Remember when I did this?

That was back in May. It really hurt and it was the big toe on my bad foot. I have had to wear orthotics in my shoes for the past couple of years because my feet have been giving me problems. Well the problem with my foot seems to have been solved by me dropping the mug on my foot. Back before we went to Indiana for the annual Southern Baptist Convention I bought a pair of croc knock off flip flops at Wal-mart just to wear down to the pool at the hotel. Well they have become my favorite pair of shoes this summer because I can actually wear them without my feet hurting. That is nothing short of amazing in my book. So instead of having to undergo surgery for the problem with my foot, all I needed to do was drop a mug on my toe.

Who knew?

Well I must finish the final things of packing for our trip. And pick up the house so that we come home to a clean sort of clean house (hubby will be home for a week with out the kids and I, who knows what state the house will be in…lol) I’m just kidding my hubby does dishes and laundry so I don’t have a thing to complain about, oh and he cooks too.

Florida here we come!!!

A couple of months ago I started a list of 100 things to do before I die. I only got 10 things on my list in that post. So I thought it was time to add to it.

1. Find a really good pair of sandals for the summer.
2. Lose 50 pounds.
3. Blog for 100 days in a row ( I was well on my way to doing this until I had to go out of town and had no internet access)
4. See the Braves play in every National League ballpark. (Been to two)
5. Own a Mustang.
6. Go on a mission trip every year.
7. See all 50 states. (Only 33 to go, went to Indiana last month)
8. Go on a tour of the Holy Land.
9. Go to Paris, Rome, Venice and London.
10. Read some of the classics like To Kill a Mockingbird, Oliver Twist and Moby Dick.
11. Finish my Bachelor’s Degree in 2009
12. Try sushi (this is only for my hubby, cuz I love him, not putting a deadline on this one)
13. Take the kids to Washington DC
14. Mentor young ladies
15. Learn how to sew
16. Learn how to quilt after I learn how to sew
17. Watch the Princess Bride
18. Drive up Cub Mountain
19. Visit the Statue of Liberty again
20. Go skiing in Colorado
21. See the Grand Canyon
22. Visit Mount Rushmore
23. Learn how to make freezer jam
24. Learn how to can vegetables
25. Ride an inverted roller coaster (like the Batman ride at Six Flags, St. Louis)
26. Go to the top of the arch in St. Louis
27. Go whitewater rafting
28. Learn how to take really great pictures
29. Organize all the pictures I have already taken (notice I didn’t say scrapbook though…lol)
30. Embrace my passion for teaching

This is a blog I have recently stumbled upon. This is his post for today. I found it very funny because, well just because.

Ragamuffin Soul.

Gossip is such a problem that no one even acknowledges it as a sin anymore. I know I have been guilty of it.

Please pray for the Martin family. Their little girl, Shelbi went home to be with Jesus today.

You can read her story on her CaringBridge site at http://www.caringbridge.com/visit/littleshelbi.  She died today (July 15) around 12:58 p.m., and is now in Heaven with Jesus.

Please pray for Shelbi’s family, that they will have strength, comfort, and healing through this difficult time.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

I am so ready for vacation that I can hardly contain myself. I need a break from all of the busyness that this summer has brought. The kids have been out of school since May 21st and this is what they have done so far, are you ready???

• 25 t-ball/softball games have been played
• Bean has been to camp at her new middle school
• all three kids went to the Children’s Conference at the Southern Baptist Convention
• 2 weeks of Vacation Bible School have been done
• one student choir lock-in
• 4th of July Celebration
• Bean went to Crosspoint (her first time at camp away from home, she had a BLAST!)
• a couple of trips to the lake to swim
• Bug had her softball team party at the city pool

• Bean and Bug went to a sleepover b-day party, a swimming party @ the city pool, and we all went to a b-day party where the kids played on a slip and slide the other day

I’m sure I am forgetting something along the way but you get the point, it is time for a little bit of a break before school starts. Time to go visit with our family. Reconnect. Revive ourselves. Refocus.

One of the blogs I have been reading for a really long time is Because I said so. Dawn is the mom that a few years ago auctioned a baseball off on ebay after her boys broke things in the house after of course being told not to play with a baseball in the house. I remember seeing that auction on ebay at the time and thinking it was hilarious. Well then a while back she took her 6 kids grocery shopping a box of Pokemon cards ended up coming home  with them and those ended up on ebay. That is when I started reading Dawn’s blog. She is funny and having 6 kids there is never a shortage of things to blog about.

Dawn often recommends other mom’s site’s and one she talked about yesterday really caught my attention. This I think is just about the best idea I have seen in a long time. The product is called Safetytat. The tag line on the web site says, “Get the tat that brings the child back.” It is a temporary tattoo that you can put on your child that you design that can have your phone number on it so that if you get separated from your child, all your child has to do is find a store clerk or police officer and they can call you. If you have a child with a medical issue such as diabetes or autism you can even put that on the tattoo.

Fortunately I can’t ever remember at time that I have been separated from any of my kids for more than a minute or two (though even that is scary). But we are getting ready to go on vacation and we will be going to one of the Disney theme parks, which we all know has lots of people. Even with the girls getting to be where they can remember our phone numbers I still think this is a good idea for them because if they actually got separated from us in a place like Disney in the heat of the moment they might not be able to remember what our number is. So check it out.

Oh my son, how funny he is. So I told you a week or so ago something funny he said well he has not stopped. I have been meaning to write about this for over a week but I came down with a really nasty stomach bug last week and was not up to doing much of anything last week.

So anyway, at the end of two very long weeks of VBS my husband that I love dearly scheduled a lock-in for the student choir. I help him with the student choir so that meant that I had to be there for the lock-in and while I love working with our students the thought of staying up ALL night with a bunch of middle and high school age kids was not all that pleasant. Especially considering that this was coming at the end of two weeks of VBS. But I didn’t really have a say in the matter so I had to go with. So I had to find someone for Buddy to spend the night with that night. My friend Kathy graciously offered to let Buddy stay with them at their house, “as long as he doesn’t mind playing with girl toys.” She has two little girls. Buddy likes her girls and does not mind at all playing with girl toys, just ask his sisters. So it was settled, he was spending the night with them. Kathy is married to Dr. Mark, the kids doctor. So that night Dr. Mark took the kids to McDonald’s for some ice cream. And Buddy tells Dr. Mark that he is allergic to ice cream can he have some french fries instead? He even goes so far as to tell Dr. Mark that he is allergic to both chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

Now my son is NOT allergic to ice cream. He does not really like ice cream. He will eat it every once in while. But usually if we go to McDonald’s for ice cream he will ask for fries. I just thought it was hilarious that he was trying to tell his own doctor that he was allergic to something. I mean I don’t expect Dr. Mark to remember everything about every patient of his but I thought it was funny that Buddy was trying to pull one over on his doctor.

Then two weeks ago at church he tried to tell one of his teachers that he was not allowed to use scissors when she told him to cut something out. He is not allowed to touch scissors at home without me or daddy around because he cuts things he is not supposed to cut, like the hair on his sister’s My Little Ponies or his shirts. But now when I drop him off at class at church I tell him if an adult tells you to use scissors, then it is OK for you to use them.

And see the dimples get him out of so much trouble. All he has to do is smile and no one wants him to be in trouble. One smile from him and my heart melts every time.

Want to win a Wii?? Who doesn’t want to win one? I love the fact that we were blessed to be given a Wii last year. No, we did not buy one, a family member gave us one as a Christmas gift last year (an early Christmas gift, we got it in September) and we have had so much fun with it. The whole family can play. And each one of us has our favorite game. I got Guitar Hero for Steve for his Christmas gift and I think it has become his and Bean’s favorite game. Bean can play really well on that game. So I am really excited that Rockband is out for the Wii now. That is on my list for Christmas this year.

So as to the title of the blog, if you want to have a chance to win a Wii, click here and go to this blog where she is giving away a Wii. I don’t know what the chances are of you winning one. But you can’t win if you don’t at least try, right?

I have been in a funk of late and this is just what I needed tonight. You can read on my hubby’s blog about what happened in choir practice tonight. But in the end we sang this song and as we sang I worshiped and let God’s love fall fresh on me once again.

Healing Rain

Healing rain is coming down.

It’s coming nearer to this old town.

Rich and poor, weak and strong,

it’s bringing mercy; it won’t be long.

Healing rain is coming down.

It’s coming closer to the lost and found.

Tears of joy and tears of shame

are washed forever in Jesus’ name.

Healing rain, it comes with fire.

So let it fall and take us higher.

Healing rain, I’m not afraid

to be washed in heaven’s rain.

Lift your heads, let us return

to the mercy seat where time began.

And in your eyes I see the pain,

come soak this dry heart with healing rain.

And only You, the Son of Man,

can take a leper and let him stand.

So lift your hands, they can be held

by someone greater, the great I AM.

Healing rain, it comes with fire.

So let it fall and take us higher.

Healing rain, I’m not afraid

to be washed in heaven’s rain,

to be washed in heaven’s rain.

Healing rain is falling down.

Healing rain is falling down.

I’m not afraid.

I’m not afraid.

Healing rain is falling down.

Healing rain is falling down.

I’m not afraid.

I’m not afraid.
Healing rain.

Healing rain.

Healing rain.

Words by: Michael W. Smith, Martin Smith, and Matt Bronleewe

I saw this on Deby’s blog the other day and thought it looked like fun so I decided to try it.

What Stacy Means

You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don’t always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don’t have as much going for them as you do. You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You’re most comfortable when you’re far away from home. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble. You are usually the best at everything … you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic “Type A” personality. You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily. You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind. A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you’re too busy having fun to care.

While there are many things that are listed in the above list that do describe me, some of them do not. I am not a “Type A” personality or do I have the whole world under my spell. I also don’t take advantage of the weak, quite the opposite in fact, I champion the underdog. I like to travel and I don’t always have to have an itinerary. Sometimes hopping in the car and just driving to no particular place is fun(though we don’t do that very often now with the cost of gas). But after a while I do like to be home. I am somewhat of a homebody. I do think that I communicate easily with people and that I am creative. I try to live my life to it’s fullest and miss out on any opportunities that God gives me to experience the many wonders of His great world.

So what does your name say about you?