50, 55, 60 SOLD to the gentleman in the front!

Tonight we went to the church to eat dinner and watch the labor auction in support of our students up-coming trip to the DC/LA conference.
The evening was wonderful for many reasons but my two favorites were these:
1. Dinner was catered. I love the youth and all but to my knowledge cooking mass amounts of food isn't something they teach in high school anymore. As it was the food was tasty and the students did a great job serving it.
2. There was an actual auctioneer there to facilitate the auctioning of the labor. It was pretty exciting. My good friends were able to get one of my favorite baby-sitters for $60 an hour. She was so sweet and offered to watch all of our kids so that all of us friends could go out together. We haven't been out together, just the three of us couples (no kids), in two and a half years.

On a side note. I was really happy they called it a "labor auction" instead of a "slave auction". I remember my great aunt Wilma telling the story of when her church was going to have "slave auction" for their youth. The older generation while supportive of the idea for youth to use their skills to raise money but they had a concern in regards to the word slave, especially since that's why the American Baptists and the Southern Baptist split in the first place. Anyway, I think they changed the name.

Crack

Supposedly, if you put a pan of water in the oven with your cheesecake while it's cooking the cake won't crack. Today I have discovered this is not true and for the first time in all my cheesecake baking years, it cracked.

Crack or no crack I'm eating it anyway. :o)

Everyone should be quick to read, slow to act...

After throwing up every morning and many afternoons for months of my pregnancy my teeth just couldn't take it any longer and all my fillings have been shaken loose. I need to get my teeth fixed.
My appointment is next Monday and it's an all day surgery. I needed to get my blood drawn so they knew what materials to replace all my fillings with. I had been trying to figure out when to go and do it since they have to send it away to Colorado and the dentist will need the results by Monday morning. Chris needed to sleep so he wouldn't be able to watch the kids. I had made up my mind to go right after Kale was picked up (Jon got off early today) and do my best to carry Micah and Arwen into the lab. Thankfully Chris was having trouble sleeping so I was able to put Micah and Arwen down for a nap and go to the lab.
So I get there and the tech guy is kind being sassy in a funny way. He draws my blood and we're working out the details to get it sent off and he asks me if I've fasted for 10 hours. I thought to myself "I really, really hope he's joking." Nope, I had not read the instructions. So I call the dentist and ask them "how important, really, is it that I fast for 10 hours before getting my blood taken?" Hooray, it's not a big deal! I paid for the test and I was on my way.
The moral of the story is read all instructions long before you act.

Rolling, walking and waving good-bye

On Monday, February 16th, 2009 Arwen rolled all the way over all by herself.
Now for her this was a forgotten skill. She had been able to do it since she was born and stopped when she was about 2 months old when she started to pack on the pounds. Now she takes great pleasure in rolling from one toy to the next. While on her stomach she kicks her legs in the vain hope that it will get her somewhere, but alas nothing happens and she returns to the rolling.

I find myself in the middle. As a parent I want my children to grow up and become indepenant and productive adults but I can't help miss when she was younger.
I ask my mom what was her favorite ages for us girls and her response is "I enjoyed my children and every age." And she does. Too many parents spend their time dreading the next step and labling their children to be terrible toddlers, sassy brats, irresponsible teenages and then of course their baby that goes off to college.
Truely we should enjoy our children at every age and tell them of their great potential and when that day comes that they leave our house we can be confident in the fact that we taught them well and not regret missing anything.

Valued

My mom just posted on her blog (www.christianvlauesblog.blogspot.com) a story about my niece (Friends Again) being hurt by my mom and hiding in the bathroom waiting for someone to find her and make it better.
I will be 25 years old in a couple of months and I still find myself "hiding in the bathroom" of my heart hoping that someone will come and find me. I wonder, "when will they notice I'm not there? will they notice? what if they don't notice? am I not important enough to be missed?"
I remind myself that regardless of if I'm discovered in my hiding place or not, God knows where I am and loves and values me. My identity is in Him. I may spend 120 years here on earth with all you people but I'll spend eternity in Heaven with my Savior.

It'll come around again

I lost a baby sock in the laundry last week. I wasn't concerned because they usually turn up in the next round. Sadly this one did not, after two little loads of baby clothes there was not a stand alone sock.
Last night as I was folding laundry there it was, safe and sound.

While I rejoice in it's return I can't help wonder if it's not the other half but a new pair that's lost it's mate.

Oh well.

Why I love my husband

This post includes but is not limited to some of the reasons why I love my husband.

1. I can see Christ in his life. It was so important for me to not have a "Sunday Christian" for a husband but a man who was devoted the rest of the week. It touches my heart if I wake up early to find him reading his Bible.
2. He is protective. I am safe when I am with him.
3. He provides.
4. He is so generous. I couldn't stop him from giving to people in need if I tried. And he spoils me a lot, he usually spends at least half of his play money on me.
5. He loves his job. I can't think of one time that he had to drag himself to work.
6. He's taller than me. That's not hard to do but it's important to me.
7. He loves our daughter.
8. He enjoys being active.
9. He can be silly or serious.
10. He's supportive of the things I like to do.
11. He'll change a diaper even if I don't ask him.
12. He looks great in his uniform.
13. He can fix the computer when I accidentally download a virus.
14. He offers to cook dinner when I'm tired.

What day is today?

This week feels like it's off by one day.
Monday felt like a Tuesday because I had both the boys which I haven't had for a couple months. I was planning on watching The Biggest Loser but then had to remind myself it was Monday.
Then when it was Tuesday it felt like Wednesday.
I watched The Biggest Loser and was planning on watching Law & Order but they ran the Dateline special about the gal with 14 kids. I'm so sick of hearing about that too. If it were me I wouldn't want to select which babies to kill either but, if it were me I think I'd save my money and stop at 6, be married and have some sort of financial plan. Regardless of what I would do, I could be totally happy not hearing any more about it.
Wednesday I got my stuff ready for Connection Group only to remember that group is on Thursday.
On Thursday I started off thinking it was Friday but was able to get back on track pretty quick.
Today, Friday, was a normal day. Chris got home at 6:45am and took the baby so I could sleep for another hour (I love my husband!!). I got my bookkeeping done for the day. The kids fell asleep in the car. I folded a bunch of laundry.
So tomorrow is Saturday. I'll be going to have hot chocolate with friends, unless my sister goes into labor in which case I'll go pick up her two girls and we'll all play together.

Water baby

Arwen will be 7 months old this week.

Tonight I gave her a big bath. Most of the time I bathe her in the sink but Chris had to go to work early tonight and I had nothing else to do so I filled the bathtub. This is an extra special treat because Arwen can practice floating. Well, maybe not practice as much as trying to figure out why everything sounds different when her ears are under water. Just a few days ago she discovered splashing and hasn't stopped since.
Among all the gifts I got for her baby shower were a couple of swim suits. There is nothing cuter in the world than a little baby in a swim suit. Chris and I have taken her to the gym to swim a couple times now and she loves it!
I think it's funny that she loves the water so much since I really don't like being wet. Not really the being wet but all the transitions, being in dry clothes, then in a swim suit, then in a wet swim suit and then trying to dry off without getting cold and getting back into dry clothes and not let my wet hair touch any other part of me. Yeah, I don't like being wet.

Tender Heart Bear

Since I had a baby I've noticed that my heart is more sensitive emotionally in comparison to previous years. Anything that has to do with harming a baby or child pulls on my heart strings in a whole new way. If I was a Care Bear I would be Tender Heart Bear.
Example.
Idaho is running anti-Meth campaign commercials. Tonight the commercial was showing all the things the girl would get when she tried meth "just once" and it showed her "meth baby" and my heart just broke. I feel like crying when I see stuff like that, babies are so special and precious, they deserve better.

I can't stand it when someone puts a growing baby is the same category as medical waste. Every baby should have the chance to live regardless of the inconvenience to the parents.
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
-Psalms 139:13-16

Super bowl Sunday

I know this post will say it's Monday but I haven't gone to bed yet on Sunday night so there you go.

Today I went to a Super Bowl party at a friends house. We've gotten together for at least the past 6 years every year doing things a little bit different. I have to say that I think this year is my favorite.
Honest, I don't mind football but I would rather see it in person than on t.v. I think it's because of the background noise on t.v. Anyway. Last year I was still trying to hide the fact that I was 3 months pregnant and was to sick to really play our usual games.
This year, we ate lunch, I worked with my sister-in-law on wedding things and played dominoes the rest of the night. I did see the 100 yard play though.
Yeah, it was a good day.