Well, Hello! It's been a while since I have done some real blogging. I was kinda miffed at the situation which inspired the post in November. I wanted to blog in December, but time constraints and other situations prevented me from an all out blog post. So here I go, with a variety of topics. Some good, some bad. All catching up.
It's a new year and I am going to try to get back into regular blogging. I always feel topics bubbling up in my mind, but by the time I am by the computer, the words have been lost in the never ending whirlwind that occupies my brain.
So many things have happened in the last couple of months. I am still loving my job as a teacher's aide at my kids' school. Being there has inspired me to work on getting back into school and pursuing my degree in elementary education. Today, I went to the local San Antonio satellite campus to take care of the business of registering for classes, discussing what I need to take/retake. I found out that I am closer to an associates degree than I thought I was. That's good. I also discovered that I don't need to take this test that I thought I needed. That was great! The best news is that the Pell Grant paid my tuition in full and there is enough leftover for me to purchase any books that I need.
Now for the not so wonderful family news. On Halloween, a freecycler was giving away a puppy. He was a half chihuahua, half poodle mix named Jack. We were the first to respond to the post, so arrangements were made and on November 1st, we adopted a new furry family member. Jack was perfect for us in every way. He got along great with our other dogs and was incredibly patient and gentle with the kids. He was very playful and oh so cute! Our family immediately fell in love with the little guy. He stole our hearts quicker than a pickpocket! Sadly Jack snuck out of our home on New Year's Eve afternoon, amidst the chaos of 4 little cousins running amok. He darted into the street and was struck by a car. We have been reeling ever since. It has taken almost a full week for smiles to return to our faces. Our heart strings have been pulled, tugged, and unravelled. We have cried enough collective tears to fill a bath tub. I could go on and on about the grief that we have been experiencing, but I won't.
Do you know this is the first year that I didn't sit down and compose a list of goals and resolutions? Our life was turned upside down on NYE so I never got around to it. And you know what? That's OK. I don't think I will. I want to continually improve on all aspects in my life but I don't want it to be a resolution reserved for New Year's. I am hoping to constantly live my life purposefully and lovingly. Always.
Oh, another thing that has happened since my last regular post. Danny and I celebrated our 11th anniversary. Eleven years! Wow! In the last week, during this period of grief and sadness, our family has grown closer together. I have fallen deeper in love with this strong, beautiful man that I married. Seeing him love and protect and comfort out children (and me) has been so wonderful. Gosh, he is an amazing man. How in the world did I ever manage to catch such a great guy? I am so lucky, so blessed. I thank God every day for Danny. He's the bomb!
Well, enough playing catch up for one evening. I will try to blog more. It will be good practice for writing papers for college! HA!
Love y'all!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Christmas!
I want to wish each and every one of you (YES! I mean EVERYONE) a wonderful, joyous and fulfilling holiday season.
May you and yours never let the spirit of this beautiful season slip away.
May you embrace each other with loving hugs, tender kisses, and lots of quality time together.
May you joyfully remember the special times you have shared with your loved ones who have departed the earth this year and before.
May you be abounding in patience and grace with your families, friends, and strangers during the hectic times.
May love fill your minds, hearts, and souls to the point of feeling like you will overflow, and then may you overflow with love and spill it all over the place!
May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you His favor and give you His peace. Num 6:24-26
Love to you, my friends!
May you and yours never let the spirit of this beautiful season slip away.
May you embrace each other with loving hugs, tender kisses, and lots of quality time together.
May you joyfully remember the special times you have shared with your loved ones who have departed the earth this year and before.
May you be abounding in patience and grace with your families, friends, and strangers during the hectic times.
May love fill your minds, hearts, and souls to the point of feeling like you will overflow, and then may you overflow with love and spill it all over the place!
May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you His favor and give you His peace. Num 6:24-26
Love to you, my friends!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
?????
Dear readers,
Something has come to my attention.
Folks have been visiting my blog and taking my words to such unusual extremes, reporting back to others and attacking my character. This has been done by folks I thought were my friends. I created this blog as a record of things that go on in my life. It covers things I am interested in, such as knitting, food, my family, and my spiritual thoughts. My intentions have never been to create controversy. Simply to share myself, because that is what I do.
If you don't like what you read (I can handle that), don't read it. If you intend to cause trouble for me (this is not right, and you know it), I hereby uninvite you from this site. Unless you choose to bring up your problems with me, directly, rather than the option you have chosen, you are not welcome here.
Really, you can think what you want of me, your thoughts are your own (like mine are) but I would thank you to end this attack on my character.
I don't really have anything else to say on this matter.
Something has come to my attention.
Folks have been visiting my blog and taking my words to such unusual extremes, reporting back to others and attacking my character. This has been done by folks I thought were my friends. I created this blog as a record of things that go on in my life. It covers things I am interested in, such as knitting, food, my family, and my spiritual thoughts. My intentions have never been to create controversy. Simply to share myself, because that is what I do.
If you don't like what you read (I can handle that), don't read it. If you intend to cause trouble for me (this is not right, and you know it), I hereby uninvite you from this site. Unless you choose to bring up your problems with me, directly, rather than the option you have chosen, you are not welcome here.
Really, you can think what you want of me, your thoughts are your own (like mine are) but I would thank you to end this attack on my character.
I don't really have anything else to say on this matter.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
My New Church
No. It's not what you may be thinking. Haven't relocated to a different set of four walls dedicated to Sunday morning worship services.
My absence from blogland hasn't been lonely. I have been absent from other parts of my life, too, including attending Sunday morning services. All this since I have begun my new job, coincidentally at the same time our former pastor resigned from our church. That in itself is not the reason, just happen to have some crazy timing.
I have been feeling more and more inspired to write a post about what has been going on in this here corner of the world, and tonight is the night. I have a long list of chores/duties ahead of me, but this has been bubbling up inside of me and I need to let it out.
My new church is the world in which I live. It has always been that way, to a point, but now, since I have a job, I have a new perspective on it. Please, if you are reading this, I am not trying to sound pious, sinless, or anything. I am making my way through this world, one step at a time, stumbling, coasting, soaring, tripping, just like everyone else. This post is to share what I have been experiencing since I have joined the workforce.
I haven't worked since 1998, at a paid job where I am away from the house. Raising my 3 kiddos till they began school - that was the single most wonderful thing that I ever dedicated my time to.
Now that I am working a full time job, early to bed, early to rise, I have a different perspective on the week. Evenings are hectic. I arrive home to collapse on the couch for 45 minutes or so, or until it's time to cook dinner. I cook, do any tidying that needs to be done, serve dinner, and then wash dishes (or Honey does, or sometimes the kids). Anyways, by the time all that is over, it's time for making our lunches for the next day, ironing, setting out clothes, signing agendas, so on and so forth. Then, tuck in the kids, say prayers, and collapse in my own bed.
Saturday mornings, we get up, do some cleaning around the house, inside and out, and get ready for some T-Ball, cheer the boy as he gives it his best shot, visit with Grandpa, eat somewhere in between all that. Come home, finish cleaning then collapse.
Sunday mornings, we have been sleeping in, staying in our jammies, having nice big family breakfasts (usually something really special) and hanging out. We play chess, bananagrams, Wii, we talk, joke, watch movies, whatever. But we do it together. Since we have no place to go, we are in no hurry, and we enjoy each other so much more than we ever did before! We are all functioning together as a family unit, we are all much more relaxed, and we laugh and smile all day long. It is bliss. And you know what? God is as present in our lives, our home on a Sunday morning as He is in church amongst great numbers of believers.
In certain ways, I sort of feel bad that this has taken precedence over attending Sunday services. I almost feel a social obligation to gather up the family and go. But in other ways, I feel so free and blessed to take this time and be in love with my family with no obligations.
I know that there are so many (I once felt this way, until quite recently) that say we should attend services, to spend time among other believers, worshipping, singing songs of praise, listening to sermons that help us to learn and grow. Well, I spend time with other believers, in a much more connected and intimate atmosphere, every single day. I sing songs of praise when I arrive at school during the most breathtaking sunrises you can imagine. I thank God every moment for the blessings of hundreds of precious children whose lives I intentionally bring love into (and whose lives enrich mine to no end), whether they need it or not. I worship God by giving extra love and affection to little ones who show up to school angry and wild and tired and excited. I gaze into the eyes of my little special needs babies and thank God for how they will always be so innocent, so normal compared to the rest of us. I walk through the halls, looking for downcast eyes so I can tell them how beautiful, how precious and wonderful they are, to bring a smile to a sad face. I put every bit of myself into everything I do. I have never felt more fulfilled, more content, more spirit filled, than I have in the last several weeks.
I miss a lot of my friends that I used to only see on Sunday mornings. However, the ones that I was closest connected to, the ones who I consider to be my family, I still see, call, text, IM, on a very regular basis. I still have community. I still read, learn, research, listen.
The bible verse that I have been striving to live by is Romans 12:1-2 - " And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."
Peace and love to you as you go about your weeks!
XOXOX
My absence from blogland hasn't been lonely. I have been absent from other parts of my life, too, including attending Sunday morning services. All this since I have begun my new job, coincidentally at the same time our former pastor resigned from our church. That in itself is not the reason, just happen to have some crazy timing.
I have been feeling more and more inspired to write a post about what has been going on in this here corner of the world, and tonight is the night. I have a long list of chores/duties ahead of me, but this has been bubbling up inside of me and I need to let it out.
My new church is the world in which I live. It has always been that way, to a point, but now, since I have a job, I have a new perspective on it. Please, if you are reading this, I am not trying to sound pious, sinless, or anything. I am making my way through this world, one step at a time, stumbling, coasting, soaring, tripping, just like everyone else. This post is to share what I have been experiencing since I have joined the workforce.
I haven't worked since 1998, at a paid job where I am away from the house. Raising my 3 kiddos till they began school - that was the single most wonderful thing that I ever dedicated my time to.
Now that I am working a full time job, early to bed, early to rise, I have a different perspective on the week. Evenings are hectic. I arrive home to collapse on the couch for 45 minutes or so, or until it's time to cook dinner. I cook, do any tidying that needs to be done, serve dinner, and then wash dishes (or Honey does, or sometimes the kids). Anyways, by the time all that is over, it's time for making our lunches for the next day, ironing, setting out clothes, signing agendas, so on and so forth. Then, tuck in the kids, say prayers, and collapse in my own bed.
Saturday mornings, we get up, do some cleaning around the house, inside and out, and get ready for some T-Ball, cheer the boy as he gives it his best shot, visit with Grandpa, eat somewhere in between all that. Come home, finish cleaning then collapse.
Sunday mornings, we have been sleeping in, staying in our jammies, having nice big family breakfasts (usually something really special) and hanging out. We play chess, bananagrams, Wii, we talk, joke, watch movies, whatever. But we do it together. Since we have no place to go, we are in no hurry, and we enjoy each other so much more than we ever did before! We are all functioning together as a family unit, we are all much more relaxed, and we laugh and smile all day long. It is bliss. And you know what? God is as present in our lives, our home on a Sunday morning as He is in church amongst great numbers of believers.
In certain ways, I sort of feel bad that this has taken precedence over attending Sunday services. I almost feel a social obligation to gather up the family and go. But in other ways, I feel so free and blessed to take this time and be in love with my family with no obligations.
I know that there are so many (I once felt this way, until quite recently) that say we should attend services, to spend time among other believers, worshipping, singing songs of praise, listening to sermons that help us to learn and grow. Well, I spend time with other believers, in a much more connected and intimate atmosphere, every single day. I sing songs of praise when I arrive at school during the most breathtaking sunrises you can imagine. I thank God every moment for the blessings of hundreds of precious children whose lives I intentionally bring love into (and whose lives enrich mine to no end), whether they need it or not. I worship God by giving extra love and affection to little ones who show up to school angry and wild and tired and excited. I gaze into the eyes of my little special needs babies and thank God for how they will always be so innocent, so normal compared to the rest of us. I walk through the halls, looking for downcast eyes so I can tell them how beautiful, how precious and wonderful they are, to bring a smile to a sad face. I put every bit of myself into everything I do. I have never felt more fulfilled, more content, more spirit filled, than I have in the last several weeks.
I miss a lot of my friends that I used to only see on Sunday mornings. However, the ones that I was closest connected to, the ones who I consider to be my family, I still see, call, text, IM, on a very regular basis. I still have community. I still read, learn, research, listen.
The bible verse that I have been striving to live by is Romans 12:1-2 - " And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."
Peace and love to you as you go about your weeks!
XOXOX
Monday, August 24, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Some worthy notes of preparation
OK, so I have been getting ready for the upcoming week by preparing some foods that will make breakfast easier for my busy little family.
I have been researching making homemade granola bars. I read an article a couple of weeks ago that highlighted a few different healthy, nourishing bar recipes, but I couldn't find the page (nor could I remember the site!). I typed Granola Bars in the Windows Live search engine, and the second recipe caught my fancy. Click here to see it. They are in the cooling stage right now, but as far as I can tell, they are delicious! I didn't have sunflower seeds or peanuts, so substituted sliced almonds and flax seeds and sesame seeds. I also used dark muscovado sugar instead of brown sugar. The latest batch of local raw honey that I have is so delicious that I could drink it, so it was a nice touch. I forgot to add vanilla and salt, but I am OK with that because I enjoy the flavors of all the ingredients. For the dried fruit, I used dates.
Next on the to-do list: cook a pound of local, nitrite free bacon. The plan is to cook it and let it cool, place in a container in the fridge and heat and eat as needed. The only bummer is, we have a hen setting on a nest and there have been no eggs! (Note to self: add eggs to my grocery list).
Homemade yogurt is in the fridge. I don't make it too often, only when we don't drink our 3 gallons of raw milk in two weeks, or if some of it starts to sour. It makes the best yogurt and the girls love it. The girls and I also love oatmeal, so we can soak it over night and eat in the morning.
There is a problem. Danny Jr doesn't like bacon or yogurt or smoothies or oatmeal. He does like granola bars, but he needs another option. I am thinking, bean and cheese burritos. I can make the beans ahead of time, assemble the burritos, keep in freezer and place in the fridge the night before. Hmmm. I am brainstorming as I type. I can make some pancakes ahead of time, too. These re-heat well, and the kids can do it themselves.
Do any of you out there have any tips or hints concerning healthy food preparation for families on the go? I am new at this work thing, but I don't want to give up our healthy eating habits for it. Please comment on this post with your ideas!
I have been researching making homemade granola bars. I read an article a couple of weeks ago that highlighted a few different healthy, nourishing bar recipes, but I couldn't find the page (nor could I remember the site!). I typed Granola Bars in the Windows Live search engine, and the second recipe caught my fancy. Click here to see it. They are in the cooling stage right now, but as far as I can tell, they are delicious! I didn't have sunflower seeds or peanuts, so substituted sliced almonds and flax seeds and sesame seeds. I also used dark muscovado sugar instead of brown sugar. The latest batch of local raw honey that I have is so delicious that I could drink it, so it was a nice touch. I forgot to add vanilla and salt, but I am OK with that because I enjoy the flavors of all the ingredients. For the dried fruit, I used dates.
Next on the to-do list: cook a pound of local, nitrite free bacon. The plan is to cook it and let it cool, place in a container in the fridge and heat and eat as needed. The only bummer is, we have a hen setting on a nest and there have been no eggs! (Note to self: add eggs to my grocery list).
Homemade yogurt is in the fridge. I don't make it too often, only when we don't drink our 3 gallons of raw milk in two weeks, or if some of it starts to sour. It makes the best yogurt and the girls love it. The girls and I also love oatmeal, so we can soak it over night and eat in the morning.
There is a problem. Danny Jr doesn't like bacon or yogurt or smoothies or oatmeal. He does like granola bars, but he needs another option. I am thinking, bean and cheese burritos. I can make the beans ahead of time, assemble the burritos, keep in freezer and place in the fridge the night before. Hmmm. I am brainstorming as I type. I can make some pancakes ahead of time, too. These re-heat well, and the kids can do it themselves.
Do any of you out there have any tips or hints concerning healthy food preparation for families on the go? I am new at this work thing, but I don't want to give up our healthy eating habits for it. Please comment on this post with your ideas!
It begins....
Tomorrow is the first day that students go to school! Last week was team building, meetings, and preparation for the school year.
The school year begins! My baby goes to kindergarten, and I go to work. The girls both got the teachers they wanted (no pulling strings on my part, either!). DJ's classroom is across the hall and two doors down from the classroom I'll be in. Hope I can go to the boo-hoo breakfast! I'll need it!
All this time in a school environment has encouraged me to start planning on going back to school to earn my degree. There are two options that I am considering, and will do some soul searching to decide which direction to take. Who knows, maybe in the end I'll do them both. But that won't be for years!
Have a nice week! I'll try to blog once in a while!
The school year begins! My baby goes to kindergarten, and I go to work. The girls both got the teachers they wanted (no pulling strings on my part, either!). DJ's classroom is across the hall and two doors down from the classroom I'll be in. Hope I can go to the boo-hoo breakfast! I'll need it!
All this time in a school environment has encouraged me to start planning on going back to school to earn my degree. There are two options that I am considering, and will do some soul searching to decide which direction to take. Who knows, maybe in the end I'll do them both. But that won't be for years!
Have a nice week! I'll try to blog once in a while!
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