29 January, 2007

okay, i am posting.

i have NOT posted, sarah, because you are the only one who seems to faithfully read this thing, and we talk often, so why would you want the same info twice? Guess i should work on being a little more insightful like you are...hmmm....

well, we are MOVING!!! in 12 days! anddddd ~ it is okay if we PAINT! i am just giddy, and was very worried about it, hoping we would get permission to make this renting-leasing-to-own house really "ours". That issue was on my mind most of the day and the night for many days in a row. THEN, I heard a little talk from our pastor's wife...adressing a verse from Chronicles which talks about "high places". She pointed out that our "high place" is what we think about most, and is therefore an idol in our life. well, this new house was definitely an idol. so, I gave it to God. I said I will not make it my idol anymore. I will let it be YOUR house (after all, HE is letting us use it!) and did not think about it, until this evening, when I called the owner of the house, and he said "I received your email about painting, and YES, you can paint. i think that would be a very good idea"
WOOHOO~~!!!! (Is it still our idol when we want to jump for joy?). so, Thank you, God. That is so awesome! Finally...I can make something be "my own" again - not that I no longer think of it as YOUR house, but, once again, something can be a reflection of me, and of you in me. Thank you thank you thank you.

My other update is that I am now homeschooling Luke and Emme. The emme thing kind of happened by accident...she was home a lot during December, when, without a 2nd vehicle, it was not working to take her to 1/2 day kindergarten. She quickly grew happier to be home, and more reluctant to go to school. I insisted for awhile throughout January, but it becaome very obvious that she had been behaving badly every afternoon after school - the over-stimulus was too much fo her little self, and she was not kind and sweet most days like the Emme we once knew. So, today, Ben kindly went to school and signed the necessary papers. When he got home, I anxiously asked him how that had gone, and he said okay - just felt a little sheepish around the powerful director and secretary, and without realizing I had even been thinking it, i said "Isn't it nice to have our little girl to ourselves again?", which surprised me! I had been unaware that my thoughts were of robbery. But it sure is nice to squeeze her when I want to, and it sure is nice that Luke is not alone all day with no other kids - i think that is dangerous for children - to have too much of their own space. Life does not offer you your "own space" when you want it, so I like that he still needs to share it. I can't describe the relief I feel now that she is home with me. We will see what next year brings, but for this season, I can mother her and train her, and reclaim days and weeks I may have otherwise lost - filled with opportunities to mold her into a thoughtful, sweet young lady. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of a little life.

04 January, 2007

Refined in fire.

What do you see?



This represents the past year in the life of my immediate family. go ahead, ask away.

over-consumerism?

Could you go an entire year without purchasing anything new? I have a friend with whom I have made a pact to not bid on ebay until Valentine's Day, february 14th, except for needs like school curriculum for home-schooled children or wedding supplies for her engaged daughter. I was feeling pretty proud of myself with all the will power I am sure I will have, when I came across this article . The people involved, to varying degrees, have given up all new purchases for an entire year. USED purchases are acceptable, as are new household items, toiletires, and food for some, but boy....sometimes you find that cute top or yummy candle you just HAVE to have...could I do it? I think I may try.

Talk to me February 15th.

I think I am in trouble.

Happy New Year everyone!! Did you know that SUNDAY was New Year's Eve? Did you enjoy it? We did. Did you know that a large number of "Utahns" - as they are called - did their celebrating on SATURDAY? ben & I both think it is so weird...something in the book of mormon, or the "annals of Joseph Smith" dictates they should not spend money on sunday. so....

I am part of an internet loop of "salt lake moms" - thought it would be fun to get to know some people, heckle them a bit - JUST KIDDING!!! But, someone did pose the question...as a neighboring cities held public entertainment displays and family fun on saturday, to avoid doing it Sunday.... (this is from a Christian mom)

"Ok so how many of you agree with the whole New Years on Saturday?? Just curious to see the thoughts you all have on that........
lol

you know where I stand lol!"

MOST of the mothers replied thinking it was "silly" - you can't change a day, what are you going to do at midnight, ring in the "Happy day before new year's Eve"?

Here is where I might have gone wrong, with my comment ~

ohmygosh. as IF the people were not still up on sunday to "ring in the new year". Did they not think that that qualified as "doing something on Sunday"?? Sunday was still a part of things...just depended on whether or not you started or ended your celebrating then. Besides - if they were adhering strictly to biblical customs, the sabbath is on Saturday. shame on them!
Do people think there is a place in heaven with a big sign over the door: "FOR ALL THOSE WHO DID LESS ON SUNDAY THAN OTHER DAYS OF THE WEEK"

i am thinking not. God knows I pray when I walk through target - sunday, tuesday, doesn't matter. He did say "remember the sabbath day to keep it holy"...well, even Jesus did things on the sabbath.

jmo.


and, without surprise, no one else seemed to have a strong opinion, or much of a reply to what I said. one mom, in fact, followed my comment by saying she is LDS and it is her personal preference to be so, as well as to "try not to spend money on Sunday".

(I say with my head cocked) ~ Why not?

God knows you'll spend that same darn money on Monday. And, do you think the God-ordained day of Sunday being December 31st means anything to Him? Don't you think He is a little offended that you are trying to rearrange his schedule so flippantly?

Moving New Year's Eve, for crying out loud. Like you can.

02 January, 2007

Chinese New Year!!

okay, last year, we went to P.F.Chang's for New Year's Day dinner...mostly because we had a generous gift certificate from family to go there. so - we said that day "We should make this a tradition!"

well...this year, a kid or two mentioned it, but in light of the fact that we need a car more than a trip across the city to a very nice restaurant with excellent service and giant stautes of horses from China, we stayed home.

and MADE chinese.

and boyyyyyyyyyy...was it yummy. Spring rolls with chicken and veggies and very spicy mustardm and stir fry atop cello mung bean sticks and nutty brown rice from my rice cooker that I ADORE. I am never eating a non-home-made spring roll again! I will post the recipe here soon. Luke was a little sad when it was time for bed, as a) vacation is officially over, and b) we did not do our "tradition". Ben was thinking "how weird - we do something once, and everyone thinks it is written in the Bible somewhere...'Thou shalt eat chinese on New Year's Day'." he DID think that, anyway, until on December 23rd, we were all out shopping, needing to eat something, and he pulls into McDonald's. I would rather go VERY hungry than eat there, but he parked there. I thought "Surely, we are walking next door to Del Taco" (which is a different sort of yukky fast food), but NOOOO. He looked at me and said "it is tradition".

When HE was growing up, his perfectly-sized family of 5 decided somewhere along the way that to make a big Christmas meal was too much work, and left the mom doing all the dishes while the children fussed about the eternal wait to open packages. so, DAD declared "We are going to McDonald's." Thus it became tradition - "Thou shalt eat at McDonald's on Christmas EVE, thereby allowing the mother to take it easy, and the kids to open presents early, as even McD's closes at about 5pm that day"

UGH. when we were done, he said "hm. it is not as great as I remember". I told him "No food is. It is the company you are in". I am not sure we will go back there next year, but it would not surprise me if he forgets. SO...we may find ourselves trying to get to a P.F.Chang's later this week...my poor little boy was so crushed that we did not follow through on the law of tradition. Kids need that. So do parents.