Sunday, September 9, 2007

Picture Day!

"Look what I learned to do Mommy! Aren't I cute!"
Morgan discovered that she can climb up and sit on the dining room chairs. From there it's only a step away from reaching the world!

I thought I'd give you a glimpse of Fantasy Football draft. Notice how stressed I look! Today is the day we find out how I did. (Carrie and her Dad who helped her are next to me. They look like they are having fun!)


This is what happens when you leave your camera on the dining room table for your children to touch. Well, I didn't leave it for them to touch, but if it is not hidden they will find it and they will touch!

Saturday, September 8, 2007

You Can Have It Both Ways

I've noticed in several blogs, people cheering the coming of Fall. Others lament the passing of Summer. My household is divided. Fall means cute new jeans, boots, leaves to rake, tearing down the pool, crisp walks in the evening, football, bushes to trim, sweaters to pull out, etc. I have an almost 11 year old daughter, hence to emphasis on fashion!

I personally love Summer - the heat, the sun, the fact that you can spend hours sitting by the pool (in those wonderful dreams I have). Fall means putting shoes on kids instead of flops and searching for a jacket. It's just more work. However, Fall means campfires, and cute sweaters and jeans, and not having to cool the van down before loading kids. It also means a change in the menu to soups and yummy smells simmering on the stove all afternoon. And kids returning to school. So I want it to still be Summer, but I want Fall to come. Well, I got my wish. While it is still officially Summer (according to the calendar), and it was 102 last Tuesday. This morning it is 48 degrees (yes ,you read that right) with a high of 63 today and tomorrow's high is only supposed to be 58! I guess you can have it both ways...sort of.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Let the Football Begin!

Football, Floss, & Faith

Fantasy Football has begun! Our live draft for the church league was on Monday and I think the knots are beginning to work their way out of my shoulders. It was fun, but now I have a sliver of understanding at to why the real thing is so intense! I think I'm happy with my team, but I'll let you know in a couple of weeks after they have played a bit. Tonight is game one: Colts vs. Saints and we actually get to watch the game. We don't get a lot of Colts games out here - just mostly the "donkeys"!

I know a lot of you think I'm a little crazy, but really I have always liked football. I remember the Jim McMahon days of the Bears and Mike Singletary. I lived in Tamp Bay when the Super Bowl was played there and remember watching the fireworks from my back yard. When I was younger, I would sit with a spiral notebook writing down each players name and number and position. See, even when I was 10 I was longing for fantasy football! Only now I care more about their career stats than how cute they are...really!

But fantasy football is not the only thing consuming my life right now, flossing my teeth is as well. Not what you expected me to say, huh? I hate when you go to the dentist and they ask if you have been flossing. Who really ever answers "yes, everyday!" That's really reserved for the chronic OCD people...like me. I have recently observed that even after I brush my teeth, there is still a bunch of food between my teeth! Okay, I know that's gross, but I deal with gross everyday. I'm becoming immune. I'm thinking I should try a new toothbrush, but really the multi-pack at Costco just makes sense. Especially since I change my toothbrush every other month.


Before you are amazed at my incredible dental hygiene, let me tell you I replace my toothbrush because I brush so hard and chew on my toothbrush while I do my make-up, brush a child's hair, pick up dirty towels, that the brush is destroyed in 8 weeks. My husband however, could use the same toothbrush from the dentist until the dentist gives him a new one for free.

But back to the flossing...I am one of those weirdos that actually like going to the dentist. However, I have not been pleased with our current dentist. And for some reason here in the laid back world of Montana, I can not make an appointment for six months later, so I'm suppose to remember to call 30 days before I want the appointment. Now they nicely remind me with a post card - one for each member of the family. That's a lot of postage! So I have not made new appointments and our last cleanings were in December. In some odd way I think if I floss every morning and every evening I can prolong going back. (You'd be amazed what gets between your teeth while you sleep. I don't know how, but it does!)


Meredith has taken it upon herself to daily remind me to make a dentist appointment for her, and Jarrett loves to floss his teeth as well. And with Mikalah in braces, she brushes like five times a day! I know my kids are "covered", but really I need to find a new dentist.

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In other news, the building we were about to lease for our church has fallen through. The city has said that there are $250,000 worth of improvements that need to be made before it can be classified as "a place of assembly" (meaning it can hold over 200 people). That's just not something the landlord is willing to consider doing even if we are paying the full bill. And paying the full bill doesn't appear to be an option. So we are looking elsewhere.

My question is at what point do we say, "God wants us to look at something else." or "God has something better for us." instead of saying, "We don't have the funds, but God does." or "The church is God's so it's His job to fund the improvements." How do you know which one is the right attitude? Faith that there will be something better in the right timing or faith that God will orchestrate a miracle. We want to patient, but not complacent; proactive but not reckless.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Ya think?

Yesterday Judson came home saying he had taken a reading test on Harry Potter #5.

"I only got 70% and you need 80% to pass. I guess I should have finished reading the book."

Ya think!

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Overheard Today

Meredith to Mommy:

"Do I have to be God's servant?
Will I get in trouble if I'm not?"

75th Post...75 Things

This is the next 25 in my goal to reach 100.
You can read the previous 50 here.

  1. Mike and I lived in "Married Student Housing"
  2. They were a quad-plex.
  3. Almost all of the couples were newly married.
  4. The air vents connected the apartments.
  5. You do the math.
  6. We would all get together for dinner and games.
  7. Or just some good Friends, Sienfeld, and ER watchin'
  8. Mike and I had a pet fish.
  9. I think we actually had four fish.
  10. Not at the same time.
  11. We could just never keep one alive.
  12. In Dec. '95 we thought we'd try having children.
  13. In Jan. '96, I was pregnant.
  14. Elaine and I bought pregnancy tests on the way home from Ohio (Christmas vacation trip).
  15. We thought we'd surprise the guys.
  16. I can't keep surprises.
  17. Mike knew right away!
  18. I was working as the Administrative Assistant to the VP of Admissions at LeTourneau while his current AA was home on maternity leave.
  19. My boss bought bottled water for all of us to drink from then on.
  20. I spent the summer of '96 in Longivew Texas pregnant.
  21. I used to start the car in the morning at our apartment, eat breakfast, drive the car across campus to the Admissions office, park in the handicapped parking spot, and go to work.
  22. The drive took less than two minutes, but was worth it!
  23. Mikalah was born in September - two weeks late.
  24. After 16 hours of labor - she was born by c-section.
  25. My mom and all my siblings were there, as were Seth and Elaine, and Greg Scobee!