Well here we are and another Thanksgiving is about to wrap up and now we are going to dive into the Christmas season head on. Some of us will be up early to find the best door busters at Walmart or Target, some of us will sleep late and enjoy a long weekend and still others will have to trudge back to the workplace tomorrow to complete the work week. Whatever your plans, it is now the official kickoff of Christmas and Hanukkah otherwise known as the "holidays" and as always, I am just as excited as if I were still a kid.
This year we decided to have Thanksgiving at my brother's house with my parents, my sister IL's parents and brother and her siser IL, plus all the kiddos. My brother made his first turkey and it was one of the best I've ever tasted...juicy and full of flavor. We did the mid-day Thanksgiving meal and by 3:30pm my hubby and the kids were back home and sacked out in front of the TV. I finally had to give it up and take a short nap after all of the turkey enzymes kicked in.
Thanksgiving this year has been more than just Turkey and hanging out with my family. Each day I have tried to reflect on the important things in my life and I have chronicled them in my Facebook status updates. Some of these things have been the obvious things that all of us tend to be thankful for like family and friends and other things have been less obvious or maybe things that we take for granted because they are so common such as clean water. Big and small there are so many things I have been blessed with and I think that a little part of each and every day should be dedicated to giving thanks for those things. Thanksgiving should not be limited to one time every year.
This year I have been blessed with the gift of healing, not of my physical body but of my "heart". I feel that my heart has been changed in such an amazing way and that my spirit has been lifted up to a new place. There is an awakening in my spiritual life that each day is being strengthened. There have been positive influences that have been put in my path as well as new connections with other believers who have had similar experiences in there life journey as I have had. That feeling of not being alone in my struggles has been encouraging and I am so happy that God has put those people in my path.
One of the most important things I have learned is that I don't have to live a life based on what has happened in the past. I am more than the poor choices I have made in the past. What I can be in the future is so much more than all of that because I am constantly renewed. What a blessing to be forgiven and live in the light as opposed to the desperation of darkness that can often overcome one's life when you don't seek the light. Also a live lived in fear and doubt is not much of a life so I am seeking to overcome weakness that comes with those toxic elements.
As the day comes to an end I just want to give thanks once again for my family, friends and all that I have been blessed with. This year I feel loved and have more love to give than I remember ever having. I'm looking forward to the holidays with the anticipation of opportunity to share more special time with my kids, my husband, parents and close friends. Also I am looking forward to connecting in the spiritual sense with others and yes also with the Lord. I feel him making a real difference in my life and that truly is a reason to celebrate.
Happy Holidays to everyone, may your prayers be answered and your blessings be many. May the light shine in your path and the darkness shrink away. And let love be your answer, because love is of God and to know love is also to know him. God is love...God is love...
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Monday Minute
"The Outsiders"
*One genre of music needs to be banned. Which genre?
Banned, isn't that a little harsh? I don't like Kidz Bop, so if I have to pick - I pick Kidz Bop.
*All time favorite candy?
Chocolate
*How 'flawed' is your driving record?
No points
*What was high school mascot?
Um, Bulldogs, Bison and Tigers (I went to three different high schools)
and finally
What color socks are you wearing?
I'm not wearing any.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Yeah, It Pours...
You know the old saying that "When it rains, it pours"...meaning that when you have bad luck, you have really bad luck. Well, I believe that can be applied to the terrible couple of weeks I have been having. First I was sick, after we came home from the beach, then we realized we were going to be behind on several large bills. I made arrangements for those bills, realizing that we were going to barely scrape by this month and then Sunday a week ago my car stops running. That's when I knew it...here comes the rain.
Thank goodness my car wasn't a difficult fix and it helps to have family close by who are willing to step up. But as soon as I started feeling a sense of relief, the A/C in the house stops working. All I can think is what the mess? Another hot hot hot week and we don't have anything but fans, which do little to alleviate the humidity. Add to it, I think I am getting sick again.
We called in the A/C repairman who says we will probably need to replace the whole unit. That's going to cost a lot of money, which we do not have right now. Our credit isn't so hot since we have been behind on bills so we won't be financing anything either. What I think might have to happen is for us to get a window unit until we can save up the money for a new A/C which will need to be replaced before the winter so we can also run the heat pump. Otherwise we will have to use the wood stove.
It's times like these I get very discouraged and I wonder...what next? My marriage and relationships with my kids suffer. I feel like I am just barely holding it together. It's also very difficult to let go and put it all in the Lord's hands, that he is going to take care of us just like he has in the past. Somehow we always find our way through hard times and I don't believe that we do it all alone. It's times like these I feel the need to lift up prayers for my own patience and sanity so that I may make it through these rough patches.
That doesn't mean that I can just sit back and do nothing. As a matter of fact I think that doing nothing is unhealthy and only worsens the problems with feeling helpless and depressed. I need to actively search for opportunities to help myself. Feel free to send prayers and blessings our way, and if you know of anyone who has a working window unit they would like to donate or sell for a low price, by all means let me know.
Thank goodness my car wasn't a difficult fix and it helps to have family close by who are willing to step up. But as soon as I started feeling a sense of relief, the A/C in the house stops working. All I can think is what the mess? Another hot hot hot week and we don't have anything but fans, which do little to alleviate the humidity. Add to it, I think I am getting sick again.
We called in the A/C repairman who says we will probably need to replace the whole unit. That's going to cost a lot of money, which we do not have right now. Our credit isn't so hot since we have been behind on bills so we won't be financing anything either. What I think might have to happen is for us to get a window unit until we can save up the money for a new A/C which will need to be replaced before the winter so we can also run the heat pump. Otherwise we will have to use the wood stove.
It's times like these I get very discouraged and I wonder...what next? My marriage and relationships with my kids suffer. I feel like I am just barely holding it together. It's also very difficult to let go and put it all in the Lord's hands, that he is going to take care of us just like he has in the past. Somehow we always find our way through hard times and I don't believe that we do it all alone. It's times like these I feel the need to lift up prayers for my own patience and sanity so that I may make it through these rough patches.
That doesn't mean that I can just sit back and do nothing. As a matter of fact I think that doing nothing is unhealthy and only worsens the problems with feeling helpless and depressed. I need to actively search for opportunities to help myself. Feel free to send prayers and blessings our way, and if you know of anyone who has a working window unit they would like to donate or sell for a low price, by all means let me know.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
What Goes Around Comes Around
Or...Thankyou Kharma
As I was sitting here reading through some of my favorite blogs and pondering what I should write this morning, I stumbled across an article written by a blogger who was describing her vacation and all the many hours spent in the car with her kids. It reminded me of my childhood and the never ending trips in the car, at least once a summer, in the middle of July to Mississippi.
Boy did my brother and I drive my parents completely nuts.
How did we do that? Besides, the fighting, which is a given anytime you have two or more children in a car, we had several other activities that were amusing to us, but not so amusing to my parents. One of the things that we thought was particularly funny was taking our finger and touching the back of our throat to trigger the gag reflex. It sounds gross but we thought it was pretty darn funny watching each other gag. Thank goodness we never threw up doing that.
For some reason smells were a big deal on those long 12+ hour rides through the heart of nowhere Alabama. There's nothing like a bad smell to get everyone all stirred up. Recently my step-daughter put on some kind Twilight lotion in my car and I instantly figured out how my dad must have felt when I chewed Hubba Bubba grape bubble gum in the car. At least those smells are sweet, even if they are sickening. My brother emitted odors that would choke a horse.
Now that I am a momma, we have our own family trips. Lately I haven't been brave enough to make that long drive to Mississippi to see my grandparents but it is coming. Driving across town is bad enough though. 20 minutes in the car with my kids is equal to at least one hour.
To a child, their "side of the car" is sacred territory. My kids are no exception. If any body part from one child enters into the other child's territory, then all heck brakes loose. It usually ends up in fighting and screaming, then more screaming by me or results in pulling over and trying to calm down everyone including myself.
Recently, my husband and I have enacted the counting system...this system is used by parents everywhere. With some children it works and with others it doesn't but with my two youngest it gets their attention. My husband uses the counting pops system, where he just starts counting how many spankings the kids are going to get. My parents also used this system on my brother and I. As far as I can tell that system didn't work out too well. For the most part, kids are going to be kids and no amount of physical pain can change the fact that they are children. However scaring the poop out of them might dissuade them from fighting for about five minutes.
So one of the "truths" about parenthood, I've found to be relevant to my life is "What goes around comes back around"... or in other words, your kids will be as annoying or even more annoying than you were to your parents. You will not realize how much of a pain in the gluteus maximus that you were until you are a parent yourself and you start to relive those moments through a parental perspective.
The good news is...my parents survived it and there's a huge possibility that I will too. And if Kharma is what she is, then my kids will live long enough to have children of their own to drive them even more crazy than they are making me.
As I was sitting here reading through some of my favorite blogs and pondering what I should write this morning, I stumbled across an article written by a blogger who was describing her vacation and all the many hours spent in the car with her kids. It reminded me of my childhood and the never ending trips in the car, at least once a summer, in the middle of July to Mississippi.
Boy did my brother and I drive my parents completely nuts.
How did we do that? Besides, the fighting, which is a given anytime you have two or more children in a car, we had several other activities that were amusing to us, but not so amusing to my parents. One of the things that we thought was particularly funny was taking our finger and touching the back of our throat to trigger the gag reflex. It sounds gross but we thought it was pretty darn funny watching each other gag. Thank goodness we never threw up doing that.
For some reason smells were a big deal on those long 12+ hour rides through the heart of nowhere Alabama. There's nothing like a bad smell to get everyone all stirred up. Recently my step-daughter put on some kind Twilight lotion in my car and I instantly figured out how my dad must have felt when I chewed Hubba Bubba grape bubble gum in the car. At least those smells are sweet, even if they are sickening. My brother emitted odors that would choke a horse.
Now that I am a momma, we have our own family trips. Lately I haven't been brave enough to make that long drive to Mississippi to see my grandparents but it is coming. Driving across town is bad enough though. 20 minutes in the car with my kids is equal to at least one hour.
To a child, their "side of the car" is sacred territory. My kids are no exception. If any body part from one child enters into the other child's territory, then all heck brakes loose. It usually ends up in fighting and screaming, then more screaming by me or results in pulling over and trying to calm down everyone including myself.
Recently, my husband and I have enacted the counting system...this system is used by parents everywhere. With some children it works and with others it doesn't but with my two youngest it gets their attention. My husband uses the counting pops system, where he just starts counting how many spankings the kids are going to get. My parents also used this system on my brother and I. As far as I can tell that system didn't work out too well. For the most part, kids are going to be kids and no amount of physical pain can change the fact that they are children. However scaring the poop out of them might dissuade them from fighting for about five minutes.
So one of the "truths" about parenthood, I've found to be relevant to my life is "What goes around comes back around"... or in other words, your kids will be as annoying or even more annoying than you were to your parents. You will not realize how much of a pain in the gluteus maximus that you were until you are a parent yourself and you start to relive those moments through a parental perspective.
The good news is...my parents survived it and there's a huge possibility that I will too. And if Kharma is what she is, then my kids will live long enough to have children of their own to drive them even more crazy than they are making me.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Stir Crazy
Since I have gotten home from our beach trip I have found myself feeling more cooped up than usual. Sure, we have been going to the Rush at least every other day but the max amount of time per day the kids can spend in kid care is 1.5 hours and let's face it, there is only so much working out I can do. Also, it has been so hot that we haven't felt like being outside. While we were at the beach at least we had the hotel pools and the great Atlantic pool to jump in. I've found myself wondering what kinds of activities that we can do for free or for cheap around here, because staying at home watching Spongebob and playing video games is turning our brains to mush.
The field trips to Wal Mart aren't cutting it. I need to come up with some other fun things for my kids and I to do until the weather allows us to spend more time outside at the park or zoo. If money weren't an issue I would love to join a pool. Having one in the yard is way too much work and I know the job of cleaning the pool and keeping it up would be mine alone. It is hard to get help doing anything around the house - looks like that is and will always be my job.
I'm also thinking about Winter because before you know it, I will trade my dislike of very hot weather to contempt for freezing cold weather. Or we might have a period where all it does is precipitate and the yard turns into a swampy mess. So any good ideas from all you super moms won't go to waste. Yes, I am soliciting help from anyone who will volunteer it.
Below is my short list, and my plea for everyone reading my blog is for you guys to comment with some of your great ideas. I know a lot of you have children at home or used to have children that you stayed home with on a daily basis.
The public library - I've thought about looking into what they have going on. I know they used to have story time.
Dollar Movie - unfortunately I don't know of one that is open during the daytime, but it would be nice to take the kids to a cheap movie during the day. Even a matinee sometime at the regular theater is a good idea when we have more cash.
McDonalds Play Place - good for at least an hour of air conditioned fun. Sometimes we just get milkshakes or ice cream. They have WiFi too so I can take the DSI or my laptop when I get a battery that will hold a charge.
The Children's Museum - my mom recommended I look into this. Does anyone local to the NC Triad know anything about this and is it fun?
Like I mentioned it is a short list. I would also like some ideas for outside activities local to NC. Between now and when school starts would be a good time for a day trip somewhere that is small child friendly - some things have too many age or height requirements so until the kids are a little older, theme parks are out, besides I wouldn't like to take them to crowded places without another adult. I'm also little nervous about doing the mountains alone...but maybe a state park with a pool or something like that would be interesting.
Help! We are going STIR CRAZY!
The field trips to Wal Mart aren't cutting it. I need to come up with some other fun things for my kids and I to do until the weather allows us to spend more time outside at the park or zoo. If money weren't an issue I would love to join a pool. Having one in the yard is way too much work and I know the job of cleaning the pool and keeping it up would be mine alone. It is hard to get help doing anything around the house - looks like that is and will always be my job.
I'm also thinking about Winter because before you know it, I will trade my dislike of very hot weather to contempt for freezing cold weather. Or we might have a period where all it does is precipitate and the yard turns into a swampy mess. So any good ideas from all you super moms won't go to waste. Yes, I am soliciting help from anyone who will volunteer it.
Below is my short list, and my plea for everyone reading my blog is for you guys to comment with some of your great ideas. I know a lot of you have children at home or used to have children that you stayed home with on a daily basis.
The public library - I've thought about looking into what they have going on. I know they used to have story time.
Dollar Movie - unfortunately I don't know of one that is open during the daytime, but it would be nice to take the kids to a cheap movie during the day. Even a matinee sometime at the regular theater is a good idea when we have more cash.
McDonalds Play Place - good for at least an hour of air conditioned fun. Sometimes we just get milkshakes or ice cream. They have WiFi too so I can take the DSI or my laptop when I get a battery that will hold a charge.
The Children's Museum - my mom recommended I look into this. Does anyone local to the NC Triad know anything about this and is it fun?
Like I mentioned it is a short list. I would also like some ideas for outside activities local to NC. Between now and when school starts would be a good time for a day trip somewhere that is small child friendly - some things have too many age or height requirements so until the kids are a little older, theme parks are out, besides I wouldn't like to take them to crowded places without another adult. I'm also little nervous about doing the mountains alone...but maybe a state park with a pool or something like that would be interesting.
Help! We are going STIR CRAZY!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Is it FALL Yet?
Seriously dear readers, I hate this hot heat. Now that I am back from our summer vacation, I am completely over this season already. The only times in my life when I remember being this uncomfortable during the summer are when I was pregnant. Actually, the last time I think it was this hot was when I was pregnant with my last child. That was four years ago...and I ended up finishing that summer off in the Antipartum unit at Forsyth Medical Center. So, I guess I shouldn't complain too loudly because things could be worse...and nothing really stinks much worse than being laid up in the hospital.
Our vacation was GLORIOUS!!! I love love love North Myrtle Beach SC. We stayed at the Wyndham on Ocean Blvd. That place is huge. We were on the first floor, ocean front and the infinity pool was right beside our room. The weather was a little iffy - it rained most every afternoon. However, we got plenty of fun in the SC sun in for the week.
Now, my parents have been in this timeshare thing for years and years already. This is the fourth year that we have spent at the N. Myrtle property. They are GOLD members, whatever that means. They have to go and sit in some kind of meeting every year and try not to spend more money. This year, thank goodness, they didn't buy into the whole new property scheme. BUT they did get six free adult tickets to Ripley's Aquarium, so guess where we went for a family outing?
The day we went to the aquarium, it was hot and threatening thunderstorms. The line to get tickets was very long. We had to get tickets for the kids before we went in and so started the waiting in line. OMG I forgot how much I hate lines and strangers....lots and lots of strangers.
After about 30 minutes we finally get to enter the Aquarium. This place is large and it was wall to wall people in lines everywhere. I could already tell that this was going to be very difficult. I will tell you that I did manage to get through it but I was constantly worried that I was going to lose one of the kids. Several of the areas where we had to walk were very dark and it was hard to see at times.
It has been a while since I have had to deal with "the public" and I had forgotten how many rude people are just walking the earth needing me to smack them. There was this one jerk who got irritated because people were taking pictures of their kids in front of the the fish exhibits. He actually said (I am censoring for those of you with sensitive ears like myself) "F-ing people taking F-ing pictures, I don't care...I push them F-ing out of the way." Of course he said this when passing me and I was one of the "F-ing" picture takers. Oh my word, I wanted to tell him that if that kind of thing annoyed him that he was for sure in the wrong place. You don't go to a tourist attraction and expect people to not be taking pictures of their children. Sure he meant for me to hear it too...how passive aggressive is that?
Despite having to stand behind this one lady who was filming the jelly fish for about five minutes and wouldn't move out of my kids way, a guy who kept encroaching into my personal space while we were standing on the moving sidewalk, and having to literally drag my kids through a gigantic gift store full of flashy noisy things because that is the way you have to go to get to the exit, I really enjoyed the whole Aquarium attraction. That being said, I will never go back during the busy summer season if ever again.
Now that I am back home, and have been for a week now...By the way, I would have written this blog sooner but our whole house got sick with a mysterious sinus cold that thankfully came after our trip and not before. So, I have been hot, sick and super ready for the leaves to turn red and gold and start falling off the trees. Bring on the Fall....Bring it!
Our vacation was GLORIOUS!!! I love love love North Myrtle Beach SC. We stayed at the Wyndham on Ocean Blvd. That place is huge. We were on the first floor, ocean front and the infinity pool was right beside our room. The weather was a little iffy - it rained most every afternoon. However, we got plenty of fun in the SC sun in for the week.
Now, my parents have been in this timeshare thing for years and years already. This is the fourth year that we have spent at the N. Myrtle property. They are GOLD members, whatever that means. They have to go and sit in some kind of meeting every year and try not to spend more money. This year, thank goodness, they didn't buy into the whole new property scheme. BUT they did get six free adult tickets to Ripley's Aquarium, so guess where we went for a family outing?
The day we went to the aquarium, it was hot and threatening thunderstorms. The line to get tickets was very long. We had to get tickets for the kids before we went in and so started the waiting in line. OMG I forgot how much I hate lines and strangers....lots and lots of strangers.
After about 30 minutes we finally get to enter the Aquarium. This place is large and it was wall to wall people in lines everywhere. I could already tell that this was going to be very difficult. I will tell you that I did manage to get through it but I was constantly worried that I was going to lose one of the kids. Several of the areas where we had to walk were very dark and it was hard to see at times.
It has been a while since I have had to deal with "the public" and I had forgotten how many rude people are just walking the earth needing me to smack them. There was this one jerk who got irritated because people were taking pictures of their kids in front of the the fish exhibits. He actually said (I am censoring for those of you with sensitive ears like myself) "F-ing people taking F-ing pictures, I don't care...I push them F-ing out of the way." Of course he said this when passing me and I was one of the "F-ing" picture takers. Oh my word, I wanted to tell him that if that kind of thing annoyed him that he was for sure in the wrong place. You don't go to a tourist attraction and expect people to not be taking pictures of their children. Sure he meant for me to hear it too...how passive aggressive is that?
Despite having to stand behind this one lady who was filming the jelly fish for about five minutes and wouldn't move out of my kids way, a guy who kept encroaching into my personal space while we were standing on the moving sidewalk, and having to literally drag my kids through a gigantic gift store full of flashy noisy things because that is the way you have to go to get to the exit, I really enjoyed the whole Aquarium attraction. That being said, I will never go back during the busy summer season if ever again.
Now that I am back home, and have been for a week now...By the way, I would have written this blog sooner but our whole house got sick with a mysterious sinus cold that thankfully came after our trip and not before. So, I have been hot, sick and super ready for the leaves to turn red and gold and start falling off the trees. Bring on the Fall....Bring it!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Thinkable or Unthinkable?
Yesterday my husband and I, rented the movie Unthinkable from one of the Red Box vending machines that are scattered all over town. Since watching this movie I have been pondering the main thought of the movie (warning spoiler alert) which is this. Is it wrong or "unthinkable" for our government to use necessary force, torture or even a terrorist's wife and children as means to get information? I suspect that my own conclusions may not be popular ones, but I have to ask myself honestly what is most important to me...and it is hard to choose between someone's civil liberties and that lives of many US citizens.
In this movie, Samuel L Jackson, is the character "H" who is evidently a "black-ops" interrogator who has clearance from the highest authority to obtain information regarding three nuclear bombs from a surrendered terrorist. His methods are brutal and raise questions of what is right and wrong in the name of national security and saving millions of lives.
Let me back up for a moment and get a little deeper into the storyline. It is one that I am sure our government is concerned would happen in real life. An American Muslim named Yusef has obtained nuclear materials from Russia and has made a tape in which he shows three locations. He says that there are three nuclear bombs in major cities in the US. Yusef is captured and a countdown begins, the FBI and "H" have three days to find the bombs and save these cities from destruction. "H" is told he has control over how much torture and how far to go for whatever means it takes to break Yusef. Yusef is determined not to break and "H" decides, in the last hour to bring in the wife and children. "H", in desperation, ends up cutting Yusef's wife's throat and then actually convinces the higher ups to let him bring the children into the torture chamber and while Yusef watches he cuts out the lights and begins to "process" the screaming children.
At this point I was on the edge of my seat. I had to ask myself, could this really happen in real life? Would our government use someone's children against them to save the lives of thousands of other children and adults? Is it ok to do that? Would I stop this from happening if I were in a position where I could. Then I shuddered as I started thinking about my own kids and my family.
The answer in the end is very disturbing. I was left with a feeling that YES, they needed to allow H to use the children against the terrorist Yusef, because there was information that could have saved thousands of lives maybe millions. Let me point out that this was my feeling, not that it is the right or wrong answer here. I don't even know He didn't end up hurting the children, but you didn't know they wouldn't and that was the point. However, they made a grave error in thinking that they got the answers they needed by using the children. Perhaps they didn't go far enough - I was left with that too.
So what is your opinion?
In this movie, Samuel L Jackson, is the character "H" who is evidently a "black-ops" interrogator who has clearance from the highest authority to obtain information regarding three nuclear bombs from a surrendered terrorist. His methods are brutal and raise questions of what is right and wrong in the name of national security and saving millions of lives.
Let me back up for a moment and get a little deeper into the storyline. It is one that I am sure our government is concerned would happen in real life. An American Muslim named Yusef has obtained nuclear materials from Russia and has made a tape in which he shows three locations. He says that there are three nuclear bombs in major cities in the US. Yusef is captured and a countdown begins, the FBI and "H" have three days to find the bombs and save these cities from destruction. "H" is told he has control over how much torture and how far to go for whatever means it takes to break Yusef. Yusef is determined not to break and "H" decides, in the last hour to bring in the wife and children. "H", in desperation, ends up cutting Yusef's wife's throat and then actually convinces the higher ups to let him bring the children into the torture chamber and while Yusef watches he cuts out the lights and begins to "process" the screaming children.
At this point I was on the edge of my seat. I had to ask myself, could this really happen in real life? Would our government use someone's children against them to save the lives of thousands of other children and adults? Is it ok to do that? Would I stop this from happening if I were in a position where I could. Then I shuddered as I started thinking about my own kids and my family.
The answer in the end is very disturbing. I was left with a feeling that YES, they needed to allow H to use the children against the terrorist Yusef, because there was information that could have saved thousands of lives maybe millions. Let me point out that this was my feeling, not that it is the right or wrong answer here. I don't even know He didn't end up hurting the children, but you didn't know they wouldn't and that was the point. However, they made a grave error in thinking that they got the answers they needed by using the children. Perhaps they didn't go far enough - I was left with that too.
So what is your opinion?
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