Sunday, Sunday...

It's not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. The bee is praised. The mosquito is swatted.

Mary O'Connor

I find this quote very interesting. It is so true! I need to decide if somethings I am busy with are important enough. Are the things keeping me buzzing about- useful, helpful, worthy, right, good or productive. I have posted comments on some home schooling blogs lately that I am not altogether happy with my schooling choice. For one, we are simply not doing enough. I also feel trapped in a little square box that I made for myself. When I step outside the box than I feel guilty for not getting "real" stuff done! It is a viscous circle! I am very busy with a number of things and I need to choose. Which are very productive and "bee" like and which are non productive like the mosquito's.

More Vacation pics at Garner State Park...

Fitness Friday...

okay, it is Fitness Friday!

I missed last week due to vacation and complete and total business but doesnt mean I wasnt working the program! I still havent graced the doors of the YMCA but I am working on it! I ate off some on vacation but was very careful about it and really did not go off much! I did however have some dessert- I ate three roasted marsh mellows over the camping trip at 6 carbs each and I did have various pieces of a Hershey bar (hey the whole bar is only 26 carbs! Not bad) But all in all a good time was had by all and we ate pretty carb friendly!

Plus all the walking and tramping and frolicking!

So goal for this coming week:

YMCA
lower carb intake
increase water intake (which I have been doing pretty good at!!!!!)


This weeks Fitness Friday is share your wardrobe choices for your weight loss journey! Well I just want to say, I meandered about online for a while and picked out some clothes, but I dont want to do this.

I dont wanna play, I am to far away from this particular goal so I am choosing to pick something else! This is a goal, not something to wear but something to do. I want to fit here...

and I want to fit in any of these seats, without worrying if I will pop out the arm sockets or the seat will bend over backwards! (this happened to me at paint place in an exact replica of the last chair!) Needless to say we left!

So that is my goal, not clothes but physical places that I can barely or not at all squeeze myself into! The last time I lost weight I remember going to the mall and we were in a food court (a place that I had previously not been able to sit at a table before) and I sat down and than I stood back up and sat back down and stood back up and my sister was like what in the world is wrong with you and I said, "I fit."

I want that feeling again!

Vacation Pics... San Antonio, Texas

On a funnier note...

Kaitlin took Emily's books and put them on her chair, during the course of school they got knocked to the floor. Emily was VERY offended. So I said jokingly (meaning to point our that she didnt need to be quite so offended)

Me: Lets stone her, everybody pick up a rock. (We had just talked about stoning in the bible by the way...)

Matt: I dont wanna stone her.

Me: Your right Matt, lets not stone her what else could we do about the books being on the floor.

Emily: We could kick her out of the house.

NUF SAID.

I wanna just have a wordless Wednesday and say nothing at all...

I really do. I have plenty of cute pics from Garner! But, I am sad. I am sad at the choice America made. I believe the "change" we are in for will not be the change people are betting on. Their mortagese still wont be magically paid by the morgage fairy, the health care industry will not suddenly become all lollipops and free kleenex in hospitals (ever been charged for kleenex before!) and guess what the war- will keep on being a war! It wont stop, and all the men and women who died for our country will not somehow make it back alive! There will be change- he might do great things but all I have heard since the election was called is this...

Barack- dont expect miracles.
democrats- he cant make water from wine
news commentators- We hope people dont expect all the changes to happen in four years, I guess we will have to elect him again!

Seriously! He campaigned on CHANGE. Now he and his party are saying...dont expect to much change!

I am confused. But again I am sad.

dont be mad at me if you disagree just let me be sad. I will fight harder next go around! I will make my voice heard louder and stronger.

On the other hand my kids did participate, they voted with their dad (sorry no pics were allowed!) They thanked all the people working at the polls, they even thanked the democrat that was outside the polling place for working the process! (after matt checked to make sure he was lawfully far enough away from the polling place!)

The polls are closed!

Only one question for you??? Did you vote?

Sunday morning...

I know how I feel at Garner, I always feel closer to God there? I dont know if it is the quietness, the mountains, the nature or just my willingness to be still? But whatever it is I feel Him near me there. I feel Him speaking there. I feel Him. I go so long sometimes not feeling him. Isnt it a shame that I have to get away to feel that but than again even Jesus "got away". So I will not question. I will just wallow in the comfort of Him and the peace I leave with...


To trust, delight, commit, and rest,

What comfort this would bring!

If we would only practice this,

And trust in everything!

It is our Father's purpose that

Our hearts have peace, and rest;

His wisdom chooses for us

What is always wise and best.

He asks us just to trust in Him,

Be happy, and rejoice!

To evermore delight in Him,

This is the Shepherd's voice.

He wants us to commit to Him,

Our pathway, day by day,

To let Him take the hand and lead,

And to direct our way.

He asks us then to rest in Him,

Yes, this is His delight!

To have our hearts at peace and rest,

And happy in His sight.

"Let not your heart be troubled."

then, And "fret not," neither fear;

He wants us undisturbed and calm,

For He is ever near.

To trust, delight, commit, and rest,

Were this our daily prayer'

Twould yield the precious fruit of peace

And freedom from all care.

'Twould keep our hearts rejoicing,

With a mind at peace and rest,

And happy in our Father's love,

Whose ways are right and best.

—Lois Beckwith

Daylight Savings

Hey just a reminder that tommorow is Daylight Savings so turn back your clock!

Kirsten Faith Passmore

Happy Welcome to the USA Anniversary!

It was this night, many moons ago, that we first welcomed this bundle into our lives. Before Oct 31 all we had were pictures! But than the van drove up and out stepped Brett with my niece! She was tiny and beautiful! I will never forget seeing her for the very first time and holding this little brown Asian bundle in my arms!

We love you Kirsten!

God found you for us...

A few years ago today

we had an answer to a prayer

when we finally received a call

to say that *you* were there.

'Though holding only a photo,

ours hearts were lost that day

to a tiny girl in Asia

half a world away.

The baby face and tiny ears,

the lovely almond eyes,

the chubby oh-so-kissable cheeks

held power to mesmerize

.

Adapted (original by Jill Work)

Vacation...

We are going on vacation. Yeah. We are headed out today for the Texas Hill Country! Every year, with the exception of last year, we have gone on a yearly trip to Garner State Park! It is wonderful, relaxing, refueling and simply wonderful. The park is beautiful and we just chill! We stay in a group camp, it has a huge dining hall and kitchen and 5 bunkhouses that hold 8 people each. We have our own access to the river and bathrooms. I love it. The first year we went Kaitlin was about 11 months. She was just barely tottering! We have family and friends join us so every year someone different is there and we have a great time!

I was asked to guest post!!!

So here is my post over at Who Put Me in Charge of These People... Texas Mama is working real hard vacationing in Florida so she asked me to guest post for her!

Financial crisis???

So I am watching Fox News today and they are interviewing a couple who is suddenly going to marriage counseling because they started fighting about money. So they said the never fight about any thing other than money and with the economic crises things have gotten so bad that they are fightinng all the time. So the wife says, we have a beautiful four bedroom home, we have gone on all these vacations but if we KNEW this economic crises was coming I am sure we would have been more prepared.

um duh.

Isnt the point to be prepared, period!

I know things happen spontaeously, your husband gets laid off. You are at fault in a car accident. You have car repair, house repair and doctor bills all at the same time. I know things happen that make you tight but that is not what she is implying! She is implying that they dont have any savings. Now I dont have much savings either to be honest, but we work at and and strive for it! We dont buy a four bedroom house and go on vacation everywhere and blame the goverment for economic crises! I just dont understand. I think every person should have to go through marriage counseling- like it should be a rule! But they should also have to go through financial counseling- REAL financial counseling. Becuase we screw so many things up!

Dave and I have debt. Most people do. But it has been literally years since we have used a credit card! Everything we do is cash purchase! We are proud of this fact. We work hard to have enough and still save and still buy things we want! But if our financial situation changed and suddenly Dave and I were arguing about money I would just simply give up something! I would know that for a season I cant buy this or I cant buy that! It is called being a grown up! But this lady was talking about financial difficulties on TV to the point of marriage couseling and they were eating out at a restaruant where they got interviewed!

Sorry I am ranting but what she said just unerved me! It sounded so irresponsible. The couple said many things that just made me ache for their family situation! But than she said, "If we knew financial stuff was going to happen, I would have beenprepared!"

That is why you prepare before the stuff happens! Or at lease be on the right path!

People I implore you, take a Dave Ramsey course! Hear what the man has to say. I certainly dont do everything he says to do, and would be much better off if I did! But at lease implement some of his teaching and you will be so much better off than others!

Finances do not control us, we control them!

The new Indiana Jones Movie...

okay, I just now finally saw this movie. They had me at Hello to begin with.. I mean a new Indiana Jones, with Harrison Ford in it! Yeah. I just didnt happen to get around to seeing it at the movies, but I knew in good time I would see it in the comfort of my own home.


Well. I like the first part. I liked the second part okay. Um the third part was not so good!

I mean come on... Aliens?

Him surviving the nuclear blast in a refrigerator was more realistic than aliens!

I am sadly disappointed in ol' Indie!

I have ALWAYS been an Indiana Jones fan, I have seen them all! I have seen them all MULTIPLE times. But ALIENS! Really.

I did however enjoy Indie and Marion getting back together, I thought that was a nice touch!

Mom and Conner