I'm Finally Feeling the Christmas Spirit

Last night I hung Christmas lights on the front porch, and today me and Matthew decorated the Christmas tree. My heart is finally starting to catch up with the joy of the season.

I have a confession to make; I tend to take a little longer then some to get excited about Christmas. A lot of the hustle and bustle stresses me out, being away from family makes me feel lonely, and the cold makes me want to find a warm bed and sleep until the spring.

Now don't worry, because of my awesome son and because of The Reason for the season it always comes together and we always end up having a very Merry Christmas, and this one I plan on being especially great!

Here are a few pics of our Christmas tree. Personally, I absolutely love real trees, especially the smell of them, but I have some stereotypes and one of them is that it is 'mans work' to cut down the tree, drag it down the stairs, and set it up in that tree stand doohickey (I know you are super disappointed mom-- I'm not as strong as you apparently-heehee), but this year there is not a big burly man to help with a tree even though Matthew has grown quit a bit this year. So, we will stick to the fake one.--- I'm considering sneaking some Pine Car Air Fresheners in there for added effect, and I've learned over the last couple of years that the ticket to fake trees is to put double the ornaments and garland to fill it all in, especially if you have a lower-end one like I do. Either way I'm happy with our officially 'Christmassy' house!!

Have you put your Christmas Tree up yet? Real or Fake? Does the whole family decorate the tree at your house?

Friday Night Entertainment--Rated G

I missed Favorites Tuesday

I had some Internet problems last night, but really wanted to still post my 'favorite' anyways. Sorry about not having Mr Linky Kim, I am fairly computer illiterate.
My favorite present is actually not one that I received but actually a present Matthew got at his last birthday. This singing dog has become quit a fun fixture in our home. Randomly Matthew will bring it in the room I'm in, sit it down, and push the button. A couple of weeks ago I was still asleep and Matthew came in and layed the singing dog next to me. Later that day he was in the shower and I snuck in the bathroom and sat him on the counter to sing to Matthew.
This little dog has become a fun/silly way that we tell each other 'I love you'.

With More Gadgets Comes Greater Responsibility

I did it. I camped out at Office Depot, survived the cold weather and snoring stranger sleeping next to me, and escaped with a steal on a laptop and digital camera-- Yay!
I will say one thing for sure. Sleeping on that sidewalk (actually 'attempting' to sleep) really made me thankful for not being homeless. Sleeping on the streets is AWFUL!!

But still, I did get a good deal, and don't plan on doing it again in the future.


Now for my first proof of the digital camera purchase. Here, for your viewing pleasure, is a picture of me after my night in the Office Depot parking lot.

I'll confess that I had taken pictures that looked a lot worst, but I believe that this one still reflects that it was rough with out me looking too awfully disgusting.


After sleeping most of my day away on friday and playing on my laptop ALL day (and I do mean all day) Saturday I have decided that I need a timer for myself-- I definitely need a limit, and I'm proud to say that I have implemented that the last couple of days and it has done me and my household good.

I'm excited about being able to spend more time on my posts and being able to read other's blogs at home.

Please tell me how you manage your computer time at home without robbing time from family, chores, and the Lord.

Singletonville Episode 5 - It's been awhile

Being single has not really been a topic that I currently want to discuss-- well not in specific terms-- I would rather be skirting around this topic, but here I am.

Being single has not always met being in waiting. I have been single now for 3 years and 5 months. It has only been a little over a year that I have wanted something more-- hint hint-- a husband. Now I won't be to upfront about this desire because frankly it's intense and may scare any single blog reading gents away, but will say I have a lot to learn about how to deal with this and how to wait on the Lord.

The Lord reminded me this morning of a past situation where I had to wait, and in the end it paid off in an amazing way.
In Nov. 2007 my car broke down. I was driving a 96 Ford Excort. Now I could list off a lot of very humorous problems that I had with this car, but I'll just leave it at 'I had to start it with a screw driver'. Now when this car broke down I knew that I did not want to put a lot of money into fixing it. It obviously was following apart-- very obviously- so I decided to let it go, but I had no money and therefore no transportation. As I was leaving the bank, after finding out about car payments and such for a loan, I received a phone call. It was a friend of mine from church offering to let me use a car that no one in their family was currently driving. Now I had told the Lord that if He did not want me to get a loan (that honestly would have been hard to pay off) that He would have to provide transportation for me while I saved up money to buy a car. That call was an answer to prayer. They told me that I could borrow that car for 6 months so I really couldn't pass that up--- even though I REALLY wanted to buy a new car! Come March of 2008 I had saved up about $4,000 which would have helped me to purchase a car a step up from the Escort, but God was doing something unexpected. That same month I had someone come to me with a check for $5,000 that Jesus had told them to give to me!!! Another blessing in all this was that I work for a company that gives their agents Ford Five Hundreds and then resales them to company employees at below cost. So I was able to purchase one of these very nice vehicles at $3,000 below blue book and still have money in the bank!!!
God was more then enough, and blessed me more then what I had even asked for!

And now to pull this all together. When I was driving this car home after waiting and praying for a new car for a while I realized how much it was worth the wait, and with anything in my life I would rather have the Ford 500's in life then the latter that I could supply with my own strength. Mr. Ford 500 will come along in my life right when God has ordained it, and it will be worth the waiting and way better then anything I could make happen on my own. God has already proven Himself to be THAT GOOD!!!

Lord teach us how to patiently wait on Your best, and trust Your time.

Also, help my Mr. Ford 500 wait on You and allow You to direct his path.

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

This is so weird, and I'm not sure I agree with any of them, but I wanted to post something today and came up brain dead.

Who do you think you look like? Has anyone ever told you you look like someone famous?

I've been told twice that I look like Drew Barrymore (I don't think I agree with that either) -- funny that she didn't come up on mine!

Oops, did I say 'my' ways are better than Yours?

How many times have you told your children (or child) I'll do that, or let me take care of that- just to have them do it anyways and make a huge mess? For example: the pouring of the milk-- any mom knows about this one. It's breakfast time. Your child wants Fruit Loops and sneaks into the kitchen unnoticed. You walk into the kitchen to find he/she looking up at you with those big beautiful eyes and saying 'I just wanted to help' as milk spreads all over the kitchen floor.
Oh, and then there's the 'I can dress myself!!' Go ahead and take a seat parents, because this could take awhile. Oh, and make sure that you are near by because most likely they will need to be caught as they fall backwards trying to pull on those jeans, or they may need some help untangling their head from that hole that seems WAY to small in that shirt they are so desperately trying to pull on.
Now, my son is nine so (Thank God) he is fairly capable of pouring his own cereal and milk and handles dressing in the morning pretty good, but that doesn't mean he's exempt from all this. Lately he thanks he can carry in ALL the groceries and don't get me wrong I so appreciate the help, but when he is determined to carry 10 bags on each arm down 20 stairs to our duplex I have to protest-- Yes you have big muscles Matthew, and yes I appreciate the help, but just let me get some PLEASEEEE. 'Why the pleading' you ask--- well, have you ever picked up scattered groceries from your front lawn? Yeah, I didn't think so!!

I am super blessed that my son wants to help, and yes there are many things he can do and needs to do to develop his independence and skills, but there are so many things that I am perfectly okay with helping him on. I wonder how many things right now I am trying to do on my own that the Lord is saying-- 'honey, let me handle this pleeease'
And what does my "no thank you, I can do it myself" really mean?
The way I grip certain things and refuse to surrender them to the Father may be a petition to prove my capabilities, but even so-- what does God expect us to prove to Him?, or maybe, just maybe, I don't trust Him. Maybe I think that I want things my way, and His way will be too hard or too long or too whatever,
oh, but look at the messes--- so many messes I have made, so many things I have made WAY harder then they really have to be and all the while He's saying
I'd really like to help you
or even better
I'd really like to handle this for you Beloved.
I really want to come to a place where I can hear Him clearly when He says -- this one is 100% for Me to handle. Wow!! How much easier would my life be-- how much more peaceful and joyful!
Now I know that there are hard things that sometimes we have to walk out with Him-- my divorce was one of them-- believe me, I understand those times, but why the heck would we walk out something that He wants to take care of Himself? There are enough things He has called us to use these muscles on-- I don't want to waste them on things that He has asked me to surrender and just trust! Especially those things that I have no control over in the first place even though I still am looking for a way to pour out this impossibly heavy thing of milk, or put these cloths on that simply don't fit, or carry that heavy load that is WAY to big for me to carry.
Whatever 'it' may be I just simply what the discernment to know when to walk it out and carry it with Him and when to just let Him have it ALL.

His ways are WAY better than mine.
Let me say that one more time:
HIS WAYS ARE WAY BETTER THAN MINE!!!