Today's Schedule and Yesterday's Blunder

Today is my Mom's birthday....Happy Birthday Mom!

I'm hoping to talk with Matt this morning. Have I mentioned he's the best? The other day he "sang" ("Good Morning Beautiful"....tear) to me over IM. Well, he typed the words, but I could hear him singing. I received some information concerning Matt's return to the states today. I was excited. Then I read it, and it was not so exciting. No "new" information. Oh well, it must mean we are getting closer though!! I go in for an ultrasound this morning. I'm a little nervous but hoping I'm A OK. What is A ok anyway...the "a"..absolutely?

I'm hoping I get out in time for Laurel's baby shower. The ladies at the bus garage where Pete works is throwing her a shower...isn't that sweet?

I need to do a little grocery shopping after that. Then tonight is a family dinner for my Mom's birthday!

Ok, yesterday, I went birthday shopping. I really wanted to get my Mom something decorative/crafty for around the house from an antique store. I spent all afternoon shopping and did not find something that really stuck out to me. I went on to plan B looking for a nice top for her. Nope, that was unsuccessful too. She has mentioned she'd really like a nice new quilt or bedspread. I didn't find a great one of those either. No, I shouldn't have shopped last minute, but I had my ideas, and I had done some shopping (or should I say looking?) a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately, it looks like I'm going to have to be "unoriginal." I'm going to take her out one day to craft/antique stores for her to pick something out. I think part of my problem was getting something that she wasn't particularly thrilled about, and then you can't return it. So, I was extra picky at what I saw.

Here's the real blunder part. I stopped at McDonald's on the way home to grab a snack...some nuggets. I was starving...does shopping do that to anyone else? It was too early for dinner, so this was just a snack. After I went through the drive thru, I figured I would just park and scarf them down. Then head on to my parents'. If I'm sitting in my car, alone especially, I need noise...music. So, I keep the car's music on while turning the engine off and eat my delicious dollar menu snack. I finish and go to turn my car on. Umm, nothing was happening. Then I couldn't turn it "off" to get my key out. Ohhh, man. So I try shifting to different gears after I turn it "on" (but nothing is happening). I call my dad and his line is busy. I call my brother, but there was no answer. My phone battery was literally about to go dead, and here I am, stranded here in McDonald's parking lot...not to mention I'm parked next to this truck that appeared to be dealing drugs. He was waiting around, sitting in his truck (kind of like I was before I was pounding on the steering wheel). Then another guy came, and they went to his back hatch...talking low, around the other side of the truck. Well, after the several minutes of wrestling with my car, I was able to see the 2 men making a different deal...I believe one was selling a handsaw to another? They had it out and were sawing something on the other side of the truck. I don't know, but I could hear it. I was just thankful they didn't see my "distress" and try to help. Matt and I have had a couple experiences at McDonald's when we've feared for our safety. One was across town and the other was in Hawaii. Anyway, I finally got ahold my dad and he said to try moving my steering wheel (in case it was locked or whatever?). He'd come and get me in a few minutes if I wasn't back. Well, that didn't work. I finally realized, that though my shifter thing was in park, the red marker line wasn't there next to the P to tell me I was indeed in park. It was like my shifter was jammed and wouldn't go forward all the way. Then I realized the problem, after however many minutes, however many phone calls. We use one of those portable CD players you plug into the car with the cassette and a thing that goes in the lighter (I'm so technical). Well, the plug that goes in the lighter is kind of large and L-shaped and was prohibiting my shifter from locking into park. That was the jam! Hence, why I couldn't turn my car on or off or get my key out. (I don't know if all cars do that, but mine definitely does weird things.) So, I made it home, feeling as stupid as ever. Oh well.

Matt's on now!

*I love you!

Goin' against the Grain

I mentioned in a previous post that Matt and I will have a lot of decisions to make when he comes home, and some before he comes home. One of those decisions involves me and teaching. I have decided not to pursue a full time teaching job next year. There were some openings available that sounded like good possibilities (to apply for and see...), but there has been a tug at my heart to remain somewhat open and flexible. I have had the concern about the combination of teaching full time next year and adjusting to life with Matt home again. When I have mentioned this concern to professors or others asking my plans for next year, sometimes I apparently appear to have two heads. "Of course you can handle it." Maybe I would be able to handle it, but I do not desire the added stress on our relationship. I love Matt so much...that's why I married him. I am sticking by my decision to substitute ...but waiting on the Lord for a different direction if He has one. So, I'm not really writing this to justify myself...but sort of explain this...since it has been a very real, growing experience for me as I'm learning how to be the kind of wife I need to be for my husband.

As a teacher, time is very important for planning, correcting, faculty meetings, mentor meetings all in addition to teaching time... As a first year teacher, I would be pretty much starting from scratch for lessons, activities, ideas, etc. It's part of teaching, and a part that I really enjoy. However, next fall, I cannot justify spending extra hours away from home or at home but not really "being" home with my husband. When he comes home, I need to be free to take care of the things at home and be a blessing, support, and partner to my Matt. We found out this week, that October is looking more likely for Matt to be home than July. If possible, I would like to be out in California as much as I can. That just would not be possible if I'm teaching. My heart would be with him...and I wouldn't be giving the children/students what they need or my husband what he needs. When he does come home in October, we will have been married 22 months...12 of those he will have been away from home. Not living with your husband for over half of your marriage, however long or short, is significant. There is going to be some adjustment and I think some more dating all over again. Don't get me wrong, I haven't lost my love for him, quite the contrary. I would just like to be wise in prioritizing and making the place and environment he comes home to a loving and welcoming one. Then maybe as the year goes on, a long term sub position will open...who knows? I need to be open to moving as well...I follow and go with my husband, and we do not know where he will be working yet. We do not want to settle down because of the location of where my job is but where his is.

Since Matt has been gone, I have come to appreciate the many aspects of home responsibilities even more. When we were first married, I was going to grad school full time and working at the Y's childcare part-time and then full time as I phased out of grad school. I was busy with school work when I wasn't working or at class. Matt helped out a lot around the apartment. Since he has been gone, it has been almost a full time job just making sure everything is taken care of. It would probably help to have a different apartment ;) , but this is where we are!

Because of my flexible schedule, for the most part, I have been able to receive Matt's calls and IM's. Those are priceless. I am realizing what I blessing I can be to my Matt by staying home. Since we do not have children yet, I don't think I need to not work at all outside the home...but I need to keep in mind I married my husband not my work. I hope I am making sense. I was encouraged by a prayer for Matt's priorities this week from "The Power of a Praying Wife Book of Prayers" by Stormie Omartian. I'm going to share the whole prayer, it's found on page 70 of the little book.

"Lord, I pray for my husband's priorities to be in perfect order. Be Lord and Ruler over his heart. Help him to choose a simplicity of life that will allow him to have time alone with You, Lord, a place to be quiet in Your presence every day. Speak to him about making Your Word, prayer, and praise a priority. Enable him to place me and our children in greater prominence in his heart than career, friends, and activities.
I pray he will seek You first and submit his all to You, for when he does I know the other pieces of his life will fit together perfectly.
Help me to properly put my husband before children, work, family, friends, activities, and interests. Show me what I can do right now to demonstrate to him that he has this position in my heart."

This has been a little bit difficult and confusing. I spent 4 years in college to receive a teaching degree, then 1 year for my Master's...and in NY, I only have 5 years to get those 3 years of teaching in and a Master's to become permanently certified. This fall, I will have 3 years left (and we all know upstate NY is booming with elementary teaching positions)...actually dropping me down to 2 because of my decision for next year. Was all the time, education (and gulp, money?)a "waste"? I don't believe so, even though it doesn't make much sense to me. Will I ever use my degree beyond subbing? I do not know what will happen with all this, but I do know I need to be faithful to the Lord's leading for my life, my husband, and our family. My intentions are not to preach to others about how they need their marriage and families to be. This is where I am. Please keep us in your prayers! We appreciate it! I'll take some words of wisdom and advice too!

*I love you Matt!

Happy Mother's Day!

In honor of my Mom, Matt's Mom, and Grandmas...

I need some more pictures on my computer...this is what I have (and the wedding ones are the most "recent." I guess it's time to update!).









We love you!

We Miss You, Matt!

Ok, I'm just so excited! I went on my blog for Matt to add the prayer of the day, and out of the blue, do you know what I noticed?? My videos to him have appeared out of no where!! They were just boxes with an x, but you could view them under preview. Now, he can see them without the hassle. How cool is that? I don't know what changed, but I'm soo thankful and happy for it.

I thought I'd add this video since they seem to be working. Umm, ignore my voice in the background and hum a patriotic song instead. I took this quick video of my nephew, Nathanael, in like March I think. I just think it's so cute, and patriotic! My brother, Dave, and his wife, Sarah, have a little American who loves flags and his uncle Matt (and I suppose the Yankees too)!

We're watching and waiting for you to come home Matt!

our home decor

One of my favorite questions from Matt was when we "got" our apartment. He was moving in, I think it was the end of that September and would be tending the place to himself, except for a couple months with my cousin, Matt, until I moved in on our wedding day. The question was, "Can I decorate (maybe it started with, what would you think if I decorated) the apartment first? Then you can tell me what you think and can change it when you move in." He said he wanted to try it first. I'm really not being sarcastic by saying that's one of my favorite questions. I was excited....interested to see how he, a man, would decorate. I remember the first time I came to the apartment after he moved in, looking forward to seeing his skills. I walked in and looked around. "So, when are you going to start decorating?" "I did!" I was a little confused since I didn't see anything really "around" except for his stereo equipment and xbox...some clothes. Matt was actually referring to his arrangement of the furniture. Oh, he makes me smile. I'm sure he did a fine job arranging, but I honestly can't remember (so it couldn't have been that bad...just kidding). He's pretty good at that actually. (Before I go any further, I want to make it clear, whenever I talk about my husband, it is out of love. Sometimes I point out our oddities, but I try to find the humor in it. I am not in any way trying to put down my husband, my Matt. I love him so much, orange/brown socks, big speakers, and all!)

Being a young wife and in our first place together, I have really enjoyed finding my taste in decorating, or maybe lack-there-of taste? It's a work in progress. It has been a challenge to my creativity to work around/with Matt's huge homemade speakers and a bench he made as a youngster. Those pieces of furniture at first were a little bit of an...eyesore...for me, but now they have become part of our home. (If he wants to downsize those speakers though, I wouldn't shed a tear.) I have come to absolutely love his bench!

I think if we ever had a fire, that would be one of the things I'd try to haul out. It's not great wood by any stretch and it's covered in mortar or cement on the legs and edges because his dad was a mason (and things naturally got covered in that kind of stuff). It was just one of those projects he did out of the blue I think. He likes to work with his hands, and I really like that about him. (His favorite childhood toys were sticks....because they could be made into anything, especially toy guns and sling shots.) Anyway, I am pretty patriotic and just love "old" things, so I love to find almost anything on the Primitive/Country/Americana (and some Willow Creek too) side. Piece by piece I am collecting different things from garage sales, craft sales, hand-me downs, and stores.

Today, I got 2 super cute wall hangings/paintings/pictures from Walmart (I think for $3 total). I dug and dug through countless pictures that were NOT my style just wondering...just hoping...there might be something neat. Ta-da! I found, well, I settled on 2. A large one and a small one. The large one really won't work quite yet because of our apartment...but when we move...I look forward to working with it!! I think it would look so cute in a cheery mudroom (ha, sounds a little like an oxymoron). So, yes, we must find a house with a mudroom so I can put this picture there...ok, I will work with whatever house or next apartment we are blessed with, mudroom or not.


The little one goes sooo well with my little antique, dark wood, toys and the flag basket I have.

Bad glare!!

Oh, if anyone knows of where I can get an old truck or train in similar dark faded wood, I would like to hear it. I think that would be the final piece to the little collection of old toys.

Sorry about the quality of the pictures....I know they're bad, but you get the idea. Some I took awhile ago and some tonight. I just don't have the patience for these pictures. Yes, I still have the sled out next to the bench from winter. I figure it can stay out till we're sure we aren't having any more snow!

*I love you Matt!

Kissaroo and the Barnyard too!

So, I'll start with Kissaroo! I taught kindergarten this week, and I saw this book and thought it was absolutely adorable!! It's called, "Won't You Be My Kissaroo?" by Joanne Ryder and Melissa Sweet. I still need help with my links, so just check it out on amazon or something. I really want to get it! It's written for children, from a mom sheep to her lamb sort of ....but I'll let you in on a secret....I videotaped myself reading it and put it on the other blog I have for Matt for his birthday video. Yes, there's a reason why he's the only one who can read that blog. Nobody else would want to listen to me read a silly story, with lots of bloopers because I just copied down the text real quick at the end of the day and couldn't read my handwriting!

Sidenote: How cool is my family??? They sent I think 32 emails to Matt for his birthday!! Thank you family!! It helps to have a big family, but that's so awesome!!

The book is sort of written like a poem and talks about all different kinds of wonderful kisses...hehe. Good morning kisses, hello kisses, good-bye kisses, breakfast sticky kisses, "gotcha" kisses, and on and on. I think it's one of my favorites. So sweet! It's not one for a good plot though! However, I think it's one any parent would enjoy reading (well, Moms anyway) to their little one or even wives to their husbands (big points for any husband who reads it to their wives)! haha Hooray! I made a plug for Literacy! I need to use that Master's degree some time. Someday, maybe I'll share more of my favorite "children's" books. That's about all the kind of books I've read in the past 6 years, besides text books. I did start an "adult" book today, haha...ok, a novel, so we'll see how that goes.

This weekend, well, Thursday on, my parents are out of town. Roberts had a track meet, Christian Nationals, out in Indiana and my dad coaches, so he's often gone most weekends (until super early Sunday mornings ...for church). My mom went with him this time. Being the helpful daughter I am (ok, the boring one out of the 4 kids without much of a ...a...busy life, no that's not right. Yeah, I guess just the boring one right now), was stuck with, I mean left with the responsibility of taking care of the animals. Caleb, our dog is alright, but right now he stinks! It's pouring outside, and I'm thankful to have just finished feeding the animals. We all (the animals: sheep, goats, donkey, horse, ducks, Caleb... and I) got pretty wet. Several weeks ago Caleb must have sat on a skunk or, probably rolled on a skunk. Oh man he stunk! He's an indoor dog that's an outdoor dog at heart. He loves being outside, but he loves people too. So, he's in when the weather is bad and during the night or when the family is inside for the most part. Anyways, no, as far as I know he hasn't had another date with a skunk but anytime it rains and he gets wet...that scent just bursts on forth! I put off filling the water troughs till tonight, so I had to stand in the rain with the hose while he runs around sniffing things out. I was hoping the weather would call for several inches of rain...so I wouldn't have to fill them ;) just kidding..? At least they were all where they were supposed to be tonight. This morning, I was in a hurry (to go babysit Nathanael), isn't that the way it always is? and one of the ducks was out and the littlest lamb was in the wrong stall ma-jig. The last day I have to deal with you and this is what you do? We still have yet to figure out how that duck keeps getting out. She's pretty tricky! On the neat end, we have 3 eggs in a nest in the barn. We'll see if we get some little ducklings! Matt and I have discussed this whole animal issue when we have kids several times. This is our conclusion: We don't mind having fish as pets (haha) or at most, a dog. (Oh wait, we might have to have Matt's chinchilla, Yoda, for awhile...sigh...at least it's small :) As soon as our kids ask for the "bigger and better pets"....we ship them off for a weekend at Grandma and Grandpa's. They can help out all they want. (My parents waited till all us kids were grown up to finally get half the animal we wanted...a horse...they have a mini-horse.) Hey, maybe our kids can even persuade them to get a different animal, but it stays at Grandma and Grandpa's!! Grandparents really do spoil the grandkids waayy more than their kids. Hopefully, that'll still be the case when our kids come around! Our kids will be able to have the fun of "having" animals, but we won't have the mess! And, we won't be stuck with the animals, after the novelty has worn off for them and/or when we want to go on vacation!

*I love you...even though you like chinchillas...ew.

Happy Birthday to My Keeper!

Today is my husband's birthday! I could not be more proud of the man he is and the "older" man God is making him to be. I love you so much Matt!


27 Birthday spankings! (Matt and his brother, Pete, with the fly-swatter)



27 Kisses! (I hope this isn't too...)


Ok, a G-rated one:

27 gazes in your eyes!


Ok, since I can't give spankings, kisses, or gazes, I sent him a package of goodies. I'm still waiting for more pictures, but for now, I guess this is a picture of his favorite gift:


This was a hat I got at the Salvation Army and thought was hysterical. I couldn't stop laughing and my mom was asking me what was so funny. I saw that hat and thought immediately of Matt. (Yes, I am sleep deprived and so is he! We have both gone loopy!) It is of special significance because of the Hawaiian islands on it...he was stationed at Kaneohe Bay in Oahu the last time he was in....and it's just a silly "old man's hat" to me. It even has like air vents for breathability! He loves being goofy, and the fact that it is used gives it character. It was also marked like 58 cents, and it was a blue tag, so it was 50% off...how could I pass it up? So, judging by it's frequent use, I think this was his favorite gift (he sent me like 4 pictures in it and wore it while we talked after he got it)...Well, maybe besides that paintball gun I got him for when he comes home! Right, Matt?

*Oh, just 2 1/2 months! You're the best Bubbs!! I love you!! Happy Birthday!!