the gym 2-3 nights a week. Wednesday's and Sunday's are church, and Monday's are my Bible Study night. It's insanely busy, but our family thrives on that, so it works for us. Everyone pitches in with housework, so that doesn't take a lot of time and I'm a little OCD about organization which I believe makes the house run a whole lot better! I really do try to be in bed by 10:30pm and most nights it works.

What was your career before you were a mom?

I've always been a mom. Or at least pretty much. I'm one of the statistics of teenage pregnancy....I became pregnant my senior year of high school, graduated that May, baby in July, married in August, started college in Januuary. I'm not super proud of that time in my life, but I am thrilled that God chose to bless me anyway...to spite my failures. He has done amazing things with this "Rahab" and strenthened our family in the process. So, as far as a career before motherhood, they've just kinda went hand in hand. I went to college while bringing up babies and somehow learned to juggle it. It didn't always work perfectly, but it did work. Now, I have a nursing degree and I work for a construction company in accounting!! Which is an entirely different blog post!! LOL!

How did you and your husband meet? And how long have you been married?

We've been married over 15 years!! And extremely proud of it!! We were a blind date set up by....his ex-girlfriends mother...LOL! I don't think she intended on us falling in love and getting married, but God does have a sense of humor, doesn't he? I actually stood him up three times because I was scared to go on a blind date. I finally went and the rest is history. We've had major ups and downs...seen it all...birth, death, financial woes, affairs, major illness of everyone in the family, deployment...I sometimes look at what we've endured and I am amazed that we're still together, but God is so faithful! He has given me my soul mate and has shown me how to love him.

Ok, this is extremely long, but hopefully you learned a little more about me (and still like me) and weren't bored to tears with my life. I've always lived life as an open book, so if there are any more burning questions...just throw 'em out there!

Useless Ramblings

It has been a busy evening here....still trying to get the house decorated for Christmas. I managed to get all of the Christmas dishes washed and the breakfast nook decorated and table set. It looks so cute, but you'll have to wait for pix!!

I would have more done, BUT the bearing...or something like that...decided to go out on the dryer...so I've been helping hubby fix that. I'm glad he's home and not in Iraq...and I'm sure John and Mike are too...they were my Mr. Fix-It's while he was away. LOL!

Ok...funny story. At supper tonight, we were all having our nightly discussion and Blake...our 12 year old...brought up a teacher at school that apparently is not very well liked. He said he knows why she's so mean...it's because "she doesn't have any real eyebrows, they're drawn on." Ok, I have no idea where that came from, but I let out a huge belly laugh that he would think such a thing. Where does this come from.

I have to put out a big Shout Out to Sarah for sharing with me how to do links on my blog and thus, fulfil one of my "Life List" things! Thanks Sarah!! I think I got it!