I'm REALLY homesick right now. The movers didn't come on Sunday and they won't be here until tomorrow (we hope!!). It is FREEZING here. The cold is not doing my bronchitis any good. I got the stomach bug last night and I'm feeling horrible. Hailey is a "bucket of crabs" and our dog has gone off the deep end. This is so not a fun way to spend your birthday! I've not been grouchy per se', but I feel horrible and don't want to be bothered. Kinda' hard when you have a baby who is unhappy with everything. We'll survive. Things have been and could be worse:) Please pray for my health though. I've had bronchitis for 2 1/2 weeks and now a stomach bug. I'm so sick of being sick! Hailey and Matthew have the bronchitis still but I think the stomach bug has gone through everyone now. Please pray that these movers will indeed come tomorrow. We were told that they were but they also said that by law they were only required to deliver within 3-21 days of the date you put on the paperwork for delivery. Of course they don't tell you that when they're picking up your stuff! Michael flys out on Wednesday for Vegas and he needs his work clothes and I really need HIM. He's been so great about all of this. Bless his heart! He's washing clothes right now because Hailey threw up on my from coughing so hard from the cold air....

We're here in Abq. The movers come today. It was a long drive. About 10 hours with stops. We've been sick with the colds we've had for 2 weeks now and we've picked up some kindof stomach bug. Opie refused to eat for 4 days because of stress. It's been fun LOL. But I'm still choosing joy. I've not been a grouchy mama! My next post might not be for a week or two until the internet gets hooked up. Take care everyone!

Merry Christmas!!

I'm here. We're still alive.

We had our Christmas yesterday afternoon. Went out to dinner. We wanted to go to a mexican place but surprise, they were all closed. The party poopers! Anyways, we ended up at Denny's ::snort:: After that, the Grandmas and the older kids went to see Enchanted and me, Michael, and Hailey went shopping at CVS drugstore and looking at Christmas lights. The stores were all closed too. The party poopers! LOL I've got pics to share but will probably not post until after the movers come and we're in a hotel tomorrow night. Maybe even this weekend, we'll see how things go!

Today, we slept in. Michael went and bought some more trash bags at CVS. They're the only ones open again. And then we're going to sort through every room in the house while the Grandmas entertain the kids. So, how is your Christmas!?

Why?

Why oh WHY do we have to sleep? I mean I've got a "to-do" list out the kazoo. I want to stay up all night accomplishing it, and probably even have the energy to do it, and here it is, midnight, and I really *should* go to bed so I can be somewhat useful and be the caretaker of 5 kids tomorrow.....why?
Goodnight:)

Cletus take the Reel!

Following that funny homeschool clip here's a hilarious music video. It's a spoof of Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, take the wheel" song. Anyone who's familiar with fishing will get a kick out of this:)http://timhawkins.net/video-audio.htmClick on the "Cletus take the Reel" video.....
JTTW can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky4rfA_tebY

Funny Homeschool video clip!

Ok, when I SHOULD be doing "moving" things I'm here surfing the net and this was posted by someone on the support4homeschool yahoo group. http://www.doublesharpevideo.com/HomeSchool2/Homeschool2.html

I came across this devotional just in time for the New Year. I am planning on doing it and I encourage you all to do it as well. Just click on the graphic....I may track my progress on here if anyone wants to join me weekly for a discussion type study. Leave me a comment if you're interested!

Can't think of a snazzy title!

Just some quick updates. I've got a major project to do tonight while the kids are sleeping. I've gotta' totally clean the living room area. Complete with moving furniture and vacuuming them under the cushions and then shampooing the carpet in there. Ugh.

We've had colds since Thursday or so. We had to cancel dinner and movie night with Almerry and her family on Friday night because of it and I skipped morning church with the sickos yesterday morning. We did go last night since they were having our farewell fellowship. It was so SPECIAL. I only did the ugly cry once, and that was when my hubby was giving his salvation testimony. Someone had suggested that he share it since they had heard it when we had dinner at their house one night. Long story short about that, God had been working in Michael's heart for awhile, he kept rejecting salvation, I was being convicted about dating an unsaved man-knew I couldn't be unequally yoked, the night that I prayed for his salvation and told God that I'd break up with him that night if he didn't get saved that night, Michael got saved at prayer meeting. Michael had no idea that I had prayed that. Makes me choke up every time I hear Michael tell it. Anyways, it was a really nice night. We're sure going to miss everyone.

We have got a totally booked and crazy next 10 days. Somehow we'll make it out alive on the other end. LOL

Here's what my next 10 days looks like:

Tuesday: Clean Kitchen and work on my room. AWANA that night.

Wednesday: Sort craft/fabric (big job!) and continue bedroom. Lunch with Almerry and kids.

Thursday: Shampoo upstairs carpets. Deep clean bathrooms. Start sorting through the mountains of clothes that we own. Must eliminate some of the mountains!

Friday: Clean an office this morning for last time. Clean out and shampoo the carpets in the van. Dinner and movie night with the Zenkos.

Saturday: Garage sale! Clean other office for the last time. Possible dinner with Pastor and his family.

Sunday: Church. Lunch at friend's house. Movie "National Treasure 2" at the mall that evening.

Monday: Open Christmas gifts. Fix Christmas dinner. Cleanup and possibly head across the valley to visit Michael' cousin/family over there.

Tuesday: Eat leftovers up. Clean out fridge. Any last-minute sorting/cleaning/packing/landscaping etc.

Wednesday: Movers Come! Stay night in hotel.

Thursday: House cleaner comes. Maybe. I might do this. Prepare for road trip. Stay in hotel.

Friday: Carpet cleaner comes. Leave town after he's done. 7 1/2 hr drive to Abq.

I'm going to try really hard to choose joy through all of this. In fact I told Michael that one of his gifts this year was that I'd be patient/understanding/cheerful and all that good stuff through all of this. I also told him that that means that everything bad that CAN happen, probably WILL! Pray for me?!

Please pray...

I've been really busy, or really preoccupied lately and am just now catching up on some blogs. Marisa passed away on December 6th. She's left behind 3 small children. She was *only* 35 or so. Please pray for her husband and children. I know this has got to be unbearable for them....

Friday favorites

I think I've missed the last couple of Fridays so I'm going to post 3 this week.

#1) Babies. Aren't they wonderful....

#2) Sunshine. What would I do without sunshine?

#3) Very cute 3 year-olds and they're verbiage. Matthew told me yesterday, "Mom, me very love you...lots." Now, if that doesn't melt a mamma's heart, I don't know what will.

Drawing #3

Becky won this one! I picked up your prize today, will pop it in the mail tomorrow or Friday when I mail out Christmas packages. Thanks everyone for joining in my little drawings. Maybe next time I won't be so preoccupied and can come up with something more fun:)

I'm finally moving....

I just got done with the homemade Christmas gifts that I need to mail tomorrow. I've still got the kids' capes and 2 blessing pillowcases to do. I'll probably wait until this weekend to work on those.

I'm officially out of "denial" that we are moving. Ok, I'll just come out and say it, I've been depressed:) This was a move that we were waiting over 3 years for. It happened and we were happy and relieved. Then I got to thinking about all that we were leaving behind here and I sortof went into denial or something. Seriously, we have movers coming the day after Christmas and I've pretty much done NOTHING to prepare for them. It doesn't help that Michael is out of town M-F either. I've snapped out of it and am planning on working like a mad woman tomorrow and this weekend on the house. We're hoping to have a bit of a garage sale on Saturday but I have a feeling it will be raining, we'll see.

Sunday evening after church service they are having a farewell fellowship for us. I am sooo not looking forward to it. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE that our church wants to show their love for us but seriously I don't know if I can hold myself together. I really, REALLY don't wanna' do the "ugly cry" in front of 75 people! I really don't want to leave this church. Besides, I dislike attention in general. Tried to get out of the baby shower back in May but they wouldn't let me:) The babyshower blessed me though and I know Sunday night will bless us as well. Still, the UGLY CRY!

Matthew woke up today with a cold. Poor guy, he's been sneezing all day. Snot comes out his nose, he bends over so it doesn't run down his face saying, "Mom! Me need kleenex!" It's so cute, I had to share. Hope I didn't gross ya'll out! He's also got the asthma cough that always comes with his colds. Hopefully that doesn't get worse. I don't have an updated dosage for his meds. The last time he needed them was when he was 1 1/2.....he's almost 4 now.

Merry Christmas!

The month before Christmas

When all through our land,

Not a Christian was praying

Nor taking a stand.

How the P C Police had taken away,

The reason for Christmas -

no one could say.

The children were told by their schools not to sing,

About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.

It might hurt people's feelings,the teachers would say

December 25this just a "Holiday".

Yet the shoppers were readywith cash, checks and credit

Pushing folks down to the floorjust to get it!

CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod

Something was changing, something quite odd!

Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa

In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.

As Targets were hanging their trees upside down

At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.

At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears

You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.

Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty

Are words that were used to intimidate me.

Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzer

On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!

At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter

To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.

And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith

Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace.

The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded

The reason for the season, stopped before it started.

So as you celebrate "Winter Break" under your "Dream Tree"

Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.

Choose your words carefully, choose what you say

Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday!

I really am losing it!

Last night I lived up to my blog's name. We went to AWANA last night. We got out of the car. I checked the younger two into nursery and Cubbies. Went to game time and supervised games. Went downstairs to do handbook time with my group. Our group leader asked me if Jake had stayed home from AWANA last night. I said, "No, he's here somewhere. Maybe in the bathroom?" then I thought about it for a second....you know he wasn't at game time. My darling little boy who is ALWAYS the first one out of the car and running off to do his own thing had fallen asleep in the van and I hadn't noticed. He was still asleep an hour later when I realized he was MIA. Ooooh, bad mom award right there!

In my defense, if I'm allowed one, I only had about 3 1/2 hours sleep Monday night and had one of those "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days" yesterday. Won't bore you with the details but it involved about 15 different movers, the property management co., and a rescheduled Dr. appt that I never got the message for. I was frazzled by the time awana came last night.

The pic that I had done for Michael for Christmas was done by Rick Green. He does some really cute things!

Drawing #3

Sorry, didn't get to post last night. Busy researching housing and moving companys.... #1) The words flammable and inflammable mean the same thing. TRUE (Both adjectives describe a substance that is easily ignited. Because inflammable is thought by some to mean "not easily ignited" flammable is preferred for use on warning labels.)

#2) What color button is the A button on the controller sold with the original Nintendo Entertainment System? RED

#3) A chocolate bar contains more caffeine than a cup of coffee. FALSE (A cup of coffee contains two to five times the caffeine of a chocolate bar.)

Now, go ahead and leave a comment to enter the drawing!

Soooo.....

Whudya think??

I'm going to frame it, maybe in a shadowbox with some poker chips etc. and maybe a nameplate that says, "My Full House."

(BTW, this is Michael's Christmas gift this year for him to hang in his new office.)

If you look closely:

Hannah is the Queen of Diamonds.....my girly girl.

Hailey is the Queen of Hearts....do I need to explain?

Brandon is the King of Spades.....

Jake is the King of Clubs.....

Matthew is the King of Hearts....

The boys, just read into what you may with their "suits". I won't go into details ::snort::.

Almerry wins question 2! I'm not sure what your prize will be yet, I've not had the time to make the ornaments that I wanted to, but I'll find something good! I promise I won't temp you with a carb-a-licious anything...

As for the next contests, I'm going to combine them into one last drawing. I've gotten overwhelmed with moving and "life" in general. We're moving at the end of the month by the way. I'll post the next 3 questions with their answers. You just read them, chalk them up as useless trivia, then click below and leave a comment so I can enter you in the drawing. How's that for easy!? I'll have a giftcard of some sort to make it easy on myself as well.

I'll post the 3 questions tonight sometime. This one will close on Friday night at Midnight MST.

I won't be up until Midnight tonight, I'm just too tired. So, the contest will end tomorrow (Monday) at high-noon MST. There's still a chance to enter! I hope everyone's having a great weekend!