Slave Labor and Stress Relief....

Please feel free to read this post and learn from my mistakes. Let me back track a couple of months. Somehow our only wall, with wallpaper, got ripped. I won't name names, but I'm pretty sure someone - who is under 4 ft. tall - did this.

Well...this past Saturday I was starting to get stressed about our upcoming week. So...what do I FINALLY do but start the LONG, MESSY process of ripping all the wallpaper off our wall. It was actually fun for the first 15 min. and then I was calling in reinforcements: Austin, Lindsey and Reece. Isn't this one of the biggest reasons for having children? Slave labor..... :)

They actually had a great time with this and more hands make the work much easier.
Another thing happened this weekend, because I was stressing... I got some funny bumps on my tongue and it got to a point where it was hard to talk or eat. I did another 'not so smart' thing. I looked "bumps on the tongue" up on the internet. Well.....I won't go into all the diagnosis', but I stopped reading when one site was talking about how this lady's husband had cancer of the tongue and had part of his tongue removed along with all of his teeth and lymph nodes. Yet another way to relieve my stress -- Google...

Well....I did find out that those bumps can be caused by stress and so I concluded that there was my own diagnosis. The worst time was probably going to church because it was painful to talk, but I hate missing the blessing of Sunday worship. Thankfully now it is all better.

The wall took much longer than I expected and that actually bumped UP my stress. It's hard to eat in a room that looks like a hamster cage. So...this week I have learned what NOT to do when stressed. No starting big house projects and no googling your own diagnosis.

On a good note, the family passed our Tae Kwon Do testing and we went back, Sunday afternoon, to spend an hour and 15 minutes practicing our kicks. Being with Tae Kwon Do buddies twice a week, kicking and punching and yelling......this has become a good way to relieve stress. Can't wait for tonight's class! I also highly recommend a bubble bath, a good book, definitely more time with God, and just sitting on the deck soaking in the spring time sun. Beware of doing projects, during a stressful week, that adds to your burden. Lesson learned here. :)

Confession....

I have a confession to make - and even as I make this confession I am aware that some of you know this already. Starting in January, our family started doing Tae Kwon Do. Yes....this IS a confession. You see there was a time where we would get all dressed up in our uniforms and open up our garage door. Then we (Brian especially) would peek from side to side to see if any neighbors were around and then quickly jump into the van. We had originally planned to let our kids 'experience' Tae Kwon Do and soon found out that they encourage the family to do it together.

Oh... the things you will do for your children, I'm tellin ya! I do remember Dr. Dobson saying that you can't count 'sitting on the sidelines at soccer, basketball, baseball', etc. as "family time", so I am hoping that we'd at least get a "thumbs up" from Dr. D. :)

Especially when I hear words of 'tournaments' and "you need to do this or that or the Masters will make you do push-ups", etc. Oh...and "aren't you excited to break concrete?" What??? Well.....maybe me, but my husband kind of needs his fingers to make a living - can he be excused please???

Some good things have happened. Our kids love it when they get paired up with us. It IS good family time. We are learning right along side our kids. I have learned to be loud with my "gi-yup". They told us if we don't yell loud when we punch, we'd have to do several push-ups. Let me tell you....my kids thought I was nuts, but I even practiced yelling loud while driving to this or that. The threat of push-ups will make me do crazy things, but I do feel now I sound pretty mean and I'm pretty proud of that! :)

We have our FIRST testing tonight and I'll be calling on Jesus for this one. It's at 5:30p.m. in front of the Masters - black belts....so if you feel so inclined to pray also - that would be great.

Brian is NOT willing for a 'family photo' quite yet (remember how we look both ways before we jump in our van -- baby steps), so here is a picture of something I don't want to forget. How much I was a "fish out of water" in January. I didn't even know that you had to take off your socks and shoes for Tae Kwon Do. Didn't know ANYTHING about it. This was the winter when I choose not to paint my toe nails and that is all I could think about during the first class. My toe nails are bare! To top it off, the Master was showing us proper foot position for a kick and he grabbed my foot for a demonstration. Have mercy.....I don't even think I had used moisturizer for a month. Winter feet....oh my! Yes....you could fully say that I do not seem like one to be kicking and punching when I'm concerned mostly about the lack of pedicure.

So....regardless of what happens tonight --- my toe nails ARE painted and that makes me happy! :)

Sunday is coming!!

Whew....it's been a 'heavy' weekend here at our home and I'm sure many homes as we reflect on what Christ did for us. Tonight we had a "take two" of the Easter story because last night was simply too hard for Brian to continue to read. When you see Peter deny Christ 3 times and you're describing, to your precious children, what the Lord did for us when He suffered and died. It was just too much...the kids needed to see that, though..

Yet...I have never ever been more excited about Easter Sunday! It's always been my most favorite Sundays all year. Course my Mom and I were laughing about all the 'sunrise breakfasts' we attended at my childhood church. I do not look upon that part too fondly. Quite simply I don't think I'll ever give the Lord 'my best' by getting up at 5a.m. Sure enough, we always attended and then crashed the rest of Easter Sunday.

I've admitted this to a few people and, I don't know why, but it just thrills me to no end. It's when the Pastor says: "He is Risen!" and we get to shout back: "He is Risen INDEED!" I've waited weeks for just that moment. Sunday is coming!

I'm sure ready to close the book on the grief and rejoice tomorrow with my sisters and brothers in Christ. Speaking of sisters -- Aunt Nar did it again. She spoiled our children with these beautiful Easter clothes and sent a huge box full of Easter baskets and goodies that she and Grandma took the love and care to fill. Thank you, so much, Nar!! Thanks for loving on these kids!

Happy Easter all!!

A 'Fool' for fun...

Yesterday was April 1st and, growing up, that ranked right up there after Christmas morning. My family LOVED this day.

Especially my Dad and I. I still remember the time my Dad called our neighbor yelling at him that all his cows were loose. We were all laughing hysterically as we watched our neighbor dash out of his house running towards the barn and then come to the realization that my Dad had 'gotten him'.

I remember parking my car in town and calling our church mechanic to come because the car wouldn't start. (before you feel sorry for the mechanic --- he's a church friend that took great pleasure in dumping buckets, of water, over my head each July 4th, tipping my canoe, ganging up -with others - to throw me in the lake, etc. Trust me....this was justified payback time. and he knew it soon after looking at my car and remembering what day it was.)

It was a day where my Dad and I went back and forth ALL day with each other. When I married and moved away....my Dad got even smarter and would call me VERY early on April 1st to get me. Getting me good in the middle of a sound sleep was the way I started many April 1sts.

When I was in highschool, we actually had our barn catch fire on April Fool's Day. Of course the fire department came out and thankfully contained it, but the problem was getting my Dad to come home. My brother called him to tell him of the fire and all he said was: "Janet put you up to this. Of course there isn't any fire." When he did finally come home, he had to call those who had stored items in our barn. They DIDN'T believe my Dad either. Of all days for this to happen in OUR family ---- the Lord has a sense of humor.

Yes.....I am a 'fool' for fun. I love these memories. BUT I waited to write this AFTER April 1st because I am still TERRIBLY gullible and wanted to make sure you all had an entire year to FORGET that I love April Fool's Day. I just know I would still be gotten over and over again. :)

Now I know how a hamster feels..

Last weekend we partied, at the Hamsho's, in the coolest of ways. Their neighbors decided to invest in a Games2U party franchise. Our city did not have this yet, and their neighbor's snagged up an awesome career. They found that there needed to be something for older kids to have for their birthdays or celebrations. Older - yes - but even 6 year old Reece was in Heaven. The picture above is indeed me in the "hamster ball". Even the moms got to party although the fun was letting the kids go wild as we Moms sat and talked the afternoon away.
This vehicle is AMAZING!! There are fun things to do on the outside and inside of the truck. It was hard to get 'inside pics' of the truck so you'll have to trust me that it is AWESOME!


I think the kids played laser tag most of all. Austin, Lindsey and Reece all loved this! I don't think there was anything they didn't love, really.
Elliana and Lindsey in the "hamster ball".

Lindsey posing with her laser gun. Such a ham!
Games2U is truly the latest and greatest to hit our town. What fun neighbors to have!!

Seeing Green..

It is so much fun to see people go "all out" for any reason - Irish or not. Breakfast for some include green pancakes, green eggs, and green milk. For us the best I did were these green cinnamon rolls (well - the frosting anyway) and that was a stretch for me to eat something sweet for breakfast. Just couldn't do the pancakes/eggs/milk thing. I guess I don't have a texture problem -- all visual for me. The kids loved it cause it made their tongues all green. So I got some "mom points" today.
Last week Awanas had "green night" and we did go all out for that. Here the boys are leaning over rags as their green hair was dripping. I told them not to move for 30 minutes. Great way to get some "quiet time" in. :)


I was sure adding up some extra "mommy points" that night because both Austin and Lindsey won prizes for being the "most green". Here's Austin going with another green buddy to get his award.
And here is Lindsey with some of her "green friends" showing off their prizes for the night.
Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all!

Remember this?

Remember this last front tooth just hanging there? Well...a little over a week ago it came out in typical Reece fashion. All three kids were in a massive pillow/wrestle fight with their Daddy. I was downstairs hearing the house exploding upstairs and thinking: "Something is gonna happen." Brian later confessed to having the same thought. Sure enough, Brian whips a pillow at Reece and it gets him square in the face, and out pops that tooth. Now we have our last toothless kid.
The before shot....

Here is the after shot all toothless. Yes, he was happy about the toothfairy visiting him AGAIN (the kid has been losing all his teeth lately, it feels). But he was also excited that day with his math assignment. Anything to do with making a mess, in the kitchen, with colored water (or bubbles, or flour, or......anything messy) - this kid gets excited.

Gotta use this goofy grin picture to embarress him someday - somewhere. :)

They must be adopted.....

The kids and I had the best time going on a grocery store and Petco field trip, today, with friends from Generations. Here's the group hanging out in the produce section trying some avocados and oranges.
Reece has not let me take a picture of him with his last front tooth hanging in the middle of his mouth, but today he forgot about it so I was able to snap a picture before it falls out.
Didn't think there would be animals, to pet, at the grocery store - but I forgot about the lobsters.
These next pictures just shocked me with how willing they were to pet and hold many different animals at Petco.... Here's Austin with a mouse..
A ferret...
We had the best host and the kids were just enthralled with the entire experience...
The picture alone is bothersome to me. My kids holding a snake. Cannot believe they are MY kids!
And dear Lindsey thought the snake was "SO cute."
Austin took his turn with the snake, but Reece didn't want to hold this snake. He had to warm up to the idea a little...
Then Reece agreed to hold a baby snake.
Lindsey was ALL about the animals..
I forget exactly what this creature is, there were so many, and the lady graciously went for an entire 1 1/2 hours because we were all willing to stay longer than a typical tour would be.