New Sidelight

This is the glass I chose for our sidelight that Iz broke with a skateboard.

Ack Pt.2

Allister said that they weren't termites. Just "flying ants." Thank God.

Here's some pictures of our yard after the first storm surge today. Notice the lake at the back of the yard?

Yep, that's a bunch of hail. The little "pond" in my garden filled up with hail.

I dropped Z off at ballet just before the first storm hit today. I drove home in hail. Thankfully, no tornadoes so far. We had to leave Z at ballet late, though. . . because it was still hailing and we didn't want to get stuck in high water. I had Allister pick her up because I was scared. I have a fear of storms. I got caught in a really bad one in San Angelo in '95 that made national news. When Z came home, I asked her if she was scared. She said no. I asked her if she was afraid that I wasn't going to pick her up (she was clinging). She said yes. Poor baby. I tried a few times to call the dance studio, but I wasn't getting a connection. I was sorry that I took her to dance. I wouldn't have if I had seen the news before I left the house. The sorry little roof over our patio is broken. I think everything else is ok at our house, though. It's still raining here. I hope that all the hail, wind and scary stuff is over. I don't sleep much during storms. I stay up and worry about how I'm going to save all the kids from the tornado. So much for faith, huh?

ACK!

I just found what I believe to be termites in my laundry room.

The Extraction

Praise God. It wasn't anywhere near as bad as I thought. I was really nervous about getting my tooth pulled. People really shouldn't tell those horror stories. I was literally in tears when I got to the dentist. All they gave me was "laughing gas," but it was enough. The dentist did a really good job. He filled two cavities, which took much longer than pulling the tooth. The worst part was the needle, which really just felt like "pressure," not the stab it really was. He said it came out "without much protest." It really wasn't bad at all. The problems I've been having with my shoulder have been much, much worse. I regret now not using the Loratab from the dentist for my shoulder the other day when the Advil wasn't working! I don't even need it for this. Right now my shoulder is much, much better than it was last week and it still hurts more than my mouth. The best part is, my neighbor took my kids for the first part of the day and another friend took them for the second part. So, I have a day off.

20 Loads

That was my bet and I was right. I don't want to see my laundry room again for another week, but now our laundry has piled up! At least I am done. 4 hours of ironing. I'm surprised it wasn't more. I guess there's not as many dress clothes now.

Tuesday (tomorrow) I get my wisdom tooth pulled. I have a respiratory tract infection and got antibiotics for it today. I was so worked up in the doctor's office that my bp was over 160! I'm usually around 120. I have help with the kids tomorrow and a good nurse to take care of me.

The Laundry's Back!

I thought I was done with my laundry job, but it's back. She got some money and needs some help. This is the largest amount of laundry she's ever given me. She filled up a play pen, 3 baskets and a laundry hamper. I'm taking bets on how many loads this will be.

Iz broke the glass by my front door. We have insurance on our windows, but it doesn't cover all of it. At first I was going to get the cheapest glass, which looks like it has rain on it. Allister pointed out the fact that this is a permenant (hopefully) fixture on our house and I should get the one I really like. So, we are going with a leaf pattern. Laundry money to the rescue because it costs an extra $100.

That gave me a fright!

Someone has posted youtube videos on facebook of places, groups and times where I could have been. Fortunately, I haven't seen myself in any of them, but this is making me really nervous. . . thinking there could be a video of me from my teen years on youtube! ACK! Not that I did anything bad. . . and I certainly don't have any memory of doing anything embarrassing on video. . . but that doesn't mean it isn't out there!

Kind of freaked out.

The "Word" Magnet

That's what they called me tonight. Funny.

This is the second time the pastor has called on me to give me a "word".

A little background: Lately I've been thinking about what I can do once the kids don't need me so much any more (Go ahead and laugh, Mom). I've thought about going to beauty school (because I think cutting hair would be fun and I could build relationships with clients) or nursing school (because I could make good money taking care of people and I see how Allister can minister to people through his job). . . or a service ministry to the poor. . . or something where I could use Spanish (I still haven't figured that one out). So, anyway. . . I think about this because when we aren't doing school, I have all this free time and I think about how I won't always be homeschooling and how I could use my time when I'm not.

So, the pastor calls on the young lady on the aisle with the pretty red hair (haha). He said something like this: God is handing you a business card tonight (and I'm thinking about my dad's cards for his counseling business--haha). I can't remember the words he used exactly, but the idea was that God is giving me a new confidence and doing away with insecurities and feelings that I am a bother or imposing on others. He has a calling on my life, an identity, and a job for me to do, so he's giving me a business card to make it official. And then. . . a bunch of mushy stuff about loving me and thinking I'm great (only because Jesus is covering my sin, because I have plenty of it). I'm not going to get into that mushy stuff because that was for me to hear. It was all very cool because I had been thinking about jobs lately. This was like God saying to me, "Don't worry. I've got a job for you. " I guess I sometimes get a little itch to go out and do something because I know I'm called to do something more, but right now my job is to care for and minister to my family. When God has something else for me, I'll know. Maybe it will be this week and maybe in 10 years, I don't know, yet.

This is only vaguely related, but it just came to mind. You know, sometimes they have those inspirational shows on TV. . . people doing really amazing things to help others. A few weeks ago, they had this come on that show who live in El Paso. He is a pastor and he and his wife give to the point of sacrificing in a big way. They feed 1200 kids every day out of their own kitchen. They run a ministry where they collect all sorts of things and give them to people who need it. I see stuff like that and I think to myself, "What am I doing? Nothing." I almost feel ashamed that I'm not doing something like that (This is the enemy trying to make me feel bad.) Yes, I'm educating my kids and caring for my home. . . but what mother doesn't do that? Even the moms who send their kids to school do homework with them at night and help them write papers and such. That lady had kids of her own. I guess I just have this yearning to do more, but I don't know what it is. I know that I will not succeed if it is in my own efforts. I can't just make something up and start doing it and expect it to all work out. It has to be the work of the Holy Spirit. So, I have to wait. I have to wait for the Lord to tell me what it is that He wants me to do. Meanwhile, I know he has called me to care for my children and teach them. I know He has called me to get in the Word and spend time with Him. I know He has called me to serve my husband. I have to be faithful there first.

So, back to my experience at church. I thought about making myself a business card to remind me. But, afterwards my friend's husband brought me a card (the same guy who gave me a verse last time). It says that a business card is also called a "calling card." The "calling card" is God is giving me a position, title and a place for ministering for Him. The verse he gave me is 1 Peter 4:10 "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." The part that really stands out to me is "administering God's GRACE."

Seeing the Baby

We made a trip to San Angelo to see my brand new nephew. This is my 6th nephew. I got 3 while I was a teen and have gotten 3 more my 30's.

Traveling with Iz and Z is not exactly my idea of fun. Despite every distraction I can think up, including buying a dvd player for the van. . .Z still talks/whines constantly and Iz cries, fusses and is just a mess! We stopped for the bathroom after an hour. During the next 2 hours, we stopped twice on the side of the road for Iz to poop. Horrible! The only thing we had to wipe with: a McDonald's bag. Lucky we had that. We usually never eat there.

Our time in San Angelo was, for the most part, uneventful. We did the usual. Allister and I did a short shopping trip while Mom watched the younger kids. I bought 3 shirts and a pair of shorts at Ross. I got M some pj's and a shirt. Both big boys got new tennis shoes (buy one, get one 1/2 off). Allister bought some jeans and a fleece pull-over (it was cold and he forgot to bring a jacket). We spent most of the time hanging out with my parents and my sister's family, holding the baby, eating, and generally being lazy. I visited with a friend that still lives there. We both had coffee with a former fellow nursing student. Wendy and I visited a friend that just happened to be visiting San Angelo at the same time I was. I hadn't seen her in 3 years. We had been friends who see each other regularly from 7th grade through college and some after that.

Why is it that new babies always look so much tinier than I think they will be? B is an average sized newborn (over 7lbs) and he looked soooo much smaller than I expected. He slept most of the time. He's still so little that he's just eating, sleeping and pooping. He was maybe awake and not eating 1hr. a day. Wendy and I and our husbands went out to eat one night and took him with us. Not a peep the entire meal. She might has well left him at home with Mom and not carried the carseat around.

Oh, yeah. . . and I got my hair cut:

This picture is totally overexposed and I did what I could to fix it without my photoshop loaded on the new computer.