Trial By Jury

100th post

2010-06-14T14:56:00.000-07:00

A funny thing happened on my way to this blog...

Just as I was about to click the button to create a new blog post, I noticed that the post count was at 99, which makes this my 100th post on this blog. The funny thing? I was coming here to post that I will no longer be posting here. How is that for a 100th post celebration?

Obviously, if you are one of the three or four people who might actually read this blog then you realize that very rarely actually post here. When I do post, it tends to be a book review. And let's face it, I am not actually doing any of those authors much good by posting reviews on a blog that seldom gets updated and almost no one reads.

I will still be blogging, I will just be doing it all over on my other blog now. So, if you are one of the rare readers of this blog, please click on over to Life With Meechi and follow me there. I promise you'll get much more excitement and a lot more blog posts over there.

down, down, down

2010-05-12T14:22:00.000-07:00

I am so down right now. No, that does not mean that I am down in the pounds. I am just emotionally down. I don't even know what it is about, I just feel so..... blah! I have so much in life to be thankful for and to make me happy. But still I am just down.

With this feeling of blah comes the laziness. I am always just a slug when I am feeling down. I have no emotional energy and that zaps away my physical energy. All I want to do is just lay about. I know that getting up and moving would probably help to spark my emotional energy level along with my physical energy but I have not been able to do it.

Right now I would love to have a couple of days to just curl up in the bed, buried under a pile of blankets and just hide away. Just give me some bottled water, some good spiced chai and a ton of pudding cups and pop tarts, hand me the remote and leave me alone.I just want to hide away from all the issues in my life. Yes, I know this is not a healthy attitude but it is where I am at right now. It just feels like it would be easier to hide away then to actually deal with it all.

Book review and giveaway: Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze

2010-04-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

I love a good mystery, especially ones that keep me guessing. Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze managed to do just that. I truly could not guess how this one would end. For me, that is what a great mystery is all about. Of course I don't mind a nice love story thrown in, and this book delivers that as well. What I got with Forget Me Not, that I don't find in the average mystery, is a look at how faith can help someone through even the toughest challenges. These three things combined, made for one really good book that I didn't want to put down until the end.

about the book:

Crossroads Crisis Center owner Benjamin Brandt was a content man—in his faith, his work, and his family. Then in a flash, everything he loved was snatched away. His wife and son were murdered, and grief-stricken Ben lost faith. Determination to find their killers keeps him going, but after three years of dead ends and torment, his hope is dying too. Why had he survived? He’d failed to protect his family. Now, a mysterious woman appears at Crossroads seeking answers and help—a victim who eerily resembles Ben’s deceased wife, Susan. A woman robbed of her identity, her life, of everything except her faith—and Susan’s necklace. The connections between the two women mount, exceeding coincidence, and to keep the truth hidden, someone is willing to kill. Finding out who and why turns Ben and the mystery woman’s situation from dangerous to deadly. Their only hope for survival is to work together, trust each other, and face whatever they discover head on, no matter how painful. But will that be enough to save their lives and heal their tattered hearts?

Would you like to win a copy of Forget Me Not? I am giving away a free copy! Just leave a comment on this post for your chance to win. Want extra chances to win? Tweet about this giveaway for an extra entry. Blog about this giveaway for another entry. Follow/subscribe to this blog and earn TWO extra entries. All entries must be received by midnight April 25th. Winner will be announced on the 26th. Please leave a comment with links to your tweet or blog post or to let me know you subscribed for your extra entries.

I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Gifts

2010-04-07T04:17:00.000-07:00

Failing to use our gifts disappoints God, and we deny others the opportunity to enjoy God's blessings with us

I read this in a devotional (that i now cannot remember where i saw it exactly) and it really resonated with me. I am pondering on this one for awhile. I believe it to be an incredible message. Failing to use my gifts is something I am guilty of doing myself, but I've never really thought about how I might be denying others by doing so.

Trials

2010-04-05T00:33:00.000-07:00

I have developed a new perspective on the name of this blog. I had originally started this blog as a place to post product reveiws, and so Trial By Jury simply meant that I was trying things and passing the word onto my readers about them. That is why the blog address is actually "try all by jury" After I started the blog, I sort of lost interest in that idea. Then I lost interest in the blog. I then came across the blogging for book program which offers Christian books for me to read and review. It got me back into posting on the blog. More than that though, it renewed within me the desire to learn and know more about Christ.

That desire has been there for a few years now, but I always managed to find a way to squash it down and concern myself with worldly matters. Lately this blog has become more about my personal trials. The struggles of self, of heart, of soul. So, while the blog is taking a different turn from what I had originally intended, the name still fits perfectly. Just one more of those "His plan, not my own" lessons in my life.

Walk With Me Wedensday in a whole new direction

2010-03-31T00:17:00.000-07:00

I am beginning daily devotionals. I will admit that until sometime in the past couple of years I had never heard a devotional. When I did begin to hear people speak of them I didn't know what exactly they were referring to. I did notice that these devotionals seemed to help them in life and in their path with God. It was something I wanted for myself, so I have decided to look into what exactly a devotional is.

The dictionary defines it as:

a short religious ceremony

I have also seen it defined as:

A devotional is short one-page writing about a topic related to the Christian faith and life.

I think that it is more than that though. I believe it is a way to grow closer to God, a way to enrich your life and your spirit. That is something I could truly use, and so I made the decision to start doing daily devotionals.

I probably won't post them all on this blog, but I am sure the ones that hit me most significantly will appear here. When I do post I am making them my Walk With Me Wedensday posts. Originally I had designated that as a way to post about exercise and actual walking, but now it feels more right to make it about walking the path to The Lord. Since today is my first day, and because the message of today's devotional comes at the right moment in my life, I am sharing a bit of it.

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'" Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)

Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (NIV)

this devotional is from Here is the Way Lynn Cowell

"You see, we can't in fact follow our heart. Our heart can't be trusted. Our heart will lie to us and tell us things we want to hear instead of the truth we need to hear. It will convince us that what we want is the right way, even if that way is not God's way. I know; I've listened to it before.

When we find ourselves at the crossroads, the first place to turn is God's Word. So many of the questions we ask can be answered there if we are willing to hear the wisdom the Bible provides."

prayer:

Dear Lord, I've grown so used to trusting my heart. In fact, it is all I've known to do most times. Please help me discern Your voice behind me and give me the discipline to read the wisdom You have already provided in Your Word. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Found what I've been looking for

2010-03-29T10:56:00.001-07:00

I attended a new church this past Sunday. This is something I have been wanting to do for a long time now. I've made plans over and over again to give a new church a try, and then Sunday comes along and I find one excuse or another not to go. I didn't let that happen this time.

Now, honestly, if I had planned to go on my own I likely would have backed out again. I hate to do anything alone. (that is a post for another monday) This time I made plans to attend with my sister-in-law. We were talking a few days ago and realized we had both been wanting to try a new church, but neither of us had wanted to go alone. It turned out perfectly, as we were both finally able to do something we'd been wanting to do and we did it together.

I wasn't real positive which church I wanted to attend. I had considered going back to one I had tried in the past. There were aspects I liked about the church, and others I didn't. There was another church I had been considering, and yet never really felt a strong enough pull to actually go. My SIL actually had a specific church in mind that she'd heard great things about, so we decided to give it a try.

Let me just say... I loved it!
My SIL also really loved it, and best of all little Meechi did fantastic in the 4/5 year old group. Seriously, they raved about it. I had several people tell me how sweet he was and he good he had been. When I picked him up, he was having a good time and was actually playing WITH other children. Praise God! That in itself can be miraculous.

People went out of their way to make us feel welcome without also making us feel awkward at being first time visitors. Love that! They serve refreshments in the lobby area before service which provides a nice time to socialize. I think that is awesome! The service started with Christian rock being performed as people were entering. Love that too! The message was not only a great message but was given in a way that was interesting and even entertaining. An hour long church service felt like half that. Not your grandma's church for sure!

We had a great experience there and I plan to go back. So does my SIL. I admit to feeling awkward starting to attend a church at Easter time. I know that it is a time of year that casual church goers make an effort to attend. That is not what I intend to be. I truly want to get involved and become a part of a good church family. I sort of feel like people might get the impression that I am one of those casual church goers due to the time of year, but as I continue to attend then that appearance will drop away. I am actually excited for their Easter service. They handed out a flyer that says it will be a 3D experience. Cool! That will be the first time for my teenagers to attend since they were at their dad's house this past weekend. I think having their first time there be in 3D will help get them into the idea of attending.

Oh! I also have to mention that pretty much everyone there was wearing jeans. I know some people don't agree with that type of casual dress for church, but I am not one of those. I love that I can wear jeans to church. I really don't think God cares whether I am wearing a dress or a pair of blue jeans.

Book review: Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs

2010-03-26T06:48:00.000-07:00

Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs

About the book:
A mother who cannot face her future.
A daughter who cannot escape her past.
Lady Elisabeth Kerr is a keeper of secrets. A Highlander by birth and a Lowlander by marriage, she honors the auld ways, even as doubts and fears stir deep within her.
Her husband, Lord Donald, has secrets of his own, well hidden from the household, yet whispered among the town gossips.
His mother, the dowager Lady Marjory, hides gold beneath her floor and guilt inside her heart. Though her two abiding passions are maintaining her place in society and coddling her grown sons, Marjory’s many regrets, buried in Greyfriars Churchyard, continue to plague her.
One by one the Kerr family secrets begin to surface, even as bonny Prince Charlie and his rebel army ride into Edinburgh in September 1745, intent on capturing the crown.
A timeless story of love and betrayal, loss and redemption, flickering against the vivid backdrop of eighteenth-century Scotland , Here Burns My Candle illumines the dark side of human nature, even as hope, the brightest of tapers, lights the way home.

review:

In Here Burns My Candle, Liz Curtis Higgs offers a retelling of the beloved Old Testament story of Ruth and Naomi. Higgs manages to beautifully, and subtly accomplish this retelling with magnificent characters and a story set in 18th Century Scotland. In this story we find the women struggling with faith. One seeking who she is, the other struggling to remember what she believes. As I read, I couldn't wait to see where their choices would ultimatly leave them.

Here Burns My Candle is a story of love, betrayal, loss and redemption. While I did find that with so many characters the book seemed to hold a few too many storylines to easily keep track of, I still enjoyed the story and found it hard to put down.

calorie tracking

2010-03-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

I really need to start tracking the food I eat again. I did it for awhile and it helped me control my eating. Not really what I was eating, but at least how much. I stopped doing it because it was time consuming. After what I realized a few days ago.... I think it's worth the time.

One night last week I was thinking about what I'd eaten that day. I felt pretty good about myself because I was thinking how I really hadn't eaten much at all. I was kind of proud of myself and then I remembered that I'd eaten lunch at a buffet. Not sure how I had forgotten that fact, but for some reason I did. Buffets and portion control are not good companions! I managed to convince myself that I really didn't eat as much as I could have, or had in the past, at the buffet. So, I believed I still did pretty good that day because I had also only eaten a small dinner. No breakfast, somewhat restrained buffet lunch, and small dinner seemed ok. Not great, not good even, but ok.

A little while later I realized I ate more for dinner than I was thinking I did. What I had forgot was that after eating my small dinner I thought about how since it was so small I really should have a little something else. That little something ended up being jalapeno poppers dipped in ranch dressing. Breaded jalapeno and cheese drowned in ranch is not a little something. It is a lot of something and that something is calories!

I had suddenly realized that I did not have a good day afterall. I went from feeling good about myself to feeling really lousy. I couldn't believe that I had forgotten about most of the foods I had eaten that day. My memory must really be slipping! It made me realize just how important it is to track the foods I eat. That way I can't forget and end up making a bad day even worse.

Book review and giveaway: Start Here, Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are

2010-03-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

Start Here, Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are by Alex & Brett Harris

ABOUT THIS BOOK:
You want to do hard things. But you don’t know where to start.
You are changing the world around you. But you are tired and burned out.
You feel called to do the extraordinary for God. But you feel stuck in the ordinary.
Do Hard Things inspired thousands of young people around the world to make the most of the teen years. Now Alex and Brett Harris are back and ready to tackle the questions that Do Hard Things inspired: How do I get started? What do I do when I get discouraged? What’s the best way to inspire others? Filled with stories and insights from Alex, Brett, and other real-life rebelutionaries, Start Here is a powerful and practical guide to doing hard things, right where you are. Are you ready to take the next step and blast past mediocrity for the glory of God? START HERE.

As a mom of two teens I was very interested in reading this book. My main questions before reading were:
would my kids actually read this book?
would they enjoy the book?
and
would they really get anything out of reading this book?
The answer to all three questions is a definite "yes".

First of all, the book is an easy read at just 137 pages. For my kids that is a huge plus, especially since they already have so many books that have to read for school. Those 137 pages hold a great deal of wonderful information, ideas and encouragement for teens. (there are actually more pages if you include the notes, discussion questions and list of ideas of 100 hard things to do at the end of the book)

Alex and Brett Harris do a very good job of backing up their ideas of how to do hard things with stories from teens who have done them. In the book they explain how even small things can be hard and are no less important than the big things are. Personally, I loved that they acknowledged the idea that doing things such as working harder to get good grades and helping your parents out around the house can be hard things and mean just as much to God as any other hard thing. Of course they also included encouragement and ideas of how to get started (hence the title of the book) on deciding what hard things you want to do and how to begin working on them.

If you have a teen (or teens) this book is a wonderful way to help encourage them to do something wonderful. As I was reading I kept thinking how great this book would be for youth groups to read together. I believe this book will really inspire kids to make a difference in the world. I know I can't wait to see what my own kids will do with what they learn from reading it.

I have a copy of Start Here by Alex & Brett Harris to give away to one lucky reader! If you would like to be entered in the drawing for the book, simply leave a comment here on this post by 11:59pm, April 4th. I will be drawing the winner on April 5th. To earn an extra entry in the drawing, click the button to follow this blog (current followers will receive the extra entry).

I received this book free from Random House review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Why should women keep their weight a secret?

2010-03-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

I was watching an episode of the show Bones the other day. I don't normally watch, but it was a Sunday afternoon and there was nothing else on. In this particular episode the group of characters were all taking turns stabbing a dummy with a some special knife that was measuring their stabs. (of course i'm not nearly as technical in description as they were on the show, but this really isn't my topic of conversation anyway and i don't really care) After they were done stabbing the dummy, they determined that the stabs of the character of Angela came the closest to the stabs that killed the victim whose murder they were investigating. She was then asked for her height and weight so they could try and determine who the killer might be based on comparison. Angela balked at the question. She didn't want to reveal her weight to everyone in the room.

The beautiful, sexy, not at all fat woman didn't want to tell people her weight. She easily gave her height as 5'8" but then mumbled her weight a couple of times before finally giving in and saying it so all could hear. The offending number? 135. One hundred and thirty five freaking pounds?!? She is 5'8" and didn't want to reveal that she weighs 135, and even after revealing it had to throw in the comment, "most of that is muscle".

The ideal weight for a woman who is 5'8" is 136-150 pounds. Why then, did the writers of this show feel the need to have this character be ashamed of a weight that falls below what her ideal weight should be???

How sad is it that this is what our society is like. It is terrible that a woman would feel ashamed to be the weight that is healthy for her. Are we really supposed to all want to be underweight, little stickfigures? Why must ultra thin be more important than healthy?

What about the message that it sends for this character to have been so worried about revealing her weight to begin with? Women are supposed to be ashamed of their weight. That is the message that it sends. Not just women who are overweight either. No, apparently even those who are living at their ideal, healthy weight should be ashamed. Of course it really isn't this TV show that creates that image, that stereotype, that all women must be ashamed of their weight. Society as a whole has been filled with that perception for years. Nearly every tv show, movie, book, or magazine sends out that same message. As a woman, you never want to tell anyone what your weight is. Afterall a woman's weight is a dark, dirty secret that needs to be kept from everyone. (i know sarcasm doesn't always come through in written word, so for those who didn't realize... that was sarcasm)

By the way....
I weigh 140 pounds and I am only 5'3" tall. No dirty little secret here. The ideal weight for someone my height? 121-135.

Book Review: Raven's Ladder by Jeffrey Overstreet

2010-03-11T00:29:00.000-08:00

Raven’s Ladder:
Following the beacon of Auralia’s colors and the footsteps of a mysterious dream-creature, King Cal-raven has discovered a destination for his weary crowd of refugees. It’s a city only imagined in legendary tales. And it gives him hope to establish New Abascar.But when Cal-raven is waylaid by fortune hunters, his people become vulnerable to a danger more powerful than the prowling beastmen––House Bel Amica. In this oceanside kingdom of wealth, enchantment, and beauty, deceitful Seers are all too eager to ensnare House Abascar’s wandering throng. Even worse, the Bel Amicans have discovered Auralia’s colors, and are twisting a language of faith into a lie of corruption and control. If there is any hope for the people of Abascar, it lies in the courage of Cyndere, daughter of Bel Amica’s queen; the strength of Jordam the beastman; and the fiery gifts of the ale boy, who is devising a rescue for prisoners of the savage Cent Regus beastmen. As his faith suffers one devastating blow after another, Cal-raven’s journey is a perilous climb from despair to a faint gleam of hope––the vision he sees in Auralia’s colors.

Raven's Ladder is the third volume of the Auralia Thread. Despite jumping into this series with book three, I did feel I came to know the characters quite well. The author really made them come to life. I enjoyed the story, but wish I'd read the first two in the series so I would have known more about what was going on from the beginning. There is guide to the characters at the back of the book that I found very helpful in figuring out exactly who everyone was, not having read the first two books. It also included pronunciations for the names which, let's face it, is nice to have when you are reading so many unusual names! As it is, I do want to read the first two books in the series now.

Raven's Ladder is a well written tale that keeps you interested and wanting more.

I received this book free from the publishers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue by Chuck Black

2010-03-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue:
Determined, smart and a master of both the sword and the bow, Lady Carliss has proven herself as a veteran Knight of the Prince. Returning from a mission of aid, Carliss is plunged into adventure once again as she searches for the marauders responsible for kidnapping a friends’ family. Along the way she is reunited with Sir Dalton and discovers that the struggle in her heart is far from over. When Dalton falls to the vicious attack of a mysterious, poisonous creature, Carliss finds herself in a race against time. As Dalton clings perilously to life, she must find the antidote in the distant and strange city of Moorue . While there, Carliss uncovers the master plot of a powerful Shadow Warrior that will soon overtake the entire Kingdom. Her faith in the Prince and her courage as a knight are tested as she faces evil Shadow Warriors and a swamp full of dreadful creatures. The lives of many, including Dalton ’s, depend on Carliss. But she cannot save them all, for time is running out. She faces an impossible choice: save Dalton , or let him die so that others may live.

Lady Carliss and The Waters of Moorue is book four of the Knights of Arrethtrae series. The series is an excellent allegory featuring A great King who rules the Kingdom Across the Sea, along with His Son. Together with their knights, they work to triumph over Lucius, the Dark Knight. While this book was the fourth of the series, I never felt as though I were missing anything by not having read the first three. The book works wonderfully as a stand-alone story, however I enjoyed it enough to want to read the others.

The characters exhibit strong Christian qualities, while the story is filled with plenty of action and adventure, illustrating the age old battle between good and evil. The primary lesson of this tale is the dangers of escapism. An extensive, and helpful, study guide is included at the end of the book.

Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue is an excellent book for teens, and is a wonderful way for them to learn and discuss valuable Christian principles. Although geared toward a younger crowd, I enjoyed it very much myself and look forward to reading the other books in the series.

I received this book free from the publisher's book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

fiction friday... hope to keep it going!

2010-03-05T09:11:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to start posting fiction that I have written on the blog for.... well, since before I started it actually. The problem is, that I just don't seem to ever have the time to write just for the sake of writing. I am going to try and change that. (isn't it amazing how many things i am trying to change in my life right now? ugh!) Anyway... I thought I would re-post a bit that I wrote nearly two years ago and posted on my old blog. So, for what I hope is the beginning of regular Fiction Friday posts... here is part 1 of "The Interview".

Mary stepped out the front door into the bright morning sun. She inhaled deeply and breathed in the fresh smell. It had rained all night and the air had that clean after-rain scent. She could feel the freshness even down in her lungs. It was a good sign to her. She needed that this morning.

Her heels clicked loudly on the concrete steps of her front porch as she stepped down. She looked down at them and smiled at the way they shined. It was probably silly that she had spent an hour polishing them last night, afterall nobody was going to be looking at her shoes. Still it made her feel better to have them shine.

As her eyes moved upward she questioned again the length of her skirt. It fell just above her knees. Was this too short? Should she have chosen one a bit longer? No, she told herself. This was the right choice. It was a light blue, white and black boucle skirt, lined in white signature silk. It felt lovely and looked classy. Definitely the right choice. Her shirt was perfect as well. It was a black sheer silk shirt with frayed trim. The standing collar with tattered ruffle trim gave it such an elegant look.

She looked classy and elegant and it made her feel the same. It amazed her that a simple thing such as how she dressed could effect her whole attitude. Her friend Kati had been right about that. She would have to remember to give her a big thank you hug next time she saw her.

Carefully she climbed into her car. The beat up old Toyota Camry clashed with her new look. It had been a reliable car for many years now. She loved it despite its dings and scratches. She'd been through many hard times and changes in her life and this car had driven her through them all. It was like an old friend. Despite her love for it though, she planned to park a few blocks away from her destination. As much as she loved the car, it just didn't show the image she needed to portray for this particular moment. Mary stroked the dash as she drove along, letting her old friend know it was nothing personal.

Nerves set in as she drove. She struggled to push them away. It wouldn't do to go in nervous. She needed to appear confident and sure. Turning on the radio she sought a comforting song. Manic Monday by the Bangles was playing. Maybe not comforting, but it seemed so appropriate that she had to laugh and began to sing along.

Having gotten lost in the music of the oldies channel, just when did 80's music become oldies she wondered, she arrived quickly at her destination. Turning a corner she found a great parking spot. Just out of sight of the building, but still a quick walk. She gave the dash one last stroke before carefully climbing out of the car. She approached the parking meter and it still had nearly two hours on it. Another great sign in Mary's opinion.

She slipped her bag onto her shoulder and took a deep breath. Letting out the breath, she straightened her shoulders and took her first step. Again she heard the clacking of her heels on concrete. She concentrated on the rhythm of her footsteps as she continued to keep the nerves at bay. Just a few more steps and she was there.

Mary stared ahead of her at the tall building. The metal and glass shined bright in the morning sun. "It's sparkling," she thought, smiling. Sparkling brighter and more beautiful than any jewel she had ever seen. This was it. The moment had arrived. The moment that could change her life forever.

Mary opened the door and stepped inside. Ahead of her was a reception desk. Head held high, a smile on her face, she approached the desk. A young women with blond hair pulled up in a twist smiled up at her. "May I help you?" she asked. "Yes," Mary said with confidence, "I am here for an interview with Mr. Williams."

So Much for Weight Loss

2010-03-03T14:24:00.000-08:00

I was doing a good job of working out almost everyday. That was before I went to visit my husband down south where he is working. I didn't get a chance to work out there at all. In the almost two weeks I have been back home, I haven't worked out either. I just haven't felt like it. Not a valid excuse at all! I've also been eating like a crazy person. Food down in La was fabulous, so of course I ate a ton while I was there. Since I've been home I've been eating nothing but junk. Fast food, sweets, chips, anything and everything bad for me.

I'm dreading weighing myself, but tomorrow I am going to hop on that scale and see what kind of damage I have done. Fingers crossed that it's not too bad!

Lets Discuss Faith

2010-02-26T15:56:00.000-08:00

About two and a half years ago I was struggling with faith. (Honestly, in the time since I have still struggled. I am just now at the point where I am finally learning to surrender and turn it all over to Him.) At that time in my life I was filled with bitterness and unhappiness. I blogged about my struggle to end the bitterness back then, and part of that I did a series of posts on faith. Since I am finally coming to terms with my faith, I thought I would re-post that series here. (and come on, we all know that I tend to ignore this blog and I really need to post more anyway) So, here are the first parts of my series on faith that I wrote back in August of 07.

introduction:

I want to do a series on something that has been on my mind a lot lately.
FAITH
I feel that a big part of the unhappiness and bitterness in my life has to do with a lack of faith. I have struggled with this issue. For years I have been torn in different directions when it comes to faith. I have come across so many wonderful blogs and wonderful people who have such a complete faith in the Lord and they seem to be so happy and content because of it. This is the thing that has eluded me all my life. So, I am going to be digging deep into my heart, mind and soul with a focus on faith.
This week I will be doing a series of posts on faith.
The topics I will be dicussing are:
FEARING FAITH
FORCING FAITH
FAILING FAITH
FALSE FAITH
FINDING FAITH
I would love to have some input and opinions on these topics. Please leave a comment and share your opinions and experiences with faith.

part 1, Fearing Faith:
Webster's defines faith as:
1 a : allegiance to duty or a person : LOYALTY b (1) : fidelity to one's promises (2) : sincerity of intentions
2 a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2) : complete trust
3 : something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially : a system of religious beliefs synonym see BELIEF - on faith : without question

I think faith is a bit more than that though. To me it seems that faith is a true knowledge within the heart of man that God is there for us in every way. It is knowing in your heart that everything in this world is the design of God and all things happen as He intends. Faith is the belief that we all have purpose and meaning. God has a plan for us all. The only thing that stand in the way of His plan is us. The true definition of Faith, to me, is letting go and trusting in God's plan for us.

For me faith has always been a bit elusive. My heart has always lacked that conviction. That firm belief that there is a higher power who has a plan for me. I was raised to believe in God, and yet that feeling of faith was not there for me.

I remember as a child growing up in a very small town, how certain people in town were viewed. In our first week living in town my sisters, who were much older than me, were being shown around town by some other teens who lived there. When my sisters got home they told us about how one of the things on the tour was the "long haired Jesus freak". The other teens wanted to show them where this weird guy and his wife lived. They were told to watch out for them because they were strange people. These teens had no idea what his real name even was, he was just known as "the long haired Jesus freak". As they drove by these strange people, my sisters said they sort of slipped down in their seats as they drove past the house of our aunt and uncle. That's right, they were the strange people.

I was just barely seven at that time. It was something that stuck with me though. It was my first experience with seeing how some people thought of others who have such a strong faith in The Lord. At the age of seven, I knew that I never wanted to be one of those "freaks".

A couple years later a strange new family moved to town. They had even more kids then my parents did. As the youngest of five, that seemed a pretty amazing thing to me. This new family made their own clothes, talked constantly about their religion and they didn't have a TV. No television! To the other kids in our tiny little school, that was just weird. "Why" we would ask, "don't you have a TV?" The answer was that their parents said the devil lived in the TV and they took theirs to church one day and smashed it with a hammer. Our town suddenly had a whole new set of "freaks". This concept was inconceivable to our nine year old brains. The devil was in their TV? Surely these people were crazy. Here, in my mind, was one more blemish on the concept of faith.

As I got older I realized that the parents of those kids didn't do a very good job explaining to them what the TV smashing was all about. Either that or the kids themselves weren't capable of explaining it well. I know now that what had really taken place was that they felt the devil had too much influence over the type of things that were being shown on TV. They believed that they did not want that influence in their home and that was the reasoning behind smashing the TV. It was just a way to symbolize their rejection of the devil's temptation.

I still don't necessarily believe that family did the right thing. It was what they felt was right, but I am not sure it had the right effect on their children. At the very least, I think they could have explained things to their children better. It's hard to say whether that situation was right or wrong. Maybe it's not that black and white. I do know that their decision alienated their children from the rest of the kids in town. Even at nine years old I understood that. Again, that was something I never wanted to go through.

Early in life I learned that having faith sometimes meant being treated differently. It meant that you were opening yourself up to criticism and hate. As I entered my teen years the last thing I wanted was to suffer these things more than I already did. I had enough problems making friends, I didn't need any extra challenges added.

I realize now that if I had let myself believe that it could have helped me through those tough times. I see how others rely on their faith to get them through those hard times in life. I see how it gives them courage and strength. Accepting the Lord into my heart could have made those hard, lonely years easier.

I learned very early in life to fear faith. Now, at 35 years old, I am struggling to overcome those long held fears and open my heart. I am searching for the courage to believe.

Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. (Deuteronomy 31:6,8)

I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. (Psalm 34:4)

Fear of others will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. (Proverbs 29:25)

Book Review: Secrets by Robin Jones Gunn

2010-02-25T00:11:00.000-08:00

Secrets by Robin Jones Gunn
"Jessica Morgan wants desperately to forget the past and begin a new life. She chooses a small, peaceful town tucked away in Oregon's Willamette Valley as the place to start over-Glenbrooke. Once there, Jessica conceals her identity from the intriguing personalities she meets-including the compassionate paramedic who desires to protect her and the jealous woman who wants nothing more than to destroy her. Will Jessica's deceit ruin all hope for the future? Or will she find a deeper peace that allows her to stop hiding the truth from those who love her most of all?"

Secrets drew me in from the very beginning. It was one of those books that I just didn't want to put down. I read the entire thing in two days, and honestly would have read it in one if my four year old son didn't seem to think he needed me to pay some attention to him. ;) Seriously though, Secrets really did capture my attention and made me want to keep on reading.

Jessica's story was interesting and well told. Her struggle to forget her past and her hope and fear for the future were believable and easily felt. The characters were wonderfully developed. I found myself truly caring about what happened to them and hoping for a happy ending. The settings, as well, were beautifully described.

Secrets, the first book in the Glenbrooke series, had me wanting to visit the peaceful little town myself. Having been given an introduction to main character of the second book, and a glimpse of her story, I am eager to pick up a copy of Whispers and continue on with the Glenbrooke series of books.

I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Yesterday's Promise by Linda Lee Chaikin

2010-02-24T09:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's Promise by Linda Lee Chakin
"As the son of the squire of Grimston Way, aristocrat Rogan Chantry has fought hard to win his independence from Sir Julien Bley and the British South Africa Company. Now, his pursuit of a mysterious deposit of gold, marked on a map willed to him by his murdered uncle, Henry Chantry, is challenged by a new complication: the impending British colonization of South Africa. Can Sir Rogan find the gold in the midst of escalating tensions among the native tribesmen, the missionaries sent to win them, and the new colonists?
Meanwhile, Evy Varley, the woman Rogan loves back in England, is headed for a brave yet dangerous confrontation with Henry's killer-but at what price? With so much against Rogan and Evy, a reunion seems improbable, if not impossible. Can yesterday's promise hold them faithful to the hope of future freedom and a victorious love?"

While I found the story of Rogan's search for gold in South Africa interesting, I was confused by this book from the beginning. The author jumps right into the story with no set up of character or plot. In all fairness, this book is the second of a series and I have not read the first. Yesterday's Promise was definitely written with the assumption that readers have read the first in the series, Tomorrow's Treasure, as it seems to simply pick up on a story already half told.

There are really two stories taking place in this book, Evy's and Rogan's. The book starts in October 1898 with Evy and just one chapter later jumps to Rogan in July 1897. As I read the book, jumping back and forth between the two tales, I was never quite sure if they had caught up in timeline or not. Eventually the two stories did come together, but I felt as though things had been left out of the telling of their tales in order to bring them to that point.

While the stories of Evy and Rogan were quite interesting on their own, I never really felt the connection between the two characters. I believe, perhaps, one must have read the first book in the series in order to feel that connection. I set out to read this book believing it was a love story, but the two main characters didn't have enough interaction to fulfill that idea. Quite frankly, I never really got to feel involved enough with the characters to care whether or not they ended up together.

So, while I found the story itself interesting, I never really got into this book. I never felt as though I knew or understood the characters, which left me feeling detached from parts of the plot. For me, Yesterday's Promise was little more than a promise that the first book in the series, hopefully, did a better job building up the characters and their relationships.

Book Review: Love & War by John and Stasi Eldridge

2010-02-08T15:24:00.000-08:00

Love & War by John and Stasi Eldridge

about the book:

"LOVE & WAR shows couples how to fight for their love and happiness, calling men and women to step into the great adventure God has waiting for them together. Walking alongside John and Stasi Eldredge, every couple can discover how their individual journeys are growing into a story of meaning much greater than anything they could do or be on their own."

I had heard good things about Love & War by John and Stasi Eldredge before I actually received a copy for myself. Everything I'd heard had been positive, and yet I still wasn't quite sure this book would be for me. Well, to be more accurate, I wasn't sure this book would be for my marriage. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Love & War spoke to so many of the "issues" I find within my marriage. The situations that John and Stasi describe, are things that can be found in almost any marriage. Whether you have a good marriage, or a marriage in trouble, are recently married or have been married for years, you will find things in this book that speak to your situation. No relationship is perfect and Love & War lets you know that is not only OK, but that it is normal for all of us.

Knowing the book has a strong religious base, I was worried that it would be a bit too preachy for my liking. It really isn't. John and Stasi each share stories of their own marriage in a way that makes you feel as though you are having a chat with a trusted friend. They mix in humor and lighthearted tales with the truth and knowledge that they are sharing. It makes this book a joy to read, as well a fantastic tool for your marriage.

As I progressed through the book, I would read something and think about someone in my life who needed just that message right now. Through the first few chapters I found myself wanting to share what I was reading with my recently married niece. She and her new husband are struggling with the reality of marriage and I have tried to let her know that is normal. John and Stasi do a much better job of explaining that than I do. I would then find myself reading something that I wanted to share with another niece who seems so desperate to find a husband that she is not looking for the right man, whom she can share her life with. Marriage is such an important decision. Love & War relays the depth and impact this decision will have on you, and your spouse, brilliantly. There were many things that I immediately felt I needed to share with my husband as well. Honestly, there is no greater recommendation I can give a book than to want to share it with the people I love!

This will be bad

2010-02-04T08:28:00.001-08:00

I showered this morning (bet you're glad to know that, aren't you?) and then decided to just check my email real quick before doing my hair. I have naturally curly hair. Very curly. Doing my hair involves adding a ton of gel, scrunching and then blow drying with a diffuser until the hair is completely dry. Miss one step, even just to not fully follow through with one step, and my hair is a mass of out of control frizz.

My quick email check has now consisted of... checking email, checking up on my Facebook friends, leaving comments, reading a couple of blogs because my friends posted that they had made big announcements on their blogs, checking on my "happy island" on FB, checking my reader feed and now here I am on my own blog. My hair is still in a towel.

I wonder just how horrible my hair is going to look today?
I think I may need to go into hiding!

How Can I Not?

2010-02-02T09:42:00.001-08:00

Some people ask, "how can you ask for money right now?"
"how can you ask people to donate at a time like this?"
"how can you expect people to give when the country is in a recession? when people are losing jobs? when everyone is tightening their budgets?"

My answer is simple. How can I not?

Yes, I do realize money is tight right now. Does that mean that I can't ask people to help a little boy like Damon? A child with no mother or father to love him. A child with no one to let him know that he is precious. A child with no one to hold him close, to hug him, to let him know that he means the world to them. How can I not ask for people to help him?

I am also encouraging people to donate toward the mission trip of Two Hearts For Hope as they will be traveling to Kazakhstan to build a playground at an orphanage there. This is a place full of children with nothing. If their lives can become less miserable by the addition of a wonderful place to play.... then, how can I not ask people to give?

Times are tough for most everyone right now. I understand that. Believe me! I understand that all too well. And yet I will ask for people to help those in need. I will ask if you are willing to sacrifice your cappacinno for a week and give that money toward Damon's adoption grant instead. I will ask if you are willing to skip taking your family to a movie so that you can put that money toward the playground for the orphans in Kazakhstan. I ask if you would be willing to give up just one thing, for one week and give the money to any worthy cause.

I ask because, how can I not?

Matthew 25:40, "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is within the power of your hand to do so." Proverbs 3:27

"We know what true love looks like because of Jesus. He gave His life for us, and He calls us to give our lives for our brothers & sisters. This is a portrait of true love. If a person owns the kinds of things we need to make it in the world but refuses to share with those in need, is it even possible that God's love lives in him?..." 1 John 3:16-17

"Do unto others as you would have them do to you." Luke 6:31

How can you not?

Tired to My Very Core

2010-01-28T09:31:00.000-08:00

I feel so tired. The old phrase "worn to the bone" feels so fitting right now. My limbs, joints, my very bones, are heavy. Tired. Worn and tired. All of me. To the very core of myself, I am exhausted. It is not so much a physical exhaustion. Oh, how I feel it physically, but with no physical cause. It was by no physical act that I came to be so very weary. It was not exercise or hard work that drained me so. It is an emotional exhaustion. One that has worked its way through my entire being.

It has eaten away at me, little by little. At first it attacked sneakily in the night. Silently creeping into my thoughts, my dreams, NO, my nightmares. Soon it began to make its assault at any time of day. The sun would shine and still, the attack on my emotions would wage. Time passes. A week, a month, two months, three. Quickly time rushes along, working into this fourth month of emotional turmoil. Each day that passes, the weariness digs into me a little deeper. I am tired of it. Tired of it all. My body is heavy with the burdon. Worn to the bone.

For each good thing we fight for..... we will be dragged through the pits of hell to reach it. How I wish I could find the exit door. But for now, there is still no end in sight.

(my husband has been living and working in another state for almost four months now. in that time our son and I have only seen him once. my older children have not been able to see him at all. he has missed holidays and his son's birthday. the custody battle i am fighting, for the right to move my older children, drags slowly, slowly, slowly on, into it's fourth month. and no, there is no end in sight)

My 5 resolutions for getting healthy and fit in 2010

2010-01-26T07:57:00.000-08:00

January is nearly over, so I know what you're thinking....... "it's a little late to be posting your resolutions". Maybe, maybe not. The fact is, I am not really much of a resolution maker. That is because I am really not much of a resolution keeper. Why make them if I won't follow through anyway, right? Well, this year I am doing much better than in the past. Still, I probably wouldn't have posted about resolutions if it weren't for this chance to win a copy of Your Shape featuring Jenny McCarthy!

I really didn't make any so-called resolutions. Instead, I set myself some goals. The number one goal is act my age. Now, that doesn't mean that I am immature and I need to act like a grown up. Trust me, I've got the grown up thing down. In fact, I tend to act about twice my age. At 37, I should not be groaning every time I get up off the couch! My joints shouldn't be achy and creaking all the time. I shouldn't feel like it takes too much energy to go to the mailbox! No, for me, acting my age means being younger than I feel.

Now to achieve that goal, I had to set up five smaller goals. All of them were made with the greatest of thought and care, knowing they were what I needed to do in order to become the younger me I should be.

Goal #1: Get up and move!
Sounds simple enough doesn't it? Really, it should be. And yet, I wasn't doing it. Most days I would barely move at all. Sure, I'd get up and get the kids ready and out the door to school. But, then what? I'd come home and sit. Sit and watch TV, sit and spend way too much time on the computer, sit and read. Sit! all. day. long. So, any moving at all was going to be a good change for me. This first goal is the simplest of them all, and yet it requires the most discipline on my part. I have to limit my computer time, TV time and reading time. I've actually gone through TV listings and decided one favorite show each night of the week, and limited my TV time to just those shows and the news. I've made the decision to not turn on the computer except in the mornings while the little guy is in preschool, or late at night after he is in bed. I only allow myself to sit and read after I have done some physical activity, and then limit it to an hour. After that, I need to get up and move again before I will read anymore. Moving may be as simple as cleaning the house, or it could be spending an hour de-cluttering the garage, or better yet, it could be going for a walk in the park. Get up and move!

Goal #2: Eat Better
Another tough one for me. I love fast food. L O V E it! I love the convenience. I love the taste. I love the price. My idea of the perfect dinner is hitting the dollar menu at just about any fast food joint around. It's not good for me though. I know that, but it never stopped me. When all the kids are home, I am better about cooking and not eating fast food. When it is just me and the little guy? Drive thru! I do opt for the fruit and milk for him, but for myself it is greasy fries and a big 'ol soda. So, my second goal is simply eating better. I didn't set a goal of a certain number of calories, or only healthy foods, or all natural foods. I wanted a goal I could attain. Those things are a bit higher than I can reach right now. In the future, yes. For now... I am just going with better. More home cooked meals. More fruits and veggies. Less crap. Eat better!

Goal #3: Water
Water. We all know we need it. However, with all the tasty drink options out there, it's hard to actually make yourself drink it. The crazy part of this one is, that I actually like water. When I am really thirsty, all I want is water. It has to be really, really, really cold and it has to taste pure. Those two things are my water quirks. Honestly, it's a big part of why I don't actually drink a lot of water. If I don't have ice to put in my water, I won't drink it. It tastes gross to me if it's not beyond ice cold. I say "beyond" because I actually prefer it to be so cold it is starting to freeze. Ya, I need it that cold. I can't drink it right out of the tap, and I can't drink bottled water that is right out of the cooler, because it's just not cold enough. I also have an issue with the way it tastes. I mentioned it has to taste pure. When I go to my parent's house in Florida, I can NOT drink their water. So gross! Fortunately, here the tap water doesn't have that really gross taste it does in some parts of the country. It's drinkable. I don't like it as much as I like bottled, but I can drink it if I have to. That is new though. I wouldn't before I made this goal for myself. I know I need more water, but buying a ton of bottled water is not in my budget right now. So, I adjusted my thinking to accept the tap. Of course, I freeze it first. Yep! I fill a bottle with water, stick it in the freezer and once it about half frozen, I take it out, bust up the ice by banging it on the counter, and I can drink it. I am now able to get in those "8 glasses" of water a day that my body needs. You know what? I feel much better for it. Water!

Goal #4: Exercise
This one is different from getting up and moving. This one requires strong physical exertion. Exercise is about getting my heart going, getting my blood flowing and getting the sweat pouring. I have set aside some time each day strictly for exercise. Now, I am not saying that I have managed to exercise everyday. Sometimes life gets in the way, or let's face it... sometimes I just don't feel like. But, I have exercised more days than I haven't. That is great progress for me! I did get a Wii and a Wii Fit Plus for Christmas, and for me, that makes this goal easier. I am not the type of person who wants to go to the gym. I don't like to exercise in front of a bunch of people. So, having the Wii Fit at home means I can work out with my virtual trainer and not have to worry about what I look like. Let's face it, the gym can be a fashion show for some people. I am not spending money on the cutesy workout clothes! At home, I can wear my ten year sweatpants and my baggy tshirt with the holes in it and nobody can see. This particular goal is to help me lose weight. So far, I have lost 4 pounds. Doesn't sound like much, but you have to remember that while I am eating better, I am not dieting... so some weight loss is cool with me. I have also noticed my joints are more flexible now. No more creaking. I can also get up off the couch without groaning. That is improvement folks. Exercise!

Goal #5: Get in shape mentally
This one may not sound like a way to get healthy and fit to some people. For me, it is one of the most important steps to reach that goal. One of the biggest reasons people fail at getting in shape is mental block. If you are convinced you can't do it, then you won't do it. I've lived that way for a long time now. I have told myself that I am not able to do so many things and so I don't even try. I am changing my frame of mind. I am working on becoming more positive. I am working on gaining more self confidence. At the risk of sounding corny... I am truly on a spiritual journey. I know, it's cliche. It's something I need though, and it truly is helping to put me in the right state of mind. I am facing some of the old demons in my life and finding ways to defeat them and leave them in the past where they belong. I am reaching out more to friends and family. I find the more I connect with others, the better I feel about myself. When I feel good about myself, I am more willing to do things for myself. That includes getting up and moving, chugging a big glass of water, exercising and eating better. Get in shape mentally!

Wanted: Jeans that Fit

2010-01-25T07:51:00.000-08:00

I am a pretty simple gal. I don't need fancy clothes. Name brand, expensive fashion are not for me. Give me a simple pair of jeans, a basic cotton top and a pair of sneakers and I am good. Dresses and skirts are fine if I am going to an occasion that calls for such things, but the second I am home, you will find me changing back into my jeans.

So, is it too much to ask for a pair of jeans that actually fit? I mean, really fit.

I can't find any. None. Sure, I can find some that are the perfect length, but then they are either too small in the waste or too large. If I find a pair that fit in the waste then they are too long, or too short. Petite sizes are made for short women. I am a short woman. But the petites? Too short! Not a lot short, but just short enough to look like I am prepared to walk through some deep puddles. The high water look is not a good one folks!!! Regular cut jeans are always a bit too long. The bigger my waste gets, the longer the jeans get as well. What the heck is up with that??? We are women, not children. Just because we get bigger around the middle doesn't mean we get taller too. It's not like little kids who keep on growing. Makes sense for their clothes to get bigger all around as the sizes go up. Not so for women's clothing!

I would love to own at least one pair of jeans that are not all frayed at the bottom from me walking on them because they are too freaking long. I would love to walk outside when it's raining or snowy or icy and not have the bottom of my pants soaked by the time I come inside.

All this simple gal wants is a decent pair of jeans that fit!

One Thousand Giving Sixteen for Damon

2010-01-18T16:31:00.000-08:00

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Book Review: How to Reach Your Full Potential for God by Charles F. Stanley

2010-01-17T07:58:00.000-08:00

Book description:

In How to Reach Your Full Potential for God, acclaimed pastor and speaker Charles Stanley connects readers with the plan and purpose God envisioned when He created them.
"Things are never going to change" or "This is just the way I am--I'm never going to get better" are just a few of the damaging lies Christians believe about themselves, their situations, and their walk. But Dr. Stanley shares the real truth as God sees it.
In this powerful and inspiring message, readers reconnect with the grand vision God had when He uniquely created them. They learn that regardless of setbacks, failures, and frustrations, there is a better path based in His Word, one that's full of freedom and purpose. This book takes them to their specifically designed path to become exactly who the Father made them to be and achieve exactly what He designed them for.

The message of this book is that God has a will, plan and purpose for your life. He designed and equipped you to fullfill that purpose. You are here to accomplish the job that God assigned to you, but first you must seek Him and he will awaken your passion for that purpose.

The first few chapters of the book help us to really look at ourselves and search for the qualities within that are holding us back from reaching that potential. The book then follows through with a focus on seven essentials for being our best for God.

Dr. Stanley presents the truth in this book and applies it to life in a practical and useable way. He backs up his points with scripture.

How to Reach Your Full Potential for God is a wonderful tool for helping new, or “young” Christians seeking to have a more substantial relationship with God. As someone just setting out on my path toward a relationship with Him, I found this book to be a wonderful, and encouraging resource.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

PhotoHunt: Jiggly

2010-01-16T11:43:00.000-08:00

I haven't participated in PhotoHunt in quite sometime. I really enjoyed doing it before and thought I'd jump back in. I checked this weeks theme and it is "Jiggly". Naturally, the first thing that came to mind was my belly. There is no way I am posting a photo of my pasty white, jiggly belly though! So, on to my 2nd thought which is Jell-O. I do have a box in the cabinet, but it would take a couple of hours to set and become jiggly. So, now what?

Off to search the house for something that qualifies as jiggly. Please enjoy this classic elevator music while awaiting my return from the hunt.

Ah, yes... of course! Thanks to the little guy's lunch, I have found my "jiggly" photo op. Nothing like some sweet, sticky, jiggly, grape jelly!

To see the jiggly photos of other photohunters click here.

Beware the preschool street gangs

2010-01-14T07:14:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday Meechi brought home a note from the school in his backpack. Ok, more of a flyer than a note. Notes are something the teacher hand writes (or types) letting you know how awful your kid was in class that day. This was definitely a flyer. Anyway..... so, he brings home this flyer about a big presentation the school is putting on and they want all parents to attend.

The presentation? No Bully Zone! "A presentation for our parents on bully prevention and gang awareness".

Seriously?!? He's in preschool. Preschool!!!

I don't know about you, but I don't think I'd be too afraid of gang of four year olds. I can see them now with their pants saggin' (at least one of them has a peepee spot of the front cause he just had an acident), do-rags on their heads (well, most of them just have hats with a big flower on the side that their mommy knitted for them), and packing heat (in the form ofNerf dart guns). Sure, they could put an eye out with one of those darts, but none of them are actually strong enough to cock them on their own anyway.

Oh ya! That strikes terror in me!

I do realize that this flyer went out to every student in the school and that some of the kids will soon be heading into middle school. For them, I can see this as a realistic topic. But did they really need to send this home with the preschoolers?!? Give me a break!

How about you? Has your kid ever brought something home from school that just made you wonder, "what were they thinking"?

the here and now

2010-01-05T20:52:00.000-08:00

Some days I am looking so far into the future that I fail to see the present.

While it's good to have dreams and make plans, you occasionally need to stop and live in the moment.

These are realities that have suddenly hit me hard. Time to refocus. Time for me to live in the here and now, or else the future won't amount to much anyway.

Book Review:The Sweet By And By, by Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck

2010-01-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

Book Description:
A redemptive story from multi-platinum recording artist Sara Evans.

Jade Fitzgerald left the pain of her past in the dust when she headed out for college a decade ago. Now she's thriving in her career and glowing in the light of Max Benson's love.

But then Jade's hippie mother, Beryl Hill, arrives in Whisper Hollow, Tennessee, for Jade's wedding along with Willow, her wild younger sister. Their arrival forces Jade to throw open the dark closets of her past--the insecurity of living with a restless, wandering mother, the silence of her absent father, and the heart-ripping pain of first-love's rejection.

The Sweet By And By is a very enjoyable read. The story is both compelling and current. I love for the stories I read to have heart, and this book certainly has that. The characters are likeable and complex. Each chapter seemed to peel away one more layer of the main character, Jade. I couldn't put the book down, wanting to learn more and more about her troubled past. I found myself near tears many times. Jade's story will grab hold of your heart and pull in.

Like many of us, Jade struggles with feeling as if she is unworthy of the wonderful things that are happening in her life. It is through an important lesson in faith that she learns her worth. A wonderful lesson for us all. The Sweet By And By is a wonderful book that I highly recommend.

The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans and Rachel Hauck is published by Thomas Nelson (2009)This review copy was provided by the publisher

Happy New Year To All

2010-01-01T15:28:00.000-08:00

So long...

2009-12-31T08:21:00.000-08:00

How sad it is to see you go. You brought such joy into our home. Fond memories were hung upon you. Hopes and dreams were made around you. Wishes fulfilled under your steady watch. You filled children with a kind of excitement that can not be rivaled.

And yet, you could not stay. Your time in our home could only be a brief visit. Your presence always comes with an experation date.

It is with a hint of sadness that we must once again pack away the memories. There is no excitement or fanfare for your departure, not like there was for your arrival. The mood around you is different now. The time has come, as it does each year, to pack you away.

So long Christmas tree. See you again next year.

She don't look happy

2009-12-21T00:34:00.000-08:00

This time of year there are a lot of parties going on. With those parties comes photos of the guests. I have noticed a lot of photos with a group of girlfriends all lined up in their party outfits and big smiles on their faces. Except, in almost every photo there is always one woman whose smile is obviously fake, or she just plain ain't smilin' at all. You see, all the other women in the photo have great hair, beautiful faces and thin waistlines. And then, there is the chubby friend, or the ugly friend and she ain't happy. Now, she was probably happy to be at the party. She was probably happy to hang out with her friends. But, she was definitely not happy to be put in a lineup with all those thin, pretty girls and have her less than stellar appearance on display for all to see.

And that is why you won't find me in any of those lineup photos!

(btw... the bad grammar was intentional)

Two More Weeks

2009-12-20T07:23:00.001-08:00

We are entering the last two weeks of the Reece's Rainbow, Christmas Angel Tree. There are just two more weeks to spread the word about sweet Alina and her need for a family. Two more weeks to donate to her adoption grant fund in time for her to reach that $1000 goal. (of course you can donate to any of the children on Reece's Rainbow any time of year) She has $90 in her fund right now, so she has a looooong way to go to reach that goal. Will you help? Remember that a $10 donation will enter you in my giveaway for a Signing Time dvd. When donating, please specify that your donation is for "Alina-23".

As always, I pray for Alina.

O Heavenly Father,I commend this child unto Thee. Be Thou her God and Father; and mercifully supply whatever is wanting in her through frailty or negligence. Strengthen her to overcome the corruptions of the world, protect her from evil, whether from within or without; and deliver her from the secret snares of the enemy. Pour Thy grace into her heart, and confirm and multiply in her the gifts of Thy Holy Spirit, that she may daily grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ; and so, faithfully serving Thee here, may come to rejoice in Thy presence hereafter.

Giveaway: Signing Time dvd

2009-12-13T12:52:00.000-08:00

Giveaway cancelled due to an apparent lack of interest.

Alina's adoption fund is still at $60. Thank you to all who have given so far. However, there is still a long way to go to get her up to the goal of $1000.

I had promised to do a giveaway/fundraiser for my little Christmas Angel. I am getting this posted later than I meant to, but finally.... here it is.

I will be giving away a Signing Time dvd to one lucky person. (giveaway is for 1 dvd, not the entire collection in the photo) This giveaway will run through December 31 at midnight(central time). I will draw the winner on January 2. There are several ways to earn an entry. Here they are:

1) For every $10 you donate to Alina's adoption fund, you will receive 3 entries in the drawing.
2) If you donated, you can also blog about this giveaway/fundraiser (with a link back to this post) and earn 2 extra entries.
3) If you can not donate at this time, that is fine. You can still receive an entry by blogging. Simply blog about this giveaway/fundraiser (be sure to link back to this post) and you will receive 1 entry.
4) Tweet this giveaway/fundraiser with a link back to this post. That is good for 1 entry. (In order to receive your entry, you must leave a comment on this post letting me know your Twitter ID and a link to your tweet.)
5) Post a link to this post on Facebook. (you will need to friend me on Facebook so that i can see your post there. just click my facebook icon on the right sidebar of my other blog) This will get you 1 entry.

For each of these entry methods, you MUST leave a comment on this post. Please include a way for me to contact you in case you win!

To donate to Alina's adoption fund, please use the Chip-In on the sidebar. The money will go directly to Reece's Rainbow and into his fund. All donations are tax deductable since Reece's Rainbow is a licensed non-profit. When donating it is important to specify in the "note to seller" section that the money is for "Alina-23".

This giveaway/fundraiser is for the benefit of both Alina and Dmitriy. For that purpose, this giveaway is running on both of my blogs. There will be 1 giveaway of 1 dvd. Entries from both blogs will be combined for the giveaway.

because my original plan was to start this giveaway/fundraiser back in November and had mentioned it then... if you donated to Dmitriy's fund between Nov 22nd and now, then you will receive entries into the giveaway. please send me an email letting me know you did. my email addy can be find in my profile.

Book Review: From Peanuts to the Pressbox by Eli Gold

2009-12-07T13:04:00.000-08:00

When I got the opportunity to review From Peanuts to the Pressbox through the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers network, my first thought was that my husband would love the book. As for myself, I was unsure. However, I got a few pages into the book and was thoroughly intrigued. This is not a book strictly for sports fans.

From Peanuts to the Pressbox is a story about how a little boy from Brooklyn pursued his dream to be a broadcaster. This book takes you through the life of Eli Gold from his first game at Yankee Stadium, to having non-paid jobs at radio stations to get in the door, to a peanut boy at Madison Square Garden, to, eventually, Eli Gold becoming the “voice of the Crimson Tide”.

Eli Gold tells the story of himself going from literally selling peanuts in the stands to entering the pressbox and covering sporting events for radio and TV. He shares about his passion about sports broadcasting as well as the names and faces surrounding it. This is the story of how he made it his mission in life to become one of "them", and succeeded! It is more than that though. It is real stories of what it is like behind the scenes at arenas, racetracks and football fields around the country. The stories are engaging, well told and entertaining. Gold draws you in and makes you feel like you are there.

2009-12-06T14:11:00.000-08:00

We are nearly a week into December now. There are just a few more weeks of the Reeces Rainbow Angel Tree left. My little Christmas Angel, Alina, has $60 in her adoption fund now. The goal is to reach $1000 by the end of the month. I ask for you to please help me spread the word about this beautiful little girl and her need of a family. Perhaps, with your help, we can raise the other $930 needed to reach her grant goal. More than that though, I hope that perhaps the right family will see little Alina and be led to adopt her. So, please help spread the word about this little girl. (if you choose to donate to Alina's adoption grant, please specify that you are donating for Alina-23)

Here is today's prayer for Alina. It is a simple prayer you may remember from childhood. I chose this prayer because I pray that Alina knows she is an important creation of God. I posted it in it's original form, but replace "me" with "Alina" in my prayer for her.

God made the sun,

And God made the trees,

God made the mountains,

And God made me.

Thank you O God,

For the sun and the trees,

For making the mountains,

And for making me.

May She Know Comfort

2009-11-29T00:44:00.000-08:00

Praised be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation!

He comforts us in all our afflications

and thus enables us to comfort those who are in trouble,

with the same consolation we have received from him.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

My prayer today for Alina is that she feel comfort. I pray that a family who has known the comfort of The Lord, finds it within them to offer comfort to this beautiful girl.

**as always, if you feel led to help find Alina a family, please click on her Christmas Angel button to the right. You can donate to her adoption grant, or inquire about her for the possibility of adoption.**

Dude! Where's the Quik?

2009-11-23T06:09:00.000-08:00

Things were a little odd in our house growing up. That box of Twinkies in the cabinet? Don't touch them, they're your father's. Those bottles of soda by the back door? They're his too. How about the ice cream in the freezer? You can have a small dish as long as you fix your father a bowl of it too, but make sure you use that big mixing bowl for his.

Yep, that is how it was. There were certain things in the house that were just not for us kids. Don't worry, we were not totally deprived of snack foods. There were usually cookies around for us. Dad worked hard and the one thing he asked for was snack cakes and soda to take to work in his lunch box. So, they were off limits.

We really didn't mind that those things were his. That's the way it had always been and we didn't ever think about it as unfair. It was just the way things worked. That doesn't mean we didn't look at those snack cakes and wish we could have one though. I can look back on it now, as a parent, and I totally understand his point. He did work hard and deserved a few things of his own.

There was one thing we had trouble with leaving alone though. The strawberry Quik. A canister of that delicious powder was always somewhere to be found in our house. Literally, somewhere to be found. As in, it was hidden. Dad knew that my brother and I were unable to resist the pink stuff. So.... he hid it. Sometimes it was in the kitchen cabinet behind some cans of disgusting peas. Sometimes it was hidden in behind the coffee maker. Then there were the times it wasn't in the kitchen at all. We once found it in the china hutch.

Whenever my brother or I would find the canister of strawberry goodness, we would quickly alert one another, fix a couple of giant glasses of strawberry milk and then put the canister back where we had found it. Of course when we would go back to that spot the next day, the canister had been moved. Dad could always tell when the powder level had gone down and it was time to move it to a new hiding spot.

Eventually my brother and I grew. When we were no longer kids, the rules of the Quik game changed.

When my brother was 2o and I was 17, my father went out of state for a few months for work. Our mom would commute back and forth, spending part of the time with us and part of the time with our dad. Whenever she would go to spend time with him, she would leave grocery money with my brother. On his grocery trips he always purchased a canister of strawberry Quik.

We were no longer partners in crime, searching out the pink treat hidden by our dad. Instead, we became opposing agents, working against each other. You see, he would buy the Quik, but he wouldn't put it in the cabinet with the other groceries. He hid it! I would then seek it out. Once found, I would fix myself a large glass and then find a hiding place of my own. The two of us would continue to search for the Quik, find it and re-hide it.

Somehow, the hiding of the strawberry Quik had become a family tradition.

Love is...

2009-11-22T00:30:00.000-08:00

Love is patient; love is kind. Love is not jealous, it does not put on airs, it is not snobbish. Love is never rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not prone to anger; neither does it brood over injuries. Love does not rejoice in what is wrong but rejoices with the truth. There is no limit to love's forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

I chose this message today for Alina, my Christmas Angel. I chose this because I know that there is a family out there for her, ready to give her their love. A family who will not see what others might view as "wrong" with her, but will instead rejoice in the beautiful gift from God that she is!

National Adoption Day

2009-11-21T08:11:00.000-08:00

Today is National Adoption Day.

I am reminded on this day of all that we went through to adopt. In that regard, I am reminded of all that others did for us to make sure the adoption was successful. We started the process with almost none of the funds needed to cover the expenses. It was through the generosity of family, friends, co-workers, and even complete strangers that we were able to complete the adoption.

I am not the type to experience a miracle like that and not want to pay it forward. This is one of the reasons why I am advocating for my Christmas Angel. I know that without the help of so many, my son may never have found his family. So, I am aksing for you to all join me in helping Alina find her family.

Later in the week I will be starting a fundraiser giveaway for Alina and Dmitriy (my Angel on my other blog) I will be giving away a Signing Time dvd!!! Every $5 donated to one of my Christmas Angel's will get you one entry into the giveaway. Extra entries can be earned by blogging about the giveaway. Come back later in the week for more details and the official start of the fundraiser giveaway.

My Friend's Story

2009-11-17T07:25:00.000-08:00

This is a long post, but I urge you to read it all. I promise, it's worth it! (join in on Tuesday's Tip Jar and Tuesday's Tip)

This time of year you will hear a lot about the need for people to donate to local food banks or food pantries. (same thing, different name) The holidays always seem to bring out the philanthropist in many people. We will find it in our hearts and in our budget to spend a few dollars on some canned goods to give when we hear about a food drive going on. The drama club at my daughter's school actually goes trick or treating for canned goods every year, a few days before Halloween.

I am not writing this post to ask you to donate to a food pantry. Either you will feel led to do so or you will not. Hopefully you will. :) What I want to ask of you is to stop and think about what you will donate.

In the past, I have donated in the way I always saw so many people do when I was growing up. When I heard about a food drive I would look through my cabinets and pull out whatever my family wasn't going to eat.

"Peas? Who the heck bought peas? Well, that can go to the food drive. Hmmm, what else? Oh, there's that generic brand of ravioli that the kids hated. That can certainly go."

Sound familiar? Are you as guilty of this as I am?

Or maybe you have actually gone to the grocery store to purchase a bag of canned goods to donate. You walked up and down the aisles throwing in a few cans of green beans, some corn, some good healthy peas. Or maybe some tuna or spam because they need meat too, right? Did you buy the name brands or the generics? Have you shopped for a food pantry with the "beggars can't be choosers" mentality?

If you have done either of these then this post is for you. I am not trying to insult you or say you're a bad person for having done this. Remember, I am guilty of it too.

This year when you get ready to donate to the food pantry, stop and think "would I eat this?". If not, then pass it up. Shop as if you are shopping for your own family. I will give you a few tips about donating to the food pantry at the end of this post. Pass on a little information that you may not know. Right now I want to share one families experience with you. The following is a post by a friend of mine. She didn't want me to link to her blog because she was worried someone we know might connect the blog to her and I am the only friend she has confided in about her financial struggles.

I read the address on the piece of paper again. I was familiar with the street name but it was not one I generally drove on. In fact, in certain parts of town at least, it was a street I avoided. It ran through downtown and I had been on that part of the street before. It was an area full of shops, restaurants and clubs. However the further North you traveled on this street the further into the part of town I avoided you went.That was where I was going now. Beyond my comfort zone and into a part of town I had spent the past twenty years avoiding. Avoiding it first because my parents avoided it and then as I was old enough to navigate the city myself, avoiding it by my own choice. There was no way to avoid it now though. The address was right there on the crumpled piece of paper beside me on the seat. This was where I had to go.

My twelve year old son sat in the passenger seat, keeping an eye out for addresses on the rundown buildings we were passing. We came to a twisted intersection with streets going at random angles from each other on the opposite sides. "Ok, where do we go now?" I asked quietly. My son pointed to a street twisting a bit to the Northwest, "I think this street continues over there" he said. I smiled over at him, "I think you're right buddy. Thanks."I kept the irony of the situation to myself. The reason for the twisting jumble and randomness of direction each road took was the railroad tracks. The tracks cut through in such a way that the roads could not continue on in a straight pattern. The irony? We were crossing over the tracks. How many times had I heard the expression "the wrong side of the tracks". Well, we were certainly headed for the wrong side of the tracks now.

A few short blocks up the road I saw the building we were looking for. Open Hearts Ministries. That was the name on the paper at my side. Crumpled from the days I had picked it up reading it again and again, telling myself it hadn't come to this. There was no way I was really going to have to do this. That morning I had opened the cupboards and realized that, yes, I really did have to do this. A couple of packs of instant noodles and a half jar of peanut butter stared back at me, telling me it was time.

I found a spot to park, it was the last one. The lot was full. We were not the only family here for help. Still, I felt less than myself. Less than what I should be. This was not a place we belonged. We were not the kind of people that needed help like this. As we walked to the building I reminded myself that we were. We were exactly the kind of people that needed the help. It didn't make us less, just like it didn't make any of these people less. It's easier to tell yourself these things than it is to make yourself believe them.

We walked in and saw two rows of chairs facing each other. Many of the seats were already taken. At the end of the rows was a small desk. Already standing at the desk was a woman with a small child and behind her a man on his own. I got in line behind them, telling my son to find us a couple of seats.When it was my turn at the desk the woman asked if I had ever been there before. "No," was my answer. She handed me a sheet of paper and a pencil and told me to fill the form out and bring it back up to her. I sat down next to my son and filled out the paperwork. It was simple, really not much to it. Names and ages of everyone in the house, income and source of income, a few things like that. The last line of the form asked "why do you need assistance?". My hands had been shaking the whole time I had been filling out the form. Now my whole body began to shake. Why do I need assistance? I had been asking myself that very question. Why was I at this point in my life? What had brought me down to this? What if I had only made different choices? I know that is not what they were looking for with this simple question on their form, but it was the information I had been looking for in my mind for months.I finished the form by writing that I had lost my job and had not been able to find a new one yet. Then I took the form to the lady at the desk and she said they would call me back soon.

I had never done anything like this before so I payed close attention to what everyone else was doing. No one really looked around much. They would quietly talk to the people with them or stare down at their own feet. Nobody made eye contact. They all felt like me I decided. None of them felt like this was where they belonged. None of them knew the answers to why they were really here.

I noticed that when your name was called you went off to the right with someone. Just a few short minutes later you would come out and go to a different waiting area. It was just a few more minutes after that your name would be called again and you would go through a door. It seemed a quick process once it got started. I looked over at my son and told him it shouldn't be too long and we would be out of there. He smiled at me and started talking about school. I knew he was trying to distract me, and probably himself, from the reality of where we were and what we were doing. He is an amazingly good kid.

The man who had been in front of me in line was called back. Things were moving quickly. We would be next. It was just another minute and my name was called. We got up and went with an older man off the right. We sat down at a desk where he asked for proof of our address and income. I dug out the things I had brought with me from my purse. He went to make copies and was back quickly. He chatted with my son just a bit about his school as I signed a couple of things and then he told us to go to the far waiting area. We made our way out and sat as close to the big door as we could get. When my name was called I just wanted to get through that door and out of there as quickly as I could.

Less than a minute later my name was called and we stepped through the door. We walked into a hallway and were pointed to a window just a few steps down. There in the window was a woman with a smile and three big bags of groceries. The man in the hallway offered to help us out to the car with them. We accepted his help and walked quickly to the car where we put the bags in the trunk. "Bless You," the man said as he walked back inside.

We got into the car and I was about to start it when I noticed my son glance back to the trunk where the bags were sitting. "Why don't you climb back there and see if there is anything you can snack on while we drive home" I told him. He dove into the back seat and began to dig through the bags. He rattled off items as he sifted through them. "There are frozen pizzas and eggs and couple loaves of bread. There's a bunch of canned stuff too." Then he dug into another bag. "Cinnamon rolls!" he shouted. "Well bring them up here" I told him. He sat back down in his seat and opened the package. "Let's split one," I told him "so you and your sister can have the rest for breakfast tomorrow." He carefully tore one in half and handed me a piece before biting into his own half.

We drove home talking about how good the cinnamon rolls tasted and then about school some more. The mood was different on the drive home than it had been on the way there. The dreaded task was over. I had walked into the Open Hearts Ministry and asked for food to feed my children. It had been hard to do. Hard to accept that I needed to do it. Now it was done and my heart was lighter. My mind at peace, even if just for a little while. I had done what I needed to do and now I knew that I could do it again if I had to. And today...today my kids would eat well.

This year when you donate to the food pantry, I want you to think of my friend and her children. Think how it could be you and your children in that uncomfortable situation.

I also want to let you know that you can think beyond the can. If you're donating to a food drive at work, church or in your neighborhood you will need to stick with foods that keep well and don't need refrigeration. Boxed foods keep just as well as cans and are great to donate. Macaroni and cheese, boxed dinners like hamburger helper, and things like Bisquick are all good choices. Bags or boxes of pasta and jars of sauce are a great choice. When purchasing canned foods really stop and think about what you're getting. You don't need to buy those peas, no matter how healthy they are. How about picking up some Chef Boyardee pastas, soups, canned fruits, tuna or chicken (yes, you can get chicken in a can just like tuna)? Don't forget to get some peanut butter and jelly. If you're reaching for that Spam.... stop it! Would you eat it? No? Then why would the family down the block want it? The same goes for buying generics. For some foods they are fine, but for others they just don't compare. That mac n cheese? I hate the generic, it doesn't taste good at all! The canned fruit? The generic tastes just like the name brand!

Of course if you go directly to the food bank or food pantry to donate, you aren't limited to foods that keep well. They do have refrigerators and freezers at most of these places. You might want to call ahead to be sure the food bank you are planning to donate to does in fact have them though. Donating directly at the location gives you the opportunity to donate a wider variety. You can give eggs, milk, fresh fruit and veggies. You can even give meats and cheeses. Remember my friend's son being excited over those cinnamon rolls and frozen pizzas? That's right, you can give breads, pastries and frozen foods as well. How about the staples that any kitchen needs? A bag of flour, some baking soda, butter, etc... Don't forget to get some bottles or cans of juice!

How about planning a meal and buying everything needed for that. Maybe some of those bag salads, a package of spaghetti, a jar of sauce, maybe a bag of frozen meatballs, and a loaf of bread. How about getting your friends or church involved. You could each buy all the components of a meal and donate them so that dozens of families can enjoy a nice spaghetti dinner tonight. Did you notice that I am suggesting thinking beyond the holidays? So many will be giving the types of food that people eat for Thanksgiving right now. We all need to realize these people need food everyday, not just a meal on that one Thursday. Do you want to eat stuffing and cranberry sauce everyday?

So remember, when you're getting ready to donate to the food pantry this year (and I know you're going to, because my readers are fantastic people with hearts of gold) think of your own family. Buy foods you and your children would want to eat, because these are families just like yours that you're buying for!

One more thing.... why not make it a monthly habit to donate to the food pantry? There are families in need of help putting food on the table all year long.

Watch Over a Little Child

2009-11-15T01:04:00.000-08:00

Join me in prayer for my Christmas angel, Alina and for all the orphans of the world.

Watch over a little child to-night,

Blest Savior from above,

And keep them till the morning light

Within Thine arms of love.

free samples

2009-11-11T05:27:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd pass along some good freebie deals I have found. Enjoy!

free sample bottle of Kiss My Face© Aromatherapeutic Anti-Stress Shower/Bath gel

free sample of Kashi chewy trailmix bars

free sample Ola Loa ENERGY multi-vitamin, they also include a packet of their thirst-quenching SPORT formula as well

Circle her, Lord

2009-11-08T00:39:00.000-08:00

A prayer for my Christmas angel, Alina.

Circle her, Lord.

Keep protection near

And danger afar.

Circle her, Lord

Keep hope within.

Keep doubt without.

Circle her, Lord.

Keep caring near

And hatred afar.

Circle her, Lord.

Keep peace within.

Keep fear out.

May Their Path Be Sraight

2009-11-04T09:35:00.000-08:00

Do to no one what you yourself dislike.

Give to the hungry some of your bread,

and to the naked some of your clothing.

Seek counsel from every wise person.

At all times bless the Lord God,

and ask God to make all your paths straightand

to grant success to all your endeavors and plans.

Tobit 4:15a, 16a, 18a, 19

My prayer today for Alina is that a family's eyes be opened today. That they feel the call toward this beautiful girl, to make her their own. To give not just bread or clothing, but the gift of love and family to this child. I pray that God makes their path toward her straight and grants a successful adoption.

***If you feel so led, please click on Alina's Christmas Angel button on the right and donate to her grant fund. Let's all join together to help the Lord make a straight and successful path for one family to this child.***

2009-11-02T00:32:00.000-08:00

As I begin two months of prayer and advocation for my Christmas Angel, Alina, I pray that I am worthy and will be able to make a difference in this little girl's life.

May I become at all times, both now and forever

A protector for those without protection

A guide for those who have lost their way

A ship for those with oceans to cross

A bridge for those with rivers to cross

A sanctuary for those in danger

A lamp for those without light

A place of refuge for those who lack shelter

And a servant to all in need.

Meet Alina

2009-11-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

November 1st marked the official start of the Reece's Rainbow Christmas Angel Tree project.

from their site:
Running from November 1-December 31, 2009, the Christmas Angel Tree is our most important fundraiser of every year, and historically also corresponds to the highest number of children finding their "forever families" as well. THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF FAMILIES WISHING TO ADOPT CHILDREN WITH DOWN SYNDROME, only a shortage of funds to do so! Our goal is to raise $1000 or more for each of our nearly (200) waiting children with Down syndrome. That may seem like a lofty goal, but through the focused efforts of our generous donors and Christmas Warriors, we know we can reach it!

This year I felt compelled to become a Christmas Warrior for one of these special children. (I will actually be advocating for two of the children, one on this blog and and another over at Life With Meechi)

Meet Alina, my Christmas angel. She was born January 28, 2006. Alina has blonde hair and brown eyes. She was born with a VSD (ventricular septal defect) and also has hypothyroidism. She is doing very well, but should be seen by a cardiologist when she gets home. Alina has recently turned 3, and is now "at risk" for institutionalization when she turns 4. Now is the perfect time to start your paperwork for Alina!

Please help me in raising $1000 for Alina's grant fund. If you can't donate to her fund at this time, then please join me in praying for her. You can also help to spread the word about this little angel and help advocate for her!

Book Review: The Tallest of Smalls by Max Lucado

2009-10-27T08:50:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Thomas Nelson book reviews, I was given the opportunity to read The Tallest of Smalls by Max Lucado. This book for kids coordinates with Max's trade book, Fearless. It is a wonderful children's book that delivers the message you are loved and are special, even if you feel small and insignificant. The story tells us that when you feel like you’re the smallest of smalls, Jesus’ love can make you feel like the tallest of talls.

The Tallest of Smalls is the story of a boy named Ollie who was given the chance to rise above everyone else to be with the "cool" people. Once he got there he, just like the others who had risen up, looked down his nose at those who were still down below. When Ollie falls back down, none of the "cool" people will help him. Ollie feels the lowest and smallest he has ever felt, until Jesus arrives with a message for him. Then Ollie suddenly realizes how precious he is.

The story is written in a delightful rhyming style. The words flow beautifully and did captivate the attention of my three year old. I felt that it lacked a bit in the way of details. While the rhymes are nice, it seemed to me the tale could have been taken farther. The book is illustrated by Maria Monescillo. I really enjoyed the illustrations, they are very well done and go a long way to helping tell the tale.

The message of the story is a great one and it's well told for smaller children. However, I think older children are probably going to wish it had a bit more. I do highly recommend the book for the under six crowd.

If The Walls Could Talk

2009-10-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

I sit staring at the nearly empty walls of my living room and contemplate their whiteness. Or should I say eggshellness? Why is it that after five months of living in this house, these walls remain mostly bare?

I could claim laziness on my part. There have been many opportunities where time would have allowed me to open the boxes of photos and other odds and ends that hung on the walls of my previous home.

Or I could blame it on those odds and ends themselves. Having already spent years staring at them upon my walls, I've grown tired of them. They are nothing special and most don't match well with any of the others. Perhaps it was in hopes of purchasing something better to look at that I didn't take the time to cover these blank walls.

Whatever the reason, I sit here now staring at the empty spaces knowing they will never be filled.

It was with great joy that we moved into this house five months ago. Thrilled to be in this quite neighborhood with the mature trees. Happy to have other children close by for our own kids to play with. Ecstatic to have a large, make that very large, back yard for the little guy to play in. Now, just five months later I stare at these blank walls and make plans to move from this little house we loved.

Perhaps, somewhere deep inside, a part of me knew this house was not meant to really be our home. Could that be what the plain eggshellness of the walls is saying to me now?

to tweet or not to tweet

2009-10-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

I am seriously considering deleting my Twitter account. I don't really use it much. It's nice to have for extra entries into giveaways. I keep thinking I will use it more to link people to my brilliant blog posts, but I actually have to write some brilliant blog posts first.

The lack of use of my Twitter account is not the real reason I am considering deleting it though. The reason is the followers. I know that it is supposed to be good to have a lot of followers, but I choose quality over numbers. At first I didn't pay much attention to who was following me. That is until I started noticing names like "eroticsue" or "lustylucy" or something of that ilk. Suddenly it occured to me that my followers might not all be the type of people I wanted to be associated with. I decided then to really look through those who had clicked to follow my Tweets. I deleted around 20 of them due to the fact they post adult content.

It lowered my numbers, but that wasn't what was important to me. Knowing that the people who chose to associate themselves with something that is about me are decent people... that is important.

I hate that people click follow on Twitter profiles only with the hope that they will be followed right back. When those people post content I dont' approve of, it is even worse. So I am considering deleting the account all together.

review: A Mother For Choco

2009-10-14T12:21:00.001-07:00

When Shy and Bucky were little one of my favorite books to read them was Are You My Mother by P.D. Eastman. It always seemed like such a sweet story about a lost baby bird searching for his mommy. Along the way he runs into many animals, and even construction vehicles, that he confuses for his mother only to realize they were not because they were nothing like him. In the end the baby bird spots his mommy and knows it's her because she looks and sounds like him.

A cute story, but one that really doesn't feel right for Meechi. How, as his mommy, could I possibly read him the story of baby who only realizes he's found his mother when he finds someone who looks like him? What message would that send to my child who looks nothing like his father or I? I knew adopting a child of a different race would come with challenges in life. I didn't realize how many little things would be effected though.

Here is a classic children's story, that I once loved, that portrays exactly the type of thinking I do not want my son to fall victim to. Fortunately, there is an alternative out there.

A Mother For Choco follows a similar story line. A young child, coincidentally another bird, walking the earth searching for his mother. As he travels along he encounters many creatures who tell him they could not possibly be his mother, for they look nothing like him. In the end Choco learns what those other creatures just didn't seem to understand, that someone doesn't have to look like you to love you and to be your mommy.

A Mother For Choco by Keiko Kasza is a fantastic book for adopted children. More than that, it is a good lesson for any child to learn. Love is beyond something as trivial as appearance.

At This Moment

2009-10-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

There are things that we don't want to happen but have to accept, things we don't want to know but have to learn, and people we can't live without but have to let go. ~Author Unknown

Occasionally we come across a quote that perfectly sums up our life at that moment. Usually they do so in a much more eloquent way than we could do ourselves. For me right now, at this moment, the quote above does just that.

As I prepare to move some 700 miles away from the place that has been home for twenty five years, I have few qualms about leaving. Truly, I have just one and yet it is a large one. I've given my oldest children the choice to stay or to go. To live with me in a strange town, in a strange state with strange people, or to stay here in the familiar with their father. For my daughter, the familiar is winning. She can't see herself changing schools and making new friends. It's hard for her to make the decision to walk away from all that she has known and from the friends she holds dear. So for now, her mind is leaning, quite far, towards staying.

I, of course, do not want that to happen. I don't want her to stay. I don't want to move 700 miles away and leave my daughter behind. I don't want it, and yet it is something I will most likely have to accept.

I'll be honest and admit that it hurts me to know that her friends matter more to her right now. Keeping the sameness in her life, the familiarity, is what is important to her. Her heart desires to remain in place, keeping with her friends and teachers and the town where she born and has lived her whole life. These are the things that matter to her now. I never wanted to find out those things meant more to her than being with me. I didn't want to know it, but it is something I had to learn.

My heart aches, my head hurts and my stomach twists and whirls as I think about having to let go of my daughter. I wonder how I will get through the days without her smile, without her voice. How will I make it a week without hearing her constant babble about anything and everything. I wonder how I will be able to live my life without hugs and quiet moments spent just sitting together and watching a movie. I think of all these things and think I simply can't live without her with me and yet I know I have to let go. I have to be willing to respect her and love her enough to make such decisions. No matter how big a mistake I think she may be making, I have to let go and let her make them and learn from them. So while I wonder how I will live, I have to let go.

Win some tasty munchies

2009-10-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Go to My Personal Reviews for a chance to win some tasty munchies... Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters!

oh, what time can do

2009-10-07T09:28:00.001-07:00

We sit side by side, neither of us bothering to even glance at the other. No words are spoken between us. I pause in my reading to consider the stranger next to me. I can feel his presence there. His body heat warms the cushion of the couch we share. The scent of his cologne is pleasant. His breathing is loud, likely the result of nasal congestion. Occasionally he will clear his throat and the harsh sound breaking the silence startles me. Who is this man and how did he come to sit next to me here?

It seems I knew him once. A long time ago perhaps. Surely there was a time when we were not such strangers. There is something familiar about his raspy breath. That pleasant cologne stirs distant memories. Yes, I am sure I knew him once.

Tentatively I glance over and for a second I catch a glimpse not of the stranger he is today, but of the man I fell in love with so many years ago. I see my husband.

Giveaways Galore: My relaxation method

2009-10-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do on a cool fall evening is sit by the fireplace and sip Chai while reading a good book. There is something so magical about the warmth of the fire tickling at my feet and cheeks as I get lost in the faraway land of whatever book I happen to be reading. Nothing compliments the experience like a fabulous cup of Chai. The only thing that keeps me from slipping away into this delightful relaxing experience right now is the fact that I don't have a fireplace. As much as I love the house we moved into a few months ago, I really do miss having a fireplace. In order to come close to my magical little world, I have to settle for candles. Of course I really do love the scent of a really nice candle, and while the warmth doesn't compare to a real fire, it is a nice addition to my relaxing oasis.

I have come across some giveaways that will help me to achieve my little piece of heaven and I thought I would share them with you.

Candle giveaways:
Giveaway addict is giving away a set of Shoal Creek melting cubes to FIVE lucky winners.
Confessions of A Bookworm is giving away 3 Pumpkin spiced hand poured votive candles.
Prissy Green is giving away a 5 oz., 9 oz. and a multi-pack of tealights from Soy Delites.

Tea giveaways:
Tea Time With Liv is giving away a gift pack of tea and scone mix from Teaporia.
Nerdlike.com is giving away a package of tea from Healing House.
For His Glory is giving away a $10 gift card to Starbucks.

Book giveaways:
Luxury Reading is giving away 5 copies of Run For Your Life.
The Book Faery Reviews is giving away a copy of Like Mayflies In A Stream.
Anna's Book Blog is giving away 2 copies of Waking Evil.

absence makes the blog change directions

2009-10-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

this blog has been neglected for over a month. certainly not at all what i had planned. to find out why, read this.

i am going to revamp this blog again. change directions with it. i am going to drop the memes, because i simply don't have the time to keep them up. if you clicked that link and read what i've been dealing with, then you'll understand what i mean.

i am going to post a few more personal, but not too personal, things. i am going to make an effort to put forth the quality and style of writing i am actually capable of. i am still going to do reviews, but i want to do more of them and not just things that i am compensated for. i will also look for deals to pass on to my readers and will spread the word about great contests to enter.

so hang in there if you've stuck with me this long. improvements are coming.

Random Tuesday: The school edition

2009-09-01T03:46:00.000-07:00

I am changing things up a bit this week. I normally take part in Keely's Random Tuesday Thoughts over on Life With Meechi, but I am doing it here this week. You can find my Reviewsday post over at Life With Meechi today. It seemed a more fitting place for this week's review.

I was reading an article in the local paper. It discussed how the schools are cracking down on "dirty dancing". I guess the kids don't really dance anymore, they just get out there and grind each other. Ya! They are basically dry humping on the dance floor. Eeeeew!!! I've always let, even encouraged, my daughter and son to attend the school dances. Now I am rethinking that. I don't want some nasty 15yo boy grinding on my daughter. (excuse me while i go vomit a little) The article went on to say that the students are really angry over this. They just "want to dance the way we like to dance". Dude! That's not dancing, it's sex through clothing. Yuuuck! (vomit break again) One school in a town not far from here even had kids boycotting the back to school dance this year because they couldn't grind each other on the dance floor. They shut the dance down after an hour because only 12 kids showed up. What the h**l is wrong with kids these days???
I saw a kid with a full mustache and goatee walking out of my son's middle school the other day. Ya, he actually is a student there. I can't help but wonder if he's hit puberty way too early or just failed a lot. My son probably won't need to shave until he's 20.
I pick both the older kids up from school. It's too far to walk. (they have transfers to schools outside our neighborhood because we moved and ~~they would have killed me if i made them switch~~ i didn't want to make them switch) It is almost impossible to drive down the streets I pick them up on, not due to traffic, but rather due to the fact that packs of kids walk right down the middle of the street and won't move out of the way. Well, they did when they realized I wasn't going to stop and wait for them. Little suckers moved pretty fast then! Seriously though... kids have absolutely no respect anymore.

I am truly irritated with the drop off and pick up process as Meechi's school. At his old school they had an entrence right by the preschool classrooms. You were able to enter there to drop your child off and at pick up time you just waited outside the door and they opened it up and brought the kids out. At this new school we have enter the main doors, walk down the end of one really long hall, turn and walk down to the end of another really long hall. The halls aren't real bad in the mornings at drop off time, but then we cheat a bit and enter the school a few minutes before we are supposed to. The kids can't go in the school before 8:50, but we go in anyway and just wait for his classroom door to open at that time. Pick up is awful. Same long trip through the halls, but this time they are full of kids heading to lunch. Lines and lines of children getting in the way. Then, when we get to the classroom all the parents stand in a line and they let the kids come out one at a time. When you get to the front of the line they allow your child to get up off the carpet and come to the door. I am annoyed!

I picked Shy up last Tuesday from school to take her to lunch. It was her birthday so I wanted to do something nice for her. I figure getting fast food rather than school food is pretty nice. (i will do the same thing for Bucky today since it's his birthday. ya, their bdays are a week apart.... fun. no, not really) When I dropped her off she got lectured by the lady in the office that if she goes out to lunch she needs to be back on time. I wish I had walked back in with her because I would have told the lady my thoughts on the subject. First of all, she's my child and I could have kept her out the rest of the afternoon if I chose to. Heck, I could have chose to keep her home all day. She is afterall, my child. Second, she was like a minute late back to the school, not like she missed half a class or anything. Third, the class she has after lunch is choir. Not exactly one of your more important classes. It's not like she was missing geometry, English or history. I somehow think her entire sophomore year will not crumble because she missed a couple minutes of choir. Can't wait to see how things go today when I bring Bucky back from lunch!

Oh! I also sent Shy back to school with a chocolate malt and a Dr. Pepper. Surprised they didn't pitch a massive fit over that.

I am thinking of joining the PTO at Meechi's school. I attempted this at the old school. Not last year when he was there. I made the attempt many years ago when Shy and Bucky attended there. I think it was Shy's 2nd or 3rd grade year. My efforts to be involved didn't last long. My high school was less clique-ish. Boy howdy was them some snotty women. (sorry, i am missing my redneck craigslist messages and got all rednecky there for a sec) Seriously though, they were some serious bi***es and they did not like anyone coming into their group and trying to actually get involved. I quickly backed out and didn't bother with it ever again. I also didn't bother having my kids sell the crap for the PTA fundraisers. Ha on you bi***es! Anyway.... this school seems less likely to be full of that type of people, so I think I will give it a try. (the new school has PTO, the old one has PTA)

Me, Myself and Monday: Creature of Habit

2009-08-31T06:59:00.000-07:00

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I'm getting a terribly late start on Me, Myself and Monday this week. I am just totally off my game this week. My husband has been on vacation since Wednesday and it has seriously fouled up my routine.

I am a total creature of habit. While I've never been the type to sit and make a rigid schedule, I do seem to just naturally fall into a bit of one. Wake at a certain time, get myself ready in a certain order, get the little guy up and get him ready in a certain order and so on. Not something I'd ever intended. It's just routine. What I am accustomed to doing. However, if you throw one little change at me then it will send the whole routine out of whack. As a result of this, my week has not gone smoothly.

I am finding myself behind on laundry, dishes and other housework. Blogging has been completely thrown on the back burner. I haven't even made it to get groceries yet this week. Luckily we had a fresh loaf of raisin bread, or I don't know what I would have fed Meechi for breakfast as we are out of cereal and milk. I look around the house and am amazed at how easily everything sort of crumbles around here without my normal routine.

I'm not sure when I become so ruled by habit. I don't recall being that way as a child, teen or even as a young adult. Now it seems to have become my way of life. How about you? Are you ruled by habit or by a schedule? Or do you manage to function no matter what?

Hopefully in a few days I can easily fall back into my groove and get this place back in order.

Join me today for Me, Myself and Monday. Post anything about yourself, grab the button and sign into Mr Linky. Be sure to come back in two weeks for the next Me, Myself and Monday.

Bento on a Budget

2009-08-29T17:10:00.000-07:00

Recently I have become fascinated with Bento. The Wikipedia definition of Bento is, "Bentō is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables as a side dish." My definition of Bento is this... adorable little lunch boxes filled with foods made into incredibly cute shapes and designs.

For example:

Photo credit

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Adorable, right? Maybe now you can understand my fascination. Who wouldn't want to open up a cute, little container like that and find such fun food inside? It also looks like such fun to make. The creative part of me is itching to give this a try. The frugal, don't waste money on stuff you don't need side of me says, "no way". In order to make both of those bits of myself happy, I am on a mission to find affordable, budget options for making Bento.

I will soon be posting my frugal finds here. I found a great one today that I can't wait to tell you about. I will wait though because the first thing I need to share is a chance to win a really amazing Bento set for free. Free? Yep, free. Can I get a Woohoo??? WOOHOO!

Energizer Bunny's Mommy Reports is having a giveaway with a chance to win a Zojirushi mini bento. Head on over for your own chance to win. Be sure to check back here soon for some budget Bento tips.

Tuesday Reviewsday: Softlips lip protection

2009-08-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

I was recently given the chance to try Softlips lip protection. I had just opened the package and applied some Softlips to my always dry, chapped lips when my daughter, Shy, walked in. Her eyes landed on the tube of Softlips and she burst out, "whose is this?".
"Uh, it's miiiiine" I replied, knowing where she was headed. Anytime Shy starts off a conversation by asking who something belongs to, it will inevitably be followed with her asking if she can have it.
True to form, "Can I have it?" she asked.
I rolled my eyes and asked that rhetorical question of mine, "what part of 'it's mine' did you not understand?"
Totally ignoring me, in the way most 15 year old girls do, she grabbed the tube of Softlips and proceeded to use it. "This stuff is amazing," she gushed. "Sadie always carries this with her at school. I use it all the time. She usually has the strawberry or the cherry and they smell sooooo good, but this peppermint is good too." She continued to stare at me with a big smile on her face and an expectant look in her eyes.
"Oh, for pete's sake.... take it" I said. Little did she know, I had been given two packages so I still had one for myself.
"Thanks," she chirped as she bounded toward her room with the tube of Softlips tucked into the pocket of her jeans.

Softlips certainly seemed to have the teenage girl stamp of approval. I needed to give it a try for a few days to be absolutely sure about it myself. It did smell great as Shy had said. I also like the way it felt on my lips, not at all waxy or greasy. However, as I mentioned before, my lips tend to always be dry and chapped. In summer the sun dries them and in winter it is the cold and wind. In order for me to declare Softlips as "amazing" as my daughter, I would need to try it for a few days and see how it worked on my rather dehydrated lips. Well, a week later, I have to say that Softlips really is amazing. My lips are not only moisturized, but they truly are softer. Even my husband has mentioned the difference. Softlips has his stamp of approval as well.

Softlips is 100% natural and organic. It comes in several flavors that smell wonderful. It is also available with color tints, so it can be used to add color to your lips, much like a gloss, only with added SPF protection and moisturizing effects. Check out the Softlips website to find a store near you that carries their products. You can also find lip tips, take a personality test or enter their Picture Perfect Lips contest while you are there.

Thank You G.K.

2009-08-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

A fellow adoptive parent pointed this article out to me.

It is so disturbing to me that Kourtney Kardashian could so easily dismiss the idea of adoption. It wasn't even worth considering to her. But abortion was?!?!?
"I definitely thought about it long and hard, about if I wanted to keep the baby or not, and I wasn't thinking about adoption"

Why is it that so many women and girls view abortion as an option, but the idea of placing the child for adoption seems unthinkable?

I certainly don't want to get into a debate on the topic of whether abortion is right or wrong. So please don't start one here. You're not going to change my mind on the topic, so save your breath (or typing).

As an adoptive parent I can tell you beyond a doubt that adoption is a miracle. The love I have for my youngest son is unconditional. It is every bit as real and as strong as the love I have for my biological children. I would give my life for him. He is well loved, well cared for and he is happy. And all because his first mother made a very miraculous choice. She gave birth to him! She carried him for nine months, all the while knowing she could not take care of him once he was born. And yet.... she gave birth to him anyway. She gave him the gift of life, of hope, of a chance. In so doing she also gave my husband and I the gift of a son. She gave us all the gift of family and love.

Not a day goes by that I do not think of her and wish the very best for her. I will be forever grateful to her for the decision she made three and a half years ago. Thank you, G.K. for not being selfish and putting your/my/our son first.

THAT mom

2009-08-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

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You know that mom? The one that has all the neighborhood kids at her house all the time. Her door is always open. She greats each child that walks through the door by name, because she actually knows all their names. She has a kitchen full of snacks, sodas and juice boxes and she's always willing to pass them out to any kid that walks through the door. In fact she probably has a special pantry just for all the goodie she buys specially for the neighborhood.

Her living room is full of loud, rowdy tween boys playing video games. She smiles and cheers them on as she passes through. From down the hall comes the giggle of teen girls along with thumping bass of their music that's being blasted on the stereo. She peeks in on them to offer them snacks and drinks because she knows they are just too busy texting or messing around on Facebook to actually walk to the kitchen themselves. Out in the backyard is a group of eight year olds bouncing on the trampoline or playing on the massive playground structure. She goes out to check on them every ten minutes to make sure they are being safe and also just cause they are so darn cute and she enjoys watching them play. Out in the front, the driveway is occupied by young teen boys performing ollie's and kickflips on their skateboards. She smiles as she watches them for a few minutes before heading back inside to start her rounds of kid checking again.

That mom loves the sounds of children playing. She enjoys having a house full of kids. It makes her happy to make them happy. There is nothing that pleases her more than knowing her home is the place where all the kids come to hang out and have fun.

You know that mom?

Ya... that is sooooooooooooooooooo NOT me!
I'm the mom that sends her kids over to that mom's house.

When other people's children in are in my home I feel as though I am babysitting. If I'm babysitting then shouldn't I be getting paid for pity's sake? I don't want to be responsible for making sure someone else's kid doesn't get hurt! When I see them eating my food I get totally riled. "Dude! Put down the Twinkie! That was totally going to be my breakfast tomorrow!" I just can't handle having all those strange people in my personal space. I want to lay around in my pajama's all day Saturday. I want to I want to sit and enjoy the quiet (ok, i do have kids of my own so it's more like minimal noise rather than quiet) and not have a bunch of kids in my personal space.

So, if you are that mom.......... thanks. Mom's like me need moms like you.

To participate in Me, Myself and Monday simply write a pot about yourself. Not the kids, the husband, the annoying in-laws... about YOU. Then leave your link here. Please link directly to your M,M&M post, not your blog's homepage.

WWMW: wet sand

2009-08-13T06:31:00.000-07:00

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We've been sick here for the past week. No chance for taking walks since we were bed ridden. So here is a Walk With Me post from May, 2008. Be sure to come back the 2nd Thursday in September to participate in the official start of Walk With Me Wednesday.

May, 2008:

As I walk along with my sons I can't help but notice how they've grown.

Bucky is nearly as tall as me now. His shoulders are starting to broaden. Starting to build the form of a man rather than a boy. There is more to his growth that I notice though. It is not all physical. He has matured so much, this boy of mine. It was two and half years ago that we first mentioned adopting to him. His words were "but I won't be the baby anymore". We told him that he wasn't really a baby anyway at 9. Then I told him how no matter how old he and his sister got that they were always my babies. Nothing and no one would ever take there places in my heart. As time wore on he became excited about the adoption, about being a big brother. Still when his little brother finally came home Bucky was a bit unsure. Not about having a little brother, but more about how to act with him. How to play with him and hold him... he seemed afraid that he might break him. He was nervous. Now a year later here he is running down the sidewalk pushing his brother in the stroller at full speed. He gives the stroller a good push and lets go so he can run in front of it and act like his little brother is about to run him over, an act that rewards him with wild laughter from his audience. Bucky has grown into such an amazing big brother. He has become friend and mentor to his little brother who follows him everywhere trying to copy his every move.

And Meechi. My gosh! The growth I have seen in this boy. From the scrawny little baby whose legs were so thin and frail looking. The boy whose ribs were so visible. From that to this solid little tank of a boy whose legs are full and muscular. A boy whose ribs are now hidden under baby fat. He's nearly doubled in weight and size this past year. But, like Bucky, the growth is more than physical. He is so confident in all he does, and that was just not there before. He was so unsure of everything when he came home. His whole world was turned upside down and he had to learn a whole new way of life. This boy who was afraid of grass, OF GRASS, a year ago was now begging to get out of the stroller so he could run through the grass. We free him of his stroller and he runs up a grassy hill and rolls down. Here is my brave boy rolling in the same grass that terrified him just a year ago. Yes, he has indeed grown.

As I walk along with my sons I can't help but notice how they've grown.

I want to slow time down. I want to keep these boys as they are. I want to always have these moments of fun and laughter as we walk along together. I want to freeze time and put off what I know is to come. I want to put life on pause before Bucky starts to prefer hanging out with his friends to hanging out with me and his brother. Shy has already hit that stage and that is why I walk with just my boys. I want to push time away and keep my baby a baby as long as I can.

I think these things as we walk. Then a quote I once heard comes to me.
"Time is like a handful of sand- the tighter you grasp it, the faster it runs through your fingers."

I think of this quote and I realize that I don't really want to freeze time or to put it on pause or to even push it away. No, what I really want is to simply enjoy every second of time as it passes through my fingers like sand. And I want to enjoy the treasures I find in that sand.

We walked to the park where Meechi enjoyed the wet sand.

Join me for WALK WITH ME the 2nd Thursday of the month, beginning in September. Simply take a walk, and post about it then come back here and sign Mr. Linky

Walk With Me Wednesday

2009-08-12T00:17:00.000-07:00

As incentive to post on this blog I am creating some memes for a few days of the week. I figure if I have a theme then I will be more likely to write. Hey! It worked in my high school creative writing class. Actually, the meme themes are some I came up with a long time ago, but never really put in the effort to get them to take off. I am hoping that with this new blog I can breath new life into those old ideas.

Walk With Me Wednesday is probably my favorite of all my meme ideas. It simply encourages you to get out and walk, then post about it. You can walk for exercise, for fun or just to spend some time with the family. Posting can be done however you wish. Photos from your walk. A detailed description of your walk. A funny thing that happened on your walk. Whatever and however you choose to share. Okay, here's the twist... you post on Thursday. Walk With Me Wednesday is not a Wednesday meme. The idea is to go for a walk on Wed and then post about it the next day. Join me here every 2nd Thursday of each month to take part in Walk With Me Wednesday! So, now get up and go for a walk and be sure to come back here to take part in the meme.

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change of plans

2009-08-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

So, did I mention I am a terrible procastinator? Ya! Ya I did. Hence the reason for no Me, Myself and Monday this week. Okay, that's not entirely true. The big reason is that I am doing potty training boot camp this week. We aren't going anywhere or doing much of anything this week, except working on potty training. My 3yo, Meechi, is long overdue to be out of diapers. So, this week we are spending a lot of time drinking massive amounts of his fave drinks and sitting on the potty for long (but not too long) periods of time. Blogging is low on the priority list this week.

I've also decided that every week might be a bit much for the MMM meme. Geez, that's a lot of m's in there. I think I am going to go with a 1st and 3rd Monday posting instead. Twice a month seems like something I am WAY more likely to keep a handle on anyway. So... join me here next week for Me, Myself and Monday. I think I'll actually have the button up and working by then too.

I am also working on Walk With Me Wednesday and Fiction Friday. So be sure to check back for those!

Now... off to potty training boot camp!

Me, Myself and Monday

2009-08-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

Grab This Button

Welcome to Me, Myself and Monday. This is a concept I had for my old blog. One that never really worked out. I loved the idea of it, but never really followed through. I hope to bring it to life here.

Each Monday I will post a bit about... Me. It might be deep and meaningful or it may be silly or maybe it will just be a status report. I guess that will really depend on what's going on in my life each particular week.

I would love if you would join me for Me, Myself and Monday. How do you do that? Simply write a post about yourself and publish it on Monday. The post is not to be about your family. Not your kids. Not your husband. Not the family pet. About YOU. Take a little "me" time and let us all know something about yourself.

For now, if you want to participate, simply leave a comment on my Me, Myself and Monday post with a link to your post. I will get a Mr Linky up eventually. I will also be making a button that can be used.

So, here is my bit of self for this week.... I am a total procrastinator. I have a ton of ideas but I always put them off. Sometimes I get to them but quite often I never do. Those wonderful ideas end up in the trash heap. Lost and forgotten. Just read that last paragraph up there to see what I mean. "eventually" I will get Mr Linky. See? I could do it right now, but I am going to procrastinate. I could make a button right now, but... ya, procrastinate. I am going to really, really try hard not to let this idea die out this time. So please take part and join me for Me, Myself and Monday because if no one does... well, the idea will probably end up in the trash heap again. Because I, my friends, am the queen of procrastination.

One Thousand Giving Sixteen

2009-07-25T17:23:00.000-07:00

See that button over there on the right? The one with the super cute little boy on it. Please, please click it and read about how much he needs a family. Then please consider being one of One Thousand who will give just Sixteen dollars to help him find that family.

PLEASE!

Wordless Wednesday: The New Puppy, Matilda

2009-07-08T00:10:00.000-07:00

Reviewsday: Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters

2009-07-07T19:48:00.000-07:00

When I received a box of Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters from MyBlogSpark to review, I was excited to give them a try. I love granola and I love nuts, so a combination of the two sounded great. I received four different varieties of these tasty treats.

When I first opened the package it was just the boys and I at home. I asked Bucky's opinion on which kind we should try first. He selected the Honey Roasted Peanut. We each grabbed a couple of clusters to try and immediately reached back into the bag for more. They had that perfect combo of sweet/salty. Meechi of course wanted to try some. The clusters were just the right size for me to feel comfortable giving them to my three year old. (I tend to worry about giving him anything I feel may be too big for him to be able to bite or chew well) He too was immediately wanting more.

The next variety we tried was the cashew. I chose that one since I love cashews. It was not quite as good as I had anticipated. It was good, just not up to my expectations. It lacked the sweetness the other varieties have. I did eat more of these a couple of days later when I was craving something "not so sweet" and ended up finishing the whole bag. The cashew variety are a good choice if you are not looking for something sweet.

I made the boys wait a few days for their sister to get home from vacation with her father before letting them open any more bags. Once she was home we tried the Nut Lovers and the Roasted Almond varieties. Both of these flavors were delicious. We enjoyed them even more than we did the Honey Roasted Peanut. Those final two bags did not last long!

All three of the children and I really enjoyed these snacks. My poor husband never even got the chance to taste them. This is a treat I will certainly buy. They will be fantastic to munch during one of our movie nights!

Wordless Wednesday: Then and Now

2009-05-20T07:46:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday: leave me alone, i'm watching a movie

2009-05-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

Reviewsday: Cublings

2009-05-12T07:49:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to have been invited to the beta testing of Cublings.com . I wanted to give my readers a sneak peek at this new web game tailored for children. What better way to do that than to give you the opinion of actual children? I will give you the lowdown on how three different children felt about this site, as well as my opinion as a mom.

First, let me give you a little info on the site itself. Cublings.com is a browser based web game that teaches children about animals by using: games, quizzes, and integrated facts. Also, children can learn responsibility (and even a little about money management) by caring for their “Cublings”. The Cublings are thier “pets” that they care for by feeding, bathing, and walking. Cublings is free to play but offers a cashshop. The game features Anime inspired graphics, 6 different areas to explore and many ways to customize your game. Cublings is tailored for younger children so the process is very simple as far as getting started. Players will create a custom avatar that will represent them in the world and also a Cubling, that will be their pet.

There are two central areas, “My Room” and “Hub”. My room is their own area where they can store items, care for their pet and even cook. The Hub is the central area that will help them start their journey and play games. Here they will learn how to play the games and get a few free items. They can earn items and coins from playing games and interacting with various activities. These coins can be used to purchase items at the store for their pet. The games are available in the arcade and feature titles like Tetris, Pacman, Space Invaders and Mahjonng. As they play, they can unlock more pets and items. Those items are then available in the cash shop.

In Cublings, children able to interact with other players via a chat system. The chat system that is used only allows certain words and phrases to be used. The chat system is very limited, but was built that way as an added safety measure for children. Players can interact with each other in an controlled environment. It is something that, as a mom, I felt comfortable with letting my child use.

Ok, now on to the opinions. As I mentioned, Cublings is tailored for younger children, but I did have my 12 and 14 year old play it. Since they have a few years experience with web games, I thought they could give a good opinion based on comparison. Shy, who is 14, found the game to be a bit "boring" and felt she could play the same games many other places on the web. She did love the Anime style graphics and felt the game had a "good look" to it and liked the various options for creating the avatars which she had not found on similar sites. Bucky, who is 12, liked the Anime style as well. He also enjoyed the fact that the game had the feel of a role playing game that you might find for a more advanced gaming system. He is at the top of the age scale for Cublings, but still found it to be an entertaining way to spend his time, even though he didn't get much out of the "learning" aspect of it. The third child I had play was my 8yo niece. The game was much more on her level than it was for my children. She absolutely loved playing the game, and enjoyed every aspect. (other than the fact that I didn't let her buy anything that cost actual money) The site itself, the characters and animals, the games and the educational aspects were all hits with her.

As a mom I would have to say that my favorite aspect of this site is the fact that I did not have to buy some stupid stuffed animal in order for the kids to access the site. There are many of those types of sites out there now. I am not the the kind of person that wants to have to buy a toy my children will never play with just so they can access a website! I mean let's face it... how many kids actually play with stuffed animals? Not many. I know that my niece has several of those furry creatures sitting around her room collecting dust. Also, she enjoyed Cublings more than those other sites.

Overall, I'd say we all liked the site. The entire concept, the safety features and graphics make it perfect for young children.

Wordless Wednesday: Not too sure about the slide

2009-05-06T06:19:00.000-07:00

Reviewsday: Florastor Kids

2009-05-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

Meechi has had stomach issues ever since we brought him home from Kazakhstan. The truth is, he very likely had those same stomach issues while he lived in the orphanage there. We have had him tested for giardia and other parasites, as is recommended with children adopted from these institutions. All tests came back negative, and still the stomach issues continued. We have had him tested for more serious problems, and again all tests came back negative. The stomach issues just seemed to be something he would have to get past on his own. They have never been anything really serious. It has mostly been loose stools and occasional tummy aches. We have tried changes in diet with some, but not total, improvement. So when I was given the chance to try Florastor Kids, I was more than willing to see if it would work for Meechi.

Florastor® Kids is a clinically-tested, natural, yeast-based probiotic that aids in the growth of good microbiota in the intestines, while destroying and removing pathogenic (bad or disease-causing) microbiota to help maintain or restore optimal intestinal health. Unique because it can be safely given to babies and children from the age of two months, Florastor® Kids is a great-tasting powder that can be dissolved in beverages or soft foods.

After just 10 days of using this product, I have seen a noticeable difference. Meechi no longer has loose stools. He also does not seem to be complaining of tummy aches either. I am really happy with Florastor Kids and will continue to use it.

Here is a snippet from a Q&A with Dr. James Sears regarding Florastor® Kids :

Q: How do the effects of Florastor Kids differ from those of bacteria-based probiotics, such as acidophilus?
A: One of the key differences in a yeast-based probiotic, such as Florastor Kids, is that it can not be killed by antibiotics, and it, in turn, protects the body’s own flora during the course of antibiotic treatment to guard against antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Antibiotic-associated diarrhea occurs when antibiotics disturb the natural balance of “good” and “bad” microbiota in the intestinal tract, causing harmful bacteria to grow far beyond their normal numbers. The result is often frequent, watery bowel movements.

Q: Which kids could benefit from Florastor Kids?
A: Florastor Kids has been proven effective in managing a wide variety of intestinal problems, but is often used to help with:· Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea (AAD)· Acute gastroenteritis (general, sudden onset diarrhea) · Traveler’s diarrhea· Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (C. diff)· Chronic inflammatory intestinal conditions, such as Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn’s

Q: Why would a parent choose to treat a bout of diarrhea with Florastor Kids as opposed to an anti-diarrheal product?
A: Anti-diarrheal medications such as loperamide (Imodium) are typically not recommended for young children. Florastor Kids helps remove toxins from the intestines and at the same time bolsters the body’s defense against the pathogens.

Q: How should Florastor Kids be taken?
A: Florastor Kids is a fruit-flavored powder that comes in packets. The powder can be mixed into water, milk, juice or soft foods (such as applesauce), and should be taken twice a day.

Q: How long can Florastor Kids be taken?
A: There is no reason that Florastor Kids can not be taken every day, but it is most often taken once symptoms start, and until symptoms stop. It is recommended to start taking the same day as antibiotic treatment and stopping it once the course of antibiotics is complete. For those wishing to protect themselves from traveler’s diarrhea, it is recommended that Florastor Kids be taken starting four days before the trip starts, and finishing four days after the trip ends.

I have a box of 20 powder packets (retail $21.95) to giveaway. Please leave a comment if you'd like to be entered into the drawing. I'll draw a name on Wednesday, May 13th.

My Opinioin: Renuzit Crystal Elements

2009-04-22T07:20:00.000-07:00

I keep seeing the ad for Renuzit Crystal Elements. Probably because of my obsession with design shows. HGTV does seem like a good place to advertise this type of product. My initial reaction was, "hmmm... those are kind of pretty. What a neat idea". The more I see the ad though, the more my thoughts on this product are changing.

Now, I have never actually tried them, so I couldn't tell you whether they work well or not. I found a couple of bad reviews saying they are messy and do not really scent the air that well. I don't know for sure though. They may work great. The fact is that I will never find out for myself. Why not? Because I will never bring these things into my home.

Take a look at these things....

Now imagine you are a three year old child. Wouldn't that look like a tasty treat to you? Ya, sure looks like a big tasty bowl of candy to me. (and I am way more than 3)

This might be a fine product for anyone with no children, but I wouldn't suggest anyone with a small child bring these into their home.

Thomas Live on stage

2009-04-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

My 3 year old loves Thomas the Tank Engine, so when MomSelect contacted me about Thomas & Friends LIVE! I was thrilled to help get the word out!

I am excited that Meechi's first live show is going to be Thomas & Friends LIVE! I know that he is going to love seeing his favorite character come to life right in front of him, and I am going to love to seeing my little guy enjoy this amazing experience.

Here's a bit of information on the show:
Percy, James, Gordon – and, of course Thomas - are headed your way! Join these engine friends, Sir Topham Hatt and the townspeople of Sodor for a one-of-a-kind not-to-be-missed live entertainment experience: Thomas & Friends™ Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes To Town.

The 90-minute musical adventure, produced by HIT Entertainment and AEG/ThemeSTAR, includes brand-new singalong songs and a colorful cast of circus performers to tell the engaging story of how all the engines on the Island of Sodor must work together to prepare for the exciting event under the Big Top. Problems arise along the way, and Thomas has to prove he's a really useful engine once again. Thomas & Friends™ Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes To Town demonstrates the importance of friendship and cooperation as it gets young children dancing and singing along, creating lifelong memories for them and their families.

You can click here to find dates and times for the show in your area.

New Life

2009-04-21T16:31:00.000-07:00

I am going to bring this blog back to life. In order to do that I decided to move it. It will now be associated with my other blogs And She Lived and Life With Meechi.

Product reviews coming soon.

For those who already follow And She Lived and Life With Meechi, I hope you will join me here at Trial By Jury for product reviews, giveaways, memes and other fun things.

Autism Care Walk

2009-03-24T15:47:00.000-07:00

Please support me as I participate in The Autism CARE Walk at Heartspring on April 4, 2009.

How can you help? Just visit My CARE Walk page at
http://tinyurl.com/c3aape
and click the 'Sponsor Me' tab to make a donation on my behalf. You can also sign up for the 1.5 Mile walk, sign up as a virtual walker, or just make a general donation towards raising autism awareness.

Funds generated from this event will help benefit local children who are on the autism spectrum through workshops and programs offered by the Community of Autism Resources and Education (CARE) program at Heartspring.

Thank you!

**For those who do not know... Dima is very likely facing a diagnosis on the Autism spectrum. They are waiting until preschool is completed (in May) to re-evaluate him. From what we have been told though, the diagnosis is extremely likely.

this blog

2009-03-22T09:14:00.000-07:00

This blog has not really become what I wanted it to be. Maybe someday. For now though I have to take a bit of a leave of absence from it.

Lucky Me

2009-03-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

I have had some good luck with contests I have entered lately. A few of the prizes I have one arrived the other day. I want to say thanks to the wonderful bloggers who held these contests.

I won a Nokia 5310 Xpress Music Cell phone from Being Frugal. You can find great tips and information on living a more frugal life at Being Frugal. The way the economy is now, this is something we should all be trying to do. Nikki and Reid are ~~arguing over~~ discussing who should get this phone. The good news for me is that my house will be really neat and tidy as they compete to see who deserves the phone. ;)

Bagladee was giving away some hand knitted mittens that her mom had made. My daughter loved the fingerless mittens, and we were fortunate enough to win them. They arrived at just the right time, since the weather here took a turn back towards winter. It actually snowed a bit on Thursday. Nikki has really been enjoying her adorable new mittens. Be sure to check out Bagladee's blog for lots of neat, crafty things.

I didn't win the Kajeet cell phone in Twofer The Price of One's contest. (it would have helped settle the debate over who should get the phone i did win) I did win a really cool Kajeet prize package though. It came with a t-shirt, stickers, tattoos, pins, magnets, pen, pencil, notepad and keychains. I gave this to Reid since Nikki got the mittens. He has had a lot of fun going through it all and trying to decide which of the little Kajeet characters is cooler. He was even nice enough to give Nikki some of the loot. Be sure to check out Twofer The Price of One for some great reviews or just for some cuteness in the form of her twins.

Photo Hunters: Four

2009-03-14T09:19:00.000-07:00

This week's Photo Hunt theme is FOUR.

Here is a photo of Dima playing with his homemade playdough. He loves to hide things in the dough and he then dig them back out. (this is an activity that is good for his fine motor skills and sensory issues as well) In this photo he is is squishing four bouncy balls into the dough.

I thought I would include the recipe for this playdough. It is the best homemade playdough recipe I have found. It uses Kool-aid which gives it color as well as a really great scent. It is not just fun to play with but also provides plenty of sensory input.

2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups boiling water
2 packages unsweetened Kool-Aid

Mix dry ingredients. Add oil and water. Wearing gloves, knead for 10 minutes. Store in zip lock bag in refrigerator.
(the reason for wearing gloves while kneading the dough is because it is quite warm once you add the boiling water)

Win a Custom Flag Quilt AND help give an orphaned child a family

2009-03-06T09:49:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine is adopting a little girl from Russia. In order to help raise funds for the adoption a wonderful group of ladies put together a fundraising raffle. My friend is one of the founders of Two Hearts For Hope, an organization that helps orphans in Kazakhstan. Two Hearts For Hope received a Angels in Adoption Award last year, this award is given to those who have a commitment to improving the lives of others.

The raffle is for a Custom Flag Quilt. The raffle runs from March 1st-30th. The winner will be chosen on March 31st. Tickets are $5 each. The winner will be able to choose from the following countries:
Kazakhstan, China, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Russia & Guatemala.

I have seen the Kazakhstan quilt and it is amazing!

Go check out the raffle here.

I have won a few

2009-03-06T07:58:00.000-08:00

I have won a few contests recently. I will be posting details later. I want to be sure to thank each person that held a contest I won. The best way to do that is to post here and link to them. I do not like to post before receiving the item though. There are two reasons for that. Number one is that I like to be able to post about how much I (or more likely my children) are enjoying the item. Number two is that I once won something and posted a big thank you with a link to the person's blog and then never received the item. I know that it is very, very rare for that to happen, but it does from time to time. I do not want to promote the blog of someone who would hold a giveaway and then not follow through on actually giving the prize away. It is simply not fair to all the wonderful people who really do giveaway fantastic prizes.

Plenty of Chances to Win from Woman's Day

2009-03-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

Woman's Day magazine online offers up plenty of chances to win great prizes. Some of the things they are offering right now include trips, an Oreck vacuum cleaner, and a Sony camera. Visit their giveaway page to enter.

It's Girl Scout Cookie Time...

2009-03-03T09:31:00.000-08:00

So go find your favorite Girl Scout and buy a few boxes. I bought three boxes on Saturday from my niece and they are already gone. I wish I could say the kids ate them, but it was mostly me. I need to go buy more now!

Just for fun, I took the which Girl Scout cookie are you quiz. How cool that it came out that I am my fave GS cookie! I devoured two boxes of these.

You Are Peanut Butter Sandwiches / Do-si-dos

You are easy going and naturally happy. You don't need a lot to make you smile.

You genuinely care about people and are a great friend. You're always doing your best to make the world a better place.

Even though there isn't an immature bone in your body, you still are like a big kid sometimes.

Why make life complicated when the best parts are actually quite simple? You enjoy the small joys of life.

What Girl Scout Cookie Are You?

Photo Hunters: Thankful

2009-02-27T23:52:00.000-08:00

PhotoHunt

This week's PhotoHunt theme is Thankful. We make sure to instill the virtue of gratitude in our children. One way we do this is by teaching them to lift their thanks to God in prayer. Dima is only 3 and he has some special needs that can make it difficult to get some ideas to really sink in with him. One thing he has recently mastered is holding his hands together in prayer.

Thankful Thursday

2009-02-26T13:20:00.000-08:00

This is my first time participating in Thankful Thursday. I absolutely love the idea of expressing our thankfulness each week.

This week I am thankful for:

* Dima's physical therapist. She has put in such a great effort to really get to know my son and plans each week's visits to suit him. This even includes making him a "cave" which is a place that he can crawl into for a minute or two to self regulate when he gets overstimulated.

* Nikki's choir teacher. It may seem silly, but this is the one teacher who really seems to care about how she is doing in school. He told me at teacher's conferences that he intends to help me reinforce in Nikki the importance of doing well in her other classes if she wants to participate in all the fun things that come along with choir.

* Reid's Language Arts teacher who is the first middle school teacher who has expressed the belief that Reid needs to be in advanced placement classes next year. In elementary school all of Reid's teachers gave him advanced work, extra work, and responsibilities within the classroom. Since starting middle school this year he has been bored and the work has been way too easy for him. I am thankful that this teacher sees and understands this and is requesting Reid be placed in advanced classes.

I seem to have come up with the theme of teachers this week. I promise I didn't set out to do that. Oh well, they all certainly do deserve some appreciation.

New Header

2009-02-26T13:16:00.000-08:00

I was having trouble finding an image for the header of this blog that I liked. So, I made my own! I had a good idea of what I wanted. All I had to do was sit down with some paper and pencils and make it happen. I think it turned out pretty good.

Brain Candy review

2009-02-24T17:05:00.000-08:00

I was recently given the chance to try out Brain Candy. No, it is not a Halloween treat. It is an award winning series of unique children's dvd's and cd's. The primary focus of this series is on the five senses. With our day to day lives being so directly involved in senses due to having a child with Sensory Processing Disorder, these dvd's really appealed to me.

The Braincandy “5 Senses” series uses four key creative elements to encourage interaction and motivate early learners.

1. A gang of silly “sense” puppets representing each of the five senses (Bruce Brain, Harry Hand, Ivy Eyes, Mojo Mouth, Nusi Nose, and Ana Ear) that make kids laugh as they offer new ideas.

2. Sophisticated animation that moves from live action to animated characters, demonstrating the mind/body connection and how the senses work.

3. “Real kids” engaging in experiential, sensory-based activities. This motivates young children to interact with what they see on the screen and mimic what other children are doing. Research suggests this type of interaction is the most foundational element in early learning and sets the groundwork for cognitive, social, and emotional development.

4. A yummy music and sound exploration, Brain candy’s multi-genre music provides little listeners with a broad variety of tantalizing tunes. Classical, rock-a-billy, Latin, Reggae, and jazz gets kids moving and grooving.

One of the dvd's we got to try was See My World. I was impressed with the visual effects in this dvd. There were bright colors as well as contrasting colors to really stimulate the visual senses. There was also plenty of action and movement for the child to focus on. Of course the opinion that really matters here is Dmitrii's. This dvd really gets his attention and he smiles and laughs as he dances along to the songs and watches the actions. He will approach us again and again saying "ain andy" which we have all learned means he wants to watch his Brain Candy.

We also got to try the Smell My World dvd. I love how this one really does encourage children to interact and mimic the actions taking place. I have seen Dmitrii running around the room smelling a variety of things while watching this dvd. This is huge for him! I honestly had just about become convinced he had no sense of smell. He just never seemed to notice smells before, not even really strong ones. Now, it seems as if he has suddenly discovered that the world around him is filled with odors, both good and bad.

My overall opinion of these dvd's is very high. I think this company is really on to something with their use of encouraging examples and images of young children, puppets and animation. I have seen it motivate my young child to interact, participate and learn.

Brain Candy is offering my readers the chance to a 15% discount off of their products! Just visit the Brain Candy Shop and use the code "brucebrain" when checking out.

(This code will be good for one month from the date of this post)

Win Books

2009-02-22T13:28:00.000-08:00

The Serenity Gate is offering the chance to win The Poet's Companion (a guide to the pleasures of writing poetry) along with a journal to record your thoughts, notes and poems.

A Circle of Books is giving away an audio book of The Terror by Dan Simmons. If you are like me you don't have much time to read books, so an audio book is a great alternative.

The Apron Goddesses are giving away an Apron Pattern Book from Dorothy's Aprons. I will admit I have been thinking of making and selling aprons to raise money for our adoption, so this could come in handy.

Cheryl's Book Nook is giving away a copy of The Crimes of Paris by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler.

Writing It Out is giving us the chance to win either Eternal or Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich. Both books sound fantastic to me and I would love to win either one.

Photo Hunters: Warm

2009-02-21T09:15:00.000-08:00

I thought I might start taking part in some memes. I have seen many Photo Hunters out there. Thought I would jump in and join the fun.
PhotoHunt

This week's subject is WARM

Here is Dmitrii staying warm under his blankie.

I Won: Giggles Software for Babies

2009-02-21T07:06:00.000-08:00

Back during the great bloggy giveaway I won Giggles software from Reading to Know. This was a fantastic set of 4 Giggles software titles. Be sure to check out the Giggles Software For Babies site.

Thanks Carrie for hosting this giveaway. Dmitrii is really enjoying playing these! Everyone be sure to check out her site for some truly great book reviews!

Here he is enjoying playing the ABC's and 123's software

More Chances to Win Shoes

2009-02-20T10:11:00.000-08:00

I love shoes. LOVE them! When I was younger aka pre-children, I had a ton of shoes. Then when I had Cheyenne I stopped buying them for myself and started buying them for her instead. Then Christian came along and I had to split my shoe shopping between them. Now with three kids and one more we are working to add to our family the budget for shoes doesn't stretch as far. So, when I find the chance to win shoes I am thrilled. Tha-rilled!

Here is a chance to win some for either me or Cheyenne (since she is now a bigger shoe size than I am) at Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls. You can win a pair of OKA b shoes and these things are super cute and look comfortable too. While you are checking out OKA b website you can register to win even more shoes while you are there.

For Dmitrii I am hoping to win a pair of Polliwalks, also being offered by Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls. These shoes are just too cute for words.

How about some Stride Rite shoes? 3 Garnets and 2 Sapphires is giving away a chance to win a pair!

Simple shoes are great eco-friendly shoes and I Never Grew Up is giving away a pair.

Have you seen the adorable shoes made by Pedi Peds? They are so cute and they even have a pair called the Demetri! Ok, so they spell it the wrong way ;) but that's ok. Well, who better to give away a pair of these than Momma In Flip Flops. Head over and check out the giveaway.

"Deal"ectible Mommies is giving away a pair of Eleven shoes! I love these shoes that are just the right size for preschoolers.

I found another chance to win a pair of Eleven shoes! I am sure you remember how much I love these. Go Graham Go is giving away a pair of these fantastic children's shoes.

Momma's Review is giving away a pair of See Kai Run shoes. Dmitrii fits the largest size they offer!

What's That Smell is also giving away a pair of See Kai Run shoes!

Guess what? That's right... there is one more chance to win a pair of See Kai Run shoes at The Mommy Files!

Okay, okay... so you want one more chance to win a pair of See Kai Run shoes. Well then, head over to Jolly Mom because she is giving away a pair as well.

A chance to win a free cell phone

2009-02-20T08:52:00.000-08:00

Win a Kajeet cell phone from Life Starring Ellie and Eve. This is the perfect phone if you have a teen or a tween and I just happen to have one of each. The Giveaway: Enter to win a Sanyo Katana II; a $100 value + $5 Free Airtime!

sharing about SPD

2009-02-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

Talk To Me Tuesday

We had to make our adoption blog private, so for now I am going to use this blog to post a few things. (by the way if you want an invite to the private blog leave me a comment)

My son Dmitrii has Sensory Processing Disorder. This is something many people know nothing about. So, I thought I would share a little bit about it.

I had never even heard of SPD until I came across a post on one of the adoption groups I am a member of. A woman was talking about certain behaviors her daughter had and that they were because of her SPD. Well, the behaviors were the exact things I had been seeing with Dmitrii and suddenly there was an explanation for things that had been a mystery to me up until that point.

I am not going to try to explain the technical details of SPD. I wouldn’t do it justice I am sure. Please check out the SPD Foundation for that. What I am going to do instead is describe some of the sensory issues that Dmitrii has and how they affect his day to day living.

When he is off the ground he feels complete terror. This is an irrational fear of falling. Even if he is safely in our arms he is afraid he will fall unless he is held very close. We can not lift him up above our heads like many people do when playing with their toddler. It terrifies him. He can not sit in a swing at the park because it terrifies him. (this is not from the motion of the swing but the simple fact of being a few feet off the ground)

Certain clothing bothers him to wear. If his pants legs ride up on him it bothers him and he will completely obsess on it until the problem is fixed. He actually will scream and cry while pulling at his pants leg trying to fix it. Nothing will distract him from the fact that the pants leg is up and as soon as it is fixed he goes about whatever he was doing as though nothing happened. The same thing will happen if long sleeves ride up his arm. It is almost impossible for him to wear a mid length sleeve shirt without him obsessing over the sleeves.

He seeks or avoids oral sensation. I know it sounds crazy but he both seeks and avoids oral sensory input. He will lick his hand to get the sensation on his tongue. He avoids things like tooth-brushing. The hand licking has caused him to get impetigo. The tooth-brushing thing is hard on both of us. I literally have to hold him down to brush his teeth while he cries and fights the whole time. I hate doing it but I don’t want his teeth to rot, so I have to.

Over sensitive to auditory input. This simply means that he hates loud noises or excess background noise. I have a photo of us at dinner in a restaurant in which Dmitrii has a dvd player in front of him that people always comment on. They think he is spoiled because we do that. In truth, it is a necessity in almost any crowded place. It helps him to block out the background noise. Otherwise he would be holding his ears and growling. Places with too much background noise are overstimulating for him and he doesn’t know how to handle it.

Certain touches bother him. A light touch or tickle might feel kind of funny for most of us, but for Dmitrii they are beyond annoying. This kind of touch really bothers him. There are many ways we play with our toddlers that involve light touch or tickling and this is one way I simply can not play with my son. This little piggy? Nope, can’t do it. He hates for his toes to be touched. He does respond well to deep pressure touches. This means I get to have really great big bear hugs, so that’s a plus. One example of light vs deep touch comes when washing his hair. If I use a small cup to pour water on his head to rinse he screams and fights me. However if I use a small bucket and dump it on his head all at once his response is much less severe. He still does not really like it, but the deeper pressure of more water being poured on his head at once is less bothersome.

He can not stand to be leaned backwards. This leads me to more on hair washing. I can NOT tip him back to rinse his hair. Tipping back will send him in to a total freakout. Not a good thing to have in a bathtub. I learned this lesson quickly when we went from rinsing, to him nearly drowning himself in a twisting motion that flipped him face first in the water in an attempt to get out of the leaned back position. I also learned that if I am holding him I need to squat down to pick something up because if I lean down it tips him back and again we have freak out.

There are a few other sensory issues that he has that affect his day to day life, but I think the list above gives you a good picture. There are times that we will be in public and he will have what looks to everyone around us like a temper tantrum. It isn’t. It is my son reacting to some sensory input that his brain just can not process in the correct way. We get stares and looks and whispers. I know strangers often think my son is a spoiled brat. They are so very wrong. My son is a good, sweet boy with a disorder that is beyond his control. Something to think of the next time you see a child having a “temper tantrum” in public.

Miles For Ean and Mila

2009-02-16T17:14:00.000-08:00

What is Miles for Ean and Mila?
This is a 3 Mile Walk-A-Thon fundraiser and GIVEAWAY! The walk-a-thon will be held on Saturday, March 21st. Money raised helps Ean and Mila become part of a wonderful family.

What is the fundraiser part?
The Jones family is looking for people to sponsor their walk, each pledging a requested minimum of $21. More or less in pledge amounts is also accepted and ALL is appreciated.

Tell me about the giveaway? What can I win?
Here are a few items up for grabs: Personalized Announcements and Invitations, Baby Bassinets, Children’s All Natural Bath Products, Children’s Costumes, Child Carrier, Water Bottles Good for the planet and good for you, and even Art.

(The current value of giveaways comes to $1191)

How do I enter the giveaway?
This is an adoption fundraiser so they do ask that you consider sponsoring their walk and make a donation to their adoption fund in exchange for entries but a donation is NOT REQUIRED to enter.

Visit the Jones Family Adoption Blog for more details and a full list of prizes

Win Shoes!

2009-02-16T08:50:00.000-08:00

I love See Kai Run shoes! They are so cute and they are very well crafted and durable. Now that Dmitrii is bigger he is fitting the very last size they offer. :( But, the good news is that See Kai Run also makes shoes for older kids now. This bigger line of shoes is their Eleven Line.

A Couch With a View is giving away a pair of Eleven shoes! I am so excited. Head on over for your chance to win.

A Couch with a view is also giving away a pair of Jack and Lily shoes. These are so cute and are sized from 3 months up to 4 years.

The Family Loop is also giving away a pair of Eleven shoes! Contest ends Feb 18th, so hurry over for a chance to win.

Trial By Jury Blog

2009-02-15T18:55:00.000-08:00

I have recently become fascinated with blog reviews and giveaways. I am hoping to start doing some of my own in the near future. So, that means the birth of Trial By Jury. I think the name fits well with the concept of trying and reviewing products.

I will also use this blog to pass on wonderful things I find on the web such as great sites and fabulous giveaways.