Sunday, February 15, 2009

Top 10 Blessings of This Last Week

#10 - We ate 19 meals at home this week (or made at home and packed to eat on the road!). ..only 2 were eaten out.
#9- I managed to catch a glimpse of the bottom of the laundry hamper ( even if it was only for 12 short hours).
#8- My Valentine remembered me!
#7- We got rid of one of our sailboats, saving $80 in marina fees/mo.
#6- We had a great week at the bookstore.
#5- Everyone was healthy this week...with the exception of an outbreak of poison ivy that required a shot, but is no bother now!
#4- My sister called me today...we rarely connect. It was good to hear that she is doing well.
#3- Mom's second round of chemo seems to have gone well. She has remained healthy and chipper this time around. Praise the Lord!
#2- My Valentine still has a job! With such an uncertain economy and so many out of work, I am continually humbled and grateful by the way that God has provided for us well beyond our needs.
#1- God's grace was sufficient to face all the other things that happened during this past week that seemed more trying... "For we know that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose."Rom.8:28

Friday, February 6, 2009

"Call 911"

"Call 911", I screamed at my father-in-law as I rushed into my house in attempts to find the source of the dense charcoal haze. Just seconds later I emerged from the house with a large skillet of charcoal chicken stir fry. How it happened will always haunt me.
It wasn't a crazy busy day. I had almost finished schooling the kids when I had to go out and "put out a fire" at the bookstore. Upon my return home, I was a little embarrassed to find that my mother-in-law had totally cleaned my laundry room, which was a COMPLETE disaster area. I had intended on giving it a good cleaning that night while everyone was asleep. I might also have
been a little psyched-out by her reorganizing my pantry items with all the labels facing out and in ALPHABETICAL ORDER. But tonight would be the night that I would show off MY skills. I had just finished cooking up an Asian masterpiece, of which we would all soon be partakers... right after a quick trip to our store.
I drove away from the house feeling confident that THIS trip I would show my mother-law that I could successfully juggle the many hats that I had come to wear since having married her son 17 years ago. I was sure that the use of my time management skills, which my husband would like me to employ more often than JUST when his parent are around, would surely pay off. Buddy would NOT have to take us out to dinner, and I would avoid having to hear my mother-in-law remind me about how much money we would save if we didn't eat out so much...yada, yada, yada. ( I write this in love and fun. She reads my blog.) Back to my confidence...today I would prove myself a time-management success...HA!
I showed them our labor of love (the bookstore/coffee shop), we drank lattes and shut down the shop. Stir fried Chicken, here we come...
As I approached the door to my house, I could hear the alarms. I was bewildered by the thick black smoke. Not seeing flames I rushed in to find the source...there sat my Asian masterpiece still cooking!
We didn't eat out that night. We had ham sandwiches. I'm sure that there is some lesson to be learned, although I still don't know what it is! Pray for me though, my house smells like a huge bag of charcoal.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Preteen Rally

In hopes of getting some new activity here, I have asked my daughters if they would like to contribute to this blog. Today I am handing this post over to my to my daughter Laurel.

Hi, I was wondering if your family needs a night off from sitting around and watching TV.
I would encourage you to go to a preteen rally Friday, 02/06/09 @ 7-9:30 pm and Saturday 02/07/09 @ 12-8:00 pm. It will be held at First Baptist Church of Gun Barrel City, Texas.
The guest speaker will be Glenn Ray Little. I heard him at Piney Woods. The way he acts out his stories is hilarious! The Chris Allen Band will be playing. I have never heard them, but my sister has and she loved them.
It is for grades 2-6, but my whole family is going. So I encourage you to take your whole family. It is free and fun!