Duke and the Great Pie War

 

Today our church is going to be showing the Veggie Tales movie

Jacob's excited to get to see it. I love the Veggie Tales movies in general. Teaching kids biblical stories and sharing the word of GOD, what a gift!

I'm always saddened when I come across parents who are not doing their best to teach their children the word of GOD, by reading them the bible, taking them to church, and by example. We don't cuss in our home. I do really good 99% of the time on cussing. I'm not always the best at keeping my thoughts to myself, it's something I work on daily. I want my boys to grow up fearing GOD and having such a deep love for him.

I grew up not going to church. I was always very ignorant about what the bible said.My parents never made it a priority in their lives to teach us GOD's word. My grandma took us to Sunday school and church for a few years. We then started going to Youth Group on Sunday nights, it wasn't enough though. I grew up with parents who to this day use the God's name in Vain and it honestly just stabs me in the heart. I do love my parents, yet struggle to honor them. I've learned especially while Chad was in Iraq that stepping back away from them and at one point cutting off all ties to them (for about 6 months) is sometimes necessary. If they were not my parents, I'm really not sure if I'd like them. It makes me sad to say that, yet it's the truth.

I want to be a different kind of mom than what I had. One who runs around playing with her kids, doing art projects, sharing the word of GOD with them, reading to them daily (Daddy reads to them nearly every night and I read to them many times throughout the day!), teaching them new games, having tickle time, and having quiet time where we just sit together and cuddle and talk. If I'm ever blessed to have another daughter, I long for a relationship where she never doubts my love for her. I want to just lavish my kids with love and teach them to be kind and loving children and then adults.

I limit what my children can watch on tv and movies. I know I'm one of the more stict mom's I've come across when it comes to this, but it's what I believe is right for our children. Jacob gets 1/2 hr of tv a day and 1 day a week gets a movie of his choice (well again one that he knows he is allowed to watch). We play outside a lot when it's nice out. He can learn so much more from play than tv. I need to be outdoors as well, because when I'm outside I'm not eating! That's a good thing! lol

Well, I will let you all know what we think of the Veggie Tales movie. I'm sure it'll be great! Yet to see one we haven't liked! Do you have an all time favorite Veggie Tale song? Mine is "God is bigger than the Boogieman". It gets in my head and I can't get rid of it! LOL

 

Have a great day!

 

 

 

Don't you love how when you make a meal and it cooks for a few hours it smells up your whole house. You can walk outside and still smell it! Oh I love that! I love that people are outside their homes smelling something delicious and trying to figure out where it's coming from. (Well if they're like me they are and normally trying to figure out exactly what it is too! LOL)

I made roast for dinner. I normally make it in the electric skillet (my favorite way) or the crock pot. Today I decided to put it in the oven. I've never made a roast in the oven. So I put it in and oh it smelled so good. I made wheat bread too. Again so good!

Chad of course ate it up, and the boys cleared their plates in almost record time. Jacob cleaned his plate and begged for more roast and bread! Jackson finished then begged more roast off of Chad! LOL

Tomorrow we're going to church for a viewing of the new Veggie Tales movie. I'm going to make Round Steak and tomato gravy. Now don't turn your noses up because of the gravy. Trust me, we've yet to make this for someone who doesn't love it! I swear it's the best!! Get some round steak or any type of steak you like and fry it up. Take the drippings from the steak and add a little flour to it then add a can of tomato juice. Cook it to get it to a nice thickness and then serve over mashed potatoes and steak. If any of you are brave enough to make this let me know if you like it or hate it. Most are a little scared, but it's just so good!

Sunday I'm making turkey! The commissary had a good buy on turkey's so I got a small one and am going to make it. I'm definately making homemade noodles and debating stuffing or not. I'm on Weight Watchers and have done so well, so I am a little nervous on the stuffing. No special dessert so that will be good! :) I'm just looking forward to smelling the turkey! I love smelling food, can't imagine why I gained weight like I have,  huh..smelling and eating!

I'm really trying to work hard though on portion control and I really feel like 99% of the time I've done great. Lunch I've done great on, low fat turkey and chicken on whole wheat with carrots fat free ranch and sometimes a handful of pretzels. I am satisfied through the days amazing enough! I've been getting a lot more fruit and veggies into my diet aswell, which fill me up, and biggest accomplishment...no Pepsi or RC! I have had no pop since I started this!!

I've also lost a total of 9 lbs now. Just a 0.8 lb loss this past week, but it's still a loss and a lot of people don't lose anything the week after a big loss! I'm excited to see what this next weeks loss is, well I hope it's a loss! :)

It's just one of those days. Not a bad day, just one of those days. I feel like writing just not sure what. Could be a really boring entry, could be interesting, you never know where my mind will go.

Yesterday my friend had her baby. I wish I was closer to them. Her baby's abdominal wall did not form/close so when she was born her instestines were exposed. Because of the wonderful technology of ultrasound they were prepared and knew surgery and a stay in NICU was in their future. Amazingly because she was doing so well, they decided to do the surgery yesterday vs waiting til today or longer! Please pray for Baby Matti and her parents.

Another of our friends little baby boy is getting ready for his cord blood transplant which is scheduled for the 15th. He has his double lumen central line placed in on Thursday and they will start chemo to prepare him for the transplant. He's only 4 months old. They live our worst nightmare. Their first son died from this disease that Logan has (www.histeo.org). Because it's known that the parents are carriers they were tested and showed they were not carriers, so they decided to get pregnant and had Kharisma, but those tests just didn't seem to apply to my friends, and Kharisma was dx too. She had a successful BMT and is growing to be a beautiful little girl. She still has challenges that's she is overcoming. Logan was their little surprise and again this disease was in his body. I pray one day the experts know how Gary and Sonia are carriers, so that another family doesn't have to go through so much. They are wonderful parents and as hard as it is to watch their precious children go through so much, they are so thankful for every moment they have them.

Gary and Sonia are friends of such a deep emotion that it's hard to find the words. When Christopher, their oldest was dx he was treated at Walter Reed, which is where we met them when we got to Walter Reed with Jordyn. We became friends. A week before Jordyn was admitted to Children's in DC they went ahead of us for Chris's bone marrow transplant (BMT). We went through the transplants together. Sadly Christopher never left the hospital alive. A month exactly after Jordyn was discharged, I got a call in the early morning from Sonia telling me that Christopher was going to die that day.I called our WR nurse as requested by Sonia, to have her go to Children's. A couple hours later, that same nurse called me and said they wanted me to be up there.

For some this may seem odd the way I'm about to state this, but I was honored to be allowed to be in that PICU room when Christopher's heart stopped. Such a precious moment to experience a little precious boy who fought so hard to live, leave for Heaven and they allowed me someone who was a stranger only a year ago, to be with them, Gary's parents, a special dr and nurse from Walter Reed, and them. I watched as Sonia held her little boy in her arms and as the priest gave Chris his last rights and at the moment AMEN was said, his heart stopped. GOD was in that room at that moment, gently taking that precious baby boy from his mommy and daddy.

When we found out Jordyn had relapsed just 2 weeks later, they were there for us. They loved Jordyn and us. In their own sorrow they cared for us. When Jordyn died, Sonia came over, Gary came later. Our lives are forever bonded. We shared our first born children with each other, we loved each other's first born so much, and we were both there the day our first born's died.

Sonia has met Jacob, but not Jackson yet. I haven't gotten to meet Kharisma or Logan, but look forward to the day I get to! We live in the midwest and they on the West Coast, but one day we will get out there. I can't wait to hug my friends again and kiss those beautiful children of theirs.

Well, I guess I got out what I needed for now. I may post something else later, we'll see how I feel.

The pounds will come off!

Well I started Weight Watchers over a week ago. This past Thursday I weighed in and lost 8.2 lbs! I am so beyond happy that I can do this! I need to lose weight desperately. I'm fat, there's no other way about it. I know that with my weight and height I'm considered obese medically. I feel it too. I'm tired, run out of energy far to quickly, and lose my breath so easily. As a mother of 2 toddlers, it just doesn't mix well.

I'm doing this for me, but also for my family. I want to be healthy most of all, I want to feel good about me, and of course I want to look good! I know to some a size 12 is big, but oh I'd LOVE to be down there again. I had some really cute jeans and expensive ones that are a size 12. I have never been able to let them go, smaller sizes yes, because I knew I'd just never get there again and if I did I deserved NEW clothes! LOL

I have 100 lbs to lose, so I'm now down to about 92 to go! I am hoping that with in a year if I'm not to my goal, I'm close. I could accept being with in 20-30 lbs of my goal in a year. That'd be a 70-80 lbs loss. I know it's going to take a lot of work, but I can do it.

I'd love for Chad to come home to a wife half the size he left her, feeling better about herself. I know the weight loss will not heal the hurt that is inside. I do know that I've been disliking myself for so long because of this weight that it'll help in that area anyways. The rest of it, is a lifetime of pain and longing for a little girl who I was blessed to have in my arms for 2 precious years. The rest of the pain is issue's with parents that I either have to learn to let go of, or settle completely for once and for all.

I'll keep you updated in my weight loss. When I've reached my goal, I will proudly announce my weight! I'm sure it's more than what other women would be happy with, but I know that my goal weight is a healthy weight for me and that with toning and working out, my body is going to look good! I'd love to be healthy and looking good when I turn 30! We'll be moving to Germany right before then, so to go over there being healthy and feeling great will be FABULOUS!

I'm hopefuly that when we get there I'll be as good as I was when we lived there the first time and go walking often again. I loved walking there. You could easily go on a walk and see at least 20 or more others out going for walks. We would go on 10 K marches too, I can't wait to do those again.

I know moving back to Germany will be so bittersweet, memories of living there with Jordyn, good and hard all wrapped up in one. Of course everyday is like that. :)

Ok, I'm finally getting tired. I am hoping I get to sleep in tomorrow since Chad's home. I have to go clean the church, but otherwise I hope to be outside with Chad and the boys most the day. I'll go clean during their naptime. Try to talk Chad into moving the living room around while I'm gone so I can get my scrapbook table actually set up and I can start scrapping every evening once the boys are in bed and hopefully during naptime too at least 2 or 3 times a week! I have a feeling I won't be here as long, once I get going! LOL

 

The Notebook

 

If you have not seen this movie, run and buy it. Yes I said buy, because imo it's that good. I have heard the book is so much better, but since I've only seen the movie all I can say is I love it. It's got humor, romance, tearful moments. It's the perfect chick-flick. I will say though  Chad watched it with me and really liked it as well.

I'm buying this movie next payday! I am just in love with this movie! :)

 

GET IT!

Cat Got Your Tongue? It's a funny!

 

 

 

Cat Lover or not, this is hysterical!
 We've all had trouble with our animals, but I don't think anyone can Top
 this one:
Calling in sick to work makes me uncomfortable. No matter how legitimate
 my excuse, I always get the feeling my boss thinks I'm lying. On one
 recent occasion, I had a valid reason but lied anyway, because the truth
 was just too darned humiliating. I simply mentioned that I had sustained
 a head injury, and I hoped I would feel up to coming in the next day. By
 then, I reasoned, I could think up a doozy to explain the bandage on the
 top of my head.
 The accident occurred mainly because I had given in to my wife's wishes
 to adopt a cute little kitty. Initially, the new acquisition was no
 problem. Then one morning, I was taking my shower after breakfast when I
 heard my wife, Deb, call out to me from the kitchen.
 "Honey! The garbage disposal is dead again. Please come reset it."
"You know where the button is," I protested through the shower
 pitter-patter and steam. "Reset it yourself!"
 "But I'm scared!" she persisted. "What if it starts going and sucks me in?"
 There was a meaningful pause and then, "C'mon, it'll only take you a
 second."
So out I came, dripping wet and buck naked, hoping that my silent
 outraged nudity would make a statement about how I perceived her
 behavior as extremely cowardly. Sighing loudly, I squatted down and
 stuck my head
 under the sink to find the button. It is the last action I remember
 performing.
 It struck without warning, and without any respect to my circumstances.
 No, it wasn't the hexed disposal drawing me into its gnashing metal
 teeth. It was our new kitty, who discovered the fascinating dangling
 objects she spied hanging between my legs. She had been poised around
 the corner and stalked me as I reached under the sink. And, at the
 precise moment when I was most vulnerable, she leapt at the toys I
 unwittingly offered and snagged them with her needle-like claws.
 I lost all rational thought to control orderly bodily movements. Blindly
 rising at a violent rate of speed, with the full weight of a kitten
 hanging from my masculine region. Wild animals are sometimes faced with
 a "fight or flight" syndrome. Men, in this predicament, choose only the
 "flight" option. I know this from experience. I was fleeing straight up
 into the air when the sink and cabinet bluntly and forcefully impeded my
 ascent. The impact knocked me out cold.
 When I awoke, my wife and the paramedics stood over me. Now there are
 not many things in this life worse than finding oneself lying on the
 kitchen floor buck naked in front of a group of "been-there, done-that"
 paramedics.
Even worse, having been fully briefed by my wife, the paramedics were
 all snorting loudly as they tried to conduct their work, all the while
 trying to suppress their hysterical laughter and not succeeding.

 Somehow I lived through it all. A few days later I finally made it back
 in to the office, where colleagues tried to coax an explanation out of
 me about my head injury I kept silent, claiming it was too painful to
 talk about, which it was.

 "What's the matter?" They all asked, "Cat got your tongue?"

 If they only knew!
Why is it that only the women laugh at this?

The Bible and a deck of cards

 

It was quiet that day, the guns and the mortars, and land mines for some
reason hadn't been heard. The young soldier knew it was Sunday, the holiest day of
the week. As he was sitting there, he got out an old deck of cards and laid
them out across his bunk.
Just then an army sergeant came in and said, "Why aren't you with the rest of
the platoon?"

The soldier replied, "I thought I would stay behind and spend some time with
the Lord."

 

The sergeant said, "Looks to me like you're going to play cards."

The soldier said, "No, sir. You see, since we are not allowed to have Bibles
or other spiritual books in this country, I've decided to talk to the Lord by
studying this deck of cards."

The sergeant asked in disbelief, "How will you do that?"

"You see the Ace, Sergeant? It reminds me that there is only one God.

The Two represents the two parts of the Bible, Old and New Testaments.

The Three represents the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost.

The Four stands for the Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The Five is for the five virgins that were ten but only five of them were glorified.

The Six is for the six days it took God to create the Heavens and Earth.

The Seven is for the day God rested after making His Creation.

The Eight is for the family of Noah and his wife, their three sons and their wives - the eight people God spared from the flood that destroyed the earth.

The Nine is for the lepers that Jesus cleansed of leprosy. He cleansed ten, but nine never thanked Him.

The Ten represents the Ten Commandments that God handed down to Moses on
tablets made of stone.

The Jack is a reminder of Satan, one of God's first angels, but he got kicked out of heaven for his sly and wicked ways and is now the joker of
eternal hell.

The Queen stands for the Virgin Mary.

The King stands for Jesus, for he is the King of all kings.

When I count the dots on all the cards, I come up with 365 total, one for every day of the year.

There are a total of 52 cards in a deck; each is a week -52 weeks in a year.

The four suits represent the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.

Each suit has thirteen cards - there are exactly thirteen weeks in a quarter.

So when I want to talk to God and thank Him, I just pull out this old deck of cards and they remind me of all that I have to be thankful for."

The sergeant just stood there. After a minute, with tears in his eyes and pain in his heart, he said, "Soldier, can I borrow that deck of cards?"

Please let this be a reminder and take time to pray for all of our soldiers who are being sent away, putting their lives on the line fighting for us.



Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands.  Protect them as they protect us.
  Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need.

I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

Amen.

When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our servicemen and women all around the world. There is nothing attached, but this can be very powerful. Of all the gifts you could give a Soldier or Marine, prayer is the very best one.