Bright Sunshiny Day

Not Smart....Yet

But I haven't given up on my dream!  Just put it on hold.

Here's why:

I haven't finished Key Lime Pie Murder yet and so technically I don't have to start on my smart reading.

Wrapping up the school year.  It's. Nearly. Over.

Still with the two dogs.

Dallas Stars Hockey.  We made it to Round 2 of the playoffs!  I will be staying up later to  do my part to win the Stanley Cup.  It's that important.  The later I stay up, the less likely I will be doing ANY kind of reading. 

Late nights with old friends!  Tuesday night we shut down Johnny Carinos.  One of my dearest friends from childhood has moved back to the Metroplex!  We met up for the first time in twenty (ok, just ten) years along with our precious friend from childhood that sends her children to the same school as me.  Aside here, but God has blessed this little ol life with some wonderful, long lasting friendships.  Each one is such a gift, and I don't take one minute of the time I spend with my friends (espcially the ones who knew me way back when....) for a second.

For the rest of this week we've got soccer, a party, haircuts for all the girls, and life to be lived.  Tomorrow the girls are busy with a homeschool day, Super Bubbie will be busy doing all kinds of stuff,  and my sweet mentor was here for part of Thursday!

And I'll leave you with this from The Valley of Vision

"Teach me that if I do not live a life that satisfies Thee, I shall not live a life that will satisfy myself"

It's All About the Food...

1. I can no longer eat things I used to without setting my esophogus on fire.  Unfortunate, I know.

2. Once, I ate All-Bran Wheat flakes for breakfast four days in a row.  I discovered that I cannot eat All-Bran Wheat flakes for breakfast four days in a row.  Some people who live here and shall remain nameless can do that.  Not me.  On the fifth day, I had cheese toast.  Much Better.

3. Red Bell peppers, Life Cereal, hard boiled eggs (at times) and Dominos Pizza are no longer on my list of great foods.  Neither are too many tomatoes.  See # 1.

4. My Crock-pot pintos with Gebharts Chili Powder.  See #1.  I eat them anyway.  Had some for dinner - which prompted this post.

5. Shrimp.  Just gross.

6. Sushi.  Again with the gross.  (but I never ate it anyway, so technically it does not belong on my list...but I needed a filler)

7. Tequlia....or is it rum?  That they put in margaritas?  It wakes me up at night - and I'd rather sleep than have a rip-roaring good time...unless I'm at Mi Cocina, on Vince Gill's birthday watching him eat enchiladas before Amy's show.  Or before going to see Lyle.  Take you pick.  For them, I risk my sleep.

8. Most things Italian.  Or Chinese.  I am well aware that I am no longer nearly as fun as I used to be....

9. However, for all things Mexican, I will suffer.  See # 1.

10. Birthday cake is still my favorite food.  Cheeseburgers from McDonalds are my third.  Ice cream is number two.

11. I will never eat tuna anywhere but at home.  And it has to be the white albacore packed in water.

12.  I love fried chicken, turkey and dressing, and the Market Chop salad from Market Street.  We call it "The Salad".

13. I eat avacado nearly everyday. Not a whole one. Love. them.   You can never have too many nachos, apples, or chicken faijtas...or chocolate.

It's My New Thing...

Well.  I came up with something the other day.  Brace yourself.

Driving down the road....maybe coming home from piano, or school....doesn't really matter.  I decided to start on an adventure to become......

are you ready for it?  Wait.....wait.....here it comes......

To become smart.

Yes.  "This is Aj.  She's my smart friend!"  "Look at that aj.....she is just so smart! 

Who is with me?  We can do it!  I am refraining from all sorts of frivolous fiction (well...as soon as I finish up Key Lime Pie Murder)  and am going to spend the summer working on being smart.  Reading the good stuff.  Serious Christian writers both dead and alive.  Biographies.  Great commentaries....and whole books of the Bible.  Done with TV shows and done with fluffy.   Care to join me?  You are inivited as long as you take care to not get smarter than me.  (just kidding)

And while you think I am not serious...and I am.so.serious just wait until you see me next time and ask me a hard question.

And in other news, was last week stormy or what?  One of my neighbors found their chimney in the backyard!  They've not said a tornado hit our neck of the woods, but it was pretty darn close.  Big HUGE old trees uprooted and I saw a camper turned upside down few streets over.  At our house? Nothin'  and guess who slept through the whole thing?!

Your new smart friend, Aj!

((who still has two dogs))

((but they had surgery last week and are on painkillers so this week doesn't count))

In Case You Are Wondering

The dogs did in fact get spayed.  Yesterday. 

AND WE PAID FOR IT.

WITH MONEY.

To thank us for our loving kindness in providing them with food, toys, grass to pee in, crates to sleep in, collars with cute name tags with their cute names on them, AND two little girls who think they hung the moon.....

They got in a huge, HUGE fight in our livingroom last night.  Complete chaos. Children running, baby screeching, husband yelling and throwing things at the dumb animals.The clock is ticking. A bag is being packed...and one grumpy pooch will find herself hitching back to East Texas - if she doesn't change her tune.

((And let me live in the past people.  Punkin and Molly - bought on a whim from some backyard breeder *never* fought.  EVER.  Yes.  I'm holding a grudge against two puppies who don't know better))

And The Two Shall Become One?

We've got issuses.

On top of that....we've got a dog (puppy) with issues.

A Golden Retriever with an aggression problem.

*sigh*

We've not given up hope - yet.  However, in MY opinion.....ONE dog  fight is one too many.  And we've had several more than one dog fight.

We'll see.  For now, the kids can't go in the backyard at doggie dinner time....and have strict instructions to head for the playground if the dog goes trolling for trouble.  Thankfully, she only shows her nasty side to her sister....

What gives?

The next thing is getting them fixed and continue our *intensive* behavior training....but if it continues, she is headed back to the breeder.

Whatever.

Bluebonnets Make Me Sneeze.....

....and a few other interesting tid-bits.  How about it?

I finished up the Shopping for Time  by Carolyn Mahaney and her four daughters yesterday.  It's a great little book about priorities.  And who  doesn't need to get their priorities adjusted?  Frequently?  Well, I do.  Here are some GREAT bullets. 

• Do you plan ahead to maximize your fruitfulness each day, or do you simply let life happen?
• Do you make choices based on Scripture or on what feels good at the moment?
• Do you strategies to use your talents to bless your family and church, or do you employ them primarily for your own personal fulfillment?
• Do you evaluate every opportunity in light of biblical priorities or do you do whatever it takes to get ahead?
• Do you consider whom God would have you serve or do you try to please everyone all the time?  (pgs 16-17)

How's that for a go-to list for the to-do list you go to everyday?!

And since I read that book, the scripture that they often referenced has been running through my already crowded head:

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of time, because the days are evil.  Ephesians 5:15-16

Do I really, really make the best use of time?  Or do I spend way too much time pondering things like.....why DO the bluebonnets make me sneeze?  Or where can I get a decent tee shirt that is not too tight, to short or too see-thru? Or what book am I going to crack open next.....get my drift?

All these things are necessary ponders, but they don't need to be all consuming.

Nope.

Just one thing.  If that One Thing is all consuming....then everything else will fall into place.

It's FRIDAY!

This morning, I scratched myself out of bed at 5:45.  Early.  I did my usual routine of starting the coffee, closing the girls' door, closing the TV cabinet door, turning on lamps and pouring my coffee before settling  into my favorite chair for my quiet time.

After a while - quite a while  actually, because I was finished with my Bible study and was nearly done with  a chapter in my Nancy Leigh DeMoss re-read, when I found a little, but nearly big, little girl standing beside my chair with a sleepy face.  Holding her Bible with a butterfly on the front.

She whispered,"Can I get up yet?"

And then she squeezed in beside me and opened her Bible to the book of John and started to read.

The rest of this day has been spent celebrating a birthday at the skating rink, visiting with friends as the kids blurred past us, "skating" a determined little Super Bubbie around in Spider-man skates,  and then eating McDonald's and yummy cupcakes from the party. 

We'll finish up some lessons this afternoon - and maybe even a nap later.

.....and that is what is making me happy today!

Spring! Break!

Is already over?!

It is a well-known fact that this time of year I have already counted down the weeks until school is OUT.   As a matter of fact,  I couldn't get our homeschool box (a huge, ugly contraption that is almost as tall as me - with wheels and several levels of storage) OUT of our living room  fast enough last week.  As a matter of fact, I wheeled it to the study right after Andy and the girls left for their last at-school day before our much needed week off.

But I do love homeschooling.

However.  I needed the break.   Andy took much of last week off and we got very good at sleeping until 8:00ish.  (On a regular day, my alarm goes off at 5:11) Even the dogs slept in!

Here is a run down of what we did:

• Got haircuts.  All of us.
• Weeded the flower beds.
• Did a lil shopping for clothes
• Hauled stacks and stacks of clothes to the goodwill pile
• Dropped off wedding ring to be reset
• Walked the dogs
• Walked the dogs
• Walked the dogs
• Training session with our dog trainer.  Yes.  They are THAT bad. 
• Had a date with hubs
• Shopped with mom
• Boiled some eggs
• Dyed some eggs
• Ate some (chocolate) eggs
• Scored some free tickets to the Dallas Symphony
• Amy was playing!
• Only to find that the season ticket holder (he's oldish) forgot that he gave the tickets away...and canceled them the day of the show...and had new ones printed....so we looked like the people who tried to get in the show with some (oldish) guy's tickets
• Read some books

And you know, as exciting as all that is....here is the big news....check me OUT.  Blogging from a computer.  Still haven't located all the pics (andrew's second birthday) or *any* of my music.  What would happen if I synced up my IPod?  I'm scared to.

Monday - leftover pork tenderloin, green beans and new potatoes, fruit salad

Tuesday - Crock-pot pinto beans (YUM) quesidillas, and rice

Wednesday - Roasted chicken from the store, veggies and leftover rice

Thursday - Breakfast for dinner (I'm at Bible study)

Friday - Pizza! 

Notice how much I'm NOT cooking this week?  Gotta love that. Maybe if I get in the habit of posting my menus, I'll get inspired to cook interested things.....maybe?  Maybe not.

For now - that's all I got.  A very imformative blog.  Maybe next time I'll do better!

Desperation

Yep. That's the only word for it when it's beautiful outside, things are blooming, puppies are digging....and here I sit. On the inside, listening to Super Bubbie nap all the while blogging from my blackberry thingamajig. Our desktop died (well, it got killed and thank you God, I wasn't the one who killed it!) My laptop died an eerily similar death, and all the while our DSL privider (SBC)has been giving us fits since december.

So DSL problems + dead computer = no blogging.

I can still get email on my phone, so throw me something! Desperate times, people.

Oh. But wait. Its even worse than no computer. In the slow death of the desktop it took all our pics with it!

All our pics!!!

Andy tried to think of something nice to say, you know since he *might* have been the one who killed it.

"I think our last back up was only two years ago, so we'll still have some pictures"

It was then that I meekly and quietly reminded him that we are parents of a child that is just two years old....

However, I am happy to report that three weeks later and a few dollars poorer, we do indeed have all our pics back. My reaccurring nightmare of never, ever seeing again just how beautiful was after giving birth to a ten pound baby has been laid to rest.

And I can't believe that I just typed this whole thing on this tiny lil keyboard.

For a Friday...

It's Friday!

dreaming of moving to the country

kids on the mend  (hopefully!)- though we won't mention how I feel

two wild and crazy well behaved pups

going for walks and seeing things poke out of the ground

my big coffee mug, early in the morning

"It's just so hard to put a book down.  I hate to do it!"  Emma, age 7 ((as she is finishing a book by Elizabeth Prentiss called Little Threads.  It's a grown-up book, written in the 1800's!  My child is reading it!)) 

this quote by Elizabeth Elliot this morning from my devotional book:

' "Leave him (or her) to me this afternoon," is what His word is.  "There is nothing else that I am asking of you this afternoon but that.  Leave him (or her) to Me.  You cannot fathom all that is taking place.  You don't need to.  I am at work - in you, in him.  Leave him to Me.  Someday it will be clear - trust Me!" '

Humble yourselves then under God's mighty hand, and he will lift you up in due time.  Cast all your cares on him, for you (and the other) are his charge.  1 Peter 5:6-7