Let's remember September 11, 2001

I received this forward three times today and thought that I should post it:

'MEET ME IN THE STAIRWELL'
You say you will never forget where you were when you heard the news On September 11, 2001. Neither will I. I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room with a man who called his wife to say 'Good-Bye.' I held his fingers steady as he dialed. I gave him the peace to say, 'Honey, I am not going to make it, but it is OK..I am ready to go.' I was with his wife when he called as she fed breakfast to their children. I held her up as she tried to understand his words and as she realized he wasn't coming home that night. I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor when a woman cried out to Me for help. 'I have been knocking on the door of your heart for 50 years!' I said. 'Of course I will show you the way home - only believe in Me now.' I was at the base of the building with the Priest ministering to the injured and devastated souls. I took him home to tend to his Flock in Heaven. He heard my voice and answered. I was on all four of those planes, in every seat, with every prayer. I was with the crew as they were overtaken. I was in the very hearts of the believers there, comforting and assuring them that their faith has saved them. I was in Texas , Virginia , California , Michigan , Afghanistan ... I was standing next to you when you heard the terrible news. Did you sense Me? I want you to know that I saw every face. I knew every name - though not all know Me. Some met Me for the first time on the 86th floor. Some sought Me with their last breath. Some couldn't hear Me calling to them through the smoke and flames; 'Come to Me... this way... take my hand.' Some chose, for the final time, to ignore Me. But, I was there. I did not place you in the Tower that day. You may not know why, but I do. However, if you were there in that explosive moment in time, would you have reached for Me? Sept. 11, 2001, was not the end of the journey for you. But someday your journey will end. And I will be there for you as well. Seek Me now while I may be found. Then, at any moment, you know you are 'ready to go.' I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.
God

I know that I sounded down in the dumps a few days ago, but I have had a WONDERFUL past 4 days. Like I said, God ALWAYS meets me where I am and brings me out of my pit. I found a quote today that I really liked but I don't know the author. It is, " The task ahead of me is never as great as the power behind me." Thankfully I have God's strength and power behind me!

As for the past 4 days, Madison had her first soccer game on Saturday, we had a much needed date night, and I spent some time relaxing and playing with the kids which was a lot of fun. Since I HAVE to have some productivity in my weekend, I cleaned the house top to bottom and changed out the boys' clothes for the next season. Yes, fall is right around the corner. It was a good weekend!

I tried dowloading some pictures from the past week, but for some reason the computer is not cooperating with me. Here is a picture of Madison, Christian, and I at the Labor Day parade. Did you notice my new hair cut? I got about 5 inches cut off!

Check out this site

After thinking about the Democratic and Republican conventions these past 2 weeks and after reading one of my friend's blog pages- thanks Matt, I really started to think about who would truly make the best president for America- Obama or McCain. I found this site on a site of a friend's blog page and had to take the quiz. Take it and tell me what you are. . . or don't if it's too personal.

According to this quiz, I agree with McCain 68% and Obama 32 %. There were some items on this quiz that made me realize that I need to think a little more about how our country is being governed and that I need to really think about some issues that I have not put much thought into and which issues are truly important to me. I hope to do this before November!

This is what the website said about my voting, "When it gets down to it, you tend to best match John McCain.But he's not the perfect candidate for you, and you may not be sold on him yet.Obama shares a good number of your views too, so you might want to give him a second look. It all comes down to which issues matter to you the most. "

http://www.blogthings.com/shouldyouvoteformccainorobamaquiz/

I am going to ramble

Gosh, I almost forgot what my blog page looked like. It has been VERY difficult for me to get to the computer and blog, email, or pay billls. I have even had a difficult time returning phone calls- those of you that are still waiting for a call back- sorry. . . it's coming . . . sometime. For this post I am going to just ramble on for awhile- thanks for listening.

I am not in any pain anymore since I had my root canal last week, but I twisted my ankle this past weekend which was no fun at all. I stayed pretty much off of it on Saturday and Sunday so it felt a TON better on Monday just in time for the Labor Day parade and Last Fling. It was a blast taking the kids to the parade and the Last Fling. Madison is such a daredevil and the boys enjoyed riding the merry go round. Archie and I both realized that as we are growing in age, for some reason we do not do as well on rides. This is very sad and disturbing to us since we LOVE rollercoasters and rides.

My first few days of school I felt lost. The school layout is the exact layout as my last school, but when I walk around nobody is the same- it's weird. The kids are also very different than my last school which has made me revise my ideas and actions of discipline. It has been a transition for me to get used to my new school and all the policies and people in it, but I know that it was a good move for me so I am trying to be patient. I do NOT like the feeling of being lost- who does? Since now it is the 2nd week of school, I am finding my way around and getting to know people so it's getting better. It's easy to forget how a new person feels at times.

I am trying to be patient with my dear beloved children but it has been very challenging lately. I am not sure if it's because of their new schedule or what, but my cutie pies have been a lot to handle lately. The boys are now a year and a half- do I need to say more? And, there are TWO of them. What REALLY gets me annoyed is whining and crying. The boys LOVE to cry when I say "no" or take something away that they want to play with- fun! Let me tell you that there is NOTHING that they don't want to play with. And Madison has recently started to whine. I think that she is whining because she is tired- but still, that is no excuse. When I get annoyed I get very short with people and tend to want ALL control. Actually, it's control that I want, but I do it through the means of wanting perfection with myself, Archie, and my kids. I don't ALWAYS want perfection, but when I am annoyed I do. I try to make everything perfect in the house while everything going on around me is falling apart. I don't know if that sounds weird to you or not, but that's me. To help you understand my head a little better I will give an example: as Christian was crying tonight (because he didn't want to eat the food that I gave him to eat), my thoughts went to how I need to clean the dishes at that very moment and how I really wanted the kitchen and the rest of the house clean- Then my mind goes so many more places- all dealing with perfection and control. Things like I didn't put away the laundry yet that has been sitting there for the past 2 days, I need to work on Madison's writing with her so she can make her "s" better, I should be reading with the boys tonight, but I am too tired, why can't we just have clean walls with no markings on them. I am not sure if you are following me here or not, but overall, when things are NOT going the way that I want them to, I am not always patient and then I start "fighting" for control because at that moment I feel like I have no control. Have any of you been there? It's not like that every day by any means, but I have my days. I NEVER stay in that rut of thought- that out of control feeling because God always reminds me of his love and goodness.

THANKFULLY, the good Lord meets me right there when I feel out of control and sort of lost and when I even sometimes get mad at life. He met me tonight when I was getting Caleb ready for bed. All I will say is making dinner, cleaning up, giving baths, and doing that for 3 tired and irritable children was not a lot of fun tonight so I wasn't my chipper self. I call Caleb my little monster. I love him dearly, but he tests me all the time and I easily get frustrated with him. Well, tonight, I got frustrated with him a lot quicker than I would normally because I was already frustrated with both Christian and Madison. As I was getting Caleb ready for bed and dwelling on some of the "bad" things that he did today and on all the things that I wanted perfect in my life I was reminded of WHO God is. I looked into Caleb's cute little innocent face and his smile melted my heart. I felt God telling me that this is only a phase, a short brief period of time in my life and that HE is in control of it. He knew what he was doing when he gave us the twins and I was reminded to turn to Him and trust in Him and not just in myself. I had a feeling of peace at that moment and just looked at my sweet little boy lying there. I started to thank God for Caleb and I asked God to help me to trust in Him more and not myself- since I just can't do it on my own and I wasn't created to. I was reminded that Caleb and all of my children are God's children and that I also am a child of God. Does God yell at me and get all frustrated with me when I don't do things the way He would want me to? Somehow, he LOVINGLY brings me back to him and reminds me of the truth. I want to show my children the same love and patience that God shows me. I thought about the day in the future that I am going to want the old days back when my kids were young- Would I really want today back when I get older I thought? God reminded me that it's not a big deal if the boys are always kicking off their shoes and I can't find them, it's not a big deal if the dishes stay in the sink tonight, it's alright if I don't put away the laundry, my house is not perfect and that it will never be- get that through your brain now. These things are not the things that really matter in life. I shouldn't be annoyed and have the need of control and perfection in my life. I am already perfect in God's eyes. It's Him who makes me perfect. Jesus dying on the cross has covered my imperfections and his strength allows me to overcome my shortcomings. let me tell you- I have many! Amen to God for who He is and for helping me out ALL the time. What would I be like without his love, guidance, and goodness? EEk! I am glad that I won't ever have to find out.

So, that is me in a nutshell- a complex nutshell- I hope that I didn't scare you.

Just a side note- You all know that Archie helps out a lot, so this is not a blow at all about him not helping- he had an appointment which is part of his job which helps pay the bills- anyway, it's good that I experience evenings like this because it's ALWAYS good to experience God.

I am in pain! I need to get a root canal on Monday. Isn't saying those words painful enough? I went to the dentist before school started this week to see if they could do whatever they needed to do, but they said that my tooth was too "hyper" to work on so they sent me home with some antibiotics and told me to come back on Monday. After taking pain relievers and these antibiotics that make my stomach hurt- I am still in pain and feel discomfort. Oh well, such is life. Tuesday night, the night of Madison's first soccer practice, I took some pain medicine and went to bed at 6:30. . . .even before the kids did. That was also the night before Madison's "sneak peek" to kindergarten. I felt bad that I wasn't able to stay up with her and get her ready for her big day, but like I said I was in a lot of pain. . . and I was exhausted. Archie did AWESOME with her- he gave her her bath, talked about kindergarten, and put her to bed so sweetly. He did a better job than I could have. I have to remember to not just let Archie be a PART of the big things, but to be the LEADER in those big things- I want too much of the control and I tend to "run the show" with these types of things. Surprising huh? But, since Wed. was my 1st day back to work and Madison didn't want to miss seeing me leave, she was up at 6:30bright and early to see me go so we were able to spend some precious time together then. I am thankful for that.

Madison had her "sneak peek" to kindergarten on Wed. and today she actually had her 1st real day of school. Archie took her to school on both of these days. He even sent me a text with her picture outside of the school while I was at work which totally made my day. I am so glad that Madison's Daddy was able to spend this monumental day with her. . . and take a few pictures while doing so. After I got home from work Madison said "I think that my teacher is going to be my best friend since she is SO sweet." I thought that that was sweet.

Otherwise, I have been in pain this week and have been very exhausted starting back at school. Oh, I have some good news- I DO have my own desk in my office! Yippeeee! I was told that I would have to share desks with my job-share parner- but they were wrong. My assistant principal said that every teacher must have a desk- I was delighted to hear that! So, I will be getting my desk all ready for the new school year tomorrow with pictures and etc. Yipee! I also have a girls' weekend with my mom and sisters tomorrow so that will be fun too! Life is good . . . even though I am in pain.

Here is Madison on her sneak peek day with me in the morning and on her 1st day of school.

Hola!

It's been a while since I wrote sorry- I just can't believe how busy things get. Let me catch you up.

The wedding- The wedding was awesome! Katy, the bride, was a wonderful and beautiful bride and we all had a blast hanging out with her the weekend of her wedding. She had 4 bridesmaids and for our dresses, she asked us to pick out any black dress above the knee from the Black and White Market- a very classy store. I fell in love with a black strapless dress that I can easily wear again. The only "bad" thing that happened on the day of the wedding was that I ripped one of my contacts that morning as I was getting ready so I ended up only wearing one ALL day long. It wasn't all that bad, but I had to really concentrate on the way down the aisle because it was on a slant and I didn't want to trip and be embarrassed. Other than that, we all had a BLAST singing and dancing to Abba and Grease music.

On the way home from the wedding, Archie and I stopped in Normal, Illinois where we went to college and had fun reminiscing. Even though we didn't attend there at the same time, we still knew many of the same people and had fun sharing stories. We both updated our wardrobes and bought a new college t-shirt. We enjoyed a delicious lunch together and a walk around campus. We got back home Sunday evening and picked up the kids. Everyone seemed to enjoy their weekend and it was fun hearing all about what Grammy, Aunt Lori, and Aunt Julie did with the kids.

classes- Since we got home from our vacation, I have taken 2 technology classes to further my education. They have not been bad or hard at all, but they do take time away from the kids- especially before school starts again- oh well, my last class is Friday.

Madison's 5th bday-horse cake-- Tomorrow, August 14th, Madison, my baby girl, will turn 5! It's crazy to believe, but it's true. 5 years ago at this very minute, I was in heavy labor with our very first child. How time flies by! I made her a horse cake since she LOVES, no, is obsessed, with horses! My first attempt at it this morning failed because I did not let the cake cool long enough, and my man handling of it caused it to break. Ooops! But, my 2nd attempt was successful. Archie cut the cake the way the directions said to and I decorated it. It was a joint effort. . . .I hope that she likes it! Not too bad for our 1st time.

meeting my new teammates- Tomorrow I will be meeting the people that I will be working with for this next school year. I am excited to see who I will be working with and how our whole team collaborates and works together. My jobshare partner and I have not gotten together at all to discuss this next school year- and I am FINE with that. I am definitely learning how to be more flexible and relaxed with SOME things- I think that this next school year will be a really good one and I am excited for all the new changes.

Jenny moving- Sadly, I said goodbye to one of my best friends this past week. I have known Jenny since we were young- elementary school, but we didn't get close until highschool. She has been a rock for me these past few years with having the twins and learning how to go from 1 child to 3 children. We had MANY late nights together chatting and I could ALWAYS count on her to have a "Girl's Night" --out or in. Her last week here, we went to 2 movies with Julie, had some nice prayer time- and even a good cry together. I will definitely miss her. Jenny is doing a good thing so I would be real selfish if I asked her to stay- Jenny quit her job here with a very prestigious company and will be attending a college on the East Coast to get a degree in Children's ministry. From there, she hopes to go over seas and do mission work. I am very excited to see where she goes and who she meets in the future. Here are some pictures of her car fully packed and her hanging out with my kids (in Christian's crib) on one of her last nights here.

That's it for now. Tomorrow is Madison's bday and the family party and then on Friday the kids and I will be visiting my Dad and Marsha for the weekend. We will be going to a fair and celebrating Madison's bday together. Needless to say, I am not sure when I will blog again, but keep looking and I'll post again when I am able to.

Oh- and by the way- Christian is learning how to stand up for himself when Caleb tries to bully him around- sort of. Christian will still cry and scream if Caleb is mean to him, but now he has also learned how to pin him down, sit on top of him, and pull his hair- all at the same time! It's a sight to see, very comical, but I have to reprimand him for doing it. There's NEVER a dull moment around our house!

oh- one more thing- the kids all got haircuts this week. When Madison was sitting in the chair and the lady asked her how she wanted her hair- she said short- to her ears. What?! I thought that we were going in for a trim- I did not let her get it that short, but Archie and I agreed to her getting a "bob." We explained to her when it was cut that it can't be put back on again and that it will take a LONG time to grow back. She really wanted it so we thought that it would be a great lesson on cause and effect- and decision making so we let her get it cut. Her hair is cute, but when Madison was going to bed, she asked if she could "return" it. Isn't that precious?

I like all of you and am glad that you are in my life- just wanted to let you know! Thanks for reading!

We're back- sort of.

Archie and I got back home around 9:00 tonight and within an hour, I had the second load of laundry going AND we were unpacked. I LOVE that feeling of getting things done! Now, to pack for the wedding this weekend. My mom and sister kept the kids on vacation and they will be coming home tomorrow so I am looking forward to sleeping in without the thought of having to get children fed and ready for the day. Yipee! I will miss my children, but it will be nice to have a little quiet in the house tomorrow morning before we leave.

As for our vacation- we had a BLAST! By making sure the boys had naps and that we all had full tummies- we all had a great time with family and friends. We went jet skiing, swimming, and wave jumping ALL in Lake Michigan! We also played games until late at night and just enjoyed life together. It was encouraging to here the missionary and pastor talk throughout the week too. Here are a few pictures of the past week and I'll email pictures of the wedding after I get back. As for our family pictures that we took on the beach- I don't know how they turned out since the boys were not very happy about taking pictures. When I get time next week I'll go through and edit them and hopefully find a few that I like. We'll see. Until then, enjoy these pics.