Fun Party

Well, the ladies of our church survived our women's retreat.  We had a great time.  Our attendance was awesome.  We had only 16 signed up but we had up to 24 women there at one time.  It was so neat to be "away" but not one hundred miles away, you know.  I was only about eight miles from home, but my cell phone reception was terrible and so contact with my family was very limited.  I will say that by Sunday morning, I was definitely ready to see my clan.

The food was excellent if I do say so myself.  We had tacos on Friday night, a continental type breakfast on Saturday morning, soup and sandwiches for lunch and pork loin, green beans, hashbrown casserole and salad for supper.  Sunday morning we ate a brunch-type breakfast around 10 consisting of biscuits and gravy, sausage/egg casserole, blueberry and banana baked oatmeal and frozen fruit.  Do I even need to mention all the snack food we had?  Or that we had ice scream sundaes for dessert Saturday night while watching a hilarious Anita Renfroe DVD?  No, I probably shouldn't. 

I am quite certain I gained at least five pounds this weekend...so certain that I did not even step onto the scale before my shower this morning, which is my normal routine.  I don't need to see the numbers to know the obvious...my slacks are a little snug this morning.  It is probably a good thing that there is a volleyball game tonight and I'll miss weigh-in!

But I suppose God will forgive my weight gain...hopefully, Gina (my Weight Watcher's leader) will too  because, after all, I was spending the weekend with my church ladies, delving deep into God's word...as I was also delving deep into that ice cream sundae with hot fudge. We didn't study self-control and discipline this weekend, maybe that would be a good topic for next time...ha!

As usual, the afternoon Scavenger Hunt on Saturday brought out the competitiveness in some of us.  We can get a little vicious when it comes to games.  And since I was the creator of the hunt, I got to have fun with them when deciding what worked...I think my team won :)

Our sleeping arrangement was awesome, there were 14 of us lined up in beds in the loft of the barn; others were scattered about downstairs.  I slept so sound the first night, sharing an air mattress with my friend "Beth," that I didn't notice her frequent trips to the john.  (She drinks way too much water after 4:00 p.m. hint-hint)  The second night I didn't sleep quite as sound and made an important discovery...The grandmother to one of our youth girls talks in her sleep...which explains where the granddaughter gets it.  It was just a couple words as opposed to the granddaughter's complete conversation (which is hilarious).  The grandmother was alarmed when I said, "I now know where your granddaughter gets the talking in the sleep."  Grandmother was quick to say, "Oh, I know it's her mother."  Ha, "Oh, no, it was all you.  Mother was downstairs sleeping last night when I heard it come from YOUR bed!"  She was shocked and looked as though she thought I was making it up.  Nope, Scout's honor.

Our talent show was short and sweet...and funny...and amazing to hear the beauty of a voice...I say amazing because why can't mine do that?  I wish it did...unfortunately, it takes more than a simple wish to create that kind of sound.  Maybe next time others will work on their hidden talents and share them with us.  And hopefully next time a few women who were unable to come for whatever reason will be able to join us.

I'm guessing there will be another women's retreat...and I hope it is just as rewarding as this one.  It was a fun party!

Plum funny

Do not judge me...but I am a huge Janet Evanovich fan.  She has written several books, I haven't read them all, but my favorite series is about a bounty hunter named Stephanie Plum.  Stephanie Plum is not your typical bounty hunter.  She has no skills, no experience, she's a scaredy cat, she's always broke, her car is always getting blown to smithereens, etc.  But the books are absolutely hilarious and are laugh outloud funny.  Jay doesn't get that...he'll hear me laughing and he cannot understand how a book can be that funny.  I promise you, THEY ARE THAT FUNNY.

The way the characters are described, you can just picture them in your mind and hear them as they are talking.  Her family is a hoot...and I never, ever get tired of reading her books (she's up to 18 now).  Between the supporting characters and Stephanie Plum's own quirkiness, there is never a dull moment.  You will love Lulu, her sidekick, a retired lady of the night, (to put it nicely) and Grandma Mazur!  I kinda like Morelli myself, but don't tell Jay!

Now, I must admit her books don't exactly promote a Christian lifestyle.  She is divorced and caught between two men (in every sense of the word), there's swearing and not-so-nice talk.  But did I mention how hysterical they are?  If you really want to lighten your mood and think about nothing important, these are the books for you.  She just released Explosive Eighteen.  And the real exciting news is that One for the Money is now a major motion picture!  (I say major.)  It was released on the 27th of January and I cannot wait to see it.  I just finished reading Smokin' Seventeen and Explosive Eighteen to get me in the Stephanie Plum frame of mind and they did not disappoint.

Janet Evanovich has some other series as well, and she has even written a couple novellas that came out in between her main novels in the Plum sequence.  I would call the Stephanie Plum series a romantic comedy -slash- thriller with suspense.  Of course, it's thriller and suspense tangled up with lots and lots of humor. I'm telling you if you're looking for something to read that will make you laugh, here you go.  You will crack up, cry from laughing and even snort a time or two.  Yes, Jay, they are THAT funny.  

Let's Get This Party Started

This weekend, we are having our first-ever women's retreat at a secret location near Moonshine, Illinois.  The women of our church have been invited to attend this weekend get-away to be refreshed and revived in their Christian service.  It is an all-inclusive affair; food, fellowship, service projects, study, music, prayer, communion, games and fun.   The action begins on Friday night around 6:30 and will wrap up Sunday morning.

The retreat committee has been working very hard planning this weekend and praying for months for God to lead in the preparations.  We are having four bible study/devotions on Stress, Prayer, Worship and Service.  These studies are based on our CPWM's theme for the year of Show Me Your Ways.  Four different women will be leading our bible studies and we look forward to what each one of them will share.

Other things planned for the weekend include Communion, quiet time/prayer time, craft time/service project, music, a scavenger hunt, break-out sessions on Service, talent show and game time.  We have a great menu lined up for the weekend and a full schedule...but not so full that we'll be stressed!!  No way.

The men and children in some of our lives are going to have to fend for themselves.  Church on Sunday will go on without us and our obvious absence may make an impression on some of the men (hopefully).  If they tell us they didn't notice, we will know that they are lying be sad.

I just found out that a volleyball tournament cancelled last Saturday has been rescheduled for this Saturday...oh, man, I will have to miss it.  Madolyn told me she understood and Jay will be there...but it will be so hard not to be there.  (And won't dad have fun sitting in that gym all day with a bunch of screaming girls?!)

We are thankful to our friend, we'll call Norma, for providing us with this exclusive, beautiful resort barn near Moonshine for our retreat.  It's not every day you get to spend a weekend in a barn and love it, right?!  Please say a prayer that this retreat will be a fun-filled weekend with our sisters in Christ and that God will lead us through all of our discussions and activities.  Maybe this weekend will be exactly what at least one special lady in the group needs right now.  I'm so ready to get this party started.

Of course they're poisonous...duh

We have had several dogs, as you well know...and we have loved every one of them (well, almost) and each of them have had a few unique characteristics.  We have recently discovered one of Hank the Tank II's unique traits... He has a passion for fruit.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a boatload of groceries from Sam's in the back of my car and I was in a hurry (shocker).  I pulled into the garage and quickly got out to unload the groceries because we had to immediately leave again.  I opened the liftgate of my car and the grapes fell out.  A few scattered around on the ground and I didn't think anything of it.  I did not have time to gather all the loose grapes...so the Precious took care of it.  He ate every one of them.  I was a little surprised.

Last week Jay was sitting in the recliner eating grapes.  Hank II was at the foot of the chair begging.  Jay offered him a grape and he ate it.  So Jay gave him another one and another one and another one.  Hank loved them.  I told Jay about watching him eat the grapes off the garage floor.  We laughed, haha, our dog is so precious, and he loves fruit.

Last night, Jay was again sitting in the recliner eating fresh pineapple and the beggar came to his feet.  Jay offered him some pineapple and he accepted.  He loved it.  He ate a bunch of pineapple.  So I posted on my Facebook that our dog loves fruit and how I thought it was weird.  (Of ALL of the dogs we've had...none have been fruit eaters.)

Ha, the joke is on me, of course.  As a couple of my Facebook friends posted, grapes are poisonous to dogs.  Yes, of course they're poisonous...geesh!  Tonight at supper, I was telling my parents about Hank and eating fruit and the Quackdaddy says, "Oh, grapes are one of the six things you should never feed to a dog."  L-o-v-e-l-y.  Nobody told me.

So tonight I'm sitting in Jay's recliner (haha Jay) and Hank is in position on the couch...I'm watching him wondering when he's just going to keel over dead from those stupid, poisonous grapes.  Maybe grape producers should start posting warnings on their packaging so dog owners like me don't poison their dogs with something that is supposed to be healthy...ha, yes, that's the answer.  Or maybe someone out there should write a "How to Keep a Dog Alive at the Wilhoit Ranch" manual.  Come on, anybody?

Sad

Last night our Mighty Bluestreaks were playing in their conference tournament and we went to the game.  It was an hour-and-a-half away, unfortunately, but we are all fired up about our team this year and want to support the team and coaches.  We lost and it was a bummer, but that is not the reason that I was so sad.

I was sad because of our crowd support.  Not because we weren't packing the stands with screaming fans covered in royal blue, I was sad because we weren't packing the stands with PARENTS of our players and cheerleaders.  I suppose I was spoiled a little growing up (or a lot), but someone representing my family was at every single event I was involved in...same with my brother...same with my cousins.  If either of my parents couldn't be there, which I can't really recall happening much, if at all, I knew that my grandparents would be there.  There was never a doubt.  I never had to worry about it, I am guessing I never even gave it a moment's thought because there was just always someone at my games.


And I was JUST a cheerleader.  I realize that for some dads out there (and maybe moms too) cheerleading isn't the most exciting thing to watch.  And I've often joked with Jay that if Madolyn is a cheerleader, at least you can pretend to watch her cheer and really be there for the game, you know.  And I know that, of course, Jay watches Madolyn cheer, he's just not super stoked about whether her arms are straight or if she hit the motions right.  I get that.  But one of us is there.  And usually one of our parents is there too.

I'm sure that when you have multiple children this gets tricky because you can't be four places at once.  And I suppose if you don't live near other family members, it could be impossible to spread out relatives at each game...okay, I'm not trying to beat you up and make you feel lousy.  But when I go to game after game after game and never, ever see a parent or family member of a specific player or players there, it makes me sad...and mad.

If your own child doesn't think you care about them and their interests, why should they care about anything either?  I mean, if you don't think enough of your children to go support them in the things they are involved in, what are you teaching them?  I realize that sometimes work makes it difficult, sometimes money is an issue.  With these long drives, I understand it can push your evening, but I'm not talking about missing just away games or a game here or there, I am talking about never, ever coming to anything.

As I surveyed our small crowd last night, there were three boys there with both parents and two boys there with one parent.  That is it.  Our bus driver, scorekeeper and two cheerleading sponsors were there as well.  Then there was our bunch consisting of three families (with children still in grade school) and a youth minister from one of our local churches.  There are at least a dozen boys on the basketball team and there were five cheerleaders present last night.  Of those 17 possible players or cheerleaders, there were five kids who had a parent in attendance.  Five.  That breaks my heart.

There are a couple kids on the team who thrive off of encouragement and support, you can tell it.  You see it when they look up into the crowd at the fans who are yelling words of encouragement and cheering them on.  You see it when they do something good and they are praised for it...not by the parent or grandparent, aunt or uncle, but by total strangers (practically) sitting in the stands every game, or almost every game.

If we want our kids to succeed in life, our actions need to speak louder than our words.  Our sacrifices should speak louder than our words.  If we want our kids to grow up and be responsible, productive citizens who care about their community, their own families and their futures, don't we, as parents, need to reflect that?  If we expect our children to fulfill their commitments, show responsibility and have the desire to better themselves, don't we need to model those things as well?

Even Jesus follows the whole monkey-see-monkey-do theory in John 5:19 when he says, "Whatever the Father does, the Son also does."  He says he does only what he sees the Father doing.  (Yes, even Jesus says that!!)  We know that children mirror what they see in their parents, the good and the bad.  Children pick up on our mannerisms, our attitudes, our words, our silence and even our absence.

It breaks my heart that there are kids right under my nose who don't have that support at home.  I am thankful for those who take time out of their own busy lives to show these kids that there are people out there that do care about them.  I am thankful for teachers and community members who love on these kids. 

If you're involved in a youth group, go out of your way to attend a sporting event or other extracurricular activity that one of your youth may be attending.  Show them that people care about what they're doing, what they're good at, what they are proud of and that their accomplishments matter.  Just support them.  Make a deal with a kid, tell them you'll come to their games if they'll come to youth.  Don't make your support contingent on their attendance at youth, but maybe if they see that they matter to you, they just might follow through on their end of the bargain!

I Get It!

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.  Matthew 6:33-34 (NLT)

Do you ever have a moment where, all of a sudden, something clicks and you think, wow, I get it!  I had one of those moments last week on my way home from work.  I was listening to WBGL, our local Christian radio station, and the DJ was talking about Singer/Songwriter Aaron Shust and his wife who had recently given birth to their third baby boy and he had been diagnosed with Downs Syndrome just moments after his birth, which completely took them by surprise.  I can only imagine.

So I started thinking back to all the times I have pondered the What If's in life, such as:  What if my child had been born with some sort of disease or illness that would have made them dependent on me for life?  What if our child could never live out on their own?  (Major concern for Jay and I:) What if something happens to Jay or myself and we don't get to have that happily ever after retirement together, traveling and doing fun stuff, watching our grandchildren grow up?  What if something happens to my parents or my in-laws and they aren't around anymore for support and to watch our children grow?  What if suddenly I had some sort of disease or injury that made it impossible for me to work a job I love?

I cannot tell you how many times I have seen someone else in one of these situations and thought, oh, my goodness, I don't know what I would do or how I would handle it. How will they ever be able to do this or that or have any freedom?  (All extremely selfish thoughts when I think about them.)  I've also had lots of pity for those in these situations because their lives were not going to turn out right, according to their plan, and they would have to change their course completely.  Yuck.

I am a planner.  Some would say that is an oxymoron...Sarah a planner...because I'm also a very disorganized person, always running late, always procrastinating, always a step behind, but in my own little world (love that song by Matthew West, by the way), I like to plan things.  I love to make lists and put things on a calendar...all things that I can easily control and accomplish without a huge decision-making process.  I think I am a very disorganized/organized person.  Ha.

I have a life plan.  So far so good basically.  The little bumps in my road have been minor, very minor.  I have had a few curves thrown in there every now and then, and at a couple T-roads, that I wasn't seeing on my radar, I have had to make decisions on which route to take.  But all in all, I have had it very, very good and so far my life hasn't been disrupted so much to throw me/us off course.

So what was my epiphany?  Here I was thinking about how awful it would be if something were to happen to mess up my life because I have it all planned out and I'm listening to this story about how this couple has had this child with Downs and how that is going to screw up their life...and it totally hits me (almost like a bucket falling from the attic) it doesn't matter what my plan is, does it?  I wish now that I had pulled over and recorded all of my thoughts because it was just like a sudden realization that I had never even considered and it was almost as if I took a very deep breath...like, it's okay, Sarah, no matter what happens on this earth, the only future you need to focus on is in Heaven and Jesus has your back...nothing that comes along on this earth (as painful as it might be) can steer you off course if you follow Him...because at this point, the only course you should be following is the one that leads to Heaven.

I smiled.  I was so relieved.  I have no idea why this had never occurred to me before.  You know, just like the birds of the sky who do not plant, harvest and store up their food in barns for tomorrow because God provides for them, and surely we are more valuable to God than a bird, that passage is found in Matthew 6:19-34.  Read that over if you want to be reassured that we are not to worry.  It is a fabulous reminder of our importance to God and the trust we need to have Him.  He already has my life plan mapped out, all He asks of me is that I seek His kingdom.  I don't see anywhere in that passage about Sarah's retirement trips and their importance or at what age my children will be living out on their own.  (Shocking, I know)

Suddenly a weight has been lifted.  I must not live life according to what my plans are, but I need to trust in what God's plan is for me.  (See Jeremiah 29:11)   I think it is perfectly okay to daydream about an awesome vacation or about seeing something amazing (like the Grand Canyon).  I still hope to travel some day to places I have never been.  It is scary, for me, to think that I do not know what my future holds, but I need to remember who holds my future and I must trust Him.  Whether or not, I get to see the islands of Hawaii or make my dream trip to the orphanage in India makes no difference to God, nor will it compare to the glories of Heaven.  I won't even give it a second thought once I reach those pearly gates and walk the streets of gold...

Patience with the Patient(s)

Twenty-two days ago, Jay had his reconstructive ankle surgery.  It has went so much better than I imagined and for that I am grateful.  I have had a few moments where I felt like I could possibly take that crutch and smack him up side the head with it, but I have refrained.  The last thing we need is for me to be in jail, right?

At his last checkup, the doctor said he could start weaning himself from his crutches, which he equated to not needing them at all.  Tried that for two days and learned his lesson.   He is back on the crutches and I'm fine with that because he needs to let it heal properly.  He goes again this Thursday so we'll see what he says/misinterprets this week :)

I know he is so tired of being stuck in this house, and my laptop is causing major interference with his Rosetta Stone Program on How to Speak Spanish (he hopes to get that worked out tomorrow).  The one thing I had not considered was how tired I am of driving everywhere.  Ugh...and you know, women, how it is to drive with men...who are perfect drivers.  I would be tickled pink to be riding along in the passenger seat with my nose in my Nookbook reading...or to not let him out at the entrance to go park far, far away.  But these are VERY minor inconveniences so I'll just let it go :)

Madolyn's nose is healing quite well.  Her eyes never did blacken, thankfully.  And now that the swelling is gone and the yellow has faded, she's back to looking as beautiful as ever (to me, of course).  She goes in the morning to see our family doctor as a follow-up.  Funny thing, we were so concerned about her not being able to blow her nose and the fact that she is so snotty...she says she breathes better than ever so we're wondering if this was a Godsend!  Madolyn didn't miss a beat...she played volleyball the very next day following her little accident and acted like nothing was wrong.  Silly girl.

Hank the Tank II, our precious, is doing FINE.  I mean, FINE as in you couldn't even tell after about 24 hours that I had ran over him with my big car.  Jay took him to the vet and they said he was just sore and needed rest, and he has had plenty.  He has been chasing and playing with the kids as if he is in tip-top shape.  I'm thinking his large middle (he's over 80 lbs now) helped protect all his important  parts from my tires...Hallelujah.

We had a little ice hit our area on Friday night.  It started melting this morning, but our church, along with others, was called off because of the roads, parking lots and sidewalks.  I had to stop by the church this afternoon to grab something and I pulled my car up in the circle drive and hopped out, ran around the back and felt flat on my behind...caught myself with my left hand and my left forefinger.  I was fine...besides the fact that I was soaking wet from falling on the ground, but my finger was a tad sore.  Well, really sore.  And now it is bruising on the inside joint/knuckle. 

Fortunately, it doesn't hurt to type as long as I don't bend the finger much.  Jay caught himself when he started to say "at least it's just a finger" because as a court reporter, your fingers are your livelihood, and we don't have substitutes on hand.  I will have to do the best I can tomorrow and hope people don't use many words starting with the letters R, L, H, M, N, Y, the number 4, the words "will," "where," "had" or the asterick on the left.    Do you think I should advise everyone of this...haha, wouldn't that be a hoot?  "Excuse me, Your Honor, if you could just avoid saying any words beginning with R, L, H, M, N or Y, that would be great."  It is just a finger, and it is only jammed but ouch, it still hurts!!   

Today is a new day beginning a new week...we've only had a few minor mishaps lately, but we're done with them for awhile hopefully.  I don't need any more patients who need my patience.

He's okay!

I could say "You aren't going to believe this", but as a friend of mine I'll call "Traci" has pointed out several times, nothing that happens at our house surprises her.  But seriously, I couldn't believe this...last night as we were leaving for youth at church, I ran over my sweet, precious, Hank the Tank II.  Abby has always chased me.  She doesn't chase anyone else, but me.  And if you recall, I ran over her on Christmas Eve 2010...but she survived, thankfully...and it didn't cure her of chasing me unfortunately.

Hank II has just started chasing Abby who is chasing me.  Sometimes Abby will attack Hank II to get him to stay back, but other times they make a run for it.  A few times I have tricked Hank by driving around our circle drives and eventually he will stop and pee and I can escape.  Last night, I told the girls that I would try to trick them with the circle drive and it backfired, horribly.  We heard the dreaded "thump, thump" and everyone started screaming (I had three girls in the car).

By the time we got out of the car, Hank II was on the step of the front porch by the door.  That, to me, was a very good sign.  He was holding up one hip/leg but other than that, was not too bad...that I could see, but I was a nervous wreck trying to decide what to do.  I called two vets that I had cell numbers for, no one answered...which is okay I suppose unless you are afraid your precious is going to die.  I called the church to talk to Jay and figured out a plan.  I took the girls to church, picked up Jay and went back to check Hank.

By the time we got home, he had walked all the way around the house to the garage and was in there with Abby and as we opened the garage door, he walked (slowly and painfully) out to greet us.  I took that as another good sign, but then when I heard him coughing and grasping for air...ah, I was sick.  I just knew I had punctured his lung or something. 

Thankfully, Mad's bff's grandma is a vet and she said we could bring him out for a look.  She looked him over and thought he would be okay until today when we could take him to the vet.  I prayed and prayed that he would make it through the night and he walked in our room and slept at the foot of the bed.  He had a long, restless night but was alive and well this morning.  He even went outside and peed and walked around following Lane while he fed the horses.  I took that as another very good sign.

Jay took Hank to the vet clinic and he got out of the truck and ran inside (slowly) but as if it was just another day.  They seem to think he'll be okay but kept him to let the vet check him out.  They let Jay bring him home a little while ago and prescribed some R&R, which he dearly loves.  Last night when I called and talked to the vet tech afterhours, I could detect the tone in her voice like, Oh, it's HER again and what the heck does she do to these animals?!  It's terrible.  It's awful. 

I swear that I have some sort of curse.  We were in our own driveway for crying out loud, 15 feet from our front door and I drove right over my precious.  Arrrh.  But as of about an hour ago, Hank the Tank II is resting comfortably at home with Jay.

The temple

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.  1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.   Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

Oh man.  Right there God tells us that our body is the temple...AND that we are to honor God with it.  So I'm wondering if eating an entire batch of oatmeal cookie dough is as pleasing to God as it to myself.  I am guessing no...phooey. 

You know what always gets me, "they" say that eating all that cookie dough will just make you sick to your stomach and hungrier later because it's empty calories.  I beg to differ.  I love every minute of it, keep going back for it, I have no limits.  I have never gotten sick from the raw eggs or from eating too much of it.  I will eat it instead of dinner and feel just fine...I like to justify it because it is oatmeal, you know, and I do take a 30 minute walk sometimes.

But then I reread that verse...and there He goes, stepping on my already-not-so-pretty-toes.  It's not about what feels good to me, is it?  It is about the body that God gave me and how I must honor Him with it...and not my tummy and tastebuds.  Bummer.  He even says "must" in this version of scripture...not should or if you feel like it today, it reads MUST.  He goes on to say, we were bought with a high price.  What was that high price?  Oh, nothing too major...just His ONE AND ONLY SON...so how do you feel now as you reach into the cookie dough bowl?  

I am a junkie.  Give me some brown sugar, a little Crisco and a spoon and I am in complete bliss...I know, it sounds utterly disgusting, but it's not...you should try it (well, probaby not).  I have even caught my son eating brown sugar out of the container with a spoon.  What is wrong with him?!  Oh, yeah, his mother has lead him by example, a terrible one. 

I often have a one-track mind when it comes to food.  As in, "I want something chocolate, but I don't have any healthy chocolate or my little 100 calorie snack cakes, so what am I gonna do?"  And even though I try to convince myself that I don't need the chocolate...I end up baking a chocolate cake because I am fixated on my "need" for chocolate and it consumes me until I fulfill it.  R-i-d-i-c-u-l-o-u-s.  Or, I'll make my healthy chocolate cake with the pureed pumpkin and I'll then tell myself I can have triple the amount that I should because it is healthy, duh.  Again, completely ridiculous and who am I really fooling?

As I sit here, I'm thinking, hmm, what if God was sitting there watching me devour a whole cake?  And I have to chuckle because, of course, He is watching me eat the cake and the whole bowl of cookie dough...every. single. time.  Oh, how disappointed He must be.  He gave me this body, this flesh that I am to honor Him with, this body that He paid for through the death of His one and only son, and I'm honoring it with lots and lots of sweet stuff.  Then I think of all the people with very unhealthy bodies, through no fault of their own, and realize that I am damaging a precious gift by poisoning my body with artificial chemicals and lots of sugar. 

I know I am only human.  That's right.  Sarah is only human.  Sarah is not all powerful and in control of everything...nope.  But there is one who is...and he is the Almighty Lord and Savior.  And Sarah can do all things through Christ who strengthens her.  And you can too.  Today, just once, tell yourself no to something very yummy and think for a moment, would eating that mass of sweet sugar be an honor to the Lord?  I pray that your answer is no and that mine is too.

Prize Fighter

This past Sunday was to be our Lynch family Christmas at our house.  We can't ever seem to get it squeezed in before Christmas so this year we tried January.  A noon meal was prepared, bingo was ready to go, bring on the party...

We brought our nieces home with us from church and Madolyn and cousin Liz were going to go ice skating before lunch...you know, it has been winter for a week and the three inches of water in the creek out back is frozen...whatever, why not.  Madolyn already had her skates out because she had went the day before, but she wanted to get her cousin the other pair from the attic.  They pull the ladder down in the garage and Madolyn comes nose to nose with a five gallon bucket holding a stainless steel stew pot.  Bam!

Liz comes in the back door and says "Hey, Aunt Sarah..." and then I see the blood trickling down Mad's nose.  If I am alone, I can handle almost anything; if Jay is here, blood and injuries are his jurisdiction.  So I sent them to the bathroom with dad.  No big deal, she has a bloody nose.  I have noodles to cook.  Family is arriving.

My aunt is a nurse so Jay had her take a peek at Madolyn's nose, she said it probably needed attention.   We knew there wasn't much they could do with stitches because there's no meat on the bridge of your nose, but we were hoping for some of that super fabulous glue she had back in 2004.  (If this had been Lane, we may not have went...but this is a girl's face, you know!)  So within ten minutes of being at home from church, we were back in the car headed to the ER which was about 35 miles away. 

We stopped at McDonalds for our Christmas dinner (ha) just in case we had to wait in the ER forever.  Our niece Liz had come along for moral support and it was very helpful.  Madolyn didn't cry or whine at all, it was so great.  They were taking pictures in the car and experimenting with blowing the nose, the blood gushes, etc.  Thankfully I was driving and Madolyn was right behind me so I didn't have to watch!

We only waited ten minutes in the waiting room at the ER, yee-haw, and were glued up within probably 20 minutes by a very nice nurse practitioner, who stated that scars heal in 18 months and she should be fine.  Jay and I are not too sure about that.  Madolyn's scar from 2004 above her eye is pretty vivid.  When they were cleaning her cut up, they asked her what her pain level was out of 10; she said, oh, maybe a one.  That's my girl.  I'm glad our niece came, I think she calmed Mad and made her feel a little 'cool.'  Out of precaution the NP wanted an x-ray to check from broken bones.  And she's a winner...she had a 'clean' break on the bridge of her nose.

The most shocking and distressing news of the day was when the NP said no blowing of the nose for three weeks.  If you know Madolyn at all, you will understand the enormity of this statement.  This girl is full of Snot, lots and lots of snot.  Loads and loads of it.  The NP suggests we just give her a Claritin each night before bed, and that should take care of it.  Uhh, we already do that.  Oh, okay, well try Zyrtek.  Will do.  So off we went with our x-rays and a prescription.

The whole way over, we were telling Mad and Liz they really needed to come up with a better story so they were posting on FB that they had gotten into a fight and stuff.  It is always a treat to watch the faces of the ER staff when we come in with a story.  I know they hear just about everything, but I have to assume we give them something a little different to talk about after we leave.

As usual when Madolyn has something for real going on, you would never know.  Now, if she's faking or really putting it on thick, she acts like she's dying.  When she busted her head open in '04 or when she had her tonsils out, she was literally jumping from the furniture and bouncing around.  Same with this, we weren't back at the house an hour and the girls were playing Just Dance on the Wii.  I told her she might feel a bit different in the morning, and yes, she swelled up and was quite sore the next day.  Madolyn now has a scar across the bridge of her nose to go with the large scar above her eye.

As my good friend the DCFS investigator says, "I can't believe no one has ever paid a visit to your house."  Yeah, me either.  And here's a tip for you...a stew pot in a five gallon bucket falling from about ten feet above your head will break your nose.

Figures...

You know those silly-worthless-don't-bother-to-play-because-you-never-win claw machines that are right by the door at Wal-Mart...the ones that have the huge claw that you're supposed to maneuver down to grab a prize (cheap stuffed animal)?  You know how no matter how many times you try, the claw will not grab onto anything...even close?

A couple years ago, we were somewhere and the kids were begging me to play one of those silly-worthless-don't-bother-to-play-because-you-never-win -claw machine games.  I said no, I explained to them how they were a racket, you never win, it's a money-making gimmick, they put those where kids will see them and beg their parents to play, etc.

Well, Madolyn, who always seems to have her own stash of money, had brought along her wallet that day.  I told her that if she wanted to waste her own money on the silly-worthless-don't-bother-to-play-because-you-never-win claw machine, that was okay with me.  You know, how this goes...perfect opportunity for a little life lesson, yeah me.

Except this life lesson had a fatal flaw...the stupid claw.  Madolyn won something.  It was something ridiculous and cheap and you would've thought that she had won a major award (like a leg lamp or something;) and Lane thought she was the bomb, you know, the cool sister who can navigate the evil claw.  It totally blew my whole theory on why we avoid playing those stupid games.

Last weekend, we went out to eat for Jay's 37th birthday at a restaurant that has become our most favorite place in Terre Haute to eat because a) we never, ever have to wait long to be seated, b) the food is good; and c) the salad bar is absolutely the best ever.  (But I can't tell you the name of it because then there will be a long line and it will no longer be a secret, sorry.)  It took me a while to get inside because I let Jay and the kids out and went to park the car.  By the time I got inside, Mad, Lane and my other 'daughter' Grace had already found it. 

The girls had brought their Christmas money and we had been to the mall shopping, but they still had all this change that they said they absolutely had to get rid of because it was just too heavy and they were sick of hauling it around.  (Poor thang)  And lo and behold, right there was the answer to all their worries, the silly-worthless-don't-bother-to-play-because-you-never win claw machine...and now they could easily rid their overloaded purses of all the heavy change.

By the time I got inside, they had won twice.  I didn't quite grasp the enormity of the situation until they were laughing hysterically and lining all these cheap, little stuffed animals alongside of me on the bench.  They won every time they put 50 cents into the machine, and you know they had all this heavy change...they ended up winning ten times.  Ten.  It was getting a little embarrassing.  I think there were only three or four rounds they didn't win.  Thankfully, they gave one away to a little boy that was waiting nearby so we only had to bring nine of them home.  Hallelujah.  All I could see were the ten million little pieces that each one would become after Hank the Tank II was done with it...on my living room floor.

It was so crazy, the kids had a blast and were giddy, it was almost like seeing someone winning at a slot machine or something...but once again, it completely thumped my theory of those silly-worthless-don't-bother-to-play-because-you-never-win claw machines.

100 verses

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.  Romans 15:4 (NIV)

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Deuteronomy 11:18 (NIV)

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.  Psalms 119:105 (NIV)

If you'll recall Matthew 4:1-11, it talks about Jesus being tested by Satan in the wilderness...and what did Jesus use as defense against the evil Satan?  Scripture.  Plain and simple.  He didn't need to get into a ferocious screaming match or fist fight.  He rolled the words of God right off his tongue and the Devil was powerless against it.

If only it were that easy...it would be easier if I knew more scripture.  I remember thinking several years ago that scripture memorization was not only impossible, it was somewhat useless.  That was the very immature me, I'm just a little more mature in my Christian walk today...just a little.  I now have that desire to know more scripture.

There is nothing like someone calling you out on a bible verse or asking you a question that YOU should know because YOU'RE a Christian and you (me) don't know the answer.  So there I am stumbling around and finally spit out, "I'll have to get back with you." Or how about this, "Oh, I know what you're talking about, the story of Naomi and Ruth, oh yeah, it's somewhere in the Old Testament and there was a guy, oh, what was his name, that one of them ends up marrying?"  Geesh.  I have been in church for almost 37 years, seriously, I have probably only missed church a handful of times per year since my birth and that is what I sound like when having a conversation about scripture or stories from the bible.  I can probably only recite about a dozen scriptures.  It is shameful.

As noted by many all over this universe, going to church doesn't make you a Christian and going to church doesn't mean you know scripture either.  And, as we all know, some people are good at memorizing and remembering stuff and others are not.  I'm not very deep...I work well at the surface when it comes to reading and understanding stuff.  I have trouble analyzing difficult text and really need about a 4th Grade level of difficulty when it comes to grasping things at times.

But I came across a Nookbook called 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Robert Morgan, I figure I am in that group of "everyone" so I bought it.  And I decided that, by golly, if I wanted to quit looking like a deer caught in the headlights when someone asked about scripture, maybe I should decide to actually try to learn some more verses.  I read the first several chapters with excitement.  I read stories of how scripture had brought people out of the most deep and dark places and how some folks who had attended VBS in their youth only a few times, once faced with a horrible circumstance, could rattle off a memory verse that they had forgot even existed in their brain...and that got me all fired up.

Since it is my turn teaching our adult Sunday School class at church, I thought I would throw this little challenge at them and see what happens.  No one voiced a great objection and we had some good discussion so we're going to try it for a while.  This past Sunday we started with the "Fantastic Four" as R. Morgan calls them in his book and next Sunday we'll move on to the very significant "Roman Road."  I am excited about getting those memorized and in order.  If you can't tell another one about the Road to Salvation, you may be in trouble!

I am not sure why I never thought scripture memorization was important.  I suppose a lot of it could be related to laziness on my part and maybe pretending there isn't enough time in the day for it.  I think I thought that as long as I had a bible, I was good to go...who needs to learn them, they're all tied up nice and neat there in this leatherbound book or I can search them out on the Internet.  Well, that sounds mighty fine if you carry your bible everywhere you go and know exactly where every scripture is located. 

We take our bibles for granted...no doubt.  How many do you have at home?  Are you restricted?  Are you afraid of someone coming and taking them or destroying them?  Nope, not yet.  Hope it never comes to that. There are lots of places today where a Christian bible is considered illegal and forbidden.  What if you were forbidden from owning a bible?  Would you be comforted by your knowledge of scripture?  Would you be confident enough to be in another country witnessing to someone without your bible?  I can only assume that missionaries have to have a great deal of scripture knowledge because they could be in situations at any moment without their bibles.  There are some amazing stories in this book about POW's and their reliance on scripture to carry them through.

I am trying to imagine how I would feel if suddenly I was restricted from all access to God's word, an actual bible or the Internet, from a church, preacher, Sunday School class, etc.  Wouldn't that be strange, to actually be forbidden to seek out God's word.  If that were to happen at this very moment, as noted above, I would have about a dozen scriptures tucked away in my brain somewhere that I could rely on, but that would be it. 

I love music and can sing along with almost any song I've heard a few times before.  I can hear a song that I liked that is 20 years old and sing right along with it.  I can tell you all the addresses I've had in the past, I can recite Shakespeare, a few of Shel Silverstein's goofy poems, and line after line from silly movies...but I tell you that I know only a dozen verses from the bible.  Shameful.

Our Holy Bible is full of some super cool stuff and it is high time that I started learning some of it.  If you are inspired to memorize scripture, grab a copy of this book.  I think it was $10 at http://www.christianbooks.com/, and I'm sure any local Christian bookstore would have it as well.  (I did find that I needed a hard copy as opposed to my Nookbook.) I also found that I preferred a different translation than the one he used in his book, so make sure you find a translation that works well for you.  And as always, I will be asking the good Lord to help me in this quest...we all know I can't do it without Him :)

Westin

Jesus looked at them and said, “With human beings this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  Matthew 19:26 (NIV)

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Romans 12:12  (NIV)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
 
Today I will dedicate this post to a little fella named Westin.  I have never met Westin, but I have met his mother.  She was a high school cheerleader when Jay and I lived in Lawrenceville.  She was/is a beautiful girl and she ended up at SUI in Carbondale...and because we live in such a small world, she was a roommate to another beautiful gal that ended up marrying a friend of ours from Martinsville who now lives just through the woods from me.

So if you have followed that at all, Westin's momma is a very close friend of a friend.  Westin is a two-year- old little boy, who up until December of last year was a perfectly normal, active two-year-boy.  He developed a virus called HSV1 (common cold sore virus), which spread to his brain and they had been treating him for this virus and thought they had it under control.  He was progressing and they were hoping to insert a feeding tube so that he could go home where they hoped he would progress a little quicker.

Then in a blink of an eye, he started to regress.  He was taken back into the critical care unit of that hospital where he remained until they got his vitals under control, then moved back to the pediatric floor.  This poor little fella is now unable to respond to his parents, cannot eat, drink, walk, talk, and his body has taken on a condition which causes his body to have constant involuntary movements.  As you can imagine, this is extremely hard for his parents to understand, comprehend and watch.

Thankfully, Westin's parents are believers.  Their faith beams through the posts Andrea puts on Facebook.  They are thankful for the little boy they have been blessed with and have hope for his future.  It is times like these that we cling to our faith because we feel so helpless...they know that there is nothing else they can do except pray and ask God for understanding, strength, healing, comfort and wisdom.  They also have a newborn baby girl at home, which has to make the struggle to be in two places even more difficult.

Recent MRI results reveal there is brain damage in a few areas of his brain, which is heartbreaking to his parents and family, realizing that the Westin they knew a couple months ago may never be the same...but we know that God can remove that brain damage if it is Thy will.  Pray with me continuously that it is God's will for Westin to come through this struggle, that the medications given to him will ease the battle going on within his little body, that his parents will remain faithful to God and that the doctors and nurses will have the wisdom they need to treat this precious child of God.

As pointed out to me by a friend a few weeks ago, our children, although we like to believe they are "our's," are really God's children...just as we are.  We have our children only temporarily, until such time as God is ready for them to be called home.  It is hard to accept when terrible things happen to our children or family and it becomes easy to question God, but we must continue to understand that they (we) are His. 

If you are on Facebook and would like to be able to check the status of Westin, please search and ask to join Westin's Walk.

mi loco esposo

My crazy husband is cracking me up.  For his 37th birthday, he asked for Rosetta Stone's program for learning to speak Spanish.  His reasoning: to communicate better with the jockeys at the horse tracks.  So my dad found the Rosetta Stone program at Books-A-Million and we bought it.

Jay loaded it and it has several updates that are supposed to be downloading but our laptop is not letting him do something so he has to just use the CD's without the updates until I can get it fixed.  I'm kinda cracking up on the whole update issue because honestly when you're just beginning to learn a new language, it is probably okay that you don't have the latest slang translations, right?

This kit came with a headset and mic that you wear and plug into the computer (insert picture of Lily Tomlin here, ha) and then you can repeat the words as they say them and it grades you.  I will have to take a picture of him in the recliner with his headset on.  It is hilarious.  So as the kids and I were doing our nightly routine, Jay was in the recliner all hooked up and repeating various Spanish phrases, then he would cheer when he received his grade for each level.  I suppose some husbands are playing video games and shouting in excitement at completing certain levels, mine is testing on a foreign language.  It's all good.  I do think it was confusing Hank the Tank II terribly.  He may learn some new commands...of course, he barely responds to them in English so maybe that won't be helpful.

Last night, we were working in Mad's room and she says to me "If I ever go on a language trip, I'm taking dad as my interpreter."  I told her that was fine, but he probably needed a few more lessons before he was ready for that.  (I should probably go along as support too.)

I can only imagine what his first conversation with a jockey is going to be like.  I may have to have him wear that headset and mic and hook myself into it somehow.  Our horse trainer and friend will likely be giggling and beet red before it is all over with.  I suppose if the horse runs better, it is all worth it, huh?

So I'll keep you posted on mi loco esposo and his latest escapade.  I'm so thankful I lead a boring and dull life.

Only Believe Ministries

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.  James 1:27  (NIV)

If you have ever attended a Christian concert, most likely you have been exposed to Compassion International or Vision.  They are organizations that help feed, clothe and teach children all over the world.  That is my simple explanation for them anyway.  Hearing the stories and seeing those sad eyes of children from very poor countries just tears at my heart.  I always want to grab about ten of those pamphlets and run, you know, saving the world ten children at a time.  At one concert, my friend Beth and I did grab one pamphlet and our youth group has sponsored a child ever since.

So last year I was doing some online searches to find the perfect child for our family to sponsor.  If you go on either of those websites, you can do specific searches and pick birthdates, countries, whether you want a boy or a girl, etc.  I did that for a while and kept seeing that most of those children had parents or at least one parent and were living with their families.  I don't know why, but I really felt led to find a child who was an orphan and living in an orphanage without any family support.

I think I put it out on Facebook, asking people for suggestions about sponsorship, and my preacher's wife, who is from southern Illinois, sent me some information from Only Believe Ministries, which is based in Galatia, Illinois.  I went to their website and was immediately sold.  Their mission statement and vision statement locked me in.  The purpose of their organization is to feed and clothe the orphans and widows and spread the gospel.  Yee-Haw. 

Three sisters from southern Illinois started this ministry.  They have an orphanage for children and also what they call Grandma's House, which takes care of elderly widows. I had never heard of anyone helping widows and loved that idea as well.  Grandma's House is right next to the Jahnavi's Heart Orphanage and Pastor Joe and his wife Sony watch over them too.  Right now they are doing a building fund drive to build a new orphanage.

Their organization is very small compared to others, but I liked that.  I like that there are real people just a few hours south of me who started this ministry and have committed to keeping it going.  Sponsorship for a child is $24/monthly and a widow is $42/monthly.  When I think about someone living off of $24 or $42 a month it certainly makes me feel very, very spoiled.  Their website also has a store where you can make special purchases either in addition to your sponsorship or just because.  I make my monthly payments through PayPal and have never had a problem.  You can also do it the old fashioned way and mail a check to Galatia. 

We chose a boy and a girl around the same age as our kids and received letters, information and a picture of each of them which has been on our refrigerator ever since.  Both children we sponsor were abandoned by a parent and left at the orphanage a few years ago.  On Saturday, we received new pictures and letters from our kiddos, Swapna and Negranda.  It brought tears to my eyes to see how thankful they are for the very little we share with them each month.  I also was totally ashamed because when we began this process, I asked if we would be able to write freely back and forth with the kids and was told absolutely...only we haven't yet (I am so ashamed)...and so immediately our kids (Grace too) sat down and wrote letters to their brother and sister in India.  We have school pictures to enclose and send along as well.

I have this dream that when my kids are a little older, Jay and I can take our kids to meet their 'brother' and 'sister' in India...wouldn't that be absolutely the most unforgettable experience of a kids' life...I would guess for both sets of kids...and me too!  Hopefully, by then, we'll have established more of a relationship with them...you know, more than one letter a year on our part!

So I challenge you in 2012, if you are able and feel the calling, check out Only Believe Ministries website, www.onlybelieveministries.org or Vision or Compassion, and see if this is something God is wanting you to do.  For as little as $24 a month (Wow, don't I sound like Sally Smothers?) you can help feed, clothe and educate a child in another country.

It sure is bright in here

That is what I keep thinking when I walk into my daughter's newly painted room.  Remember, I had posted earlier that I had made a deal with Mad...if she cleaned up her room and got it ready, I would paint it.  Ugh, why do I say these things?!

Thanks to her BFF, Grace, the room was cleaned out a couple weeks ago...and Saturday Grace came over and they worked on cleaning her walls...which were covered in pictures of horses, drawings, just a little of everything.  Again, I didn't really think they'd do it...

By Saturday evening, the room was pretty well ready to go, so we went and bought paint.  Madolyn had a hard time making a decision but eventually settled with a bright turquoise and a soft brown.  I was satisfied and away we went.  After church and lunch yesterday, I got busy and painted.  I finished the two walls that were turquoise and started trimming for the brown walls.  I could tell that something wasn't right when Madolyn would come in and look and then leave quietly.  At one point she asked, "It will dry darker, won't it?"  And yes, usually the paint dries a shade darker than it looks wet...but I wasn't sure it was going to be dark enough for her...she didn't want it to look like "baby poop."

Finally, I told her that I was not mad, but I really wanted her to make up her mind before I was finished.  I told her I would stop for a bit, let the brown dry and we would take Grace home, which would give her time to think on it.  When we came back, we all agreed that we would just paint the whole room turquoise and dress it up with wall clings, a chalkboard and such.  I finished by 6:30 and it looked pretty decent...it's just really, really bright. 

I still have some work to do in there, but hopefully soon her room will be put together and my living room will be back to normal...I think her room is going to look really cute when we get finished...although sunglasses may be required for long periods of exposure.

HuMonGoUs BeAsT we LOVE

Hank the Tank II is absolutely a humongous beast of a dog.  He will be six months old on January 10 and he is close to 80 pounds.  He is quickly becoming the biggest dog (minus the first bloodhound, dog number...I've lost track, but his name was Buster) we've ever had.

One of my most favorite things about Hank the Tank II is his love for Lane.  They are like two peas in a pod.  Fortunately for Lane, Hank has almost gotten over playfully scratching him because for a while, a little romp on the floor with Hank equalled Lane sporting a few large scratches across his face or chest.  Those two will get on the floor and wrestle and roll around and run and play.  Hank even lets Lane ride him like a horse.  It is hilarious.

Hank has taken a liking to comfort.  He prefers the couch or recliner as opposed to a dog bed, floor or blanket.  He used to love curling up in Lane's beanbag, but he's almost outgrown that.  Every morning, just like Hank the Tank I, Hank II can be found either sprawled out on the couch or curled up in the recliner.  Last night, Madolyn and I were sitting on the couch studying together and he kept stalking us...circling the living room, staring at us...and we figured it out...when he jumped up on the couch and squeezed all 80 pounds into a space about the size of a shoe box...and was perfectly comfortable with half his body smashing half of mine.  He went straight to sleep.  We were on HIS couch and he was needing rest.  Poor baby.

Hank prefers to be on top of whatever is in front of him or in his way.  We were sorting presents before Christmas and the kids had made piles so I could figure out what bunch went where.  Hank would plow through the living room and instead of taking the open paths, he'd forge ahead, across and over the piles of presents.  Didn't bother him a bit.  If Lane is lying on the floor or in bed and Lane wants Hank to come snuggle...Lane will holler and Hank will come barrelling over and sit right on top of Lane...literally, right on top of him.  And then he just sits there...as if he's not sitting on top of someone's face or neck.

Lately his big thing has been the trash.  He simply loves kleenex and wrappers.  We blow our noses A LOT and there are always lots of kleenex in the trash cans in every room...I can come out first thing in the morning, and although Hank is snoozing (and snoring) away on the couch, there will be about a dozen kleenex ripped to shreds and their remnants all over the living room floor. 

Candy and wrappers have been an issue.  The other day Hank kept coming out with gumballs.  One after another.  Someone would retrieve the gumball, throw it away and not ten minutes later, he was out with another one.  Each time, Jay or I would tell the kids "Pick up the candy - Hank is getting it somewhere."  And because our children are perfect, we assumed they did as we asked...and then Hank would walk out with yet another red, green or white gumball.  Finally, I went in search of the candy stash...because the kids were acting as if they couldn't possibly figure out where the gumballs were coming from...right in the middle of Lane's floor was a huge pile of gumballs, chocolate, Bazooka bubble gum, etc. 

So I will take away from Hank a piece of trash, wrapper, gumball, etc...and he will follow me or watch me as I get rid of it...and then not five minutes later, he will walk out with that very piece of trash, wrapper or gumball.  You just can't help but laugh  Of course, I know what you're saying...how dumb can you be...put it where he can't get it.  I know, I know...I'm a work in progress. 

About a week ago, he ate a squishy rubber lizard (about 8 inches long, stuffed with these little white beads)...completely, not one scrap left.  One minute the kids and I were playing Scrabble on the floor and he was beside us chewing on the lizard...a few minutes later, the lizard was gone.  Uh-oh.  We couldn't decide if we should try to make Hank puke or not, but we didn't.  Then I worried that he wouldn't be able to poop it out...but he's still ticking so it must have went down okay.

Hank the Tank II is for sure a humongous beast, but we are so in love with that chocolate chunk of love...and he is still absolutely precious.

Welcome Back

...is what my Weight Watcher's leader, Gina, will say to me when I walk through those doors next Tuesday night.  That is my plan anyway.  I think I joined WW in 2008 (maybe) and was hooked immediately.  Granted, I didn't have a ton of weight to lose, but the big thing for me was watching my daughter make the same horrible food choices I did.  There is a bit of obesity in my family history as well.  Those two things, together with my desire to just feel better, motivated me to join...and a good friend was going too, which always makes it easier!

I know that there is not a woman, man or child out there who enjoys 'dieting' and I would be the first to shout that out.  It seems as if the moment I decide I can't have something, it is all I can think about.  I become totally obsessed with whatever THAT is.  Ugh.  What I love, love, love about WW is that there is no forbidden fruit.  You can eat whatever you like...as long as you account for it in your day.  It is all on a point system.  Every food and drink has a point value...it could be zero or it could be 20 (sorry).  You get X amount of points per day and you can eat WHATEVER you choose as long as you stay within that amount of points.  If you would like to blow your entire day on a piece of cake, you can as long as that cake is within your points.  (Which could mean you are eating plain lettuce and broccoli for the rest of the day.)

Of course, it is a little more complicated than that...you get party points (as I call them) that you have each week for those times when you just go over.  You get credit for exercise...the type and amount.  Most fruits and veggies are now free, but that doesn't mean you can eat bananas all day...I kinda tried that and it sure didn't work.  And if you smear peanut butter all over the banana or apple, that is okay...but the peanut butter is not ZERO points. However, it sure does taste yummy.

They do stress the importance of eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, liquid, lean meats, oil...yes, oil.  I was shocked to learn that it is important to have one (or two) teaspoons of a healthy oil every day (although I do remember Dr. Oz saying on Oprah that oil is important because it helps lubricate our system).  The best way for me to do this...besides frying potatoes in olive oil (which is allowed - yes, potatoes are not forbidden) is to pop some popcorn and then drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil on it.  It is very tasty actually.

I reached my goal a while back...and then let a few pounds (no, I'm not telling how many) creep back on me.  I'm not beating myself up for it...yet...I just need to get back into the groove.  I was sooooo amazed by how well it worked...if you follow their guidelines.  It was such a great feeling to find something that actually worked and wasn't totally impossible.  I stored away for future reference (this gig really works) on the off chance (oh yeah) that I would get off track and gain weight back...because who does that? 

I haven't been exercising a whole lot, but have picked up my lunch time walking again.  I am trying to sway back into the right eating patterns...although someone left about 15 cupcakes at my house this week and I have eaten four each night the past two nights (not kidding), plus we had this butterscotch pie from Gray Brother's that I ate most of...and I spent New Year's Day cooking...boo.  But that is okay, I'm human and I can and will get back into a normal healthy eating pattern.  Yes, I will.

I always gauge my out-of-controlness by my clothes.  I feel like as long as my clothes fit, I'm okay.  Funny, I noticed today that my black slacks are too short all of a sudden.  They still fit around my midline, although a little snug, but they must have shrunk in length...ya think?  Sure thing.

So as we begin the new year, I am resolving to get back on the Weight Watcher's Wagon.  If you're looking for something that really works and is healthy, this is it.  It costs $13 weekly or you can pay maybe $50 for a monthly pass and get the free e-tools, which are awesome.  I know that it's not rocket science, and that some will say it is silly to pay for something that you can figure out on your own...yes, I've said that too...and guess what, it didn't work because I am the type that needs the support and guidelines they offer.  I need the accountability that going to the meetings brings.

I will be writing a few posts on this subject and how our view of our body and food should be from God's standpoint.  If losing weight and eating healthier is one of your goals for the year, Good Luck.  I'll be praying for ya!

Resolve: to make a firm resolution to do something.

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.   Philippians 3:12 (NLT)

Happy New Year and welcome to 2012.  Isn't this the year it's all supposed to end?  I hope you're ready...Seriously, I don't believe in that stuff, but I do hope YOU'RE ready because you never know...

I was reading all the New Year's resolutions on Facebook and then seeing several posts about how others were not going to make resolutions because they fail or they're silly, etc.  I have often said the same thing and then I thought, what if we never wanted more, what if we never wanted to be better, what if we said we were good enough to God?  Yikes.

Interesting.  I found the above scripture.  Go, read it again.  I like it.  We should keep pressing on no matter how content we are with where we're at.  What if God decided we were good enough and moved on, leaving us to fend for ourselves?   He wants us to press on to be Christ-like.  I have to admit that I probably thought I was pretty mature ten years ago...or twenty years ago.  I've said many times, I sure hope that people don't still judge me on things I did or said in high school...and even after high school.   I am so glad that not only did I not give up on becoming a better person, neither did my Heavenly Father.  It's a team effort.  I have to want to be better and he is there to help me, support me, encourage me and pick me up when I fall.

Jay and I always encourage our kids to do better...not that what they're doing isn't good enough, but that they shouldn't ever settle.  We don't mean that in a materialistic way either.  There is a fine line there though...encouraging your children to go to college or a trade school and get a good job that will support them and their families and provide for their futures-without encouraging them to look for the dollar signs.  I'm not sure how you juggle the explanation there. 

I have had this conversation with my kiddos recently because of a friend they have who isn't forced to go to school (or at least that is our take on it) and how "lucky" he is.  I have tried to explain to them that although it may sound fun, not going to school every day, that their future will depend on the choices they make now and whether they go to school and get decent grades.  And he may be doing what he's doing right now for the rest of his life.  Realistically, that won't provide very well for his future family.  So I went on to tell them that they can do whatever they want for the rest of their lives, but they will be going to school...because their goals in life may change (wow, I hope;) and a high school education, at the least, is a must.

And really the typical New Year's resolutions are things we should be working on all year, right?  Healthy eating, exercise, more family time, spending less, better organization, committing more time to God, witnessing to others, etc.  I know all of those apply to me, yes, I have lots of work to do.  And with the passing of another year and the holiday hustle and bustle, it just seems right to start the new year with a refreshed outlook and goals.

So I'm not necessarily making New Year's resolutions, but I am going to resolve to do better and redirect my focus.  I do believe that to be happy, you need to be content...but I also believe that we should never stop pressing on...striving to be all that God has planned for us.  Happy 2012, friends.

My Super Hero

Last Friday my BFF had his very first surgery.  I will admit it was rather nerve-racking.  Nothing major as in life or death, but major enough for us.  Jay suffered from Chronic Ankle Sprain which is a real condition, although the name sounds pretty basic.  Having played sports all of his youth and being a pretty aggressive fellow, it took its toll on his ankle(s).  Finally, we both agreed that enough was enough, we are still young (yes, we are) and we have young, active children.  It is better to tackle this now rather than waiting. 

Jay researched and found the surgeon he wanted at a hospital my grandparents have utilized for their knees, hips and legs over near Indianapolis.  He called, they accepted his request and an appointment was set up.  Jay liked the doctor right away and the surgery was scheduled.  I was amazed how smoothly it went down.

So last Friday was the day.  The Quackdaddy decided to come with us...just in case Jay would get sick or something on the way home (I hadn't even thought of that).  Naturally Jay and I thought the only reason he would want to come along is because there is this AMAZING restaurant over there that we frequent when we are anywhere near.  Quack assured us that was not his intention and I told him that we probably wouldn't get to eat there because the surgery would be quick and I may not want to leave the hospital.

We arrive on time (amazing, I know) and they quickly get Jay back and prepped.  Here's a funny...they come to get me about 15 minutes after taking him back and tell me I can come back and wait with him until it's time, and oh, you have a relative back here.  Who?  So I go back and the lady washing Jay's right ankle is not a relative of mine, but we shared the same great aunt (and my brother and family actually live in that great aunt's house where the nurse used to spend time in the summer!)  How weird is that?  I know, it's not unheard of, but it was ironic when she asked if Jay knew any Kannmacher's and he said "I'm married to one." 

Jay's surgery time was 12:00; we had to be there at 10:00...They didn't come get him until about 12:45.  Jay had been fasting since the night before and was getting irritable (understandably so).  I had eaten breakfast but had missed my snack...I was ready to gnaw on my thumb when they came back to get him, I can only imagine how he was feeling.  I had my purse full of snacks but didn't feel like I could eat in front of him.  (I will say when he went to use the restroom, I crammed a cutie orange down.)  As they wheeled Jay away, his last words to me were, "GO EAT." (He loves me.)   Dad and I were gone within minutes.

They had told us the surgery would last about 90 minutes and then he would have a short recovery period.  We ate lunch quickly and were back within an hour...and waited...and waited...and watched every other patient we had seen go in, come out.  At about the 2.5 hr mark, I inquired and they assured me everything was fine, it was just taking longer.  We continued to wait.  We watched a maintenance man wheel out large carts of trash.  The first load was piled and then covered with a white sheet, which had the outline of a body.  I asked him on the second pass if he had a 36 yr old white male underneath that sheet because we were missing one.  He assured us he did not.

It had been about four hours when I went back to the recovery room and asked the nurses sitting there what in the world was going on.  The one had just come out of the surgical room and said they were finishing up.  About 20 minutes later, the surgeon came out to talk to me.  He explained that he had just about finished up Jay's ankle and was 'stressing' the graphs he had attached to the bones when one tore.  Apparently the graphs he had used were new and the material wasn't what he liked.  He said that there was no way he was leaving ANY of them in there knowing one had torn...he took everything out and started over with the graphs he normally used.  So basically it was two surgeries instead of one.  He was very, very nice about everything and assured me that there was no concern as far as Jay's ankle, he was just "pissed off" that that happened. 

He also said that at some point Jay has broken a piece off of his fibula and it had slid down and attached to his ankle, and his ligaments and tendons were so shot that they could pull his heel/ankle in and out with ease.  Yuck!  No wonder he had trouble with pain in his ankle! 

So on Friday night at 6:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. their time) on a holiday weekend, as all the lights were turned off, and I think the nurses were walking out with us, we wheeled Jay out the door and shoved him in the truck (ha).  I drove home and was pleased that both my dad and Jay were there to coach me in how to drive or else we might not have made it.  It was lovely weather for a drive, I might add, and if I had my choice, I would be delighted to have the opportunity to drive it again just for giggles.  Jay was a trooper when we got home and we got him up the front steps and in the house without Hank the Tank II knocking him over.

Oh, and the fail-proof, pre-set, you-can't-mess-this-thing-up machine Jay was given to use to compress and cool his ankle, with a compression cuff for his opposite calf, alerted immediately that it wasn't right...I called the number, talked to a gal, was cut off twice, tried her suggestions, nothing worked and I was spent.  The one giving us problems is the compression cuff for his good leg, so we're just going to wing it until his follow-up Thursday.  Jay is faithfully using the cooling/compression on the repaired ankle so we're hoping that is good enough.

Amazingly, Jay has been great.  I know he has to be uncomfortable, and although I've been annoyed a time or two (like getting a text at 2:00 a.m. from the living room that the dog has puked after I had just been up an hour before to help him with medicine and to go to the bathroom) I've had it pretty good.  I even swung that compression/cooling machine around and whacked his bad ankle...fortunately, the numbness was still in full effect or there could have been serious ramifications.  I figure the hard part will be when he starts feeling better and wants to go, go, go...and he can't. 

I am sick to death of football, but I've kept myself busy with organizing, cooking, laundry and Scrabble and I did retreat to the basement and get that room organized...yes!  Oh, I also escaped to Walmart with Lane and went to a visitation for a church member...and today I'm at work...kids are back to school tomorrow and then my Super Hero will be flying solo...until Thursday when the Quackdaddy will take him back to Mooresville for a follow-up which will, I am sure, include a trip to the fabulous Gray Brother's Cafeteria.  We really liked the doctor and we have no complaints with how things were handled there.  It is a fabulous place and that restaurant located just a few miles away is an added bonus :)

So what do you think?

I have taken off a few days to tend to my patient...and now my question for my readers is what do you think?  Should I continue on with my blog?  I've been at it since July and have enjoyed it so far.  Some days I have trouble coming up with something to write about and some days, I can write several posts.  I usually think of things when I am having trouble sleeping and make lists...then forget them. 

Let me know what you think and if you have a favorite post from the past...also, if you have a story you want me to tell that I have neglected, give me a shout.  Happy 2012!!