In Review, God Is Still Good

Last night we gathered with our home group to do a little after-Christmas celebration. Since it is now closer to New Years than Christmas, we each shared the things we've gone through this past year and what we've learned. It was amazing to recount our stories with each other and how we all seemed to come to the same conclusion - God is Good.

As I listened to my friends share their stories I was reviewing my own in my mind, preparing for my own time to share. It truly is amazing to think back over this past year and see how the Lord was not only with me during each trial and difficult time but also that he is an amazing orchestrator in how he brings those things together with his plan for my life and makes the ugly and hard things into something beautiful.

The first major difficulty of this year really began in the fall of 2008, when Ryan began to have some nasty sleep issues. The problem got worse as he began to take Ambien to help him sleep. As it did help him sleep it also gave him really bad side effects and he began to get severe anxiety to the point of paranoia and panic attacks, among other frightening physical side effects. Even in the midst of all this, when I prayed all I could pray and was at the end of myself in anything I could do to help my husband, the Lord was still with us. When at that scary point of complete dependance upon the Lord, He was there. He knew what was going on even when I didn't, and carried me through.

Somehow, through the Lord's guidance, Ryan did research on Ambien and found that he had become dependent on it, to the point of addiction (even though his doctor disagrees with him to this day). After doing research and much prayer, Ryan found a way to step down off the drug. Even during this time I was still in awe of how even though I was unaware of what is going on and was helpless to do anything about it, the Lord is still with us and guiding me though each day. I have learned, once again, to trust Him with my life and the lives of those I love.

The other major battle I've been through, again, didn't start with 2009. It began back when we moved here three years ago. Since moving into the rental house, I had a mindset of it being temporary, that we'd soon buy a house and move out. What should have been only one year turned into to three plus. Buying a house always seemed to be six months out, just out of reach. Many times I've had to learn to be content with where the Lord had us, and for that three years and three months it was in the rental house.

Again, I am amazed at how the Lord times things to perfection. I could never, in my own way of thinking and planning, ever come to the beautiful end to this story. I continue to learn that my ways are not His ways, and his way is much better than mine could ever be!

This home-owning journey has certainly been a roller coaster for me. One day I am depressed about it because I'm not where I want be. Then the next I'm giving it up and trusting the Lord for his timing and provision. Up and down, I tell ya! Then!, then!.....we finally get to the point of 'yes! we can buy!'. Then the emotional journey of letting go truly begins. How hard it is to see a house and get attached, and all before the offer is submitted. Only to get into a battle of offers with the bank and then to get passed over because, although our offer was 20k OVER asking, it wasn't high enough. In the end, we put offers on a total of four houses. Talk about letting go and trusting God!!!

I could go into more detail on both of these journeys of faith, but in the end the conclusion is the same - God can be trusted in all areas of my life, and He is good no matter the situation. As I look forward to yet another new year, I have no idea what is ahead but I take with me what I've learned and know that each day is an opportunity to trust Him, yet again.

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,

and he delivers them.

Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Fear the LORD, you his saints,

for those who fear him lack nothing.

Psalm 34: 7-9

She Can't Be Trusted

The good thing about having the kids in school is that I can do some shopping without them around. It comes in really handy when getting Christmas or birthday gifts. And in our family we have both, due to Caleb's birthday being two days before Christmas.

This year we let Caleb have a birthday party, so I was super-focused on getting that together and forgot about getting him a gift until just the other day. Good thing I had a few days before we leave town to get him something! Ryan and I talked over a few ideas then I hit Costco to see what they had. Isabel was not in school at the time, so she joined me and I didn't think much of it until I picked up what would be Caleb's gift - a Bakugan set. I knelt down and talked to Isabel about this being Caleb's birthday present and that it was a secret. She assured me that she would keep the secret, though I had my doubts (but what else could I do as she knew what the gift was and understood it was for Caleb??).

Before picking up the MaeLeb, I swung home and stashed Caleb's gift away, then headed for school. After getting the kids, we weren't even in the truck but a few minutes when Isabel says "Caleb, you got Bakugan for your birthday!".

The rat! Little stinker!

Fortunately some things are difficult to understand when Isabel talks. It's not always clear what she is trying to say. In this case I stepped in and tried to save the moment. I said something like "yeah, Caleb got Bakugans at his party!". But Mae knew what Isabel was saying and tried to correct me, but I cut her off before she could spill it all. Caleb, I think, didn't pick up on what was going on. At least that is my hope.

But I think we need to work on our secret-keeping skills. Or go shopping after bedtime.

At Least I Can Stop Working On My Acceptance Speach

Yeah. So the story is that I won't be nominated for Mother Of the Year. And I was sooo close too.

The kids new school has one day a week that has an early release time. It lets out one hour earlier than normal. Thursday (today!) is that day. And me, being the front runner for Mother of the Year, forgot.

I have my new schedule down. I leave the house at 2:15 in order to get to the school in time to to score a good parking spot. But when I pulled into the should-have-been-full parking lot, it wasn't. In fact there were prime spots just sitting vacant. I began to think 'wow, this is weird. It's almost like school has already been released or something, but I'm a few minutes early. Everyone else must be running late (you know, 'those' moms who are not in contention). Yeah, that's me, a little slow in the comprehension of the situation. But then it hit me - 'School already IS out because today is the EARLY day!'.

After briskly walking by Mae and Caleb's classrooms and the playground, I headed to the office. That's where they were, waiting for me. I had told them a few weeks ago that if I was ever not there to pick them up that they should wait for me in the school office. Poor Caleb was crying as we walked to the truck. I don't blame him, I probably would have too. And Mae was quick to forgive her forgetful mother. I wonder if she'll nominate me for an Honorable Mention?

I Just Love It

One of our favorite shows is So You Think You Can Dance. It typically runs over the summer, but we have the treat to watch a rare season this fall. There are all kinds of dance displayed on the show. There's contemporary, ballroom, latin, jazz, and surprisingly, my favorite....hip hop. I don't know why it is, it just is.

The show airs twice a week and on the second night they usually have guest performers. The performers range from singers to different types of dancers/dance groups. Well, last week they featured a new dance company called The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers. And you guessed it, they are hip hop. But they are Ah. May. Zing. (and, yes, extraordinary!) Well, see for yourself....

I love how they move, their use of 'tricks', the use of strength with such fluidity, and how silent they seem to move. And....and....and.....*sigh* I just love it. It doesn't hurt that they were dancing to Coldplay either. Anyway, I hear that the group won't officially begin until next year, which is really only weeks away, but whenever they do start doing shows and touring, I hope they will perform in our area 'cause I'd love to go see them!

Old Age Comes Early

Today I heard that Modesto got snow! I'm not too surprised to hear it, although Modesto rarely sees snow. I was thinking this morning "It's snowed there before. I remember when I lived there when it snowed". It was a very exciting day! The snow didn't stick, but it was still fun to see it falling.

It was also quite a long time ago......

The winter of 1989 I was a freshman in high school and it snowed one afternoon during Christmas break. Wow...I was a freshman and it was 1989......that means it was *gasp!* 20 years ago!!! Holey mach-ah-moley.....20 years??!?!!

I'm starting to feel old.

They Do Exist!!!

Lo and behold.....look what I found at Old Navy!!!



Flip flops in winter!

Too bad they didn't have them in Caleb's size.

New Number

Dear ABC Plumbing,

I am at a loss as to why you are no longer in business. The calls that I am receiving on your behalf should have been enough to keep you afloat (no pun intended). Shall I give incoming calls a forwarding number???

Sincerely,

A Homeowner with a new number that happens to be your old one

Day 30 - whoops!!!

Did anyone realize that I missed a few days of giving thanks?? I had a feeling that would happen since we were traveling for Thanksgiving. It was my intention to do my postings while we were gone, but it just didn't happen. I wasn't about to stress over it, so I just sat back and enjoyed our families instead.

We left early on Thanksgiving morning for Modesto. And by 'early' I truly mean super-duper-pooper-scooper early! As in before-the-sun-was-up early! We were on the road by 4:00. See! Told you it was early. Anyway, since we were up before the sun, the kids got a wee tired while on the road. They don't usually sleep on these trips anymore, however, not only did they doze off, they fell asleep at the same time! It was cute so I had to take a snap to capture the moment.

Well, I didn't complete the 30 day challenge of posting every day, but I did find many things to be thankful for. While we were gone over Thanksgiving I found a few more. Here they are;

* coffee - makes super-early-morning-trips easier

* sleepy kids - makes road trips easier

* Thanksgiving meals with all the fixin's

* a boy named Jacob - my new nephew, and he's so stinkin' cute! ("stinkin'" in a good way) :)

* leftovers

* Mom's pumpkin pie (there's nothing better!)

* Thanksgiving - a fabulous reason to get together with the families I love so much!

* fully charged portable dvd player - again, makes road trips easier (aka quieter)

* being home again - as it was great to get away and spend time with our families, it's always nice to be home again.

There, that should sufficiently make up for my lack of posting over the past few days. Don'tcha think?!

Flip Flops

Living in Southern California has it's advantages. Among them is the fabulous weather! I can pretty much wear the same shoes all year around. It's great! Especially when my daily shoes are a nice pair of comfy sandals. However, this fine weather is hard the kids shoes. They don't last quite as long. But I suppose that's more the kids fault than it is the weather's.

Since this past spring, Caleb has worn out of three pairs of flip flops. My son is a flip flop kind of boy. He was certainly born to live here, that's for sure! The only thing is that you can't always get flip flops whenever you want/need them. For example, Caleb's flip flops broke just the other week and I was at a loss to replace them. Poor guy, he's been wearing his tennis shoes instead!

I looked at Wal-Mart and thought maybe I had scored. But the only flip flops they had were WWF. Sorry, but there is no way I was buying my son World Wrestling Federation flip flops, even though all of that would be covered by his foot when wearing them. Nope, not gonna do it. Sorry kid.

Then a friend told me that they had seen some at Target. So to Target I went. They did have some, but only for girls.

So I had given up and consigned myself to wait for spring.

Until I went to the dollar store to get things for our recent house warming party. I wasn't even looking for flip flops but there they were! They not only had some, they were a nice gender-neutral green. So I snatched them up right quick!

I only wish I had grabbed more than one, for I know that one pair is not going to last the winter! Maybe I'll go back next week. But there's probably some relative law of something or other that will determine that there will be none left. Alas, I will be thankful for this one last pair of flip flops found out of season.

Day 24

This week the kids do not have school due to Thanksgiving. I don't remember having the entire week off when I was a kid. But alas, mine do. And in the spirit of giving thanks, I will choose to not complain about having the kids home 24/7. Instead I will focus on the good and fun things about it!

- I don't have to get up and take the kids to school.

- thus meaning I can sleep in (depending on how 'quiet' the kids are)

- and there is also no rush to go anywhere, unless I want to.

- which also means I can stay up later and watch a few more shows (instead of letting them fill up the DVR)

- we leave for Modesto early Thursday morning so we can spend it with family! (again, I choose to not focus on the fact that this requires me to get up too-early in the morning and drive for hours on end. nope, not gonna do it! we have a dvd player and that is very helpful on trips like this! - see??....I'm so thankful!)

Day 23

Today I am thankful for play dates.

Caleb has had a rough start to his new school. It's funny because he's not the one I was concerned about with the whole school change thing. I was spending more time with Mae and talking about her transition than I was with Caleb. See, Caleb is just an easy going kind of guy that has never had problems making friends. Mae, on the other hand, is more reserved in new situations where she doesn't know anyone. So I was quite surprised to hear from Caleb that his first day went so badly. It broke my heart.

Things got better for Caleb after that first day, but it was still difficult for him to get in the groove with new kids. Actually, I thought things were going well until last week when he told me at bedtime one night that one of his 'friends' wasn't being nice to him. Again, my heart broke for my sweet boy. There wasn't much I could say to help him feel better, so I told him about a play date that I had arranged for this week with a friend of his from his old school. It helped a little

Anyway, that day was today and Caleb had a great time with his 'old' friend and it was like they'd never been apart. And I'm glad that for one day I didn't have to wonder how my boy was doing.

Last Minute Scavenger Hunt

Yesterday we had an open house for our new home, and as this past week closed in on 'party day', I had a spur of the moment thought - I think I shall put together a scavenger hunt for the kids! The idea was to give the kids something to do while the adults are busy doing boring things, like, talk. Within a few hours of my most brilliant plan, I had a list of ideas compiled.

I thought of things for the kids to go out and find, some in the house but mostly all outside in the backyard. There were only six things on the list but I think it was enough to occupy them. I took close-up pictures of certain areas or objects and then paired the picture clue with the question. These were questions;

"how many steps are there?" - partial picture of the steps at the back of the property

"what kind of fruit is on this tree?" - picture of the lemon tree

"who sleeps here?" - partial picture of Mae's bunk

"how many orange ribbons are hidden in the backyard?" - picture of one stand of orange thread on a branch (seventeen in all, this kept them very occupied!)

"find the five hidden letters around the yard and unscramble the word"

"Find this object, look inside and take one." - picture of the giant terra cotta pot in the yard

The last clue led them to the giant pot, and inside I had put goodie bags for each kid. And may I just say how much I dearly love the dollar store??? It comes in so handy on occasions like this where I don't want to spend a whole lot but still would like to give something more than a solitary piece of candy. So, anyway, I think the scavenger hunt was a hit! The kids were pretty occupied with their search that they were well entertained and not getting into trouble or getting grumpy with wanting to leave a boring party.

I am thankful for last-minute-party-saving ideas!

Celebrating the Blessing

I was home all day today. And it was a gorgeous So Cal day, too! I was up and moving before 9:00, and that's unusual for me on a Saturday. Plus, I didn't sit down once between 9:30 to about 7:00. But it's all good......we had an open house today to celebrate our new home with our friends!

We've never had an open house for any of our other homes we bought. At first I felt a little funny about having an open house since it isn't our first home purchase, but the blessing of this house isn't the house itself, it's the journey that has brought us here. And that is what we celebrated today.

It was decided that we'd host the party from 1:00 to 4:00. Ryan designed the invite and I emailed them out (we're so 'up with the times', we are). Ryan made three different appetizers (which all got rave reviews from everyone!) and I made a fabulous apple crisp (if I do say so myself). Also, I got a wild idea two days ago to put together a scavenger hunt for the kids that would be here (as if I didn't have enough on my plate with getting the house clean and ready). I was rushing around as the first guests arrived, but as our wonderful friends are, they jumped in and helped us finished getting things ready.

Other than Ryan burning his hand early on in the game, the open house was a success! Good food was had by all and we enjoyed sharing our home with our friends as a bunch of kids ran around looking for clues! I kinda like having an open house, they're fun. It's a lot of work, but totally worth it!

Hamburger

Isabel still says certain words in her own way. We love it! And in most cases we don't correct her. At. All. We like to hear these sweet mispronounced words as long as possible. It's our way of holding onto our baby as long as we can.

Lately she makes us laugh when she says 'hamburger'. Just yesterday, as Isabel and I were driving around town, she spotted a McDonalds and said something to the effect that Mickey-D's has hamburgers. But that's not what she said exactly (hee hee) so I asked her again and again and again! We were having fun saying the silly mispronounced word, and she said it many different ways but never the right way. I was just eating it up (so to speak).

Here are a few ways that she tried to say hamburger, I think she may be related to Steve Martin's Pink Panther!

bigger

ham-bigger

ham-beh-bigger (this one is most often said, and my favorite!)

Day 19

Today I am thankful for the store that is practically down the street from me. This store has a gas station attached to it and if you have a membership with this store (which I do!) then you pay three cents less per gallon. Aside from the three cent per gallon savings, it is still a good ten to fifteen cents cheaper than other gas stations around town.

Today this is what I paid (and yes, that does include my three cent savings!)

Day 18

Today I am thankful for my crock pot.

It's so nice to cook up some ground beef, italian sausage, onion and green pepper, then throw it in the good ol' crock pot along with some canned goods and a few spices. I like how I can relax through the rest of the afternoon and as 5:00 rolls around I don't have to scramble to get dinner started.

I love crock pot days!

**want the recipe?? click here, then come back and share with me one of your favorite crock pot recipes!

Day 17

Today I am thankful for:

* preschool

* bible study with God's women

* Starbucks gift cards

* visiting with a friend while all kids are at school

* driving in the truck by myself (did I just have an uninterrupted thought??)

* cooler temps that let me wear socks around the house

Ahead of Time

Last night we didn't go out on a free date as we normally do on Awana nights. But that's ok. Ryan had work to do so when it came time to take the kids to Awana I decided to go grocery shopping during my 'free time'. I know, strange huh? Well, I'm not going to have time to go today while MaeLeb are in school and we all know how important it is to eat so I had to go last night. Besides, going to the store by myself is a joy in itself (any mother knows that!).

So, today I am thankful that I took the time to think ahead and take care of that little nuisance of a chore (grocery shopping) so I could have time to play as a friend and I are going to Ikea! The extra bonus, as I've mentioned before, is that we plan to take full advantage of Ikea's free childcare.

I'm thankful for Ikea today, too.

To Do Lists

Now that we are all moved in, our To Do list is quite different. It no longer includes getting boxes, or filling them, or arranging the timing of getting them to their new destination. Nope, done with all that silliness. But now the list includes household projects. Things like (but not limited to) changing the locks, organize the garage, take boxes away (get 'em outta here!), changing the hinge direction on the fridge and washer/dryer doors, get a pool vacuum, and so on.

Friday night Ryan and made a list of things that needed to get done. The hope was that we'd get to most of them this weekend. And I'm here to say that Ryan is my hero! He completed one of the projects that I've been wanting completed since we moved in.....he moved around the fridge doors!!!! I just love my man so so much!

Our kitchen is on the small side and might be considered galley style. When the fridge door opens you have to stand in the laundry room to do so. I would feel like I was on an episode of House Hunters and displaying the inefficiency or awkwardness of the current home (I know, I watch too much HGTV!). It would make more sense if the door opened in the other direction. And so on the list it went.

But now Ryan has knocked off one big item off the list! It's a more cost efficient solution than remolding the kitchen or buying a new house to solve our issue. Don't you think?! And if you know me, I'm all for frugalness. So today I am thankful for a no-cost solution, as well as for my husband who completed the project for me.

Giving Thanks

Today is Saturday, thus the weekend.

And for that, I am thankful.

I'll Thank Myself Later

I had a fabulous idea this week. I'm sure you've never heard of it, so brace yourself for my brilliance. Are you ready?

As I made two dinners this past week, I made extra, on purpose!, and put them in the freezer for a later date!!!

*cricket*

*cricket*

Well, yes, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking to yourself "Hello Deanne, that's not a new idea. In fact they even have cookbooks for that sort of thing". I know that too, but my point is that I've never purposefully done it before. I even accounted for it when putting my weekly menu and shopping list together. And so I'm proud of myself. And I know I'll thank myself even more when I have one of those days when I feel the need to not cook and I can reach in my freezer for a finished homemade meal.

Yep, I'm brilliant. And I'm so thankful.

~~~~~

in case your curious, or just want a new recipe, I made (and froze!) enchiladas and chicken lasagna. now you have to share a recipe with me! (and I'll thank you for it!)

Granite Countertops

When buying a house that is not new, you don't get the option of choosing features. Things like flooring, cabinets and countertops are part of the package and not easily changed. It's just something that I have to learn to live with wether I like them or not. Now, I know that granite is all the rage but I don't think I'd necessarily pick it if I had the choice. But, I must admit that I like the countertops in my kitchen.

I like the gray and black combination. And I know I'm gonna like it when it comes time to roll out my pie crust. The other thing I like about my granite countertops is that it covers/hides a multitude of mess. The counters don't add stress to my life as I look around me to see what needs to be cleaned and picked up after. And after a quick wipe down, any clean-up stress I may have had is now gone.

I love my countertops!!

Sour Skittles

Last night I took Mae and Caleb to the fabric store with me as I had to pick up a few skeins of yarn. As always, the kids start looking around and pulling things off the shelves and asking if they can have it, or if I would buy it then they'll pay me back when we get home. I spouted off a half dozen of the typical motherly response - no. However, I was almost to the cashier when we passed by the last-chance-purchase isle (also known as; come-on-sucka-buy-me-I'm-only-a-buck-section). This little isle is a kid magnet! It's not filled with important don't-forget-this-you'll-need-it-for-your-project type stuff. Oh, no, no! There's little colorful note pads, daily calenders, half-dried up markers, and flimsy wooden cut outs that you can paint. But mostly it has candy. And lots of it.

My resistance was weakened and I succumbed to the pleading and allowed Mae to get a cute little notepad with a teeny little pen. Well, I couldn't let Mae pick something out and not Caleb. So I let him get one thing of candy. At first he wanted some bubble tape, but then he changed his mind at the last second and chose a small bag of Skittles, the sour ones. I thought that was an interesting choice considering he doesn't like spicy things. Maybe candy is the exception to that rule.

I had one more stop before going home and along the way I asked if Caleb would share his candy with me, and he did. Of course I couldn't have just one and Mae wanted some too. Again he obliged us (more willingly after I promised to buy him another package at the store). We had fun making funny faces and sounds as we ate the sour candy. At first we'd eat just one and say whether it was really sour or not. It was determined that the green ones were the most sour. But then we upped the sour level by eating two different ones at a time! Again green won out when paired with red.

It's amazing what one package of candy can do. I enjoyed have fun with my kids, which is something I feel rarely happens, and for a small window of time I think they had fun with me too. My tounge feels a bit raw and food may not have much flavor over the next day or so, but it was totally worth it and I am thankful for that one little bag of sour Skittles.

When Your Computer And Printer Need Marital Counseling....You Know Your In Trouble!

Yep, gotta love technology. Ever since the big wiping and cleaning of our computer a few months ago, I have been without a way to print. I've had to email things to Ryan at work asking him to print it for me (please?!) and bring it home. And I must confess that I've hated it immensely!

I like to print things. Things like maps to go places, or a coloring page for one (or all) of the kids, or samples of Isabel's name so she can trace it and learn to write her own name, and regular ol' pictures from our camera. Or silly things like documents needed to purchase a house. You know, trivial things like that. I kinda like the ability to print.

But I've been without this luxury for way too long. I have tried to not complain or whine about it. Really, I have.

At the beginning of this fiasco, I was told by my resident computer techie guy something like this....."blah blah blah computer blah blah printer blah blah blah software update blah blah several months, not sure blah blah Windows 7 blah blah blah....". But whatever all that meant, I'm here to tell you that as of last night I CAN PRINT WHENEVER I WANT!!!! Yay, the computer is now on speaking terms with the printer! And today I am thankful for the harmonious relationship they now share!!!

Doing Laundry

I know, I know.....you're thinking I'm crazy for being thankful for doing laundry. You are, aren't you?! Well, let me put your fears to rest. I only say that I like doing laundry because of the fabulous washer and dryer that came with the house. You see, the washer and dryer is the Kenmore version of the Duet. This means that what used to take me two to three loads of wash now fits into one. ONE I tell ya!!!!!

Now couple that superb bit of information with water and energy efficiency and you've got one happy housewife. Well, as happy as a housewife can be about doing laundry. We housewives do have our limits when it comes to pairing joy and chores.

Sunday Nights

Many thanks to our church and the Awana program, Ryan and I have Sunday nights alone. It's almost like a free date night once a week. It's awesome!!!

We drop the kids off around 5:45 then we pick them up at 7:30. That's a good hour and a half of free time! On these Sunday nights we have gone shopping, perused bookstores, grabbed a cup of coffee or just plain lazed around the quiet house together.

It's a win-win for all of us. The kids get spiritual nourishment and fun time with friends outside of the house. And Ryan and I get some kid-free time together. I love Sunday night Awana!

However, Isabel is not well and she won't be attending her beloved Awana tonight (shhh, she doesn't know this yet). So Ryan and I will not have a kid-free night tonight. But that's ok, whatever we do we can go out and pretend that we only have one kid!

Day 7

New nephew - Ryan's sister had her baby today!! This makes me an auntie again! And I love the name they chose, Jacob Ryan. I am thankful that mom and baby came through birth without any problems or complications. Too bad we have to wait two and a half weeks to see the little (10 pound!!) guy.

Feety pajamas - I just love babies in feety pajamas! And I've got one super-cutie tonight as Isabel wears a pair of hand-me-down jammies from Mae. She may be four but she's still my baby!

Good kids - A friend of mine took some pictures of our family today and the kids did great! I wasn't sure how it was going to go as I ironed shirts, bathed kids and did up girly hair. One child (who shall remain nameless) was in a poopy mood today and was not happy about the outfit that was to be worn. This child was a basic all-around grump, complete with frowns and whining. But all the kids were great when it came time to smile and look like a nice happy family. I have high hopes for the proofs!

No rats - nope, no rats in the pool today!!! We are thinking that it may be a good idea to get a cat. A good mouser kind of cat, or better yet....a rat killer. We've heard a critter in the walls since moving in so getting a good cat that will keep the critter population down would be a good investment. I'm already thinking of names. We'd want a good solid name for a rat killer, a cat named Fluffy just won't do. How about Rouge, Spike, or Axel? Or Ryan's favorite so far, Exterminator?

Long-Handled Nets

To care for our pool I need to brush it down every day. It gets the dirt off the sides of the pool and keeps leaves and dirt from settling in and causing stains. To do this requires me to use a great big ol' pool brush. And if I see leaves that have settled at the bottom then I can use the long-handled net to reach down and get them out. It's quite handy.

Today I was out doing my daily pool duty and I noticed that there were some leaves at the bottom. In fact, not only did I see a few leaves here and there, I also saw a small branch with a cluster of leaves too. I thought to myself "I'll brush down the pool and use the net when I'm done to get the leaves out". I'm so proactive.

As I was finishing my last brush strokes I had another thought...."I'm just going to use the brush to capture the branch and then drag it up to the top, then I'll just reach in, grab it, and take it out.". The branch was just big enough for me to do that, so that's what I did. Until the branch got a little closer to the surface and I saw that it wasnt' really a branch at all. It was a dead rat.

Ewe!!!!

This calls for the net! There's no way I'm stickin' my hand in there and pulling out, let alone touch!, a dead anything! Nope. I'm sooo using the net. So I grabbed the long handled net, captured the dead rat and put it in the garbage.

I'm grateful for long-handled nets. I'd be even more grateful for a husband with a long-handled net or even a pool guy with a long-handled net! But I'll just be thankful for what I've got and that I'm not too squeemish and could take care of the situation without freaking out. That, and I now have something to blog about today. See?....now I'm doubly thankful*!

Wanna come over for a swim?

*can this count for two days worth of posting??

Finding Things

I don't like it when I can't find something. It makes me crazy! I consider myself to be a pretty organized person and I can usually find things quickly. But being in a new place makes finding things more difficult when it comes to figuring out how things work and how they are connected.

There is a ceiling fan on our back patio. It's going to be great next summer when I have friends over on hot days. I can see it now.....I'll be able to sit outside, under the cooling fan, and relax with friends as our kids are chillin' in the pool. The only thing is that we don't know how to turn it on, we can't find the switch!

I thought that it had been turned on at one point by one of the kids but none of them fessed up to doing the deed. And course we never did find the switch. The fan wasn't turning very fast so in my mind I chalked it up to the wind moving the blades. Then this morning I happened to look out the back window and see that the fan was spinning at full speed! There was no mistaking that it was on, wind or no wind, it was ON! Now we just had to find the switch for it had obviously been flipped recently.

Last night I had sent Mae outside, through the garage, to put some stuff in the garbage. It was dark and she had come back in asking how to turn on the outside light. I told her it was a motion light and to just throw the stuff away and the light would come one. However, there is a switch right by that door, and one of the two switches works the front lamppost and sidewalk lights. The other switch???.....turns out it works the patio fan and light. Mae had flipped the switch while trying to turn on an outside light.

Mystery solved!

Now, why is the switch for the patio fan not on the patio? Why is it not in any adjoining room like the family room or kitchen? Why is the switch not only in the garage but as far away from the fan as it possibly can be? Who knows. But......

I am so thankful! This means that Ryan won't have to crawl up in the attic and follow the electrical conduit to its end. I'm thinking Ryan is thankful too.

Ability and Strength

Over the past month, as I was packing boxes, moving furniture and cleaning the hard to reach places, a verse often came to my mind.

She sets about her work vigorously;

her arms are strong for her tasks. ~ Proverbs 31:17

When that last part ran through my thoughts, I was thankful to the Lord for my health and strength. I was glad that I was able to do the things that needed to be done.

I'm typically in good health and there has rarely been a time when I was not able to do what I had set out to do. However, I do remember an exception to that statement. When I was in the last few months of pregnancy with Isabel, I found myself unable to lift certain things and there were several little projects that I wanted to do but knew that I was unable to do them. That was a first for me and it was frustrating, if not a bit annoying. It made me rely more on Ryan to get those projects done for me. But it has also made me more aware of my ability and strength when I am healthy and able.

So today I am thankful to the Lord for His blessing of good health and strength for the tasks I have before me.

Day 3

It is day number 3 of my trying to post daily the things I'm thankful for. It was my plan to go to my dental appointment and come back with good news and therefore sharing my thanks for the day. But things didn't go the way I had planned. In fact, I left the dentists office with an extra appointment. *sigh* I can't say I'm thankful for that, it would be a lie.

However, I am thankful that I remained calm during the entire visit. That is something to be thankful for! For me that is a big deal, it really really is.

The Day I Get A New Number

Yep, today's my birthday. But I'm not gonna tell you how old I am. Nope. Not gonna do it. You'll just have to use your skills of perception and whatnot and figure it out. But I will say that I am not 21 (even if I do still look it! - ha!)

I had a very fine weekend. My parents came to visit and see our new house. It was great! They got here just as Mae and Caleb got out of school on Friday. That night we went to a local church and the kids dressed up for Halloween and played games and got lots of candy.

Saturday we had an easy morning then got busy organizing the garage so Ryan and I could get both vehicles parked inside. Mission accomplished! Then later Ryan and I were able to get away and see a movie and get some dinner while Mom and Dad watched the kids. I love it when grandparents get to watch the kids!

Yesterday, we went to church then went out to lunch and had some fabulous fish tacos! Later Mom and I peeled a bunch of apples from our tree and made some apple crisp. Mmmmmm......apple crisp is one of my favs and it did not disappoint! The only downside is that I had to make myself stop eating it. But the upside to that is that there is leftovers for me to enjoy today, my birthday!

Today I am thankful for my family, that my parents made the trip and spent the weekend with us. I enjoy having visitors and sharing the home that Lord has blessed us with.

NaBloPoMo 2009

It's that time of year again! Yep, it's National Blog Posting Month!!!

I participated last year, and even though it was daunting I did succeed is posting something every day. Given my current track record I'm not sure if I can manage it again this year, but I'm gonna try! I will certainly be taking advantage of the handy dandy auto posting feature, but you'll never know the difference. Trust me.

There is no given theme for NaBloPoMo this year, but I was thinking of trying to post about things I'm thankful for. You know, 'cause November is the month of Thanksgiving and all. I may slip in some things that just plain make me smile, and smiling is something to be thankful for, right? Ok, so I may need to stretch it a bit, but that's ok with you, right? I thought so. Thank you for being so understanding. See?....I'm feeling the attitude of gratitude already!

So let the daily posting begin!

Costume Dilemas

Today is the day the kids get to wear their Halloween costumes to school. Mae is a fairy. Caleb, after I bought stuff to make him a specific costume, is a Clones Wars storm trooper. Then there is Isabel, she's a lady bug (or as she says it, a leggy bug).

The elementary school requested that the kids dress up as a character from a good book (ie. nothing scary or mean). As Mae likes to read fairy books and already had a fairy costume, that one was easy. Caleb was different. I was going to try to make him a Pigeon costume out of one of Wendy's towel poncho pattern. I even got the towels and all other fabrics and thread! But then Caleb and I went to Target the other night and he spent the last of his gift card on his storm trooper costume. I was getting nervous about embarking on the towel project, and frankly I think Caleb was just humoring me with the towel costume anyway, so I didn't put up a fight about him getting it. And after getting the teacher's approval, Caleb is wearing his trooper costume at school today (minus the mask and light saber, of course).

Yesterday, Isabel came up to me and in a sweet little voice said "I want a bunny costume Mama". With that cute little pleading voice, how could I resist?? Answer: I could not. So we went out to find what I could use to put together a bunny costume. But before we even left the house she had changed her mind two times. To a flower. Then a clown. We stuck with the bunny and left! After going to a party supply store for some little bunny ears.......we left with some lady bug wings and antenna headband. She may not be a bunny but I do have a happy little leggy bug!

Last night Mae asked me if I would curl her hair in the morning, to go along with her fairy costume. So I set my alarm a little bit earlier and I was up in time this morning to add some curls to my fairy. Too bad that when I was almost done Mae told me that she didn't want it curled that way (with the curling iron), she meant she wanted me to flip her hair out with the round brush and blow dryer. I don't know why she didn't tell me that when we stepped into the bathroom and I busted out the curling iron!

So this morning I dropped off a content storm trooper and one sad little fairy. But she did make cute sad fairy, if I do say so myself.

I'm Back, Maybe

Wow, it's been two weeks since my last post! I have a good reason though, I really really do....we moved!

Yes, as of tomorrow we will have been in our new house for two whole weeks! And even though the move went smoothly, I still have to deal with a lot of details before we are finally settled and living a normal routine. In fact, I feel so scattered these days! A huge reason for it is due to the fact that Ryan has been gone for all the 'fun stuff'. Stuff like, MOVING and taking care of the rental. Why is that, you ask? Well, he's been traveling the world. Places like Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong. I think he's been gone more this month than he's been home. So that puts a lot more on me than it normally would have. But I'm managing ok (aside from my scatteredness!).

So, we're in and life is moving along and we are adjusting as we go. Hopefully, as things begin to settle down a bit more, I'll have time to arrange my thoughts and do some more updating and blogging. In the mean time, I am still praising the Lord for His blessings in our lives and am loving the new home He has given us!

Lookee What We Got!!!

Keys!!! To our very own house! Moving has begun and won't stop 'til it's done (which had better be this weekend!).

I'm So Excited I Could Puke!

When I was younger (much, much younger!) and getting ready to go on a trip I used to get so wound up inside with anticipation and excitement that I almost made myself sick. My tummy would be just a little too tied up to eat much and I'd inevitably get hungry after we got on the road and on our way. That's a bit like how I feel about this week. All excited and tied up inside if I think too much about it.

Why, you ask?

'Cause we're signing papers and moving this week! That's why I'm so stinkin' excited!!!!!!

The only thing that tempers me is all the details that are still undone. Things like the odds and ends that have yet to be packed. And that we're not exactly sure when we'll be signing papers and getting the keys. Just little things like that. Oh, and there's also things like when friends will come over and help move boxes, and picking Mom up at the airport, and being ready for the furniture movers early Friday morning!

Details, details. They have a way of ruining a good I'm-so-excited-I-could-puke party! But then again, I think I may be just a wee bit too excited for little things like details to wreck my excitement and inner turmoil.

Another Treasure For My Heart

It's funny the things kids say. I've always enjoyed hearing their cute, mispronounced words, or a retelling of an event from their perspective. Today Isabel gave me another tib bit to add to the things that I'll recount throughout my years.

Isabel and I were driving out of the neighborhood on our way to run a few errands. As I passed an apartment complex, I saw that two of their buildings were tented for bug bombing. Of course Isabel saw them too...

Isabel - I see something!

Me - what do you see?

Isabel - A circus!!!

Running Out Of Time!!!

Saturday I started packing and did a total of six boxes. Not much, I understand that, but it did clear out our bookcase and maybe a quarter of the hall closet. I stacked the boxes by our front door where there is a nice place to do some stackin'.

Last night I did more of the hall closet, some of our walk-in closet, some pictures, two hope chests, and some bathroom stuff. I think that brought the total of boxes up to 17. I added them to the stack by the front door.

I had a grand thought. I was toying with the idea of taking pictures that showed the progression of my packing and stacking. But seriously I don't have the time. If I did take pictures then I'm wasting my time when I could have/should have packed another box or three.....'cause we're moving in three weeks!!!! *insert crazed scream here*

Yeah, as I said, I don't have the time. Sorry.

I Signed Papers, Took Pictures

Yep, that's what I did on Friday when we were at the house for the inspection. A lot of it. I consider the paper signing as training for closing day. And the pictures? Well, I just need to share my excitement and what better way to do that than to take and post pics??!

Here are a few to get an idea of how the Lord is blessing us with our soon-to-be-home!

front of the house with a spec of lawn

living room with a nice built in bookcase and cabinet!

dining room and kitchen....with a walk-in pantry!

family room (piano not included, darn!)

patio and pooooool

come, take a turn with me on the grounds, will you?

Blogoversary? What? I Don't Have Time For This!!!

It's true! Today is my 3 year Blogoversary and I don't have the time to do anything about it! We had our home inspection yesterday and it went great. As the inspector guy went around the house poking around and doing what home inspector guys do, we sat inside with our realtor and signed a bunch-o-papers. The kids, you ask, where were they during this time??? Well, they spent their time running around getting super dirty on the 1/2 acre lot the house sits on. Yeah, I foresee lots of bath-takin'-kids in our future at this house. Anyway, after the inspection and whatnot, we got some good news from our realtor. We're going to close on the house early!!!! "Early", as in almost two weeks early. How's that for adding some more crazy to this move??!! I gotta step it up on purging and packing!

This is why I don't have time to do anything fun and exciting to celebrate my blogoversary. I'm sure you understand.

Score!

That is what I say to my major findings yesterday! As I drove home from taking the kids to school, I past a neighbor's house up the street that recently moved back into their home (they were in Hawaii for 2 years and rented out their house while they were away, life is rough eh?) and I noticed their nicely stacked pile of folded-up boxes.

I couldn't resist.

I did a u-ee, parked, and rang the door bell.

Then I rang the doorbell again. ('cause I'm just persistent that way)

And persistence pays off! They finally answered the door (I don't blame them, I never answer the door for only one ring!) and gave their consent for my taking away their boxes.

Score #1, a nice big load of moving boxes. Now, I'll need more before we move, but it's a nice start!

There are a few things I am wanting to get the girls for their room once we move. One thing is, I want to get them a bunk bed. I was holding off until we knew for sure what kind of house we'd get, whether the girls would have to share a room or not. Turns out they will be sharing for a while longer, so a bunk bed is a must since their room isn't on the large side. So, I've been scouring Craigslist for a inexpensive bunk bed. One popped up yesterday morning at a great price (including one mattress - I only needed one! how awesome is that??! God is so good!!). I jumped on the listing and secured it for pick up later that day.

Score #2, now the bunk bed sits in pieces in my garage waiting for yet another move before it gets assembled. Mae is very excited! It is one more thing for her to look forward to when we get the house.

I'm excited, too, at my scores for the day. I wonder what today holds???

In Awe

Saturday was an exciting day. We looked at a house that had just come on the market, liked it and put an offer on it before noon. To our surprise, by late afternoon we were conversing with our realtor and doing counter-offer stuff. As of today, we are in escrow baby!!!

There is so much to this story that amazes me. First off, we had an offer on another house that we'd submitted earlier that week. This other house was a dump and would require booku work. The house we are getting could not be more opposite. It is in excellent shape and the seller has done extensive work and repair (even the landscaping, front and back!). This will mean that not only can we move right in, but also there are no projects on the foreseeable horizon! Night and day, these two houses are.

Secondly, it has a pool. Whoo-hoo! The kids are beside themselves over this little detail.

Thirdly, the house sits on a 1/2 acre lot.

Fourthly, the 1/2 acre is complete with walking paths, many fruit trees (one of each but not an orchard). The landscaping that the seller put in is drought tolerant and will not require a lot of upkeep.

And then! (yes, there's more!), the house has new carpeting, windows and window coverings, along with an updated kitchen.

Oh! and there is no need to even paint! But of course I plan to paint the kids rooms, but that's only to add some personality and color to an otherwise neutral pallet.

See???!! Isn't all that incredible??! I am amazed and overwhelmed by this huge blessing from the Lord. However, I fear that I will loose much sleep over this one, only because I am vastly excited! I am so thankful to the Lord for His provision and walking with us through this.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down

from the Father of the heavenly lights.

James 1:17

Top Ten Tuesday - Summer Movies

I used to do a monthly movie review, but we haven't been watching many movies lately. And then I just got lazy. Maybe to get myself back into the groove it'll help to just recap some of the movies we've seen over the past few months. Here goes....

1. The Visitor - this was a lesser known movie, but we thoroughly enjoyed it. It's about a widowed man who stumbles upon some illegal immigrants who've taken up residence in his New York apartment, unbeknownst to him since he doesn't live there. Anyway, he graciously helps them as they have no where else to go. He develops a friendship with them as one of the immigrants teaches him how to play the African drum. I enjoyed seeing the relationships develop as the movie progressed. If you like character development and a good story line, then I recommend this one.

2. Marley & Me - I wasn't sure what to expect with this one, but was pleasantly surprised. It was a good family movie (although we didn't watch this one with the kids) about the life of a couple and how they brought Marley, their dog, into their lives. I liked how the story spanned over the course of years in the life of this couple.

3. Last Chance Harvey - Dustin Hoffman plays a divorced man who travels to England for his daughters wedding. He has not been involved much in her life and feels like a third wheel for this event. As he is traveling, he comes across Emma Thompson's character and spends the day with her, and then invites her to be his guest at the wedding. It was neat to see how Hoffman's character came to grips with his relationship with his daughter as well with other aspects of his life. I wouldn't say it was realistic, but it wasn't a bad way to spend an evening.

4. John Q. - I'm not excited to share that we saw this movie, but what can I say, we're suckers for a Denzel flick. This movie was intense and dramatic. It deals with the health care system as well as injustice in our world. Bring those things together along with a sick and dying child and you won't be surprised with the language and violence. Some aspects of it were, of course, unrealistic, however, it does have a feel for real life. I do wish it wasn't as violent (in language and drama) but given the situation I suppose it's understandable.

5. Seven Pounds - I can be a sucker for a Will Smith movie too. I'm not sure if I can do a review on this one without giving anything away. It was a bit of a mystery in the way the story line was brought out. You know what? I'm not going to give any details.....but I will say that it was thought provoking and some good discussions could be had after watching it. Although, I will say that I didn't agree with the his character and what he did. Ha! How's that for a cliffhanger?!

6. The Express - I love a based-on-real-life kind of movies, and this was one of them. It's the story of Ernie Davis and how he played football in college and became the first to achieve the Heisman Trophy as an African American. Great movie, highly recommend!

7. Man On Wire - We like documentaries too. This one is about the Frenchman, Philippe Petit, who walked a tight rope between the world trade towers back in 1974. The story was interesting in itself, but what I thought was amazing (aside from his incredibly daring/insane stunt) was the footage of the towers being built and the history they hold.

8. Duplicity - I'm not happy about reveling that we saw this one either. It was a good spy/heist type movie, but it's the love affair part I don't care for. Well, it would be ok if they'd leave the steamy scenes out, we don't really need them anyway for a good movie. Aside from the steaminess, I enjoyed the story.

9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Upfront, again with the steaminess and inappropriate 'stuff'!!! It's not necessary for a good flick, it really isn't. But I am thankful for the forward button on the remote so I can easily move past the scenes I don't care to burn my brain with! Aside from those few parts, I really enjoyed this one! No wonder it was up for so many awards, didn't it win best picture? The story line and characters were incredible! I liken it as a Forrest Gump-type movie, you know, the unlikey character that we love and follow through his life? Yeah, that's this movie!

10. Flash of Genius - Another real-life flick. This is about the guy who invented the intermittent windshield wipers then had it stolen from him by Ford. He spends the next (too) many years of his life chasing after them in court. I won't ruin the ending, but I will say that no matter what the outcome was, I don't think it was worth it! If you've seen the movie you may understand what I mean.

Well, there you go folks, another round of my stimulating movie reviews. If you have any suggestions for movies, we are always looking to add to our queue!

Oh, and if you have a Top Ten list, please visit Oh Amanda and add yourself to the list!

Expecting

I think buying a house is like having a baby.

You dream and look forward to the new addition to your family. You wonder what it will look like and how your life and routine will be changed by it. You assume you'll love it and that there won't be strange or odd things about it. There is the financial burden, to be sure. And let's not forget that once you do get the house, everyone will want to come over and check it out.

Yeah. Buying a house is like having a baby. But without the weight gain.

The Wait Continues....Sort Of

First off, we did not get the house we put an offer on. We found that out last Friday. It was sad not getting a house we wanted, but move on we must!

Since then we have looked at four more houses, one of them we saw last night. It's another foreclosure in a good area of town so it is sure to have many offers. Our plan is to put in our own offer but to keep looking as well. It's just the market we are in right now coupled with our own criteria (budget and area/location) that makes this house hunting mission difficult.

I am reminded again about the Philippians 4:6 verse that says I am not to be anxious. I am not to be anxious when waiting to hear back about an offer we've made. And I am not to be anxious about finding 'the one' when checking the home listings online. This is quickly becoming another exercise in my faith and less about finding a house. Now, I know I didn't pray for patience, however that is exactly where I find myself.....seeking the Lord and His direction and timing. Who said that being a Christian and living a life worthy of our calling is boring? Well, whoever said it, lied.

Lady In Waiting

We looked at a house on Saturday and put an offer on it on Sunday. The kicker is that it's bank owned and there are several offers on the table. *sigh*

Yesterday our realtor told us that the bank was sending everyone back to resubmit their best and final offers. I thought our offer WAS our best and final. *deep sigh* Ryan did some calculations and whatnot and came up with a little bit higher offer and we resubmitted. And now we wait for the bank to review the offers today.

I wouldn't mind if putting offers on houses if the process was traditionally more like bidding on Ebay (I know, I know, houses are bought and sold on Ebay everyday, that's not my point). Wouldn't it be great to put in your top offer without the seller or other potential buyers knowing what that was?! We could win the bidding without spending our top amount!

But then, it would be a bummer to loose by just one penny.

Never mind. Bad idea.

Anyway, I do not want to get down in the dumps about this. I refuse! The Lord knows exactly where He wants us, and if this is not the house then I choose to be ok with it. I must also remember that when we were buying our house in Michigan, we put in offers on two other houses before finally landing our beloved home. I will also be reciting Philippians 4:6 to myself a lot today.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition,

with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

So, I choose to leave this house and our offer in the Lords most capable hands. I choose not to let my mind be consumed by all this today. I choose to be thankful that after 3 years of waiting we are finally at this point of looking at and purchasing a house.

Whew, Finally!

Something amazing has happened! We are finally, after 3 years, ready to buy a house!!!! Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!

When we first moved to Southern California, the plan was to rent first since we hadn't sold our home back in Michigan, then buy a house by the time our lease was complete. However, things didn't go according to plan. First off, the housing market crashed soon after we relocated. Then we had to get our own financial house in order. It has seemed that buying a house was always six months out, but six months has turned out to be three years. It's been difficult to be patient with the Lord's plan for our lives concerning buying a home here. Difficult is a term I use for myself and this process, for I have struggled with it so much these past few years. But alas, the time has come!

Last week we were pre-approved for a loan, and we began our home search. And this afternoon we put an offer in one particular house. And now I must wait, again, as the bank that owns the home will review all offers on Tuesday. But I'll take this waiting over the past three years of waiting any day!

First Day of School '09

It's time for alarm clocks and coffee pots again. Sing with me now.......It's the most wonderful tiiiiiiiiime of the year! Yep, it's back to school for the kiddos. And this means I must get up with the sun and get my first and third grader to school before the bell rings. It's been a great summer, but alas, all good things must come to an end.

the 3rd grader

the first grader

Mae and Caleb have been looking forward to this day for weeks now (may I confess the same thing? is that wrong of me?) Last week we got all the school supplies and yesterday we got new shoes. Mae was beyond excited! The other day she said "can I go to school NOW?". And before dinner yesterday she said to me "I'm looking forward to going to bed tonight" (as opposed to other nights). I'm glad they are still excited about school, learning new things and making friends. I hope it lasts for a good long time for them.

The Part Where I Thought All Was Ruined

The day before Ryan and loaded ourselves onto the plane that would take us to our fabulous Mexican destination (Cabo!), we spent the day in San Francisco. We thought it would kick off our time together quite well. After arriving in The City, we had lunch on Pier 39 then spent some time at the Museum of Modern Art. It was a nice leisurely kid-less afternoon.

We stayed the night in a nice hotel and awoke super-early the next morning in order to catch our 8 am flight. I had no idea how luxurious it would be to go through an airport and not have to herd my brood along the way. So nice was it that I didn't mind having to get up so early in the morning! Even the security stop didn't dampen my mood....not even when they had to stop me and search my purse for the knife that was inside. (doh! I had forgotten that I put my floral knife in my purse the previous month when I helped with the flowers for my cousins wedding....bye bye floral knife, sorry TSA!). No, not even a lay over in the dreaded LAX did not darken my expectations of our long-awaited vacation.

Not until we arrived did the let down begin. First off, it was hot (have I mentioned that before? - see previous post). When de-boarding in Mexico we had to walk across the tarmac and into an ever increasing line for Mexico customs. From one long, snaking line, it broke off into three other lines. Of course we got in the wrong one, the slow one. The customs guy manning our line was more interested in frequent updates on the Mexico vs. USA soccer game. He even kept his coworkers updated as he followed along on his Mac and radio that sat beside his work station. Friendly guy, just not overly concerned with the tourists trying to flow past his station. (but he did give me my first ever stamp in my passport, so I can't be too upset with the guy)

Next up was getting our baggage. No problem there. Got it and moved on.

After claiming our bags, we headed toward the outside of the terminal to find transportation to our hotel. But to get outside we had to walk through two rooms. The first room had small booths around the perimeter with men shouting for your attention, asking if you need a taxi. We got sucked in for we were in need of one. Score, this shouldn't be too bad after all! Wrong.

After listening to a guy tell us about what is available to do while in Cabo, he was so happy to set up for us a time-share presentation and along with it a cheaper rate on a taxi to our hotel as well as our return trip to the airport when our vacation was done. This did not sit well with Ryan. All we wanted was a taxi! That's it, nothing more, thank you. So the guy handed us off to his friend who then began the same schpeal. We were so frustrated that we just pick up our bags and left the building. As we did so, we walked through the last room that was filled with legit guys offering legit transportation. But now we were outside and were not allowed back inside (exit, no entry). So Ryan began talking with the other gringos standing outside and asked how to get a taxi. I'm not the world traveler like Ryan is so I just stood back and did nothing as I silently prayed for divine intervention! Ryan did find some helpful tourists who directed us to where we could find transportation. However it was at another terminal. A kind taxi driver took us to the terminal we needed without charge and Ryan secured us a shuttle van that left within minutes of us getting inside.

We climbed inside the waiting van to find seven other people waiting. The a/c was on but you wouldn't know it other than the coolish-type air being somewhat blasted from the vent above. At least there was some kind of air current moving around the stifling heat. But at this point I didn't care, I was just glad to be headed to our hotel and away from the crazy airport. My relief was short-lived as we quickly found ourselves in the midst of what we now refer to as 'the party van'.

There were three couples and one single lady, all of whom did not know each other prior to being thrown into the party van but struck up quick acquaintances as they drank their beers before we joined the van. I tried to ignore the loud, obnoxious conversations going on around me, but became quite annoyed as one guy soon asked the driver if we could 'stop at the Mega Mart to get some beer and water'. *sigh, grrrr, grumble, grumble, grumble* The single lady objected but not hard enough as she quickly gave in when a promise was given that it would be no longer than 10 minutes. *more sighing and grumbling*

I inwardly thank our driver for pulling over at a hole-in-the-wall liquor store and not the asked-for Mega Mart. The partyers were in and out in less than 10 minutes. I did see the Mega Mart later as we drove away, and I again thank our driver, for it truly was a mega mart in size and there was no way our partyers would have been in and out within 20 minutes.

The roads from the airport to Cabo San Lucas were not like I expected. I thought they would be filled with cars that paid no attention to lanes (if there were any) and would zip in and out of non existent spaces between vehicles. We could have rented a car and been just fine. However, this did not stop one particular driver from doing a little fancy maneuvering and cutting off our driver resulting in some hard breaking. This brought one passenger to stick her head out of our drivers window and yell a spanish obscenity at the offending driver. Yes, this is the point where I am embarrassed to be an American tourist. Hide me in the back with the luggage, but press on and get me to the hotel and out of these people's presence, por favor!!!

The time-share guy back at the airport had told us wrong (surprise.). In his attempt to get us to take a taxi, he had told us that the shuttles would take 2 hours to get us to our hotel. So I was pleasantly surprised (overly so!) when our shuttle driver delivered us to the hotel (first! and again I thank him!) within 45 minutes!

After bidding our fellow van mates good riddance adios, we checked into our hotel. When we got to our room I think we just collasped on the beds (two double beds, grrr!, it was supposed to be a king!!!) and layed there with wide eyes, shocked really, as the past two hours of our lives soaked in. How we made it down to the pool and let the time-share snakes, humidity and the party van slip away, I know not. I only know that after about an hour or so we were able to push it aside and see that our vacation may not be ruined after all.

It's amazing what a little pool water and ocean air can do for a person.

Please Excuse My Absence

Holy mach-ah-moley! Has it really been over two weeks since my last post???!!! Well, we've been busy with traveling to and from Modesto, past the US border and back, as well as a fun-filled week of VBS and other activities. Whew, I just haven't had time to get over here and record all that's been going on.

Our time in Mexico was, um, nice. I wish I could say it was fabulous, but I just can't. To start with it was stinkin' hot. Let me say that again, STINKIN' HOT!!! Hot as in, my glasses fogged up every time I stepped out of our air conditioned hotel and into the humid outside. Hot as in, I could feel every layer of material I was wearing and wear it touched me. Hot as in, there are places of my body that sweat that I had no idea could do so (ie, my elbows, when they are not even bent!) Yeah. It was that kind of hot.

Humidity aside, we did enjoy our time away without the kids. It was great to relax by the pool and talk, uninterrupted. Or just chill in the water and not talk, that was nice too! I even finished a book and started another, all in the span of 5 days. Now that's just unheard of. And it was great!

Now, however, I am recouping from not only our vacation but also this past week when the kids were at VBS. But unfortunately I don't feel like writing it all out. Maybe I'll post some more tid bits throughout the week. I'll try, but no promises.