I am Blessed

Lately it seems like many people around me are having marriage problems. My sister and her husband are pretty much ready to call it quits. My good friend is having a really hard time with her husband and they have baby number 3 on the way in just a couple of month. I always find it hard to know what to say to people who are having problems in their marriage because their husband doesn't help. That's all I ever hear from my sister is how her husband doesn't help around the house or with their son. I don't know what to say to that. I have a husband who does not hesitate to help me when ever I need it. Sometimes I have to ask but most of the time I don't. Like yesterday when he finished painting the entry way wall that we had to get a special ladder for because it's so high. He did this while I was at work and he was home with the kids. Then he made the kids pancakes for lunch too. After I got home from work he went out and mowed the grass and sprayed for weeds. Then we all went to his softball game. When we got home Justin decided to give Kaleb a hair cut, which really isn't too hard. Then while the kids were in the shower he cleaned their room up and then scrubbed the bathroom, shower and all for me. I never once asked him to do any of it he just did it. That is why I am blessed. I am blessed with a husband that has a servant heart who loves to help me and do things for me. I always make sure that I let Justin know just how much I appreciate all he does for me. We really work well with each other and after all the complaining I hear from others it just makes me more thankful for Justin. God has blessed me so much with a great husband and father for our kids. I just can't thank God enough.

getting older

I had to send away for Abbie and Kaleb's birth certificates today. I don't know why we never picked up Abbie's while we lived in Las Vegas, but with Kaleb we moved too soon after he was born to be able to get his. When we were there a little over 2 years ago we had planned to pick them up but again failed. So today I sent away for them and hopefully I will recieve Abbie's in time to register her for Kindergarten. Originally we were going to homeschool Abbie, but after looking over our schedule and what we would need to do for Abbie to make sure she had the best homeschool experience we were afriad that we would not be able to accomplish that goal. We talked it over with her and she really likes going to school and being with other kids. I know we could have gotten her into a homeschool group but then because of our schedules and the fact that Justin would be the one having to take her it just was not going to work out. I feel good about this and think that for now this is the best thing we can do. Since I work in the morning and Justin most afternoon it just makes our schedules tight. There are many times when justin and I only see each other for about 30 -45 minutes total in a day. We are going to see how this goes and then next year re-visit the situation and see if we want to change it. I just can't beieve that Abbie is 5 and going into kindergarten and that Kaleb will be in pre-school this fall. He'll be 4 in Novemeber and just doesn't seem right. Then I think I only have just under 7 months till I turn 30. Where has time gone?

listening

I am actually sitting here listening to some of Joe's messages from lifelines. It is weird to hear him speaking. It's been a long time since I have heard Joe speak and I haven't realized how much I missed listening to him. I'm looking for a message that might be good to pass on to my cousin. I enjoy them all so I may just have to send the link to all of them to him.

"The safest road to hell is the gradual one- the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turning, without milestones, without sign post" C.S. Lewis

the strangeness of life

Recently I have been IM my cousin Joe who is stationed in England with the navy. It's been odd because I haven't seen him in over 14 years. My uncle and his mom were divorced and my cousins Joe and Jason didn't much like to come and visit their dad. I have been emailing and talking to Jason's wife Katherine for almost 5 years now. She has always kept me somewhat up to date about what was going on with Joe. I have to say that I have really enjoyed getting to talk to him again. Now that we are older and can have somewhat more mature conversations. It's kind of odd to think that he was 13 and I was 15 the last time we saw each other. We have both grown and changed so much. We both have kids (me 3 him 1). He's been married and divorced already. Justin and I are getting ready to celebrate our 9th anniversary.
Joe and I were chatting earlier about different things we like now, trying to get a better perspective of who each other is. We talked about music likes and dislikes and I always surprise people there. We talked about books and we talked about religion. He doesn't really follow any. He was raised Catholic and just doesn't have a use for it right now. I'm not going to push him and tell him he's going to hell, because I am not perfect. I have many faults and one of them right now is my not so there walk with God. I may work in a church office and help in a service but at this moment my walk is about 0. I have no quiet time and I have no prayer time. Well I take that back. I pray on my way to work every morning. At this time though I am not making a space for God in my life. That is where this conversation with my cousin comes in. Because it really made me think about what I would like to say to him and talk to him about. First I need to work on me before I can be any good for anyone else. I need to make a place for God again. I need to not just do things out of habit but because I want to and need to. well I need to do a lot of things so I best be getting busy.

recent pictures

Abbie and Kaleb playing in the pool on vacation

Sunrise in Duck, North Carolina

this was the view from our deck outside our bedroom

My sisters and I at a friends wedding Justin and I at the wedding

Sophia celebrating her 1st birthday

Mommy still can't believe she's already 1. They grow up so fast.

UFC

On Sautrday night I went over to a friends house and watched the UFC (Ultimate Fighting championship). I read a book(what's new) and one of the people in it was part of the UFC. So I started watching some of it on Spike TV. I have to say that it's really fun to watch. My girlfriend, Sherie and her husband Tod, are big fans too. I wish that Justin could have gone with me to watch the fights and to watch the guys I there fight too. He of cource was working. So I went on my own and the kids went to grandparents houses. I have to say that I loved watching the fights. The last one almost put me to sleep though.

I was going to go see Pirates of the Caribean with a couple of my girlfriends yesterday, but the next three shows were already sold out. It worked out well because Justin was a little upset that I had chosen to see the movie without him. Now we can see it together.

Kids are running around and Sophia wants out of her high chair so I better go.

more thoughts

in my earlier post i was said something about someone reading over my shoulder. Well I was at work at the time and it was the man whose family has been going to our church forever. He's one of those weird old guys that just freaks me out sometimes. He came by the church to fax a few things and I had to help him. He doesn't hid the fact that he's trying to look at what I am doing. Then he took up all my time so I really couldn't finish earlier.

I'm tired so I'm kind of just typing what comes into my head. This is not always good. Most things that pop into my head don't make a lot of sense.

I had to bribe Abbie to let me get on the computer here. I should make dinner but I really don't feel like making anything. The kids don't eat anything anyway.

It's really weird but recently I have been in touch with my cousin joe who I haven't seen in 14 years. There's a lot of back story there but it's not all that important. What's nice is that I'm getting the chance to get to know my cousin again. I keep in touch with his brothers wife Katherine. I wish they all lived closer, but like most of my favorite people they live far away.

Justin was looking for flights today and it looks like we are going to fly to vegas the last weekend in September/first of October. It's been over 2 years since we've seen most everyone. We were talking about it the other day and we have now been living back in ohio longer than we lived in vegas.

Well it is probably best for me to get off of here now. Sophia has managed to climb into Kaleb's bed somehow. I better go and get her out.

Catch Up

Life is slowly returning to a somewhat normal pace now that most of the summer activities we had planned are done.
We had a great vacation. I loved being right on the ocean. It was such a beautiful and relaxing sight. The kids had a great time. Kaleb didn't much like the ocean but Abbie loved it. We had our own pool though which was great. We were in the Outer Banks area of North Carolina - Duck, NC to be exact. It was a great place to take the kids because the beaches were more private and not over run by people. There were more houses than hotels.

My baby turned a year old. I can't believe that Sophie is one already. Where did the time go. I still have a picture of her on my wall in my office of her from last year during Vacation Bible School. She was only 2 weeks old then. This year during VBS she was clapping along with the songs.

We had a great visit with Dave and Amy Carder and their kids on Sunday. It was great to get to spend sometime with them as they make their way back to Vegas.

Justin and I are still planing on coming out to Vegas to visit in September or October.

Well someone is here and he is reading over my shoulder so I am going to go.