Great

Christmas was great.

Ethan was sick with a fever on and off all weekend. He was very whiny and crabby, but did enjoy opening his presents! It didn't matter what was inside of them he just wanted to open them.

Here is a picture from our visit downtown to visit the toy soldier.



Here is a picture of all of my brothers and their gift from me!
(They thought it would be funny to stand next to dad!)

Hope you had a great Christmas too!

So MUCH & CHRISTmas 9 of 12

It has been hard to keep up with my blog with all that has been going on, Christmas, 2 funerals, unexpected visitors, computer problemse etc.

Let's start with the worst news. 2 funerals within 2 weeks. Saturday Dec 2, my great uncle died. On Dec 9 his wife, my grandma's sister died. I wasn't very close to them but obviously my mom and grandma were. One good thing that we got out of it was that my aunt and uncle who weren't going to be here for Christmas, got to be here!

Merci got an early Christmas present from gumma and papa. She got a little baby gerbil. He or she is sooo cute. But I already regret saying YES! So messy.

We went down to Tower City to see the Toy Soldier, like every year. Ethan would dance with the lady but not the Toy Soldier himself.

I did end up with an A in English!!!!

Christmas shopping is done. Christmas baking is done. Just waiting for Christmas to show up!

Ethan is now a big boy. We took out his toddler bed yeasterday. There was no sense keeping him in the crib that he wouldn't stop climbing out of. He isn't so sure he likes it. He keeps asking where the gate went. He ended up on the floor in our room last night after he woke up with a fever=(

Between Ethan waking up every 30 minutes or so, and the 8 gun shots at 3 this morning, I didn't get a good nights sleep. I was pretty scared after hearing the gun shots, but never did hear any sirens, so hopefully the gun was fired at nothing. It was pretty close, maybe the next street or so, it woke Josh and I up. I can't find anything on the news sites, so I hope nothing else comes of it.

I haven't gotten through all of my 12 days of Christams, but I will continue them becasue there are some pretty good ones.

Eternal Glory

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV)

If our present day situation is disturbing to us, perhaps there's something beyond our natural sight in the works, but not yet accomplished. The trouble we face today may be acheiving an eternal purpose so much better than we can imagine.

Remember that what we see right now is only temporary. What is most important, though we may not yet be able to see , is eternal.

I was going to post pictures, but our computer problems are very persistant, so I am having a hard time staying connected to the internet.


MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Close Call

I just got my final grade for my Medical Terminology class!

397.5/440

A-440-396

Got my A, just by a hair.
YEAH ME!!

Still waiting on English

So remember while December
Brings the only Christmas day,
In the year let there be Christmas
In the things you do and say.
- Anonymous

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14 (NIV)

Pleasing in Your Sight

The words we speak are reflections of our thoughts and meditations. These God-pleasing thoughts and words become pleasing in his sight because they will motivate us to Christ-like actions - that are seen and not just heard. Are your thoughts and words pleasing to the Lord every day and not just at Christmas or on Sunday mornings? Do you keep the spirit of Christmas alive in your heart all throughout the year?

As humans we tend to change our tone according to what surrounds us. Lord I want to make the choice to be pleasing to you ALL the time no matter the surrounding, no matter the circumstance. Lord help me with your loving strngth.

(taken from about.com)

CHRISTmas 7 of 12

John the Baptist said of Jesus:
"He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." John 3:30 (NLT)

A Christmas Candle

We are like a candle that holds the flame, burning strong and bright the light of Christ. We softly give ourselves away in worship of Him and service for Him, that we might become less and less, and that He might become greater and brighter through us.

I hope this is something we are all striving for.

(taken from About.com)

A Little Fun

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate, hand down! My favorite id Swiss Miss French Vanilla Hot Cocoa

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Wrap them! We wait until the kids are in bed Christmas Eve night and then bring them out and set them under the tree!

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? I like white most of the time!

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No, but maybe I want to this year,i need to go buy some.

5. When do you put your decorations up? I would love to do it the day after Thanksgiving but Josh isn't a huge Christmas fan,so we usually don't get them all up until about 2 weeks before Christmas..we just got our tree last night, i haven't even had energy to do the lights or ornaments yet

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Cheesy potatoes,my Aunt makes one kind and my mom makes another..lots of carbs, but YUMMY

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Snooping around the house for our gifts..one year I found a receipt and ruined my whole Christmas=( I also like seeing the tree with all the presents piled up on Christmas morning.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? My mom never lied to us! We don't let our kids get carried away with Santa, I don't want Santa being the focus of Christmas instead of Jesus. They can visit Santa and get pictures that is fine, but we don't go out of our way to lie about him

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? I usually buy and ornament for them to buy...but we also have a family gathering on Christmas Eve so we get to open lots of presents!!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Silver, and white. I love snowflakes so the majority of our ornaments are snowflakes, and then there are ones thrown in from when we were kids and the kids first Christmas ornaments etc. You need a little splash of color!

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Only love it on Christmas Eve and Christmas, or if I don't have to go out in it!

12. Can you ice skate? Uh-huh! i went every Friday night for like 4 years+

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? My Tanzanite and Diamond tennis bracelet on our first Christmas (He overdrew our bank account for it!! LOL)

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Trying to instill in my children a heavenly understanding of it and not a worldly one. I love to give gift to everyone, and spoil my hubby and kids.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Pie

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Don't have many yet, I just like waking up early and getting the kids up to open their gifts.

17. What tops your tree? My tree s bare right now, but there will be a white glittery star.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Both...if I just get one gift I am happy. i like the silly little things Merci picks out for me!!

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? The Little Drummer Boy, the new version by some Christian artist, and that one song I don't know the name of... I will have to get back to you..LOL

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Yum Yum, I like the Spree ones, and other yummy flavored ones, not too fond of pepermint.

I am supposed to tag people, but I won't, because they won't do it anyway. but you can respond to some in the comments!

CHRISTmas 6 of 12

Come as a Child

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'" Matthew 18:2-4 (NIV)

Is there anything more exciting than being a child on Christmas morning? And yet this is what God asks of us each day, to change and become like little children. Not just on Christmas, but each day approaching our Father, God as a child, with excited anticipation of His goodness, and humbly trusting Him that every need will be met and every care will be under His control.

I really like this verse, I was just chewing on it the other day. Except I can't remember why! I know I was in the car and I realized something, I really wish my memory was better. Enjoy.

Remember I take these devotionals from About.com

CHRISTmas 5 of 12

Not so sure what this has to do with Christmas, but hey...another good reminder=)

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35-39 (NIV)

Not Alone at All

When you feel the most alone, it may be the very moment when you are truly "least" alone at all.God is there in your darkest night and coldest wind. He may be so close you cannot see Him, but He is there. And perhaps He has chosen this moment to pull you closer to Him than you have ever been before.

CHRISTmas 4 of 12

Make Room for More

If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving--large or small--it will be used to measure what is given back to you." Luke 6:38 (NLT)

We have heard people say, "You can't out-give God." Well, you can't out-give yourself either! You don't need to be wealthy to possess a giving heart.
Give a smile, lend an ear, extend a hand. However you give, God's promise is tried and tested, and you'll see the blessings return multiplied back to you.

(This devotional was taken from about.com)

This is definitely the time of the year, I feel like giving the most. It makes me so sad to think, some precious child won't be getting any gifts this year. I can't make a difference in everybody's life, but I hope to learn how to go the extra mile and be kind to ALL of those around me. Even the ones that drive 10 miles per hour on a street that is not snow covered enough to be driving 10 miles per hour!!!=)

CHRISTmas 3 0f 12

Just a reminder=)

Wonderful Impossibilities

"When God intends to make something wonderful he begins with a difficulty. When he intends to make something very wonderful, he begins with an impossibility."
- Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Coggan

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)

Wonderful Impossibilities

The birth of Jesus was not just a difficulty, it was an impossibility. Mary was a virgin. Only God could breath life into her womb. And just as God caused her to conceive the perfect sinless Savior - fully God, fully human - He can accomplish through you, those things that seem impossible in your life.

(devotional taken from about.com)

CHRISTmas Day 2 of 12

Not so sure I liked todays devotion. Kind of generic.

How does YOUR family, "Keep Christ in Christmas?"
Let me know what traditions you have incorporated into your Christmas celebration!

CHRISTmas Day 1 0f 12

As I began to prepare for Christmas, in my thoughts a few months ago, I began to hear little pieces of what God wanted me to do. Here and there you hear of parents getting their child 3 gifts to symbolize the 3 gifts brought to baby Jesus. I always thought it was a cool idea, so we will be implementing this tradition (it is really hard though, so we will get them each 3 gifts and the stocking stuffers don't count!) Then after reading a few different blogs, the phrase "Keeping Christ in Christmas" kept repeating itself in my head.

For the past few years we have made a paper chain so Merci could count the days until Christmas. Last year each link had a little something written on it that we could do. (make cookies, make a Christmas card for grandma, etc.) This year we will be doing the same but each day we will implement something to remind us to "Keep Christ in Christmas!" Merci is not allowed to tell us what she wants for Christmas, and is not allowed to say I want, we are trying to get her focus off the presents...We all know how hard that is for kids and adults=) I did some looking on the internet and found lots of great stuff, crafts, coloring pages, poems, stories, etc. On About.Com, they even have daily devotionals. Which I am not sure will be age appropriate for Merci but I love hearing new scriptures, I may have missed or never thought about before, so I will be posting, them for me and hopefully you can get something out of them also!


"This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols, but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift, the Christ." - Frank McKibben

"And what a difference between our sin and God's generous gift of forgiveness. For this one man, Adam, brought death to many through his sin. But this other man, Jesus Christ, brought forgiveness to many through God's bountiful gift. And the result of God's gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man's sin. For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but we have the free gift of being accepted by God, even though we are guilty of many sins. The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over us, but all who receive God's wonderful, gracious gift of righteousness will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:15-17 (NLT)

The Greatest Christmas Gift

Each year we are reminded that Christmas should not be just about giving and receiving

But if we really think about Christmas, it truly is all about gift giving! At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the greatest gift ever given, by the greatest gift-giver of all, our wonderful God and Father!

Taken from About.Com!

~DISCO~

A few weeks ago, we had a murder mystery party with some of our friends. It was a blast. The theme of the party was 70's Disco. We had so much fun getting funky costumes and boogieing the night away!

Here are some hilarious photos!!


My Main Man


Vinny D. Vinchi & Angina Palpatori
(Keith and Celena)


All the GROOVY ladies
You can't see my go-go boots=( They were the best part of my outfit.


Manny Baritone
(Jason)
Check out the pants..LOL!


Chaka Moon
THE MURDERER!
(Kelly)


Deep in character, trying to prove their innocence!
Celena's face is hilarious..LOL

We had a blast. Thanks to everyone for dressing up and making the night somuch more enjoyable!!
The pictures didn't turn out very good.

He is out of his mind!

My husband, who dislikes the holiday season because of the shopping nazis this time of year, decided he wanted to go shopping today! He hand my brother woke up and headed out at 3 AM. I guess they have had good luck. They were like #20 in line at Comp USA this morning, although Comp USA had their huge door buster sale last night from 9PM-12AM. He may not be getting the best of the best deals, but he is getting some pretty good ones! He said he just wants to spend $$ today..which I was quick to point out, that we need to be spending $ on others and not ourselves!! Oh Well, he is having fun=)

He got this

He got this...this was the best deal!!
He got a few of these
and
He got this, for Merci!

And who knows what else he will come home with!

Gobble, Gobble!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of y friends and family!
I am greatful for all of you, and for all the roles you have played in my life!
And to my blog buddies, Thanks for keeping me occupied throughout the day, I'd go crazy with out ya'll=)

Remember to count your blessings today!

And eat lots of food, it is mostly good for you anyway!!

To My Husband

This morning as I was checking blogs to see what I missed the last few days, I saw THIS.
I was excited and thought I should do the same. Last night I was feeling overwhelmed by my disorganized and very messy house due to the busyness of this weekend. Josh had gone downstairs to the computer to play with his new toy, an iPod Nano. I had to make dinner in a horribly messy kitchen, and the kids were being very noisy and wild...which I have a very hard time dealing with, I like peacefulness=) I got mad and was thinking of how I wished he was at work or something, since he wasn't being helpful anyway. He did come up and help me wash some dishes, so I wasn't super mad, but still annoyed that he thought he could just waltz off and do his own thing in the first place. My selfishness, not his. And really I love the little time he is home and cherish it more than anything, I was just being a grump...Sorry babe!

Today after I put Ethan down to nap, I laid on my bed and picked up the opened Bible next to my bed, Which happens to be a couple's devotional Bible. Last week I had been reading in Ephesians (the same verses our pastor talked about yesterday...kinda cool), and I began to skim over the stuff I had been reading to refresh my memory. What stood out to me, which I wanted to blog about, just to remind all of you was:

Ephesians 3:20, "Now to Him who is able to immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen"

I then remembered the conversation Josh an I had with his mother yesterday about Joy. So I looked up 1 Peter 1 and read it. Good verse on Joy!! I looked over to the little devotional for the day titled "Differences Strengthen Us" so I began to read it and it was a good reminder to me...and probably for a lot of you also.

Here are some excerpts:

Passage for the day 1 Peter 1:3-9

Mike Mason, in his book The Mystery of Marriage, uses the word "otherness" to describe the ways in which spouses are different. He observes, "Our natural tendency is to treat people as if they were not others at all, but merely aspects of ourselves. We do not experience as the overwhelming, comprehensive realities which we feel ourselves to be. Compared with us, they are not quite real."

We are always growing toward the understanding that the person we married does not innately think and respond as we would. He or she is a different person, a mystery well worth the time it takes to unravel.

God was really cool in the way he took me to these verses and I am thankful, because I definitely need to uplift my husband in any way I can!

SOOOOOO Here are 13 things I love about my husband.

1. The smell of his skin.
2. His goofiness, although rare.
3. His hugs.
4. His faithfulness to providing for this family. He works outside when it is 99 degree+ or when it is 10 degrees-. I couldn't do it, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
5. His random cards or flowers, he isn't big on remembering holidays, but when it is out of nowhere, it means so much more!
6. His LOVE. I am SO thankful I don't have to wonder if my husband really loves me. I can feel it.
7. His growth as a father.
8. His childish excitement in the things he likes...cars, tools...=)
9. His striving to get his business started, You can do it babe, you can do anything, don't be scared, don't worry you will do fine!!
10. His booty...so squishy and firm...hee hee. (don't blush babe)
11. That he is learning to find good deals, like me. LOL. One of the main reasons I am not mad about the Nano...LOL!! you deserve it.
12. His tolerance of me.
13. The way he and I just work together, no matter our differences.

I love you in so many ways I cannot list them all. Thanks for wanting me, thanks for sticking by me, you could have so easily left me with Merci to worry about for the rest of my life but you stuck by my side through these hard 6 years. I Love you Joshua Ray, more than I could ever express.

XOXOXO

Nobody likes cranberry sauce

One year my family wondered why we served canned cranberry sauce, because nobody ate it but my grandma. The next year we decided to try some new recipes to spice Thanksgiving up a bit.
I found this recipe and everybody LOVES it! i get special requests every year. Try it!

Three Fruit Relish
from Taste of Home magazine

1C Sugar
1/2C orange marmalade
1tsp lemon juice
1 pkg (12 oz) fresh cranberries or frozen (I have never tried frozen)
finely chopped (Pampered Chef chopper works GREAT)
2C fresh raspberries ( I use frozen fresh are too pricey this time of the year)
2 medium tart apples, diced (chopper works great here too)

In a large bowl combine sugar, marmalade, and lemon juice; mix well.
Stir in cranberries, raspberries and apples.
Cover and refrigerate until serving.

I have found if you let it sit over night the flavors mix and it tastes better!!
Enjoy.

Fresh Air

This warmer weather just teases me. I am already feeling the gloominess of the winter upon us. I took the kids and we went outside today. The crisp, cheek cooling air was wonderful. Now I am inside again, reminded of the summer past, and the winter to come. I feel like I wasted my summer inside, or being too busy, I am having a hard time remembering what we did this summer. Did I let the kids swim enough? Did I do enough fun stuff with the kids this summer? Did I make the most of the beautiful warmth? Did I take care of my yard enough? Did I relax enough? I just cannot remember.

I envy the southern life, but I sure would miss the beauty of the trees.
I want to be rich, so I can have two homes, that I can choose between
Actually I would just like one home that is ours.
Until then Josh and I will live the life He has for us, trying not to complain, trying to take it all in and enjoy every moment that we DO have.

Had 3 plans this week, tommorow is Thursday, non have worked out yet=(

Thaksgiving is upon us too,and Christmas. I read a blog today and she had seen a blog where the Christian women were trying to figure out how to keep Christ the center of Christmas.
I am not sure I am looking forward tot he holidays=(
I just want to go away.
Why is it I feel I have to go away to enjoy the hoilidays?
Blah, just don't want to think or talk about it.

Exciting= Saturday, Nov 11= 6 years of happiness with my Josh
Going away for the night, not sure where
just somewhere

Guess I should go make something to nourish our bodies!

We went

We did decide to take the kids trick or treating. We had a lot of fun. We went on our street, and than went to Lakewood on my grandma's street! Way too much candy! I was thinking we would go for like 30 minutes and be done, but Ethan and Merci were having so much fun. Ethan was the cutest little dinosaur, or dragon or lizard there was (His tail was so cute, it wiggled when he walked..LOL)! Merci the prettiest princess!
It was just pure enjoyment, I didn't feel evil, I didn't feel like the people around us were evil. There was only excitement in the air.

99%

My second essay for my English class. We had to write about a topic in pop culture.
I got a 99%. How awesome is that. I am so proud of myself! It is always nice to have something to smile about, and I am sure getting this grade will help me write my rough draft, today, for my next essay.

A Product Perfect for You


Direct sales is an ever-growing industry in today’s culture. As a Tastefully Simple consultant, I have first hand experience in direct sales. Many factors contribute to the success of direct sales, making it more popular than shopping on the Internet or TV. (“About Direct Selling” “Benefits of Direct Selling,” par.3) People take interest in direct sales because of the social experiences, income potential, and because it is one of the easiest ways to own your own business. Direct sales offers a personalized and hands on approach to selling, causing people to value the products they purchase.

Direct sales is defined as the sale of a consumer product or service, person-to-person, away from a fixed retail location. (“About Direct Selling,” par.1) There are a few different ways in which direct sales companies sell, the most popular being home parties.
Home parties are hosted in the home of an individual who already likes or is interested in the product a specific direct sales company offers. The host invites his/her friends and family over so a consultant from that company can give an in person presentation and hands on demonstration of the products they sell. These two factors are direct causes for the interest and popularity of direct sales versus retail sales. When a consumer goes into a retail store to purchase a product they are limited to the product packaging and maybe an uneducated opinion from a sales associate. I know that I have fallen victim to purchasing a product that had a convincing label, and later find out it was really too good to be true. I am sure I am not the only one. Doesn’t trying it before you buy it sound like a good idea? Direct sales offers that exact convenience. The consultants for these companies are trained, knowledgeable, and experienced in the product they are selling. Consultants have the time and environment to listen to the individual client’s needs and wants, and can then offer products appropriately. Compare this personal interaction to the interaction you get at a typical retail store, and you see why many prefer direct sales. Any consumer can appreciate the “try it before you buy it” approach to buying that is offered in this environment.

According to the Direct Selling Association website, there are more than 200 registered direct sales companies. (“About DSA,” par. 1) The Direct Selling Association ensures that member companies will make no statements or promises that might mislead either consumer or prospective sales people. (“Code of Ethics,” par. 2) Direct sales cover a wide range of products including: beauty products by Mary Kayâ, gourmet food products by Tastefully Simpleâ, cooking accessories by The Pampered Chefâ, jewelry by Silpadaâ, candles by PartyLiteâ and storage containers by Tupperwareâ. Products from these and other direct sales companies typically come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, as do many retail products. But because of the one-on-one relationship of direct sales consultants and their clients, trust is established, where as in a retail environment there isn’t that trust factor. Retail stores make you jump through hoops to get a replacement product or money back, but with direct sales, satisfaction is only a phone call away.

Direct sales can be the answer to an individual’s desire for more than the normal treatment and service. Direct sales consultants most often use the product they are selling, therefore can give a firsthand account of a products features and uses. Most consultants will be honest and tell you if a product isn’t what it seems, or any problems they personally had when using the product. Consultants also offer any help you may need with the product(s) you purchase. Unlike a retail store, many consultants will take the time to follow up with you after the party, making sure you got your products, know how to use them and to make sure that you are satisfied. As a client you are also given the consultants direct phone number and/or e-mail address in case you have any questions or concerns. Quality customer service, on a personal level, is just one more reason to trust direct sales.

Direct sales causes people value the products they buy from direct sales over retail bought products. Direct sales is a booming industry, and promises to be so in years to come. Today’s version of the direct selling industry reflects how the early peddlers and traders worked. In the 21st century, customers can still benefit from this personal and convenient way of purchasing products. (“About Direct Selling” “History,” par. 20) With quality, personalized products and service each direct sales company promises a product perfect for you.

769 words, spell-checked, specifics

Works Cited:

Matrix Group International, Ltd. Direct Selling Association. Home Page: About DSA, About Direct Selling, & Code of Ethics. 1996-2006. Sept 25, 2006

MUSEings 1

Emily gave us a challange, I will be taking part as much as I can. You can too!

As I prayed God gave me a creative word art,(just some question in no particular order with different fonts, colors and sizes to make it pretty!) the big purple words are parts of the verse that are most important to me! I have been asking myself these questions lately and other, and my friend Rebekah, encouraged me to ask God, which makes so much sense, but it seems we never remember to ask HIM. So enjoy.

{MUSEing 1}
James 1:5-8 NIV
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

?Do I really believe GRACE is enough for me

What areas of my life have I become hopeLESS about?

? If You want me to be friends with M and J why do they annoy me so much…I should do this because you told me to, but I really don’t want to?

?Can’t he understand ME and I understand HiM
Let me ask this: What is mY DestinY?

God I know you ♥ me, Why can your ♥ be Enough ???

It sounds so easy, can it really be?

Why do I believe what I believe?

??When will we be able to purchase our own home??

?Is Superior Slate what YOU want

?Why is it the friend I need, is so distant in my life..I miss her=(

MusT I make it so difficult on myself?

?Why do I make myself believe I am all alone?

What should we do about ?Halloween?

Holy Spirit can you lead me to my gifts PLEASE…and couldn’t you make it very clear?

?Why is it I seek, if I can nOT accept

Taxes…????

What are you ??? trying to teach mE

I know you HEAR me, why do I doubt you?

??What should we do about Christmas

WheN will I learn to truly be in FaITh?

To Trick or Treat or not??

I probably posted something like this last year, but I almost feel like I have changed my mind.

Both
Josh and I never Trick or Treated growing up. It was a "evil" holiday.
Merci is getting to the point where she doesn't go along with stuff
just because we say so. Merci LOVES candy, so for her Halloween is all
about the candy, and dressing up like the Princess she thinks she is.
She began to question me a few weeks ago, and I told her I would talk
to daddy and maybe we could go the the candy store and get lots of
candy and hide it in the house so she could find it. And she could
dress up! Friday she came home with a letter from school about their
Halloween party (last year her school only celebrated Harvest not
Halloween...same school system this year so I thought I would be
safe...I was wrong.) I didn't want to keep her home, and I don't want
to NOT let her drees up, she nor the other kids would understand.

My biggest dilemma
is, if we would never have told her about the evil roots of Halloween,
she wouldn't know, and therefore would be celebrating a fun, candy
filled evening. Isn't all about the motivation of the heart??

As adult it is my job to train my daughter and make her aware of things, but couldn't;t
this have waited until she was older and understood a little more,
while she celebrated what she thought was a innocent holiday??

I
have half the mind to say we are going Trick or Treating this year.
Would that be wrong? I know it would be sending her mixed signals, but
we could pray for the neighborhood as we walk down the street, we could
still teach her about why we view Halloween as a so called "evil"
holiday, by letting her see for herself.RRRRRRRR, I hate being the adult making decisions.

Any feedback would be helpful.

And
by the way, I almost think the way we celebrate Christmas and Easter,
could be view as a little bit on the "evil" side in our day and age.
Where has the meaning gone?? It has evolved intosomething it wasn't meant to be...just as Halloween!

our photos!!!

Chek out half of our photo shoot, here

They are awesome! Thank you so much Sweet Dreams photography (Angela and Emily)

Blogger Beta

Has anyone checked out Blogger Beta? How fun. As you can see I can
change all my font colors and fonts, I can arrange my sidebars and a
whole lot of NEW stuff. It is hard to sign in to comment because you
have to sign in differently, but they are trying to fix it. That is why
I am using anonymous on all of my comments. But Beta is FUN!! Ok BYE!

Last Fall

This is a picture of the kids from last fall. Aren't they cute?!

Video=)

I learned how to put vodeos on my blog!!

Watch this, it is adorable! The lighting is horrible, but the cute part is the sound anyway.

Pay close attention to the F and let me explain the U. I think Ethan thinks we are saying "you", so he always says, "No. Mommy, or Daddy or Sissy." So darn cute I tell you.

Enjoy.

2 posts in one day=)

School is something that is important to me right now. It is helping me be more confident in myself. Staying at home as a mom, definately helps to develope character, but I felt I was lacking in my education and I was very unclear as to what my future would be. So bear with me as I brag on all of my accomplishments in the months to come=) Here is my 1st of many essays in my English class. I just got my grade and it is 91/100. Way to go me=) We had to write an essay on an advertising campaign.

For Us Or Profit?
Donna Schuster

In today’s economy advertising has a strong influence. A lot of time and effort goes into persuading people to buy a specific product. Most companies target one or two specific people groups or try to group all people together. McDonalds is a company who goes to great extents to win over every group of people they possibly can, in order to gain more profit. As they are trying to win these people over they try to make us think it is in our best interest.

One way McDonalds advertises is by using the slogan, “I’m lovin’ it”. This slogan is portraying to us that the consumer loves McDonalds food. To go along with “I’m lovin it” McDonalds uses people of different ethnicities as well as having the slogan written in different languages on their packaging. This is turn is trying to portray to us that everyone loves McDonalds, no matter who they are or where they come from. This advertising technique alone is a strong way to persuade people to come to McDonalds. If everyone else loves it, so will I.

Another way McDonalds advertises is by using different visuals and words to create an image they want us to believe. While exploring the McDonalds website, a few things were very appealing. All of the pictures on the homepage were of youthful, athletic people. There were pictures of people participating in various sports, and all of the people shown in the ad were of a healthy weight. Also noticeable was a section claiming to have many choices to create a balanced diet. From these different advertising images we are made to believe that McDonalds is a food eaten by youthful, sporty people and that we can expect to get a balanced meal at McDonalds. When individuals are made to believe something is in their best interest they feel better about their choices. So because McDonalds claims to have good choices of food, people won’t give much thought to it and they will go eat at McDonalds. When a company advertises something like, having different choices for a balanced diet, consumers tend to believe them and not argue about it. If something is written, it must be true!

As discussed earlier, McDonalds tries to target all different groups of people. McDonalds uses different techniques for different age groups. Seniors are targeted with the senior discount. Seniors like to congregate at McDonalds, especially in the mornings for their discounted coffee and to read the complimentary copy of the newspaper. Seniors can sit in McDonalds dining room and mingle with other people their age enjoying the heat in the winter and cool air in the summer and they can stay as long as they want without having to tip anyone. Kids of all ages love new toys, so the Happy Meal is a perfect choice for kids. Some McDonalds also have a free indoor playground, which is very inviting anytime of the year. The Dollar Menu is a nice touch for anyone, but is definitely used to target the teen or young adult who have to survive on very little money. Don’t forget the fun games McDonalds offers. The most well known is the Monopoly game. This is a campaign to persuade anyone, of any age, any race, or any income level to keep trying for that free car or huge money prize.

Not only does McDonalds target different groups of people, but they also target different types of people. Value meals are used to interest people who are in a hurry. Value meals are so easy they even have a number. All you do is drive your car up to a window, order a “number 3”, while talking on your cell phone, channel surfing and any other number of things. It requires no thought. The Premium coffee, with already added cream and sugar, also targets the person who is in a hurry. Breakfast is another item that targets the person who is in a hurry, and includes the moms who are in a hurry to get their kids fed and to school on time. A newer item is the Mighty Kids Meal, which targets the children who need more food. These meals included bigger portions than the regular Happy Meal, a double cheeseburger rather than a regular cheeseburger or a 6-piece McNugget instead of a 4 piece. If you are young enough to want a toy, you shouldn’t be eating a double cheeseburger and medium fry. Recently it seems that McDonalds is trying to add healthier options to the menu. We now have the choice of apple dippers instead of fries, milk, chocolate milk, or apple juice instead of soda, to make the Happy Meal more nutritious. For the adult things like the Fruit and Yogurt Parfait, Apple Walnut salad and the new Asian Salad have been added to the menu. McDonalds is very eagerly trying to

entice the health conscious person into trying their new healthier options so they will have one more group of people eating their food.

McDonalds advertising technique seems to be creating a desire or need for their food when it may have not existed in the first place. McDonalds is providing more and more options for anyone who wants them. The consumer is targeted by a false belief that all these changes and offerings are in their best interest when in fact the bottom line is more profit.

2005-2006.September 21, 2006.

902 words, spell-checked, specifics

Self Evaluation

I had a rough time writing this paper. I actually really dislike writing papers. I get really flustered and think that whatever I wrote doesn’t make sense. I go back to the assignment description numerous times to make sure I am doing it right. I guess what I am trying to say is that I second-guess myself too much. I can sit and stare at my paper or computer screen for an hour just trying to figure out what I am going to do instead of doing something. My husband was a huge help, but he was out of town the whole week that I had to revise my rough draft and finalize my essay. I was really intimidated at finishing the task on my own. Here I am at the end and I think I did a pretty good job. One other thing I had a hard time with was trying to keep my paper my own. With two other people in the class doing a paper on McDonalds and having their papers to read was hard. I felt like I was going to say the same thing as them or say something to contradict what facts they had. I was really scared that I would be told I plagiarized their paper. One thing that was very helpful to me was having the prior assignments, the discussion and the outline in particular. I liked the discussion because it was very informal and not intimidating, but was easy to turn into something that was more formal. I loved the outline; it was a visual that helped me write my rough draft. I was somewhat of a pre rough draft for me. I had no problem writing my rough draft because I had a format to follow. It helped ease my anxieties. Hopefully the next paper will be much easier for me with this one out of the way!

HE loves ME

God is so good!

Last night I called my husband and requested he come home RIGHT NOW. I had explained to my husband how I needed to go to Tri-C campus to take a test that day. I am doing online classes, but for Medical Terminology, I have to take 4 tests at the testing center throughout the semester. It makes sense, they have to gauge your knowledge somehow, if I was to take all my classes online, I could just cheat the whole time. So anyhow, the testing center was open until 8 last night and only 4:30 today, which means I couldn't do it today, I would need a babysitter. Yesturday we woke up to rain so I asked Josh if I could just go take the test after I dropped Merci off at school, he told me he really had to finish the house he was wroking on, even in the rain, and said he would probably be home in a few hours. I waited and waited and waited all day, it stopped raining so there was other stuff he had to take care of. 5:30 came and that is when I made the demanding phone call. He was home before 6. I made it to Tri-C a little after 7 and began the test. I knew all the answers. There were only 2 I just couldn't remeber. Exostosis- an abnormal growth on the surface of the bone which doesn't make sense in my mind becasue the prefix exo means outside, and osis menas conditon of, so what does the stupid st mean?? This is a term that can't be defined by it's components.
The other one was to provide a correctly spelled term for excision of a striated muscle it should be rhabdectomy, I couldn't remember rhabdo--uggg!
So anyway...I was feeling all tense becasue I had to go take that test, and had to be there in time and it didn't look like that was going to happen, and to top that off I had made a nice dinner and my children were refusing to eat. Ethan is in the wonderful stage of terrible two's and refuses to each much of anything these days, and Merci doesn't really like rice, and isn't fond of meat. We always make her eat the meat..she just doesn't like chewing it. We usually only eat white meats, because I don't eat beef. So on top of Merci complaing that it was grose, and Ethan throwing the food all over, I was just so angry. I just couldn't stop yelling, I wanted to screm and yell, I wanted to tell Josh off for working so much ( even though it is something he has to do to support us). I just needed to get OUT!! Besides Josh was out of town ALL last week, so I hadn't been away from teh kids in a long time!

After I took the test I was feeling pretty confident in myself. I decided to go SHOPPING=) I needed to get a gift for a birthday party Merci is going to this evening. So I went to Toys r Us, they are having some AWESOME sales...Buy 2 get the 3rd free on a lot of the populat toy collections I got 3 My Littlest Pet shop animals for less that $10. 1 for the gift and 2 for Merci for Christmas! I then went to Target and found some jeans for Merci, all of her's are like 2 inches too short on her, poor girl! $8 and they are cute=) I also found a school shirt for $2.48, I LOVE good deals=) Ialso picked up some little things from the dollar section for the gift! And who can resist a box of Little Debbies for a night snack=) I went to pay and couldn't find the debit card Josh had given me from his account...UH OH. I immediatley prayed that God would reveal it's hiding place. I was freaking out but paid with my card. I drove back to Toys R Us with only 2 minutes left until closing. I approached the counter and saw my cashier and asked I had left my credit card. Yes they had it Some lady had found it in the parking lot...I have NO idea how it got there!

So after a good test, some good deals, a good deed, and a Little Debbie, I was ready to head home! I feel much better today=) And we have a dte night tonight=)

my boys

We went to the park unday night and I got some cute pictures of my boys! Merci was off playing with her new "friends for the day" so I couldn't get any of her!

I love this picture! My little one eyed boy!

My Bio

Here is my first English assignament! I had to write a biography about myself!
I will post my discussion assignment soon, so you can all help me perfect my final essay on it!!

I am so proud of myself, I have a 99% in my English class (I have had 1 quiz and 4 smaller assignments). In Medical Terminology I have 44.5/45 points WOOHOO!! I am keeping up and enjoying my classes, even with my hectic week last week, of taking care of 2 households and 7 kids!

My name is Donna Schuster. I am 25. I have been married to my husband Josh for almost 6 years. Together we have a daughter, Merci who is 6 and son, Ethan who is 2. We are a Christian family and attend Worldview Community Church in Olmsted Falls. Josh is a slate roofer who is in the process of starting his own slate roofing company, Superior Slate. I am a stay at home mom and I am also a Tastefully Simple consultant. We are both currently seeking new customers!

My previous college experiences include: 6 credit hours through the Post Secondary Enrollment Option during my senior year at John Marshall High School in 1999 and 11 credit hours at Baldwin Wallace college in 1999. Due to my lack of interest and my unexpected first pregnancy I decided to put school on hold for a while. This English class as well as a Medical Terminology class will be my first online college courses. I am hoping the six year absence of education will spark the interest I need to decide on and finish a degree.

I am really looking forward to taking different classes to help me decide on a future career. My list of possible career paths is very diverse. I think I may have narrowed it down to five possibilities, teaching, radiography, sonography, social work in the adoption field, or my dream job of becoming a midwife.

I am looking forward to getting to know some of you!

Side note: My church is putting on a stage production called One Story the weekend of September 15th and 16th. Just a little FYI to get some extra credit! To Buy tickets go to www.worldviewcc.org and click on the events icon on the left, scroll down to The One Story.

Community

I was touched by the support of the people in our city and surrounding cities, this morning. It was kind of weird how things played out. I was on my way to pick up an application at Life Skills Center for my brother in law, Isaac. As you all know a Cleveland police officer was shot and killed last week on my street. **Don't worry it was further down our street, we are close to the 3500's and this happend in the 3200's.** We had to drive past the house where he was shot, the lawn was covered with flowers, baloons, stuffed animals and lots of other stuff. I was touched and got all teary eyed. I was able to point out the house and explain to my brother and sister in law (ages 9 and 10) why the memorial was there. On our way back out here to my in-laws house I noticed an unusual amount of cars pulled off to the side of the road, there was also a firetruck with the lights on, stopped on the bridge overpass, and there were a ton of people gathered around. I began to sob as I realized why they were there. The funeral procession would be passing by. As I continued to drive, there were firetrucks on the side of the road every few miles, ready to salute the passing fallen police officer. I called Josh and I was all weepy, just touched by the support of our fellow citizens, who don't even know this guy. It was amazing. After I got off the phone with Josh is when I really lost it. We got to see hundreds of police on motorcycles and hundred of police cars following. It sure was a site to see. The highway was stopped for miles and, you didn't hear any horns, all you saw was people standing on the hoods of their cars saluting the passing hero.

I wish, as citizen of this state, and country for that matter, would come together more often. I was reallyt ouched to see this display of love and support. It makes me think of when we are in heaven, it is gonna be AWESOME!!

A few new things

1) Merci is officially a 1st grader, as of yesturday morning. This year Merci started a new school, (same school system as last year) but showed no signs of being nervous or scared. We did get to meet her teacher and visit her classroom last week, so I am sure that helped. Her new teacher seems 100% better than her teacher last year, I am hoping this makes a huge difference in her learning and behavior! I was really excited to find out her friend Clarissa (her grandparents live next door) is in her class, so that really helped also.

2) Donna is officially going back to school=) I have been in the process for sometime and finalized all the paperwork and finacial aid stuff today! Yay me. I just felt like I needed a change, a challange, something for ME, so I figured this would be the best investment for the future! I am still very much undecided about what I want to do, but I declared Radiography as my major, but I have been thinking about teaching also, and Sonography and Sociology also. I have NO idea, I will be praying for guiadance. I think I want to be a social worker, that was my major at BW, I might want to work with adoptions, but my dream job is to be a midwife. So as you can see I am lost, I have no clue..LOL!!

3) Did I mention that Ethan threw a big piece of poop at me the other day??
Ethan was in the bathtub and I was in the bathroom getting ready, I see something out of the corner of my eye, I look down and see a big piece of poop on the floor...EEWWW! I screamed and laughed so hard. Ethan just kept looking at me and saying "ewe mommy, peep." I was horrified, but it is definatly something that needs to go in his baby book, and something that I will never forget!

PS Spell check is not working again, and it did take me 2 times to pass the English placement test=)

To Homeschool or NOT

I have a dilemma... Many of my friends and family are choosing to homeschool their kids. In all honesty I really think that I would enjoy it. As a kid I wanted to be a teacher and may even pursue that route for a future career (not sure yet). My problem is this: I really believe Merci and I would butt heads too much, Merci is a very independent child, Merci is very outgoing and loves to be around people. I think school is good for her. We have Merci in a very small carter school, which I feel very safe with. I am not sure I would be ok with a public school..in this area anyway. Private schools are way to expensive for our budget and I even think homeschooling would be a bit too expensive for us.
Don't get me wrong I really love the ideas and beliefs behind homeschooling, but in the same way I don't. I feel like because I am a Christian mom I have to conform to all the other Christian moms. I know no one expects that of me, but it is how I feel. Do you ever feel like that?
The reason for my rant is to get some people to let me know that it is ok for me to put my kids in school. I need to know that homeschool parents aren't superior to parents who put their kids in school. I have overheard so many homeschool parents talking to other homeschool moms and most of the time I feel like that IS the way they feel (that it's homeschool or nothing). I know that if I work hard enough I can raise a perfectly respectable child who loves the lord while attending a school.
This is definitely NOT to say that all homeschooler act like this, because I know plenty who don't. If Josh and I feel at anytime the Lord saying HOMESCHOOL we would. But here is another dilemma...What if I feel like I can homeschool Ethan in the future?? Is that horrible to homeschool one and not the other??

I know that some of you who read this were homeschooled, so who homeschool now, and some who have previously homeschooled..please give me your thoughts and insights. I would love to know. Tell your friend to read this post I really want LOTS of insight.

Check them out

Go to Caleb's blog and check out some really cute pictures of my kiddos at their birthday party this past weekend!

I can't believe I am having this discussion

Today in the car Merci informed me that she believes in true love. There was a song on the radio about believing in love and she has recently watch the movie Aquamarine a few times.
Aquamarine is about a two teenage girls who find a mermaid in their pool after a big storm. Aquamarine comes to land to find out if there is a such thing as true love, becasue her father the king mermaid tells her there is no such thing as true love.

Merci also got a book for her birthday THE PRINCESS AND THE KISS.
I highly recommend it for anyone with a little girl.
Story about purity...A princess is given a magical present when she is born (a kiss), she searches and searches for someone special enough to give it to..she finally finds a peasant man who is wonderful and has saved his special magical present of his first kiss also..so cute!

Merci went on to talk about how Aquamarine's dad doesn't believe in true love, but how she believes in true love, and when you meet your true love then you can give away your kiss...she began to ask question and inform me of some things , "Mom what if I don't knwo my true love?" "Mom what if I don't know where my true love lives?"(Hilarious) "Mom I love my brother, maybe I will just marry him" and last but not least she informed me that she has already found her true love"Jonathan" and he loves her too!

Oh Boy! I am in for a long road!!

My Baby

Today is Ethan's birthday. My mind cannot comprehend that he is 2 years old today. Where has time gone?? Seriously. I feel so old always saying this, but time is moving faster and faster everyday. Just yesterday I had this horrible little baby who cried 24 hours a day, he was really cute, and I was so excited to have a boy, but I didn't know if I could love him (he was really that bad!) I soon found many ways and reasons to love him.



Ethan Chase,
I first of all love your name! I love the way it sounds and the way is seems to fit together.
I love ALL the cute faces you make. I love your pointy eye teeth, and the way they stick out when you flash your handsome smile. I love the sophisticated way you wear your glasses. I love the way you will never admit that you have a dirty diaper, because you don't want to get changed. I love the way you sit on your potty, and when I tell you to put some "pee pee" in the potty you push your little wee wee down into the potty, like, see mom it is already in there. I love the way you cock your head when you are asking us a question. I love the way you touch my face when you have something important to say, it just melts my heart. I love the way you use your hands to say I don't know. I love the way you always have to have another of whatever I am giving you for your "sissy". I love the way you tell me "wook" when you are riding your bike, trying to let me know you will be going to work just like daddy! I love the way everything is mommy's, daddy's, or sissy's. I love your giggle, I love they way you kiss both of my cheeks. I love when you squeeze my face when you feel like passionately kissing me! I love EVERYTHING about you. You are already growing into such a caring, loving young man. I will continue to pray that you stay on God's path all of your life. I have this feeling you are going to be a powerful man of God. I pray that I would be able to be an great example and provider for you all the days of your life.
I love you so very much my baby boy!

Dinner with Jesus

Today I got a call to do a focus group. I love doing focus groups, it is so effortless and you get paid good money! I will be going to do a survey on beverages, for 2 hours, and will get paid $100!!

To qualify I had to answer this survey, and one of the questions was, f you could go out to dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be?? I answered God. And then she asked, what 3 questions would you ask?? UMMMMMMM......UMMMMM. I had no answers, I just made up 3 lame questions. What would I ask Him?? I think I would just be able to stare at Him, in His beauty and forget that I had any questions.

What would you ask Him??

When I got off the phone, I quickly remembered that I had been at Target this morning, drooling over these wicker ottomans, and benches that had storage inside
(I could hide the toy mess)!
I was thinking, I just wish that I could babysit or do something and get like $100, so I could buy one of these. I just hate spending money on stuff like this, it is just too expensive.

God heard my "wish" and supplied my answer.

Now I just have to decide if that is what I will spend the money on, because I could use so many more things......decisions, decisions=)

Missing for Months

Yesturday morning as we were leaving for the park, our neighbor across the street called us over. I was running late and had my hands full, so I was a little annoyed. He said he had a surprise for us. In my mind I was thinking either A- Momma kitty had kittens again or B- Pokey was back. Well B was the answer. As I got closer to the kitty in the driveway and realized, indeed, it was our cat Pokey. Pokey has been missing for probably around 4 months. He is back! Not sure if he will stick around again or not, because he has a new collar on=( I am not sure of I want a cat again or not, my kids were really excited, but I don't miss the litter box or cat hair. What should I do??

ARRRRR!!

Last week Ethan had a follow-up eye exam, he has to go to the eye doctor every 3 months so they can keep an eye on his eye=) Well everything is still the same, his eyes are working together, his prescription is the same, but his right eye, the one with Ambliopia (Lazy Eye), is still being really lazy. If you hold an object in front of him, he will turn his head to look at it with his left eye (the good one), instead of trying to focus correctly with his right eye (the bad one). Ethan will have to wear an eye patch for 2 hours every day for the next three months.



He has been doing really good. We are very proud of him.
The first day I had put the patch on him in the car and Merci proceeded to tell me that everything was ruined because Ethan wasn't cute anymore and now everyone was going to stare at him! It was kind of cute, but I still think he is a cutie pie, even thought I
am a little biased=)

Some Ethan

Today I will post some of my favorite pictures of Ethan Chase! Ethan had so much fun playing on the beach, in his clothes, in his swimsuit, and without either=) Ethan's favorite thing to do was go on the boat. We had a paddle boat, a row boat and the last few days some people let us use their motor on the row boat. We also got to go on our friends (people who have been going to these same cabins for over 30 years, just like our family) speed boat! Ethan absolutely loved it. So if Ethan wasn't swimming you would find him on one of the boats!



Playing in the sand!


Ethan loved to climb up on the dock run around to the water, climb back up onto the dock, run into the water........


See, I told you, he loved the boats so much he just couldn't wait for his clothes=)

My little fish

Some Merci

Today I will post my favorite pictures of Merci from our vacation. We were in Irons, Michigan which is about an hour North of Grand Rapids. We stay in a small little cottage on Big Bass Lake. I have been going to Big Bass Lake since I was a babe, and my mom since she was a babe. It is a nice big lake that has about 200-300 lakefront cabins. Most people only vacation here, but many do live there all year long also. It is a very quaint little country city with many memories and lots of fun!



Like I mentioned before, Merci celebrated her 6th birthday on July 9.
Merci has been asking for a Barbie fishing pole for months now.
I figured since we were in Michigan (the only place we fish)
the fishing pole would be a great birthday present.



This was the only fish she caught, and was scared to death of it!
A 3 inch bass, Just her size.



While in the city one day we pass this cool boucy thing, she really enjoyed it!!



Time with daddy on the diving dock!



Cheese!!

Toe and Monkey

So...last night I was trying to get into my bedroom and there was a lot of stuff in the hallway (we were unpacking) and Ethan was pushing Merci's baby stroller, so I was trying to get around him and I jammed my toe into the wall. It is all swollen and bruised and it hurts=(
And then today after Josh and I put Ethan down for a nap (I went to do laundry and Josh was finishing his lunch in the kitchen) I heard footsteps in the living room, so I went to investigate (Merci wasn't home) Ethan had climbed out of his crib, come downstairs and started playing like it was no big deal. Can you believe it?? What a monkey. I guess we should have known it would come sooner or later. Merci never climbed out of her crib, she was in it until she was 3. He also did it just a few minutes ago when we put him in there for bedtime...and the really funny thing is that he closes his door behind him, like we won't put him back!! Little boys=)

Home and Happy Birthday

We are home! Vacation was wonderful, but we were eager to be back in our own home!! While we were gone, we celebrated Merci's 6th birthday!! 6 years has gone by so fast. More details to come when I have some time=)

I will be back

I will be gone for a week or so. I am not sure if I am going to miss my computer or not. I will let you know when I am back=)

Coming Home

We now own a RED 2002 F250! It will be coming home today. Thanks for keeping us in your prayers. When Josh took it to Firestone to get it looked at, they said this truck is in the best shape they have ever seen for a truck with so many miles. Yeah God you sent us to the perfect truck!!!

We now need to get this bumper sticker.

One truck, Two Truck, White Truck, Red Truck

Some of you have been wondering about our vehicle situation.

About 3 weeks ago Josh's work truck broke down. It is so old and needs so much work, we really felt like we shouldn't fix it, but to begin a search for a new one. But wait, we can't really afford a new truck....but wait, God does this mean it is time for us to jump into the business and trust fully in you??
After a 6 hour day in the car, searching every dealership from here to Massilon we found 1(the white one). We weren't really interested, it seemed to over priced and when running it was idling really funny. We passed and had no luck the rest of the day. We did find a dealership who had just sold the exact truck with all the features we wanted, the night before for under the limit we set for ourselves. UGH!
Josh wants a Ford F250 XLT v8 5.4 L crew cab, long bed and 4x4, this is a VERY hard to find truck. Since we were at a loss and couldn't find a truck like this anywhere we went back to the White one. We couldn't get financed (our credit is getting better, but not good enough). My mom decided to co sign for us (Thanks a bunch). Last Saturday my mom picked us up and we headed to sign all the papers, my mom left with the he kids, Josh and I took the truck out for a last test drive (they said they fixed the idle problem) and all the idling problems were still there. We felt a big NO, we couldn't buy a truck like this there was obviously something wrong, and with NO warranty, we weren't taking chances ( you all know what happened with the Jeep...blown engine after 3 months..we are VERY cautious now). We call my mom to come pick us back up. The salesman says he will send it to Ford to get it checked out. Just yesterday he calls to tell us it was fixed, it was a coil cover...something like that..the spark plug for one of the cylinders wasn't working...even though they just replaced it. Nice huh??
Soooo in he meantime this guy Ray calls us, Josh had test driven this truck, before his truck dies..just because he wanted to=) The truck is still available(this is the red one). Hmmmm, so we go test drive it again. It is newer, nicer and lots more options than the white one, but more miles. We really like it, we really like the sales guy, is this too good to be true?? Oh yeah and it is the same price!!
My mom's credit will be checked again through this dealership (same bank) so hopefully we will have a truck SOON.

Finally
The object of this post...
We want to stay in God's will, if He wants us to get the white truck we will, but we would rather have the red one=) But we want the best one, the one that will last. The one GOD has for us.
Please PRAY for us. Thanks.

Stress and mad at me

The last few weeks have been full and stressful. With camping, planning the parents 25th anniversary party, and a handful of family issues. I have been going crazy. All the "planning" stuff is over. We leave for vacation on July 8 and I am so ready, except for my teenage brothers who are coming..who we will be babysitting more than our kids. None the less, it will be vacation.

If you guys could all pray: Josh's brother Isaac had moved to Florida awhile back, he is only 18 and had no plans and now he is in jail in Florida...far away from home and anyone he knows. We talked to him a few weeks ago and he had nothing, his wallet got stolen, he was living on the beach, eating whatever food he could find. It was sad to hear but, he really needs to learn some lessons. He was taken to jail on possession of cocaine. We aren't sure how to help. He is someone who just takes, takes, takes and isn't thankful, and doesn't even realize you've helped. He left Ohio because of some issues here, so he may be in big trouble for running. His bond is only $100, but sad to say no one is willing to help him out. Are we all wrong?? Has anyone been in a situation like this? I want to write to him and let him know he is loved, prayed for and not forgotten.

Funny Story:

Today the kids wanted to go outside, so I went out and started pulling the crack weeds..you know the weeds that grow b/w the cement slab on the driveway. (We have LOTS and they were like 6 inches high). I was pulling them all out and Merci realized there were lots of ants. She decided that the ants lived in these weeds...they really live in the dirt under the weeds and I just disturbed them. So she precedes to make a big deal out of it saying, " Mom you are taking away the ant's homes, you're killing them...Mom these ants are so mad at you." It made me giggle to think that these little, tiny, pesky creatures could be so mad at me!

Oh by the way spell check works again..for today!!

Camping Fun

Camping was a lot of fun. We had wonderful weather. NO RAIN=) It was pretty hot on saturday, so we headed for the beach. What a fun time. The kids were so good and played for hours. The mommies and aunties got to relax in the water a get some sun!


Andy lead the efforts to build a huge sand castle


The sand castle is done, all the kids get inside


Daddy time!


Practicing for Baywatch...totally Joking!


Sparkelers in your under roo's is so much more fun.