Merry-go-round

Yeah, I know you've seen them on bunches of other's blogs.....none the less, here are my answers.
Top 5 things:
5 things I couldn't live without for under $5: These are things I truly could live without if I had to.....1. Coffee 2. chap stick (strawberry flavored) 3. music c-d 4. lotion 5. soap/detergents (weird I know and some are more than 5 bucks).

5 favorite movies: 1. You've Got Mail 2. Horton Hears a Who 3. Charlotte's Web (the new version)4. Pride and Prejudice 5. Emma.

5 baby names I love, but won't use: Duh....I won't use them 'cause our baby maker is closed =o) Yea! Although.....the thought of adoption had been rolling around in the old coconut, so maybe we'll get to use them yet. 1. Adella Rose (this one is really Ben's fav. and if one of the twins would have been a girl.....) 2. Bethany Patience (yup, totally serious!) 3. Jeremiah 4. Naomi 5. Ruben...oh wait! That's the name of my fav. sandwich......oops!

5 songs I could listen to over and over: 1. worship songs 2. Somewhere Over the Rainbow 3. Everybody's Got a Water Buffalo by Superchick 4. Save the Last Dance for Me by Michael Buble' 5. It is Well With My Soul and When We All Get to Heaven both by Chrystal Lewis

5 people that have influenced my life in a positive way: 1. Hello....GOD! 2. Ben 3. my parents/kids/family/friends (you all ROCK!) 4. my first pastor, Bill 5. my currant pastor, Ed.

5 things that stay in my purse at all times: 1.tampons 2. lipstick/gloss 3. med. insurance cards 4. hand sanitizer 5. wallet

5 moments that have changed my life forever: 1. the day I accepted God's gift of salvation. 2. the day I was baptized 3. my wedding day. 4. discovering I was pregnant.....each time and the births. 5. the day a dear Aunt passed

5 obsessions that I have right now: Hum..... 1. being on time 2. finishing this post 3. a clean, tidy house 4. laundry softener 5. saving $/cutting costs/budget 6. being a good wife/mother. 7. thinking about vacation in 16 days 8. trying not to be obsessed about anything else ;-)

5 Places I would like to go: 1. Maui 2. Australia 3. Maui 4. Eastern USA 5. Maui 6. a spa to have a deep tissue massage...location of the spa does not matter.

5 people I would like to see: Now, are we taking time into account here? If not.... 1. President Lincoln 2. all my girls (Anna, Allison, Ginger, Kari, Kristi, Reshma, Mrs. Haddock, Heather, Lisa, Heidi, my Sis's Sara and Amy......) 3. My Knight 4. All my family/friends in heaven 5. Any friend or family member from far away.

Ugggg. That was difficult for me to complete. It took more time than I though it would. Sorry if it's too long....

Takin' Care of Business

Life has a tendency to just move on without me. I get up, do the stuff of my day, go to sleep, then get up and do it all over again the next day. By no means do I mean to sound like I'm bored with life or that I don't enjoy myself. I completely do! But in the maze of everyday things I'd realized I'd forgotten to give you a piece of important info.

Last month, our house sold! The house we were living in :) I'd just thought I'd better clarify which house, since we've had so many.....too many. Thank you Lord!

AND....

Ben and I were messing around with the idea of moving......someplace WARM! This lack of sunshine and warmth is driving me batty! As we were joking around Ben basically said that he could get a great job anywhere, and he was serious. He said if we wanted to move we could. We would love to live in a place where the climate is 65-70 on a regular basis, Arizona, Central Oregon, Northern Cali.......wouldn't that be great?!? The moving idea is nothing serious right now (we signed a 1 yr. lease) but in a few years.....who knows? While we wait for our lease to expire, we'll be praying for God's wisdom and plan to be made know to us. It would be terribly heard to move far away from our family and friends so this is a huge step for us even to be seriously talking about it. We'll see.....

This photo is spectacular! I'm defiantly wishing and dreaming of tropical warmth right now!

Planning and Perspective

Since I have time to post =D.....

Planning: Ben and I are finalizing our T-E-N year anniversary get away! Five nights....four days....that alone is enough! We'll be going our of town, but hopefully by mid May it'll be warm.

Perspective: I finished a novel titled "Saving Alice" by David Lewis. It had a weird start, but ended superb! I won't give it all away, but basically it was about how one perceives life events and then what the truth really is. The main character was living a lie and because of this lack of truth, his life was terrible. Reading it reminded me that a spade may be a spade to me, but it may be a golf ball to someone else. It brought to mind that Bible verse about removing the plank from your own eye before you comment on the speck of dust in your friends eye. Anyhoo.....

We have the salve for Sam's eye and are half done sanitising the house. The other half is calling....."Katy.....come kill our germs!" Gotta go.

Pink Eye???

Harrumph. I had plans today. I've already worked out with my trainer (whew) and had plans for some long-time girl friends and their kids to come over. But, our day had plans of it's own. Sam woke up with pink eye. He was sent home from school with a note that it'd been going around....."so keep an 'eye out' for it" they said. As Pooh Bear would say, bother! I was so disappointed. I miss my girls! But what can one do? As I was starting my Bible time this morning, I came to the realisation that, since I'm submitted to God, I don't need to worry or fret.....even about pink eye or the hassle it brings (prescriptions, disinfecting the whole house). I can rest, even in the onset of this highly contagious infection......I serve a wonderful God!

While I'm on the subject :) I'm reading the BEST book. It's Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. So-o good. He had the wonderful talent to be able write like a conversation taking place. I seriously can almost hear him talking as I read (although I've never actually heard his voice, it just that gripping). Expertly written and efficiently communicated......inspiring too!

The Faith of a Child

I posted yesterday about the conversation in the car with the kids. Yet, I forgot to add something of significance. Right after I was done talking, Essy pipes up and tell this story. (As much as I can remember this is word for word.) "You know. I kept waking up tired. So, I prayed last night that I wouldn't be tired when I woke up, but that I would be well rested. Well, I woke up this morning and I wasn't tired! It worked!" We'll start praying this every night!

I don't really like taking pictures of myself. It's just sorta weird. I don't mind my picture being taken, but typically when someone else is taking a photo there's some activity happening. ANYWAY....this is what I look like first thing......just a washed face but no make up.

The Other Side of the Bed

Ben and I have not changed our side of the bed since we were married. I've always had the same side, since our wedding day. This isn't what this post is about though, just giving you unless info :) What are friends for anyway? *chuckle*

This morning I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. This is completely uncharacteristic of me, oh so very rare. (thank goodness!) I didn't sleep great and then when my ever-so-sweet-sounding alarm blared (at 4.30) to remind me to get to the gym.....I turned it off and snuggled deeper into my covers. Bad idea. Not only did I not get to the gym, I still didn't sleep well. I started our morning routine at 6.24, grumbling. As I was reading the Bible to the Twins, I realized I was setting the precedence for the day. I could continue in a selfish, PMSish mood and that's the day I'd have, a PMSish sort....or....I could pray, be uplifted by arms higher than I and be cozy in His hug and thus have a cozy, hugged by God day. Hum. Really, there's not a big decision here! So, between Bible reading and breakfast, I allowed myself to be renewed and uplifted. God is so good! I'll never know how, when we give Him something gross, he turns it into beauty. He is always faithful, even in the small things.
In the car on the way to school today, I told the kids about my grumpy attitude. I then needed to explain what "waking up on the wrong side of the bed" meant. :o)

Philippians 4:4-7 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: REJOICE! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

In other inconsequential news; I got a hair cut Saturday and I'm still trying to decide if I like it or not. I'll post a photo tomorrow.

work + pain = good?

Throughout life pain, work and joy seem to layer our lives, almost coinciding. You can't have the joy of a child without the pain of child birth. And you can get results with your body without hard work and sweat.
I'm feeling sore this morning. I had my first personal training experience today. Oh boy. He showed me how to work more than one muscle at a time.....let's just say I was shaking at the end of one such exercises. He also educated me about eating. He said I've already cut sugar (yea!)which was my first step. Now I need to; limit carbs, eat more protein (except fish which we learned contains LOTS of mercury and it can take our body up to 3 years to expel it from our system. gross.)and all fruits and veggies are okay. He also said that, due to the female hormones, our blood sugar tends to lower during a work out and we tend to crave sugar more than a dude. To avoid that he advised that I consume an energy bar and sports drink 5-10 min. after my work out...not during, which will hamper fat burn. He also encouraged me. He said that within a week, I should notice I'm having an easier time.....and that's when I get to increase the weights. Then it will be hard again.....then easy.....then hard.....OY!
I'll keep you posted on the progress.

Evaluations, Babies and Penny

Much has changed in just a few days.

*1* Ben and I switched to a gym that is way closer to our new house. With a new membership they give everyone a 'fit' test. Eh. The fat squeezer thing looked like a piercing tool.....really painless though. My body fat % was considered average. I like to be above average. This is the hard part, we'll now be working with trainers to help tailor fit our work outs to help us be slim and toned.

*2* My very dear friend Stephanie delivered her second child Sunday. Steph was a champ! Little Margaret Loraine is more than cute. There truly aren't words. Congrats!

*3* We purchased a new vehicle for our family tonight. Ben worked long , hard hours looking on Craigslist to find her. Thank you Hon! She's a white 1989 Suburban and a brute! We call her Penny. Why Penny, you may be thinking? (the name doesn't match the color) Well, I wanted her to represent freedom. My suggested name was Lincoln after good 'ol Abe. Ben suggested Penny because she was so cheep. But who's image is on our penny......LINCOLN! Heh, heh. Penny it is.

Sweet Maggie.

Sunshine

Wasn't today gorgeous?!? I completely enjoyed it......through the windows :( The windows of the house and car. Funny thing is; I think I got a sun burn! Honest! Yup, I'm not just pale, I'm nearly clear. I might as well embrace it!, I doubt I'll be growing new, tanable skin.

I did get so-o much done. To give credit where it's due, the kids worked hard too. I ended up shelling out almost $10 (that's alot at our house) total, in paychecks to the kids today. They earned it though.

And I got to do my favorite thing (besides getting a pedicure).......ORGANIZE! Our playroom needed attention. We're in a smaller space, so things have to stay put....and my preference is away. So, I got to purchase tubs to replace all the corrugated boxes/open top boxes that had been housing 1/4 of the kids toys. Ahhhhhh*contented sigh* I told Ben it's like vacuuming under the furniture, you don't necessarily notice huge change, but you feel clean. Love it. I think if some one could figure out how to manufacture that felling in pill form, they'd be rich. Even if 'they' could, I'd still organize. Yes, I love it that much.

Scrumptiously Bad

I ate, about 1/4 cup of, dark chocolate chips tonight. I've decided that twice a week I get to indulge, just a little. The reason tonight was this delicious recipe from Paula Dean (my fav. cooking star), Three Chocolate Chip Cookies. Ohmgosh! They smell sooooo good! Man's best friend might be of the k-9 variety, but these sweets are a woman's! I did not indulge in a cookie though. My tummy was upset from the choco. chips.

Just to note: Instead of the split of shortening and butter, I just use all butter and instead of almond brittle chips (what is this anyway?), I used toffee candy bars coarsely chopped. The picts. below are regular sized cookie sheets....very large cookies!