In My Mind

Well, I have had quite the week.... mostly in my own mind though. I turned 39. Next year I will turn 40. I told Edgey that next year will be the black balloons and over the hill stuff. Yuck. So I decided I will have my midlife crisis now instead of next year or whenever its supposed to hit. I am going to revert back to my childish side now. I am already wishing for my car with the sunroof... I am going to play my music loud and drown out the kids. When I was in college, I had my camaro and I would drive back and forth to Pella every week. I would drive through anything and had no fear. If I was tired I would crank the windows in the middle of winter with the heater full blast. I want that feeling of fearlessness back... the try anything once feeling - well maybe not parachuting out of a plane, but maybe other stuff. I can conquer anything I try to do..... So my new motto for this year is "anything is possible". I am just going to keep speaking it until it is truth in my head. Renew my mind -

I used to watch Alias every week..... I lived to watch Alias. She (Sydney) was my hero. She was cool. She could do anything including kick booty. I also like the Kim Possible cartoon - she is the exact same way. She is cool and kicks booty... especially the mean guys. When I was watching the Hawkins' boys, they brought their game boys and I played the Kim Possible game for at least an hour.
So if you haven't noticed I have a new picture and this year I am going to be Kim Possible - in my own mind of course. LOL. But hey, If I dye my hair red, you'll know why!

Ok, so I was off for the weekend. On Friday eve we went to Parkers and had dinner. That was really fun. We played some game called "Catch Phrase" with a little electronic game. Your team tries to guess the word and you can say or do anything to help them guess the word or phrase. But the hard part is that it is also like hot potato and once the word is guessed you pass it to the other team. If the timer goes off in your hand, the other team gets the point. It was girls against boys and girls won OF COURSE. Girls kick booty! Especially with word games. Hellooooo.
Anyway, it was fun. We had good fellowship.
Saturday, Edgey and I went and celebrated our Anniversary. We have been married now for 13 years. Lucky # 13. We went to Story City to the Outlet stores and bought a ton of jeans and shorts. 4 pairs of shorts and 7 pairs of jeans and we only spent $79. He needed new work clothes. We went out for lunch to Chinese and then came home and watched "Doom" (his choice not mine). yuck, yuck and yuck. It reminded me of Alien. They all remind me of alien anymore. We watched "The Cave" last night and it reminded me of Alien too. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Don't waste your time.
Sunday was church. I got to sing. Yeah! Then Layne and Sara and Kinzie came over for lunch afterwards. That was nice. Layne had fun checking out the neighbors next door. They had a lot of company since they had their shipment this weekend. Kinzie played girl stuff with Elizabeth.
Sunday night I watched "The Visitation" - Edgey doesn't like anything scary so I have to censor/filter anything that even looks like it is scary. I am surprised he watched doom and the cave.... he must be getting brave. But like I said they were both kind of dumb anyway. The Visitation was ok, but it was spiritual, demon stuff. The possession stuff reminded me of the Green Mile when the bugs come in and out of the characters' mouths.
Monday was a typical day. Tuesday night we went out for my birthday dinner and our anniversary again... this time we went to my favorite restaurant Bennigan's. I love the country chicken strips with honey mustard sauce.
Wednesday was my birthday. I forgot all about it until my dad said something about it. Edgey got me a cake and surprised me at church that night.
Thursday I ran a bunch of errands and the kids went to my mom's. I had to get my TB test at the hospital, mail stuff, run places for my mother, take back DVD's and get the next "24" in the series for my mother so she would watch my kids. We are on the last season now. Then I came home and used my birthday grill and made Edgey and myself some food. We went and watched Ethan do his test for his brown belt and went out for ice cream after that to celebrate because he passed. We were very proud of him. He did a great job.

Ethan getting his brown belt.

That leads up to today. It is drake relays today and the streets are packed with cars and people. Our old pastor came and said hi and parked in the driveway so he wouldn't have to walk so far. His daughter is in the relays.
Tonight I am going to a meeting at the college and Edgey is taking Ethan to Lucas' birthday party and sleepover. Tomorrow is work.

I will try to get back on track monday and write some more.

Calm Down!

Well, I am frustrated. I have been cleaning and the kids were playing and I could hear them upstairs pounding and goofing around. Elizabeth fell asleep because she has a snot nose cold and I gave her some cold medicine. She passed out in the chair watching TBN. But, my lovely little darling boys were wrestling around and Jesse ended up with broken glasses. GREAT!! just great. Count it all joy right? RIGHT!
I am just thrilled, can you tell? And Ethan says, "Calm down, mom, we were just wrestling around. Isn't that what boys are supposed to do?"

I am off this weekend. We are going to the Parker's tonight for dinner. Tomorrow is worship practice then Edgey and I are going to go to Story City to the outlet mall to look for some work shorts for him and go out for our anniversary dinner. Our actual anniversary is next tues. but we won't have time then, so we are going on our date this weekend. Auntie is going to watch the kids for us tomorrow. Then church on sunday.

The neighbor is borrowing the dog and has it chained up in the back yard. He must have gotten his big shipment of weed in. He's been on the back porch on his cell phone this afternoon while I have been cleaning. I wish someone would bust them.
It's getting close to the end of the work day, so next will be a bunch of traffic coming and going from their house. After living here for 7 years, we pretty much have it down to a science.

I actually started some seeds. They are in my tub right now. I love impatiens so I planted some of those and a little flat of zinnias. Wow, did they sprout overnight and are already about 3-4 inches tall, most of them. The impatiens are just barely coming up now. They seem to take forever to catch a glimpse of them. Do you think that's why they are called impatiens (impatient) lol. sorry I am laughing at my own stuff. Sad.

Have to go for now...... got things to do and I am trying to limit myself on the computer.

Giving in to Addiction

Well, I made it a whole week without posting. I was trying to see if I could keep from doing it and it worked for a while. Of course I kept trying to read everyone else's but no one seems to post anymore!! Helloooooo out there! So I got disgusted and just decided not to even look at them for 4 whole days. I am proud of myself.

I had to work this weekend. It was extremely busy again...ESPECIALLY on Easter Sunday. What's up with that? Of course it is almost every Easter and I have had to work most of them in the past 7 years I have been doing weekend package. Wow, 7 years. No wonder I am getting tired of it. I guess I just realized that. One year I was working and Edgey was at church and we got robbed on Easter. Wasn't that sweet? Happy Easter to us!!! It wasn't a whole lot- just the playstation and all the DVD's and Playstation games. Must have been some kid. Later we found out that the same kid hit a bunch of houses around the neighborhood that day. Unfortunately for him, he walked in on some old lady who had a nice long steak knife and stabbed him while he was trying to rob her. We found this out later from an informed neighbor. Some justice huh?

The kids did school while I slept in this a.m. They were up before Edgey left for work and I got up around 9. They let me sleep in. Jesse did come in and scratch my back for me. He's such a momma's boy. He will be the one that takes care of me when I get old and gray. When he see's a cool car, he says "I'm gonna buy that one for you when I get big". I can't wait. I want a convertable... well at least today. When the gas prices go up again I will probably want an electric toyota camry.

Yesterday, we did yard work after Edgey got home. The neighbor has been letting his trees grow over onto our side of the chainlink and they are a mess. The old couple that was there before this guy would have never let that happen. We trimmed the stuff that was sticking over into our driveway and chopped down the ones that were growing up on our side. Some of them were ruining the fence and I really don't want his pitbulls having access to our behinds. Only one of them is nice. The other one I am not sure about. The one that barked all of the time, I haven't seen for a while, so hopefully she is gone! She was awful.

I sorted out all the winter clothes this morning before school. All the fleece and sweaters and stuff - I put in piles so Edgey can bring down the spring/summer stuff from the attic and I can switch everything out. My daughter is growing so fast. I am interested to see what I actually have for her that will fit for this spring.

My mom came and got the kids for a walk right before lunch. They walked around the park then she brought them home right after. Now they are doing their school work. We are off to a slow start today, but blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape. Right?

Last night I watched a show on PBS about passover. It was really kind of neat. Now I am all into doing the craft thing that they had on there about how to decorate a plate and glass. It was really neat. Shalom.

Happy Monday

Happy Monday!

We had a crazy weekend at work. Saturday was very busy and we were all (four of us nurses) going a little nuts. Our entire unit was full on Saturday and we were really thankful because the crazy lady that seeks drugs came in and was rerouted to the labor and delivery side and they got to deal with her. She is only 15 or 16 weeks pregnant and has already been in the hospital for 5 visits. 40 weeks is a long way off.....
Now for a little insight into what we have to deal with sometimes ------- I am just thankful this particular gal was not my specific patient because I don't know if I would have been able to handle her as well as my co-worker, but we all took turns helping my poor coworker because this gal was on her call light every few minutes. It was unreal. First of all, she was only a teenager (15 I think) and that makes a difference right there because a teenagers world is pretty self centered most of the time unless they have been raised right - and obviously this gal is pregnant, unmarried, and been in a drug rehab, etc..... so she probably has not had a great life so far.
Anyway, she sat around naked the whole time she was in the hospital. Completely naked - all the fat rolls and hooters and everything right there to see everytime you walked in the door to help her every 5-10 minutes. She was throwing up from morning sickness. OK. She couldn't stand the smell of her puke so she would come have you dump it for her (even if it was just a little spit), she pulled out her IV twice and kept peeing the bed so we had to change the whole bed 3 complete times. We even put special bed pads under her and if she peed on that she would just throw them on the floor. So by now you all feel sorry for her. We probably would have too if we didn't have a floor full of other patients to care for. Everytime we talked to her about going home she would force herself to throw up some more. Tried to make herself stay awake and not sleep, because miraculously, if she would go to sleep, her symptoms disappeared! We all discussed maybe walking in her room naked to take care of her, then maybe she would go home because it would scare her to death. LOL
That was our exciting weekend.

I did get a few flowers planted Friday. I still want some more, but the ones I want aren't out yet, so I guess I will have to wait or maybe do some of my own starts. I am disgusted with myself though because I can't find my seed packets I put away.

I love my daughter.... I took her out yesterday to have mommy time and we ran around to the dollar stores and looked for flowers. She wanted an african violet with a pink ceramic pot so we got that. We went out to lunch and shared a jamocha milkshake. We had a lot of fun, but let me tell you..... I have never known a girl that talks as much as my daughter. She just will not shut up. She likes to hear herself talk and sometimes it drives me nuts. By the end of the night I was soooooo ready for her to go to bed. blah, blah, blah, blah
Anyway, she is doing it again today. I have tried to explain that sometimes it is inconsiderate to keep talking for no reason. She just doesn't get it. If you have any helpful ideas, let me know.....

This morning we took Auntie to the doctor to have a colonoscopy. Oh boy, was she thrilled. Not.
I have to go pick her up later. I am not looking forward to the day when I have to have that kind of thing done. Her nephew just had it done and he is in the intensive care unit because they perforated his bowel and there is a nickel size hole in his intestine. He is getting antibiotics through an IV.

I watched Bambi II last night. It was cute but not worth buying it... at least in my opinion. You think there is gonig to be more to the story and then it just stops. Weird. The kids liked it though. They watched it today.
Mom said she is going to watch the kids today because she is feeling better - still not sure what her deal was. I may go have lunch with Edgey if Auntie gets done soon enough. If not I will probably go by myself later or with her if she is starving. She had to drink that gallon of stuff and no food since yesterday. I am getting hungry. All I have had today is coffee.

Now my work just called and want me to work this afternoon. Grrr. Since I didn't work on Sunday I have to make it up. I hate working during the weekday! I don't even get paid my normal amount. : ( I get a lot more for the weekend than I do during the week.

Change Or Stay The Same?

My mother seems to think that my last post was too short and pictures don't count as a post. LOL. Sometimes, I just don't have anything to say, or maybe it is because I don't want to think about anything. Do you ever have days where you just don't want to think at all..... how about a brain vacation? I told one of the gals last night, I was just on the verge of being cranky. Not mad or upset about anything in particular, but just feeling frustrated and I am not sure why. And, no, it's not hormones either.


Pastor was getting on us about whether we really understood and meant what we were singing last night in worship. We had just finished a song that I used to sing all the time in the inner city church.

I will never be the same again, (Christ has completely changed me, I am a new creature)
I can never return, I've closed the door. (Sin has no place in my life and I have shut the door to my past life)
I will walk the path, I'll run the race (I will stay on the narrow path and run the marathon God has for me)
And I will never be the same again. (I will change from glory to glory to become more and more like the image of Jesus)

Fall like fire, soak like rain, (God, fall on me like Holy fire- Soak me with the latter rain)
Flow like mighty waters, again and again. (Let mighty rivers of water flow continuously)
Sweep away the darkness, burn away the chaff, (get rid of the junk I need to clean out of my life)
And let a flame burn to glorify Your name. (and let your light shine in my life to your glory)


This is the verse we didn't sing........

There are higher heights, there are deeper seas,
Whatever you need to do, Lord do in me.
The Glory of God fills my life,
And I will never be the same again.

Fall like fire, soak like rain,
Flow like mighty waters, again and again.
Sweep aways the darkness, burn away the chaff
And let a flame burn to glorify Your name.
*******************************************

I used to cry when I first heard the song.
I don't cry when I hear it now, but I still think of it more as a cry from my heart, a prayer I guess.
I told Edgey last night, I am not sure why I am frustrated, but the closer to God that I get, the more I fast, the more I pray, the more I read the word and study, the more frustrated I become. Not that I don't have peace..... but just something in me that wants something but I don't know what it is. And I don't think it is just that I want more of God either....So that is what I am praying for now, understanding what it is that I am desiring and what is frustrating me.

Today is not my free day because my mother is feeling weird and thought maybe she shouldn't watch my kids. She has a headache and having hot/cold flashes. I think I may take Ethan to get a haircut and look at flowers to plant. Each year I think I am going to start my own and then I never do. :( It would be so much cheaper.

Is that long enough mother?

This is the birthday girl at the top of the pyramid of cousins - at her birthday party.

Alarms?

What is going on? There is a perfectly lovely sky with no clouds anywhere and the alarms are going off! I turned on the TV and they have a tornado warning for Polk County. That is just whacked. The trees are not blowing, the sun is shining......

Anyway, yesterday I finally went to the eye doctor. I had not put in my contacts since Sunday for an hour. He looked through the giant magnifying lenses and said he could tell I was having some allergic reaction to something and since I had not had my contacts in, it was probably environmental like pollen or dust or something in the air. So, now at least I know what the deal was. He gave me some new disposable contacts to try and I ordered new glasses. The one's I had were so old he let me look at the prescription when he was doing the testing and I couldn't even read the top line clearly. That is bad. I only wear them at night when I have to see to walk through the house. I am just glad that is all over now.

joke for the day: What Do You Call Cheese That Isn't Yours? Nacho Cheese.

Noteworthy News

On Wednesday (this is tomorrow) at two minutes and three seconds after 01:00 in the morning, the time and date will be 01:02:03 04/05/06.

Elizabeth is 7 now. Yesterday was her birthday. I told her that every cell in her body since she has been born is now brand new. Our cells replace themselves every 7 years.

I did school with Ethan yesterday, but Elizabeth got the day off because it was her birthday. Then we had lunch and Edgey got off early to come drive me around (can't see very well) to do errands for the birthday party. We went to the Teddy Bear store first (Build-a-bear) and that was really cute.
First you pick out a bear - she got a white one then she picked out a noise maker to stick inside the paw - hers says "I love you, I love you." After that she steps on a pedal to make the machine stuff the bear. After that she picked out a special heart to put in the bear...she had to kiss it and make a wish and get the heart to beat by jumping up and down and turning around. Then they sew up the back of the bear and she gave it an air shower to get any fuzz off. Ethan bought her a couple of outfits for her bear as his present to her. She had a very hard time deciding which outfit to get. She got a pair of pajamas and a day outfit of shorts and tshirt that says Beary best friends on it and a pair of bunny slippers.
It was way too expensive for my taste, but that is all she asked for so..... oh well.

Then I took Jesse and got him a pair of new shoes. He outgrew both his pairs of shoes in the last month or so. His toes were at the end of the shoes. I let him pick them out. He wanted slip on tennis shoes because he didn't want to learn how to tie shoestrings yet and he didn't like the velcro ones they had.

Then Edgey, Elizabeth and I had Starbucks and the boys had rootbeer and flavored water and we hung out at Jordan Creek for a bit then went and finished running to the store and stuff.

The party was at my mom's house. We just had family there... Auntie Deb came and my Grandpa and Mary, and my brother and sister and their kids & mom & dad. Elizabeth got a new purple bible, a barbie doll (of course), and the new Mermadia movie and some money. She was happy. She played with her cousins most of the evening and ate her chocolate cake.

Today we just finished up with school (it's only 9:30 a.m.) and they just went in the playroom to watch the Mermadia movie. Jesse is still asleep because we got home late last night, but the other two wanted to watch the movie so bad they got up at 0700 and did their school. LOL. How rare is that?

I actually tried something different this morning and had Elizabeth read her book to Ethan. I heard him asking her, "What does the e make the i do?" trying to teach her how the silent e works. Ha. It makes him work harder and he doesn't even know it. Yeah.

I need to make an appointment for my eyes. Yes! I put it off yesterday. Imagine that.

glasses

I had quite the weekend. Friday night we went to Ryan & Elisha's for dinner and the kids played together while Edgey and Ryan worked on the bathroom, getting ready to set new tile.

Saturday I got up to go to work and put my contacts in..... They burned so bad my eyes were watering and I could hardly see to drive to work. I took my solutions with me just in case and it was a good thing, because I finally had to take them out. I kept thinking whatever it was that was making them burn would wash out with the tears. The bad part about not wearing my contacts is that I have to wear my glasses. I have worn glasses since I was 6 years old, so I now have horrible horrible lenses and they are like the pop bottle glasses that people make fun of.
I had to wear them all day at work. The bad part about the glasses, is that they are so heavy, they make me have a headache to wear them. I made it through Saturday with the glasses and my eyes still burning.

Sunday a.m. I woke up and they were still burning, so I called in sick. :(
I am sure my people were not happy because it was a horrible busy day on saturday and the same people were still there for Sunday. I stayed in bed with a cold pack on my eyes until 11:50 a.m. Then finally got up. Edgey called and wanted to know if I wanted to go out for lunch. NOOOO! I stayed home. He went out with Auntie and the kids and hung out at her house all afternoon watching the storm and the cooking channel. I listened to TBN and then watched a couple of episodes of "24" later in the evening. I didn't do anything except eat leftover fahitas and sit in the chair all day and be a bum. It was pathetic.

Edgey finally got home around the kids bedtime. He stayed at Aunties until the storm cleared up a bit, ran to Wallyworld then came home. I asked him to get a couple of things to make the soup for Elizabeth's birthday party tonight. We are going to have soup & sandwiches and ALL chocolate cake per her request. After he got home he was trying to pick a fight with me and act like it was my fault and I started it. We watched "Waterboy" and then went to bed.

This morning I got up and tried the contacts again. I kept them in for about an hour and took them out because they were just on the verge of starting to burn again. I suppose I am going to have to go to the eye doctor to see what is going on. :( I hate going to the eye doctor. I would rather go to the dentist and have a cavity filled than go to the eye doctor. So now I am running around in glasses trying to see and not get a headache.

Prayer