It's Wednesday..."hump day," we used to call it...the day that gets you over the hump of your workweek. Tomorrow it will be four weeks until Thanksgiving. Friday will be jeans day here at work. Fridays are always good.
Bob is off work today. He walked over to the gym with me this morning. I went there on Monday morning but couldn't get the treadmill to work...something I was missing I had assumed, which is why I wanted Bob to go check it out with me. I also couldn't find the remote control to the TVs which also agrivated me, even though Bob had called the office to find out where it was hidden. Of course, since he was with me, all I did this morning was hit the start button, and the treadmill obediently took off. The TV remote, although it wasn't in it's designated, disguised place, was found by Bob on one of the other machines.
Our little gym is a cool room with huge windows on three walls, overlooking the swimming pool. I think I could really get into working out.
Trenton was in my dreams before I woke. I rarely dream, that I remember anyway, and I felt as though I had been visited. I walked to the kitchen for my coffee and suddenly burst into tears. I had been visited and the visit was over.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
As for me and my house....
Well, I finally captured a chicken and ummm....those noodles were good. Along with corn-on-the-cob, julienne potatoes and buttermilk biscuits, we had quite a Sunday dinner. I also baked a made-from-scratch banana cake last night with vanilla whip icing. I had some bananas that were a little over the edge and personally, I can't see baking banana bread without nuts, of which, I had none, so banana cake it was.
Vanilla whip icing is the easiest thing in the world. I had an official recipe once upon a time. I don't know whatever happened to it so I kinda wing it, but I don't think you can mess this one up. Mix about 2/3rds the milk suggested in the pudding instructions and combine with the pudding mix with a whisk. Once it thickens, stir in a tub of whipped topping. That's it. The only downfall is that you now have to refrigerate your cake.
Travis brought Lexi & Braedon over Friday night after taking them to the Harvest Celebration at Lexi's school. He's such a good daddy. He was telling me about how Lexi wanted to win a cake in the cake walk and the lesson learned after two attempts, a few tears and still, no cake.
Saturday was a big day. While Grandpa and Braedon went for a haircut, Lexi and Granny hit Wal-Mart for new Crayons, hooded sweatshirts for the kids and wound up buying the pink princess pajamas with white fluff around the sleeves she talked me into. I probably said, "no," a half dozen times while walking through the store, but how could I refuse her the adorable P.J.s? The young mom standing behind me in the check out line with her four boys about had a fit over them. I remember those days when I had two boys to shop for. Having a granddaughter to shop for/with is so much fun.
Late Saturday afternoon we went to the playground area of our apartment complex for the Resident Appreciation Day festivities. There were hamburgers, hot dogs, pumpkin carving, face painting, a bouncy castle, a hay ride and the movie Monster House after dark, under the stars. The kids bounced in the castle, hardly without hesitation, for more than an hour. Personally, I would have been sick as a dog, but they seemed undaunted. They had a blast and Grandpa and I didn't hear another peep out of them once tucked in their bed at 9:00 p.m.
Another exciting moment over the weekend was Lexi going in to Kids Church; this time, without hesitation. I think she even had a small smile of excitement on her face. What a blessing! It has taken her months of walking her to the door and seeing her little tears of trepidation, sitting in kids church with her and finally, the breakthrough came! Lexi has enough drama in her life for a six year old. I just couldn't see forcing her to stay when she didn't want to. Grandpa and I often had conversations in the car on the way home with Braedon, laying it on pretty thick...
"Wow, Braedon! You got CANDY at church? So, you had lots of fun, huh? You got to color? You heard a story?"
If fun and candy would be enticing enough to get Lexi in with her age group instead of sitting in "big church with old people," we would have no shame in using it.
It takes a bit of motivation to serve sleepy-eyed kids breakfast, get them and yourself bathed and dressed in time to get everybody to church without too much distress. I wish it were their parents getting up on Sunday morning to take their two, beautiful, precious children to Sunday School and church, but that's not happening at the moment. So, Granny and Grandpa are doing what they thought was behind them. I can't bear for my Grand kids to not have that foundation, to not know who Jesus is and what He did for them. I want them to know that God has a plan for their lives, plans to prosper them and not to harm them, plans to give them hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11). I won't settle for anything less than for them to know Jesus. I'm standing on His promises. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
Vanilla whip icing is the easiest thing in the world. I had an official recipe once upon a time. I don't know whatever happened to it so I kinda wing it, but I don't think you can mess this one up. Mix about 2/3rds the milk suggested in the pudding instructions and combine with the pudding mix with a whisk. Once it thickens, stir in a tub of whipped topping. That's it. The only downfall is that you now have to refrigerate your cake.
Travis brought Lexi & Braedon over Friday night after taking them to the Harvest Celebration at Lexi's school. He's such a good daddy. He was telling me about how Lexi wanted to win a cake in the cake walk and the lesson learned after two attempts, a few tears and still, no cake.
Saturday was a big day. While Grandpa and Braedon went for a haircut, Lexi and Granny hit Wal-Mart for new Crayons, hooded sweatshirts for the kids and wound up buying the pink princess pajamas with white fluff around the sleeves she talked me into. I probably said, "no," a half dozen times while walking through the store, but how could I refuse her the adorable P.J.s? The young mom standing behind me in the check out line with her four boys about had a fit over them. I remember those days when I had two boys to shop for. Having a granddaughter to shop for/with is so much fun.
Late Saturday afternoon we went to the playground area of our apartment complex for the Resident Appreciation Day festivities. There were hamburgers, hot dogs, pumpkin carving, face painting, a bouncy castle, a hay ride and the movie Monster House after dark, under the stars. The kids bounced in the castle, hardly without hesitation, for more than an hour. Personally, I would have been sick as a dog, but they seemed undaunted. They had a blast and Grandpa and I didn't hear another peep out of them once tucked in their bed at 9:00 p.m.
Another exciting moment over the weekend was Lexi going in to Kids Church; this time, without hesitation. I think she even had a small smile of excitement on her face. What a blessing! It has taken her months of walking her to the door and seeing her little tears of trepidation, sitting in kids church with her and finally, the breakthrough came! Lexi has enough drama in her life for a six year old. I just couldn't see forcing her to stay when she didn't want to. Grandpa and I often had conversations in the car on the way home with Braedon, laying it on pretty thick...
"Wow, Braedon! You got CANDY at church? So, you had lots of fun, huh? You got to color? You heard a story?"
If fun and candy would be enticing enough to get Lexi in with her age group instead of sitting in "big church with old people," we would have no shame in using it.
It takes a bit of motivation to serve sleepy-eyed kids breakfast, get them and yourself bathed and dressed in time to get everybody to church without too much distress. I wish it were their parents getting up on Sunday morning to take their two, beautiful, precious children to Sunday School and church, but that's not happening at the moment. So, Granny and Grandpa are doing what they thought was behind them. I can't bear for my Grand kids to not have that foundation, to not know who Jesus is and what He did for them. I want them to know that God has a plan for their lives, plans to prosper them and not to harm them, plans to give them hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11). I won't settle for anything less than for them to know Jesus. I'm standing on His promises. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
I guess I'm just not meant to have chicken & noodles this week. Last night I went to Sam's. I got all the way up to check-out with my twin-pak of chickens...this I know for sure. The kid couldn't get the price to scan. They had a big, bold sticker on the package with a bar-code and price...it just wouldn't scan. The cashier was going to have to take the chickens back to the meat department, have them reweighed and a new sticker put on the package. I don't think so. I'm still chickenless.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Have you seen my chicken?
Brrr! I'm cold & tired. I'm probably cold because I'm tired. Even though it's mid-October, the temperature today was supposed to be 84 degrees; I have no, real reason to be cold.
I've lost a chicken. I found some amish noodles at the grocery store and chicken & noodles sounds good. I got in the freezer this morning...no chicken. I looked to see if in my haste, I had stuck it in the refrigerator instead. Still, no chicken. Now I'm wondering, did I even buy a chicken? I know I picked up and looked at the chickens because I didn't want a big one. Did I leave it in the shopping cart?
It's Monday. Can you tell?
I've lost a chicken. I found some amish noodles at the grocery store and chicken & noodles sounds good. I got in the freezer this morning...no chicken. I looked to see if in my haste, I had stuck it in the refrigerator instead. Still, no chicken. Now I'm wondering, did I even buy a chicken? I know I picked up and looked at the chickens because I didn't want a big one. Did I leave it in the shopping cart?
It's Monday. Can you tell?
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
One Little Change
It's been a long time since I've written. I just haven't had any free time here at work...but, that's what I'm here for, to work. Right? No complaints.
Bob and I have been in our new apartment a whole, four weeks already. We love it.
I changed my work schedule two weeks ago. I'm now working 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. as opposed to 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. I have literally gained two hours a day.
My life before the schedule change was: alarm goes off at 5:15 a.m., pound the snooze every seven minutes until 5:45, make coffee and try to wake up while watching Enjoying Everyday Life with Joyce Meyer (the 5:00 a.m. program, recorded on the DVR), hit the shower by 6:15 and be on the road to work by 7:00...at the latest.
I've always considered myself a morning person, but I've been an early-bird for so many years, my body just doesn't want to do it anymore. Even worse, was that even though I was home by 4:30 every afternoon, I certainly didn't feel like doing anything heroic when I got there beyond making dinner and cleaning up the mess, (which I consider to be heroic). Over the course of the past several months, I had somehow adopted this sedentary lifestyle and I wasn't liking it at all! We have a lovely gym at our new apartment complex. My fear was that with my work schedule and lack of energy or drive after work, I would never use it and I really, really want to!
Thus, the idea to change my work schedule came to mind. Actually, I believe it was God-inspired!
Only as a precaution, I now set my alarm for 6:30 a.m. The nice part is, I always wake up before that, but it's a natural awakening, as opposed to a brutal, forced one. I now feel rested when I waken instead of repeatedly hitting the snooze button, making me angry at the world the first 14 to 21 minutes of every day.
I get a lot accomplished those first two to two and a half hours in the morning. Also, somehow, God was beginning to get lost in the shuffle of my life...another thing I wasn't liking much...and I imagine that He wasn't liking my inattentiveness much either. It's nice to get up and have coffee with God again. In addition to that precious, quiet time, I usually manage to get enough domestic stuff done before I have to get ready for work that I feel good about walking out the door, not to mention feeling good when I walk back in again.
I'm sure I'll be attempting to integrate working out at the gym into my morning schedule soon. Right now, I'm just enjoying the one little change in my work schedule that has had such a positive effect on my life. I'm grateful to even have that flexibility.
Bob and I have been in our new apartment a whole, four weeks already. We love it.
I changed my work schedule two weeks ago. I'm now working 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. as opposed to 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. I have literally gained two hours a day.
My life before the schedule change was: alarm goes off at 5:15 a.m., pound the snooze every seven minutes until 5:45, make coffee and try to wake up while watching Enjoying Everyday Life with Joyce Meyer (the 5:00 a.m. program, recorded on the DVR), hit the shower by 6:15 and be on the road to work by 7:00...at the latest.
I've always considered myself a morning person, but I've been an early-bird for so many years, my body just doesn't want to do it anymore. Even worse, was that even though I was home by 4:30 every afternoon, I certainly didn't feel like doing anything heroic when I got there beyond making dinner and cleaning up the mess, (which I consider to be heroic). Over the course of the past several months, I had somehow adopted this sedentary lifestyle and I wasn't liking it at all! We have a lovely gym at our new apartment complex. My fear was that with my work schedule and lack of energy or drive after work, I would never use it and I really, really want to!
Thus, the idea to change my work schedule came to mind. Actually, I believe it was God-inspired!
Only as a precaution, I now set my alarm for 6:30 a.m. The nice part is, I always wake up before that, but it's a natural awakening, as opposed to a brutal, forced one. I now feel rested when I waken instead of repeatedly hitting the snooze button, making me angry at the world the first 14 to 21 minutes of every day.
I get a lot accomplished those first two to two and a half hours in the morning. Also, somehow, God was beginning to get lost in the shuffle of my life...another thing I wasn't liking much...and I imagine that He wasn't liking my inattentiveness much either. It's nice to get up and have coffee with God again. In addition to that precious, quiet time, I usually manage to get enough domestic stuff done before I have to get ready for work that I feel good about walking out the door, not to mention feeling good when I walk back in again.
I'm sure I'll be attempting to integrate working out at the gym into my morning schedule soon. Right now, I'm just enjoying the one little change in my work schedule that has had such a positive effect on my life. I'm grateful to even have that flexibility.
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