I hate this part...

First of all many apologies for the lack of writing here on my blog...the last few months have been hectic and stressful, but things are looking up and God I know is going to do great things in our lives for 2010!

The end of 2009 was very very stressful with me going to the emergency room twice (once was an overnight stay) and Hubby having a throat scope and biopsy done. First time I went to the ER was for a supposed ovarian cyst that burst (which hurt like the dickens and I say supposed because they never really could tell me for 100% sure that that was my problem). Second time was for a very bad pain on my right side...come to find out I have gall stones and they suggested that I have it removed. However, me being a rebel and not really wanting or feeling like going through surgery (after all I AM a mom...I don't have time for a stinkin' surgery...LOL!) After seeing my doctor, they determined not only was the gall bladder a problem but again my kidneys were again infected and I had an internal yeast infection (whatever that is)....so I was put on antibiotics...which in all honesty didn't make me feel much better...so again being the rebel that I am I decided to take my health into my own hands...I threw away the antibiotics and began reading things about health....come to find out that the antibiotics I was on were probably making my symptoms worse and that it actually killed off the good bacteria in my body making the bad bacteria thrive...so I began to take action. After some help (and coconut water from my sister) I decided it was time for a life chage and a more healthy lifestyle. After the holidays I began watching what I ate and doing things a bit differently...and right now I'd have to say I feel so much better...and God has been with me all the way. Ironically our church began a 21 day fast 2 1/2 weeks ago...which really helped kick in the new healthy lifestyle I was wanting to start. So for my fast I gave up all sugars and yeast based products. Right now I am on the last week of the fast and I haven't felt this good in a very long time. So far I have lost 8 pounds (not that I'm doing this to lose weight) and I feel much better. And let me tell you when you take sugar out of your diet (even natural sugar) boy does it ever limit you on what you can eat...hubby has been doing this fast alongside me and though it's had its rough moments God has helped us through. I'm hoping that after Sunday (which is the end of the fast) that I don't go overboard :-) But I think that now that after three weeks and I'm starting to feel so good will help motivate me to watch what I eat, watch my sugar intake and hopefully take better care of me. Funny thing since starting this fast I haven't had even a smidge of stomach problems like I had before going into the hospital. And hubby hasn't had a bit of acid reflux either...hmmm. It's been good and God is good!

So the boys have been growing...maybe the better word is maturing...and I'm hating it...hating it with a passion!! I mean I know they need to and I'm glad that they are, but I miss my little guys. Tonight was a "running into the brick wall" moment for me when Brennan tells me he was too old now to do our nightly ritual...ever since I can remember Brennan and I always said goodnight by giving each other a hug, a kiss and a nosey nosey....tonight he told me he's too old for it. Broke my heart. Colton let our new dog Milo use his blanket...the blanket he's had since he was a baby....I knew that day was coming soon, but man I didn't want to see it. Golly why do they have to grow up! Colton's top tooth is about to come out at any moment and I'm hating that too....it's like all of a sudden they are on microwave mode and growing up faster than I can keep up...ugghhh!

Now I've mentioned before that I don't do New Year's resolutions...but this year I have begun organizing my life a little better...in baby steps though. LOL! It's funny how after having three kids you turn around and see your life so disorganized that you can't even find yourself...so this year I'm determined to become more organized. So I've already begun in the living room, fridge and now working on my craft desk (again!) and shelves in the dining room and so far so good. Each day I'm picking an area to work on...baby steps. Hubby already worked on the basement a bit...I think the goal is obtainable! I'm feeling so good this year and about 2010...I know God has many great things in store!

So that's life so far in a nutshell at the moment...I was sick, hubby had throat scope, which by the way there are a few spots they want to keep an eye on and he has to go back in a year and be scoped again...I've taken a bit of control on my health and eating habits...and my boys are growing up way too fast. Such is life and life will keep going even though I want it to slow down. And I'm trying to organize my life. So there you go...

How is 2010 looking for you???

Tonight...

I will be here in Columbus with our Youth Group....Wish me luck ;-)

More later...

So much to share...

So much to share...oh my...where to begin...
Had the most awesome worship service in church today...the congregation from Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church came to share in our service this morning. So amazing!! The fact that we could come together under one God and worship despite our differing denominations (they are Baptist, we are Wesleyan) and the fact that we are different races (they are African American), didn't matter...we all worshipped together, worshipping one God, no boundaries, no theological agendas...just worshipped! So amazing...I wish you all could have been there...Gave me a glimpse of what heaven is going to be like...cause I doubt there are going to be denominations in heaven...just Christ followers praising the same God. I guess this was such an uncommon thing that our local paper is doing a story on it...find it here...and ABC News was there filming us...not sure why and why it would have been such a big deal (we've had Shiloh Church worship with us before)...I got to meet Dan Harris and he interviewed me and another lady form our church...I doubt that I'll be on TV folks (which is plenty OK with me)...I guess after the 3 hours of filming they did the segment is only going to be 2-3 minutes long. I didn't realize how much work went into making one little blurby segment...wild! Anyway I'll let you know (or maybe someone else can let me know since we still have no cable) when it's on. It was just an amazing and wonderful day.

Hubby is sick...has what I had. I'm praying that either God heals him fast or that God gives him enough wisdom to call off work...he's never called off work in the 15 years he's worked there despite a couple time I KNOW that he should have.

Kitchen remodel is coming along...slowly. I do have new electricty run in my kitchen so now I hopefully won't keep blowing out the fuse box...I have new drywall up on my back splash...the guy is coming tomorrow hopefully to finish that. I'm praying (HARD) that my counter top gets put in next week...having no counter is getting annoying. I have stripped the bottom of the cupboards, tops yet to be stripped, but doors will probably not be done until after Christmas...oh well. As far as Austin's room goes...that is a project that just won't die! It's taken a LOT longer than I thought and not sure how much I'm going to be able to get done this week. I'm a bit upset because the paint I got for the trim is not the right paint...though it was labeled a Satin paint, it actually is a flat paint....hubby didn't realize this until I was almost done painting the trim...so sometime during my busy schedule this week I have to hike back up to Lowe's and exchange the paint for the right kind....very, very unhappy about having to go over that trim one more time....not looking forward to it at all. Austin's carpet is ready to go in...whenever I get that trim done :-/

Went looking for new bedroom furniture for us because we are going to give Austin's set to the girls instead of trying to repaint it and give Austin our dresser. We were so excited to find this Mission style set by Broyhill, but were so disappointed when we actually saw it because it just wasn't in my opinion quality made...very chincy and I wasn't paying that kind of money for chincy...I don't buy furniture very often...in fact the set we have now is the set we got when we got married 18 years ago....I wanted something that would last, so since we were in Amish country we went looking around and found this Amish store that had this really nice Mission style set...I get it in the stain color I want, in the style I want...I even get the nice mission style fixtures on it I love so much....it was a bit of money...Merry Christmas to us I guess. This house remodeling is costing us a bunch of $$$...freaking me out. Anyways...

Well I have to get busy cleaning my house...I'm having a Party Lite party tomorrow night in my torn up house so I need to make some sense out of it so I'm not totally embarrased. Hope you had an amazing weekend! Have a great week!

Long weekend and long week ahead...

As I think I mentioned in a previous post...we are preparing for VBS at our church which starts tomorrow...the theme is Sonforce Kids (it's kind of a spy kids theme)...I am in charge of crafts again this year...I have most of my crafts prepared, but my room is not decorated. Not really sure how much decorating I'm going to get to do, but it's OK...I will decorate some maybe Tuesday since I won't be there tomorrow since I will be at the State Fair to see this guy:Can't wait!! Saw Jeremy Camp in December at the WInter Jam Concert and he just did a few songs and it was awesome...even got to meet him and shake his hand...this concert however is all him, though The Afters are opening for him...so can't wait...I love concerts!

Have I mentioned how much I love my MP3 player????? I told the hubby it was the second best tangible gift I think he has bought me (first being my camera of course). I play this thing EVERYDAY....no lie. Sometimes I even take it to bed with me to help me sleep...I'm sad I know. I added a few new songs last week to it and I also accidentally deleted the wallpapers folder on my MP3 so I had to put a few of my own photos on there so I at least had some sort of background wallpaper...and I found I like it so much better...I was bummed about losing the default wallpapers, but I'm OK now...it's all OK. Anyway, I have been enjoying new music now by Big Daddy Weave, Phillips, Craig & Dean, Elliott Yamin, Mandisa, Bryan Adams (a song called "I'm Ready" which I found by accident on Yahoo and HAD to download it...it's beautiful), Chantal Kreviazuk, Brandon Heath, & Michael W. Smith...good stuff and thuroughly enjoying them. I think the MP3 player is just one of the best little inventions of the 21st century....it so appeals to this music lovers heart...and just grasping the fact that I can carry 700 songs (so far) on this little tiny contraption...amazing! I am in love...still!

Well got to get the kiddos to bed...their Papa is taking them to the cheese factory tomorrow (Brennan will be in heaven he loves cheese!) and then babysitting them all day. I'm tired too...long day ahead for me tomorrow as well.

Hope you have had a nice weekend and that your week is peaceful.

New meaning to "stone washed"???

So hoping everyone enjoyed their weekend...our church had a family weekend this past weekend with a picnic at Brown's Farm on Saturday...lots of fun and good food of course. Here are some highlights of the evening:



The weather was perfect...and unfortunately the pictures I got of the sunset doesn't do it nearly even enough justice...it was beautiful...I had the opportunity to just sit and take pictures of the sunset and just thank God for his amazing beauty...it's beautiful things like a sunset that makes me wonder how anyone can question that there is a God....amazing!

So as you can see from this picture...or maybe not...my sons spent the last bit of their evening at the picnic picking up rocks and stuffing them in their pockets...I had to laugh because as a kid I was the one picking up rocks for my "rock collection" (forgive me mom)...These boys had enough rocks between the three of them they could have built a fort...ok...maybe not quite, but you get the idea...needless to say I made them pick only three rocks each and that's what they got to bring home. Needless to say...despite my best efforts while doing laundry today, I still found a few rocks in my washer...guess that gives new meaning to stonewashing, huh?? Just had to share that.

Starting a diet this week...hoping to lose 20 pounds. We'll see...it's a new diet based on the Bible...so far today has been OK...again we shall see.

Hope you are haviing a great week...