Needing a Good Laugh?

I've been in sore need of a good laugh lately and I'm happy to say I've found it. Someone on Facebook linked to an article about raising teenage boys. The article was written by a woman who is the mother to four boys (how well I can relate). I couldn't help but peruse more of her posts once I discovered her blog. I about fell off my chair reading her recent post for Mother's Day. I know it is almost Father's Day, but you mothers out there will get a gigantic chuckle out of Melissa's post aimed at fathers everywhere.

Then, because I love her sense of humor so much, I liked her on Facebook, which means I get to see what she posts and let me tell you, she is a laugh a minute. So she linked to a site where someone posts things found on Pinterest which are absolutely ludicrous. The site is called Pinterest You Are Drunk and I could. not. look. away. I must have viewed almost a hundred pages. The titles and tags are beyond perfect. I was laughing so hard at a few of them (deer butt doorbell with the tags "doorbells I won't be ringing," and "deer God, no"; knit skeleton, complete with entrails and innards; a useless crocheted umbrella; a wonder woman costume to make your head turn; a wedding dress made out of diapers; and an elderly couple made out of yarn with the tag "no nudes is good nudes") that my husband came over to see what was possessing me to snort so violently. You look at these things and you think ... really, just really?

So, if you're in need of a good laugh, fill your cup today. Yes, you're welcome. It did wonders for my disposition, too.

Adorable, Creative Little Girl

You've probably already seen the buzz around this four year old fashionista, but I had to share because I'm just thrilled with the creativity and cuteness of this little girl. Not having girls, and not having any fashion-sense myself, I can't imagine how fun this must be. I love how Mayhem struts her stuff and insists on making new dresses almost daily.

(photos from FashionbyMayhem)

If you have time, take a moment to view this post, where they show the progression from the first paper dress made to the present day creations. The side-by-sides next to the celebrity dresses are awe-inspiring. Or visit Mayhem's mother's blog for even more pictures of Mayhem and her creative dresses at www.FashionByMayhem.com. Amazing! Adorable!

Free Books for Review

I've been mentioning recently this new website I've discovered called "Story Cartel."  The idea is that you are able to download books for free as long as you agree to write a review.  I'm super excited because I just learned that Dalaina May's wonderful book, Yielded Captive, is available for free for the next 20 days if you are willing to write a review of the book after reading it.  You can see from my review here that I really loved this book.  If you are interested in reading Dalaina's excellent story of a missionary taken captive in the jungles of Peru, then you can head here and sign up for Story Cartel yourself.  Yippee!

Introducing: My Son's Blog

Trevor has been begging for his own blog for quite some time now. We began working on it over Spring Break and finally put the polishing touches on his first post. It is a representation of one of the many books he has created. This one was created shortly after his trip with Daddy to see the I-Max presentation of "Sea Rex."

It may just be another blog in the blogosphere to some, but it is my own kindergarten son's expression of creativity, so to me it is a MIGHTY FINE BLOG! Go check it out at http://www.monstersandart.blogspot.com/.

A future post will contain photos of his first cake decoration (in celebration of his 6-1/2 birthday). Now, he's asking to have his blog appear on our favorites bar. I think I've created a monster (no pun intended)!

Nature Photographer and Friend

A few weeks back, I received a welcome surprise. My ES's kindergarten teacher from DeKalb, IL, Tracy Paszotta, friended me on Facebook. After ES finished a year of kindergarten with her, I spent a year in her classroom, working as an individual aide for an autistic boy. I smiled, sighed, and clicked "Confirm."

I don't know why I had never thought to look for friends from my old Littlejohn Elementary School colleagues. I suppose, ever since I joined Facebook, I haven't really been on the lookout for new friends. Mainly, old friends from The Salvation Army have found me and occasionally I would see another person I wanted to add from their friend lists.

Now, I had some DeKalb contacts to add and I was having fun. I was able to skim through photos and see how some of the kids I remember from Littlejohn have grown up. I reconnected with two students who used to write to me often through the "Wee Deliver" program at the grade school. (This was a delightful program, headed by Ms. Sharon McKee. Both my son and Jenny, a student I worked with, spent time as carriers, so I felt deeply committed to the program ... plus, I just love to write and read letters!)

When I discovered Debbie Miller (an old friend and fellow individual aide) on Facebook, I was extra excited because I noted that she has a blog. From the moment I clicked on her blog, Nature-ally Beautiful, I fell in love with her photography. Now I am scheming and conniving to try to get her to come take pictures on our property. I would love it if she could get a professional shot of one of our blue heron.

I was also feeling frustrated that I had not found her just a few weeks earlier. She recently held a poll on her blog to determine a final shot for a set of note cards featuring cats. Everyone who participated in the poll was entered into a contest and the winner received a set of four of her beautiful note cards.

Not to worry, though. On my way up to the CMI reunion weekend, I made arrangements to stop in and see Debbie. I brought her a loaf of my Banana Chocolate Chip bread, just like old times, and we sat in her kitchen talking about blogs and how thrilling it is to pursue something you feel passionate about. I made a purchase from her line and she added in a jar of her homemade Autumn Orchard Salsa - yum! (Her jams and salsas are so delicious that she has to hide them from her kids, or they disappear too quickly. Indeed, she recently found two boxes she had hidden away and it felt like Christmas.)

I also snagged a chance to look out at her garden. She has a little nook surrounded by stunning sunflowers, where she sits quietly and waits for the birds to come and take their poses. She has promised to send me some of the sunflower seeds so that I can attempt to grow my own. (Inwardly snorting, remembering how black my thumb is!) She assures me that sunflowers are not difficult to grow. I think I would achieve more success if she were to make a trek down here to Indiana to walk me through the planting process. She'd teach me a new skill and I'd offer up the beautiful setting, ripe for nature-ally beautiful photography!

Take a moment and visit her blog. From there you can take the link to her card page, if you are interested in purchasing any of her beautiful note cards. While you're there, tell her Wendy sent you!

Another Good Laugh

Here's a quick plug for another writer friend of mine. Kyle White was our youth pastor back in DeKalb, IL. That is, until we started up the writer's group. Shortly after that, he left his youth pastor position and began to devote more time to his writing. I have always loved his "stuff" (mostly poetry), but was thrilled when I learned of his blog.

He doesn't post to his blog as often as I would like, but I'm guessing that might be a good thing. In fact, I have often wondered about that question of publication following the act of making your writing available to the world at large at no cost to speak of. His writing is definitely worth purchase and I hope to one day buy his essays on Wisconsin (they'll sit right next to my books by Bryson, probably).

But, you can enjoy another good laugh if you visit his blog and read his three recent posts (all of 2009 - sadly). Maybe if he receives a deluge of comments, he'll post more of these entertaining blog entries. Then, again, maybe I'm just deluding myself into thinking I've sent more than two additional readers his way. Ha! Now there's another good laugh!

May the Scraps of my Life Be Woven Together to Create a Thing of Beauty

My sister and I are carbon opposites. If you saw us, you would doubt that we were indeed sisters (although, there is one photo on my mother's wall, taken at my sister's wedding where our heads are craned in toward one another and our faces look almost identical, merely graced with dark and light hair). We have always been different. Whether that is a grace or a burden, depends upon the timing of consideration.

A few days ago, my sister expressed some anxiety over her new position with The Salvation Army. She went from being a Divisional Youth Secretary (where she was involved with planning activities and camps for young people - something which is, undoubtedly, her forte!) - to sharing a city commander's position with her husband. It literally blew me away to hear her tossing out the term "worthless."

My sister is type A. When ES and I visited her, during their appointment in Key West, Florida, she hustled all three of her children in and out of showers every morning and night, had their clothes laid out for them the night before, disciplined at the moment discipline was needed, rallied her children to pick up their own mess as soon as they finished playing, preached Sunday morning's sermon, and juggled everything on her plate with extraordinary aplomb.

My best guess is that she is feeling lost as to her place in this new appointment. She is probably wanting to jump in and get things done. That is her style. That is her strength.

Which brings me again to the fact that she and I are carbon opposites. Ever since I read of her discouragement, I have been sinking myself. You see, if she can feel worthless, what in the world should I be feeling about my own life.

Apart from loving my boys with every fiber of my being, I don't really have much to show for my days. Indeed, they have left for another weekend visit with my in-laws and I am here, alone, bracing myself for another weekend of cleaning. I hate cleaning. I hate sorting. I have a hard time getting rid of things, even if, in theory, I desire the simplicity that my husband craves for our lives.

The thing is, if I could manage to organize myself better during the regular days, then I would not need these extra weekends trying to catch up on what should really be able to be accomplished in the normal hours of my housewife work-week. However, I don't organize my time well. I am anything but a type A. I find it hard to motivate myself to pick up the endless messes (or even to rally the troops to pick up their own messes), to plan a schedule of meals and have it placed on the table at a set time in the evening, or to get my children in their beds on time. I live a loosey-goosey existence. A lot of what I do depends on what I feel like at the moment. I lack self-discipline. I lack passion and vision for what I want my role to be.

Instead, I spend much of my days fighting my role (even though it is one that I personally campaigned for - if we were going to have more children, I did NOT want those children to be raised by day care workers instead of myself). I resent the expectations that I keep an immaculate house. I resent it mostly, because I feel incapable of ever living up to those expectations.

Then there are my own personal goals and dreams. Somehow, parenthood (and I understand that this is a SEASON - I know I am giving up parts of myself to focus on my children while they are still small because it goes by in a flash) has side-lined any of the things I value and enjoy. Before I became a parent, I made lists of things I wanted to accomplish in life. Now, the thought of making a list of things I want to accomplish seems daunting, unless it is a list of things I want to do with my boys before they no longer are willing to spend time with me (oh, we have been dreaming this week of a trip to Canada next spring to see the thousands of red-sided garter snakes in their snake pits at the Narcisse Wildlife Management Area!).

As I was looking at the disaster, which is my home, waiting to be tamed, I took my classic route of avoidance and logged on to read blogs. One blog I enjoy (but only visit every couple of months or so) is written by April, and is called The Two Regrets. She has four children and relishes every moment of her summer breaks with them (last summer I enjoyed reading of their trip to Mackinac Island). Of course, when I read of her successful trips, I find myself wishing my children were more like her children (with a love of reading and calm dispositions), and that seems like kind of a crummy thing to put upon them (to wish they were something other than what they are).

There are many things I appreciate about April's blog. She loves words and quilting, and her writing is often beautifully direct.

When I read this post, I began to feel a ray of hope. My life is certainly a pile of scraps on the floor. I love how she brought this image together of the quilt - a thing of beauty made of scraps stitched together during hours of loving, painstaking work.

However, I lack two things. I lack her network of supportive women (all stitching away, with her) and a belief that I, myself, am the one sewing these scraps into a thing of beauty. If I were at the helm (don't know if a sewing machine really has a helm - ha!), even with the help of others, my machine would, no doubt, get jammed and create a whole new mess.

Thankfully, I am relying on the Lord. I certainly pray that this is what the Lord is going to accomplish with my scraps. Moreover, if He is the designer, then I can rest assured that the final product will be good - even if at times I feel like all the scraps of my life are dull pieces of uninteresting, worthless fabric.

Oozing Creativity

Some people are so amazingly creative, it just floors me! Naturally, when I happen upon such an individual, and especially, one who blogs, I have to favorite their site and share with my readers.

Tonight I discovered Megan at http://www.myplumpudding.blogspot.com/. This woman absolutely oozes creativity. If I had more time, I would have read her entire archive full of posts. Alas, I think I only made it back to February of 2009. Still, my brain is full of several creative ideas she shared which I want to try.

My boys are gonna love some of her food ideas. I was drawn immediately to her spaghetti dogs post. My two little boys eat fettuccine alfredo with chicken and broccoli (which we call "broccoli with slurpy noodles") once or twice a week. They love to slurp the noodles and pretend that they are sucking up worms (ah, boys ...). I can't wait to see MS's face when I serve the spaghetti dogs (without any warning, of course). I'm thinking about serving it with a bowl of tomato sauce and spinach (seaweed) for them to dip the octopuses in. I'm sure MS will say that it is blood.

They are sure to enjoy her crescent suggestion, too. We recently made pigs-in-a-blanket. MS loves to help in the kitchen. He had a ball rolling the hot dogs up into the crescent roll dough. I'm pretty sure he could come up with some of his own creative recipes, if I let him.

Indeed, having a creative son, encourages me to find these creative bloggers because he outpaces me every day. This morning he asked if we had any paper cups. I had no clue why he was asking, but I got the box of Dixie cups down. He asked for ten of them. His final creation? A snake of cups held together by tape with a paper forked tongue and googly eyes. Sadly, it met its demise, in the hands of a younger brother, before I could get a picture.

He also made two mummies walking (still on that 3-D theme). When my parents were here for a visit, my mother kept trying to get MS to draw her something she would actually want to take and display (i.e., something other than that which he obsesses about, Halloween characters, spiders and snakes). She asked him to draw a flower, but he never did concur. I think she went home with a few spiders.

Here is a view of our wall (again, a ton more remains on the floor, but some he insists on displaying on the wall):



Moreover, the other day he blessed us with a life-size boy, anatomically correct, of course!



Maybe tomorrow, I'll check and see what kind of things Megan posted back in October. If she had a creative idea for every day of that month, I think my MS could go through her ideas in the space of a week (especially if it has anything to do with his favorite holiday - and could someone tell me why that is his favorite holiday, because I still can't figure it out, apart from the dressing up bit).

Living an Inspirational Life

Tonight, I wanted to log on and write up a post commending my ES for a moment today when he made me proud. Alas, I got side-tracked by mail and news. But, I did happen upon two stories I wanted to pass along. The first, is a story about an inspirational 11 year old. The second is a story about an inspirational young couple. Be sure to watch the accompanying videos.

Powerful Prose and Poetry

If I had been more on top of things last month (and had kept up with my blogging friends), I would have known that it was National Poetry Month. I believe I did hear of it briefly and thought it might be fun to write a poem (especially given the incentive from Lucy's fabulous venture into poetry as a new experience for 2009). However, I quickly nixed that idea, since poetry for me is something that only comes when I am really beset by strong emotions and then it is usually not something I am ready to share with the world at large.

Tonight, I have been catching up on my blog-friend, Amy's blog. She calls herself the English Geek and I feel a certain kinship with her. When I visit her blog, it often reminds me of why I was a literature major in college and why I wanted to be an English teacher. It is also a plus that now she is a librarian and I am feeling a tug in my heart to lean that direction instead of returning to teaching when my little ones enter school full-time.

I have been blown away by her posts from the month of April. I can't even direct you to just one post. I want you to share in all of them (although, if pressed for time, I've narrowed it down to five: April 6, 7, 8, 18, 23). My favorite thing about her April posts is that so many of them reflect on her own personal experiences and then tie in with an outstanding poem. I had forgotten how much I love reading poetry (I'm really not too good at writing it, although I did love writing poems when I was in high school). Amy's prose, discussing the poetry, is every bit as much a fine literary experience as the poetry. Thanks, Amy, for reminding me of the power of poetry, even if I am a month late to the ball game.

Pray for Janae and Stellan

Two more quick prayer requests to throw out there. I have sort of stumbled upon these, since I don't really know these families personally (although one family, I have heard of often through a mutual friend).

Janae is a five year old girl who lives in DeKalb, Illinois, where we used to live. My friend, Beth, mentioned an urgent prayer request for her a few days ago. Janae's parents took her to the ER believing she might have appendicitis. After a ct scan, they were informed that a six inch tumor was attached to the area of her kidney (a Wilms tumor). At first, doctors believed they would have to begin chemotherapy to reduce the size of the tumor. However, when the doctor went in to access, he decided to remove it. Unbelievably, she went home from the hospital tonight. Of course, the battle is not over, but the Lord has been gracious and present.

To visit Janae's site and encourage Janae and her family (dad and mom, Frank and Suzanne, and four sisters) go here.

As I was visiting Catherine's blog tonight, I happened upon a link to Stellan's mother's blog. Even as I type, he is apparently making his entrance into this world. However, he has had a tough road so far (with heart difficulties within the womb) and they are not sure what will happen. Thankfully, they are confident that God knows what will happen. Say a prayer for Stellan and his family and visit her blog - her kids are adorable beyond words!

UPDATE: I logged on this morning and checked to see if my links were working. Spent a good long time at Stellan's mom's site. What a creative blogger! You have to visit her gallery of Stellan names. She asked people to send in photos of Stellan's name to signify that others are praying for Stellan. She will be putting these up on his walls to encourage him. When I read back further, I discovered that he was scheduled for a c-section this morning at 9:30 a.m. CST - and that was exactly when I was on checking out the site more fully. Adding more prayers!

Puzzles and Links

For those still awaiting word about my recent giveaway, ES has yet to approach the teacher to discover the actual answer to that mystifying puzzle which continues to stump us all. He has promised to ask tomorrow. That particular extra credit assignment awarded 100 EC points to the student who solved the highest number of rebus puzzles on the page. ES scored the 100 points (although he did miss a few).

He also provided me with three more rebus puzzles. I will post them today, in case no one correctly answered the previous super-stumper puzzle. See if you can figure them out (although one of them is pretty easy)!


O _ E R _ T _ O _


HIJKLMNO


SICK BIRD


Don't look for the answers tomorrow, because tomorrow is a marathon day. I will collapse in bed without any blogging (but thankfully, I won't be the one responsible for taking ES and his friend to Indiana Beach the following day)! YS and I will arrive for a follow-up pulmonology appointment early tomorrow morning in Indianapolis. Then, in the early afternoon, I will head to a parent-teacher conference for MS's preschool class. I will round out the day with a trip in to Indianapolis to see Macbeth with my kicking-and-screaming adolescent (good times, huh?). Hubby thinks I should just go alone, but I'm determined to share some culture with my son, even if he hates every minute of it. (Really, I'm praying for a really well-done production that will create a wonderful memory for the two of us!)

In case, you find yourself with nothing to read tomorrow (since I won't be blogging, right?), you might visit my friend Michele's new blog (another mother of boys and a Sally friend - translated "Salvation Army friend"). I also have been meaning to link to My Three Sons because I recently found her blog, as well. Another Texas blogger (like BritGal Sarah), who does fabulous photo essays, is On The Upside. If you check hers out, be sure to read back to her "Interview with a Flat Girl," from last Friday! Absolutely hilarious!

Craving This Simply Soothing Song

I must admit, I don't spend nearly as much time listening to music as I used to. In fact, if I listen to anything, it is likely to be a book on CD. I'm not sure why, since music has always been paramount in my life.

Moreover, my taste in music is eclectic. These days, I'm drawn to songs like "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse, "LDN" by Lily Allen, "Omnibus" by Lautsprecher, "Bubbly" by Colbie Caillat, "Forever and For Always," by Shania Twain, " and "Thank You," by Dido. Yet, I'm also given to bouts of listening to older albums by Chicago or Bread or even Air Supply. A few years ago, my husband took me to my first and only rock concert, when Styx played at the Convocation Center in DeKalb, Illinois, on Valentine's Day. What a fantastic memory we made that night!

As a teenager, while most of my peers were listening to rock on the radio (I know my brothers listened to a lot of Styx), I was fixated on Salvation Army brass band music. I would put on some brass band music, pull the piano bench over to the couch and sit and write endless letters while listening to the form of music which, to this day, can make my soul feel like it's standing on a mountain. At times, I would even play my horn along with the record (if I had the music). Dweeb, I know!

Of course, I left my Salvation Army brass band days behind when I got married. My heart still pines for that unique experience. My brain also misses those songs I grew up singing in The Salvation Army. Lots of times, a song will pop into my head and I will have to think really hard to determine if it is a song that is used in general Christendom or one that is unique to The Salvation Army.

For those who don't know, The Salvation Army is famous for writing new lyrics to bar tunes and old melodies. Many of the songs in the red Salvation Army Songbook were set to tunes which were popular with the common man. I guess early Salvationists were pre-Larry Norman thinkers with the concept of "why should the devil have all the good music?"

When I was a teenager, I remember one officer couple who tried to employ the same concept to The Salvation Army founder's song, "Oh, Boundless Salvation." John and Nancy MacLean sang these profound words to the tune of John Denver's "Annie's Song." It was breathtakingly beautiful, and I often find myself singing those words to Denver's melody.

Then, a few years ago, I discovered that a group of young people were reviving this trend. The Singing Company produced a CD called "The Red Book Sessions." The group's leader, Eric Himes, had written modern tunes to pair with the older lyrics in the red Salvation Army Songbook. I asked for a copy of this CD the Christmas when my YS was born and spent a lot of time listening to it during feeding sessions.

Imagine my surprise, when I learned that my own niece, Kirsten, had joined the group. This made me all the more eager to request their newest CD, called "The Mercy Seat Sessions," for my birthday this past May. My parents spent the weekend before our summer visit at The Salvation Army's Central Territorial Congress and picked up a copy for me.

Then, I sat on the darned CD for several months (who knows why? - it would have made excellent music for the drive up to CBLI!) and only ended up listening a few weeks ago. Since then, I have been transfixed. I can't get enough of this CD and especially one song in particular - a solo called "Abide With Me," sung by Kirsten.

At the end of a chaotic day, there is nothing better than plugging into this song. Kirsten has a beautiful Celtic lilt as she sings this melodic tune. The words are comforting and uplifting. I have listened to it over and over again. I had to share it, so my husband played it on the computer and my little guys were mesmerized by the swirling graphics dancing across the screen. Now, my MS begs me to play the CD in the van. He loves Kirsten's song, but he also loves other ones (especially new lyrics to "Morning Has Broken" - he loves this one because it mentions the biblical story where God brings the dry bones to life - called "Wake Up, O Sleeper").

If you wish, you can listen to "Abide With Me," and you'll be craving this simply soothing song, too. Her voice is beautiful, the words meaningful and the music melodious. If I don't review as many books this month, it is because I can't get enough of this song! Kudos to Kirsten!

Slogging Too Much to be Blogging

One of my favorite aspects of Cardiogirl's blog, is that she blogs with anticipated regularity (Monday through Friday) and she responds to all comments in her comment section (calling it her VIP Lounge), so that it feels like participating in a community discussion. At one point, she even had a telephone option for her VIP lounge and I was able to call in, as well as hear other regular readers. In teen-speak, she is "the bomb." (Unfortunately, that may no longer be teen-speak, since I've been out of that loop for a few years while home with little ones.) I love logging on every weekday and knowing I will hear something from Cardiogirl.

Although I would love to have the following she has and would be thrilled if my comment section felt like a community discussion, I haven't been able to muster it this week. I'm really dragging. I can't stay awake in the evenings. When I have tried to come on and write, my brain has been severely muddled. Plus, I'm feeling somewhat discouraged (not sure exactly what is the cause, but it may have to do with the vague, inconvenient illnesses which we have been battling). Then, I log on and read about other families who are facing serious illnesses and even devastating losses and I feel guilty for my discouragement over unknown issues which merely inconvenience us.

I have so much to be thankful for. One would think that I could find something positive to write about at least every other day. However, this week has been a serious no-go! MS has said some precocious things, I wish I had preserved here. YS is doing well taking his inhaler twice a day. We are awaiting the results of some further tests taken to determine the source of ES's stomach woes. My hubby has been exercising regularly in the evenings in an attempt to stave off the pre-diabetes state which his doctor warned him about. Yet, when I try to write, everything lacks a luster or enthusiasm.

So, for now, I have nothing of great interest to share. I have no enthusiasm with which to share it. I'm hoping this passes soon. For me, not wanting to write is a sad state of affairs (sometimes it seems like that is my life's-blood). I think I'm physically and mentally anemic. Anyone got some iron? I'm slogging off to bed now.

Held Hostage in Facebook Land

O.K. I'm not being held against my will. However, it is amazing how much time I have spent on Facebook in the last three or four days. It all started with one little friend request and then I noticed tons of people from my past whom I could re-connect with. It has been so much fun. Seriously, some of these people (I'm referring to Salvation Army friends from my past) have over 600 friends! It takes me forever to toggle through them all to see if there is another person hiding in the shadows of the Facebook Lounge.

I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Yeah, but they have that whole Friend Finder bit in there." I guess I just never really took the time to use it. I did search for Wheaton people, but that didn't really net many results. Suddenly, I'm finding between five and ten people a day. Wow! My sister even joined and she already has pictures up on her profile!

So to all my new/old friends on Facebook - I'm having the time of my life re-connecting with you. We'll see how many figure out that I have a blog (or care to come by and check it) - hee-hee! Wait a minute. I can't really figure that out unless they comment, since I still haven't bitten the bullet and added a Sitemeter.

I do need to cut back on this, however. YS is still in the throes of lingering croup and is waking quite a bit at night. He has an appointment with a pediatric pulmonologist on Monday. Hope that goes well.

I think I definitely need to read that Max Lucado book, Facing Your Giants, now, because I'm addicted to blogging and Facebook. Every night I promise I'll be in bed before midnight and every night I try to sneak in without waking my husband. It never works! He always says "I thought you were going to try to get to bed earlier!" Busted!

Humor Deficiency Cured with Jib Jab!

My faith is restored!

After last night's frustration, Rachel had suggested I try again. This is something I suggest to my boys all the time. I can hear my MS now, chanting "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again." I'm so glad I took her advice. You are seeing my boy's faces now, instead of those crazy man faces, right? Isn't it bloody brilliant?

So, here is my official apology to Jib Jab. Your company did indeed advertise and provide a great FREE e-card! I tried once last night, with similar frustrating results. But, today, I remembered reading (was it fine print somewhere? I can't remember) that sometimes AOL has a problem with accepting the fine Jib Jab product. Shall I shift my hex to AOL now?

I went in through Internet Explorer and found success. I did appreciate Jib Jab's advertising finesse under the "dance" category cards. This is their clever sales pitch:

"Something missing from your life? Feeling down and out, gloomy or just plain mopey? We think we know the problem. It's a humor deficiency, curable only by putting your face and the faces of friends and loved ones on the bodies of some of our crazy dancing fools. Who knew that funny eCards were all you needed to turn that frown upside down? JibJab Sendables eCards: the Prozac of electronic greetings!"

Thanks to my electronic Prozac, I'm smiling again!

All I Can Say Is ...GRRR!

This afternoon, I popped on briefly while my littlest one was napping. I headed over to http:/www.testosterhome.net and saw a clever little video of Rachel and her husband dancing. It was similar to the recent photo I saw of my Aunt Audrey (with the really ripped body of Princess Leia's mother!). After viewing it, I chose to make my own and uploaded photos of my sons. My husband and two little ones watched it several times, just chuckling away. It was bloody brilliant! I must say!

So, I proceeded to follow the instructions to share the supposedly-FREE sendable e-card to my blog. I headed over to my blog and viewed the funny thing one more time. Then, we headed off for an afternoon of swimming.

We just discovered a pool that is only 25 minutes away and has a decent kiddie area, a lazy river, slides and a diving board. The price for the 4-7 session was unbelievable. We paid only $6 for the four of us (since the two little ones are free). This is less than we would pay for one person to enter the DeKalb pool. We plan to go again when ES is home with us. They even have a skate-park near the pool! ES will be stoked!

After swimming and fine dining at McDonald's (where YS ate an entire cheeseburger by himself, along with half a small fry and a few apple dippers - also unbelievable), we headed home for baths and bed. I logged on again to view the funny video on my blog.

Here is where the GRRRR comes! There was the Jib Jab video, but, alas, the faces were no longer the faces of my sons, but the crazy man faces they offered in the regular version. I scanned my mail and discovered an e-mail which stated that I was so close to sharing my clever video that I could smell it. All I supposedly had to do was enter a code in the verification line.

I returned to the Jib Jab site and looked at my account. No verification box. Plus, the video in my account showed my son's faces below the video, but when I clicked play it always inserted the crazy man faces! GRRRR! I finally deleted the post from my blog.

I'm guessing that this is a classic example of the bait and switch method. Offer me something clever for FREE! Get me all excited! Get my taste buds tantalized for sharing my clever boys doing their dancing groove and rocking my world! Then, make the video unavailable to share in this way, unless you purchase a paid subscription to Jib Jab! (I'm really screaming, I just didn't want to inundate you with all-caps)

A hex upon you, Jib Jab! However, if you want to see a video for yourself, head over to Rachel's blog (it is worth it, even without her funny video - in fact, she posted another great dance video a little while back). Then, just for the fun of it, make your own. At least you can view it while you make it. Who knows maybe you'll even be able to send it for FREE! Maybe they just don't like ME!

Fun Little Site

Just wanted to mention a fun little site to visit. My niece Amelia, has a friend named Amber Dugan, who is fighting cancer. I don't know her personally, but from everything I have read, I can tell she is a creative, determined, up-beat kind of girl. She has her own website at www.livingeachday.piczo.com. I love the music she has chosen to go with the different pages (especially the Colbie Calliett song on the Children's Inn page). She used to have a picture of Amelia on her friends page, but nothing came up this time. I know she is working on updating the whole thing right now. I'm sure Amber would love more visitors (and I think she is trying to earn a rainbow on her site by gaining more visitors), so take a moment and check out her site. Plus say a little prayer for her as she battles this monster!

For Every Life, God Has a Purpose!

When I was three, a medical miracle occurred in my life (I don't have time to share that story now, but will at some point). As a small child, I would stand up in church and give my testimony of that miracle. It usually included all the salient points my parents had taught me. It was very moving. From an early age, I had a story to tell and I wanted to tell it.

The key lesson I came away with, all those years ago, was that God has a purpose for every life and in particular, God had a purpose in allowing my life to continue instead of ending on that fateful day when it, by all means, could have. In the beginning, it was incredibly inspiring. God wanted me to continue living. God had something important He wanted me to do, so He left me here to do it.

But, I have to admit, as the years have passed, this story hasn't always felt inspirational. Sometimes that purpose has felt like an expectation unfulfilled. I have struggled with feelings of inadequacy. I have wondered, "Am I accomplishing all that God desired when He chose to give me a second shot at my life?" I have been prone to line my life up against others and ask whether my life bears enough meaning.

Yet, in the back of my mind, I do fully believe that God has a purpose for my life and for every life that He brings into being. As I have said before, if one of my children had been born with some physical or mental disability, I would have still considered their life to be precious and valuable. I would have cherished their existence and would have, doubtless, grown and learned much through their very being and my role as a mother to that child.

Tonight, while visiting Dace's blog I stumbled upon a YouTube video of a man born with no arms or legs. He has inspired many people with his story. He is further evidence that God has a purpose for every life and that purpose isn't really dependent upon circumstances changing or improving. The YouTube video of Nick Vujicic is six minutes long. If you would rather view a shorter piece, I found an ABC news video which is only two minutes long (I'm sorry I didn't get to see the 20/20 piece back in March). Take your pick, but take a look, and never doubt that God has a plan and a purpose for your life. The tricky part is, sometimes, finding it.

My Words are Pig's Feed

So often I come on intending to write about something and then I get sucked into the computer and find a post on another blog that strikes a chord in my heart. I find myself wanting to say to everyone, "Oh, but you've got to read this, too, because their words are so much better than what I planned to write." Tonight, I can only encourage you to read their words, their gourmet cuisine. I was going to write about my feet (no lie! with illustrations, even!). Lucky you, others have much more poignant, profound things to share.

First off, I must say that although God has led Boothe Farley through some very difficult trials, He has also given her a tremendous gift in her ability to share her words and insights with others. Her Sunday, April 20th post was so profound that I want to print it out and keep it in my Bible. Like Boothe, I crave redemption and redemption's story. Perhaps because I don't trust that everyone will link to her post, let me share the two sections which stirred me the most.

She wrote, "But what if better doesn't come? ... When's the future going to make it feel worthwhile? What's the sense in all of it? Where's the redemption?"

And further on, "But our story - God's story - is linear. It is a fine line going directly, pointedly, toward one end. And that end is His glory."

Her words were truly beautiful (I hope you will follow the link). Although I haven't walked the same road as Boothe, her words resonated within my soul. I've been in a similar wilderness where struggle after struggle seem to be heaped on top of one another and I have wondered if I would die in the wilderness before reaching the redemption, the Promised Land.

I planned to thank Boothe for her words, but when I clicked on the comments, I ran across one from a Cardiogirl reader - Just a Mom. (I hear her chatting often in CG's VIP lounge, and visit her blog sporadically). Of course, her site sent me to another inspiring story (which I have also visited sporadically) - the blog of Confessions of a CF Husband. This blog linked to his father's blog, where I read the most accurate and encouraging article I've read about us PKs (pastor's kids).

All I can say is: Thank goodness for God's incredible grace! And thank Him also for the pig's feed and the gourmet cuisine. May we all be fed well and sleep well.