FRIDAY PHOTO FLASHBACK

Alicia is hosting Friday Photo Flashback again. This is when we look under our beds, open up our closets, check under the cat litter, and just basically look anywhere and everywhere for old photos. Come join the fun!

This picture was taken a few (lol!) years ago at where else? Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland! My boys loved that island. They ran, walked, climbed, hid, and probably would have swam too if we'd let them!

Do I love and cherish my boys at the age they are now? Absolutely. Would I love to have just one day back with them when they were younger? Absolutely!

Isn't that what makes photos so special? It's not the pictures, it's the precious memories they invoke! But you can't look back at the past to much or you'll miss the present.

IT'S A DOG'S LIFE.....

Our poodle puppy loves to hang out on her Beagle "brother's" bed. I think it's a little big for her but whatever. However, her brother seems to think that all is fair in love, war, and dog beds....

....so he is very happy making himself at home on her bed. He doesn't seem to mind the size. Kind of reminds me of Goldilocks and the three....ummm.....dogs.

Honestly, I don't know how she sees anything with all that hair in her eyes anyway.

(In case you're wondering about the gate, it is there so that we can keep an eye on her since she still likes to chew.)

Things are really starting to look up here for my mom, so I decided to go ahead and post this. Thank you for your prayers!

UPDATE ABOUT MY MOM

Thank you all for your sweet words of encouragement and prayers. I was feeling so guilty for using my blog to burden you with something you know nothing about. But the Lord knows, and besides I really felt we needed the prayers.

It appears to be pneumonia again. Fever, high white cell count, etc. She is breathing much, much better now that they have her on oxygen.

I am tired as stress will do that to you, of course. We have faced so many health challenges with her (and my father before her) that sometimes I get weary. But the Lord is my strength and I will never weary of caring for my mom. Just weary of the illnesses and hospitals, for her sake. She is too, she just wants to be home again.

Since I already have posts for the next couple of days I may just leave them as scheduled, but I may not. I don't know. I might confiscate my husband's laptop so I can keep it at the hospital to use since she sleeps alot and I will have time on my hands.

Anyway, I just want to thank you for praying for us! Love to you all!

APPRECIATE SOME PRAYER HERE PLEASE

Would love some prayer here. Just called the medics to take my mom back to the hospital again (they just released her three days ago). I have never posted on here about all her health issues, but I could use some prayer support now. Just feeling a little overwhelmed today. But I know that God is with her, and with me. It just gets a little overwhelming at times. Leaning on the everlasting arms today.....I am leaving for the hospital now and trying not to feel stressed. Just trying to rest in Him today.

Whatever happens, just know that I know (and she knows) that He is faithful and so worthy of our trust. He will never give us more than we can bear. I am clinging to His promises today.

Just reading this back it sounded like this prayer was all about me. It's not. I would like prayer for her, wisdom for the doctors, healing, strength and comfort for us all, but most of all that God's will be done, not ours.

WORKS FOR ME: STAYING CONNECTED

"We Are That Family" is hosting Works-For-Me Wednesday!

After my father died last year, my mom moved in with us. Both my children have always been very close to their grandparents. My twenty year old, however, isn't home as much anymore due to college, work, and church activities, and my mom misses his company.

This week he came up with a clever idea to keep in touch with her. He went out and bought a mini mailbox. It's pretty small but large enough to hold a note or something. Anyway, he decided that on days when he barely sees her, he would put a note in her mailbox before he goes to bed.

The next morning, when she wakes up, if the flag is up she will know that she's got mail! She is really loving this. It keeps her connected with his activities, what he's doing, what he's thinking, and it also is such a beautiful start to her morning. This is working for them anyway! Next week I hope to be sharing another way to stay connected with children.

For more Works-For-Me Wednesday, please go here for other tips and ideas!

WHAT NOT TO WEAR EVER AGAIN

I have seen fashions come and go in my life. I remember saying that I would never wear flared pants. I soooo did. In fact, the flares were so big they would have put your eye out....I mean, if your eye was on your ankle or something. Now I think they're back in again (flares, not eyes on your ankle...come on people, I mean really. Seriously?......). Go figure.

I remember saying that I would never wear straight-legged pants. Did that too. Oh yeah. Kind of a drag because you had to take your shoes off before you put your pants on. What? You always put your pants on first and then your shoes? Well, what if you have to change your clothes after you're already dressed? What then? Hmmmmm? Once I put my shoes on I want those suckers to stay on....

I remember saying that I would never wear capris. For one thing, I couldn't even spell it. For another thing I'd have to shave my legs and you all know how I feel about that. If you don't and you feel brave, go here.

Apparently I lie alot or I don't understand the meaning of the word "never." Never say never. Get it??? Never say never? Never say.....oh never mind.....

Back in the day I had big ole' hair. Oh yes I did. Not only that, but I ratted it and I used a blow dryer to get it to go a bit higher. Then I sprayed it with about 15,000 cans of hairspray. That hole in the ozone layer? My bad.

I wore very strange, bright and colorful clothes. And I thought I looked really cool. I wore shoulder pads big enough to land a helicopter on. I wore skintight leggings and big, oversized sweaters.

I have also layered my clothes. But it was for warmth.....I promise. O.k., not really....I was just stylin'!

I also had these plastic glasses that took up half of my face. I'm not kidding. Do you remember those anyone? We thought they were so cool. My kids see pictures of them now and they laugh.

I used to love to wear white tights with brightly colored skirts. April, I'm remembering those white tights you wore with that red dress, but I did the same thing! Frankly, I thought you looked great!

So I just have one question: What have you done, for the sake of fashion? What have you worn and thought you were all that? What style are you glad has passed? What were we thinking when we wore the things we wore? Styled our hair the way we styled it? O.k. I lied. That was five questions. Apparently I lie alot and I can't count either.....

TAG

My sweet bloggy friend Debra at Clothed With Scarlet tagged me. Be sure and pop over and pay her a visit. She is a sweetie and I'm sure you'll love getting to know her. Here's how to do the tag:

Here's how to do this 8 THINGS thing:

• Mention the person that tagged you
• Complete the lists of 8's
• Tag 8 of your wonderful bloggy friends
• Go tell them you tagged them

So here they are, in no particular order, just as I think of them:

8 Things I Look Forward To:

1. Being with Jesus forever!

2. Seeing my dad again (he's in heaven).

3. Returning home after being away.

4. Going to bed at the end of a long tiring day.

5. Drinking my diet pepsi in the morning (sad but true).

6. The beginning of a new day.

7. Going to church

8. My son coming home when he's out driving after dark or in the rain.

8 Things I Did Yesterday (sorry, not much happened but I enjoyed it):

1. Went to Sunday School.

2. Went to Church

3. Went out to lunch with a friend afterwards

4. Spent time with my mom helping her with some things.

5. Enjoyed being home with nothing I had to do

6. Played on the computer a bit

7. Took my son to youth group as his brother had to go earlier and couldn't take him.

8. Ate chicken noodle soup for dinner.

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

1. Sing on the worship team (we're supposed to make a joyful noise, it doesn't mean we have to be in tune!).

2. Play the piano as well as my son....or even half as well.

3. Sew.

4. Run a marathon and no, I'm not going to actually do it.

5. Be flexible enough to strike some of those yoga poses where your feet touch your head (I'm not going to do that either).

6. Never be fearful or worried ever again, about anything.

7. Be able to talk about sports the way my other son does. Just because.

8. Be more disciplined.

8 Shows I Watch:

1. Jon and Kate Plus Eight (if I remember it's on)

2 - 8. Ummmmm....I don't know. I don't really watch regular t.v. Sometimes I watch a movie and sometimes I'll pop a dvd in. But I don't really have anything that I absolutely have to watch because I really don't care. If I miss it I miss it. If I remember it I might watch it.

Sometimes something will catch my interest, but otherwise I watch a dvd or read or something. I like old t.v. series, ones I remember growing up, like I Love Lucy or Dick Van Dyke.

8 bloggers Tagged

Well, again, I'm stuck with not remembering who likes to do this and who doesn't. So I'm not going to tag anybody specific but just say take this tag if you'd like to do this!

BLOG FROG AND THANK YOU

You may have noticed a new addition to my left sidebar. I have had the blessing of having many of you link to my blog on your sidebar. So I came across this little gadget called a blogfrog. I've seen them before but never really knew much about them.

By installing this I am able to have your picture and profile appear on my sidebar every time you click on your link to my page, or every time someone else follows a link from your page to my page. I dunno, I thought it might be fun and is a way that I can feature you here every time your link is followed.

I also want to take this time to thank all of you who take time out of your day to read my blog, whether you link to me or not, whether you follow me or not, whether you comment or not. Just the fact that you take the time to drop by is a blessing, and I thank you for taking the time!

MAKING YOUR HOME SING MONDAY: EMOTIONS

Welcome to the "Making Your Home Sing Monday" meme!

There are certain times when it is hard to be a woman. You know what I mean. It's when you feel cranky and crabby (is that the same thing?) and you just don't feel like being "nice." You want to rip somebody's head off, and then two seconds later you want to dissolve into a little puddle of tears on the floor.

It's a roller coaster of emotions. And so many times, those emotions drive our behavior.

Imagine the confusion of the child who comes up to mom with a simple request, expecting to be treated sweetly and lovingly, and mom flares at him. Maybe another time it's for forgetting to take his shoes off, or for interupting her on the phone, or for any number of transgressions.

Imagine the hubby or co-worker or friend who has to tread very carefully, for fear of "setting" her off.

What can seem like a minor irritant on some days can seem like huge issues on other days. Ah the joys of being a woman. What can cause us to simply roll our eyes one day can turn us into a raving ball of hormones on another day. I am sure my own children have thought I was going around the bend a time or two.

We can blame hormones all we want, but in all honesty, we have to look at how we behave in front of others. If I can control my behavior when I'm out at a store, at church, hanging with friends, or (for some) at work during times like this, then shouldn't I be able to control it at home as well?

If I can treat others fairly and kindly, when all I want to do is curl up into a little ball and howl at the moon....oooops, sorry, I guess I've been watching to much t.v.....anyway, if I can respond kindly to others out in public, then I ought to be able to control my behavior and be just as kind at home.

I no longer have the excuse of "hormones" because I've proven that I can control myself in public. I can no longer use the excuse of hormones as a reason to be ugly and wrong my family with my words or my actions.

Why do we "let loose" at home? Because we can. Because we're tired of "holding it together." Because we really don't care what they think about us. They are family and we know they love us, absolutely. We are "safe" with them.

But we're also not overly worried about what they're thinking. If we were, we wouldn't be crabbing at everybody. We wouldn't be making everbody feel like they have to walk on eggshells, not sure who's coming out...normal mom or "mad" mom. Finally, because we're human and we're not perfect.

Maybe it's just me that get like this. I don't know. I'd like to think I'm not alone but you never know.

Today I can make my home sing by remembering that my emotions don't have to drive my behavior. Today I can put a smile on my face and "fake" it until I "make" it. Today I can pray, leave my emotions in the Lord's hands, and remember from Whom I draw my strength!

I don't have to live out of my emotions today, and I can praise Him and be thankful for the things I have to do, and for the family that I do it for. So if you see somebody today with a silly smile on their face, hopefully that will be me!

What are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing? Please go here for instructions and/or ideas and come back here to link up to join us today! As always, please don't forget to leave me a comment!

FRIDAY PHOTO FLASHBACK MEME

My dear friend Alicia is starting her own meme and well, I just had to try it! It has to do with publishing "flashback" photos. How fun is that?! Please go here to see more fun picture memories!

This photo was, obviously, taken on our wedding day. Right after we were married and excitedly making our way down the aisle to greet our parents.

That morning I was a very nervous bride. The thought of walking down the aisle, with all those people staring at it, was very intimidating. However, I put on my wedding dress and thought "dang! I look good!"

Seriously, I married my best friend that day. The most handsome man alive. The love of my life. He still is today! I love you honey!

FAIRY TALES, SHMARY TALES

When my kids were babies I would show them picture books and read to them, even though they weren't old enough to understand. They just liked the pictures. Then came the day when they were old enough to understand. So I wanted to read some of the stories I remembered from my childhood.

Oh. My. Word.

Have you ever seriously thought of some of these stories? I could be wrong here, but to the best of my recollection:

Hansel and Gretel. Their stepmom doesn't like them. They get lost in the woods. They get locked in a cage. They threw the witch in the oven. Wow. That oughta be good for a nightmare or two.

Snow White. Hey, not so bad, right? Except her stepmom tries to have her killed, if I'm remembering correctly. Then the woodsman spares her, she runs away and gets lost. Meets up with seven little dudes who are nice to her. Then the witch tries to poison her with an apple and she goes into a seemingly irreversible coma. Apple anyone?

Cinderella has to do all that work because of her stepmom and stepsisters. Boy I'll bet the fairy tale business set stepmoms back a thousand years.....what is up with their dissing stepmoms anyway?

Sleeping Beauty, well her whole kingdom goes to sleep, right? That can't be good. You can't eat when you're sleeping. Trust me, I've tried it. Doesn't work.

Let's see. The Wizard of Oz has a witch in it that used to scare my brother half to death. She sets the scarecrow on fire. She has creepy flying monkeys. And I was afraid to go near a poppy for weeks.

The Three Little Pigs has that mean ole' wolf in it that keeps coming back trying to blow their house down. Who needs that? Now, if he threw in a little dusting and vacuuming, now that would be a story worth reading.

Rapunzul gets trapped in a tower and the only way out is to let down her hair and then let some guy climb up it to rescue her. Do you know how much that would hurt? Can you imagine how much that guy weighs? Talk about pulling your hair out. O.k., ow!

What about Rip Van Winkle. He falls asleep and then wakes up, like, a million years later! O.k., it was really only twenty years. But still, wouldn't that freak you out a bit? Talk about giving a kid insomnia.

Billy Goats Gruff has a big ole' troll in it who will get you if you cross the bridge. I mean, that's just rude.

You know, on second thought, if I wanted to scare them that badly I could have just had them watch the nightly news.

WHEN THE WAY IS DIFFICULT

So today I was reading this in my Bible:

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." Rm. 12:11

This tells me that I am never to lose my enthusiasm for serving the Lord! Sometimes things can make you tired, can bring you down, can cause you stress. But this reminds me that no matter what, I am to hang on to my excitement, for I am serving Him. I am not serving myself.

Here's another one:

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in
prayer." Rm. 12:12

Notice we are to be joyful in hope. Joyful! How many times do we have hope for something, cling to hope for something, but we're not very joyful about it. It doesn't say to have joy in the circumstances.

We are to have joy in our hope. And we know that our hope is in Him. So if the circumstances aren't what we'd choose, if we are hurting and praying for God to intervene, then we take joy that He has heard our prayers. We can take joy that He knows what's going on and that He is doing a work in our lives. We can take joy in Him. God is in the circumstances.

It also says to be patient in affliction. That's a tough one. To be patient when we are going through a hard time. To be patient when we want out, and we want out now....To be patient when we're suffering, or someone we love is suffering.

It's easy to follow the Lord when the road is straight and well lit and easy. But what about when the road becomes rough, and bumpy, dark and painful, and you can't see where it's going?

This is when you are really walking what you believe. You are walking in the dark. You are putting out your hand for the Lord to lead you. This is walking by faith, not by sight. It is submission. Submission is a dance, and we must let the Lord lead.

If all your suffering makes you more like Jesus, won't that be a good thing? If all your suffering grows your faith, won't that be a good thing? Nobody ever grows without a little growing pains.

We are also to be faithful in prayer. Are you faithful in prayer? Am I? Why do we put a time limit on our prayers? We pray for something a few times, we don't think we see an answer yet, so do we give up? Do we think He hasn't answered? Do we think He hasn't heard us? Just because it seems like God hasn't answered yet doesn't mean He isn't going to. He always answers.

What if God's answer isn't the answer we wanted? What then? Do we give up on prayer?

No matter what, we have to believe in God's sovereignty. He is God, we are not, and He knows what He's doing. He can be trusted.

My dear sweet sisters, when the way is difficult, trust Him. When the path is dark, trust Him. When the road before you is painful and frightening, trust Him. He won't let you down.

THE POODLE AND THE BATH

I believe I mentioned in the past that I really should not be cutting people's hair. Not even the dog's hair. I do, however, feel qualified to cut my husband's hair in the back, but that's a whole other story.


Anyway, our poodle needed a haircut and I was loath to give it. Terrified in fact. What if I nicked her? What if I actually drew some serious blood? What if I gave her such a bad cut that she'd be to embarassed to go out in public again? Not to mention she might never speak to me again.

My sweet hubby took pity on me (and her) and we bought a RoboCut system to cut her hair with. We figured it will pay for itself the second time we use it (the price of two visits to the groomer). Not to mention we can use it on the kid's hair when the FlowBee wears out. How cool is that?

So I gave her a bath, which I have to tell you she did not enjoy. I always thought that dogs loved water and cats hated it. Hmmm, not this dog. Water is not her friend. BTW, yes, I did sterilize the sink after giving her a bath in it.

Next we wrapped her up in a towel and had my son hold her so we could humiliate her by taking yet another picture.

I cornered her in the bathroom and tried to blow dry her hair (no, I did not try and style it with a brush). Apparently, you are supposed to have their hair clean and dry before you cut it. Who knew?

So now the little princess has a new haircut, and you can see her eyes again. I'll bet she just can't wait to go thru this again. I should have taken a picture of her trying to bite the vacuum cleaner hose attachment. But then she bites everything as she's in that puppy stage.

Please keep Stellan in your thoughts and prayers today. You can see his picture on my right sidebar and read his story here.

PLEASE KEEP STELLAN IN YOUR PRAYERS

Tomorrow is baby Stellan's surgery. For those of you who don't know you can get details at his mom's blog. She's is Mckmama and you can also find her on twitter for quick updates.

His surgery is tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. Boston time., but he is going thru some stuff right now and could sure use some prayer.

She explains it on her blog and honestly, I will direct you over there as she explains it better than I ever could.

Just keep this precious baby in your prayers. Not only him, there are so many babies out there (not to mention people) in need of prayer. Just thought I'd pass this little guy along as I read his mom's blog, you can find it here.

MAKING YOUR HOME SING MONDAY: EXPECTATIONS

Wecome to the "Making Your Home Sing Monday" meme.

I imagine many of you have seen the video of Susan Boyle singing. If you haven't, feel free to follow the link but don't forget to come back! People had certain expectations when they saw her, but her singing just blew them away.

Sometimes we are so quick to label people. Sometimes, we are so quick to label our children, our husband, each other. We get something stuck in our head, we can get certain negative expectations of a person, and then we aren't willing to let people change for the better.

We are so quick to say "You always," or "You never," or "You keep saying that" or "You keep doing that." When people try and change, we may not let them. We may not believe them. We may not give them a chance.

What are your expectations of your children? Of your husband? Are they realistic? Are they fair? Do you expect more from them than they can give?

Sometimes we forget that children are children. They are learning. They are going to make mistakes. Yet, we forget to give them the grace to do that. We want them to learn it now. We can get impatient and annoyed when they forget to do what we just told them to do.

We really need to ask ourselves whether the issue is a heart issue, a training issue, or just a child issue. In other words, did they not do it because they just forgot, as children often do (a childhood issue)? Did they not do it because they really don't understand how to do the job (a training issue)? Or did they not do it because they are truly rebelling and being disobedient ( a heart issue).

I think sometimes we blame things on rebellion when really, it's just childhood forgetfulness and irresponsibility. True, we need to encourage them to remember what mom or dad said, but it doesn't mean that their heart is full of rebellion. Many times it's just sheer irresponsibility. They just forgot. Period.

Many is the time that I expected my husband to know what I wanted. After all, he loves me, right? So if he really loved me, he would know what I wanted without me even having to tell him, right????

I expected him to meet my needs, even if he didn't know what they were. Especially if he didn't know what they were. After all, he should just know, right? If he loved me, he would know. Yeah, how fair is that?

How many times do we get angry with someone because they failed to live up to our expectations? How many times do we get angry or disappointed with ourselves because we fail to meet our own expectations of what a woman or wife or mother should be like?

I am so glad that God loves me no matter what. Because I gotta tell you, I am so not perfect. But you know what, God loves me anyway!

What if we saw other people the way that God sees them? What if we saw the potential in them that God sees? What if we loved them the way God wants us to love them?

I can think of no better way to make my home sing, this week, than to ask God to help me see my family and others through His eyes. To love them the way that He wants me to love them. To love them more than I love myself. To not expect others to meet my needs, but to ask what I can do for them. Because I love them. Because He loves them.

What are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing? Please go here for instructions and/or ideas and come back here to link up to join us today! As always, please don't forget to leave me a comment!

IT'S FRIDAY!

Today is Friday.....surprise in case you forgot!

Friday used to be my "heavy" cleaning day. I would stack all of my heavy cleaning on this day and just get it over with for the week. I would dust, vacuum, sweep, mop, change the sheets, clean the bathrooms, do laundry, clean the glass mirrors, straighten rooms, etc.

I used to swap babysitting with a friend. She'd do her cleaning on Thursday while I babysat for her and then she'd watch mine on Friday and I would clean. I had less than four hours in which to clean like a madwoman and do any errands I needed to do.

Now I spread my cleaning out throughout the week, but I still have some of the same chores that I still do on Friday. It's funny but I still call it my "heavy" cleaning day, lol!

I liked to go into the weekend with a clean house, which was why I chose Friday, long ago, as my heavy cleaning day. I had a friend who chose Monday as her heavy day, since she liked to help the house "recover" after the weekend.

Now with Friday being a homeschool day I don't spend hours cleaning. But I still like to get some things done. So today I am going to chip away at my list and hopefully get things in shape for the weekend.

What about you? Do you have a heavy cleaning day?

MY ROOM OF DOOM AND ME

So because I have absolutely nothing better to do, I faced my Room of Doom from yesterday with list in hand. I took my own advice (there's a shock) and asked myself the questions and told myself I better have some good answers.


What is the purpose for this room? The master bedroom. Storing our clothes and sleeping.


Are the activities done in the room in line with its purpose? Well, you tell me. Look at the list of things from below that have found their way in there.


What doesn't belong in there?

• The piles of sorted laundry on the floor.....well, I started sorting them so that I could do laundry and then got distracted. Now I'm walking all over them.


• Magazines.


• Empty cardboard box from when somebody ordered something from ebay.


• My ASL notebook.


• A Wheat Thins box.


• Some winter gloves....seriously, winter gloves in April?


• The things we're donating to the yard sale.


• An empty shoebox....somebody (who shall remain nameless) took the new shoes out but didn't throw the box away.


• A baby outfit and baby shoes....honestly, a baby suit vest, pants and shoes that my 20 year old wore when he was a baby....sniff....sniff.....I loaned them to someone and they gave them back and now I have to decide if I can part with them.


• A poster.


• An umbrella....yeah, that will do me a lot of good as it always rains in my bedroom.


• Clothes laying on the dresser. They should be hung up in the closet...ooops!


• Folded laundry......hmmmm, wonder if I should put them away.

What belongs in there? Clean clothes, shoes. Definitely not an umbrella.


Is the room's purpose in line with my current needs? Well, since I need to sleep somewhere I'm thinking absolutely. Can't see myself giving up sleeping anytime soon.



What new habits should I be creating in regards to the upkeep of this room?....you had to ask. O.k., how about these ideas:

• Hang up clothes after wearing them. Without fail. What a novel concept.


• Sort laundry elsewhere. Hey, I have a unique idea. How about sorting laundry in the....oh, I don't know....the laundry room?


• If you have to have a snack, return dishes/snack box to kitchen.....erase the evidence, lol!


• Put things away when you're finished with them instead of putting them"out of sight" or in there "just for now."


• Put magazines in the recycling when done with them.

So I made my list and the suggestions make sense. Now I just have to follow them. If I can do that and make some new habits, my Room of Doom will disappear. Well, my room won't disappear, just the mess. Work with me here folks!

WORKS FOR ME: ROOM OF DOOM REVISITED

"We Are That Family" is hosting Works-For-Me Wednesday again.

I once did a post asking everyone what their Room of Doom was. You can see it here. I mentioned that mine was the master bedroom. It still is.

I walked in there tonight and noticed that it was messy again....sigh! Grrr...growl....grumble.

When faced with a Room of Doom that is more often messy than clean, it might be helpful to ask myself why this particular room is so messy. What is it, about this room, that is causing the problem. Why is it my Room of Doom (cue gloomy music)?

You would think that our kitchen would be my Room of Doom because it gets alot of use by everyone. So you would think that it would be the messiest in the house, and that our bedroom would stay clean. Not so.

Because the kitchen gets so much use, because I am in it so much, I make sure it's clean. The master bedroom is so easy to ignore. I can just walk away from the mess and I don't have to look at it all day.

It's hard to ignore a mess in the kitchen, or in the living room, for that matter. But it's easy in the bedroom. Just close the door and walk away.

I know that I will put things in there that don't belong in there, "just for now." But the "just for now" will turn into "just forever" if I don't nip this bad habit in the bud. If someone is dropping by it's so easy to grab the newpaper and tossing it into the bedroom, instead of in the box where it belongs.

It's so easy to toss a stray coat or sweater into the bedroom instead of hanging them up where they belong. So easy to toss my shoes in there, instead of putting them away in the closet.

I always tell myself I'll put them away later......ha! If I did what I said I was going to do, it'd be clean right now.

If you're having this problem, too, with some room in your home, I think some good questions to ask ourselves would be:

• What is the purpose for this room? (eating, sleeping, washing clothes, cooking, etc. Depends on the room)


• Are the activities done in the room in line with its purpose? (Are you eating in the master bedroom and then leaving dishes in there? Are you sorting laundry in there and then leaving piles on the floor for everyone to walk over)


• What belongs in there?


• What doesn't belong in there? (Does a football belong in the kitchen? Do dishes belong in the living room? Do schoolbooks belong in the laundry room?)


• Is the room's purpose in line with my current needs? (Maybe you once needed a children's playroom but if your kids have left the nest perhaps you should consider bringing the exercise equipment in from the garage or making it a sewing room, etc.)


• What new habits should I be creating in regards to the upkeep of this room?

Sometimes asking questions and thinking about a problem can lead us to the solution(s) to solve it. So I guess I need to take a good look at what's not working in there and make some new habits, and banish the Room of Doom once for all! I'm hoping this will work for me anyway!

For more Works-For-Me Wednesday posts please go here for some great ideas!

DATING DISASTERS AND OTHER FUNNY STORIES

When my husband and I were dating he pulled his car in front of my apartment to walk me to my door. We waited in the car for a few minutes talking and praying together. We always ended our dates with prayer at my husband's suggestion, which I loved.

We were sitting there with just the glow of the dashboard to light things up so we could see each other a bit. Anyway, while we were sitting there talking, my then-boyfriend-now-husband turns to me and says "You look very pretty in low lighting."

I have to admit that I burst out laughing, and he did too when he realized what he said. Wow. What a compliment! I sure look good in the dark!

When my husband and I were dating, we determined that it was very important that we be friends. It still is important. Very important.

You have to continue to build on that friendship even after you're married. Especially when you're married. It's awesome to be able to love and share and laugh, cry and pray together (well the crying part isn't so fun but we're there for each other!).

We have lots of dating stories that we can laugh about now. We laughed about them then (for the most part) and we're still laughing now.

O.k., now here's where the title "Dating Disasters and Other Funny Stories" comes in. Does anybody have any funny dating stories they want to share? Feel free to leave them in the comments sections (please keep them family-friendly so I can print them!) or put a link to your blog if you choose to do a post about it. Can't wait to read them!

PROBLEM WITH FOLLOWERS

Editing this again: I went onto Google Helps Group (or whatever it's called) and apparently other people are having this problem as well. So it's not just me. All they see is just a big white box, empty of followers, same as I see. So if you're a new follower of mine feel free to leave a comment so I can visit your blog, since I can't see you (or anybody else) until this is fixed.

Editing this after comments: I tried a different browser but I can't see my followers on that browser either. Just a big blank box. So strange that some of you guys can see your followers and I can't.

I have a question. At first I assumed that everyone was having a problem seeing their followers, because I am. My followers box is empty on my blog, and is just a white box. No pictures, no names, just a big ole' empty box.

It's been this way for days, maybe even a week. I see the same thing when I visit your blogs too, so I can't see your followers either. So I thought it was happening to everyone.

Now I'm wondering, can everybody see their followers? Am I the only one who can't? I can't see anyone so I can't follow anyone. I have no idea what to do about this.

Now, please scroll down to see Making Your Home Sing Monday meme or go here! I don't want to take away from this meme and all the great things everyone posted, but I did have this one question. Thanks for your input.

MAKING YOUR HOME SING MONDAY: TIME

Welcome to the Making Your Home Sing Monday meme!

Last week I blogged that I was taking some time off, which I did. I did miss talking with you and reading your blogs. So hopefully all is well with everybody. Thank you for your lovely comments, by the way.

There are two things I know. I know that we cannot make our homes sing if we are never in them. I also know that we cannot make our homes sing if we're always on the computer, watching t.v., reading a book, twittering, texting, running around with our friends, or whatever else is available out there.

Sometimes, stay at home moms really like to get out of the house. Alot. And we can fill our weeks with endless trips to McDonalds (woohoo!), Costco (another woohooo!), the library, shopping, the park (not so much), the mall (rarely), running errands, etc. Some things need doing that day, some don't.

When my kids were little, we were gone alot. Sports, church activities, friend play days, McDonalds trips to meet friends, homeschool co-op, parks, the zoo, etc. It always seemed more fun to go off and do something than to stay home and manage my home. Hanging out at the park was much more fun than mopping the floor!

The problem is that if this happens alot, then things aren't getting done around here. I find the same situation with blogging. It can take a little time, or a lot of time. It just depends on how you use it.

Time. I don't have time to deal with time. It takes to much time (lol!).

This week I discovered I can do twitter on my computer (you can see my updates on my left sidebar). It's also just one more thing to take up my time, lol! Blogging takes time, surfing the net takes time, watching t.v. takes time, reading takes time, cooking takes time, cleaning takes time, reading my Bible takes time, spending time with my family takes time.

We all have the same amount of 24 hours available in our day. Some people do great with time management, some not so great. Some people get more things done than others. But we all have the same amount of time available to us.

Time is a choice. We always have time to do something, don't you think? Always. But it's just that we are choosing to spend our time doing other things. If I want to do one thing, I have to spend less time doing something else. It all comes down to how we choose to spend our time.

So this week I am going to take a look at my schedule/priorities and see how I am choosing to spend my time, so that I can manage my days better. I cannot regain the time once it's spent, and I wish to spend it wisely.

I may not be blogging every day, or maybe my posts will be shorter (won't you be thrilled!), I don't really know. But I do know that evaluating how I am spending my time is an awesome way to make my home sing today!

What are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing? Please go here for instructions and/or ideas and come back here to link up to join us today! As always, please don't forget to leave me a comment!

HE IS RISEN!

I just had to pop back on here and say how very thankful I am for my Savior. He is Risen! I hope you all have a lovely Resurrection Sunday and I'll see you soon.

In case you noticed, I had to publish Making Your Home Sing Monday in order to see if Mr. Linky was working, then I put it back in draft.. It will be up for you to link to in the morning. Have a lovely day.

TAKING A BREAK

Edit: I am editing this to add that I will occasionally pop on and post any comments. I am not so pressed for time that I can't stop in and publish any comments that you have graciously taken the time to leave. thank you!

I am finding that I need to take a break for a bit. At least a few days. Maybe a week. Nothing is wrong. I am just tired and I just need some time off (sorry to sound so dramatic, lol). I need to have more time to focus on my family and my homemaking responsibilites.

As of now I don't feel like I'm leaving forever. I am just trying to figure out what I can do to make this blogging thing work. I don't know that I can keep blogging every day, so I need to figure out how I want to do this and how often I can post.

I love all my readers, followers and commenters and really appreciate all the time you have taken to visit me. You can still reach me by email and I will probably do a few tweeters. I just need to take a break from blogland for a bit and get some things done around here. I may visit a blog or two, but I won't be blogging as such.

I will definitely be back for Making Your Home Sing Monday though so I hope you'll all join me then. Hopefully by then I'll have figured out what I'm doing.

TWITTER AND ME

I hate twitter already. Over the past few weeks I have had some people ask me if I'm twittering. So today I set up a twitter account. Just for fun. I am not having fun....

Momstheword was taken so I signed up as momsthewordfun.

I can't figure out how to put a little birdie on my blog. I also can't figure out how to put a stat counter or anything on my blog to direct you to my twitter.

I am beginning to think that twittering is beyond my capabilities.

I think there are some people who should twitter, and some who shouldn't.

Sadly, I am beginning to suspect that I am one of those people who shouldn't...hahaha!

Feel free to help me since I am so lame. Should I get any followers I would like to display their pictures on there like they do on here but don't know how it's done.

If I ever figure this out, and have any hair left after pulling it out, I will be happy to direct you to my twitter.

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TEENAGERS WHEN...

You know you have teenagers when:

• You turn your car on and jump six feet in the air because the blaring radio blasts you away.


• You feel the need to write "Please do not remove" on things like scissors and masking tape, and you still can't find them when you need them.


• You put food on the table and before you can sit down it's disappeared and they're asking for more.


• Your snack food has a way of disappearing....even if you hide it.


• Pop cans litter your family room.


• You can't understand a word your kids are saying.


• If you even try to use their slang it freaks them out. (Notice how "freaks" is also a slang word.)


• Their shoes are bigger than your shoes. By a mile.


• They take fifteen showers a day and use fifteen towels.


• They call you "dude." Even if you're a girl. O.k., in a room of boys and girls I would be a girl.


• When they drive, you keep stepping on the brake pedal, even though there isn't one on the passenger's side.


• They don't want you carrying heavy bags because they're to heavy for you to carry. Because. You're. Old.


• They ask you if there were cars when you were young. And they mean it.


• They ask you if there was t.v. when you were young. And they mean it.


• They eat dinner at 5:00 p.m., and at 7:00 p.m., and at 9:00 p.m., and at 11:00 p.m...


• You recognize the back of their head more than you do their face.
• You give them the supplies to wash your car and they decide to wash theirs instead.
• You ask them to clean their room and they wind up making a bigger mess.
• They are taller than you are, and they gloat about it.


• You ask these teenagers to help you write your post and all they want to do is correct your grammar and punctuation errors.
• You wish your friend's daughter, Kathleen Elizabeth, was here to help you write it. You know she'd come up with something brillant but unfortunately, she is not over at your house eating popcorn and helping you write this, since she feels that college homework is more important....whatever.....
  

MAKING YOUR HOME SING MONDAY: COMPLAINING

Welcome to the Making Your Home Sing Monday meme!

Yesterday it was 70° ! 70°!!! How awesome is that? Except for you Floridians and others who are boasting 80's or 90's, etc.

I was driving my youngest over to a friend's house to do a little male-bonding over basketball. I had the windows down and was listening to music, the sun was out, it was light and bright and the days are getting warmer and longer. Spring is finally here! For today at least.

It got me to thinking about the temperature of a woman's home. We are the barometers of our home. You've heard the phrase "If mamma's happy, everybody's happy." We can bring light to our homes, or gloom!

If you don't believe me, start slamming cupboard doors, snip at everyone and complain alot, and let's see how quickly everyone's mood takes a nosedive, including your own.

When the kids were younger, my husband would come home from work, and I'm sure he would have loved about 30 minutes to unwind, read the paper, put his feet up, whatever. As women, and especially women who are home with the kids all day, we tend to view our husband's job as a "break." When he comes home, we expect help. Right. Now. And. Hurry. Up.

Dad comes in the door and it's "Here's the kids. I've been doing this all day. It's your turn." Sometimes I even met him at the door with baby in hand! I totally agree that Dad needs to be supportive at home. But mom needs to be supportive of Dad and understanding of him too.

My poor husband would come home and the kids would be whining and I'd be whining and nobody was particularly happy at the moment. Does that sound like something you'd want to come home to? Does that sound like something you'd hurry home to?

Can you imagine being greeted at the door with complaints about mom's day? If mom is complaining about her day all day, does dad think she's glad to be home? I love the verse from Proverbs 25:24 that says "Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife."

Another one is Prov. 21:19 "Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife."

Really. A desert is preferable? A corner of the roof is preferable?

When hubby comes home we are so tempted to unload on him. Unload our frustrations, our anger, complaints, unhappiness or whatever we were feeling that day. I know more than once my husband said something like "If you're so unhappy, maybe you might be happier if you go back to work."

That took me by surprise. Because I was happy. I loved being home. Not that he could tell that by my behavior or anything. Can your husband tell it by yours? (I know, ouch! Sorry.)

I wasn't doing myself any favors by storing up and building up all these emotions, waiting to unload them on my unsuspecting husband. I wasn't doing him any favors either. I would have been better off praying about them instead of stewing about them.

Eventually, I learned to give my husband about 30 minutes after he came home to unwind. I made a big deal about having the kids and I greet him at the door (when we could), then we would give daddy some time to relax after his day.

Just having that time for daddy helped me too. It helped me think about what wasn't working in the "crying hour," the hour before dinner when the kids were crazy and I was crazy trying to fix dinner. It helped me come up with ideas to make that transition time more peaceful for the kids and for me.

I imagine those of you who work outside the home run into the same problem. When you come home tired after working all day, and now you get to fix dinner. Goody!

I came up with snack options, activities to occupy them, and tried to have dinner preparations better thought out and planned. I also learned to hold my tongue, and give my husband time to unwind before "unloading" on him. I discovered I was able to "unload" with a better tone of voice and better choice of words. Easing the transition stress for the kids eased my stress too.

Waiting to talk with my husband allowed me to take it down a notch. To be able to calm down a bit and tell him about my day, minus the crying. It helped us to be able to discuss it without me getting emotional, defensive, or being argumentative. It also helped me realize that maybe my hubby had a few good ideas, which I learned to listen to instead of automatically shooting them down.

My kids are older now, but I still have moments where I "unload" my day the minute my husband walks through the door. Imagine walking in the door and being told the dog is throwing up, the sink is backing up, and so is the toilet....and would you please go fix everything....you get the idea.

For today, I am going to try and remember to give my husband some downtime when he gets home....what about you?

What are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing? Please go here for instructions and/or ideas and come back here to link up to join us today! As always, please don't forget to leave me a comment!

WHAT A BURGLAR ALARM REALLY WANTS TO SAY

I have a love/hate relationship with burglar alarms. Mostly hate. I live in fear of setting them off. I have set off our home alarm several times, however I have never set off the church's alarm...though I live in fear of it every time I have to go over there and unlock it.

Not only that, but whenever I lock up and leave my house, it seems like I have to go back inside at least two or three times. I'm always forgetting something.

So yesterday, I was talking to my friend, Linda (yes, I'm talking about you and if you'd get yourself a blog you could defend yourself, hehehe! Rhonda, please tell her I gossiped about her today). Anyway, she was telling me about this polite burglar alarm. After she sets it, it very politely and calmly tells her to "Please exit the building now."

So, I was thinking that I want a polite, helpful burglar alarm too. After I set it here are the things I want it to say to me:

• Are you ready to leave the building now?
• Do you have everything you need in your hands?
• Are they in your hands so you can make a fast exit before I set the alarm off?
• Do you have your purse?
• Do you have your keys?
• Did you feed the dogs today?
• Did you let the dogs outside to go the bathroom before you left?
• Did you let the dogs back inside again?
• Did you tell your mom you were leaving?
• Did you tell your family you were leaving?
• Do you want to rethink the whole outfit that you're wearing today?
• You're not wearing that are you?
• Are you sure you want to go out looking like that?
• Seriously. That hair? Seriously?????
• Did you "forget" to eat lunch again, causing you to "have to" buy lunch out again today?
• Are you going to stick to your non-existent budget?
• Are you going to come back in two or three times, because it really irritates me when you do that. I'm a burglar alarm for goodness sake, not a homeowner-who-can't-get-it-together alarm!!!!
• Did you read your Bible today?
• Did you exercise today?
• Did you put on deodorant?
• Didn't you wear that outfit yesterday?
• How much caffeine have you had today?
• Are you really going to leave the house looking like this? What if a burglar broke in and saw this mess?
• Oh no you are not going to leave this house without making your bed, Missy!
• Did you remember to flip the clothes from the washer to the dryer?
• Did you remember to turn the dryer off before you left?
• Isn't that your third cookie?
• Don't you think you're wearing a little to much makeup?
• You do not need any more clothes, so don't buy any.
• Don't you think you should stay home more?
• What's for dinner?
• When are you coming back? Yeah, right....

Yeah, when they come out with a burglar alarm like that, sign me up!

MY FRIEND'S NEW BLOG

O.k., so my girlfriend Rhonda has just started her first blog! I guilted her into it....hehehe! I have been nagging her for weeks and frankly, I think she did it just to shut me up.

So if you want to meet her please go visit her here and tell her hi! She has two precious kids and keeps me in stiches every day with all the things they do (like her two year old daughter sitting on her baby brother's head...hehehe!).

Anyway, I love her and she's a dear friend so please pop over there and tell her "hi!" And if she tells you I'm a nice person, she's telling the truth. If she tells you I'm a pain, she's lying....hahaha! I gotta go read her blog now! See ya!

ON WOMEN, WAX, AND OH NEVER MIND....

First I apologize for this post. I woke up tired, and I didn't have a post for you for today. But I kind of hated to just leave you with yesterday's post. When I'm tired I think wierd things. Well, I think wierd things when I'm not tired. But especially when I'm tired. So this is what you get. So sorry. My humble apologies and deep embarassment. I'm still posting it anyway, because apparently my judgement is impaired too....

Awhile ago I did a post here wondering about whose idea it was for us women to take a sharp, dangerous instrument and run it up and down our legs, as hard as we can, as many times as we can. Suffering for beauty, yeah, whatever.

Now I'm wondering about waxing. How did that all begin? Was someone leaning over and smelling a lit candle one day (who smells lit candles?) and got wax all over their upper lip? Did they stand up, peel off the wax and go "Well, would you look at that? I no longer have a mustache!" Is that how it happened?

Was someone wearing shorts and warming their bare legs over the roaring fire (?) of a candle and somehow managed to get wax all over their legs? Did they rip it off, ignoring the pain, and basking in the warm glow of smooth, silky soft legs?

I just want to know who made this decision. How did it happen? Who thought it up? Who decided that they'd rather have hair ripped off their legs....their legs for goodness sake! Do you know how long legs are? How much hair ripping that is? I shudder to think.

You can also buy something that will pretty much dissolve the hair off your legs. Much less painful than ripping it out. However, think about it. If something can actually dissolve the hair off your legs, do you really want it on your skin? Is it really all that healthy?

So, how on earth, did somebody decide that yanking the hair out by the roots was a good idea. And how on earth did they sell the idea to the public?

Can you imagine someone walking up to their boss and saying, "Hey boss. I got an idea. Let's just tell people that instead of shaving their underarms or legs, they should just pay us to rip their hair out."

What do you suppose the boss thought? Hmmm? I know what I'd think. But somehow, they managed to do it. How come they can't sell men on the idea? How come men still shave their faces instead of waxing them?

Is it because women will suffer for beauty but men won't? And how did they sell us on that idea?
Lest you wonder, I braved the waxing and had my upper lip done. I was wandering aimlessly around the mall at the time and it just seemed like a good idea.

Yes, they really do rip the hair right off your lip. Yes, it feels like it too. But the sting only lasts for about fifteen to twenty-five hours (o.k., not really, maybe ten hours....hehehe! Just kidding. It's really only five....). Seriously, I used to wonder about people who did that...now I am one. How did that happen?

MENTORING AND ACCOUNTABILITY

I have met and made many bloggy friends here online. Many women that I would love to sit and chat with in real life (IRL). Reading their blogs is awesome, and you can even email back and forth if you have time, but nothing beats sitting down and having a real-time in-person chat.

There are even blogs I read where the blogger has no idea who I am, has never responded to a comment and has never (I'm pretty sure) even visited my blog. Still, I enjoy their blogs and think they might be fun to sit down and get to know IRL.

You enjoy someone's blog, they seem to have wisdom, a wit, or a personality that you enjoy. Maybe they really encourage you, or just give you some great ideas or tips that you haven't thought of yet. Maybe they're just really REAL and make you feel as if they've come alongside you in your journey and that they're walking or have walked in your shoes (or slippers, lol!).

In the blogging world, you often get insights and glimpses into someone's life or personality that you may not see IRL, unless you are intentional about it.

These people out there who are blogging, these people whose blogs you and I enjoy and think would be fun people to meet, they are real people, just like you and I.

Out there, all around us, are real people that we may be missing. Real people with great ideas, great support and great encouragement that we may be missing, because we're not intentionally taking the time to get to know them. We may be sitting next to them at church, at a meeting, or live right next door to them. They may be our kid's AWANA leader, our Pastor's wife, our next door neighbor, or someone we just recently met.

Do you have a woman in your life that you can look up to? Someone that you feel is an encourager, a support, a mentor? Do you have someone who is a Titus2 woman to you? Someone who you can share with, someone who will pray with you or listen to you when you need it?

Someone who will speak truth to you when you need to hear it, even if you don't want to? Someone that will hold you accountable and say "Well, how does this decision meet with your goals?"

You want someone to come alongside you and encourage you in your journey. You want a mentor and a sister-friend. I encourage you to find someone to do that for you. Find yourself an accountability partner.

Someone you can share goals with or weaknesses that you need prayer and encouragement on. Someone who will call or email you and ask "Did you read your Bible today? So how did last night go, did you lose your temper or keep your cool like you hoped?" or "What's God doing in your life today?"

Someone who might be able to give you some ideas or suggestions that you might want to follow in order to build your walk with the Lord or encourage you in your marriage and your parenting. Someone you can be real with and who will be real with you.

If you don't have someone like that, be prayerful and be intentional. Look around you. Find a woman you respect, that you look up to, that models Jesus to you. Sometimes all you need to do is take the first step and say "Hey, would you like to grab a cup of coffee sometime?"

THE BIG REVEAL

O.k., Beth, I hope you're happy now! Hehehehe! I apologize for the shorts but hey, it was 90 degree weather for goodness sake! This picture is a couple of years old but I don't have any recent ones to upload. So here we are and now you know what I look like!