To all my Friends….

I am taking a computer break. I won’t be on very much….so if you don’t see me know that I am busy and being a good steward of my time. I have a few projects that need completing and some other things I need to catch up on. If you see me out here too much….send me away….LOL

I will check in periodically so leave me a message if you’d like…I will be limiting my self to once a day…I am also sitting here rolling my eyes at that one…..LOL

Have a Happy New Years Eve…….

Christmas at Our House…..(Warning Picture Heavy)

With the addition of our new family member back in September (Loki, an African Timneh with a 6′ cage), we had no room for our regular tree. My husband got this tree from Free Cycle. It is the “Space Saver” tree. It is only 2.5′ to 3′ at the bottom. It is 7′ tall. There is just no room at the bottom so we had to use the piano. Here is a lovely picture of our Great Pyrenees, Zeus. Those are his pillows.

The boys asked for new skateboards. They were quite pleased that these had metal “trucks” and not plastic. Hello….I didn’t know there was a difference. I just based my choice on the cool design…LOL.

Don’t notice the mess in the background. They had opened gifts from my husband’s parents on the table and we left that there….not to mention the trash bag for the paper and all the water glasses. Colleen thought she was getting a poster. A poster that we might have purchased from the Smithsonian. We were sorry to disappoint her but it was only a poster showing her how to connect her new computer. A Compaq Presario with a flat screen monitor. She was slightly confused at first. When she realized what the poster meant….the corners of her mouth slowly started to inch their way up to her ears. She was grinning. Teenagers are not supposed to jump for joy or show too much excitement. According to her brothers, when my husband and I walked out of the room…she became quite hysterical. Their description. Not hers…..LOL!

Gift wrapped!! Set up at her desk!! Please do not point out the dirt on the wall….Her room is long overdue for a “fresh” coat of paint. She loves purple….Randy had all ready moved her files onto the new computer. He also added E-Sword (in my links). E-Sword has a neat screen saving function that allows random Bible verses to flit across the screen. It is also programmable. She was sitting at her computer creating her own Bible verse list to have as her screen saver. These are verses that she has been working on memorizing. That was the first thing she did on her computer. Please note…It is NOT on the internet. Nor does her computer have any games. We don’t want her to get in the habit of separating herself from the family. She has her writing software and her novel right now. We also added some programs she will use with schooling. She just keeps trying to wheel my computer chair down the hallway and into her room…..@@

Because my husband has somewhat of a warped sense of humor…..there was at least one obligatory gag gift for Randy and the boys. Yes….it is what you think……

The boys were having a rough time opening their gift. They were having to fight off a little green monster who happens to love crinkling paper….Not really….she was attacking their toes over the paper.

Here is my gift. He is a guard frog and he was watching over the pizza. He is actually a peeper keeper. My daughter received the parrot peeper keeper. (Try saying that quickly if you please….:-) )

I think they were sending me a message about my inability to keep up with my glasses. Which is why I have four pair. Do I know where all four pair are currently…..ummmm….No. I can tell you where at least two are located…..The kids asked Randy if he thought this would help…….? He rather emphatically replied….NO!!

We had pizza for Christmas dinner. Since it is rare for it to just be us….the kids wanted homemade pizza. We called it Christmas pizza since it had all those lovely red and green peppers, onions, pepperoni, mushrooms and bacon. That was the “Mom and Dad” pizza since the kids won’t eat most of that……They had white pizza and pepperoni. I have never had such a no stress cooking Christmas dinner in the 14 years we have been married. Next year we will actually try “turkey tacos” for Thanksgiving.

Everyone slept in this morning. We had a late night visiting with friends. It was almost 10am when everyone got up. We have always fixed a big breakfast/brunch for Christmas morning. Which means there is no opening gifts until after breakfast. When the kids were little, we would give them their stockings while we prepared breakfast. Then of course you have clean up. After eating we would have to clean the kitchen up so it would be ready for me to start cooking Christmas dinner after the opening of the gifts. This year was no different. By the time we finished breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen it was all ready 12:30 pm. We had the kids open his parents gifts first…. They did get to briefly speak to their grandfather on the phone……

Another year has ended…..we must remind ourselves that even though we spend a day of giving gifts to family and friends……the most important gift we can give….is to give Christ our hearts. To humbly come before Him and invite him into our hearts is the greatest gift we can give because He gave the greatest gift of all……His shed blood on Calvary. He doesn’t want our gift but once a year….He wants us to give Him our all everyday……Everyday should be like Christmas in our hearts. Everyday we should remember what His birth means. It is our prayer for you that you have taken that step….to know what Christmas is really all about. The birth of a babe, who was born to die that we might have eternal life.

“Merry Christmas to all my Family and Friends……..“

My Family…….I love you. I am always behind the camera….which is why you don’t see me there next to my husband and children…….Here I am with my new froggie peeper keeper. It’s the only picture of me taken the entire day…….

My Life as I know It ….part 2

I am sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you my friends.  Those of you who were impatient and called, I thank you.

I went behind my husbands back on this.  That was wrong.  Especially knowing that I have all ready caused great irritation because I have not been very attentive.  I compounded his bad mood by doing this.

I did feel justified, but it was still wrong…..No, the axe hasn’t fallen yet because we have had some company and he really thought I was trying to have my friends run interference which really hadn’t crossed my mind until he mentioned it.

As most of you know, we had to get rid of our little Pomeranian, Dudley. If you don’t know what happened with Dudley, please click on his name and you will know it all.

Thursday night I had to drive out to my mother’s to drop some items off.  When I saw Dudley I was so surprised.  He had lost a lot of weight.  Mom had to take him to see the Vet and the Doctor told mom that he was starving himself.  My sister also told me that every time I would come to visit, he would get out and run after the truck.  My sister would have to get in her car to chase him down.  Then he would just sit in the window for days waiting for me to come back.

Zeus, our Pyrenees, was also missing Dudley.  I think that is why he was pulling his fur out.  My husband doesn’t think so.  My son was depressed over Dudley being gone.

My husband hates this little dog.  I must admit that he has not been my favorite either.  He has done enough to make my life miserable.

I couldn’t stand seeing him like that and hearing that he was running away and trying to track down the truck.  I brought him home.  I arrived home at 2am.  When I walked in the door, Zeus looked up.  When he saw Dudley he got so excited.  He hunched down on his two front paws and started to jump in the air.  He is bigger than I am and there is not enough room for him to be doing this.  They started chasing each other around the kitchen.  The two dogs almost took out the Christmas tree.  I finally made them go out side.  Those two dogs played in the back yard until 4 in the morning.

My son has been working on trying to break Dudley of his bad habits.  I need a bigger crate for him.

I am sure there will be some sitting there thinking….”That’s what all the drama is about?!”  Yes, it may not seem like much but it is a big deal.

I know that by bringing him home I forfeit any rights to complain about anything he does.  I only brought this onto myself.  It has all ready been pointed out to me that by doing this I am also not teaching my son that life is full of hard knocks and he is going to have to learn how to deal with it.  

My husband has every right to be “miffed” with me…..Now you know….Yes, it is serious.

My Life as I know It……. (Edited)

………could come to an end…..abruptly. I have really gone and done it now….and have no one to blame but myself.

If you catch the news and here of an eruption of epic proportions taking place in Northern Virginia…..You will know that I was the cause.

Well…..If I live to tell the tale…..You will find out tomorrow…or Saturday.

What could I have possibly done? Lets just say it was a doozy…….

Even I must question the sanity of what I did……

Sorry to leave you hanging like this….but I just can’t put it into words yet….not in print.

I honestly felt I could justify my reasons…..hopefully, I won’t be wrong not that I will win this one….

So much for the corn dog casserole post……I even had pictures.

The full story will be posted tomorrow (Sunday afternoon)….the axe falls slowly when meeted out by someone who enjoys making you squirm….

The Gift of Giving…….

I love my kids……they so crack me up sometimes.

They have earned some pocket money this year….and are actually pretty good at saving. They have been taught about tithing and faith promise missions. They have their little envelopes they use to put their offerings in. I have been trying to make sure they will be financially responsible when they grow up. I want them to be better than I was…..@@.

When they were little I have always helped them to make something for family and Mom and Dad. We usually tell them that they don’t have to get us a gift…..gifts can come in many different ways. Helping around the house. Doing a kind deed. Things along that line.

We were sitting here the other night and the boys wanted Hubby to take them shopping for me and their sister. I told them it wasn’t necessary for them to get me a gift.

I was surprised by their response. All three piped up and replied, “Now that they know how fun it is to give……they want to give us a gift.” I sat back and just looked at them…..My daughter just looked at me and said “What?” “It is much more fun to give a gift….not that we don’t mind receiving but it really makes you feel better to be on the giving end instead of on the receiving end all the time…”

I really shouldn’t be all that surprised but I was. Charlie said, “Mom. You give so much to everyone and you never expect anything in return. Not just to us but anyone that needs help. No matter what it is, if you can do it you give. We’ve also noticed that you rarely get anything back. Alot of times you are not even acknowledged for what you do for other people. Most of the time no one ever does for you. Even when you were sick no one helped us. We don’t think it’s right. We know that we are probably more guilty then the people you do for because we live with you. So Yes! We want to get you a gift.”