Sometimes A Bit of Silliness Is in Order

We have always aimed for being the family on the block where all the kids want to go.  Although this happened in the girls' early years, it fell off when we moved to California.  But upon moving back to Indiana, a posse formed, and there were teenagers at our house regularly, making pizza and eating everything in sight.

In the past three years, the same thing has happened and completely to my delight.  There are kids at my house when I'm not even at my house.  And the greatest compliment came when my dad, visiting for Barbie's graduation, said this: "I was sitting there when the girls' friends walked in.  And I was amazed when I saw the Senior Class President, the Salutatorian and Student Body President, one of the Student Marshalls, and a couple of the ushers for graduation."

To impress my dad is no small thing.

I tell you all this because we had an extra kid on vacation with us this year.  Technically he's Barbie's boyfriend -- but he's really everyone's boyfriend.  He's the adopted boy we never got, and we love him dearly.  This romantic relationship will probably end, as do most teenaged romances.  But Hay will always be a part of our family, as will Hall, Bruce, Gar, Becca, and Britt -- the Marco Polos.

So here's a bit of silliness while we were all on vacation at Round Lake Christian Assembly, where Hunk O Man and his sister grew up:



xoxox

Hello, Old Friends Part 3

I saw a lot of old friends last week.  We were on vacation, and had the amazing opportunity to attend a reunion of the members of a single's ministry that Hunk O Man headed up for 10 years.

I smiled so much that day that my face hurt.  And it was totally worth it.

There was also a convention, and I reconnected with some old friends there as well.  I saw people I love from home, and even had coffee with the oldest friend I've ever had (and hadn't seen in 40 years).

All this reminded me of the precious, priceless value of the people I have had in my life.  Who gets this kind of blessing in their life?  I am grateful to the point of tears.

On this particular trip I also hurt some old friends inadvertently.  One was an honest mistake, and I tried to make sure she understood how sorry I was.  I'm waiting now for her heart to heal from the damage I caused.  It may take awhile.  I will wait.

The other was just a mindless comment -- one that sounded funny in my head -- spoken to an old friend who has been very sick for some time.  I thought he would laugh because of his wry sense of humour.  But as soon as I said it, I realised how completely insensitive it was.

Now this old friend has been somewhat distant for awhile.  There is a palpable gap when I see him; a coolness that probably has always been there, but that I completely ignore.  I do this on purpose, and here's why:

It doesn't matter if your friends love you.  It matters if you love your friends.

What matters is that I stand in the gap and pray for his sickness to heal.  What matters is that I maintain an expectation that no time has passed and no walls are there.  What matters is that we were, are, and will continue to be friends as long as it depends on me.

This is what God has taught me, an introvert who would rather live in a cave than deal with the difficulties of life in a human world.  People matter.  People were created to love and be loved.  And when my amazing Saviour is directly in my line of sight, everyone between me and him will be captured in His love for me and mine for Him.

Lord God, please make me remember this today.  I am sure it will be hard because of who I am.  I am sure I will fail.  And I am sure that You are in control.

xoxoxox

It's Not a Contest

^{From Romans 12:}

^9-10Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

^11-13Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

^14-16Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody.

^17-19Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it."

^20-21Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.

Yesterday, I missed reading my bible because I slept all day -- jetlag. My mini-vacation in California caught up with me. This happens a lot (not the jetlag); I'll miss a day and then pick up reading the next day.

However, As Hunk O Man puts it, "It's not a competition, Hon. Nobody's keeping track." I tend to become so OCD that I think I have to go back and read it all -- but he's right, it's not a competition. The idea is to spend some time in the Word each day, not make some kind of requirement to read it all no matter what.

So I noticed that today was Romans 14 & 15. I pulled it up, and realized that I'd missed Romans 12 from yesterday. Romans 12 is one of my favourite passages. So, I went to yesterday and pulled that up.

What a treat. I got what you read above -- and what encouragement it is!

I have this emailed to me each day. I never read my bible when I had to pick it up and do it. But this makes it so easy!

Here's a link if you'd like to do the same: BiblePlan

The moral of this story, today, for me -- once in awhile, it's good to go back and catch what you missed, if possible. It might be a blessing you could use.

xoxoxox

Everybody Needs One

A mini-vacation, that is. I've just spent the weekend in Sacramento thanks to Karen, my wonderful, wonderful friend. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed her company. We went to Lake Tahoe and ate more food than two humans should be allowed. I took in the gorgeousness of the lake. We went wine-tasting in a county just north of Napa. We shopped in tourist towns, and she told me all about the gold rush and its history.

It was all the best part. But the bestest of the best part was worship at Rolling Rock Christian Church in El Dorado Hills, CA. Rich, wonderfully done, fabulous worship where I could really enter into the presence of God.

With my friend Karen. Wow. It simply does not get much better than that!

I am refreshed. Both mind and spirit.

Everybody needs that. Now it's Hunk O Man's turn. I'm going to force him.

xoxoxox

A Week of Vacation Highlights

Well, I'm back from a week of vacation. For us, that usually means visiting everyone related to us. For me personally, it always means spending time with my Mama, whom I love. Here's the lowdown, starting with the bad and ending with the best --

THE BAD:

This particular week was a difficult one for me. Because I am transitioning between medicines, I am basically your Run-of-the-Mill Wack Job. No kidding. I cry at everything (I never cry). I get upset over the most ridiculous things. I pick fights with my husband. I complain over why I can never be the winner in arguments with my teenagers.

Like that's ever going to happen!

I also dealt with a migraine that came and went the entire week. Thankfully, it's gone, and good riddance. Thank you Jesus -- seriously, for healing!

I think the most upsetting thing was a family situation that everyone accepts -- except for me, the truth-teller prophet among my family members. Talk about crying in the wilderness. Jeesh. I want a different gift, please, God. . .

Wah, wah, wah. Somebody call the Wah-mbulance. I need to get over myself.

BUT AS ALWAYS, THE GOOD:

The highlight was dinner with my sister-in-law, whom I love. She's Korean, and I've always enjoyed spending time with her. It was very good for both of us.

AND THE HIGHLIGHT TO END ALL HIGHLIGHTS:

The Greene County Fair.

For those Buckeyes among us, "Now that's what I'm talkin about."

Every summer that we can, we try and go to Ohio for this fair. When the idea that we might make a trip this year, my girls all screamed in delight: "The fair! The fair!"

I can remember pulling 3 little toddlers along in a Radio Flyer wagon at the Greene County Fair. After the wagon days, it was a wagon + stroller for the extra two that came along. One year, a photographer from the Xenia Gazette even took photos of the girls with some Greene County Sheriff's exhibit, and they were in the paper!

I indulged greatly:

1. One large cup greasy french fries with salt and vinegar from a spray bottle;
2. One very big Diet Pepsi. I caved as there was no Diet Coke.
3. One leftover sugar waffle (I always buy my mom a bag of five);
4. One genuine Bob Evans sausage pattie sandwich with mustard.
5. One funnel cake still warm.

My girls all played the cane game that has been there since I was a baby -- about 50 years now. Talk about a long-running thing. That cane guy must be really old. We came home with five canes.

We spent ungodly amounts of money on ride tickets and greasy, bad-for-you, absolutely delicious fair food. I got to see the 4-H sewing and craft exhibits. I saw the First Prize winning home grown carrots, which looked identical to the non-first-prize-winning carrots. I saw the biggest head of Kale I think I've ever seen. I saw antique teacups and the Grange building. I saw millions of rabbits in cages and some goats and sheep. I heard the auctioneer calling for bids on 4-H hogs. Barbie and JB competed in a Karaoke contest that featured about 75 versions of Taylor Swift's "Our Song." We got popcorn for free from my parent's church booth. I saw harness racing and sulkies on the big race track. I even got a compliment on my new tank top as we paid our $5 to get in.

Wow. What a week.

The things that uplift the spirit and soul aren't always straight from scripture. Sometimes they are provided by God -- via the Greene County Fair. Hallalujah and amen.

xoxox

Home Again, Home Again

I am back from vacation, and I have to say: I was never so happy to get out of a moving vehicle last night. Here's how the numbers break down:

     10  = The number of hours I spent in the van
       3  = The number of teenaged girls in it with me
    2.5  = The number of hours I spent driving with NO music playing
     7.5 = The number of hours I had to listen to Kelly Clarkson, Demi Lovado, Taylor Swift, and every
               other Disney-ish type of screaming/singing girl on Barbie's iPod.
        1 = The number of hours of sleep I actually got while sitting in the back seat
      80 = The speed Barbie was going on I-64 in Virginia, where the speed limit is 65.
     6-8 = The number of times I told Barbie to slow down
   8-10 = The number of times Barbie rolled her eyes at me
        3 = The number of times we stopped for gas and/or a bathroom break
        7 = The total amount of dollars I spent on food at Burger King
        4 = The number of BK Mocha Joes I got at Burger King
        1 = The number of times Barbie drifted off to the side of the road
        4 = The number of times JB scared me while driving
        0 = The number of times I hope to be a passenger in a vehicle while one of my children is
               driving anytime soon.

God was good and faithful, as is usual, and we arrived home safely. We decided to spend a couple of extra days in Ohio, since we could. It was wonderful and relaxing and I was able to get a good visit in with Mom and Dad.

Hunk O Man and I also attended the North American Christian Convention, where we saw many good friends and were able to reconnect. Max Lucado was wonderful as the final speaker, and later we headed from Louisville to spend time with Hunk O Man's extended family in Southern Indiana.

His Dad's cousins, with whom we stayed, are retired dairy farmers. Carol Sue is an incredible woman with not just a steady, solid faith in Jesus -- but is also a sewer (3 embroidery machines; I was in heaven!), a master gardener, a "Red Hat" lady, and a weaver. She and I spent one rainy morning outside digging up daylilies for me to bring home. This woman is just amazing. She's a quiet sort, and yet has all these interests and is blessed with the gift of hospitality. We thoroughly enjoyed our time together. I even got Indiana-Amish-grown tomatoes to bring to my Mom in Ohio and more for the Boyfriend's mom here in NC.

So my June and early July were full of visiting "home" -- the places I grew up and lived for several years. My home here in NC has been much more brief, only 3 years. And yet this morning, after dropping kids off at the local community theater, I drove the 15 miles back home and felt such a sense of peace. I think this comes from being in the dead center of God's will.

This feeling I would not trade. This is home, at least on earth, at least for now. I do look forward to glory, but today, North Carolina is looking pretty good.

And now to plant those daylilies . . .

xoxox

He Speaks Amid the Noise Around Me

Listening for His voice in the waters.

It's been quite a week for us. Spring Break -- Washington DC on Mon/Tues/Wed. What a trip! I was able to stand with Barbie just inches from the documents that declare our country independent and free. And hundreds of years old. I loved the National Portrait Gallery best, I think. Rose loved the Museum of Natural History and all the rocks there -- Hunk O Man fell in love with Abraham Lincoln all over again at the American History Museum, and even saw a play at the Ford Theater. Bug found a shop in Chinatown that was the equivalent of a WalMart, Babydoll kept us on track with her iPod Touch apps, locating the nearest McDonalds and such, and JB imitated everyone and had us all laughing.

JB rides the metro

The gang in the subway. JB wants to know whatchoo lookin at?

Portrait of Juliette Gordon Low, our favourite one

They even had typos in the 18th century

Me and Barbie -- the clones -- thinking we may be lost --

Lotsa escalators and comfy shoes

We came home on Thursday, and then we all went different directions on Friday and Saturday:

Rose went to Myrtle Beach to spend time with her boyfriend's family. She had her own suite in a house right on the ocean! They love her so much. If she and Boyfriend ever break up, we may have to move.

Bug and Hunk O Man went to UNC Asheville to check things out. Bug thinks she wants to attend there next year. They also found Mast General Store, the greatest of all general stores.

Barbie, JB, Babydoll, and their good friend BKnee and I headed for the beach. My friend Nan was generous enough to lend us her beach cabin for the night.

Walking the dog

Babydoll in the cold water

Wet dog having the time of his life

Beach bunnies

The weather was gorgeous -- could have been warmer, but hey, we'll definitely take all that sunshine! At first the girls went to the beach without me for about 2 hours -- I had some alone time; then I went over, then they left to go get some lunch and I was left alone on the beach. They all got sunburned -- Babydoll looks like she has some tropical disease, because Barbie sprayed on the sunblock but never rubbed it in!

I just sat in the sand and looked at the waves and tried to concentrate on the sound. I have tinnitus, a high-pitched ringing in my ears, that sounds like something electronic. All the time. I noticed while at the beach that I couldn't hear it over the sound of the waves.

This was just a gift from God. So I was reminded about the ocean, and why I love it so much, and why it just heals me inside sometimes. I needed that healing on Friday and Saturday. Life has been so full of girls yelling at each other, arguing, at one another's throats. There are days I wish they'd just throw one another down on the floor and have it out. It would be less stressful on everyone. Boys? Easy. Girls? Definitely not.

As I sat there on the beach, I thought once again about how the ocean is so like God. It's huge. It never stops; those waves lapping at the sand there where I was have been lapping there since long before I was here, and will be there long after. Its tide faithfully comes in and out.

Sometimes it is scary, because the waves are big. It can do a lot of damage in a storm.

The sound of it is so soothing. It really is a roar, but not a scary one. It's like white noise, very comforting.

It supports a myriad variety of life. We actually couldn't exist without our oceans. It gives life and sustains life.

It is healing. I will never forget my brother Scott and his stubbed toes at the beach in Florida when we were children. He cried and cried when the salt water touched them -- but they healed in no time. What do we give people in the hospital when they need fluids? Saline solution. Sea salt will cure meat and act as a preservative, also.

It is deep. We may never know its depths. It holds mysteries -- weird, alien-looking life -- that amaze us and creep us out.

Sometimes it's warm, and sometimes cold. Sometimes it invites you to play -- other times, it invites you to walk and listen and meditate.

I love the ocean. I have spent long hours there talking to God when in deep despair. And God has met me there and just been with me.

So today I bless Nan and her generosity, and I bless God for healing my bruised heart. Someday I'll live by the sea, maybe, and I'll go outside in the morning and sing and praise Him for His goodness -- and all the ways it is reflected in His oceans.

xoxoxox

A Word about Being Healthy

I've been trying a couple of things I thought I'd tell you about.

When I was visiting in Indy, I had the pleasure of having coffee with my old friend Schmael. Schmael talked me into marrying my husband, and was always my run-off-and-have-fun friend during my college-ish years. He's a drug rep for GSK, so we affectionately refer to him as a Drug Dealer.

Schmael's wife is one of my good friends, and she has chronic migraines. So she's into all this health food stuff. She is my health food guru source. Also my homeschooling source.

So I was talking to Schmael at Starbuck's, and he told me that a long time ago he got rid of a chronic sinus infection with yarrow. Yarrow is a natural antibiotic, and has cleansing properties and is good for mucous membranes.

Apparently sinus infections are things you can have for years. Like, 20 years. Like, forever! Further reading on my part reveals that the Mayo Clinic now thinks that some of them are caused by fungus! But I digress.

So I got some yarrow capsules and am trying them. The bottle says to take something like 2 a day -- I'm taking about 5 three times per day. It will probably take several months, since I have had sinus problems since I was in my teens, and I am now 49. But I am going to keep at it.

The other thing I've been doing is taking Black Cohosh. I am just starting into that phase of life where unpleasant and uncomfortable things happen -- all assorted with that particular phase of life -- and Black Cohosh helps. I have some other things contributing to the symptoms I have. But the Black Cohosh capsules really seem to make a difference. They don't totally alleviate the symptoms, but I have to say that I'm noticing a marked difference in their frequency when I take the capsules on a regular basis.

All of these things I deal with work against me with regard to weight. I've had 5 kids, and I am the heaviest I've ever been -- I weigh more now than I did right after had my youngest child. You can say all you want about age putting weight on you. Folks, it all boils down to this: you gotta eat less and move more. And eat healthier. I weigh this much because I'm older, and not as active, and because I choose to eat the way I like to eat -- and not make the fitness of my body my main priority in life.

Plus I hate to exercise.

I bought Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook "Deceptively Delicious" mainly because I am the chief picky eater in my household. I eat all sorts of things that gross other people out -- like broccoli, and brussel sprouts, and beets. But I hate lima beans and peas. And I love bread and sugar. I am hopeful that I will get myself and everyone else in this household eating healthier food with Mrs. Seinfeld's ingenius method of putting veggie purees into regular foods.

And this last thing will have you all laughing your heads off at me. I remember my grandparents having this stuff in the house, and everyone hating it, and me trying it and finding it not so bad.

I bought prune juice.

I actually like this stuff, and my digestive system is thanking me. I've always had trouble with digesting food because I like so much bready-sugary stuff. But the prune juice is a good things all the way around. So nuff said there.

I am desperately trying for this post not to be TMI, but rather helpful. So if you have any of this stuff, by all means don't go trying things without checking with a reliable medical source first to see if it will be ok for you to do.

Let me know if you try any of this stuff, and if it works for you. What else do you all do or take that benefits your healthy lifestyle? Do tell!

More photos of spoils

I just finished doing taxes today. I am surprisingly in a relatively good mood because God is good! I started out thinking we owed and then fixed something and all of a sudden we get a refund!

I hate money. It comes, it goes. Life is about people and beautiful things. Enough about money!

I know you're all dying to see my photos of the fabulous fabrics I got at Hobby Lobby. Since that one of the messy table was so -- well, messy.

Anyway, I have to tell you that I think I alarmed the woman who showed up to cut everything. After all, these were all on bolts, and the bolts are big, and I had about 400 bolts stacked up . . .

I looked at her, smiled, held out my hand, and said this: "I know, but let me just say first of all that I LIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. The closest fabric store is at least an hour away."

I'm not sure that really helped, but she was a little happier when I said "If there's less than a yard left on the bolt, I'll take that too." (since she offered it at half off!)

Then we started talking, and I found out she previously lived in southern CA like I did, and we reminisced about how it's changed over the years.

So on to the fabric. I got things in threes if I could, in order to make bags, aprons, etc. Here we go:

Pink, Green and Black:

Pink and Black:

Pink and Brown:

Black and White:

Blue and Chocolate brown:

Japanese prints I knew Bug would love:

Couldn't resist this, now, could I?

A couple of remnants I loved, and the blue and white china print -- loved that --

Chiffon for a skirt for Bunny, who was helping choose:

And her skirt will be kind of like Bug's, here which is just a couple of squares sewn on top of each other and hemmed, and an elastic waistband attached:

Bug actually wanted two skirts like this, and we already had the purple print. So I got some solid purple to go with it.

And now that all the money stuff is done, I will be able to endlessly create at will!

(just as soon as I get the laundry done)

deep breath.

sigh.

I'm walking away now.

Maybe a game of Zuma . . .

The Spoils of Vacation

I have decided that this thing's too hard to read, and the print should be larger. I hope that's ok with everyone.

And I just had to crow a little about the treasures I found while on vacation.

The fabrics I found at Hobby Lobby:

Goodwill! Oh, the dresses!

(the hot pink one was actually the $12 find from Talbot's Outlet)

The incredible bag -- I think this was one of those "Gift with Purchase" things from Estee Lauder --

And the bag I got in order to copy the design --

Sheets -- which are essentially more fabric --

$5 shoes from WalMart to go with my cute new Goodwill skirt

Let me also say that all of these things are all Ann Taylor, Liz Claiborne, The Limited, Gap, Eddie Bauer, etc. I may shop cheap but I don't scrimp on the quality. I really don't care about labels but I do care about the way things are made, and the way they fit.

I also hit Ikea, the new one just north of Cincinnati, and got more drinking glasses. I'm not sure what happens to ours, but they do seem to disappear.

Then Chari gave me some more.

And getting it all home was a challenge. But we managed.

I am raising green/use-it-again/recycle shoppers; the consumer index people would be proud.

: )

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety-Jig

Actually, I got home on Sunday night. After I was forcibly dragged from the Jeffersonville Outlet Mall by my children.

We left Mom and Dad's at 10:00AM. The Outlet Mall is about 35 minutes from their house.

We left the Outlet Mall at 2:30PM.

Listen, when you live in the middle of nowhere, you gotta get your shopping where you can. I left there with a gorgeous dress and top from the Talbot's Outlet, and only $12 poorer. JB got a capris/bermudas/whatever-those-long-shorts-are-called and top outfit for about $20. Baby got a pair of flip flops from Old Navy. Bunny got a top there. Everyone was happy.

We got home around 11:30PM, which is actually pretty much record time for us. Plus, I drove at or below the speed limit, because I am committed to keeping the RPM's at 2.1. We did actually save a bit of gas doing this. I am amazed that you can get better gas mileage going a little slower, and it only takes you about 10 minutes more on a 10-hour trip.

I think I can afford 10 minutes out of my 10 hours when it's $4/gallon.

Now that I'm home, I took off Monday to recover. Yesterday, I spent driving all over northeastern North Carolina returning a comforter set for Rose, hitting Sam's Club, and going to the furthest Wal-Mart-with-WM-Optical-Dept only to be told that Baby's glasses are, in fact, NOT under warranty and cannot be replaced.

I also solved a few financial glitches on the phone while driving.

Needless to say, I had to have a frappucino. Which was essentially free, thanks to my sweet and dear sister K (who gave me a Starbucks card for my birthday).

I returned home to a house full of Marco Polos, who at 9:00PM wanted me to make pizza. I respectfully declined. They were all celebrating Bunny's earning her driver's license, thanks to getting the nice man at the DMV instead of the mean lady, and 2nd-time's-a-charm.

So today I am staying home. All the other drivers in this house can have the cars.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I know . .

But I've been on VACATION.

Well, sorta. More like "On Tour:"

1. Left house.
2. Spent one night at Mom & Dad's.
3. Spent 2 nights at Mammaw's.
4. Spent one more night at Mom & Dad's.
5. Spent the night in Cincinnati at the Hyatt downtown.
6. I drove back and spent the next two nights at Mom & Dad's.
7. Spent the night at Jimmy & Carol's in southern IN.
8. Spent the next 5 nights at Aunt Lynnette's in Indy. Visited people every day. Up every night until after 2, usually getting slaughtered at Domino's by JB.
9. Spent last night at Mom & Dad's.

Good grief. This stay-a-night-or-so-and-pack-up-and-leave stuff is for the birds. Give me a beach condo for 2 weeks any day.

There is something to be said for being back in civilization again. I was recently in a Super Target in Fishers, IN, and almost had a heart attack and fainted with my amazement at the wall of international foods. Talk about information overload. Hoo baby. Breathe. Just breathe. Remind self not to buy it all as it will not fit in the van.

I have managed to hit all the really good Goodwill stores. I've picked up several things -- curtains to make shopping bags (green bags) for Etsy, clothes for everyone, drinking glasses, a plastic-coated wire thingy to hold all my pan lids, a cute purse, books, and a lamp for Chari. Chari asked me to give her my opinion on her girls' room upstairs.

Heh heh heh. MY OPINION.

This resulted in my staying an extra day with her so I could redo the room. She bought all the stuff and we made this cool bulletin board that fits in a gorgeous wood frame that used to have a mirror. And Gretch did it! Chari, She Who Can Plant An Old Tire And Grow A Car, learned how to navigate JoAnn Fabrics Etc. and came out alive. I was so proud; she only called me twice on her new cell phone to ask where the calico was (only she didn't call it calico) and what size ribbon to get. She had a little trouble with "any size, any width, just make sure the colors match" because she likes to know exactly what size and likes things to MATCH. I did have to say "You're making this too hard" and "What do you mean it doesn't match exactly?" a couple of times -- but fortunately she didn't kill me in frustration after I was so loosey-goosey with the decorating.

We had a GREAT time. She treated me to dinner at Bravo, which is where we ALWAYS go, and we always have Penne Med. Except this time she had some chicken salad thing. But my sister K and I had the Penne Med and chopped salad. Then Chari bought ice cream -- sneaky devil slid her credit card thru the Kroger thingy before I realised it, and I was going to buy dessert! -- and pound cake and hot fudge and we went back to K's and ate ourselves into sugar comas.

JB started the week puking her guts out, but I think it was just exhaustion from camp, and too much candy. I actually bought her Pepto-Bismol -- even though it always was the thing that made me puke -- and it worked for about 2 hours before it made her puke.

It is just no fun to be sick when you're away from home.

She did recover, though, and spent a night with Auntie K and a night with the B's.
She and Bunny swam in the B's pond and had a great time with the B kids. They've all known each other since birth, so it was a fun reunion.

I tried talking, pleading, begging, and threatening everyone with the idea of coming to see me in NC. We'll see.

I've talked to Hunk O Man. Our conversation last night went like this:

Me: Hi Hon
HOM: Hi Babe. I thought I'd make this "Chicken Dijon with Pasta" that I found in the freezer. It says on the top to bake at 350 until heated through.
Me: Right.
HOM: So I just set the oven at 350, and take off the foil and then the plastic wrap, and just put it in the oven?
Me: Uh-huh.
HOM: Till it's heated through?
Me: Mmmm hmmmm.
HOM: Ok, I just wanted to check and make sure I was doing it right.

It's so nice to know I'm still needed. Even if I am still on vacation.

Yep, Still Here, Still on Vacation

. . . that is, until tomorrow when I drive the 11 hours back home again. Hopefully I can fit it all back into the car and not have to leave somebody behind.

Cause you know, Pappy needs a playmate and someone for whom to make his famous Pappy Corn.

I tried posting yesterday from my laptop. Because my nephew Michael is a genius computer whiz and has set up Grandma and Pappy's wireless with numerous security items, my laptop is being cranky. Baby's little clamshell Mac has given up entirely.

So here's what you get today, until I get home and can effectively post something with photos (the camera battery is also dead, so until I can charge it, no photos available).

THE ONE WORD MEME
Lidna at 2nd Cup had this, and it looked interesting. One word is difficult, though.

1. Where is your cell phone? No.
2. Your significant other? Familiar
3. Your hair? Again?
4. Your mother? Wonderful
5. Your father? Funny
6. Your favorite thing? Sewing
7. Your dream last night? glasses
8. Your favorite drink? Coke 0
9. Your dream/goal? Education
10. The room you’re in? Office
11. Your church? Home
12. Your fear? Loneliness
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Anywhere
14. Where were you last night? Mom's
15. What you’re not? detail-oriented
16. Muffins? Blueberry
17. One of your wish list items? house
18. Where you grew up? Ohio
19. The last thing you did? Sleep
20. What are you wearing? nightgown
21. Your TV? HistoryChannel
22. Your pets? Stubborn!
23. Your computer? Handy
24. Your life? Changing
25. Your mood? Happy
26. Missing someone? Hunk-O-Man
27. Your car? Comfy
28. Something you’re not wearing? Earrings
29. Favorite store? Goodwill
30. Your summer? Hot
31. Like(love) someone? Family
32. Your favorite color? Blue
33. Last time you laughed? Lastnight
34. Last time you cried? Lynnette
35. Who will repost this? Kids

Feel free to copy and past your own answers --

So This is Vacation

OK, we werent' going to go. Then we were. Then we did.

We almost left on time. You know, it never ceases to amaze me that I tend to expect someone else -- some unknown ghost of a person at my house -- to rise up and be the mom and take care of all that stuff that the mom always does.

Except, I'm the mom. Oh, that's right. I forgot.

So I ran around tried to remember all the things -- lock the doors, turn down the heat, did I get Mom's coat for her? Dog food, dog leash, dog, check. And so on, until I had to go out to the car and direct the packing, because according to Hunk O Man, I am The Master Packer.

Baby and Dog went in in the back seat. Baby was a bear cub because she hadn't had enough sleep. I told her to get over it because I was happy and I hadn't even had any coffee yet.

We stopped no less than 5 times over the 11 hour trip. Mostly for the dog to get out and do his business. Baby went from "Ewwww, GET AWAY FROM ME!" to "C'mere, puppy, you can lay on me" in about 2 hours. I made chicken salad and we had sandwiches at one of our stops, which was nice -- much fresher and better than a burger.

We argued about stupid things. Here's how one conversation went:

Me: Look at those cows over there. All gathered under the trees.
Hunk O Man: Stupid cows. They're going to get hit by lightning.
Me: You think roaming out in the field is stupider? Like they're saying to each other 'oh, this is so much better because maybe Larry over there will get hit by lightning instead of me.' They're thinking it's smarter to get under the tree. Because the tree will get hit and not them.
Hunk O Man: Pappaw lost a bunch of cows once because they were huddled under the tree. Lightning is going to hit the tree first, so that makes them stupider for going under the tree.
Me: I think it's stupider to be out in the field.
Baby (from the back seat): You guys must be really bored.

We finally arrived and it was almost still daylight. Thank God for Mom and Dad's house.

We spent the day yesterday -- which, by the way, was Hunk O Man's 56th birthday -- at Round Lake. Round Lake is a Christian Camp where he partly grew up. His dad was the camp administrator while he was in high school and college, so he got to be the cool good-lookin' lifeguard. The camp is on a lake, and they have numerous lake "toys" on which to play. They all are huge, like the size of a room, and blow up. So you either swim out to them and climb on and then slide down or fall off or jump on, or whatever.

Hunk O Man, his sister (age 54), her husband (also age 54), and Baby (age 12) all swam and played while Hunk O Man's mother (Mammaw) and I sat and talked. I didn't really want to get in the water, and there would have been nobody to keep Mammaw company, so I did. We watched all these middle-aged people have the most fun anyone should be allowed. They hooted and climbed and heaved and laughed at themselves and had a great time. One of the toys was "The Blob." It's like a big pillow -- really big, like 10' x 25'. You jump off a tower onto it, and then make your way to the end of the pillow. You position yourself just right, and then the next person jumps off and you go flying off the end. The best fun was when Baby got launched by her Aunt. I couldn't see her sitting there from my vantage point -- but when Auntie M jumped onto The Blob, all of a sudden there goes my daughter flying straight up about 20 feet into the air, screaming and laughing. Kind of like popcorn.

Then we had pizza and laughed, and drove back to Mammaw's house and had birthday pie and collapsed. Today we drove back to my Mom and Dad's house. It's nice, quiet, peaceful, and best of all -- there is an internet connection!

We brought The Dog, so more about that tomorrow. For now, Hunk O Man and Baby have gone off to the movies, and I'm here alone with Dad while Mom is at Weight Watchers. She'll be home soon, and hopefully I can talk her into a trip to the fabric store. We'll see. There's actual shopping around here.

Now if I just had a car . . .

It's A Good Day.

The Bunny's birthday was a huge success. It was her 16th. In an effort to do something new and spectacular that has never been done, I had to really rack my brain for this one.

Fortunately, Bunny is an excellent event planner. Even if I did have to tell her several times to quit worrying, I had this, and it would be great. And you don't plan your own party, you let Mom do it. Honestly, it's like talking to myself.

We decided to have our own little drive-in movie. We backed the cars into the driveway and opened up the backs (the van and the Rav). Hunk O Man borrowed a projector from church and set it up with his laptop, which played a DVD. We hung an old quilt on the neighbor's fence, and voila! Instant drive-in movie! We even had hot dogs and popcorn!

We had ice cream cake. I made this one, and it was just the perfect yummy!

ICE CREAM SANDWICH CAKE

2 boxes ice cream sandwiches

1 package of about 8-10 Reese Cups

1 large container whipped topping, or 2 cans of whipped cream

1 big package of Peanut Butter M&M's

Unwrap one box of the ice cream sandwiches and cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan with them.

Spread half the whipped topping or 1 can of whipped cream over them.

Unwrap the Reese's cups and chop into small bits. Sprinkle these over the whipped cream.

Unwrap the next box of ice cream sandwiches and place in as the next layer.

Spread the other half of the whipped topping or second can of whipped cream over them.

Cover the entire top with the Peanut Butter M&M's.

Freeze about 30 minutes.

The best part about that cake was that it was the perfect blend of peanut butter saltiness and ice cream sweetness. Yummy yum yum yum.

The next day, Hunk O Man and I sat down and had a very serious conversation about the finances around here. We are committed to live within our means, and doing that with 5 teenagers is pretty much of a challenge. It always has been, and God has always provided.

So we're selling the house.

No idea where we'll move, but we are asking God for the kind of miracle that only He can do. That way, we'll know it was entirely from Him, and can give Him total glory for it.

(we have a house in mind, but honestly, there's absolutely no way it can happen)

We prayed about this as a family yesterday, while eating grilled steak and fabulous baked potatoes and salad as a Father's Day lunch. For church, Hunk O Man preached and sang Steven Curtis Chapman's "Cinderella." He made it thru without any tears -- even with all 5 girls lined up in a pew. At lunch, We thanked God for Hunk O Man, the best dad ever, and agreed as a family in asking God to do a miracle for us.

The four eldest girls (Rose, Bug, Bunny, & JB) all left this morning with my van -- to drive to Milligan College in TN for the Christ In Youth conference this week. On Saturday, they'll drive up from TN to southern IN to go to 2 weeks of church camp.

And Rose is The Driver. As in, THE Driver. As in nobody else can drive but her. I continue to pray every time I worry. It is not for me to worry, it is for me to trust God. I felt the same way when Rose and Bug were taken off their heart/lung monitors at 6 months of age. God continues to sweetly whisper in my ear "It's ok, I've got this. Don't worry."

And lastly, it's my birthday today. It's one of the no-big-deal ones -- I was born in 1959 (I'll let you do the math since you're obviously considerably younger than me). Hunk O Man and Baby are taking me to lunch.

I am full of hope and assurrance from our Lord Jesus. My life is very sweet today. I am grateful.

It is a good day.

And A Fun Day Was Had By All.

I played hookey yesterday. No kidding.

I NEVER do this. I am always saying, "No, not this time," or "I have a ton of things to do," or "I'll just stay home, you guys go and have a good time."

But yesterday was different.

I needed to make a trip to Rocky Mount, which is 35 minutes south. I thought JB would want to come so we could remedy her new swimsuit situation. I tried to talk Bunny into coming with, but she she said no. Everyone around here seemed out of sorts, except me. I was worried about it being one of those trips where you regret taking a kid because they are just a pain. So I tried not to be a talky-talky-pest-of-a-mom to JB during the trip down. We listened to praise music on our Christian station. It was nice. She perked up a little.

We did our errands and JB got a new swimsuit, even an additional piece to it that only cost $1 more. She perked up a little more.

So then we decided to sneak off and play hookey. We called Hunk O Man to make sure nothing was happening last night that necessitated our being home. JB told him we were shopping and it would probably take awhile.

We hit a dollar store for cheap Milk Duds and Skittles and Twix bars.

We loaded the candy and our water bottles into my purse that will hold half of China.

We felt very sneaky.

And then, we went to the movies! Wa-hooey!

We wanted to see Narnia, but it didn't start till 7:00PM and this was just about 10 past 5:00PM. So we bought tickets for Iron Man. Matinee prices.

(BTW -- GREAT movie. I loved it. I've always liked Robert Downey Jr and wanted to rescue him from his drug-addicted life. He is just an extraordinary actor. And Gwyneth Paltrow -- thank you, thank you, thank you for the form-fitting clothes that show you have a gorgeous figure and have obviously had two children!)

So we get the big popcorn and the big Diet Coke and head into the theatre. There is one guy in there, in the front row on the floor. We choose the higher-up section and go to the 3rd row. Nothing like a private showing!

I sneakily take my cell phone out, turn it off, and wave goodbye to it. JB waves too. We then begin devouring popcorn.

About 10 minutes into the movie, Elderly Sweet Southern Gentleman, probably in his late 70's, walks in. He is hunched over. He heads for the floor section -- but then decides to come up to the higher altitudes with us. He sits behind us one row, about 5 seats over.

Next thing I know, he's tapping my shoulder as I'm stuffing popcorn into my mouth.

And with that sweet, slow, southern accent, he asks,

"Hey, can y'catch me up? What's happened so far?"

Huh? (quickly swallow popcorn!)

I turn and explain what happened in the beginning of the movie.

"What?" He puts his hand to his ear.

I repeat the description. Then I tell him "this part is 48 hours earlier."

"Oh! So this is like a flashback."

He thanks me profusely and I turn around and smile. I LOVE IT! when this kind of thing happens. It makes me feel used by God and totally in the moment. Very cool stuff, that.

So the movie progresses and we get to the 48 hours later part, and I turn and say, "This is where they all get blown up."

He says "What?" and then "Oh! OK." and smiles.

** (brief aside) Now we are very sneaky in our movie going in the Wesner household. We always, always, always buy popcorn and a drink. We usually end up spending more on that than on the tickets. And then we go to our showing. And when it's done, we movie-hop until we are tired and go home. We usually see 2 or 3 movies. No, we do not actually pay for these movies. But the popcorn and drinks is where the theatres make all their money anyway, so we don't feel bad about that. Plus, there are 7 of us when we all go. Situational ethics, I know. I've gone round and round about this with Hunk O Man. He always wins. The theatres are still making money off us. **

So JB and I are watching the clock because you bet at 7:00PM we're heading over to see Narnia. In the meantime, I am whispering "He's the bad guy, isn't he?" She is just making that raised eyebrow face at me like she does. Bad guy is revealed. I whisper, "I knew it!" She laughs.

At 7:05, we get up to leave. Elderly Sweet Gentleman behind us says "You're not leaving, are you?" He sounds so sad. I feel bad leaving him. But not bad enough to stay.

I wave to him. We make a bathroom stop and sneak into Narnia just in time for one preview. The theatre is not deserted, but it's not even half full. Man o man o man did we ever choose the right day to go to the movies!

JB has already seen Iron Man, so she tells me how it ends. I am happy with that until the DVD comes out.

We devour the rest of the popcorn, almost all the Milk Duds, all the Skittles, one Twix bar, all the Diet Coke and half the water. I whisper to JB at the parts I remember. She whispers questions back. We leave at the end of Narnia talking about all the ways this story is just like God in our lives.

We drive home happy in the 85 degree heat with the sunroof and back windows open. We chat the whole way, and I only drive 65 because it makes the RPM's only go a little over 2, and that gets us better gas mileage.

When we get home, we talk about how light it is outside and how much we love summer. I thank JB for having such a great day with me. We both smile.

And a good day was had by all.