Do it yourself-ers

Oh man, I just have to reach out for sympathy. As you recall, we're in the middle of a kitchen update and we're doing it ourselves (except for the countertops). Nothing major, but even the little things are a lot of work, you know. So we were replacing the window trim. We got it all cut out, pretty corners, borrowed a nail gun, put it up, painted it....ahhhhh so pretty. And then I tried to open the window. Tuuuuuuuuuuug, yaaaaaank, puuuuuuuuuuull. IT! WON'T! BUDGE! Well, we nailed the window shut.
Oh MAN! So now we get the pleasure of tearing down our beautiful work and putting it back up...again. Maybe this is why some people hire professionals. Bummer.

So it begins....

The beginning of an era...Protective Big Brother. The scene: the JC Play Place. The characters: Ryan and Seth. The plot: poor little girl takes a tumble down the slide and knocks over unsuspecting Seth, who is standing near the bottom. Ryan's eyes grow large. The vein on his forehead sticks out. He clenches his fists. He runs up to girl and says, or rather - yells, "DIRL, YOU STOP BONKING MY SETHY!!!" He gave her a piece of his mind. He was NOT happy. Oh boy, we've not seen this side of Ryan yet. We knew it had to come - all big brothers will protect their siblings...but apparently he has a lot to learn about the appropriate response (and play place ettiquite). It was nice to see Ryan sticking up for "his Sethy" and we were glad that he had the courage to speak up when something was wrong, but the approach was less than loving and gentle. I have a feeling this is the first of many times that the boys will stick up for each other.
And of course, the "bonking" rules only apply to others. Ryan thinks he's allowed to bonk, wrestle, tackle, boom, hike Seth all the time. Shortly after his lecture to the little girl, Ryan and Seth were wrapped up together in an odd headlock/hug/strangle position on the ground....laughing and loving it. Troy was smiling. And there I was - one GIRL among B.O.Y.S.

Happy Birthday, Dad

Yesterday was my Dad's birthday and I try not to miss any opportunities to semi-publically broadcast about my "special" family. In honor of my one and only Dad/Daddi-o/Dward, I'd like to lift up this little tribute. Dad, you amaze me because:

• If you stretched out your cassette tapes end to end, you could go to the moon and back 95 times. I'm sure you DO listen to all those old sermons, random recordings of my "concerts" in the living room, special music, revivals, etc. I won't tell you to throw them away or have them made into some type of media device that will play on a 2000's type machine.
• If you stretched out your spare vaccuum hoses, you could go to the moon and back another 95 times.
• For being a complete off the charts genius, you simply cannot succeed at games - any games that require speed, drawing, spelling, cards, dice, a board....you get the picture.
• You NEVER forget a name of someone you knew, know, met once, or your 4th grade teacher's daughter's boyfriend's barber's dog. You know middle names, addresses, places of employment, marital status, children, smoking preference, simply EVERY fact about everyone that has had the pleasure of shaking your hand.
• Within 2.1 seconds you can provide someone with: a) a pencil or pen, b) a 3x5 card, c) a paper towel, d) a map (despite that little invention called "GPS"), e) or any published book since 1950 to-date.
• You can sing well, but can't read a lick of music. And you know the history of every single hymn written.
• You find the RIGHT WAY to do everything - even if there is a much faster, easier, less costly way to do it.
• You've never said a bad word...ever. (That I heard). Well, there was that one time when you got really mad and you said "What in the FAT!" I'm still laughing about that.
• Your illustration file is taller than you are. And I would know that - because I filed them all for you...for $1 an hour and thought that was a GREAT deal. I think you violated some child labor laws back in the day.
• You can still put your palms on the ground, kick and touch your foot, and shoot a water balloon or potato gun with the best of 'em.
• You carry around a tire gauge, barometer, and thermometer like they are Swiss Army knives (that one was from Troy).
• You are without a doubt the most wonderful, intelligent, inspirational, consistent, encouraging, honest, insightful, kind, patient, well-rounded, accepting, and loving father and grandfather in the world and I could never find a more "special" family to be a part of - all because of you. Happy birthday from your favorite daughter.

An old favorite....

A walk down memory lane:
"Here is the church and here is the steeple.
Open the doors, but where are the people?
Here is the church and here is the steeple.
Open the doors, and HERE are the people!"
Love this!


He went a little off script, but still so funny. Admit it, it is stuck in your head now, right? Please tell me I'm not the only one that knows this little rhyme, right?

Finally back

I've taken a vacation from blogland. Not really by choice, but by necessity. Just too much going on this past week. Troy was out of town for several days and while he was away, I got busy on the kitchen renovation

Buh-bye blah yellow:


Hello, Egyptian Nile (that's dark green but you can't tell from this picture) and Harvest Brown:


Buh-bye ugly old white fridge:

Hello, new shiny black fridge:

Empty but lovely, huh?

Still have a few things left to do:  Window trim:

Looks great, huh?

Coming to measure for the new countertops a week from today. I!         CAN'T!         WAIT!

Then off to get new curtains and a shelf and we're done!  I'm working on patience.  I know the pictures make it look like the house is all put together, but they were strategically posed to avoid showing you the piles of mess.  Mess is hard for a family that likes things "just so":

Meanwhile, the boys are happy to have Daddy home.  We had a happy night hanging out in our pajamas.

Preliminary test results are in

The doctor told Troy that he thought "for sure" it was cancer, but so far all of the tests but 1 have come back pretty good and no cancer has yet been found. He and all the other doctors informally diagnosed him with cancer the last time he was in, but they didn't tell Troy because they didn't want to "alarm him". I guess they were wrong!!!! They are running more tests and he has future appointments scheduled, but the doctors have a hunch that it is just an odd and "really bad" virus cobmined with mono and are quite surprised with the test results this time around. This isn't the final diagnosis, but I know many are praying so I thought I'd throw this out there.

I'll update this later when we know more.

Goals, goals, goals.

This weight loss gig is the pits. I really miss the days that I could eat an entire can of pringles and a bag of Reeses Easter Eggs (the BEST CANDY IN THE ENTIRE WORLD, no other shapes of Reeses taste as good)....and burn off all the calories in the time it took me to get up to answer the phone (across the room cuz we didn't have cell phones back then, of course). Ah, the good ol' school days. I'd throw on anything in the closet and wouldn't have to worry about things spilling out, sneaking over, squishing into...well, you get the picture. Fast forward a few years: If I had a dollar for all the times I've heard "your metabolism really starts to slow down as you approach 30", I would have earned enough money to pay for my liposuction by now. I'd like to blame it all on having kids - but that's just a lie. It's all my fault. I like food. I mean, I like unhealthy food. And I like a lot of it. I just like eating junk. And drinking junk. And having junk for dessert. And junk for snacks. And making junk for my husband to eat and eating it with him because I don't want to be rude!
Now I know I'm not unhealthy obese, wheel-me-out-on-a-dump-truck overweight, I'm just unhealthy. And I needed a pick-me-up so I'm posting this blog to toot my own horn (TOOT TOOT) and to give an understanding "shout out" to all my friends and family who are fighting through their own weight loss or healthful program right now!
I've been doing the Shaklee Cinch plan and L.O.V.E. it. I love the food, the snacks, the drinks, the tea. Yummy yummy yummy. And I'm doing the Couch-to-5k workout to hopefully run in a 5k sometime this spring or summer. And by "run", I mean "participate". So far, I'm on track! Pun intended. I'm halfway to my total weight (down 12 pounds and 11 to go)!!!! Yippee skippee! Ok, so you know me - I'm not exactly the stick-to-the-plan type of girl. I'm a little easily distracted, a busy body; I change my mind as frequently as my two year old does. I come up with great ideas and drop them when things get tough. Soooooo, if I may say so myself, I'm pretty stinking proud of me. Way to go, me!!!!
I know I know I know, this isn't very humble, but sheesh - sometimes a girl just has to throw it out there and celebrate a bit. This is me celebrating! I just did a little dance! (more calories burned, YES!)

Blessed by friends

So, do you have many friends or are you a friend to many? There is a difference and I saw true friendship demonstrated tonight. Some wonderful people at Willow Creek suprised me by doing this:

This is our entire counter covered with food! We've got dinners and desserts for days now! With the challenges we've had the last few weeks and months with Troy's job and his odd sickness, it's been a little stressful. Every mom knows that those hours surrounding dinner are usually the hardest of the day, and that's always true in our household. Troy is an awesome husband and father, but has been so tired and weak from his mystery sickness that (don't tell anyone) I've been dreading each evening - dinner, clean up, baths, a million little tasks, bed time - and Troy has been crashing as soon as the kids go to bed. These dear friends showered us with meals and have zapped a HUGE "chore" from our lives.

Though this tangible gesture of kindness and generosity speaks so loudly, the intangible gesture screams from the top of mountains: "We love you! We are praying for you! We care about you!" The phone calls, texts, e-mails, kind questions and conversations are a reflection of God's immeasurable love. We are SO thankful for our family and friends and the encouragement they bring to us. We are reminded: Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God. (1 John 4:8).

Which bring me to my original point. Do we have many friends? Or are we a true friend to many? Do we show God's love "in deed and in truth". We are pondering this....and hmmmmm....it sounds like another Monday Challenge, doesn't it?

So, a special thank you to: CJ, LC, LH, and KB. Thank you for defining friendship!

Ryan's life verse

Before bed each night: Be on your guard. Stand firm in the faith.  Be a man of courage.  Be strong.  I Corinthians 16:13.  I guess when you paint it on the wall (thanks, Abby), it's hard to forget!!!! Starts out cute.....ends up, well - he's 2 1/2. Why is it sideways? I don't know. I gave up.