Thursday thoughts

Im a bit tired this afternoon but I made some good progress in cleaning the kitchen. Still more to do of course, but at least the race has been started.

Im hosting womens night for our church tommorrow night and Im excited bout that. I really do enjoy having people over to my home. I do it on purpose to give me a deadline to clean as well.

So lots to do to get ready. Im not feeling like everything is done but neither am I panicking that the house is trashed. So still got some time to get it together. Andrew teaches tonite as well, so it will just be me and the kids.

God is good all the time

MJ

Praise God from whom blessings flow

Our mortgage broker called today, who is absolutely awesome, and let me know he got our refinancing done. He had indicated earlier that he could get us 6 percent. Today he let me know he was able to get us 5.875 percent~!!!! That is sooo awesome!

If anyone needs a mortgage broker, David Greene, of Bell mortgage is your guy. He really is good! He really looks out for his clients and goes above and beyond.

PRaise God!!!

MJ

Rather odd day today

Andrew had to work but the kids had off for a teacher work day at the end of the quarter. I had determined already it was going to be more of a "free" day for them:watching movies, playing video games etc.

Although Gideon had therapy today so we did some tidying up in preperation for that. The therapist is constantly amazed at how well he is doing in trying to move(trying to crawl, stand up along furniture and get back into a sitting position). PRaise God, I still remember the days when I just begged for a smile, let alone any physical movement out of him. Today he is a very engaging little guy.

I enjoyed watching the kids play the new game system we have and sort of just relaxed. But enough of the day was spent doing that, that I felt out of sorts. Not really motivated to clean or cook and just fairly grumpy by the end of the night. Guess a bit of too much of a good thing.

I did enjoy sleeping in today though. I got up with Andrew at 530 or so, then went back to bed til just after 9. That was really nice.

They all go back to school tommorrow.

Thats all for now folks
MJ

Resounding theme

Its like a trumpet call to my heart-- God reassuring me he loves me no matter what shortcomings I present in life. Im amazed at how clearly his voice is coming thru when I feel all alone. Praise God for his comfort!

I really am enjoying reading the Bible. Thats a scary sentence for me to type. i never have ever in my life enjoyed reading the Bible. I love to read -- fiction that is. And I know the Bible is nonfiction and I really havent enjoyed nonfiction at all. So maybe it was some sort of mental block, Im not really sure. I think also its nice having it in a chronological story format and a already defined amount of reading for each day.

One of the things that caught my attention in the latest readings was the plagues of Egypt. One of the first plagues was the killing of the livestock. Then its mentioned later on during the plague of boiils and hail that it affected the animals as well. Then in the last plague for sure it mentions the firstborn of the livestock as well. Did they get more? Did God only kill part of them? Makes me wonder. Thankfully not doubting just more curious in how that worked.

God is good ... all the time

A lifeline

Lately I really have felt God reassuring me. Hes been my lifeline in the midst of many struggles lately and for that Im eternally grateful. I am so blessed in knowing that he loves me no matter what I screw up. Yes there are consquences for disobedience(think Jonah getting swallowed by a whale) but underneath it all I know he loves me.

For me thats huge ... all my life Ive struggled with self esteem. Im sure I could tie it back to my history and events that happened in my life. Its something though that I struggle with daily and more and more I am hearing God speak to me, that hes still there even when Im hurt or angry or upset. This is especially poignant when Im fighting with my husband, who quite often is my rock in times of stormy weather. Im learning.

Maybe Im hearing God better since I am reading the bible daily. I did start the Bible in a year along with many others in our church. Hubby and I chose though the version that is chronological in order, so we arent always at the same place as everyone else is. Honestly I am surprised at how much Im enjoying it first of all and second how easy it is. Its been something that I have clung too especially when Ive been upset. This too has been a 17 yr struggle for me and hard for me to do. Praising God for his encouragament, strength and love!

MJ

A good weekend

Our good friends came and visited this weekend. It was a bit busier as we spent a good bit of the day Saturday at the science museum. That was really draining -- guess Im more out of shape than i thought!

They brought up some of their old furniture that we are buying from them. Two pieces, a big overstuffed chair and a couch. Since we took a sectional size couch out of the living room(and moved it downstairs) it really has a different feel to the room. Andrew and I watched a movie last nite together sitting in the big overstuffed chair. I really enjoyed it! The kids seem to like the new couch(new to us anyway) as well.

I really enjoy getting to see this particular set of friends. We have been friends since elementary and high school, so I have known them a long time. Matt helped out with the cooking and even mopped my floor! They dont bat an eye at just pitching in where its needed. We have long gotten past the needing to "host" and "entertain" them. We just hang out together.

This weekends extravaganza included our now annual bingo game. Both families, wrapped up small presents-- we probably had 60 or so. Matt had adapted the rules so that it didnt take as long. Last years event took over 3 hrs~! So one of the changes involves how many bingos we did before we cleared our cards. And mostly because it was getting really late, we only allowed one final stealing round(where you can bingo and take someone elses prize) but had allowed some stealing throut the game. Cheerios were our markers -- many indeed did get eaten lol! Everyone came away with some goodies. A little trading went on after the game. It was a lot of fun.

Sunday we mostly just hung out together, which was really nice too. We are very blessed to have them in our lives. They very much embody the love of Christ. They blessed us with lots of toilet paper, kleenex and even some goodies. We also got brand new bath towels,handclothes, and washrags. I think Katarina is eyeing the pink one.

They shared with us, how when they were struggling to get out of debt and make bills, how people came alongside them and helped. So that they want to do the same.

Praising God for friendships, love and blessings today!~

MJ

No wailing=success

Gideon has hated every single one of his baths since he was born. He literally has screamed thru each and every one. I thought perhaps as he aged and was able to sit up that he would begin to enjoy them better. No such luck. I had to perfect the 2 minute clean up including washing his hair;he hated it that bad.

Tonite, was the first time, at 9 months old that he didnt scream thru the whole bath. It took Zemirah hanging around the bathtub distracting him along with Katarina and I encouraging him. There was fussing but no gnashing of teeth and wailing, so I count it a sucess. He wasnt indeed happy nor was he overly upset. He certainely wasnt impressed either.

So im counting it a blessing!

Of course the day he decides baths might be tolerable is the day Andrew took the camera with him.

God is good ... all the time!
MJ

Whew

Busy week ahead. Im babysitting my friends two kids for the next few days. Then I have company coming for the weekend, so the end of the week will be some scurrying around tidying up and preparing.



Im looking forward to seeing my friends again. We have tentively made plans to go to the science museum with them as well as our annual bingo extravanganza. They are also hoping to bring up their old couch and chair that we are buying from them. So im looking forward to some furniture rearrangment as well.



My wrists have been hurting this last week and this week already. Thank God for tylenol arthritis which at least dulls the pain. Its not the type of pain that prevents me from functioning(not that I have much choice in that anyway) but its this dull persistent ache in the wrist area.

Gideon is still pretty congested. I have been using the blue ball of death to suck out the snot. He is not impressed! I still get a lovely smile now and then though, so he isnt too terribly grumpy. I fear though the weight is going to take a rebound downward with this illness. He just isnt eating as well, so we keep plugging away. He is on antibiotics so those should be helping soon.

Well thats all for now
MJ

Pneumonia strikes again!

Gideon just seems to not be able to get well. He barely got over pneumonia the first time before his raspy breathing started. His lungs though were surprisingingly clear Tues and Wed at two different docs. Today though was another story.

Hes been running a fever since wednesday(it was prounoucned a virus then) but thankfully not nearly as high as when he was hopsitalized. And thats something else im extremely thankful for, is the fact he doesnt have to go inot the hospital this time as well.

Gideon definitely doesnt feel great. Hes not as smiling and energetic and wants to be held a lot more.

I got the report back from the developmental specialist today. Its always an interesting read to read the summary of the visit. It often gives more details than are given at the appt, like specific numbers and additional commentaryl. I was feeling a bit down after recieving the news that he has pnumonia again. Then i read this report which included a comment bout me being diligent in following recommendations and getting services for Gideon. That was really encouraging to me. Sometimes it does feel like there is a never ending list of things that needs to be done in regards to his care and I dont always feel Im on top of it as much as i think i need to be. So its helpful to have someones else encouragament along the way.

BTW ... it was national delurker day yesterday. So Im speaking to you: Rebecca,Gina, Chris, Brenda, Tom, Elaine, Angi,Andrew, Nikki, Tina,Kirsten, Geoff, Wendy. Come out wherever you are! And if you are reading and havent commented before, leave one today!

God is good ... all the time!

MJ

Neat Experience

My husband and I went to a town planning commission meeting last night. They were going to be discussing a concept plan to develop the field behind our house. This would be directly affecting us and our property so we wanted to make our concerns known.

I wasnt really sure how it would go. I didnt know if we would be viewed as "outsiders" since we didnt grow up in this town. The town i grew up in was sort of like that. I also wasnt sure if this was already a done deal and that the community input was not really considered. I was very pleasantly surprised to have a much different experience.

The planning commission not only geninuely listened to everyones input but they really seemed amiable to finding a workable solution to our concerns. In fact the city adminstrator had insisted that the develop go thru the formal process which included a community meeting to make sure input was heard.

It was somewhat complicated because what the planning commision was recommending was only that the parcel be subdivided. But there was some concern with what it would be developed and how the site plan would work. It would include some rezoning issues and while thats not what they were deciding last night, it is a piece of the whole picture. So it was hard to discuss the one without dicussing the next piece of it as well. I was really relieved to find out that the multi family units being proposed are single leval assisted living rather than multi story apt buildings.

Overall I was very pleased with the response from the commission. Andrew did a really great job of putting out our concerns in a concise clear manner without soudning just like a chant of "not in my backyard". He had looked up some sobering stats too in regards to foreclosure rates as well to bring before the commission.

God is good ... alll the time
MJ

Barrage of thoughts

I have lots that I wanted to blog bout. I seem to go about my day and think of much that is blog content yet it seems to never quite appear. Part of it is, everytime I start typing, the kids need something: a diaper change, lunch, or Im watching that I dont step in the lava.

Things are just now getting back into a normal sense of routine for household;still crazy yes but normal nonetheless.

We had an excellent new years albeit different without 3 of the kids around. I much enjoyed the company, the taboo game and of course the artichoke dip. Phrases from that taboo game will live on in infamy. I do have to say there are never quite as funny to other people as they were to the company of the night. Stayed up way way too late, 2 am as a matter of fact. So still paying for that.

New years day brought lots of fun and games. My favorite by far though was the nerf gun war. I guess Im still a bit of a kid at heart and I absolutely loved hiding behind furniture and shooting the children. I might even have taken a bit of enjoyment in shooting my husband as well (shh dont tell). This definitely will be a new family tradition at least once every winter. Now that we all have nerf guns and plenty of darts. We have a water fight every fourth of july and now a nerf gun shootout at the Riemer corral every new years.

I have been doing a lot of pondering over the last years events and I want to blog bout that as well but Ill save that for another post.

I just got back from womens night for our church. I really enjoy getting together with the women of our church, they are a lot of fun. This evening brought a theme in which we were to dress or at least act like a woman of the bible. So my friend Gina and I did a little skit although we didnt dress up. I forgot to bring baby Jesus(we had planned on using Gideon in our little skit) so we improvised. Our parts were pretty easy to guess with Gina sitting at the table doing nothing and me at hte sink washing dishes. Mary and Martha, of course.

My favorite part that we did tonite though was our pillar of salt comic relief. Gina dressed up in a white sheet. We taped a salt label(from a salt container) on her back. I called out Dont look back and she turns around and freezes. The entire room cracked up. It really was a lot of fun!!!

We finished out the night with a game of Taboo. Slightly different scoring odds than the night of new years eve where it was men against women. We were tied for most of the night tonite and barely eeked out a victory!!! Lots of laughs were had though.

God is good ... all the time
MJ