NOT A FAN...

I hate water bugs. They are gross and apparently they have decided that my bathroom is a nice place to dwell. This of course leaves me no choice but to send them to Thy Maker.

The First Incident:

It was a Friday night and Jeff and I were chilling at the house. I walked into the bathroom, set down to do my buz-ness and right at my feet was the first of the nasty offenders. I screamed loud. lifted my legs and begged Jeff to come save me. Thankfully I scared myself from having to do any buz-ness. Jeff says come out and I will take care of it. With one eye looking over my shoulder, I ran out of the bathroom while trying to pull up the pants. The blasted thing charged after me! I screamed and heard a loud WHAP! Jeff aka knight in shining armor whacked it with his shoe. I will never complain again when he leaves his shoes in the middle of the floor.

Jeff said later that he was surprised I was scared of bugs after spending my summers at Camp Deer Run. Water bugs and I are not friends!

The Second Incident:

Tuesday morning I was up before the sun heading to the summer bible study. I had just taken off my glasses when I saw something scurry on the bathroom floor. I quickly grabbed the glasses, since I am blind as a bat. This was the day I realized that my bathmat is the exact color of a water bug. I heard it move across the floor (isn't that gross?) and told myself to be a big girl and kill it...since Jeff was not home yet. I grabbed the roach spray and doused the bug's general area in poison. The result was a water bug spinning out of control. This bug was not as smart as it's friend and ran into the bathtub. I sprayed it some more and enjoyed watching it die. No that's not true, I grabbed the broom and dust pan and picked it up and flopped it into the toilet with my eyes closed. A flush for good luck and away it went...TO THY MAKER!

Now every time I go to the bathroom I turn on the lights and wear my glasses (if my contacts are out). This of course makes the middle of the night potty breaks a little rough since I am one who is blind without contacts or glasses. As I walk to the bathroom I say a quick prayer "Dear Lord, please keep the water bugs from my path tonight!"

Thankfully the bug man is coming today to aid our efforts in clearing out the water bugs.

Bug man=my second knight in shining armor.

Thank you and good night.

Elijah-Age 3

I am trying desperately to get back into scrapbooking and have enjoyed looking through some pictures from 2009. When I saw these pictures of Elijah-the three year old nephew- I just had to blog about it.

A few months ago, Gunnar & Missy were in Israel for a worship trip with Gateway Church. I had the joy of keeping the kids for a few days. G & M's living room has a great spot for natural light pictures because of all the great floor to ceiling windows. Elijah did very well posing for me in his natural state. Natural state being all smiles or trying to play a game with you. I thought the pictures turned out well and have been meaning to post them long before now. My favorites include the picture on the top left, the picture of his foot and hand and the picture of he and Maddie chilling on the sofa.

I would love to do this with all the nieces and nephew but somehow I don't think I could get as natural of poses from the bigger kids.

More pictures to come soon.

Good Times Ahead...

Jeff and I are strapping on the chef's hats and heating up the grill to cook for our church's youth group this weekend.

We are both looking forward to a game of corn hole, Ultimate Turkey Toss (playing football with a defrosted turkey---mmm, mmm good!) and enjoying the company of good friends. Yet we sure are going to miss the Green's.

Have a great weekend and we will see you guys when we return.

My Moving Beyond the Funk List

Have you ever had a day where you were in a funk for no reason at all?

I had one yesterday.

Today I am feeling much better and wanted to make a list.

A list in order to help me move beyond the funk (for the next time the funk returns)

Feel free to add to this list if you have any tips.

1. Take a nap- you are probably over tired and could use the extra sleep
2. Don't beat yourself up for having an off day-everyone has these from time to time.
3. Take a shower-you could be in a funk simple because you smell like trash.
4. Call a good friend and have a good laugh.
5. Eat ice cream with magic shell smothered on top
6. Cry-you always feel better after a good cry.
7. sit on the couch and watch aimless television (it's okay to be lazy every now and then)
8. order take out-who wants to cook when you are in a funk
9. light your favorite candle (sometimes that helps me)
10. get lost in your favorite movie and or book
11. just go with it knowing that tomorrow will be a better day
12. make a to do list since you know that putting things off automatically puts you in a funk (that one if my own personal one)

So...

You got any ideas to get beyond the funk? Please share.

2 Pounds A Week

I have a goal that I am working towards this summer. My goal is to loose 2 pounds a week by increasing my daily exercise and reevaluating the foods I consume.

When I told Jeff my goal, he quickly praised me for my efforts but then followed it up with a warning about how I should not be discouraged if the weight does not come off quickly. Instead he wanted me to focus on the benefits of exercise and a balanced diet and make it a lifestyle change not a crash diet.

You see, Jeff knows me pretty well. He has seen me crash and burn many times in the past two years when I have tried to get rid of the extra pounds infertility treatments has brought to me. Thank you Clomid for the 25 pound gift-you big jerk.

Usually after the first two weeks, if the scales are not heading south, I stop everything. I then get so mad at myself that I justify my feelings with a carton of Ben and Jerry's or greasy fries from Wing Stop. Both of which are super yummy!

On June 1st I started the Summer Workout Schedule of 2009 by signing up for three months at the local rec center. (Have you ever noticed that I title every season or big event in my life? Young Family Road trip, Positive Plus Sign Journey, The Great Escape of 2009, etc.) I refuse to quit during the time of June 1st to August 31st-that will give me 13 weeks to achieve the results I want.

For the past two weeks I have been faithful to workout Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I have been tracking my calorie intake as well. So far I have lost 4 pounds so yes, I have hit my goal of 2 pounds a week.

But last night something happened that I thought I should mention. I decided to try out a few of the fitness classes the rec center offers. As I was standing in front of the wall of mirrors, I started to evaluate my figure and let's just say I did not like what I saw. By the end of the class not only was I sweating profusely but I was feeling a little defeated. I had criticized myself to the point to where I was wondering what's the point with all the hard work? I was beating myself up and that was just plain stupid. Later when I was soaking my muscles in a hot bath, I took a few moments to reflect on what I saw in the mirror.

Here is what I came up with: it doesn't matter what I look like now, two weeks into my three month goal. What matters is that I am doing something to better myself today. Why would I allow myself to be berated by my own ugly thoughts when I was up off the couch, working out and loving every minute . (Any class that plays 2 Legit 2 Quit by MC Hammer or Baby Got Back is a class that I will come back to...in a heartbeat). I made a promise to myself that I will not allow the present image in the mirror to stop me from reaching my goals over the next few weeks. I promised myself that I would not become obsessed with my looks but focus instead on the beauty that God sees when He looks at me.

This summer I am doing the Beth Moore Bible Study on Esther and she has already reminded of this verse:

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 Peter 3: 3-4

Today my goal is to slap this verse on my mirror so that I can see it every time I look at myself.

A sweet thing happened this morning that blessed me especially after last night's self inflicted berating of my figure. When Jeff came home from work he asked me how my workout went. Since I was still half asleep I only told him that it was good but now I am sore. He then put his hand on my waist and said, "I can tell your waist is getting firmer."

Those were the perfect words to start my day even with being super duper sore.

Goodbye Long Hair

You may have not known this but I have been growing my hair out to donate to Locks of Love.



I have always wanted to do this and have spent the last year and a half growing it out. Towards the end, it became a real labor of love and I was happy to chop it off on Saturday.


The process wasn't made easier by my co-workers who nicknamed me Penny Pentecostal due to my long locks. Or that I made the mistake of relaying this story to Jeff and he started calling me Penny as well. One night I was sitting in B & N when a guy started to hit on me. I was wearing one of my new summer skirts, a tee shirt and had my hair in a bun. I probably didn't have a lot of make up on because by 8 p.m. it had worn off already and why would I touch it up that late in the night? The conversation turned into a ministry opportunity for me and by the end I had invited him to church. You won't believe the first thing he asked once he heard I went to church.




"Is it a Pentecostal church?"



Seriously?!? I knew then it was time to cut my hair.



(Side note: I mean no harm to the Pentecostal religion, the women typically keep their hair very, very long---that's all)




This past Saturday was the day. As she was chopping off my hair I had a moment where I thought "Am I making a mistake?" Flashbacks to the haircut of 1996 were flashing through my mind. A haircut I choose not to repeat. Ever.




Thankfully, I am very happy with the results. I feel like I am getting a fresh start and that is a wonderful feeling these days. Not to mention that Jeff LOVES it! I mean LOVES. IT.


Here is the best picture I could get while home alone tonight. I went for the serious look in this one.




And here is another one...I was feeling a bit sassy. Can you tell?

I can't wait to send in my Locks of Love this week.

1) Because the "tail" kind of gives me the creeps and I have hidden it in a drawer.
2) Someone is going to be blessed with a wig from my long locks.

Celebrating God's Goodness

The other night I joined my mom and brother at a praise and worship night for small group leaders at their church. It was my mom's birthday and she wanted her kids with her so we could worship together.

Throughout the night, I was reminded of God's faithfulness to our little family of three. Who would have thought that 20 years after my parent's divorce that all 3 of us would be serving in some capacity at our churches. It gives me great joy to realize that God could us warts and all to further His kingdom.

We have been blessed throughout these years to see God's mighty hand at work in our lives. In recent years we have been blessed to see God turn the bad into good. And I want to take a moment to publicly applaud my mom.

This past two years she has been ministering to a group of ladies she calls Lemonade Ladies. Each one of these ladies are choosing to take the lemons that have been thrown at them and turn them into something sweet. My mom is pouring out her life experiences into each one of their lives and pointing them back to the only one who can fix the mess, Jesus Christ. I am proud of her and enjoy hearing how each Lemonade Ladies life has touched my mom.

I was reminded the night of my mom's birthday that God does hear our cries and answers our prayers. I have learned over the years one simple truth about God: if you seek Him, you will find Him.

MOM, you are doing a great job and I am proud of you for taking your lemons and turning them into lemonade. Continue the path that God has laid out for you and be still and know that He is God. XOXOX Love you to pieces!!!

- your blue-eyed Susan

P.S We may look a little rough in the picture because all three of us were a puddle of tears at one point in the night. Just keeping it real, peeps! Just keeping it real

Summer Reading 2009

Nothing says summer like a reading list, maybe this stems from my school days.

I absolutely love sitting by the pool and sticking my nose in a good book. This summer I am putting away the biographies and pulling out the fluff. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed the biographies but it's summer, I need a break. Oh how I love the slower pace that summer brings!