A Good Day

"I was glad when they said to me, Let us go into the house of the Lord."

Psalm 122:1

Yesterday was indeed a day of gladness for our church family. For the first time since March 15, our whole congregation was able to come together, in person, for a worship service. Yes, we social distanced. Masks were worn. People were seated in family groups with every other pew left empty. Blue taped Xs marked spaces to leave vacant. Hand sanitizer was available. Doors were propped open. Ushers were available to direct you to your seat and to guide the orderly exit at the end of the service.

But it was glorious! I was so happy to see people's actual faces and to sing hymns with all the people. Our service was live streamed online and also available on Zoom for those who still cannot get out, so that's a blessing too. In one form or another, our congregation was together. 

Trey's sermon was based on Nehemiah 3 and 4, and he encouraged us to build bridges to bring others to Jesus. He used the principles from the people rebuilding the wall in Nehemiah to illustrate how we can do the work set before us today. Bridges to Jesus. Isn't that just what the world needs?

After the service we all visited in the parking lot. There was much catching up to do and so many smiles. It was such a beautiful morning. 

Our Sunday afternoon was a typical one. I served lunch to my family and Julie, Big Sam, and Mae. After we ate, I took Mae outside and she helped me water my plants. Then I let her play in her baby pool and she enjoyed a popsicle. She loves to be outside! Pop took her for a walk, and Clay pushed her in her pink car and blew bubbles for her. Throughout the afternoon she also played with or was entertained by Leah and Sam too.  

Our church also had our Sunday night Bible study at our building (and on Zoom), so we attended that too. After more visiting in the parking lot, we headed home.

It was a nice, restful day, highlighted with the milestone of gathering again with God's people in real life.

To Blog Or Not To Blog

I first began blogging in May of 2008.  I don't even remember the original purpose except that it was a fairly new (to me) thing, and it sounded like something I would enjoy. I spent some time trying to decide if I wanted a homeschool-related blog only (and I looked at some homeschool blogging platforms) or a general blog (and I considered Blogspot, the only platform I saw that others were using).  In the end I went with Google's Blogspot and writing a blog of a general nature.

I have never had any rhyme or reason to my blog. I have just shared my life over the last 9 years in a less than consistent manner. My topics have included homemaking, homeschooling, parenting, sickness, grief, vacations, random fun, Scripture, how-to, holidays, running, exercise, and most recently weddings. I have also never had any specific goals for my blog--just sharing information that was relevant to me in hopes that it may bring joy or offer help or encouragement to someone else too.

I have been trying to decide what to do with this blog for several months now. Part of me wants to create a routine where I blog on a regular basis (5 days a week? once a week? twice a week?). Part of me wants to stop altogether. Part of me wants to completely delete the blog off the internet.

Do people even read blogs anymore?

Is there anything else to say that has not been said?

Does anyone even care that my family ran yet another race or that I dropped off yet another child at college, or that we have started yet another year of homeschooling (the 16th!) or that I have found the best way to clean my shower door or that my heart is broken because my three oldest children are grown and gone and it happened too fast and I am trying to find the positive in all my situations.

I am not sure what I am going to do.

If I continue blogging, what topics are you, my readers, most interested in?

• random family life
• homemaking tips and ideas
• homeschooling tips and ideas
• exercise
• recipes and meal planning
• home organization, cleaning, etc.
• personal Bible study-thoughts/ideas/applications
• products and books that I like
• wedding planning ideas and specifics

I hope to begin our fall routine with what will be our new normal family life on Monday. We did begin school last Monday, but we left last Thursday to bring Clay to college. We have done a couple of days of hotel school, but we have yet to settle into a routine of school, piano, XC and art classes. Most of that will begin for us next week. 

It's Happening Again

Just like about seven weeks ago, as I sit here beginning my day with reading a Psalm, it hits me.
Olivia is leaving home for good.
In 6 short days she will marry Brian, and they will leave to begin their new life together--far away from us.
Olivia is such a ray of sunshine! I will miss her terribly.

The tears come again.

Where has the time gone? How in the the blink of an eye have my older girls gone from playing dolls and stuffed animals for hours and days on end to getting married and moving away?

"How precious is your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings."

Psalm 37:7

Under the shadow of the Lord's wings; that's the only place I can live right now. I can draw comfort from knowing that Olivia is in His hands. As she begins her new life with Brian, I know they have committed to keeping serving Jesus at the center of their marriage. 

My anxiety level is high. I have a million things to do in order to pull off wedding #2 smoothly.  My emotions are all over the place. Jimmy's beloved grandmother, Munu, passed away Friday night, and we are all mourning. She was such a godly lady and is leaving behind a wonderful legacy. Julie and Big Sam are leaving for Romania in 8 days. Clay begins college in about a month. The Lord knew that I would need two more children after my older three left home.....I am so glad I have Leah and Sam. I have said that a hundred times these last few months.  Having more children to mother full time is such a blessing to me.

Those who know me well know that I rarely cry.  But recently the tears come often and in unexpected places. Change is hard for me, and that is what I struggle with most. I am praying for wisdom as I begin a new chapter of my life--I have a new role now (mother-in-law), and the great thing about that is now I have more children! 

Like I wrote about earlier in this post the day before Julie was married,  I am purposing to choose joy. I love Jimmy with all my heart, and I want all my children to experience the same joy in their adult lives. Thanksgiving produces joy. I have said that over and over again, but it is true. When I feel overwhelmed I remind myself of my blessings, and the joy soon follows. Yes, it requires discipline to not give into the selfishness of "my children are all growing up and leaving me!", but being thankful that our God and Father has them in the palm of His hand brings me immeasurable comfort.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God; and the peace that passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7

I Choose Joy

"I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High."

Psalm 9: 1-2

Today I choose joy. 

My precious Julie will be married tomorrow. 

Today I have one thousand things on my to-do list, the bulk of which will take place beginning at 8:00 this morning at the wedding venue. I am meeting my BFFs, my wedding planners extraordinaire, Lynn and Leanna, there for us to work our magic! I have packed my SUV like a game of Tetris, and I have many more items to load into the back of Jimmy's truck, including an arbor he built (absolutely beautiful), four ferns, and a keyboard and bench. 

I slept poorly last night, thinking of all I had to do today. I am also a little nervous to let my child go. And the tears fall.

So I get out my Bible to try to begin my day in the right frame of mind. I turn to the Psalms where I read from each morning to get my mind on God, praising Him, petitioning Him, reminding myself that He is in control. Psalm 9 begins with the psalmist praising God with his whole heart. That's how I can choose joy today in spite of my personal feelings of being overwhelmed by the tasks before me. In spite of the fact that I am entering into a new and unfamiliar stage of life. My whole heart must be focused on praising God and His goodness. I will be glad and rejoice in Him. 

I could not be happier for sweet Julie and the life she will begin with her beloved Sam tomorrow. They are both mature; Christ and serving Him is the center of their lives. They are both smiling continually, and their joy is contagious! 

People ask me how am I coping with "losing two daughters at once". First of all, I am not losing them! I am gaining two more children when they marry. Sure, I could be selfish and focus on myself, my feelings, my "loss", but would that be right? Instead, I choose joy. What more can a mother ask than for her children to marry godly spouses? Men who will love her daughters and take care of them. Men who love the Lord and will strive to keep Christ at the center of their lives.

But mostly I comfort myself with this thought......I am so happy in my life. I love my husband. I love my children. Jimmy and I have had such a full life so far. Of course we have had bumps along the way, but overall, I am living my dream of being a full-time wife, homemaker and mother. I get to homeschool my children. I get to spend my days serving my family....And that is what I want for my children. 

If I don't let them grow up and leave our nest, then they will never experience the joy of marriage and parenting that Jimmy and I have delighted in. They must leave to have their own families and lives and to one day face their own children growing up and leaving home. 

So today, I chose joy. Joy in the future that awaits Julie and Big Sam. Joy in the fact that the Lord will comfort me as I experience many emotions over the next couple of days. Joy in the fact that God loves Julie infinitely more than I do, and she is in His care and protection.

Running Motivates Me

I have gotten out of the habit of doing many things the last several months.  Blogging and running are just two of those things.

This morning as I was running (and my running has been so sporadic lately), I came to a couple of conclusions.

1.  I have got to get back to doing two things that I know I love doing (running and blogging).

2.  I am going to start TODAY doing those two things again.

3.  I have a plan for both blogging and running. 

Running:  I am supposed to be training for the St. Jude Half Marathon in December, and I have a training plan in place for that.  Starting this morning, I am following that plan.  No excuses.  No exceptions.

Blogging: Today marks 100 days until Christmas Day.  I know that because (1) I received an email stating that fact, and (2) Today is my birthday, and I always know that from my birthday until Christmas Day is 100 days.  So, I have given myself the challenge of blogging every day for 100 days.

Usually, setting goals and putting them on paper motivates me to keep the goal.  

My blog posts will vary in content and length, but I am committing to posting something each day.

*****I want to share a somewhat short explanation of why I have fallen out of the habit of blogging since last February.*****

1. We discontinued our satellite internet service last February.  Ever since then we have used our iPhones as personal hotspots to use the internet on our computers.  I have had a mental block regarding this.  It really is not that big of a deal to connect to my phone in order to access the internet on my laptop, but it is  perceived inconvenience. No more.  I am going to make myself blog even though it requires a tiny bit more effort than just opening my laptop and starting to type. In case you are wondering, we live in a somewhat rural area where absolutely no high-speed internet access is available except for satellite (which is overpriced, slow, and unreliable). I even contacted our public service commissioner this summer, begging him to do something so we could have high-speed internet.  They are working on it. Which means it may be years before something is available in our area.  :)
2. This is the most important reason I have not been blogging……last February my beloved father-in-law, Jim was diagnosed with cancer (cholangiocarcinoma), and to be honest, the stress of that journey and all it entailed overtook my daily life. It was a precious time. Sadly (for us, but happily for him), Jim passed from this life on July 29. My sister-in-law, Megan, blogged perfectly about our experience, and you can click here to read it.  Anyway, I was conflicted the entire time about my blogging.  From the beginning of my blog, I have purposed to keep it real. Meaning that if I had personal struggles I tried to share them, not in a way to ask for pity, but hopefully to encourage others.  I have always wanted my blog to be an encouragement to others.  I never intended to paint a false picture of "having it all together/super mom" while my personal life was falling apart.  So, when things got tough the last several months, I just stopped writing----not because I did not want to share our struggle, but because I felt like it was not my story to tell. Does that make sense?  I felt it was too personal to share someone else's illness…….on the other hand, I did not feel right blogging about the silly and mundane things happening at my house, when we were all going through such a trial with Jim.  It just didn't seem right.

But I am ready now.  

Last Saturday, my dear friends Lynn and Leanna and all of our families (17 of us in all!) ventured to the first MS State home football game of the season.  Our three families bought season tickets this year (all together---a row of 17).  Fun!  Lynn's sister and her children joined us for tailgating before the ballgame.  And, sadness!  Olivia and Julie are both far away at their own college, and will not be joining us---except for the State/Ole Miss game which will be played while they are home for Thanksgiving break.

 Jimmy and Me

Me, Leanna, Lynn, and Lesley

The game was fun….even though we LOST!  We stated for the entire game (bad decision!), and so since the game was not over until midnight, and there was the biggest traffic jam ever on campus--thousands of people trying to leave at the same time--we arrived home at 3:30 AM.

Crazy!

This is what sat in front of us!

Check out the purple and yellow checked pants.

(He was an enthusiastic LSU fan--let's just leave it at that.)

Until tomorrow…….

Well. That's a Record

This is the longest I have ever gone without blogging since I began.

So much has been happening.  Some of it mundane. Some of it very stressful. Some of it happy and fun.

The summer is flying by.  We had a restful and enjoyable vacation to the Smoky Mountains.  We hiked almost every day, and our last hike was an 8 mile one!  It took us 6 hours, and at one point I thought I was going to fall off this skinny little board bridge into the raging river below.

Lynn and I (and Leanna too) survived another week long adventure known as Rustic Youth Camp. Lynn and I stayed at Hotel Beulah with our kids who are not old enough for the bunkhouse. Olivia stayed with us too, because she is 20 now, and she was an official teacher at camp! The week was hot and fun. I taught thirty 3rd and 4th graders with five other fabulous ladies.  Lynn tried out a new counselor position this year--cleaning crew.  She got to wipe up spills and clean bathrooms.  I am seriously thinking about signing up for something other than teaching next year.  :)

I've been diligently working on my English class plans.  I am really looking forward to teaching this class for Clay and his friends. The class will meet weekly for two hours for a total of 32 weeks.

Julie is getting ready to go off to college. That's the thing about having your kids two years apart…..one of them leaves home every other year.  I do have a small gap between Clay and Leah…..then just two years between Leah and Sam. So. Just nine more years of homeschooling left.

Julie is going to the same college as Olivia. They will not be roommates, but they will be living in the same dorm but on different floors.  Both girls are running XC for the school, so they will be spending time together every day. I plan to stay down there a while when I take Julie to get her settled and all. Olivia actually has to return to school one week early for a summer school class that she has been taking online this summer. (And that has been an adventure since we have no internet except for our phones!)

And yes. It will be an adjustment for our family to have both girls away from home.  But I am so happy for them and the opportunities they are having for spiritual, social, and academic growth. I cherish the time we are having all together this summer, and I will completely enjoy the times we have together when they are home for various holidays. I will also call them, text, them, email them, and write them letters on a daily basis. Jimmy and I and the other children also have a few visits planned to see them this fall. I have already bought our plane tickets!

Lynn's family and our family have a short lake house vacation together coming up soon. I am really looking forward to sitting down and doing nothing but visiting and reading a book.

I'm slowly getting my school materials organized and prepared for the upcoming year. I hope to find that Not Back To School Blog Hop and participate in August. That's always fun, and it motivates me to get my act together so I can share it with others. I like reading other people's plans too.

Last thing today.
My running has taken the back burner to life/traveling/visiting/whatever for quite a few months now. I plan to begin anew next Monday with some sort of running plan. My blogging and my running both have been in a slump, and I hope---I really am going to try---to rekindle both.

Some Randomness

• We finished school today, but we still have a few loose ends to tie up…..Clay needs to complete a works cited page for his research paper and also make his final corrections to this paper.  I am so pleased with his very first research paper.  His topic is Japanese sword making. I have three more chapters to read in Moccasin Trail for Leah, and we have 1.5 chapters left in our Apologia astronomy book (Leah and Sam).  I am really happy that is all we have left.  We tackled two Apologia science books this year:  botany and astronomy.  Next school year we are only doing one--the human body.
• We almost have all our "spring" yard work completed. Clay will get us more mulch tomorrow to put around our little playground area, and I think that will do it!  We lost count, but Jimmy estimates that we have spread well over 100 bags of mulch. Sam is now an expert mulch spreader, and he has done a few of our flower beds all by himself.
• Our garden is coming along nicely. It was getting overtaken with grass after several days of rain, so I took it upon myself to hoe up that stubborn grass.  That is back breaking work!  I worked over 2 hours and got only 3 rows done.  The next day Jimmy used our small tiller to get in between the rows, and then all 5 children helped me hoe around the plants.  It looks great!  And my plants are really beginning to grow.  
• I'm having a small reception for Julie Sunday--for family and friends, and so we have been cleaning the house all day.  Thankfully Olivia, Julie, and Leah are all big helps.  Clay and Sam worked outside most of the day, mowing the grass and mulching flower beds. Leanna helped me with some simple but very cute graduation-themed decorations.
• I finished reading Alas, Babylon, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!  Olivia and Jimmy have both finished reading it now too.  Currently I am reading The Fellowship of the Ring and Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin. I really like reading.
• It's that time of year….VBS and RYC (rustic youth camp) preparation!  I am 99% ready for VBS, but I am just beginning to plan and prepare my RYC materials.  I am teaching with ladies that I love to be with, and so we will have a wonderful week.  As usual, Lynn and I are staying at the same house together, so that is fun too!
• Running…. I am doing well one week, and then not so well the next.  I guess I do need a race on the calendar to motivate to me get the miles in. That is part of what I am learning from the habits book. It's almost easier to do something every day (or 6 days a week), than to do it 3 or 4 days a week. A couple of weeks ago I ran 6 days in one week (resting on Sunday), and while I did not do a large amount of miles each day, I did manage to get 26 miles for the week. This week I have run only 3 days. I'm going for 6 days again next week. 

I think that is all for now.

A Good Monday

We have had a good, productive day.  We have only 6 more days of school for this school year!  Hooray!  Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, and Tuesday-Friday of the next.  We are celebrating Olivia's 20th birthday on Thursday.  Her birthday was back in April while she was still at college.  She asked if we could have a family celebration when she came home, and this Thursday is the first day that Jimmy is off this month. So.  A birthday party on Thursday!  :)

Kelly is taking his four children and my three youngest on a little road trip to Florida this Friday-Monday.  Fun!  Lynn and I are going to a homeschool conference Friday.  We plan to attend a few of the meetings, browse the vendor booths, and enjoy a meal or two together.  Mostly, we plan to just enjoy one another's company and have fun.

After school was finished for the day I read Alas, Babylon for 30 minutes before I went to town to run a few errands.  I asked Leah if she wanted to go to the library after her piano lesson.  Believe it or not, it has been about a year or more since we went to the library!  It is not convenient for me to go on a regular basis (it's about 15 minutes away, and nowhere near anywhere else I regularly go).  Leah asked me if she could get her own library card, and so we did!  We got one for Sam too.  She checked out eight biographies of various people.  I added a random fiction book for her and a large print copy of  Alice in Wonderland for me to read.

Also today Olivia and Julie shopped for ingredients and supplies and spent the afternoon making a coffee chocolate cheesecake for me--as part of my Mother's Day celebration.  It has to chill overnight (after baking for one hour), and so we will enjoy its deliciousness tomorrow night after supper.  I. Can't. Wait.
While I was visiting some of Olivia's friends while I was packing her up to move her home, Tom made the most delicious coffee cheesecake ever.  I guess I talked a lot about how yummy that cheesecake was, since Olivia and Julie are making one for me.

Today was a good day…..running this morning, laundry and school and cooking throughout the day (with lots of help from my girls), reading Sonlight books to Leah and Sam outside in the beautiful sunshine….watching Jimmy spray the garden, riding on the lawn mower with him for a few minutes…..the children crafting, and singing, and flipping around….

I am so thankful for my family.  I love being a mother.

Back to the Blog

As my 7 year blog anniversary approaches, I figured I better get back to blogging!

I also need to update my profile picture......I certainly have more gray hair than that picture shows.

So what all has been going on in the last month?

• Olivia turned 20, and is home from college for the summer. I flew down there last Monday, cleaned out her dorm room and packed her up, and we drove all the way home on Thursday.
• Julie graduated from the Johnson Homeschool last Friday night. We had 24 graduates in our local homeschool organization, and the ceremony was really nice and special.
• I have taken the children to three track meets--one that was run well and ended at a respectable time, and two (same location) that lasted SO LONG that we got home a little before 1 AM each time! We actually have one more track meet this week at that same location. I can't wait. (just kidding). Watching my kids and their friends is lots of fun. Driving home when I am worn out....not so much fun.
• We had our Keepers At Home end of the year dinner and pin awarding night. Leah earned several pins including laundry, cookie baking, etiquette, and patience. I forgot to order her a pin for general Bible memory, which is pretty important because she has learned a ton of Bible verses (one per week).
• Jim (my father-in-law) finished his 6th chemo treatment yesterday. I haven't blogged about it, but he was diagnosed with cancer of the bile duct back in January. He has been in the hospital here in Tupelo a few times for various treatments, procedures, and surgeries, but he will be going to St. Louis later this month for further evaluation and treatment. His attitude has been super! We are all fervently praying for him and for Jimmy's mama too as they go through this trial.
• Megan and Russ (and Millie Janalee and Smith) are moving 20 MINUTES AWAY FROM ME next month! Isn't that great?
• I have read a few really good books recently, and I am currently reading a couple of more interesting, thought-provoking ones. I plan to share about all of them soon.
• And. I hope to get back into the habit of blogging.......

The Blog, The Blog

Sometimes I get on a roll, and I blog regularly.  I get grand ideas like blog every single day for the entire year.

And then life gets hectic, and I fail to blog at all.  Birthdays and special events happen, and I fail to record them.  I panic about this because I am not scrapbooking anymore, and I like to document special days in our lives.

Some days I have some time available to blog, and then I can think of nothing to say.

Some days I have a lot on my mind that I want to shout from the rooftops, but no time to type.

So I wrestle with this blog thing.  Which explains the sporadic nature of my posts.

I also am reminded, again, that I have no margin in my life.  When small or large interruptions happen (like Julie having her wisdom teeth out last week), or small or large crises (like my father-in-law being put in the hospital last Friday), my days quickly unravel. Add to that the emotional stress of the situations, and every task seems more difficult.

My father-in-law is still in the hospital.  He had surgery yesterday, and he will remain in the hospital for the rest of this week.  He still faces another surgery (as far as I know right now) at another hospital at a later date.

Well.  Those are my thoughts for the day.
Oh.  I began the Bible in 90 Days reading plan February 1.  So far, I have kept up with the reading for these first three days.

The First Day Back To School

Well, the first day back to school in this new year went just fine!  It's just 8:30 PM, and I am ready for bed, but the day went well.  We completed all of our schoolwork, went to piano lessons, Sam's and Kroger.

Speaking of Kroger.  It is total chaos right now!  They are remodeling or maybe just rearranging the store, and I. CANNOT. FIND. ANYTHING.  I told the store manager last week that he was messing up my personally made preprinted grocery list.  I have the items that I buy listed in columns in order that they appear as I walk up and down the aisles.  He apologized and laughed!  He reminded me that it has been 10 years since they rearranged the store.  When I told him that I would start taking notes and create a new list, he said for me to wait a few weeks!  That things were changing every day, and it would be at least four weeks before the store layout was finalized.

So today I wandered around with all the other bewildered shoppers looking for groceries.  I finally found the chocolate syrup----in the produce section!

I still have one more Disney World post.  About the races that 10 of us did while we were down there.  But, I do not have all the pictures on my computer yet.  We used Lynn's phone to take most of the pictures, and I have not put them on my computer.

Even though today was our first day back to school, Olivia enjoyed a holiday today.  When we asked her what she was doing today she said, "kayaking with manatees".  Well that sounds like a fun thing to do.  Not something we could do here in Mississippi!  She had a fantastic time!

Quick Post

So….I am 4 for 4 on posting daily in 2015.

I meant to share the words to a hymn we sang this morning during our worship service, "Be With Me Lord", but I have not had the time to type them.  I will do this soon.

I worked all afternoon between church services washing the last of Olivia's clothes and making sure she packed for going back to college.  I also did a bunch of other stuff too…..

When we got home tonight, our power was off.  What an inconvenience! We fixed and ate oatmeal by candlelight (my stove is gas).  Finally it came back on just in time to put Leah and Sam to bed.

I have to leave at 6:00 AM tomorrow to take Olivia to the airport so she can fly back to school.

That is all.

Goodnight.

Five Things This Friday

I have some random thoughts going through my mind.

1. I like the words of hymns.  When we are singing them as a congregation, I frequently say to myself, "When I get home I want to write the words to this song in my journal."  I haven't actually done that yet.  But I plan to. I would like to share them with you too.
2. I have new running shoes.  I really needed them.  I try to replace my running shoes when they have around 400 miles on them.  I had my previous shoes since last September, and they had way more than 400 miles on them!  I was waiting for the new color to come out (I am tired of pink and gray), and I also was waiting on a $20 off coupon from Finish Line.  I love my new shoes!  They are white, blue, and that safety yellow/greenish color.  Of course they won't be white for long.
3. I have a long, long shopping list today.  Multiple stores.  I am buying all of my camp supplies today.  I hope to accomplish all of the shopping and putting away in 4 hours.  That's my goal.
4. Clay made me the coolest Mother's Day gift.  It is on my coffee table, and every time I walk through our den, I remember that I need to take a picture of it!  I am going to do that.  I want you to see it.
5. I have not ordered any school books for next year.  I have missed all of the discounts and free shipping offers of April and May.  It is going to be July before I can think about school for next year, and we are beginning our new school year on August 4.  Thankfully, I don't have that much to buy.

Happy Friday to you, and have a fabulous weekend!

The Angels Are Rejoicing!

That's what Scott said last night after he baptized two young men in our congregation----one of which was our son, Clay!  Hallelujah!  Words cannot describe my peace and happiness.  I am elated that Clay has decided to follow Jesus.  That is my number one and most important goal in parenting…..that my children will choose to become Christians.  That they will make the life-long commitment of serving Christ with their lives.  And the thing that made the night even more special, is that my best friend Lynn's son, Parker, was baptized too!  What a special night for Lynn and me.  What a glorious occasion for both of our families.

A Fun Day in Memphis

Jimmy and I had a meeting this morning in Memphis, so we just made a day out of it.  The children did their school while we met, and then we went to Whole Foods for lunch.  Delicious.  And then we browsed the store, and I so wish that we had a Whole Foods in Tupelo.  Except that it would blow my grocery budget!

We bought several items that we don't have in our local grocery store---two different cereals, some protein/granola bars, a new kind of protein powder, and some organic soap.  How exciting!  I also bought some organic lipstick!  Again, the lipstick color that I have been using for a few years has disappeared from the Walmart shelf.  I cannot find it online.  It is just a $1.97 shade of NYC lip color.  I guess my color is not popular.  Anyway, I found this organic lipstick that is the perfect color.  I plan to see if I can find it online and stock up.  I don't go to Whole Foods that often.

After that we went to Mud Island.  We haven't visited there as a whole family in about 6 years.  Leah and Sam hardly remembered it.  Mud Island is a to-scale (very small scale) replica of the Mississippi River.  You can walk the entire winding river and wade in it if you wish.  My kids and I all waded at some point.  It is from about 1 inch to 1 foot deep.  It ends in the "Gulf of Mexico", which is a pond.

Then we came home, dropping Jimmy and the boys off in New Albany for their monthly Knife Club meeting.  The girls and I enjoyed supper together at home, cleaned up the kitchen, and now we are doing a little bit of tidying.  Fun and exciting times.  Really it is.  The everyday things are ordinary and special at the same time.  Just being together and enjoying each other's company is enough.

I finished cleaning out Leah's room.  It looks fabulous!  Next I plan to help Olivia clean up (and unpack all of her college stuff) her room.  Then I will move down to Sam's room.  The bottomless pit of toys, stuffed animals, and collectibles of all kinds.  It may take me days!

I am still researching marathon training plans.  Jimmy bought a book about the Hanson Brothers Marathon Training Plan.  It seems like something I may want to try.  It is certainly different than what I have done for my last 5 marathons.  I have a few weeks to decide.  I am still thinking.

Going to help Olivia for a little while before time to read bedtime books to Leah and Sam.

Why My Vacation Was So Great

My week at Seaside was super relaxing.  It truly was a vacation from my full-time household duties.  We shared a house with our dear friends, Kelly and Lynn and their four children.  Lynn and I bought groceries for our breakfasts, lunches, and snacks.  We ate out for supper all nights except one, when Kelly prepared us a shrimp feast!  Joe and Leanna and their four children joined us at our house that night.  It was a group effort in cooking all of the delicious food we enjoyed that night.  The company and conversation were even better than the food!

Although we kept the stackable washer and dryer running 24/7, and I am not exaggerating, with two people washing, drying, folding, and putting away, it did not even seem like a chore.  Clean-up after meals was a breeze with paper goods, children who could for the most part clean up after themselves, and two hard working mamas to finish it off.  Many hands make the work light.

I read 3.5 books while at Seaside.  I finished the fourth one last night, The Prophet of Yonwood, which is the third book in the City of Ember series.  I plan to begin the last book in that series soon.  I really like to read, and I need to make time to read more often.  I am still in the middle of Little Women, and I bought two more books at Seaside.  Which leads me to another favorite part of my vacation.

Sundog Books
That is the quaint little bookstore at Seaside.  Three nights after supper we walked to "downtown Seaside" and visited this lovely bookstore.  There is something about browsing through books in a small, cozy setting.  It is a world of difference between scrolling and clicking on Amazon or even browsing in a super large bookstore like Barnes and Noble.  The books just seem so much more inviting.  Lynn and I and various children spent about an hour or more in there each night that we visited Sundog Books.  The employees were so helpful and friendly, and it was such a pleasant nighttime activity.

Another fun thing we do at Seaside is visit The Seaside Store.  More than once.  It is the store that sells the Seaside t-shirts and other Seaside items (towels, cups, hats, etc.).  Our family loves the Seaside t-shirts, and I let each child choose the color shirt that he wanted.  This year I got a salmonish/dark pink long-sleeved shirt.  Which proved to be a wise purchase because it was very cool at night, and even cool during the day when on the beach.  I wore that shirt multiple times while we were there (even while reading my books in my chair beside the ocean--it was so windy and cool!), because I failed to pack a long sleeve shirt.

We ate at the silver "food trucks" one night.  That is a fun treat too.  There are several food trucks to choose from with menus ranging from organic vegetables to any kind of grilled cheese you can imagine to hot dogs to barbecue.  Most of us chose Barefoot BBQ (because you know the kids get a "free" frisbee with their meal!)  Another restaurant that we always eat one meal at is Bud and Alley's Pizza Bar.  They serve unique pizzas to hungry diners. I like to get the seafood pizza, which does not have cheese.  The last place where I enjoyed supper was Pickles.  They have the best burgers and homemade French fries ever.  They use organic, locally grown when possible, ingredients.  I had the ground chicken burger, and it was delicious!

The only dark spot in an otherwise perfect vacation was that Jimmy had to leave two days early to go back to work.  We missed him after he left! Amazingly, I (with the help of all the children, of course) was able to pack all of our belongings into my one vehicle even though we had stuff in both my and Jimmy's car on the way down.  Jimmy took home some of the stuff when he left, but we were still packed in like sardines on the way home.  That just added to the fun adventure!

8 more days of school.  We can do it!

A Blast From the Past: Wheel of Fortune

For some reason this afternoon, one of my children asked me where my tape was of my appearance on Wheel of Fortune.  I looked and looked, and after about 20 minutes, I found it!  Jimmy actually transferred the original VHS to a DVD.  It has been years since we watched the recording, and I am not sure that Sam and Leah have ever seen it!

For those of you who don't know me personally, or maybe you do, but you never knew this--I was a contestant on Wheel of Fortune over 15 years ago.  I was pregnant with Clay, and going to Los Angeles was a treat for Jimmy and me!

I saw on TV that Wheel of Fortune would be holding tryouts in our area (Jackson, MS).  The instructions were to go by Burger King and pick up a postcard.  I filled out one for both Jimmy and myself and mailed them to the local TV station that was hosting the tryout.  They randomly chose postcards and called those people to invite them to a group tryout.  I am not sure why I even put Jimmy's name on a postcard.  He was a fellow, and it's not like he could just leave the hospital and go try out for Wheel of Fortune.

So the TV station called and asked to speak to Jimmy.  I said, "Are you calling for Wheel of Fortune tryouts?" The lady said that she was, and I begged her to let me come instead.  I explained that he could not leave work, and I was totally available.  She agreed!  And so I went to the tryout!

The tryout was held at a hotel, and I am guessing about 100 people were there.  I really can't remember all of the details.  We took a written test (solving word puzzles), we stood up and introduced ourselves with enthusiasm, and then they narrowed us down to a much smaller number (I can't remember…20-30 maybe?).  Then we played a couple of rounds of Wheel of Fortune complete with a cardboard wheel.  It was so much fun!  They told us that if we were not selected to be on the show, we would never hear from them again. But, if they did choose us to be a contestant, we would be called two weeks prior to the date that they needed us in California.  And, it may be 2 months to a year (I think that was the time frame) before they called us.

So, I was excited for a couple of weeks, and then I got busy with my life, and I forgot.  I also got pregnant with Clay, and my life was consumed with taking care of a 3 year old, a just turned 1 year old, and trying not to vomit all day.  (Actually that was my life for all five pregnancies, all day "morning sickness" and vomiting, but that is another story!)

Sometime in early October of 1998, I got the the call!  I was selected to be a contestant!  I wrote down the dates and then I called Delta Airlines.  (This was back when you called and talked to a real live person to buy airplane tickets!)  I was so excited!  I told the reservations agent that it was going to be my first time to fly! and that I was going to be on Wheel of Fortune!  Then I called and made our hotel reservations, asked my parents to keep Olivia and Julie, and asked Jimmy to beg the hospital to let him go with me!

We packed our bags, I prayed that I wouldn't throw up on the airplane, and we were off!  Jimmy and I enjoyed a few days in Los Angeles, and the filming of Wheel of Fortune was the highlight for me.  I also hoped and prayed that I would not throw up on the set or even backstage of Wheel of Fortune, and thankfully, I did not!  (I was sick plenty at our hotel and other destinations though.)

The day on the Wheel of Fortune set was fun.  It was an all day affair.  We had orientation, practice, lunch, hair and make-up touch up, and then the recording of the actual shows.  A week's worth of shows were recorded in one day.  I can't remember how we were put into our groups of three for each show, but I do remember we drew numbers to see which group went on each day.  I was part of the Tuesday recording.

When Sam was watching the show today, he said, "Mama.  You have such an accent!"  I did sound pretty country.  I am sure that I still do!  We all enjoyed watching my show today, and I even forgot a couple of the puzzles until some of the letters were filled in--and I had already solved them!  On the show I solved all of the puzzles but one, and I was also the big winner.  Which meant that I picked a letter (I think I got an E) and after attempting to solve the final puzzle, I was able to look to see what my grand prize would have been.  At the time, $25,000 was the grand prize.  My prize (that I did not win) was a trip for 10 (I think) to Lake Tahoe.  I won $11,500 cash and prizes, and that cash helped pay our bills the last year of Jimmy's cardiology fellowship. My prizes included a big screen TV, and I mean the kind that was big…in a brown cabinet that sat on the floor like a huge piece of furniture, and a DVD player (which at the time I had no idea what that was).  We still have that DVD player.

Here is my final puzzle.  If you have not seen the recording of my show (or if you forgot!), you can guess.

I was given R,S,T,L,N,E.  I also guessed B,P,O.  I think I guessed P.  Anyway, the letters below are all I had.

_ E _
_ _ _ _ N

What do you think it is?

For a trip for 10 to Lake Tahoe!  Ha!

No Snow

Well….we didn't wake up to 2-4 inches of snow.  In fact, we woke up to no snow at all, much to my children's disappointment.  All we have is drizzly cold rain.  The temperature is in the upper 30s, so it is still cold.  Just wet and cold.

We didn't have school today because Jimmy was off, so Leah and Sam have spent all day playing inside a tent.  They had it set up in the den until recently, but now they have moved it upstairs to Sam's room.  I am so happy that can play for hours together with rarely a conflict.  They are always pretending--they create their own little world with dolls (Leah) and stuffed animals (Sam).

I have had a little bit of down time while I am waiting for my clothes to dry, so I did a little blog reading.  I came across a post about why this mother still lays down with her seven year old son each night.  I can identify.  I think Sam will want me to lie down with him at night until he goes to college.  That's ok.  I will.  I never want to look back and wish that I had held/rocked/laid down beside my kids more.  I want no regrets.

I'm ready for sunshine and warmer temperatures.

Snow!

We woke up this morning to a light dusting of snow.  There must be ice and even more snow in town, because the local schools and even Jimmy's clinic are closed today due to the winter weather.  I let the kids play outside as long as they wanted, which was until about 9:45 AM, and then we began our school day.  Leah and Sam had lots of fun sledding down our hills--even though the snow was not very deep. Where we live, any minute amount of snow is fun, fun, fun!

The weather forecast calls for even more snow tonight, so maybe tomorrow they can build a snowman!

The Flu

That's what's been going on around here!

It began with Olivia last Thursday, then Julie came down with it on Sunday, and I started feeling poorly on Monday.  And yes.  We all got the flu shot last fall.  Well, all of us except for Olivia who was away at college.  Ironically she got her flu vaccine last Thursday, and began running fever and feeling badly that same night.  At first we thought it was just a side effect from the vaccine, but it ended up being full blown flu.  We are pretty sure she contracted it from the Winter Camp that she and Julie attended earlier last week.

Anyway.  I was convinced that I just had a bad sore throat, cough, and cold, except that I have been FREEZING cold all week.  The temps here have been way colder than normal, but as it turns out, I was running fever.  So, since I had planned a birthday party for Leah tomorrow afternoon, I decided to go to the dr. yesterday and have a flu test.  That way I would know if I should cancel the party.  Well guess what?  To my surprise, I tested positive for the flu!  This is the first time I have had the flu.  Fortunately, having the vaccine has seemed to lessen my symptoms.  I have not been nearly as sick as poor Olivia.  Julie had it pretty bad too!

I am praying that the other members of my family do not get sick!

We changed the birthday party until next week, but I still plan to have Leah's family celebration on her actual birthday, which is Sunday.  I MUST be well by Saturday, because I have some birthday shopping and cooking to do.  Being sick is such an inconvenience!

I have narrowed down my word for 2014 to either Serve or Simplify.  Maybe I will choose both!