Oct. 12

Is it true? How on earth can that be possible?!

October?!

Uh, yeah, what did you expect I was going on about? ;-)

I am one of those crazies who absolutely goes bananas for cool weather. I cannot tell you how painful it was to be without the gorgeous colors of fall, the brisk breeze that awakens all of your senses, the sun waiting to wake its sleepy head just a bit later and return to its bed a bit earlier, the promise of winter just around the corner.

Are you shaking your head at me?

I am sure you are, but you've no idea how much this gets me excited. Take your love of chocolate, ladies, multiply times infinity and you have a FRACTION of my love of all things fall & winter. Men, take your love of fishing, sports, hunting, etc. also multiply times in infinity and you have a TEENSY fraction of my love. It is inexplicable. The pops of orange, yellow and red amidst the green of pine trees gets me so excited I just can't help but gasp, or squeal, or burst out with, "OH MY GOODNESS!!!!"

Granted, this is not always appreciated by certain peoples, my husband whilst driving for example. I am pretty sure if I wasn't a woman he'd pop me. Bless his heart he has swerved quite badly while driving because I get so overwhelmed with the beauty.

It's a good thing he loves me! I will try to take more pictures, but honestly, I tend to completely forget my camera is in my hands while we drive. The brilliant colors capture me so completely I forget to take the picture until after we have already passed that particular tree.

....

Ok, so I have tried multiple times to attach a picture so you can get a GLIMPSE of how beautiful just ONE tree is, however, the site isn't allowing  me to upload it. SO...I will be diligent to take more pictures, upload to FaceBook and tie the link into a blogpost for you.

You are welcome!

Ok, now, some of you know I went on adventure this weekend. Those of you that didn't, you do now! Haha! I just crack me up sometimes! My neighbor is huge into horses and owns three beautiful horses. She (we will call her A - no it isn't Abigail) shows her horses in western shows - aka reining, cutting, etc. SO MUCH FUN! Well, A had a show on Saturday that she was going to do a demonstration at. I was very graciously invited to ride along.  We borrowed a few of her bf's dairy cows to make sure we had cows that didn't have horns.

Seriously, imagine how awful it would be to have a cow with horns that you are driving down a fence line. All of the sudden that stinker whips around and hooks your saddle girth with his horn or even your stirrup and gives a good YANK! YIKES!

So, 4 cows, 1 horse, an adorable puppy (hers - not mine) and off we went! We were 2 hrs into our 3 hr drive when said puppy needed to tinkle. At the next rest stop we grabbed some lunch, let the pup out, checked out the animals in the trailer and struggled to pick our jaws up off the ground.
One of our two back tires on the driver side (this is important) was flat...like dry rotted and flat. Thankfully, A was level headed and wheeled us around to the air pump that was at the rest stop. She filled the tire and was assured that we would be fine to drive CAUTIOUSLY for the next hour when we would reach the rodeo and find a way to acquire a new tire.

Read that again...acquire a new tire....I just love things like that! I know there is a technical term for that...if you want to leave the technical title of that kind of grammatic via FaceBook or comments below, I'd be grateful!

Ok, so, back to the story...A put some air in but the stinking thingie (another technical alludes me - more coffee? YES!) On a small side note (yes, another one) I LOVE vanilla chai protein shake mix with coffee - so delicious! Ok, so the lovely STEM retracted inside of the tire while we were airing it up. We were told we would be fine - so we continued. In defense of the poor soul who advised us, they did not realize the tire was so ready to be buried. Can you guess where this is going? Yes? Well, I bet there are parts of this story you won't expect!

For example, Stephen (my Hero) had graciously offered to keep Kyle and Abigail after a church lock in so I could go on this trip. (getting a picture??? Lol!) Both claimed they weren't tired. One burst into tears when said child realized that sleep was mandated and not the rodeo. Add to this, before the children were picked up at 8am and before I left at that same time, our dryer kicked the bucket. Our washer was 99% in the grave also. So guess who had two sleepy, but not at all sleepy, children and got to drive 30minutes one way to go pick out a new washer and dryer????
(Did I mention this man spoils me??? He always buys me the BEST of the best and nothing less. I don't deserve his generosity!!!!)

We could HEAR the air slowly leaking out, but had no choice other than to continue our trip. Shortly after getting on the interstate, our 3 lane highway goes down into 2 lanes. We are hauling 4 heifers, 1 prego mare, driving a large quad cab ram and hauling those animals in a huge trailer. A semi was in front of us and we needed to get around it. The poor soul was going about 10-15 under the speed limit. We moved to the center lane to go around. One care passes us on our left. The semi is now on our right and we are about halfway passed him. POP! That little tire blew out. The 3rd lane is ending, a well-meaning couple comes up on our LEFT side!!!! They were frantically motioning and letting us know about the flat tire. The frantic motioning switched to frantic cursing once they realized they were about to collide with divider poles followed by a concrete divider.

Remember the semi?
On our right?
Yes, we tried to hug him, give room for the car to finish their ridiculous idea to pass/warn us and hit the brakes without locking up the trailer and injuring our passengers in there. Needless to say, I was screaming, A was cool as a cucumber, the car was full of terrible language and I glanced at my mirror. All I could see was the cab of the semi as the driver graciously displayed his sentiments through various motions.

No one died. No one got in an accident. Holy CROW!

Our story continues... Yes, there truly is more! Can you believe it???

We found the closest place and ended up at a Sam's Club.

Your average horse weighs about 1.200lbs. Your average dairy cow I THINK is about half that. So, we have four dairy cows (roughly 2,400 lbs) and one horse (1,200 lbs) in this trailer with PLENTY of room to spare. Sam's has this rule for safety sake that they are not supposed to do ANY work on ANY vehicle unless that vehicle is INSIDE the garage. Dairy cows are not very compliant when stressed (who is?) and we had FOUR. There was no way we could get them out and the horse and not lose them. We didn't have enough lead ropes or places to tie them.

Long story shorted up a tad - Sam's replaced the stem that blew off, changed our tire and EVERYTHING without giving us any flack.

I think they felt bad for us  - we were mildly shook up!

We finally arrived at our destination. The rodeo was over, BUT I did get some fabulous pictures! The link below is to those pictures. A did a great job of introducing a basic reining pattern, demonstrating how to box a cow and then drive it down the fence. She even got to experience my Hanger! (hunger induced anger) for some reason, she didn't leave me on the roadside, for which I am eternally grateful.

Anyhoot, fun times! Enjoy these pictures because I had a BLAST taking them!!!!!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100165930083196.1073741846.161503164&type=1&l=cd49f73055

Sept 24

First things first...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR AUNT JO!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!

The lady is amazing...just saying.

Thank you, Aunt Jo, for helping us with everything!

Thank you for being a bright, happy spot in Mom & Dad's lives. =)

I hope you had an absolutely fabulous day!!!

Ok, so, I could go on and on about my family and how fabulous they are.

Really, I mean, you might think you're family is great...and you are right.

They are.

However, mine is just FABULOUS!

This morning though I had mentioned the possibility about some moo-cows which are very different from your standard cow or even your chocolate milk cow.

We have a sweetheart of a neighbor who is dating this sweet guy who happens to have a dairy farm. Before we picked the kids up earlier in the summer, we visited the farm and met a bunch of the adorable calves. Of course, because we are so sweet to our children, we sent pictures to the kids. Uhmmmm, so that was a mistake. Since Abigail spotted those pictures it has been non-stop, "Can we go visit Mr. V and his calves!?!?! PLEASE!?!?!" Holy smokes, the girl is tenacious! Well, yesterday after our fabulous date =) , I made the kids dinner. Typical kids, they talked NON STOP until Stephen mentioned going to visit. 10 minutes later they were done, we were loaded and headed over. Mr. V was moving calves from their little pens into the big barn. He took no time in telling Abby she needed to take the rope and haul the reluctant calf to the barn. We quickly learned just how strong those  little babies are! It took Stephen, Abigail, Mr. V and Miss C (I think that's the first letter of her name) to get the calf moving and into the barn. Kyle was much more reluctant to get involved. I stopped to visit with the Momma of Mr. V. She is such a sweetie and a hard working lady! Within a few moments, Mr. V had Kyle working the wheelbarrow full of corn. He (Kyle) also had to do teamwork with Stephen & Abigail to wheel a wee little calf not even 24hrs old from one barn into a warmer barn. That little bugger was doing its best to kick and flip its way out of the wheelbarrow. Abby and Stephen had to work to hold the front legs so the calf was on its back and couldn't flip out. Sounds treacherous...right? But it is the safest way apparently to transport a calf.

Abigail was also chasing kittens. One is now named Whiskers and one is named Cookie Dough because it is white and that brownish coloring. Mr. V attempted to pay the kids by sending home a cat. Praise God Stephen put a stop to it. We spent well over an hour there. It was so great to see how the kids went from timid and shy to quickly telling me how things worked and what went where and how to feed the calves. So precious!

Tonight was just another example of how great this area is where we have moved.

The kids have discovered that people up here are just so sweet. Of course, you still have your typical kid moments at school, but the kids are doing SO well at school and church that their confidence has gone THROUGH THE ROOF!!!!!! =)

For example, he will probably kill me for this, but I just LOVE this story SO much!111

Ok, the other day we were at hour well check appointments for the kids. The NP asked Kyle what activities he enjoyed:

"Well, I like to play basketball, chase the ladies and play football."

"What!?"

"Basketball and..."

"Yes, I heard that and football, what else did you say?"

"Oh, yeah, I like to chase the ladies."

Back to how great the area is....at Awanas tonight, the kids learned that their schoolmates also go to Awanas. They came back tonight just SO excited that so many of their buddies attend. The adult leaders are a great example of just how sweet this area is.

Sweet dreams!

Sept. 21

Where to begin...

Well, the kids have started school.

Mom has successfully completed two home treatments.

I am in training for a job.

Dad is still rocking out at the house. (That's like a 5 post topic.)

Sarah is doing fabulously in cosmetology.

Esther is loving her internship and is, I believe, in her final semester.

Jonathan is now employed at LU. (I wish I could remember his official title! He has his name on the door and a sweet ....name plate (plaque? plack? I don't know.)

Sol, Katie & the boys seem to be doing great in TN.

Abe, Lauren & Cooper (he's 4 legged baby - so no one needs to go getting all worked up about not knowing about a family addition.)

Stephen is loving his new station!

Aunt Shawn is like an iron horse! Nothing gets her down!

Aunt Jo & Uncle Dan are still loving FL and have travelled all over the US.

Jim & Connie are loving retirement in FL. (Ha! & they lived there before ...so no...they aren't snowbirds!)

Jake, Kelly & kids are loving TN! Kelly is taking courses and being a full time mommy/housewife. (Props to her & Katie....I've no clue how you two keep up with so many littles!)

I have SO many topics that I am working on writing about.

As I take moments to sit down and write, this blog will grow and I am so excited to do it!

...well, let me clarify, IF I  stay focused it will be great!
However, I tend to not sit long enough to do much of the writing.

Sad really, I do so love to write. Think about it, you have an audience completely at your leisure. It really doesn't matter if they simply skim through a post or read each tiny morsel you write. They are yours. The space is yours. No one can impede upon it.

Technology is a wonderful thing...truly. For instance, family. Family that is as large as ours (Kafoure/Langenmayr/McKee) has a tendency to have many schedules. We branch from Indiana to Florida to Missouri and more...New York! Ha! Love that. =) Anyways, technology (quit distracting me!) is fabulous. There are some cousins that I very rarely get to see. Primarily, because we live in Missouri, Florida, Indiana and New York. It is just hard to coordinate the logistics of geography, work, and you get the idea.

However! The other day (Labor Day Sunday) God was so kind as to smile upon us! You see, my parents have always had the central location. My cousins from FL & MO came to IN to visit my folks. It JUST happened to work out that my aunt, and those cousins all descended upon my parents house at the same time! Thanks to FaceTime (and Steve Jobs) we were all able to visit and laugh and see each other!!!!! =)

Other times technology is a pain in the tail. Seriously. Have you tried traveling lately?

Without Google Maps or GPS or whatever?

Just using a paper map?

Pretty sure that is a lost art.

Also, kids! Kids have NO clue how to communicate, spell, interact, disengage from their thumbs and enjoy the good ole fashioned outdoors!

(Are you shaking your head and chuckling yet? I am, after all, only 32 and saying this...)

It was hilarious today. We had the kids well-check appointments. And by we, I mean me, Stephen was at work and I am sure very thankful he didn't have to go!

Well, the doctor asked me how much screen time the children acquired in 24hrs. I sheepishly said more than 3. In my defense, ...well, that's an excuse and as we all know excuses are like belly buttons (That's for you, Daddy!) She shook her head at me! Seriously! She also asked if the kids were active. They immediately said yes, Tae Kwon Do, Gymnastics, Basketball, Football, Cheerleading!

I said, "Is there pizza or ice cream involved?"

I clarified TKD (tae kwon do) was 2x per week and 45minutes each time. The other activities were past activities that hadn't been done for enjoyment or sports team purposes since last school year.

Needless to say, both children are healthy but are being strongly encouraged to get a more active lifestyle with fewer screen time hours. ;-)

I will try to get back on and write some more soon.

Like I said, I have some topics I am just DYING to write about.

If you find yourself the central character in one, you're welcome.

If you don't appreciate...well, you are still welcome.

I will only write the truth as I see it and as I see it, there are a LOT of you who deserve to be celebrated.

You.Are.Welcome.

TOODLES!

Summer

Summer...oh summer....wherefore art thou?!

Is it just me or did summer end way too soon!? I mean! Come on! Summer was the full gamut of everything. Seriously!

Happy! Excited! Laughter! Frustration! Shock! Yuck! Change of Plans (aka STRESS!) Lost! Home! Parents! My Babies! In-Laws! School Prep! Job Search! Missing Friends!

Uh, yeah, I need a vacation from my summer vacation. Fo rizzle! If you follow me on Facebook you know what my summer theme is. If you don't, well heavens to betsy why don't you!? Lol. Just kidding. It is passed my bedtime, can you tell?

Contentment. That is my theme. God has been trying to gently persuade me to find it. He has knocked me off my feet. Forced me to sit and listen as He cupped my face in His hands and whispered. Once again, true to my ridiculous self, He had to take a 2 x 4 to my head. I wish I was kidding.

I'M NOT!

Ok, so, I had to learn how to be content with giving up two very, very precious babies for 8 weeks. I felt so lost. God helped me learn how to be ok with it. Obviously, I can't be selfish. I had to learn how to be content with not knowing a plan. (Uhm, if that were a college course or HS class or elementary lesson - I would have earned a D-...not even kidding.) My poor Hubby literally asked me to take a walk. Bless his heart! He is so good to me and puts up with SO much! Most of you know the chaos with the moving company. Those of you that don't? Well, don't use ARPIN. My hair is so much more gray than it ever was before June. I did a TERRIBLE job of letting God handle a situation and keep me in the dark. When will I learn to trust?

We finally left Vidalia and was I content? Only until I found out a friend had her baby, that I patiently waited NINE MONTHS to see, the Monday after we left. We left Friday. ARG! He is SOOOOOOOOO adorable too! Anyways, I am ok with it now. Why? Because I have MY babies back!

I am learning contentment though. Thank God (haha! get it!?) Thank God that He (God) didn't give up on me! And I am SO thankful for my parents. Seriously. My Mom gave me advice the other day. So profound. So simple! It has made such a difference though in my point of view. I would share it with you, but it is embarrassing that I didn't get it sooner. Anyhoot, LOTS of learning!

God has allowed me to connect with friends I haven't spoken to in...I am embarrassed to say this...years. I need to call another friend too. Years (shocker!) ago, she sent me a Bible study. Psh! What did I need that for? I got this! I am good!

What the what?! Life threw curves. Did I mention my reflexes aren't always fast? So, now, I have skinned knees and elbows (figuratively) and am pulling out the Bible study. (Thanks DM!)  Ok, for reals, I need to hit the sack. I will try to get on tomorrow and actually WRITE about how AMAZING the North Country is. North Country! I FINALLY LIVE IN THE NORTH AGAIN!!!!!!!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!

 

Sweet dreams, loves.

I am praying for you even when I am absent from here for 3 months ;-)

May 27

This is it. Part of me says, "It is about time!" The other part of me says, "Wait! I need more time!" I need more time to tell those sweet ones that I love them. I need more time to write individual letters to my babies and tell them how much I love them. How much their humor, sweet smiles, little hugs, adorable pictures and musical laughter has melted my heart. How do you write all of that inside of a simple card?
 

 

There simply isn't a card large enough.

 

How do you thank people and tell them goodbye when they have no idea how they have impacted your life?

 

Am I ready?

Yes.

No.

Yes.

No.

Maybe?

 

Am I ready to leave the heat of the south? YES!

Am I ready to leave the little ones who have been such a huge part of my life? No.

Am I ready for the next big adventure? YES!

Am I ready to leave the friends that I have? No.

 

I won't mention my littles by name, but...hopefully if you are reading this, you are a parent and can ask them which one of the below is theirs.

Before I write to them, I must write to you parents. This year was quite possibly one of the best years in the classroom. Please understand, every year is very special and I in no way want to leave the impression that I did not appreciate and cherish each little one in my room from years past. However, God smiled on me this year more than I ever could have imagined. In His infinite wisdom and as only God can do with His sense of humor, He saw fit to put my personality in the room. It took 4 little ones to make my personality. (Momma, I am so sorry! To haev all of these personalities in ONE body blows my mind! You truly are a "modern day Mother Theresa!")Those of you that I have spoken with, I am sure you are smiling and maybe laughing a touch. My personality is exceptionally strong - to a fault, loves to tease and push things to the edge - just to see how far I can push sometimes, looks for the good in all things - to the extent I've been accused of living in the land of fairies and unicorns, and loves to mother everyone and tell them how things should best be done. If you have a little one who fits that, know that God will eventually allow them to experience their gift through others. There were many many times this past year that my own mother would giggle, smile and tell me she completely understood what I was going through. "I promise you, Elizabeth, when you were growing up I knew I had to be looking at the backside of a gift." Now, I am not perfect. But please know your little ones take all the lessons to heart that you are trying to teach them. It showed in the classroom everyday. Every class I have ever been in has had a wonderful heart. They have always tried to make sure that every buddy was taken care of. This is the first time that I have been able to experience a classroom where classmates would purposefully share test answers and more simply so that a buddy would not do poorly on a test. You have a very sweet bunch of littles here and I hope you truly understand just how blessed you are to have them. I certainly can tell you this end of the year is a first. At the end of every year, I have felt sad to see my babies grow up. However, this is the first time I have truly felt almost sick to my stomach at the thought of letting them go. They have been the joy in my week. They have been the rock that held me up through some tough times. I knew without a doubt that these babies would make me smile, hug me tight and do it all with a selflessness that puts us adults to shame. Thank you for entrusting their education to me. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of their lives. There is not another class of students in the world that can hold a candle to how precious these little ones are.

And now, for you dear students. Find your number. I couldn't write actual cards to you. I tried. My tears spilled over on them.

 

1. Never lose your zeal for life! You are precious and perfect the way that you are. Never let anyone tell you to chill out. Your heart is a very precious heart and you need to keep sharing it with everyone.

 

2. Stay strong, sweetheart! Keep your tenacity. Never be afraid to let your light shine! You are going to do great things one day! Part 1 of 4 parts of my personality!
 

3. Remember your heart! You have the gift of seeing the good in people. Always remember to keep focusing on the good. =) You are stronger than you realize and I am so excited to see where life takes you!

 

4. You have a keen ability to sense how others are doing. That sensitivity will serve you well if you remember to always focus on the good things in life. I have truly enjoyed seeing you learn and grow this year!

5. Oh dear, your sparkle and zest will brighten any place that life takes you! Never, never, never let anyone or anything take that from you! Your infectious laugh and precious smile will win the hearts of all who come near you! Part 2 of the 4 parts of my personality =)

6. My dear, remember that throughout life's storms, God's love never fails. He sees you when you are helping classmates who are hurting. He sees you when you give hugs without someone asking. Stay true to His truth, and you will do great things in this life!

7. Dear one, keep bringing life and laughter with you! You are a hard working and incredibly smart young man! I know that God has great plans for your life. Keep striving for excellence!

8. Man, you have a smile and spirit that will win everyone you meet. You have a tender heart that is made of pure gold! I truly enjoyed watching you  as you patiently worked with buddies to help them understand. One of your greatest strengths is your ability to steer others to what is right! God is going to do great things in your life!

9. Little Momma of Room 5. You have a precious, precious smile and heart! Part 3 of the 4 of my personality! Your heart is to take care of everyone and I love that about you! You are such a hard working little lady. I know your momma and daddy are so very proud of you! Stay strong and remember to breathe! You will do fabulously!

10. You, sweet one, are incredible! This year has been so great watching you learn, grow, take on challenges, overcome mountains that I wasn't even sure you could take on! Your family and I are all SO proud of how hard you work, how tender you are to those around you and also how you hold everyone to the standard! Part 4 of 4 of my personality. Don't let anyone dampen your sweet spirit!

11. I almost am not sure what to write for you. From the moment you walked in Room 5, I knew you were a special little one - well, you aren't really little any more...are you? You have a work ethic that puts many adults to shame. You strive to complete tasks to the best of your ability. Despite all of the chaos of this world, you have met and exceeded my expectations! I am so excited to see what God holds for your future!

12. Your bright smile and sweet laughter brightened Room 5! From the moment you came in, you brought joy and laughter! Remember your heart and don't let anyone deter you from showing your love and responsibility. You worked so hard to rise above, and honey, you did!

13. We didn't have long together. I wish we would have! You are so sweet and precious! Stay focused and I know that you will do great things! Your heart is to take care of those around you, and that is incredibly valuable in this day!

14. We also did not have long together. The greatest memory I have of our time together was a Thursday afternoon. You had no idea what was going on, no clue of the hard news I had received. However, you sensed my need for joy and laughter. It took .2 seconds before you made a bizarre face and some crazy noise that was so shocking it sent us all into fits of laughter! You don't know this, but that laughter is exactly what my heart needed. Thank you. Thank you for bringing laughter in that moment!

To all 14 of you, I am SO proud of you! You have no idea how much I love and how proud I am of ALL of you! It breaks my heart to leave you, but I am SO very excited to follow your journey (via Facebook, etc.) as you grow. Always strive to do your best! Do not let anything dampen your spirits! You are the best bunch of Firsties that Trinity has ever seen! I love you!

I went into work today so sure I would stay strong. Nothing would make me cry. I made it until 11am. Thank you, dear Room 5, for breaking me. Your precious gift is the most amazing gift. Dear Parents, please know that I have treasured your little ones and appreciate all that you have done more than you will ever know. These littles will go far simply because you are all so invested in them! 

 

I love moving. I love going to new places. The biggest thing I am not ready for, will never be ready for, is sending off my Kyle & Abby. It is hands down the most difficult thing in the world for me.

PLEASE understand, I don't fear for their safety at all.

But I only want maybe a day or just a few hours for a break. I don't want 7 weeks. This is the most difficult part of being a bonus parent, step parent, whatever you want to call it. However, they are technically not my jurisdiction and they do need to spend time with the other part of their family. I can't be selfish. Definitely want to be, though!

All of this to say, summer is here.
Enjoy your carefree days!
And if you don't get a summer break, enjoy your carefree moments!
The journey of a lifetime awaits!
(that sounds like something from a movie)

procrastination

If I close my eyes, it will all go away - right? That's what I believed as a child. Christ says to believe like a child, so I believe that it will all get done if I just close my eyes for a few moments.

ha!

Yeah, I wish. Stressing isn't getting it done. I need to take it all just one step at a time. My problem is, I take a step then remember 15 other steps that must also get done. Delegate? To whom? There's no one to delegate to! Kaden & Frank are ridiculously selfish and absolutely refuse to do anything other than take up space and require a lot of attention. The kids? They leave the day after tomorrow.

So rather than work on that stuff, I will sit here and type to you. They say writing can release the same amount of endorphins as exercising. I exercised this morning, will exercise a bit more tonight AND am writing. I should be higher than a kite on endorphins by tomorrow morning!

Tomorrow....the last full day with my sweet firsties. I can't tell you how much I love and will miss those sweet babies! They have been the highlight and happy thought in what was one of the most difficult school years! Well, maybe not the most difficult. Last school year I had to deal with stents, surgery, a colonoscopy and 27 firsties (all of whom I LOVE and miss!) But this past year, or rather, the year we are finishing now was different. Stephen was gone essentially from July 19 to the night before Thanksgiving. He has been to schools, dry docks and long river runs this semester. It will be SO nice to get up to NY and have him home each night! Will I get on his nerves? Most likely.  Will he more than likely TRY to find a reason to be outside while it is warm? Yes. I don't care though. I am ready to have my Bestie with me full time. We move in just a couple of weeks (YIKES!) and will have until mid-July to put the house in order before the kids arrive. I also need to find a job. YIKES!

"It will all get done." at least that is what everyone says. Which, it is true. Everything will get done. But I want it done in a semi-orderly manner (see previous and possibly unfinished post.) Prayers appreciated and welcomed. With that...I am signing off. You have helped me to relax and remember God has this. I can preach it to my children and now must take it to heart in my own life. Yay. Lol. Love yas!

chaotic order

God is a god of ORDER.

Right?

So, why does everything always seem chaotic?!

Oh, wait...

That's because I get impatient. I rush. I want my way. I want it now. Not later. Sounds mature, right? In April, I had my last lasix scan while in NOLA.

Did I trust God to put things in order and take care of us?

Nope.

Did He take care of it?

Yes.

We found out we weren't going to be able to go house shopping.

Did I trust God to supply a house?

Not 100%.

Has He taken care of it?

Yes.

That's just the last month! God is taking care of things EVERY DAY!

Can I just tell you??? Good! Thanks =)

For my birthday, all I wanted for us to be together and have fun OUTSIDE. It's May 1, surely that would be a possibility. Life happened. I stressed. I steamed. I stewed.

God provided.

Stephen & I were able to enjoy a FABULOUS time on the lake while the kids were in school.

Saturday we, all 6 of us, went hiking at a beautiful park not too far from the house.

It was fabulous! We were all SO exhausted that even the puppies weren't very active the next day!

House hunting has been in all of our minds. As previously stated, it isn't an option before June. Stephen has been earnestly searching for something that would meet our family's needs. We finally had a few minutes to sit together. I was fearful as this tends to be a stressful subject. He pulled up a site that helps military families find rentals. Stephen pulled up his first pick. I doubted we would get it. The home was gorgeous. Landlords had taken good care of the property, there was a pool, two FULL bathrooms (you never know how much you love that until you don't have it for 3.5 years) three bedrooms with HUGE closets, a fenced in backyard, 2 car garage, fire pit in the backyard and an extra storage room.

We  made contact. Long story short, we mailed the signed lease & deposit today. We are THRILLED! Both kids are excited too.

Hopefully, I will get it together and just Let it go!

Let go____________

the need to pack the kids for summer in AR

the need to pack up my classroom

the need to go through all of my school supplies and purge all but the necessities

the need to go through all of my clothes are purge what I don't wear

the need to pack up the bare necessities to live in a house until our things arrive

the need to organize everything before the packers put it all in boxes

the need to get all of our mail switched over to our new address

the need to get EVERYTHING done before we leave and potentially flying solo

_____________, and let God.

He will handle it. He has handled everything up to this point. All of these little things  are just that - little things. Let it go, Elizabeth! All of these little things will get done and they will get done on time. It always does. I don't need to stress. 

Something super cute that I have noticed lately is this. You see, I love lists and all things organizational. I make lists, post lists, buy lists...create colorful lists, alphabetized lists, prioritized lists, exercise lists, food lists, cleanings lists, lists, lists, lists!

Kyle & Abby are now proudly telling me they have made this list or that list.

LOOOOOOOOVE it!!!!!! =)

March 5 (Originally begun Feb 12)

It's crazy, isn't it? The Devil does absolutely everything he can do to keep us from doing God's Will.

This blog is a release for me. it helps me to count blessing, share interesting stories and epiphanies that I have. Granted, it is primarily designed to share about my kids and husband so that all of you lovely friends and family can keep up on the latest and greatest. 

Writing is something that I truly enjoy.

Not writing books, like my brother. By the way, he has written an ADORABLE picture book about Teeny the Tiny Raindrop. I don't care if you only donate a penny - please just donate to help him get his first book going. That is all I ask.

I like to share the idiosyncrasies of my days. 

Those moments that catch people by surprise and...

melt your heart
(I have tried & tried to make this small enough to fit neatly...it won't!)

 

open your eyes to how precious my children are

 

share joyous news

We are moving to Alexandria Bay, NY 

or make you giggle at the innocence of children

I want to share all of these with you the moment that they happen so that I do not lose a single memory. Stephen has accused me of living in the land of fairies and unicorns.

Unfortunately, that is very true.

Dr. Tingley used to ask students if they were "out with the fairies" when they didn't know an answer to a fairly obvious question.  PLUS, I also look to the optimistic side of things to a fault. That is why God gave me my Stephen. He is more realistic and keeps me grounded. 

It is time....

Things I NEVER thought I would say...

or do!

Yep! It is THAT time!

 There are SOOOOOO many things that I NEVER thought I would do, say or experience!

My dad ALWAYS told me, "Don't ever tell God that you won't do something!
He will have you do it!"
I'm fairly certain it is because God gets a kick out of showing how sovereign He is.
Seriously, it's like your child who refuses to take a bite of food.
Why?
Because it has pink stuff on it and therefore must be disgusting.
You press the issue. The bite is taken.
Lusciously moist cake melts in the child's mouth at the same time the discovery that the pink stuff is sweet, smooth icing!
You giggle.

Yep, that is how I picture God.
Mind you, not all things that I have experienced have been as delicious as that cake.
For example, helping my husband process a deer.
No cake.
However! It does save money. It does grant him a sense of pride.
I'm happy!

Fishing...growing up, that was not fun.
Why would I want to stand still with a stick in my hand waiting for the elusive fish to nibble my line?
BORING!
These past few years (since 2011) I have discovered the peace and joy that comes from being on a boat and casting. Sitting with bait is still BORING! Casting? That's fun!
Am I good?
NOPE! But it is fun and has given me some GORGEOUS pictures!
(INSERT PIC FROM FISHING)

I never thought I'd live in the South.
I've met some AMAZING people here!
I'm ready for moving North though!

First grade? Seriously?
Those people don't even really teach much!
Or at least that is what I thought. For the last two years, I have had the privilege of teaching 1st.
I LOVE IT!!!!!
The students come in - some reading, some not - and by the end of the year everyone is reading, has learned more math than you would think possible and, if you can get it in, LOVE science & social studies!

I did ONE, did you hear that? ONE year of cheer when I was younger.
That was enough. Ew.
Who knew I'd have a daughter that eat, sleeps and DRINKS cheerleading?!

Gardening...I hated weeding when I was growing up.
My poor parents had to deal with my stubbornness when it came to that.
They won, but you better believe that I, in all my maturity, graciously let it be known how much I loved it through my facial expressions.
For the past 3 years though, we have had a garden.
Stephen did the grunt work of tilling and planting. He also helped with the weeding when he was home. However, I did the bulk of it (well....whenever the boat was out) and enjoyed it too. There's something satisfying about looking back at what you have accomplished!
Not to mention, the produce was SO much more delicious than anything in a grocery store!


In years past, I have also sworn the smallest dog I would willingly own would be a 50lb pup.
Smaller dogs are adorable! But I'm tall. It's difficult to do what I need to do and constantly be aware of what is on the ground around me. I would surely step on and possible injure a small dog!
Yet, here I am. I own a 102lb Labrador and a 30lb Boston Terrier.
Dear Breeders, you said the Labrador would be 75lbs & the Boston Terrier would be 15lbs.
I just thought you might want to know the puppies were a tad bit larger than expected!
My family and I are thankful for our pups, but for others you might warn them that your puppies end up on the large end of the scale. ;-)
Despite the fact they still think they are 5lb puppies.

Now, along with owning a small dog, I never thought I would NEED to buy a dog clothes.
I figured it would be for kicks and giggles if I did!

When we move, we will need to buy this SMALL dog a winter coat.
Why? Because he doesn't grow one! Boston's aren't designed for extreme temperatures. So, I guess that since it can get down to a -25 BEFORE wind chill, I should probably buy him a coat for when he needs to do his business.

Speaking of moving, I always thought people were a little crazy to travel long distances to get their hair done. Hair is hair, right? It grows back!
I have learned my lesson.
Yes, hair grows back.
Did you also know that the growing back process can be EXTREMELY rough? No one has purposefully done a bad job on my hair. In fact, if I had someone else's hair, it probably would've been adorable! Yet my hair remains determined to do its own thing. Believe it or not, I do my ABSOLUTE best to wait until I go to IN for a haircut.
How far is that?
787 miles.

IF you are near Indiana and need a good haircut, I can recommend a great lady to you!
She's probably going to roll her eyes at me for typing this, but I don't lie.

Also....she didn't pay or ask me to do this.
That's how good she is!


I started this post back on the 12th....more things have happened....
But if I told you everything, I would most likely fill this blog up and have to start another.
;-)

Hope you enjoy your Spring Break!!!!

stress

I try to keep the "insightful" posts to a minimum.  Years ago (although not that many because I'm still a newbie to the 30s) a person pointed out that sometimes I share too much. That isn't my desire. I simply like to talk with people and hope they will open up to me too. Anyhoot, here's an insight. Feel free to move on if you aren't up for it. I love ya anyways!

     I have fought stress all of my life. Most of it was in my head, but let's face it - middle children have a lot of stress. The olders try to boss us. The youngers try to blame us. The parents just ignore us. (haha! jus kiddin!...but seriously) Or at least we think we are ignored. It's crazy. I've had a couple health bumps in the road and the #1 cause for health issues is stress. Did you know that? It is true.

Stress = Kidney stones, heart trouble, colon trouble, lack of sleep, cognitive trouble, migraines, etc. Oh... shingles. Stress can also aid the shingles getting you. Thankfully, I still haven't had that and I am PRAYING I don't.

Why are we stressing so much? Life shouldn't be this bad! God didn't create us to be so busy that we literally fall apart! He didn't design our bodies to be so active that it requires medication to get us to calm down. If you need it, take it. If you don't, don't.

But - why? Why don't we just disconnect from the internet, the television, the phones? We need to reconnect with people and books and, most importantly, GOD! Think about it! Check it out! Go to His Word! There are ...dare I say...millions?! (I don't really know how many) of verses talking about casting our cares on him, continuing in hope, taking HIS yoke? For real people!! Let's get a clue! (I'm preaching to myself, let the side of you that took offense go...it ain't worth it!)

You might be thinking, as I have thought, "But my kids need to do _______________. (fill in the blank activity)

Yes

Sometimes activities are important. SOME sports are important. SOME outings with friends are important. SOME shopping trips are important.

Are they vital?

Have you (I) tried just letting the kids be home? Letting them have a friend over and purposefully stating that this will be a relaxed day/afternoon? I'm working on it.

 

Love ya! This is not focused on any one person (save myself)

January 27, 2015

2015

Who would've ever thought that in 2015, I would be one full year post opp! But it is true. So much has happened. The kids and I survived one full semester almost on our own! Stephen came home as often as he could, which was wonderful. Nothing beats having all of us together though! We are full swing into this semester. Kyle has started basketball! He has the aggression and shot down fairly well! We are working on speed. He is built for football more than basketball, but he is determined to do well! Abby is still rocking out at gymnastics! For sanity sake, we backed off to only going once a week. She is upset, but we are all much more rested and therefore, happier! 

Kaden is still just as precious as ever!  ♡♡♡♡♡♡

Frank is still his adorable self. ;-)

We didn't travel for Thanksgiving this past year. I know that was several months ago, but I've been asked. Military life requires flexibility. So, my inflexible areas are being stretched! Stephen is my rock. No joke. I stress out and he helps me by reminding me of the big picture. We are together and that is the main priority! 

We are hoping to be able to visit our FL family before we move this summer. I'll let you know WHERE as soon as I can! Personally, this Northern girl is ready for the North! 

I told Stephen I would entitle a post, "Things I never dreamed I'd see or experience."

That will have to be a later post. Right now.... Right now I need to chill. It was been a crazy few days. We thought I was having kidney trouble for the first time since lay Spring. I'm happy to report, my kidneys are fine!  I also went to the ENT. My ears have been popping since early November.  My GP thought that I'd need tubes. NOPE! I just have allergies. 

Let's revel in the fact there is indeed no surgery currently on my horizon. :-) :-) :-)

I am typing this on my phone, my dear friends.  Therefore, I am signing off. I just needed to say hello. I have missed you!