Where has the time gone???

Well, I thought I would take a moment to post one last post before we say good-bye to 2006. It has been one crazy year. Of course, isn't life one crazy year after another. To send the year off properly I am going to re-cap (in my delilah sort of way) our 2006. Here are some of the things that happened...

• We helped Justiene move away from the Evil Ted. She is doing okay now. She still has her issues with him because of the kids (his kids she was raising, remember). She has had a little streak of bad luck lately so everyone say a prayer for her and send good luck her way.
• Jake changed jobs. He didn't want to be a custodian anymore. Too much DRAMA. Seriously, those custodians are always fighting with each other. Well, the hours were horrible anyhow... He got a new job thanks to a friend. He loves it and loves his boss.
  
• I retired from teaching abstinence to take on a new career, selling insurance. I have since "retired" from selling insurance. I was actually laid off from my job but when I signed up for unemployment he decided to fire me. He still hasn't given me any kind of official notice that my employment has been terminated (except through the unemployment office). I've only ever been "fired" from a job once in my life and that was for not showing up or calling off, back in college. My boss told my husband "because we are friends, I thought she would understand...." Where do I find these people? I have been HORRIBLY upset and distraught over the situation. And it keeps getting worse. Now my boss's brother is telling people the business will go under if he has to pay my unemployment (he is responsible for 6%) and I only talked on the phone when I was there. It infuriates me. I was NEVER reprimanded even ONE TIME for not performing my job duties. In fact I did more than I was hired to do.......I could go on and on.
  
• We left the church we had been attending for 4 years. We tried to leave gracefully....but people's feeling get hurt and yada yada. I am not sure what we could have done differently. We have found a new church that we feel is our home for the time being. There are a handful of people from the old church that we still talk to and love very much. There are some others who will probably never talk to us again. Once again, I am sad but slowly getting over it.
• We moved in June to the Pink house. We are comfortable and like living there. We will probably stay until 2008, when we can buy our dream house in Peninsula (subject to change).
• We did some traveling in 2006. We went to West Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina (the Outer Banks).
  
• After our Outer Banks trip, Jake and I hit a little bump in the marriage path. No we weren't getting a divorce or anything. It was just one of those fights you don't get over in one night - every marriage has them. Some marriages end...some endure. I guess ours will endure because before I was completely over it...I found out I was pregnant. Not the best news when you are angry but it puts things in perspective. We have two beautiful children already and we'll be adding to the mix. We were both happy about it (Jake was initially happier than I was....jumping around the house like a crazy man). I am scared. How will I handle three????? Yikes. We had been talking about getting pregnant but I had been stalling... I guess it all happens in God's timing- which isn't always when I want things to happen. In the end, no problem is bigger than our marriage and the commitment we made to each other. Jake is a good man and I love him in spite of his flaws and he loves me even though I don't have any and it makes him look bad. ha ha ha haha. Well, you all know I am joking about that part. Pregnancy is taking it's toll on me though. I have been puking my guts out and sleeping like a champ. I have to snap out of this soon....it is awful. Anyone who knows me knows that I like to multitask and I don't sleep that much, normally - so this is out of character for me.
  
• Oh, and don't forget that Jake was sick back in the Spring and was in the hospital forever. That was nuts.
  

So, that is a slice of the Miller's past year. I know there will undoubtedly be someone who complains about "too much" personal stuff. I just want to be real.

Please have a fabulous New Year. We will be traveling tomorrow and I may write some when I get home. I want to make some "resolutions" for the new year. I don't usually do that but what the heck, right?

Thursday Thirteen....Happy Anniversary Hubby!

Today is our 5th Anniversary. In one way I can't believe it has been 5 years and the other...I can't remember what life was like without him. So, here is a list of 13 things you might not know about my husband (Jake).

1. He is 4 years younger than me. Is he ever going to be 30???? Once we were talking about dating age differences. I told him when I was 27 I dated a 23 year old. He sounded shocked and said who? Ha ha ha. It was him. Silly.

2. He did an internship as a Youth Pastor and also has worked in youth ministry for 10 years or so. He is quiet but when he is with the kids he opens up.

3. He used to go backpacking every year. I don't know where all he has been but I know he has hiked in Alaska, Colorado & Canada. Before we had actually went out but after I decided I would date him (long story) he went to Alaska. I didn't have to wonder how it was going because I watched it all on the news. Someday he will tell you about this trip. I've been waiting.....

4. He writes with his right hand but bats with his left hand. He also bowls with his left hand.

5. He has a very BIG tattoo on his arm of a cross.

6. He owns a guitar but I think he can only play one song...at least that is all I've ever heard him play. It is a nice song though.

7. He likes to sleep in the middle of the bed.

8. He does the dishes most of the time.

9. Once I laid a roast out to thaw. He saw it and wanted to be nice and prepare dinner for me. When I got home from work I found him grilling the roast on an electric grill we got as a wedding gift. Ha ha ha. I never let him forget it. It was very tough to chew.

10. One of his favorite bands is the Flaming Lips.

11. We met at work. He asked me out but had also been hanging out with this other girl from work. He actually asked me to go to an Indians game with him after she had turned him down. I did not know about this until we were already married. If I had known before I would have dumped him so fast - I was very FICKLE and I would have NEVER been okay with being his second choice...although he says they were just "friends". By the way....I had hired that girl as a volunteer and she almost stole my man away (oh wait... I think I stole him away). Can you believe my quiet husband was a player???

12. When we were dating he would write me letters and leave them on my desk every day.

13. Last year he bought me a poster sized picture of myself with the kids, in the woods, with a baseball hat on, no make up and a double chin. He picked it out because he thought I looked beautiful. It is hanging at the bottom of our stairs.

Happy Anniversary Jake! I love you.

If you want to read last year's post about the wedding...I highly recommend it. Go HERE.

For more Thursday Thirteen's go HERE.

Writers Block.....

I can't believe it is Friday. I barely wrote anything this week. I haven't been feeling well and honestly, I don't really have anything that nice to say. Better not to say anything at all, right? It would be a lot more interesting if I just let it rip and said all the bad things I want to say but alas..... Well you know how it is. Maybe I will post later today.

Thursday Thirteen #6 - Dinner Party

This Friday, I am having a dinner party of sorts....well, I don't even know if I'd call it that...I am having a few friends & family over. I want to have people over for dinner more often but I am just not that good at planning. I might add it to my new years resolution list. For now, I am "setting up" my imaginary dinner party and inviting guests (dead or alive) to come on over and enjoy something yummy to eat. I borrowed this idea from another Thursday Thirteener...sorry I don't remember who but Thank You!

Thirteen Dinner Guests (Yes, all at the same time....)

1. Tori Amos - She could play a little pre dinner music on the baby grand piano I would have tucked in a random corner of my large dining room (to accommodate all the guests). I've always been a Tori fan and I think she would be a lot of fun.

2. Natalie Grant - Yes another musician...I don't think I will only invite music people don't worry. I saw Natalie in concert twice this year and I think she is just so sweet and real. She could sing a song or two as well.

3. Slyvia Plath - As depressing as she might be, I think she would be a very interesting addition to the dinner party. I think she & Tori would probably get along really well.

4. Judy Blume - When I was a kid I LOVED her books. I read everything she wrote...even Forever, which was not a kid book at all. I still remember the stud in the book was named Michael Wagner. Judy is a creative writer & was a part of my pre-teen years. I'd love to have her over.

5. Hmmmm...only women so far. I better invite a guy. Matthew McConaughey. He is very good looking and down to earth. I heard he doesn't use deodorant and really walks to the beat of his own drummer. He would be nice to look at and quite entertaining as well. Don't you think he would be quite the charmer? I think he'd be complimenting all the ladies and flirting just enough to boost everyone's egos. Do you think it would be rude if I asked him to come shirtless? ha ha.

6. Lebron James - I don't really care anything about sports and I am not really a Lebron fan (not that I am anti-Lebron) but I would invite him for my friend who is a huge fan. So, that is my generous invite...not for me but for my friend.

7. Abbie Hoffman - Political Activist. I think he would be sooo interesting. Oh and the controversy....I love it!

8. Jesus Christ, of course, a given...a radical himself. I love the wave makers.

9. The Wiggles - Weird, I know. But I really like these guys. Wouldn't you like to know what they are like in real life?

10. The last 4 Presidents. Bush Jr., Clinton, Bush Sr., Reagan. And their spouses. Just to sit back and watch them interact with each other and with all the crazies at this party....waahoooo. That would be fun.

11. Rachael Ray & Martha Stewart. They would have to balance each other out. Plus, my mom said that she "heard" Martha can't stand Rachael because she isn't a trained chef. I am not sure how or why my mom knows that but she does and now you do. Although...I don't know if it is true.

12. Johnny Depp. I've been a fan since 21 Jump Street. I had a poster of him on my wall when I was 15. It is about time we finally met in person.

13. Paula, Simon, Randy & Ryan. C'mon...you know them. If they aren't all available I would definitely choose Simon first, Ryan second. I think they could really add to the atmosphere.

And I would invite all of you.

If I don't see you until next week, Have a Merry Christmas.

For more Thursday Thirteen go HERE.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas....

Welcome to our home. I am glad you decided to stop by today. I actually forgot you were coming until I rolled out of bed and stopped by Stephanie's blog for a visit and saw that she had invited you over today! So, I quickly got things together to share my humble abode with you.

We live in Northeast Ohio. There are many jokes around the area that involve the weather. People always say, "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute and it will be different." So last week when I read there was going to be a Christmas Tour of Homes I took advantage of the wintery weather and snapped a photo of our front door. BTW...we rent this house so please excuse the "good & plenty" pink. We didn't put too many decorations outside because they all seemed to clash with the house. Ha ha.
Here is our Christmas Tree...what would a Christmas tour be without seeing the tree right? If you want to take a little detour and get a laugh at my expense, stop by my hubby's blog and look at our Christmas Tree Drama pics.... I also added some pics of a couple ornaments. One that I just think is pretty and the other to entertain my loyal readers with my son's little obsession.


This is a little difficult to see but it is our front window. My parents went to an auction and bought hundreds of this window clings for $2. My kids are having so much fun with them. They don't just put them on once, they "redecorate" all day long. Endless fun.



We are celebrating Christmas with my family today! My parents live out of town and this was the only time we could all get together. So, here are the gifts I have to load up to take to my sister's house today!

My hutch and this giant candle and wreath holder thing I made a long time ago.


This is the archway between the living room and the dining room. I am trying to fill it with Christmas cards. I am still waiting for yours....
I don't have my house all that decorated so I was looking for signs of Christmas to show you... Wrapping paper in my kitchen...hmmm....definately a sign of Christmas.


I started making Sand Art Brownies but I ran out of brown sugar so I had to put the project on hold. I did go get some but I haven't had the time or energy to finish them. If you look closely you can see that I didn't have a lid for the wide mouth jar in the back either so I had to use a paper towel. So typical....
Last but not least.....probably the biggest sign that Christmas is around the corner in the Miller household. My creative area (card making/scrapbooking) is a disaster area. I have been working hard on several projects.... Are you wondering if I made something for you??? I guess you will have to wait and see. In the mean time I think I should use this photo for a Tackle it Tuesday project. ha ha.

Well, thank you so much for stopping by. If I don't see you before the big day...I hope you and your family have a VERY Merry Christmas.

For more Christmas homes go HERE!

Thursday Thirteen #5 - "If I had a Million Dollars"

Haven't we all dreamed about what it would be like to come into a windfall of money. My husband and I are not much for gambling but we have played the lottery a handful of times since we married, when the prize is over 100 million dollars. One dollar is pretty cheap for the amount of sheer entertainment we got from it...you know, dreaming the dream. What would you do if you won (or were given) millions of dollars? Well, here is my list of thirteen things I would do if I won millions of dollars...


1. I would (obviously) pay off the debt. Student loans, credit cards, car notes...begone! We would never pay anything late again...because we wouldn't have anything to pay. Ahhhh...I feel freer just talking about it.

2. I would pay off debt for friends & family. I've always had this dream of anonymously paying off peoples bills. So, they go to pay their house payment but their balance is a big fat 0. How cool would that be? I guess it would be difficult to do without account numbers and all that but I would try.

3. Buy a House. A big but modest house...if that makes sense. An old farm house or something with character. It wouldn't have to be all Martha Stewart and fancy. I would just like to have space, storage and enough room to have lots of company. Oh, and the yard would have to be big. If you remember from my Christmas list I would like to have an art studio & a big garden...maybe even an alpaca. Who knows.

4. Buy the Millers (in-laws) new cars. These people (Applehead family included) drive thier cars until they are on their last leg (hundreds of thousands of miles). I think they all deserve shiny new cars...afterall it would last them for years to come.

5. Send my parents on a nice vacation. They went out west a few years ago and would like to go back. I'd put them up in the best hotels & they'd only eat at 5 star restraunts.

6. Build the coolest tree house you have ever seen for the kids (wink wink). So the yard would have to have a very big tree.

7. Leave outrageous tips for unsuspecting servers when I go out to eat. I was a waitress for 10+ years. I worked my rear off for every penny I earned (and then some).

8. I would give my tythe to the church.

9. Build a house for a family once a year. Seriously...you've all watched that show Extreme Makeover, where Ty goes out and builds a house for a family in need. Imagine what it would be like if more people and churches did that type of thing for people. You could build a modest house for $100,000 (at least in Northeast Ohio). Now, that is a lot of money to me but on a larger scale that is just a drop in the bucket. I realize it is a very liberal idea but I firmly believe it is our job to help others.

10. I would have a housekeeper. Enough said.

11. I would have fun. Seriously without debt hanging over my head, worrying about making money and keeping the house clean (I use the term lightly) - I could just have so much fun...focus on the good things in life.

12. I'd like to be one of those people who goes around passing out 100 dollar bills to strangers. That would be great.

13. Travel...everywhere from the hills of West Virginia to Barbados.


Isn't it fun to dream? What would you do with all that money?

For more Thursday Thirteen's go HERE.

What Color Purple Are You????

You Are Grape

You are bold and a true individual. You are very different and very okay with that. People know you as a straight shooter. You're very honest, even when the truth hurts. You are also very grounded and practical. No one is going to sneak anything by you. People enjoy your fresh approach to life. And it's this honesty that makes you a very innovative person.

What Color Purple Are You?

Wordless Wednesday....Elise Blue Mouth

For more Wordless Wednesday go HERE. Have a great Wednesday!

So, here is the deal....

I guess I am not done hibernating. I can't seem to stay off the couch. I will try to post more later. I seriously don't remember being this tired. I am such a whiner and I have SOOOOO much to do before Friday, when I have Christmas with my family. I haven't wrapped one gift. Oh wait....I haven't even bought gifts. I am in big trouble.

So, I went to the doctor today and although my according to official dates I am only 6 weeks & 2 days, she believes (from her examination) I am further along...maybe 8-10 weeks. That sounds better to me but we won't know until next Tuesday.

Okay, see you later.

Out of Hibernation....(for now)

I don't remember being this tired for the last two pregnancies. Seriously, I slept half the day yesterday and went back to sleep around 9 P.M. I am normally a 6-7 hours of sleep kind of girl so this really stinks for me. I have a lot of stuff to get done. Hopefully I am all caught up on sleep now. I have Christmas presents to work on and I haven't wrapped a single thing yet. I am making a few things this year. Not like last year, where I made most everything. To be honest, I don't think it was that much cheaper so...I went back to buying what I can and making what I can...balance is always the answer.

Other than sleeping too much the week-end was good. I went to this ladies thing at the new church. I guess they get together once a month and do some crafty thing and have a speaker. It was fun. We made one of those layered cookie jar gift things. There was a ton of food there....which I didn't expect. I had eaten a piece of pizza for breakfast that wasn't sitting too well with me so I only ate some grapes. The speaker was great. She talked about the Proverbs 31 woman...seems like everyone is talking about that lady these days....and how she handled her money. It was very good. It was nice to be with a group of Christian women for 2 1/2 hours and not hear one person gossiping about another person or talking about someone else's problems. Often times those women's events turn into things like that...gripe sessions about their husbands or gossip fests about the women that aren't there. I guess that is where the old term "knitting circle" comes from...women get together to knit but chat it up while knitting...whew more gossip than the National Enquirer. Oh...I could go on & on about this gossip stuff. It is something I have struggled with for...well, my whole life, I guess. So, anyways, I'm happy that it doesn't appear these women are like that...it'll help keep me on the straight and narrow. ha ha ha.

Remember a few months ago I started telling you what I was making for dinner because I wasn't going to go to the grocery store? Well, I really slacked on that didn't I? I wanted to give you an update. My "experiment" went well. I did use every last thing in my freezer before I went to buy any more meat. I did however go to the grocery store several times to get stuff to go with the food I already had. I used up a lot of stuff. My cupboards were starting to look bare. It was nice. I think I am saving money on groceries. We keep track of our spending but we have been traveling a lot lately so we will have to average things out over a few months. I did do most of my shopping at Aldi's last month and Jake got the deer so that helped a lot. Jake only gets paid once a month (uhg). You'd think I'd be used to it by now but I am not because I was getting a check on his off week so it was like we were getting paid every other week. Unfortunately, I won't be getting a pay check anymore. I did get a very small one this month. I have no idea where the money went (so quickly I might add). I've already made up my grocery list & menu for the next month. I am going to get almost everything at Aldi's. There are a few things I may have to get at a bigger store (sweet potatoes). And I am planning on having my sisters family over for a big pot of seafood stew (yummy) so that will skew the stats a little but I am trying to keep the budget tight. If I remember I will try to let you know what we are eating every now and then. Tonight we are having deer steaks, baked potatoes & glazed carrots. Other things on the menu this week include: Navy beans & ham w. cornbread, Chicken Delish & rice, pumpkin pancakes (they are soooo good) and I don't remember what else because the menu is upstairs. How much do you estimate you spend on groceries each month?

Okay, have a great day!

Real Reality....

A few weeks ago I told you about my sister. Wasn't that a funny post? I got a lot of comments on my blog and in person. I thought I would tell you a little more about Heather because I have a HYSTERICAL story to tell you. Heather is a few years younger than me. She went to West Liberty College in West Virginia to learn to be a Dental Hygienist (insert joke here). While she was away at school she met Ivan (I think I have you a little history about that in the birthday post). She and Ivan dated for a couple of years and got married when Heather was only 21. They didn't want to have children right away so she went on the pill to prevent it. After a couple of years they decided they wanted to try (oh wait, I think she decided but I will let her tell you that story in the comments if she wants...it is also interesting). After trying for like a year she finally got pregnant! Everyone was so happy. Unfortunately it wasn't her time to have a baby & she had a painful (physically & emotionally) miscarriage. She kept her baby hopes up. They tried for another year and had no luck. She was actually considering fertility treatments when a nurse pulled her aside and told her she had known couples that went through the expensive & emotionally draining treatments with a disappointing outcome. She said she knew of this herbalist lady that maybe could help before they took any extreme measures. During all this time, I was planning for a wedding. Jake & I got married at the end of December. Heather and I talked about when our periods were going to start. Sorry for Too Much Information but girls do talk about that kind of stuff, ya know. We both made it through the wedding but started a day or two later. That month she & her husband went to the herbalist. She was pregnant by the end of February. Now, at this point she had been married for like 5 years and I had been married for 2 months. When she told me she was pregnant I realized my period was late.....and that is where Jude came from. We were due 3 days apart and actually had our children 6 days apart. She went first & I watched. I almost passed out. Not something you want to watch when you are 9 months pregnant. Okay...I know this is a long story. So we were having fun having kids the same age. When Jude was around 22 months old I got pregnant with Elise. Ivan called Jake and said Well, it is a loosing battle now. Heather was pregnant 6 weeks later. How fun. Pregnant with my sister again. This time she had the boy & I had the girl so we traded clothes. Didn't that work out great? Now I am pregnant. You expect me to tell you my sister is pregnant, right? As far as I know she isn't and she definitely doesn't plan on it. In fact I have all her maternity clothes...she says she is done. I've been teasing her. It would make for a great story ending. Hey, I wasn't planning for a baby that first time. This could be her unplanned (hee hee).

Okay...now for the funny story. On Saturday mornings Heather is home with the kids by herself. Ivan is at work. So, often times she just takes a bath with the kids. It gets them clean and keeps them busy while she gets clean. Plus the kids think it is fun. Last week, Heather was taking a bath with her kids and the water started getting too cold so she moved them to the back of the tub and moved herself by the faucet so she could add hot water and they wouldn't get burned. Her son likes to wash her hair. He always tries to put shampoo in it and stuff. He was doing that last week. All of a sudden she noticed some hair floating in the water. He had gotten a hold of her razor and wasn't putting shampoo in her hair but was running that razor down her very LONG hair! OMG!!!! She said there was hair everywhere. So, needless to say, Heather had to go get a haircut last Saturday. I guess it is just layered now. She is lucky. Ha ha ha. Don't you think she should have another kid?

Have a fabulous week-end. It is really snowy here.

Two Posts....One Day

Okay, so this is my second post of the day. I wanted to do the Thursday Thirteen thing but I did the Wordless Wednesday yesterday and posted pics the day before....I feel like I haven't really talked to you. So, here I am.

First I would like to thank everyone for your baby blessings. I will be going to the doctor on Tuesday. She will probably do an ultrasound to get an official due date. We are thinking somewhere between the end of June & early August. Since I will have a C-section the baby will be born a week before the actual due date. As for being pregnant (not my favorite thing BTW), I am fine. I haven't felt sick or anything. Just a little tired & terrible headaches. I had them with Jude too. Does that mean it's a boy??? I guess we won't know until I have the "big" ultrasound. We do find out. I like to know in advance. Maybe we will find out but not tell anyone. ha ha ha ha. That would be mean.

Elise was sick this week. Well, for like one day. She had a fever and threw up a few times. She seems to be feeling better. That is good news.

Yesterday I finished my last pottery piece that I can give as a gift. I didn't really get much pottery done. Next year I need to start early. I had two really beautiful pieces (if I don't say so myself) but I already gave them away (birthday & house warming gift). Other stuff either warped or the glaze sucks or I just don't like the piece. I have high hopes for my latest cool thing. I am still learning and getting better so I am happy.

Some of you may have seen that Kristen left me a comment apologizing for an earlier comment she posted. I wanted to say thank you to her. We finally talked and everything is okay. I feel really relieved because I was super stressed about the whole situation. As women, many times we try to avoid talking about uncomfortable things (like when someone has upset you or when you are mad about something) and really we make it worse on ourselves. Most of the time when you talk about it you find out the problem either didn't really exist or it wasn't so bad or you find out that you can forgive and move on. I try to be upfront with people but even I mull over stuff too much. And you never know how the other person will react so....it is a little bit of a risk. I guess we have to do what we feel is right and then move on. I don't know. Currently I have two other situations that have been bothering me. In both cases I have sent emails and haven't gotten a response. hmmmmm.... Either way, I did want to acknowledge that K left that nice comment and say everything is cool. Cool?

Well have a great day!

Thursday Thirteen #4 - Dream Jobs....

I was laid off from my job this week. I am sad about the lost wages but happy to have a little extra time with my children each day. I was contemplating embarking on yet another new career and thought I would dedicate this Thursday Thirteen to my internal (haven't sent out any resumes yet) search. Feel free to tell me your own dream job...maybe I will be inspired.

1. A Writer - well, I already am a writer but I would like to get paid for writing. I have thought about this often. I think I would need to take an English class because I rarely paid attention during grammar lessons in school. I use....those dots too much and I end sentences with unnecessary prepositions. I'd like to write a book...I have a few great stories inside me. With all the drama my blog has caused, imagine what a book could do.

2. Radio Talk Show Host - I talked about this last week.

3. College Professor - I'd like to teach something in the Social Science field or Human Sexuality. I think I could make a difference.

4. Youth Advocate - You get paid to hang out with troubled kids/teens and take them to do activities like bowling or shopping. How fun.

5. A Photographer - I love taking pictures. I have thousands of them. I particularly like spontaneous face shots...not portraits so much.

6. A Potter - I would LOVE to have my own studio & just create stuff all day long. I would make mostly functional stuff. I am not one for art that is just for looking.

7. Professional Scrapbooker - Do you ever read any of those scrapbooking magazines? There are actually women who get paid to design scrapbook pages. That is what they do. How cool.

8. TV Cooking Show Host - I would make my cooking show realistic. The studio would be set up like my kitchen at home & my kids would be on the show. If I was distracted and something didn't turn out (like it often does not) I would still air it. It would probably be more of a comedy/cooking show spoof. I would be like Rachel Ray - except nothing would be pre-washed or pre-chopped.

9. Rock Star - enough said.

10. Coffee Shop Owner - I always wanted to open a coffee shop.

11. Florist - over the years I have threatened to leave the Social Service field & become a florist. I think I'd really enjoy arranging flowers & smelling roses all day.

12. Activist - ooooooooo...this one should have been higher on the list. I have a flare for the dramatic & feel very passionate about the things I believe in. Uh, I also like a little controversy here & there.

13. Stay at home mom. I guess dreams do come true....

If you want to read more TT go HERE.

Boys....Wordless Wednesday

See more Wordless Wednesday HERE.

Christmas Pictures (out takes)

Yesterday I decided I would clean the kids up and dress them in their Christmas outfits. I wasn't planning on leaving the house but I thought I would snaz them up and take their picture in front of the Christmas tree, like I did last year, and use it for my Christmas cards. Everything went great until I tried to actually take the pics. You try to get an eighteen month old to cooperate and get the four year old to be patient. I did get one okay picture of them together but I have a lot of pics that won't make it in the Christmas card. So, I thought I would share them with you.

This Storm....

Yesterday at church the Pastor's wife sang a song called, "Praise you in this storm". It is such a beautiful song. I seriously almost started crying while she was singing. The words talk about how God doesn't always step in and take our pain away but He is always there to walk with us and help us get through it. We've all read the poem "Footprints". It is similar. As she sang I just sat there and thought about some of the stuff I have gone through. I think everyone in the room was doing the same thing. Then I started thinking about other people and the stuff they go through. My problems seemed small. Isn't it amazing how perspective can do that for you? It puts you right in your place. Either way, here is the song.....

Praise You in This Storm

I was sure by now
That You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again,
I say “Amen,” and it’s still raining
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear
You whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away
I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can’t find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away
I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth
I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

So, to tell you about some of my own stormy weather....

• Friday I was officially laid off from my job. It is complicated. I'll leave it at that for now.
  
• I still have people making bloggity drama out of my blog. Some people need a hobby.
• My Christmas cards are still not in the mail.
• I am looking for new baby names.....I'll need a good one by July!!!!!
  

A quickie...

Okay, so I don't have time to post today but I am going to anyhoo....just a short one. My kids are so weird. Jude has a new favorite hobby. He recently learned how to use scissors and loves cutting stuff. Yesterday he asked me if he could cut his & Elise's hair. yikes. I told him if he ever did that he would be banned from the scissors indefinitely. He doesn't know what that means but it scared him enough that I don't think he will be cutting any hair. Later he found my pipe cleaners and decided to cut the fuzz off them. He has been doing it all morning. He is so strange.

Have a great week-end.