Van...

My van is sick. Went in last Friday for some repairs and should have been done Saturday.

They broke a part. Won't be ready 'til Tuesday. Never called. Hmmmm.

Today. Ryan and I go to pick it up. They are acting all funny. Still don't know if we got the whole story, but the part (not the one they broke, but the original one we went in to get) is possibly defective. Have to order the part.

Ryan was in a hurry to get back to school or he would have asked more questions. Wish they would call and let us know what is going on. Wonder who has to pay for the extra labor time? Us?

At least we have a very nice vehicle to use in the meanwhile. What would I do without a car for what will be a week Friday? We are thankful for that. I am sure we WON'T be thankful for this bill. Ick.

Such is life. *sigh*

Teenage Blessings...

Dallas, age 14, 9th grade
Michael, age 13, 7th grade

The two older boys are more of a blessing than I can express here. Last night I was reading (yes, you read that right...I was reading) and Dallas came into the living room and started chatting with me. Michael followed a minute later and it turned into one of those conversations you want to always remember.

Laughing, teasing...then serious. Issues going on at school. How they are dealing with them. What some of their friends are doing and how it bothers them.

I love these boys. Can't wait to have them back home with me, but SO thankful for what I see the LORD teaching them through their experience at school.

Are they perfect? HA!

Are they going to mess up? Of course.

Do I stand over them EVERY night and ask God for wisdom? Protection? A love for Truth and A love for HIS word? YES!

I pray so many things for these boys. I feel that I tend to focus on Ethan on this blog because I am with him so much and because he is stinkin' adorable...

...these two are stinkin' adorable too. I LOVE the age the are at right now. So fun. Watching everything we do and imitating how we handle situations. *gulp*

They each have different issues they are dealing with. Weaknesses and areas the LORD is using in their lives, but they are one of the biggest blessings God has given to us.

Michael read through the entire bible last year. Quite an accomplishment for a (then) 12 year old. I knew he was doing it and prayed Eph 1 for him every night. That the LORD would give him the spirit of "wisdom and revelation"...that he might know HIM better!

Both boys are on honor roll. Dallas struggles with Math and Michael with homework in general (he would MUCH rather be playing) :). BUT they are both pressing on. Helps when your dad is a teacher there and knows EVERYTHING that goes on at school. Including all the grades you get!

Dallas is graduation from LPCS this Spring. Can't believe that. Home with me next year. Michael is doing better and better now that he is getting the hang of "school" and what is expected. He has jumped up to the top of his class and is learning that one of his gifts is public speaking. Who knew.

Sorry, braggin' on them a little. Just wanted to. Going to go watch them play b-ball now. Can't wait. Love these boys.

My willingness...

Am I willing? Am I willing to follow Christ's example in Eph 5? (Thanks, Mom.) Live a life of love and give myself up (dying to our desires and what is "comfortable" to us) as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God?

Eph. 5:1-2 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Had a rough morning with girly. Praying for wisdom. Little things, but things that reveal the heart. Hers...and mine.

What do these verses mean to me? I will be meditating on them today. Thinking of them in light of our situation here with her. Praying for wisdom as I need to stop at school and talk to her.

This is hard. So glad we are not left to figure this out on in our own wisdom. *shew*

Thanks, Mom for the encouragement. You help renew my hope!

Ethan's Question...ANSWERED!

After talking to my mother-in-law and getting an e-mail from my sister-in-law who both thought the same thing I did (the book was wrong)...I looked it up on Wikipedia and question...answered!

It IS One for the little boy who lived in the lane.

Typing error in the book? Don't know, but I loved that my boy was so bothered by this. He is so sweet.

Ethan's Question...

Ethan is learning Baa! Baa! Black Sheep on the piano. He is obsessed with the words to the song. Here are the words...

Baa! Baa! Black sheep have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full,
One for my master
And one for my dame,
But none for the little boy
That lives in the lane,
Baa! Baa! Black sheep have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.

The first day we were playing it he just sat staring at me while I sang and played. When I got done he said, "He's mean."

I paused. "Why is he mean?'

"Because he didn't give any to the little boy."

"Oh," I said, "I guess you are right, that doesn't seem very nice."

End of discussion.

Next day...

Ethan says, "Why won't he give one to the little boy? He must still have one bag left over. I mean, where did the third bag go? He said he gave (and now he is reading the words to me) one to his master and one to the dame. He must have one bag still. Why can't he share it with the little boy?"

"Sorry, Ethan. That is a good question but I have no idea." At this point I am laughing because he actually did the math and figured out that he had a bag left over. This is really bothering him.

Today he says, "I still don't like that he won't share with that little boy. Where is the last bag of wool?"

Good question.

I have a question too. Different subject. How in the world does Ethan know how to read contractions without reading it as a contraction. For example...when he sees "it's" he reads "it is" when he sees "they're" he reads "they are". When he sees "haven't" he reads "have not". Do kids just know this? He WON'T read it as a contraction. How does he know that "haven't" is the same as "have not". I never taught him this. He scares me sometimes.

Sugar, Sugar...

Right after Thanksgiving my great friend, Amy, called me and told me she was cutting out sweets until Christmas and wanted me to do it with her. I have done this before for 4-6 weeks at a time and it works great for me.

The longer I do it, the less I crave it. PLUS I drop weight...fast. I don't consider myself overweight, but I carry around "bloat" that must be caused by all the sugar (LOTS of it) that is in my regular diet. I did it just between Thanksgiving and Christmas and weighed in less that I have in over, oh, probably 10 years.

I let myself enjoy all the sweets of Christmas, however...starting Sunday, January 3rd, I am going off all sweets again. I am blogging it here to hold myself accountable. Amy knows as well and hopefully she will help me too.

We leave for FL the weekend of Feb. 12. I am doing it until then. (Just in time for Valentines day...'cause last year I ate the entire thing of candy my hubby got me in 1 1/2 days. Sick. But fun.)

Now, I am not unreasonable. If there is a special occasion that I find myself in (risking being rude after someone has gone out of their way to make us something for dessert...etc.) I can break my rule, but just once or twice.

I feel so good when I am off the sweet stuff (as much as I LOVE IT!). I am sure my husband loves hearing me say, "Look how big these pants are on me!" instead of, "Honey, do these make me look fat?" :)

So there it is. Starting Sunday. Good-bye sweets.

That means two pieces of pie tonight. Hehaw