Ouch!

Hubby filled up my minivan with fuel this evening. It was a little more empty than I usually let it get, and it cost $77 to fill it up!

Punctuation 101-Lesson 2

Rule 5 under Apostrophes in the Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation says:

Do not use an apostrophe for the plural of a name.

Examples:
We visited the Sanchezes in Los Angeles.
The Changs have two cats and a dog.

Retro Food

After sampling some of astronaut food last week, I began reminiscing about one of my favorite childhood snacks: Space Food Sticks. Anyone else remember them? I particularly loved the peanut butter ones, and I can still remember the smell, look, and texture of them...yum!


On a whim I Googled it, and much to my surprise and delight, I found out that they are being made again. It seems I am not the only one to have fond memories of this odd snack. There is a whole website devoted to them and the story of how they came to be produced again so many years later. Once we have recovered a bit from our current financial pinch, I think I'll order some and share a fond memory with my kids!

Unexpected Blessings

We typically go out to lunch after church on Sundays, and we almost always go to our favorite local restaurant, which happens to be Mexican. We know the server and he knows us, so much so that he brings us our drinks even before we order. Last Sunday we debated whether we should go out or just go dig something up at home since our finances are hurting a bit lately. We ended up going ahead as usual. We ordered, discussed the sermon, and quizzed the kids about what they learned in Sunday School and had a nice lunch. Then as we were waiting for the check, our server came over and asked if we knew the man who was sitting next to us. We told him we didn't and he said, "Well, he just paid your bill." What?! We were incredibly blessed by his generosity and kindness!

A second blessing came last Thursday. Our hubby called to tell me he won a $100 gas card from the local radio station! Now that is something that we definitely can use!

When we had to cancel our camping trip we had planned for next weekend, I was a little discouraged about our finances and even lost a night's sleep stressing over money, but by the morning I was finally able to turn it over to the Lord and have peace. Then these events happened and were just two ways I felt like the Lord was encouraging me to be anxious for nothing. "I own it all, your medical bills, car repairs, and rising gas prices aren't a surprise to Me."

I know that God is trustworthy even if we were to lose everything, that financial provision is not guaranteed, but this week I felt the Lord's tender mercy and grace toward us through these unexpected blessings!

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habbakkuk 3:17-18

Exposure

Sometimes I get discouraged when I read some blogs where the families seem to have it all together, there's one success story after another, and everyone is always in harmony with never a hint of strife or chaos. I know that's not the way anyone's life really is, and it certainly isn't the way my life is. I try to keep Ryan's and Abby's blogs fairly positive because I don't want to seem like I am "tattling" on my kids or putting their sinfulness on display, but it's uncomfortable sometimes because on the other hand I don't want to seem like I'm bragging or that we don't have struggles. I know at least one of their birthparents read the blogs (I've made it known and available to all of them) and I want them to see how incredible their children are and what a blessing they are in our lives!

The intent of this blog originally was more of a journal of my thoughts, struggles, and things along the way that God is teaching me. I've tried to be transparent about some of my struggles and frustrations, but it's hard to dig deep and expose myself. I'd much rather people only saw the bright side, the parts where I'm growing, and the successes, and from most of the blogs I see, that's how most people feel too.

When I look at my most frequented blogs, I find that they are not the ones where everything looks perfect. I am strangely encouraged when I read about other people struggling with similar issues that I have and when I see people who do not have it all together but they are still fighting the good fight, people who fail and repent and get up and try again. That's where I live, not in the glory of success day after day but in the fight against sin and pride and complacency with glimpses of victory here and there.

Just on the off chance somebody else likes to know that others struggle, here's a list of eight things I fail in regularly. Some are outright sin, while others are just ways in which I am not meeting my own standards.

• I yell at my kids.


• I still haven't finished reading through the Bible in a year that I began September 2006.


• I snap at my hubby.


• I often avoid a particular neighbor instead of sharing Christ's love.


• I have never mopped the floor of my laundry room in the 29 months we've lived here.


• I have unrealistic expectations of people, particularly Christian leaders.


• I avoid homosexuals whenever possible.


• I am four years behind in scrapbooking my kids' lives, even though I have all the supplies.

Be encouraged:

The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him." The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3:22-26

Date Night

We don't get many "date nights" in our home. We have no family nearby who can watch our kids or friends that we feel comfortable imposing upon too much. Our neighbors are good to watch them when we have an appointment or a meeting or something where we absolutely need a sitter, but I don't like to ask them too much so time alone with hubby is what gets left out. Sometimes I will put the kids to bed early, make a dinner for two, and have time alone at home, but it is nice to get out of the house as a couple sometimes. Whenever my mom comes, she always insists we go out together, and we usually do at least one time. But she can only visit once or maybe twice a year.

We also find other creative ways to have some time together where we can have some adult conversation or just enjoy each other's company. We have taken the kids to McDonald's and let them play in the play area while we talked or played a game together, and most recently, we took them to our newest attraction, Out of This World, and let them play for hours while we talked and played a game together.

So last month when my dad came we asked him if he would mind watching the kids one evening so hubby and I could go see a movie and have dinner together. He agreed and for the first time in 16 months, we saw our first non-kid movie! We went to see the new Indiana Jones movie and then went out to dinner. It was so nice to have such a relaxing and quiet time alone. Thanks, Dad!

New Fence

We've been planning it for two and a half years, but last week we actually put our fence in!


Hubby took Friday off and rented an auger to drill the post holes. We live on a rock bed and even with the hydraulic auger and even with Ryan's great help, we weren't able to finish the holes all in one day.


Friday evening we picked up my dad from the airport. He is always so good to come and help us with projects! Thankfully, Saturday was a mostly dry day and we were able to finish the post-hole digging and set the posts in concrete.


We stayed home from church so we could finish the fence, but we got rained out fairly early on. We packed up the kids and took them to Out of This World for a few hours, and when we got home the weather had cleared a bit and we were able to get the cross pieces put up.


Memorial Day was spent putting on the dogear boards. It took most of the day, but we got it done! Unfortunately, the gate kit was not in stock, so we are waiting for that to arrive. When it does, it will be a half-day project to get the gate up. We also need to stain the fence, but it needs to be dry for a couple of days first. That hasn't happened yet.



Once we get the gate hung and the fence stained, I'll post some final pictures. It feels so good to have the backyard enclosed, even without the gate. But I can't wait till the gate is hung and I can send the kids outside to play and not have to worry about them!

Temporary Isolation

I have been having a problem with my wireless adapter for quite a while and need to have my mother board replaced (again) on my laptop. Since our PC died last week, I will not have access to my email or my blogs or the internet until I get my laptop back (horrors!). Hubby brought home a spare computer from work to use for a while, so hopefully he will get that connected soon, but until such time I will be out of contact with the cyberworld.

Heartache

My thoughts and prayers have been with Steven Curtis Chapman and his family today. They suffered a breathtakingly tragic loss yesterday. Their youngest daughter, five-year-old Maria, was struck by a vehicle and died of her injuries. Though he is probably best known as a Christian musician, he has also been a champion for adoption in many ways, setting up Shaohannah's Hope and themselves adopting three little girls from China. They have set up a blog to remember her, for people to share their condolances, and where you can view a cute video of Maria if you so desire.

I know I will give my five-year-old (and six-year-old) an extra hug tonight.

Sweltering Cold

Today's high is forecast to be 53 degrees (with showers), but just five days ago we had a high of 95 degrees. This time of year usually has some diverse temperatures, but more than a 40-degree swing is pretty extreme! Personally, I am hoping the Lord will give us a long stretch of 70-degree weather soon.

Humiliations Galore

My six-year-old son just put me in checkmate after a scant four moves. I know I should be really proud (Okay, I am!), but I think I'm more humiliated than proud.

I recently checked out the book Chess for Kids from the library for him, and apparently he's actually been reading it, not just looking at the pictures as I had supposed! Maybe I should put it on his wish list, or then again maybe not. I don't know if I want to suffer many more humiliating losses! (Just for the record, I DID beat him the next two games.)

Summer Gatherings Begin

This Saturday we had some friends over for fellowship and a BBQ. Though just a few days earlier our temperatures were in the 60s, on Friday it was 95 and Saturday it was 91! That is really hot for our part of the country, especially when you've had no time to adjust to warm weather.


The kids helped by washing off our patio chairs and then decided to clean all their outside toys as well! They had fun splashing and getting wet. In fact, I had to change Abby because she got completely soaked.


While the coals heated and we waited for our guests to arrive, Daddy played catch with the kids. Ryan is learning how to throw really well!


After lunch, the kids got on their swimsuits and cooled off in our tiny wading pool (One of the best $6.99 I ever spent! This is the third summer we've used it.) Our friends got their little girl (also named Abigail) into her suit and let her get into the pool for her first time.


Though I ended up feeling sicker as the day wore on, we had a nice visit and time together. We have several more of these days planned this year, but hopefully the next ones won't be so hot!

Foster Care & Adoption

Since this is National Foster Care Month, I wanted to get another plug in for the kids who are waiting in the system for someone to open their hearts to them. The adoption agency we used, Bethany Christian Services, has a new program called Project Open Arms which is aimed at the children in foster care in Michigan:

Bethany is reaching out to thousands of children in Michigan who are in foster care and waiting for adoptive families. Bethany has received more than $1 million in private funding for Project Open Arms, an initiative to find loving, permanent families for foster children by recruiting families through churches in Michigan. Project Open Arms' bold goal is that Michigan will be a state where no children are waiting for adoption. With more than 12,000 churches in Michigan and 6,000 children waiting for adoption, Bethany needs to find a family in just 1 out of 2 churches to adopt 1 child. In the future, Bethany hopes to expand this program into other states to find adoptive families for the more than 100,000 children waiting across the country.

Can you imagine how incredible it would be to have all of those children in Christian homes? I can't think of a better way to glorify Christ and to live out His commission to make disciples! I will be praying for this project and for God's leading as to what else He is calling our family to do.

Punctuation 101-Lesson 1

The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation says:

Periods and commas always (emphasis mine) go inside quotation marks, even inside single quotes.

Examples:
The sign changed from "Walk," to "Don't Walk," to "Walk" again within 30 seconds.
She said, "Hurry up."
She said, "He said, 'Hurry up.'"

National Foster Care Month

May is National Foster Care Month, and to highlight it I thought I'd make yet another movie recommendation. Have you seen Martian Child? It is a story that is loosely based on true events about a single man who adopts a boy from the foster care system who thinks he is from Mars. It is a heartwarming story that I think you will enjoy. Who knows, maybe it will cause you to consider fostering or even adopting one of the thousands of kids that are waiting for a home. Could God be calling you to take a little "Martian Child" into your heart?

Mother's Day Prayer

Reposted from Mother's Day 2006

As I was enjoying a rare and blissful pleasure this morning, an uninterrupted shower, I was praying and thinking about Mother's Day. I find it peculiar that now that I am a mother, I don't have the unreserved joy on Mother's Day that I had once thought I would enjoy once I attained the illusive title, "Mommy."

Maybe the joy is muted by the memory of the many babies I never held or the lingering scar of years of infertility and childlessness. Maybe it's the knowledge that this day holds pain for some that are precious to my heart. I think of those who fear they may never know the joy of raising a child, those whose arms are empty because they loved a child selflessly enough to trust another mom to give what she cannot give, those who are separated from their mothers by death or estrangement or many miles, those who find it hard to celebrate a mother who seems unworthy of praise, those who don't have food or shelter for their children, those who are suffering the pain of watching a grown child make devastating choices, or those who fail to be the kind of mother they know God is calling them to be.

Still, as I enjoyed a pancake breakfast prepared by my husband this morning, I was overflowing with joy. It is a breathtaking privilege to look around the table and see the beautiful faces of two children I have been given the honor of raising. I am joyous this morning because of sticky hands and obnoxious noises that come from my two charges, and I thank God with all that is in me, again, for making me a mommy.

For those who are on the painful side of this day, I want you to know that you are not forgotten, you are loved and needed by many. And I prayed for you today.

Another Recommendation

I finished reading Nim's Island aloud to the kids this morning, and since we have a spanking new cinema in our little community now and since Daddy got home early from work today, we decided to take them to the matinee to see the movie. The kids liked it, and I really enjoyed it too! Okay, I admit, the special effects (particularly the CG) are not stellar and the story flounders a bit where they decided to stray from the book, but it inspires a love of reading and adventure and being courageous, all things we try to encourage in our children.

I was nervous about taking my kids to a PG movie that I haven't previewed (this is the first one they've seen that hasn't been filtered), but my apprehension was unfounded. I despise all the bad attitudes, potty humor and sexual innuendo that pervade so many movies aimed at kids, but that was missing in this one for the most part (the sea lion burps once and passes gas once).

When I finished reading the book this morning, Ryan said, "Can I read it now?" and when Daddy asked them after the movie if they wanted to see it again sometime, he said, "Yeah, I want to own it!" I think he liked the story, don't you?

Recommended

I saw this book at Target a month or so ago. It intrigued me, but I'm too cheap frugal to buy books at full price, so I went home and requested it from the library. Since it was brand new, they didn't have the book processed yet, but I was first to request it. I got the book yesterday, and began reading this afternoon. I couldn't put it down and finished it a few minutes ago. If you're looking for a great true life story and don't mind shedding a few tears, I would highly recommend this book! Not only is it an unbelievable story, it was encouraging to see God at work through the families involved and to hear them give Him glory despite unimaginable suffering.

Adoption Credit and the Stimulus Check

I just wanted to clear up something that had me confused for the last several weeks, just in case anyone else might be confused too.

If you filed your taxes and claimed an adoption credit, you may not get what you expected to get in your stimulus payment. I know we didn't, and it took some digging to find out why. The bottom line is if your adoption credit brought your tax liability down to zero, then you will only get $300 per person instead of the $600 you might have been expecting.

So our new fence will probably not be completed this month as we had hoped since we are $600 short of what we were hoping for, but at least we'll get it started and pray for the money to finish is sometime this year!

Boredom

I belong to a Yahoo Group for people using the homeschool curriculum that I use, and one of the moderators is wise and often funny too. Her solution for dealing with kids who say they're bored is priceless:

In the medical field, we ask patients to rate their pain on a scale of 1 to 10. When my kids complain of boredom, I ask them to rate it on the same scale. If they are approaching a 10, this is a true emergency! No amount of mindless entertainment can save them now. Only rigorous work can maintain the heart rate above asystole.

I have never had a child become so bored that I had to start CPR, but anything is possible once boredom reaches life threatening levels.

Once the patient says, "stop it mom, you are not funny", then you know you have successfully converted a code W (W stands for whining) to a normal rhythm.