God works in funny and mysterious ways!

God definitely works in funny and mysterious ways.

I have been saying that I am going to sell my one of a kind, handmade handbags for YEARS. Years, people, years. But life, motherhood, procrastination and now homeschooling have always gotten in the way.

Well, I love to knit and felt what I have knitted. So, had around 15 or so bags ready to be finished. As in they needed lined and handled and finishing touches. I really kept thinking, "I need to get those finished and put on Etsy." But.....

Anyway, so this November, I am looking through my email when I start laughing out loud. Jason looks at me?????? I had an email from Rhoads owner, Carly. Our mutual friend, Brooke, told her that I made some great handbags and they were having a craft fair and would I want to come and an application was attached.

I guess God was tired of me saying that I was going to finish the handbags and start selling them. So, HE SENDS ME AN APPLICATION! Made me laugh out loud.

I know that it sounds kind of crazy. But I have been hearing God tell me that this is what I am supposed to be doing for years. Why handbags? I don't know. I love making them and sharing them and making people happy. (Have been giving them as gifts for years.) Also, this is another way that I can tithe and share God's word with people.

God also sent my friend Linda to help me. If it wasn't for Linda, I would never have been ready. She helped me make tags for the purses, came up with all the ideas for display, kept pulling bags out of my bag of bags, and most of all provided emotional and motivational support.

Also, a big thank you goes out to my wonderful husband and my parents for watching the kids so that I could get all of this accomplished in two and a half weeks.

Well...

I am taking my handbags and such to a craft fair.

So, have been desperately sewing and sewing and sewing.

Also, I and my whole family have been sick since before Thanksgiving. Everyone is FINALLY on the upswing.

Soooooooo, this means I will be back to posting regularly next week some time.

Hope everyone is enjoying the Christmas season!

God is Awesome!

Ok. So God is really kicking it to me this week!

Joyce Meyer might as well have been talking right to me this morning. Part of her message was on how to stay happy and cheerful when faced with chaos in your life.

You need to turn it over to God.

Soooo...I know this. I really do. But things have been so very chaotic around here lately that I have let my knowledge of this disappear into the clouds of chaos that have been my life.

I am feeling much more at peace the past couple of days. Talking with Jason some about everything always helps too. There is a reason he is my helpmate and my cornerstone. God chose a very forgiving man for me and I am thankful for it.

God really spoke to me this morning and I praise him for it! Thank you Lord for your guidance.

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The other evening was so beautiful that I decided to take the kids to the park. This was a beautiful time to go. It helps me find peace to be in nature and appreciate all that God has made. (Jason went to dinner and to see the movie "Burn" with a bunch of his firefighter guys.)

Here are some pictures from that evening. The thing is, the pictures proceed to get more and more blurry as the evening progressed. I really need to learn to use the manual settings on my camera!

Frogs were EVERYWHERE! The kids kept saying "There's a frog!" "There's a frog!" "There's a frog!" And of course, Eian and Ruth wanted to catch them. Sigh. No, its a park - not supposed to touch or take. Except for pictures.

We saw this really cool duck. But it kept diving under the water for a really long time and I kept thinking it was eaten by a turtle. Finally, Ruth said, "Mom. It is probably a loon not a duck."

Ahhhh.... Abbe at her best. So glad I captured this.

The trees had lost most of their leaves but still some beautiful ones left.

Big Foot's foot print according to Ruth.

A kingfisher, which I said was a blue jay. Ruth - "No, Mom. It's a kingfisher." Abbe - "Just like we chase away from Grandma and Grandpa's pond."

The loon again.

My big spot and identification: bob white quail. Ruth just read this afternoon that the Metro Parks are releasing them. I just wish I would have been able to get a better, less blurry, picture. I was afraid to move because I was afraid it would run away. I have never, ever seen one at a place that is as busy as this park is. Only in the woods where it is pretty quiet. DEFINITELY not with three kids talking and fighting and laughing and jumping!

Abbe spotted this rabbit - she was thrilled.

Eian hanging upside down and looking under the dock for more frogs.

There are fish in there, I promise.

Some sort of tern.

We had a good evening. We needed it.

Where do you go to find peace?

God and the county fair

You know how when you start feeling all sorry for yourself and down in the dumps? Then, God has a way of going "POW" "Get over it!"

This morning I am watching Joyce Meyer and guess what she is talking about?

The story of the disabled man by the well. John 5:1-5

"Jesus told him, 'Stand up, pick up your mat and walk!'"  from NLT Life Application Study Bible

Joyce said not to let yourself get in the way of what you are supposed to be doing. God has special work for each of us to do and we can't let ourselves get in the way of achieving it. We need to ask God for help and LET HIM HELP US!

Hmmmmm.... How about that for God giving you exactly what you need to hear, when you need to hear it.

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OK, now onto what's been going on around here!

Here is a video picture of Eian riding his first "big" ride at the fair. (Couldn't get video to upload - UGH!)

He loved it so much that Jason got a wristband too so he could ride all of them with him! This is a picture Jason took when he and Eian were at the top of the ferris wheel.

Ruth's favorite ride is the carousel. I think she rode it at least five times. Until the other two finally said they were not going to ride it anymore!

The girls and I also went around to see all the animals and baking and sewing and 4-H booths and flowers and photos with Abbe's friend from rendezvous and her mom. They live in a Columbus suburb but her mom is originally from here. I really love getting together with them. It is so nice when you get along really well with the mothers of your kids' friends!

#Please note that Jason took all the pictures in this post.  This was when I couldn't find my little camera and didn't want to lug around my big one for the day. He took these with his iphone. I think they turned out pretty well. Don't you?

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Sorry, I took so long trying to figure out how to get the video not to upload that I don't have time for the Pumpkin Show pics. There are a lot of those anyway. I let the kids take pictures too which makes for some interesting shots!

Have you gone to any interesting places this fall?

Failing as a wife and mother, and Bullying

****Warning. This post does contain some language inappropriate for some viewers. I am quoting what was said to me and have left it as such. This language is NOT normal to my blog. ****

Massive fail as wife and mother tonight. Had big blow up(me) with Ruth about school. Then proceeded to tell yell at Jason that I am sick of hearing, "This is not working!" about homeschool. Sigh. I know it isn't. I just don't need him saying it every day.

Lately, this is all starting to make me think I am loosing my mind.

We need to work on making it work til next year. His solution - sent them back to their public school. (We just cannot afford private school right now.)

I will send Abbe back but NEVER Ruth. She was bullied. Called names, made fun of, pushed around, etc., etc., every period of every day. And with her ADHD and anxiety and lack of maturity. No Way.

I was bullied in High School. I had a big ephinany about it tonight too. I think that has a lot to do with my own self doubt even after all these years. And that self doubt is why I have not started my purse business. I know that sounds crazy but in the back of my head I hear "Why start? You will just fail. No one really likes them. No one really likes you."

I heard these words from a group of girls every day for at least two years of High School. I never really told ANYONE any details about this, except my mother, until this last year. I guess a part of me thought everyone would believe them, side with them, and then I really would have no one.
This group of girls were friends with all my High School friends. One (the main one) even went on to marry my High School best friend's brother. She, the main bully, and her 'entourage' were very sneaky. They would never say or do anything whenever any of my friends were around. They sat every morning in the corner by my locker and waited on me to go to my locker. "Bitch" "Ugly Whore" "Look at what she's wearing!" Laughter. "Loser Bitch" and on and on...
I quit going to my locker before my first class.

In the hall, when I was without my friends, I would get slammed into the walls and lockers. "Bitch" Every day, every moment they could.

They would start rumors. My grades were only good because my mom was on the school board. Not because I did my work or studied. I was field commander for the band because......my mom was on the school board. Not because I worked hard, went to camp for field commanders, and practiced. On and on.....

Anything I achieved was because of my mother, not anything I did. National Honor Society, solos in girls ensemble, lead in school play....because my mom was on the school board. I wasn't a cheerleader. Didn't play sports. I could never do those. Sucked at those. I worked for what I liked. What I knew I could do. But by the end of my senior year. I quit.

Ready to L   E   A   V   E.
High School Sucked.

But little did I understand how much they, mostly she, had undermined that ability of mine. To find what I was good at and work hard at achieving it.

I floundered in college. To say the least.
Went to three different colleges with three different majors in three years before settling in at the third (The Ohio State University) with the mindset, "I am leaving here with a diploma...in something." My mom helped me find the one that I do really like and has helped me in many other ways. (Longest major title ever: Environmental Communications, Education and Interpretation)

Yet, if I had been more me and less self doubting, I probably would have majored in Drama, or Textiles, or Design, or Costuming, or 18th Century something. But I kept hearing her say "Loser Bitch" in my head.

Sooooooo, long story short.
Am I ever going to put Ruth in that situation? No. Absolutely not.

Excuses, Excuses

More excuses on why I have not been posting:
1. I haven't felt the best.
2. Ruth has had a sinus infection for about TWO weeks and is on second antibiotic.
3. Eian has been sick for the past five days and a boy needs his mama when he is sick. Doctor evaluation: swimmer's ear and a virus. So, ear drop antibiotics and no swimming for a week.
4. Jason is back to work the firehouse after being off for a month (one of the pros of being a firefighter and not having used any vacation for a long time due to low seniority).
5. Overwhelmed by what all I need to blog about.
6. The kids and I haven't really settled into a summer routine yet.
7. Haven't downloaded recent pictures yet - keep forgetting.
8. Could probably list about 20 more reasons.

The excuses may be many but they are still not good enough. I just need to make time!

Sooooo, my goal is to blog twice a week for the rest of the summer! Let's all hope for the best!

Especially since THE TOUR starts on Saturday!!!! Yeah! Can't wait!

We are babysitting a good friends dog this week - Moxie. She is pretty funny and still has a lot of puppy like enthusiasm that our dogs now lack. I need to take some pictures 'cause she is pretty cute!

Science Experiments 2

Well...... the science experiments didn't turn out to well.

The multi-colored jars were supposed to be sugar candy on the sticks. Ended up all the sugar candy settled on the bottom on the jar. NONE. NOT ONE SINGLE PIECE was on the stick. Sigh. Absolutely no idea what we did wrong.

The flowers never did bloom. Was worth a try. Am going to dry the bulbs and plant them this fall in my new flower bed in front of my deck. Sigh, again.

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Sorry no posts lately.

We just returned from Charleston, SC, and the girls and I have been sick. Ruth still is.

Have LOTS and LOTS of pictures to sort through so I can share.

Of course, since Jason (my brave firefighter husband) took a lot of the pictures while we were in downtown Charleston, we have some of Charleston's finest in action.

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Went on a geocache 'treasure' hunt yesterday. Have pictures and stories to share from that too.

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Hope you all have been doing well.

What do you have planned for this summer?

A Rainy Saturday

Today was a nice rainy Saturday. We really needed this nice steady rain. It will really help Jason's new "square foot garden". It needed a good soaking for all of the vermiculite.

I just really don't like the wet dog smell that comes with the rain!

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(These pictures of the swamp are from last year.)

I am glad we decided not to go to Slate Run's "Secret Swamp" program. We would have been caught in the rain, back over the hill from the path, and a LLLOOONNGG way from the parking lot.

Hopefully, the salamanders will still be mating in April when they have the program again. It is probably the best nature program I have ever been to.

The kids absolutely love this program. You get muddy, dirty, wet, and up close and personal with nature.

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Abbe has been asking to host a 'tea party' for a few days. So, today seemed like a good day.

They are having hot chocolate, graham crackers, salty and sweet soft pretzels, and one corn dog. (Eian is my corn dog eater.) They probably won't be eating very much supper. ;-)

Lots of pretending to be living during the Revolutionary War. Makes for some very interesting conversations.

Nana and Papa found Abbe the tea set, cups and saucers.

Abbe is still looking for "pretty" cups every time we go to a thrift store. It is hard to find stuff not made in China. We found some made in Japan but she wasn't very thrilled with them. I told her to wait until she found some that she REALLY liked.

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Just a little comment/explanation about my absence last month.

I have depression. Depression that gets A LOT worse during the winter months. Thank goodness this winter was not that bad. Yes, I take medication for it. No, I do not go see a counselor. I DO however go see Ruth's counselor about kid issues which usually helps for everything else.

This is an inherited thing that many of my family members have. I just thank God many times a day that we now have medicine that can help, and that I don't have it as bad as some people. People who do not have depression have a hard time understanding those of us who do. It has taken Jason a long time to truly "get" it. But now I think he does, as much as he can, and it helps me to have him be able to give me the boost I sometimes need.

This blog is a lot of work. A lot more than I thought it would be. But when I wasn't doing it, I was constantly thinking "That would make a good blog post" or "I should get a picture of that". This made me realize, I like blogging. I like taking pictures, telling a story, describing our crafts, etc...

This blog also helps me realize how much good I have in my life. My wonderful husband, my goofy darling children, my family in general, and a great group of friends.  God has really blessed my life and this blog helps me realize that more than any other way truly has.

Also, my kids just like saying, "My mama has a website and she puts pictures of me on it!"

So, thank you Robin for your words of encouragement, they really do mean a lot more than you can know!

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Ruth, "Mama did you know that every time you run the dishwasher, you save five gallons of water?"

Me, "No, Ruth, I did not know that. I don't like to wash the dishes anyway and now I have an excellent reason!"

(I really, really HATE to wash the dishes.)

My Weekend

Saturday we went to Abbe's basketball game in the morning. She played some really good defense. I love watching her play, she has such concentration the whole time. My mom and dad came to watch too. Made Abbe really happy to have them there. (She hasn't been able to play for the last two weeks due to pneumonia.)

Then we went to the Ross County Historical Museums. They were open for free in honor of Ohio's Statehood Day. Dad joined us. We all had a pretty good time looking and learning. They have some pretty cool exhibits. After a while Ruth and Eian had had enough of being good and quiet and not touching anything, and were ready to run around some. As we are heading toward the door, a good two and a half hours after we had arrived, Ruth says, "Where is Grandma? We can't leave her here." Sometimes Ruth is such a blonde! (I can say that, being blonde myself.)

Sorry no pictures. I have gotten used to not carrying one. Need to get back in the habit.

This morning I woke up with the WORST headache. I think I need to follow my pharmacist's suggestion of taking an allergy medicine. So, we did not make it to church. Tried to sleep in to get rid of it. Did not work.

But we had already promised the kids that they could go to a friend's birthday skating party. She is in Eian's class but she also lives around the corner from us. So, all three kids know her - she is a really sweet girl. So, three ibuprofen later, which did not work, we were off to the roller rink.

Eian invented a new version of roller skating which was hilarious! Am I a bad mother because I was laughing so hard at him that I couldn't help him??? To quote Jason, "...many Bambi on the ice moments." He FINALLY got a LITTLE bit better right before we left.

Came home and took a little nap to try to get rid on my headache. Did not work.

Missed the only cycling that has been on tv in MONTHS. So really need to go, they are re-playing it now.

Taking a Break

I have decided to take a little blogging break.

I currently have a lot on my plate and trying to do this too was stressing me out!

That is not what this blog was supposed to be for.

Just what was it supposed to be for???

Well, that is part of the reason I am taking a break!

Need a lot more of this to help me with my thinking. ;-)

Hope to be back in a few weeks!

today

Sunrise this morning was beautiful. Could see it in my rearview mirrors. The colors of the sunrise were reflecting off the trees. It was so wonderful.

I was listening to Christmas music on the Christian music station. This morning was the first time I have really FELT Christmas this year! Usually church has really built up the Christmas joy in me by this time. But having missed the entire Advent season due to this blasted illness.....Well, it has really nipped my Christmas spirit.

Really felt God with me this morning as I praised Him with song and gloried in the beauty He brings to earth. So, the early moning drive was definitely a good thing.

The glorious drive took me here:
Martha Morehouse Medical Pavilion/OSU Cancer Hospital

Yea. Lots of fun to be had there. Huh.

Took Abbe and Eian to the neighbor's house early this morning to wait for the bus. (Thank you Cindy!)

Ruth spent the night at Mom and Dad's house - that was why I drove there last night. They got the kids off the bus this afternoon too. (Thank you Mom and Dad!)

So much planning just so I can have a CT scan and see a doctor.

Jason met me at OSU. He was getting off from the firehouse. Jason goes so that he can ask all the questions that I don't ask. He gets really frustrated when I come home and haven't asked the 'right' questions, so now he goes too.

God must have known knew that I would need that lift this morning. Am still out of sorts because the doctor couldn't open the CT scan to read it. Sigh. That was why I went so early - to be able to have the scan and get the results on the same day.

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Jason and I went here for lunch:
http://www.bravoitalian.com/lunch.html

Had lasagna, salad, awesome bread with a olive oil dipping sauce, and THREE glasses of lemonade.

Lasagna picture from their website

We finished our Christmas shopping by going here:
Target

and here:
Home Depot

Sorry no picures today. Took my camera but was really not feeling it today. Have some from this evening but they are on my phone. If they turned out OK, I will post tomorrow. Some cute ones of the kids - they were goofing around.

It was a really long, and up and down day.

Today

Today:

Is my baby brother's 30th birthday! I can remember the day he was born. We got to stay home from school (I was in the 5th grade) at Grandma's house. I was sooooo excited. I wanted a baby brother since I already had a little (annoying to me at the time) sister. My Eian reminds me of my baby brother A LOT! Happy Birthday Baby Brother!

I got to go to Winterfair with Linda! Sans children!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fun, fun, fun. I finished some of my Christmas shopping. Most of what I have left is stuff for children and stuff to finish making. Winterfair is AWESOME!!! I had never gone before. Seeing all of the creativity there was very inspiring to get my stuff going. Was showing Abbe some of the stuff online and now she really wants to go: Steven Meadows, Andrea Anderson, Sandra Lang & Walter Weil, and Kim & Katherine McClelland were some of my favorites. Linda and I only covered about half of the place! Abbe and I want to go back on Sunday. The North Market is having their craft fair this weekend too. Went to it last year - was very good!

Am feeling somewhat better but still very tired. Still am not getting a good night's sleep due to coughing. Huh. Irritating.

Want to make this:



But have to find a book that I would want to tear up first. Very hard thing for me to find! Think this would be a great thing for kids to do with me.

Sick of being sick.

So I got to thinking of how sick I am of being sick. Also, I got to thinking of how sick you must be of hearing how sick I am.

And then I got to wondering....what would it sound like to say that in many other languages?

Soooo...courtesy of Google Translate (so don't bug me if they are wrong!):

English: I am sick of being sick.

Dutch: Jeg er syg af at være syg.

German: Ich bin krank, krank.

Irish: Tá mé tinn a bheith breoite.

Japanese: 私は病気であることにうんざりだ。

Russian: Я надоело быть больным.

Swahili: Mimi ni mgonjwa wa kuwa mgonjwa.

Welsh:  Yr wyf yn sâl o fod yn sâl.

Anyway, I finally got to the doctor today. Prognosis: sinus infection. Given: antibiotic and cough medicine. Hopefully, it will start kicking in soon. Huh, really felt like pneumonia to me ... can your body start to get over that by itself?

I also talked to her about my depression coming back from time to time recently. Besides upping my medicine some, she also said I need to start taking some time for me. And I need to start exercising and not just any sort of exercising but doing something pretty energetic like Zumba or kickboxing. I have read numerous places that exercising is the same as taking an antidepressent. It is just taking the time.

Also, she said I need to not feel guilty about taking said time for myself.

Sigh. As 'Mom' I feel pretty guilty leaving my kids for any amount of time that I can be with them. As 'Wife' I feel guilty leaving my husband with the kids by himself. Not that he can't do it and do it well, but that we usually do things as a team. Or I am the one by myself while he is at the firehouse. As 'Homeschool teacher' I feel guilty leaving Jason to do the nagging teaching that I said I would do when we said we would be homeschooling Ruth.

But it is doctor's orders. What is an unruffled mama to do?

Still Sick

Yes, still sick. Am coughing, coughing, coughing, coughing...

One more day and then I am calling the doctor.

Picked out Christmas tree today and watched Ohio State get beat. But they put up a good fight.

Hopefully better soon. Tired of saying I'm sick but I feel like I got ran over by a truck. Ugh.

STILL SICK!!

Ugh. Still sick.

Thanks to my wonderful husband, we had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. He worked very hard.

Hopefully, will feel good enough to post something other than how sick I feel soon! (OK that really doesn't make sense - that is how my brain is working right now.)

Kids have been angels too - huh. That statement is sarcasm at its finest.

Sickness...

has hit our house.

Abbe has had a stomach bug since Saturday night. She is still not feeling well enough to go to school today.

Eian and Ruth finally coughed and breathed and sneezed and kissed me enough that I got their yucky stuff. Sooo.... am really feeling crappy.

Abbe and I didn't get to go to the Lego store on Sunday with Eian for his birthday. Jason gallantly took Ruth and Eian by himself. I KNOW the store was a complete mess with people, and keeping track of those two by yourself can be quite hard. Let alone the fact that they were picking out Legos! And let alone the fact that the store was crazy with Christmas shoppers. Thank you Jason for being such great dad!

So, no pictures today. Will post better once I am feeling better!

My Tuesday

Well, it has been a crazy usual day.

Ruth school, walk with Ruth and dogs, get Abbe, get her some lunch, take her to counselor, go to Meijer, stop and get eggs, VOTE, library, home, dinner, kids ready for bed....

My Riley Jane.

Now, since I live in Ohio and am married to a firefighter, I am watching the results to the election.

This is from my honey's Facebook page. I think his Captain took this photo.

Did you go vote? One of my biggest pet peeves is Americans who don't vote. "One vote doesn't make a difference." "I don't have time." "I don't know anything about the issues or the people." Huh. Lame excuses all.

One vote DOES make a difference. Talk to my kids about the two school levies that failed. One try failed by like TWO votes. TWO. The next failed because it TIED. TIED. The kids in our district lost A LOT because "One vote doesn't make a difference."

A lot of people died so you could have your right to vote. And a lot of people are still putting their life in danger so that you can have the right to vote.

All right. I'll get off my high horse and go watch some more news/movie/tv show/sports/... Can you tell Jason has the remote?