LTC KEEPS HIM BUSY...

As if my senior son wasn't busy enough, he continues to want to do Leadership Training for Christ each year. In fact, he's done this every spring for 10 years now! It is a program that encourages those as young as 3rd grade up through highschool to develop their talents to glorify the Lord and further His kingdom. It is not a popular choice for 12th graders. Many have jobs and are quite frankly, "done" with all that stuff. So whether he does it for the trip to Dallas, or for the candy rewards from the directors...I don't care. The leaders of tomorrow's church are benefiting greatly.

Enjoy this video he just submitted in the LTC category, Short Film!

WITHDRAWALS...

I hate to say it but I am so addicted to my camera and the fact that my camera case with the charger and computer cables is missing is driving me nuts!!!! Thankfully I still have the camera, just not the other goodies. In fact I think I may go drive my car through the neighborhood, looking for it. After talking to the two people where it could have been left last week, I have a feeling I put it on the car and it took a nice leap into someone's yard at a curve or something.

So I am such a visual person, I had to find some picture to post since I can't do it without my trusty camera cables.

HALF A CENTURY...

Yes, my husband has reached a milestone birthday! I can't help reflecting back through the years and being thankful for the person God has made him. He has so many good qualities and is especially driven when it comes to physical challenges. He loves marathons, bike racing, adventure races, you name it. He has been blessed to live through a life-threatening injury almost 5 years ago. He's a good provider and father to his children.

I can't help thinking about his parents and his Christian upbringing. Talk about some blogging material! His parents raised - oops - I mean reared six children WHILE also being houseparents at a children's home! His mother is the closest person I know to Wonder Woman! All of her children are wonderful Christian servants.

Just some fun pics from then to now:


1977...My husband is in the green leisure suit next to his twin brother in the brown suit. The suits were made by their grandmother for their senior graduation pictures!


Here is his family last year at his parents 50th anniversary trip! The twins are still quite handsome, aren't they?


Finally, here is the WHOLE group after 30 years of growth! What a wonderful legacy from two Christian parents! Kinda makes me wish I'd had six kids! Well, just for a minute. I love my three.

It really makes me prayerful over what the next 30 years will bring to my husband and me....

THIS IS EMBARRASSING...

time for a little cleaning out, do ya think? Keeping up with husbands and kids and parents and friends and laundry and cooking and cleaning is the hardest job in the world...and I love it!

I JUST WISH I HAD HER TALENT...

this is what she spent all day Saturday doing...maybe she'll redo all my window treatments some day and save me some big bucks!

NOW WHAT DO I DO WITH THESE RAMEKINS?

So we thought we'd cook PIONEER WOMAN'S SIMPLE VALENTINE DINNER Saturday night. It got rave reviews from the boys...don't tell Ree I modified and seperated the main dish into 2 small dishes! Pasta with shrimp for me and hubby, Pasta with chicken for the boys. But what they really loved was the BAKED FUDGE. We actually went and bought ramekins for it, too. Can you believe I've been married 26 years and never had ramekins? Well, they liked it, but it was too runny for me. Like hot chocolate syrup with a crust on it! Maybe I'll try a different recipe or something next time.

HOW DO YOU USE YOUR RAMEKINS?

DON'T YOU LOVE IT WHEN...

you give and get the greater blessing in return?

GOD IS SO GOOD. In the last 24 hours, I have been truly blessed. I have witnessed God's children enduring trials and they are encouraging me with their strong faith.

Had a long conversation with a teenager about funerals and family and this guy is thanking me for having him in our home the past few days. He is such a sweet person and friend to my son. He's an awesome achiever and has such great admiration for his Mom, who's been dealing with death in the family. I couldn't ask for a better example for my son. This teen has faith and isn't afraid to show it!

A sweet lady, a former prisoner, who has been attending Bible study with her host family, tearfully thanks our group today for accepting her. She's brought a new dynamic to the group. She's the underdog we are all rooting for. We are all thrilled that after several months she is getting her own apartment and we get to help her by gathering household items to outfit the place.

FRIENDSHIP. SUPPORT. ACCEPTANCE. GIVING.

Jesus replied: " Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' – Matthew 22:37-39

BREAKING NEWS TO MY FAVORITE EXERCISE INSTRUCTOR AND CREATIVE MEMORIES CONSULTANT...

17 CENTS AND A PACK OF GUM...

Yeah, you know that sick feeling you get when you open the dryer door and smell something? Mmmm....minty fresh... GUM
! All over several items of clothing! I don't even buy my kids gum! Santa must've given it to them...the dirty rat!

On the upside, I also got 17 cents out of the dryer, too.

A WINTER POEM...

Winter comes with its icy weather

The trees bend with the ice and snow, but always return upright

No school for days, but friends find ways to be together

Sleeping, eating, snow shoveling

The snowman smiles, enjoying his short life

SURPRISE!

We had a FUN SURPRISE last night! It was right up my alley too, pleasing my little coupon-loving heart. We decided to use an OUTBACK gift card after our 3:00 p.m. church service (due to the ice the past few days!) and have a free meal. While there, we bumped into some church friends, who had 4 tickets to the OKC THUNDER game that night that they couldn't use! Well, we had never been to a Thunder game, although our kids have gotten to go with friends. Our senior was with us (another anomaly on a Sunday night) and he quickly called a friend and the 4 of us went! THEY WERE AWESOME SEATS - FLOOR LEVEL, ROW C!!! We had a lot of fun. The whole evening was just a nice SURPRISE. Think maybe I need some more spontaneous moments in my life?


Funny this comes on the heels of one of my more depressing blog posts...which I really try not to do. I hope my posts are encouraging to those with teens and offers hope to those that are scared of teenagers. But I feel I have to justify it a little, after some more reflection. Being iced in for a few days and getting caught up on all those little things can wreak havoc on the mind!!! I think getting the 2010 calendar all planned out made me realize how life is going to change again, when my daughter is spending the whole summer in Italy and my second child is graduating now, too. He'll be gone in September! Another bad, bad, thing I did the last few days was to get a scrapbook done for the year 2004. YES, 2004! I'm a few years behind...but doing that just made me re-live that whole year.

So the moral of the story today is...DON'T LIVE IN THE PAST (keep up with your scrapbooking!) AND BE MORE SPONTANEOUS!

Okay, so I have to share some of the 2004 stuff! (Sorry I thought I saved them correctly but I guess I didn't!)