Merry Christmas, Dad!

My boys made this for James for Christmas...I am so proud.

Mission Trip to India!

Our Pastor, Associate Pastor, and more are going on a mission trip to India.  They leave tomorrow!  Pray for them and the hearts of the people they encounter.  Here is a link to the blog our Associate Pastor Dave will be keeping up-to-date while there.
1040 Window

Christmas 2010

Wow, so many things to say...where do I begin?  I will start with the beginning of December, I think.   In October, (I know, I know) I applied for a job at Cornerstone Baptist Church (I love my new church!) as the Administrative Assistant, the current Admin. Asst was getting promoted to be the senior pastor's secretary so they were looking for someone to hire.  I was pretty excited about this, I prayed a lot, had my interview and waited, patiently of course.  And on December 7th, I started my first day on the job.  I love it and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God provided this job just for me.  That doesn't have much to do with Christmas but it was an important part of December.

Next came the making of our Christmas Card, I send tons of cards to people, this year I decided to do a photo card but wanted it to be memorable and fun.  This is what we came up with...

I already have some ideas for next year's Christmas Card, this is definitely going to become a tradition!

On December 17th, we hosted a Christmas party at our home.  I love having people in our home and during this time of year it is just a bonus.  We had a White Elephant Gift exchange, the gift I found lying around my house was a 1978 "Let's Disco!" book which I am sure came from my dad, he loved flea markets, garage sales, etc. and bought all kinds of strange things and then turned around and gave them to me or my sister.  I was excited to see a young friend of ours, Glen (a freshman in college and young minister) unwrap my groovy book.  He really got into it and when it was stolen he was quite devastated, he eventually stole it back and began learning some funky moves, it was very entertaining. 

 James got a pinwheel, some Alphabet flash cards though some were missing, and a toy ruler.  I got a couple workout DVDs, a Pamela Anderson one - oh my! and another one from the 1990s.  We also played games, ate tons of food, and chatted the night away.  It was a blast.

The following week our family went to my mom's on Christmas Eve morning and spent the day with my mom, stepdad, grandma, sister, brothers, and my two nieces.  It was a lovely day, we had a great feast, had a fun christmas gift exchange, and played some games together.  My brother, Curtis is very entertaining playing Guesstures.  That evening we had a Candle Light service at church, I sang "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" and then we received a lovely message from our pastor.  On Sundays this month he has been preaching about God becoming man.  What a miraculous thing for the Creator of the universe to wrap himself in flesh, come to earth, and grow up to die for us, ungrateful, dirty sinners.  What a gift of grace our God has given us for Christmas.

Christmas morning the boys opened all their stuff and then James' parents came over and some friends of ours, Jim and Darlene.  We had a lot of amazing food to feast upon and had a very nice visit.  James' parents went home around 3 to take naps or something and Jim and Darlene stayed to play games with us.  Yes, we love playing games.  We had a lovely Christmas, I am so very blessed.

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas Parody

I love this song!

Thankful

Thanks - giving, thanking and giving...our usual Thanksgiving takes place at my mother-in-law's where she cooks almost everything (to perfection) and we then partake in it. Once in a while we mix it up and do something different like going to my aunt's or mom's. My mom did hold Thanksgiving this year but we were unable to attend and I am now very "Thankful" that we didn't. My sister, niece, and brother all got the flu and there was vomiting involved in the night, ew and whew! I was going to visit on Friday morn but my mom called and warned me not to, of which I am also thankful.

This year an opportunity became available to us, our church goes to Forest Avenue Shelter in Kansas City every year on Thanksgiving to clean, cook, and serve the people there. The Shelter is in a church and it is for women and their children. I was very excited about being able to be a part of this ministry and the rest of my family was in agreement as well. Christian ended up being under the weather and unable to go with us (not the upchucking thing though, again...whew). My wonderful mother-in-law cooked a Thanksgiving dinner for us on Wednesday since we were out of school. We met up with church family in Sedalia, loaded up and then followed them in our van due to James queasy stomach...we have to drive everywhere. We arrived at Forest Avenue at around 12:30 and got to work. The ladies that stay at the shelter arrive at 6:30 pm, during the day they aren't allowed to stay there. They each have a chore assigned to them, such as, cleaning the bathrooms, sweeping, mopping, etc. Our crew does the chores for them so when they arrive they can have a "true" holiday and to show them a lesson in action about grace.

The women and children arrived, a young lady, Hannah, who is 15 and from Cornerstone, led a devotion about showing God's love on your face (my interpretation), how can we tell people about the love of Christ with a sour looking mug? The youth served everyone and we all sat down to eat. There was a woman with three children, her oldest was a teenage girl who told us all that she loved us. The woman's husband was at another shelter that take men. Another lady used to be a successful travel agent but the company she worked for went under and she lost everything. They were all so thankful for a good meal and a warm bed. We fixed roast and cheesy potato casserole instead of turkey due to the fact they get tons of it during the holiday season. We make cookies and candies instead of pies and cakes because they can put them in a baggie and eat them for lunch the next day. What a lesson for all of us on what being thankfulness really means, we take so much for granted and whine and complain about the most mundane things. I am so glad I got to be a part of this, we will definitely do it again.

We cleaned up everything and left around 9, we were only a few blocks from the Plaza so I begged my darling husband to just drive through so we could see the lights and horse drawn carriages. We arrived home a little past 11, what an amazing day!
What I'm most thankful for is Jesus' sacrifice and the privilege to serve Him.

Mysterious Sickness

The boys have had some strange, mysterious bug. It started with Christian, he was down and out for several days, missed school and basketball, even church! I took him to the doctor, they looked him over, poked and prodded, drew blood, and nothing really. The doc said he probably just had a virus and it would have to run its course. It was mostly just exhaustion, a headache, and his stomach hurt, not queasy but just hurt. He eventually just sucked it up and went back to live among the rest of us. Then....Cameron's turn, it was pretty much the same symptoms. I had a couple days that my stomach hurt but I just chalked it up to gas. Who knows???

My New Church

It seems strange saying that - "my new church"...I thought I would be at my old one for many more moons but God had a different plan and who am I to question God? His ways are perfect and He is showing me things I hadn't even imagined. I am simply in awe, I am thankful for His direction, timing, goodness, and amazing protection and provision. He is who He says He is, why do we sometimes wonder why He does the things He does for us? Probably because we know we don't deserve it. He is Love.

I'm excited about my new church, it is the most mission minded church I have ever been in, the pastor - my pastor, is so passionate and so anointed by God that I sit at the edge of my seat awaiting to hear God's word preached and my heart convicted. He has been preaching out of Nehemiah lately about rebuilding spiritual walls. 3 Ways to rebuild - 1) Press on! Trust in God! Return to the work! 2) Stick together! 3) Bring the right tools! They had a sword (God's word) in one hand and the tools they were using for the task in the other. 4) Hear the rally cry! When the enemy was about to attack, one would shout, "Our God will fight for us!" and the other laborers would run to where the shout came.

Things that might have kept them and that keep us from rebuilding the wall are 1) Criticism by those around us. Sometimes when the work begins people aren't happy and they criticize. Our response should be "God, You handle it!' (because He can). 2) We become paralyzed by intimidation = Neh. 4:7 - 8. "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses." Neh. 4:14 3) Despair = Neh. 4:10, excuses and fear. Again Neh. 4:14! We need to remember that the battle is the Lord's and it's a righteous cause, it's not about me!

We joined the church yesterday, Sunday, November 21st. Can't wait to dig in and experience what God has planned for us. He is already blowing my mind!

*I loved my former church, God brought us there, used us there, and the people there will remain near and dear to me.

Where's George?

I don't know why but I enter bills on "Where's George?"  I have found (5) one dollar bills with the where's george stamp on it, sometimes I enter them right away and sometimes I need to spend them so I write down the info and enter it later.  The first one I entered was in November 2003, then 2 bills in 2004, one in 2005, and the last one just the other day.  You can track where your dollar went and where it's going...I know I'm weird.  Feel free to join me in this ridiculous nonproductive adventure.

So Brave

 James had surgery last Friday, he had been putting it off for quite a while and was finally getting his hernia repaired.  He was so brave.  He had this crazy nurse, she had him pee in a cup before the procedure and when he handed her said cup she asked another nurse what she was supposed to write on it to which the other nurse replied, "their name and date"...go figure.  So right away we knew there was trouble.  Now, James is of the funny sort and when he's nervous there's no telling what he might say.  He was joking with her and she didn't remotely laugh, chuckle, giggle...nothing.  When we were alone James said she was a stick in the mud.  She returned shortly and was getting ready to put in his IV, James said he might pass out and she said she might too.  I thought maybe she had heard that stick in the mud thing, no...she couldn't have, she's just lightening up and being funny, or so I thought.  She dropped the needle and went to get another one, when she poked my dear husband he made faces I had never seen before...ouch!  She then stated that was her first IV, I seriously thought she was kidding but later in the day she said the same thing.  She was a gray haired woman, surely she has been a nurse for a while and didn't just decide recently to go to nursing school but you never know.  I really think she is just new at this particular hospital.
James came through his surgery fine, he was in pain and nauseous and did throw up.  The nurse was kinda rough, she moved him from a bed to a strange reclining chair on wheels.  She spun him to and fro, I guess forgetting he's nauseous, and then was jerking the chair back or forward to lock it into place.  It was starting to remind me of Kathy Bates on "Misery" but I don't think she was infatuated with my husband.  But scary nonetheless.

After that, I started jumping up any time he wanted to sit up or lay back, I was much gentler on my poor fella.  James couldn't wait to get outta there and I can't say I blame him.  Kathy wheeled him out to the van, James told me later that when she was bringing him out she said something along the lines of "oh, I probably should've checked your bandage before you left."  Luckily, James is recovering nicely in spite of his hospital experience.

Christian's Birthday Weekend

 Where to begin???  James and I (me) concocted this plan to surprise Christian with an awesome birthday weekend to Branson.  I called a couple of his friends' moms (in secrecy) about a month in advance to get the ball rolling.  I told them we were keeping it on the DL.  He didn't suspect a thing...Muhahahaha!  His birthday fell on a Tuesday which was also Showstoppers (the big music concert) so we took him and Tiffany with us to Pizza Hut, gave him his gifts and all that and he was satisfied.  Until....his friend Sterling's mom accidentally texted him instead of me...she didn't exactly give it away but she said something like "I talked to Sterling and he's up for this weekend".  Well then Christian questioned me, saying, "You're up to something".  That was Tuesday afternoon, I refused to tell him what was going to take place, his friends made it even more fun...they wouldn't tell him anything or even give hints...well, Jeremy said (on Friday to Christian) that his mom told him to pack swimming trunks which was even confusing to him for November.  Fast forward to Friday after school...I picked up all three boys, Cameron had basketball practice so we just ran to Wal-Mart, they bought candy - yeah, that's what teenage boys need...Candy!  Sterling and Jeremy (the friends) brought their over night bags, of course, Christian still didn't know, he thought they were just spending the night.  We go back to pick up Cameron and then we were on our way, we thought maybe the direction we were headed would prove to give some hints but he still wasn't getting it.  We programmed it into the GPS to which he replied, "It's gonna take us 2 1/2 hours to get there?  Where are we going?"  I had packed the boys' bags (they didn't mind, I knew what to get)  We had to finally just tell him because all the hints we were giving him were going over his head (*brain fairy).
It was getting on to suppertime and the kiddos were getting hungry so we stopped in Buffalo at Pizza Hut, this is where the fun really began.  The boys discovered a vending machine with facial hair in it.  Each of them purchased a bit of faux fur for the reasonable price of 75 cents.  We told them Branson Landing was our first stop and they decided to wait till we got there to apply them to their sweet little baby faces.  This was the result.

 These things stuck good, Cameron's and Jeremy's looked most like their own hair color, Sterling's was too red (uh, orange) and Christian's made him look like he belonged in the 70s.  They exited the van and we followed behind watching the people passing by.  The looks on their faces were priceless, we felt like we were on a hidden camera show.

Cameron reminds me of someone, I just can't think of who??? Chuck Norris? I don't know.

 We went to our friend's condo and the boys went to the game room still sporting their manly men facial hair.  They returned shortly to change into their trunks to swim in the indoor pool.  Cameron jumped in with his goatee on...
The next morning we went down the road to a Laser Tag and Glo-Minigolf place.  James and I joined in on the fun and sure enough James won both Laser Tag and Minigolf.

 What I liked best was the cool names we had Venom, Viper, Bond, etc. I was Crush (yes, like on American Gladiators - the 80s version).

 The boys spotted this Adopt-a-Highway sign along Highway 65 on the way to Branson.  We told them we might stop on the way back so they could take a picture.  Little did we know there wasn't a sign on the other side of the hwy, James had to turn around and then go a few more miles out of the way to find a ramp back...but it was worth it.

 We stopped at Springfield on the way home and went to our favorite movie theater and watched "Despicable Me" again!  Worth it!  And our guests hadn't seen it yet.

 Our last stop was a little shopping at the mall...what a great weekend!

The Big Test

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  You guessed it, he passed!  We practiced before it opened (from 8:00 - 9:30), we drove mainly in town, I even took him to an empty parking lot to practice parallel parking which they didn't even test him on.  James and I are figuring that maybe he was doing well enough that even if he would've completely failed it wouldn't have mattered so perhaps they decided to skip it and just take the points off?  Who knows.  But I was a nervous wreck, I was sick to my stomach waiting for him to return, praying he would pass and praying that he wouldn't hit any cars.  He and the officer arrived unharmed and then we went to the license bureau to get the real deal.  After that we went to the insurance office....eh, yuck...but it is necessary.  He participated in a program called "Steer Clear" given through State Farm which gives him a discount on insurance and he also got a good student discount.  It's only gonna cost us about $38 - $40 dollars extra a month, I was actually relieved.  So...this begins a new chapter in our lives.

The Truth about Television

T.V. - What is its purpose?  Sometimes I think profoundly, others...not so much.  People talk about watching too much television, we notice it ourselves in our own lives, we've even pointed out how much time we spend in front of it instead of how much time we spend with God.  Yet we don't attempt to make any changes.  Granted, we can fill our lives with all kinds of things that take us away from our Lord so that's really not the point, although it should be.  We should be so consumed with our Savior that we would be seeking any moment at all to spend time with Him but face it, we are human beings...so imperfect, self-centered, distracted, and "busy".

But why T.V.?  I see television as merely entertainment, we have our favorite sitcoms, dramas, reality shows, sporting events, etc.  Are they at all necessary?  What would happen if we didn't have a television to click on everyday?  Don't get me wrong, I watch it, I would tell myself that it's important because I need to see the news.  What a laugh!  I can live without seeing the news, life goes on.

Several months ago we let our satellite service go, boy did it seem strange, no DVR!  We got over it.  Then we bought an antenna, we get a few channels...like the news.  One of the best parts is we are no longer paying for television, it is really freeing.  But I have a confession, we then went to Netflix, so we are still paying for entertainment...less than $10 a month, but nevertheless, still paying.  Do we watch less T.V.?  Sometimes...but I know that I can live without it.

Recently we made a new rule in our house...all electronics are to be turned off at 9 p.m., so we can have time with each other as a family and time with our Lord.  We've had things get in the way like school functions and whatnot, it's not full proof, but it's a step in the right direction.  It used to seem like when we walked in the door it was automatic to sit down and flip on the television...those days are gone.  :)

Television isn't the enemy but can made to be so much more than it ought to be...BEWARE!

*From Wikipedia:
Although television was first introduced to the general public at the 1939 World's Fair, the outbreak of World War II prevented it from being manufactured on a large scale until after the end of the war. True regular commercial network television programming did not begin in the U.S. until 1948. During that year, legendary conductor Arturo Toscanini made his first of ten TV appearances conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra, and Texaco Star Theater, starring comedian Milton Berle, became television's first gigantic hit show.

Showstoppers 2010

Christian with (girlfriend) Tiffany

Showstoppers! An annual talent showcase at WHS.  It was a great evening, Christian and his girlfriend, Tiffany, sang a duet - "Gimme Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath.  I love this song, makes me want to bawl listening to the words.  The Madrigal, Choir, and Women's Choir all performed several songs throughout the show along with solos and duets, etc. but my favorite was the whole group performing "I Had the Time of My Life", you know the one, Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey - Dirty Dancing.  Well, every group song of the night was choreographed except for this one, Mrs. Million (the music director) let them freestyle this song with hilarious results.

Christian, Austin, Sterling, Dallas, and Paul (all fellow Madrigal members except Sterling)

We're hunting wabbits

Last winter a couple of friends invited James to rabbit hunt with them.  They use beagles to chase the unsuspecting rabbits out of hiding and then to make it more interesting fire at them with pistols instead of a more accurate weapon.  I hear this is great entertainment, they rarely hit anything but have a lot of fun "wild west" shooting.  James really got hooked and decided to get a beagle of his own.  His name is "Hombre", I thought this was the stupidest name ever for a dog but it's the name he was given so it is what it is and I'm getting used to it.  Then last summer someone gave him a 6 week old puppy, he is so cute, we named him Duke - a much more appropriate dog name.  James has to train Duke to hunt rabbits of course, having Hombre helps, he follows him.  Recently, James tied some sandwich ham to a string and drug it around the yard, he then let Duke out to sniff out the ham.  Duke was triumphant and found the vile beast of uh, cold cuts?  James' dad said he would probably be chasing pigs or wild hogs instead of rabbits.  The other day James took both dogs somewhere (I don't really know where) to run, Duke stayed up with Hombre so I guess it was a successful outing.  Rabbit season will be here before you know it and James has to get them ready.  Well today James discovered a rabbit that had been run over on our gravel road, aha! he said to himself, I can train my puppy with this roadkill.  Yes, we stopped and he scooped up this dead, stiff rabbit into a wal-mart bag and brought it into our van, ewwwww!  Blech, blech, blech!  He wanted me to hold it but I refused, so he did...and drove with the other hand.

I know it's morbid...but I wanted you to see the full effect, just look at those ears!

 James set it outside by his shop.  He had a couple meetings in town for jobs etc. and we ran some errands and did some other things.  When we came home that afternoon this is what we found.

Yes, the cat got the rabbit!  There was no way he was letting James have it back either.  Gross....

16 Years...

I think I might cry...Christian is 16 years old today.  Where has the time gone?  I remember myself at 16, oooooooo *shiver, scary.  I was such a brat, got way too full of myself and made many mistakes.  I have more hope for my son, he is a good christian young man, I can still see his cute lil face as a toddler, big blue eyes and plumber pants - acting grown up even at that young age insisting he could do anything - tender hearted, loving, sensitive to the needs of others.  *Time out!  All this reminiscing is making me tear up!  Hold it together....okay...now...16 things about my oldest boy.
1) He is sooo very smart! Proof = scores advanced on State Tests, in the top of his class.
2) He is an awesome singer! Proof = took a solo to State music contest as a freshman.
3) He still gives his mama hugs! Proof = I just got one a few minutes ago.
4) He always tries to do the right thing! Proof = In 7th grade he led a revolt in his Civics class against the substitute teacher because he thought a fellow student wasn't being treated fairly.
5) He is very clever! Proof = In 6th grade he created this awesome Roman newspaper, it was so creative...just take my word for it.
6) He is handsome! Proof = Well duh, look at his parents.
7) He likes to hunt! Proof = He has went hunting with James even after missing a big buck two years in a row.
8) He is organized! Proof = He coordinated a FCA Ultimate Frisbee Tournament on his own last summer.
9) He is great with kids! Proof = He has taught Vacation Bible School (kindergarten) several times and they love him.
10) He pitches in to help! Proof = Maybe not always volunteering but if I ask him to do something he will do it without hesitation.
11) He is a natural leader! Proof = He is an F.C.A. Leader, he leads a devotion every few weeks at his high school and plans events.
12) He is a decent golfer! Proof = Last year he was the only freshman to get to play almost every tournament.
13) He is very competitive! Proof = He made Monopoly trophies for the champion and loser (first one out) and made us play a lot of Monopoly for a while.
14) He loves his church! Proof = He has a servant's heart, he works hard on mission trips and other events for church.
15) He is a great preacher! Proof = At the age of 13 he surrendered to God's call to be a preacher, he got up in front of 400+ youth, pastors, and more and preached for the first time.
16) He loves Jesus Christ! Proof = Christian lives for Him, witnesses to the Lost, and not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

Sixteen years of loving this son of mine, I miss those carefree days of boyhood but am starting to see the incredible young man God is molding him into.  Two and a half years and he will be off to college, okay, that's enough...don't get me started on that.

Contemporary Cake

 I really don't know why I try to do these things...I don't pay enough attention to the little details and something always happens.  These mushroom like things in the cake pans above are cakes, I was attempting to make a cake for Christian's 16th birthday.  I used two cake mixes when one would have done, duh.  A few months ago I tried a new recipe, it was for sweet and sour chicken.  It started off great, chicken was cooked nicely and then I did something out of order or forgot to do something and then tried to go back and correct it, not good...it was sweet and sweet chicken, my precious family choked it down but recently I stated that I was going to try to make something new and Christian replies, "you know what's going to happen, mom will attempt it, waste some ingredients and then throw it out"...such confidence, lol.  Well, the cake didn't turn out so bad, it's...contemporary...and at least the cakes I usually make taste good.

 Tah Dah!!!

I think I might have to get on one of those baking cook-off shows...James said I would sure get a lot of camera time...now what do you think that's supposed to mean?

Catch Up

Yes, Jenn, I stole that from your blog, HA!  I saw yours and thought, okay fine, I was just going to forget the past couple weeks never happened and skip blogging about anything, I sometimes deny facebook exists too.  Anyway, on with it and where to begin? 

My lovely cousin Jennifer and her hubby and adorable children came to spend a couple days with us.  It was fabulous, they are an awesome family and we so enjoyed having them. 

Precious Posers!

And James especially enjoyed Gracie ;)

We are certainly ready for them to make a 5 and a half hour trip to visit again.  The following week is a blur, I subbed almost every day and two of those days were with Kindergarteners, I love them, they are so much fun but very high maintenance and I was exhausted.  One little boy kept telling me something (kinda bossy, lol) and I said "I heard you, you said it five times".  His reply..."actually, I said it six times".  Gotta love it.  School got out early on Friday because our awesome Ladycat softball team made the final four and were playing at 2 in Springfield.  We decided to attend, it was a good game and then we walked around the mall - hiding from our kids and then to a movie at our favorite theater (yes, $3 per person) and watched "Despicable Me".  We LOVED this movie, it was hysterical, I laughed out loud (literally LOL) several times and what made it even better was the existence of children and parents packing the theater.  There is something about the laughter of children that melts hearts or should.  I want to watch this one again!  Here's a peek...

For some reason the youtube thing isn't working right...just go to this link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82utG7Q3G_k

Okay...then Monday the softball girls won State, it is the first time in Warsaw history so that is pretty cool.  Tuesday evening Cameron had a Music Concert, it only lasted an hour (whew, some are wayyyy too long) and was enjoyable but a guy gave me some inspiration for a blog entry.  I tried to get a better pic but my camera wouldn't cooperate.  The picture below shows him taking a picture of his guy or girl in the band performing with his cell phone.  This is totally acceptable but he was standing in the front row in the middle of everything when I first spotted him (hard to miss) he moved in front of others to get this shot, it kinda made me laugh. 

It reminds me of James when we are in Wal-Mart, he says I am oblivious to anyone else in the store, I just run with my cart at full speed weaving in and out of the aisles like a woman on the run, well not really but he tells me I'm not the only person in the store.  I say "excuse me" most of the time, it may be mumbled but...okay I will try to do better.

Christian and Madrigal singing in New York City

Last March 2010, Christian had the awesome opportunity to go to New York City with his high school singing group - Madrigal.  Here he is singing at St. Paul's Cathedral near Ground Zero.  A friend recorded this and posted it on facebook....the reason it's taken so long to put it on?...she just got high speed internet, so happy for her. http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1516131220087&ref=mf

Relly, relly, relly sorry

Last week, I subbed for the South Elementary and Middle School Music teacher.  As you can see by the picture, it didn't go well.  The elementary kids were great, the 8th graders were awesome which was a big surprise, and 7th grade was okay.  The 6th graders...not so much, there are almost 50 of them though, whew, I had them for two days...it is always craziest for the last class of the day because they are itching to go home.  I told the music teacher about their bad behavior and this was the result...letters of apology, they really made me laugh, I think I might give them a bad report just so I can get some more goofy letters to read, just kidding, that wouldn't be right.  Here are a few quotes from some of them...

"Sorry for our bad behaveyor.  We would all love it if you came back.  This time we will sherly behave like adults."

"I am very sorry about this class had bad behavior and next time we will do much better with the talkers of the class.  I don't know what happened that day we just went crazy and that was very rude of us and my class mates apologize greatly."

"As I said we are humbly sorry please forgive us"

"You are a good substatute for a music teacher.  We were all ready to go home.  Sorry to make you sad and mad.  I promise it will not happen again."

"I'm sorry for me and my classmates behaveyour.  I know I was not as good as I shoud of been.  We relly are sorry.  And when you do come back, if you do we hope to sing better than ever!"  P.S.: Did I tell you were Relly, Relly, Relly Sorry. :(

"Mrs. D told us if we misbehave that there will be conqucens.  So we are doing this."

"I am so sorry for our misbehavior in class.  You did not deserve it.  We were acting ridicoulous."

"Sorry that we misbehavd and did a poor job.  We should have acted way better then this it's not your fault I don't know what got into us."

"We are sorry for the class and me messing up your week."

"I'm sorry for being rude and misbehaving.  This is a class for singing, not for messing around.  Next time (if there is a next time) I will behave better.  Thank you for your time."

"I'm sorry and I hope we didn't scare you off.  You'r a great music sub but we disbehaved."

"I am sorry for the undiscribable behavior on behalf of the class.  If I was a substitute teacher, I would have said the same thing I would come back the next time and see how any behavior is changed or left the same.  I truely am sorry.  I could see the frusturated and stres'd look in your eyes.  Sometimes it makes me wonder how anyone that loud and irritating could be let into this class.  I enjoy singing and I don't want anybody to ruin my fun either."

"I am also appalled at my class's behavior."

"Mrs. Hoagland rocks music class!  Super super sorry! No Joke! Best music sub on planet earth!! No joke!"

There were lots of please forgive us, we will be better next time, etc.  Mrs. D really laid into them.  I told her I would, of course, sub for her again.  After all, I need to see if there has been any change. LOL
sidenote: I found it very difficult not to correct their grammar and spelling while typing this.

How to Keep Your Pillows Fluffy

I have flat pillows...yes, we keep them forever!  Why do we do that?  I know why, they aren't cheap and the ones that are...well, they are really bad, not even worth buying.  It seems like every time we buy new pillows our poor children, although kids can sleep on anything even the floor...remember those days when you could sleep on the floor and still get up without incident, no soreness, etc?  Anywho, the boys get the old pillows which means theirs are probably really bad!  Flat, stained, and gross!  We have company coming this weekend and I told them if there was room in their vehicle to bring pillows, hopefully they will have some I like.  Oh, I'm kidding but you never know.  I found this article on how to keep your pillows fluffy and I know it's a much needed remedy to the flat pillow dilemma.  Okay, I just actually read this article an it seems like a bunch of hogwash, I know that everytime I wash my pillows they become a clumpy good-for-nothing mess, all the stuffing goes to one side or the other and splits right down the middle; and memory foam, the one we have anyway, is hard and gives me a headache, I could never sleep on that thing.  Anyway, sorry, read on...

How to Keep Your Pillows Fluffy

By Christina Fernando, eHow Member

Keep Your Pillows FluffyGoogle Images User-Submitted Article

Don't throw away your flat, uncomfortable pillow before reading this article. Learn how to revive your flat, worn pillow and spring it back to life again. How to keep your pillows light and fluffy.

Difficulty: Easy (sidenote from me, Christy, this difficulty thing cracked me up)

Instructions.
1. It's important to replace your bedroom pillows a few times each year. You don't necessarily need to buy a designer pillow to get a good night's sleep but pillows that are badly worn, soiled and no longer functioning properly should be tossed out and replaced with something new. If your pillow is still fairly new but has gone limp there is hope for it.

2.  Start off by machine washing your pillow. Pillows need to be thrown through the washer cycle at least once every 2 months. Not only will this release and get rid of dust mites and dirt, but it will make your pillow fluffier, softer and will therefore give you a better nights rest. A limp pillow that does not properly support your head can lead to headaches, loss of sleep and neck pain. For even more added softness, don't forget to use fabric softener like Downy.

3. When placing your pillows in the dryer, try using one or two tennis balls in your load. The tennis balls will help to keep your pillows light and fluffy while drying.

4. Each morning, try to fluff out your pillow using your hands. Often the cotton or feathers inside your pillow can become compressed after sleeping for eight hours or more. It is your daily job to redistribute the weight of your pillow so that it remains balanced and comfortable.

5. Your sleep is important to you so maintain your pillows to optimize comfort and quality of sleep. Consider investing in a quality pillow like the ones with Memory Foam. Memory Foam will contour to your body and give you a more restful night's sleep.

Yes, he's mine

I posted earlier about Christian singing with the 9th & 10th grade Honors Choir (210 students).  We traveled to Sedalia to watch and listen to the ensemble.  My son was amazing!  Yes, I am soo bragging about him, he got one of the "Don't Stop Believin'" solos and totally rocked it!  It was so much fun watching him up there and listening to the talent God has given him.  I took a video of it with my digital camera and was so excited to watch it when we got home and when I put the card in my computer something happened and it was corrupted, no video :( and worse, all Cameron's birthday party (skating) were gone as well.  At least we have the memories, ha.  We did order a CD of the performances and I will just have to hope some of those party-goers took some with their phones and will post them on facebook.  As a wise man once said, "This too shall pass, like a bad taco." - James

Don't run with your tomahawk!

Creepy, right?

Cameron and James recently went to a Sportsman Extravaganza put on by some christian men.  My guys had a great time, they had a dinner and got to sample ostrich, alligator, kangaroo and more...they said the zebra never made it around to them.  There were archery demos, duck calling demos, the list goes on and on...but one in particular caught Cameron's eye...making your own Tomahawk.  Sounds a little crazy, doesn't it?  But all the kids lined up and forged their own Tomahawk, starting with a piece of steel they pounded away and did all the other things that go into making a Tomahawk.  Since this thing has come home with him, he has thrown in numerous times at a "dead" tree by our pond and has repeatedly asked if this tree or that is dead so he can destroy it as well.  We said only the one please.  I've seen him out there trying to hack down saplings but I let it go.  I called him in for supper the other night and said "Don't run with your tomahawk Cameron!"  He said he was only walking fast.  Sure...

I first spelled this sapplings but it came up as incorrect. Who knew?  Sapling - a young tree.

You're Sick Mom

My son...what can I say?  He is brilliant in so many ways.  That rhymes, tee hee.  On Tuesday, Christian jammed his right index finger playing flag football in his P.E. class (Lifetime Sports) at school.  We couldn't get in to see the doctor on Wednesday so I made an appointment for after school on Thursday.  When I picked Christian up from school he got in the van and said, "Guess what, I jammed my other finger".  Yes, he jammed his index finger on his left hand.  Two matching boo boos.  I couldn't help but laugh, it really struck me as funny.  Christian said, "Mom, you're sick."  He didn't think it was nearly as funny but the receptionists at the doctors office chuckled...they're sick puppies too.

"Don't Stop Believing"

Dallas and Christian singing "Don't Stop Believing"

This Saturday Christian and his fellow classmates will be singing in Sedalia at Smith Cotton High School in the 9th & 10th grade Honors Choir.  Here the are rehearsing, having a lot of fun.  I love it when "kids", especially teenagers who think they are too cool to be silly, act like kids and aren't afraid to have a good time.  They are singing "Don't Stop Believing" from Glee, although I don't particularly like the show the arrangement is pretty cool.

Without Excuse

Breathtaking gifts from our Father.  Thank You, Lord. 

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." Romans 1:20

Powerstar - Vol. 1

My youngest brother, Cliff, has autism.  He is something special, he can create anything out of construction paper and glue and writes tons of comics and stories.  A while back he asked me to help him with his stories, a series of comic book adventures about a character he created called "Powerstar".  She is a reporter named Victoria when she isn't fighting crime.

I started this endeavor all wrong, I was trying to edit and make it perfect and it was taking forever.  So I gave it another try and went about it differently, I only took out a few redundant things and those few things that made no sense or that made it flow a little better.  It really made the story sound so much like my brother, it made me laugh typing it...I could see the story coming to life just a if Cliff was telling me the tale himself.  Cliff's birthday was coming up and I wanted to get it finished for him and surprise him.  I printed it and took one of his Powerstar drawings and made a nifty comic book looking cover.  I also scanned his senior picture because that's the best one I had and it looked "author" like and wrote a little blurb on the last page about him.  I invited my family for dinner to celebrate Cliff's birthday and to give him his gift.  I took a little video of him while he was opening it.

He was delighted!  Yea!  Of course he talked about it all evening but the best part for me was when he told me "I'm proud of you, Christy".  It was really sweet.  Obviously he wants me to do some more stories for him which is fine, I will be honored.  James heard him saying to himself "I knew they wouldn't let me down" and that made me smile.

What boredom looks like

A happy paper bag face

A sad paper bag face

And add a nose...

Cameron, still a kid, love it!

Aqui' Estoy Rendido

Aqui' Estoy Rendido is Spanish for the praise and worship song "Here I am to Worship".  We attended church here tonight at Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana (Hispanic Baptist Church in Sedalia, MO), what an experience!  Let me back up a bit...we have been attending church at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Sedalia and this morning Pastor Efrain E. Baeza N. from Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana (PIBH) brought the message, his niece was the translator, it was a great message about "The War of the Christian".  Tonight, Pastor Chris Guffey (Cornerstone's Pastor) preached at PIBH.  The bulletin was in Spanish, of course, and the hymnals, everything!  PIBH's pastor's niece interpreted once again.  They had some of the praise and worship songs in English on the screen, sometimes we sang the Spanish words instead, it was awesome.  The pastor baptized two new Christians, the interpreter translated them telling their testimonies.  We also sang "Victory in Jesus" "Victoria en Cristo".

Pastor Chris got up to preach and the interpreter then switched to translating English to Spanish.  The message was about Jesus' prayer for us before He went to the cross.  John 17:20-23 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, they they may be one just as We are one: I in them and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."  He spoke of how we should be united, united as believers, no matter our ethnicity, denomination, whatever the differences may be.  The gospel unites us!  How do my actions affect the gospel?

I am so thankful to have gotten this opportunity to worship with these believers, what a blessing for our family.  It really opened my eyes to bigger things...

Eres Santo = You are Holy!