Alter Ego

These 'lists' are pretty popular right now in the blogging world and on Facebook.  I apologize you're getting this in lieu of a 'real' post, but I've been busy and I've had this stored in my postings for a few a little while now and figured it was time to print it.  Read my alter ego names, then find out what yours are!  Enjoy!

1.  To find your ROCK STAR NAME take your first pet & current car: Charlie Forenza

2.  Your GANGSTA NAME take your favorite ice cream flavor and your favorite cookie: Vanilla Oatmeal

3.  Your DETECTIVE NAME? Your favorite color and favorite animal: Pink Puppy

4.  Your SUPERHERO NAME? Just add the word "The" plus your 2nd favorite color, and your favorite drink: The White Cherry Coke

5.  Your NASCAR NAME. Take the first names of your grandfathers: Samuel Abie

6.  If I ever go into WITNESS PROTECTION you can find me with this name. Your mother & father’s middle names: Rachel Louis

7.  TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME? Just take your 5th grade teacher’s last name and add a city that starts with the same letter: Latzko Lynnwood

8.  SPY NAME: Add your favorite season to your favorite flower: Autumn Peony

9.  Find your CARTOON NAME by taking your favorite fruit, and an article of clothing you’re wearing right now, then add "ie" or "y": Blueberry Hoodie

10. Your ROCKSTAR TOUR is heading across the northwest...it's called "The” + Your fave hobby/craft, your fave weather element + the word “Tour”: The Talking Autumn Tour

Stagnate Much?

Random House Dictionary describes Stagnate as: to stop developing, growing, progressing, or advancing. I had the opportunity this week to visit with someone I seldom get to chat with. We only had about 15 minutes to talk, but we used the time to exchange testimonies and discuss our spiritual lives. My heart went out to her when she described how she and her husband are not growing spiritually. She mentioned that on the surface they look pretty good, but privately they do not pray together, are not being enriched through Bible study, and are not 'plugged in' to a body of believers who encourage them to develop a deeper relationship with Christ. I was amazed that she would divulge this information to me so freely, and saddened that her spiritual life is so stagnant. Yet, as I ponder it, I realize that any number of Christians, if they were truly honest, would describe their spiritual lives as stagnant. I then had to ask myself if I'm praying for these people. Our pastor is constantly encouraging us to pray privately and together, for the body of believers. It's easy to pat someone on the arm and offer a quick, "I'll pray for you" and then never do it. James 5:16 tells us to...."Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." We cannot force people to deepen their relationship with Christ, but we can certainly lift them up in prayer and encourage them. We are blessed to have a Savior who never gives up on us and continually draws us to Him.

My List!

I have had so much going on in my brain lately that I cannot even begin to blog about it, so in an effort not to disappoint my faithful readers (all 2 of you), here are 5 things I love followed by 5 things I really really really don't love :) Love it: 1) Being a stay at home mom 2) Shopping 3) Talking on the phone 4) Starbucks (I especially love the coffee smell that greets me when I pull up to the drive-thru window) 5) Game night with friends Don't love it: 1) Balancing the checkbook 2) Driving in bad weather 3) Rare/undercooked steak 4) Being stressed (especially since I KNOW God's in control) 5) Realizing the store is out of the size I want when the sale is stellar If you want to join the fun, I'd love to read YOUR list of likes/dislikes! This is for my benefit, more than yours.....if you have time, read ALL of Matthew 6. "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34

My Mistake!

I foolishly thought that once the presidential election was over, the US as we know it would settle down and we'd all get back to life as usual. Silly me! I made a massive miscalculation. I gave no regard to the inauguration and the onslaught of Obama-Mania that would ensue. The news has been filled with inaugural information, including my beloved Fox News Channel. Ordinarily I would take an opportunity such as this, to educate my children on the inauguration, allow them to see segments of it, and answer any questions they might have. That's probably not going to happen. I seem to be having a difficult time getting into the spirit, and I think you know why. For the sake of clarity though, let me be metaphorical for a moment. I typically don't use, or even like sports metaphors, but I'm desperate and I have a few sports fans who read my blog, so I know they'll relate. Let's say you're a Dallas Cowboys fan, and they're playing against the Washington Redskins, who you hate dislike very much. And let's just say that the Redskins win the game by a landslide. How easy, nay fun, is it going to be to explain football and the beauty that is Dallas, to your future little quarterbacks at home, knowing how upset you are over the results of the game? Answer, not very easy/fun at all.....in fact, hard! I know, I need to just 'get over it', 'move on', 'let it go', 'shake it off'.......or pray fervently that God will change my heart and attitude and allow me to be respectful even if I don't feel much like it.

Best Buy!

For the first time in quite a while Cory got back to his normal every-Friday-off routine.   After running the usual errands Cory had this brilliant idea that we head to Best Buy.  At first I was a bit reluctant because I hate looking at tech-y stuff, but once I got in there I felt like a drug addict in a pharmacy, a kid in a candy shop, Imelda Marcos at Manolo Blahnik's.  It was fantastic!  I am totally guilty of the sin of coveting.  Seriously, Best Buy is to technology what Las Vegas is to gamblers.  It was beautiful.  We fawned over enormous TV's, drooled on the keyboard of a Mac desk top with a 24" screen, and nearly left with a gorgeous Cannon digital camera that takes unlimited movement-shots, all for less than $200.  It was glorious!

Alas, reality set in and we left empty-handed.  But still debt free :)

Sunny and 70!

I am one of those people who suffers from a mild form of S.A.D. or Seasonal Affective Disorder. Mine is probably more like the winter blues, or more of a post Christmas let down in reality. I know the brain needs a certain amount of full spectrum light and living here in the tundra we don't always get that beautiful, bright light. Our winter drags on here for a long time and the days take forever to warm up. I do have a few tricks that may be more myth than fact, but I've convinced myself they help. I've read that holding a flashlight directly to the forehead can flood the brain with light and helps the body to release those yummy, feel good hormones we all crave. So if you get close to me and notice a peculiar ring-mark on my forehead, or think you're catching a whiff of 'Sunset Mango' (thank you Bath and Body Works), or come to my house and become overwhelmed by the scent of coconut and sun tan oil, it's not your imagination. It's just me, manipulating my environment to trick my mind into thinking it's sunny and 70!

Lessons Learned

I've made some interesting observations this week regarding the minds of children versus the minds of adults, or basically anybody over the age of 10. First Story: I was pulling out my apron and rubber gloves, preparing to bleach the girls' bathroom when Autumn and Cayla walked into the room. The expression on their faces was priceless. They were literally gleeful that their bathroom was getting cleaned and they instantly began calling dibs on the chores. There was a slight argument over who would GET TO swish the toilet brush, but it was quickly abated with the allure of emptying the trash can and fetching a new can liner. First let me make a disclaimer here. I clean the girls' bathroom regularly.....as in weekly. Don't let their excitement fool you into thinking it's a once a year occurrence. They just love to be where I am, participating in whatever I'm doing and if that happens to be mopping floors or scrubbing toilets, they're there! I love this about their ages. While monetary incentive will generally entice them into less favorable chores like emptying the dishwasher or transferring clothes to the dryer, some chores still hold pure joy and clearly cleaning the bathroom is one of those. Second Story: Thanks to my adorable sister, the girls received darling Vera Bradley purses and wallets for Christmas. If you don't know how I feel about Vera Bradley, click here for a quick reminder. So the girls have really enjoyed carrying their purses to church and recently several people have given them money for their wallets because what fun is a wallet with no money in it?! I always remind them to put some of their money in the missions offering in Sunday school and then put some into the offering during worship service. Autumn hasn't quite figured out the 'some' part because she thinks it's wonderful to take all of the money in her wallet and place it in the offering plate. I know she's not doing it for how it looks because she would still put it all in even if no one were in the sanctuary at all. And I find this priceless. Both of the girls know all about 'things'. They want 'things' everytime we go shopping, and they're fully aware that things cost money. So it warms my motherly heart when I watch them drop all of their money into the offering plate. It reminds me of the widows' mite (Mark 12: 41-44). Both of these stories heighten my awareness that children definitely operate on a different plane than adults. I think laziness (as in chores) and greed (as in not giving a tithe) are learned traits and that as adults we need to take a few lessons from our children. I should be so excited to clean my bathrooms because it means I have them to clean. And as far as tithe goes, if you've heard my testimony, it is something I had to learn to do as an adult because somewhere during late childhood that concept got lost to greed. I hope my children never become lazy or greedy or at least if they do, I pray that God will set them straight before they have to learn the hard way.

Slush and New Year's!

Well, we're still buried in snow but with the warmer temperatures, it's not just snow, but slush and snow. It's lovely! Every parking lot has gigantic puddles, nay lakes in them. I'm beginning to think if it warms up too quickly we may need to purchase flood insurance.

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On New Year's Day we celebrated a late Christmas with my parents. My sister and her family made it down as well which was an unexpected, but very fun surprise. Posted above is a short slide show from the weekend, but my favorite picture is the one of all the little kids camped out on the floor. From left they are Jocelyn, Luke, Cayla, Mark and Autumn. Clare's pictures turned out much better than mine, so hopefully she will share. I'm apparently afflicted and can't figure out how to use my camera. Shocking, I know :)

11 More Months!

Well, this is the week.  The week I'm going to take down the Christmas tree, and put away all the decorations, even if it does feel like I just got them out a week ago.  It kind of makes me sad.  No, it really makes me sad.  I love Christmas.  Probably more than most people I know.  I love the decorations, the gift wrapping, the colors, the lights, and especially the music.  I couldn't listen to the radio at all last week because the thought of turning it on and not hearing the beautiful sound of Christmas music was too much disappointment to bear.  I had been listening to Christmas music since the week prior to Thanksgiving and it was glorious!  And don't say it starts too early because that will just make me even sadder.

So I'm just going to sit here tonight and enjoy my last evening of illustrious lights, adorable snowmen and winter-scene cards.   Mmmmm!  Only 11 more months until I get to do it all over again.  I can hardly wait!