(Before I move into my flashback I need to say that I guess my story I posted yesterday wasn't as funny in print as it was when it actually took place. Please read in the comments for yesterday's post for my explination.)
Easter 2003
Emily, Aubrey and Zac
David (Steve's brother who used to live with us), Emily, Zac and Aubrey
I think that most days answered prayers go by unnoticed. But every once in a while something happens to make you sit up and take notice and realize how blessed you really are.
Yesterday morning we were saying family prayer just like we do any other day. Zac was saying it. It was a pretty quick, to the point, let's eat breakfast now kind of prayer except for one thing. Right at the end of his prayer he said please bless dad while he is at work today that he will be safe. He didn't ask a blessing that anyone else be safe and I thought, hum...And then I went right along with my day and forgot all about it.
Yesterday afternoon Steve was working at our new house. He was up on the roof stapling plastic down. He was working really fast moving down the roof, spreading out plastic and stapling it. He would staple, back up, staple, back up. Well he went to back up and almost backed right off the edge of the roof but he was able to catch himself before that happened. Immediately the thought came into his head, "Your son prayed for you this morning".
Wow. It was a reminder to me that prayer really is important. Sometimes we don't have that much to pray about and prayers might seem, I don't know, like they get monotonous. Or rote. I'm not sure what word I am looking for. But we never know. How many time have we almost "fallen off a roof" and not realized it, but were spared because someone prayed for us that day? It also made me think about the power of a child's prayer.
I am very thankful for a Heavenly Father who loves me and my children. A Heavenly Father who hears and answers our prayers. It reminds me of Emily's favorite Primary song:
Ahhh, Monday Morning. A brand spankin' new week all squeaky fresh and clean. That is what I thought last Monday. We were coming off 2 weeks of doing nothing (except funeral stuff and stomach virus stuff) and I was so excited that we were all feeling better and that I could actually get back to real life and actually get something accomplished. I got a lot done last Monday. I really thought it would be a great week. What did I know? Anyway I feel 10,000 times better now and I think the majority of us are over the flu slump (except Steve who is apparently a late bloomer). The kids are back in school, again. I am excited to get something done, again. I hope it lasts this time.
I went to the doctor on Friday because aside from the flu I knew I also had an ear infection. He was the rudest most arrogant person. I was so sick I could hardly hold myself in an upright position when I was there so I didn't say much to him, but I really want to go back today and give him a piece of my "ambivalent" mind. He told me probably 3 or 4 times I was ambivalent. Girl, he's just lucky I have too much to do today than to bother with his sorry booty.
While I was at the doctor I couldn't help but notice the receptionist had on this black eye shadow applied in the shape of a triangle right above the crease of her eye. It looked jack-o-lanternish. I can't tell you how tempted I was to reach across the counter and rub it in for her. I went to that office probably about a year ago and it was the same way so she is obviously doing it on purpose. Poor thing.
When Farrah said thank you for "enlightening" me on your views, what do you think the " " meant? Was she calling me stupid? FARRAH! Were you calling me stupid?
My dear sweet mother brought us dinner yesterday. Oh my! Can I just tell you how long it has been since we have eaten a real, actual meal with meat and vegetables and fruit and bread and dessert? It was last Monday actually. It was so yummy. We devoured it. DEVOURED.
The book I am reading now, A Thousand Splendid Suns, is so good. It is by the author of The Kite Runner which is also a very good book and I can't wait to see the movie. Anyway, I recommend it. Khaled Hosseini is the author and he is a magnificent story teller. MAGNIFICENT.
Before I get all political on you I will give you a little update on our situation here. The other day when I said we never get the flu. Well, apparently I spoke too soon. I just took all 3 girls to the doctor and aside from all 3 of them having ear infections, they also have the flu. I assume that is what is plaguing me also. They are all now on antibiotics for their ears. They were all just on antibiotics the beginning of Jan. for the same thing. This is Addison's 1-2-3-4-5, FIFTH round of antibiotics since mid November. Once more, bring on the poop! The doctor asked if we had had our flu shots and I wanted to say "HECK NO" but instead I just said no. She said she has seen 7 people this week with the flu who have had their shot. WOW! SHOCKING! So anyway, up until this week we have never had the flu. I guess we were due. I can't wait to be well. I am ready for spring.
Walgreen’s update: I went to get RX's filled and I was so annoyed because there was someone in each lane when I went to drop off. I actually had to wait. When I went back to pick up both lanes were empty so I went to the first one and not long after there were 2 cars backed up behind me with no one in lane 2. (this is some good blogging)
I am ever so very sad that Mitt dropped out of the race today. And I am really angry at McCain and Huckabee and their dirty nasty politics. So phooey on you.
1. Do we really want someone with a Muslim background who's middle name is Hussein to serve as president of our country? (Ok, that probably is really unfair of me so we won't count this as #1)
1. I think he is very naive
2. I think he is affiliated with a church that is very racially motivated. Here is their own description of themselves as found on their website:
We are a congregation which is Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian... Our roots in the Black religious experience and tradition are deep, lasting and permanent. We are an African people, and remain "true to our native land," the mother continent, the cradle of civilization. God has superintended our pilgrimage through the days of slavery, the days of segregation, and the long night of racism. It is God who gives us the strength and courage to continuously address injustice as a people, and as a congregation. We constantly affirm our trust in God through cultural expression of a Black worship service and ministries which address the Black Community.
3. I think that it is interesting in the 10 point vision for their church there is made no mention of God (upon whom our country is founded). And it would seem that members of this congregation are a little more devoted to Africa instead of the actual county in which we live. (probably not a great thing for the president of our country) Again from their web site: The Pastor as well as the membership of Trinity United Church of Christ is committed to a 10-point Vision:
A congregation committed to ADORATION.
A congregation preaching SALVATION.
A congregation actively seeking RECONCILIATION.
A congregation with a non-negotiable COMMITMENT TO AFRICA.
A congregation committed to BIBLICAL EDUCATION.
A congregation committed to CULTURAL EDUCATION.
A congregation committed to the HISTORICAL EDUCATION OF AFRICAN PEOPLE IN DIASPORA. (Diaspora-A dispersion of a people from their original homeland)
A congregation committed to LIBERATION.
A congregation committed to RESTORATION.
A congregation working towards ECONOMIC PARITY.
4. I think his plan to sit around a campfire, holding hands with our enemies, and singing Cumbaya is stupid and scary. These people don't want to talk or negotiate, they just want to blow us up using any means they can, including using women, children, and the mentally disabled. Using women is actually forbidden in the Quoran but apparently they are making exceptions. Sure. Let's sit down and reason with them.
5. He would immediately begin removing our troops from Iraq. I have a brother-in-law currently serving our country for the 2nd time around in Iraq. Just last week he was injured by a RPG. It would be nice to have him and all our other soldiers home but I think immediate removal is not wise.
6. He doesn’t believe that America should torture our enemies to get information from them. It would be nice if we lived in a world where this wasn't necessary, but we don't.
7. He believes in separatism. I feel like God and values and morals have been removed enough from our society. Our society which I again remind you was founded upon God and values and morals. I believe that further removal of them will aide in the continuing decline of our society.
8. He has how many years of political experience? 2?
9. He has the most liberal voting record of any current senator.
10. I think that anyone who is president of the USA should be unabashedly patriotic and I don't get the feeling that he is:
So I guess to sum it all up, I think that we haven't had a terrorist attack in our actual country since 9/11 and I feel that many of his views would inspire terrorists to once again target us here, at home, and that scares me.
And since I am in such a bad mood and I am so angry about all things political at the moment I have something else to say. I am sick and tired of "Journalists" who grossly misuse and abuse their power in the media. What happened to reporting the news and not your own personal opinion and calling it "news". I am sick and tired of mainstream media being used by liberals to pollute the minds of American citizens.
You never hear anyone say anything about Obama's church. But poor Mitt was constantly critisized for his religion. What does his church believe?
The Articles of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as found on thier website:
We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.
We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
Putting the doctrinal points aside, I think that this is the kind of person who we need in the White House right now. As for all the candidates left.....
So, I am really sick. Like sick, sick. Like fever, chills and achy sick. Yesterday my body ached so bad that when I put my hand under running water in the sink, it hurt my whole body.
Well, Steve comes home in the middle of the day yesterday to take care of me and help with the kids. He went to vote first. He came home and said there is no line, it will only take a minute, I should go vote. Let me tell ya. I woke up with every intintion to vote yesterday but as the day went on and I was getting worse by the minute, I decided that my vote pretty much wouldn't make much of a difference and it was more important for me to stay in bed.
That's when my evil genius husband planted a brilliant seed of an idea in my head. You see, he was registered as an independent and he was able to choose if he wanted to vote democratic or republican. I still said, "No way! I am too sick. I am staying in bed." But then the more I lay there and the more I thought about it, I just had to get up and get my nasty showerless self dressed and go do my civic duty. So I got my achy body into some clothes, pulled my nappy hair back into a ponytail, went down to Steve's office and said, "Look what you have done to me. You better drive me over to the school to vote before I collapse."
So I went to vote for:
Now right about this moment you are probably thinking, "SAY WHAT??? Am I at the right blog???" Rest assured, you are here, safe and sound.
You see, I woke up with the intent to vote for:
Who is the person I would really like to see sitting at this desk:
However, living where I live, I didn't feel like he would really need my little old vote to win our state. So I thought I would place a vote for the other side.
I figure we endured 8 years of this:
So if need be we could probably endure 8 more.
And this, my friends, scares the absolute living bahookie out of me:
Well, my plan didn't work. I was registered as a republican and they wouldn't let me swing it the other way.
So I voted for :
and grumbled my way back out to the car and told Steve I should have just stayed in bed.
And just so you know, spell check still isn't working and I am too sick to care or do anything about it, just know that I am a horrible speller and deal with any mistakes I made.
It was a little disturbing to open my e-mail today and have an e-mail from my dad in my in box.
Have you ever wondered why when popcorn pops, and if you let it pop just a few seconds too long, the whole bag of popcorn gets burned, but the first few kernels that pop can stay in the bag for several minutes while the rest is popping and it is just fine. Why don't they burn? I'm losing sleep.
Does it bug you that when you go to a fast food joint (my saying joint made me laugh out loud) (so nice I can so easily amuse myself) nowadays you have to ask for ketchup or they won't give it to you because they are trying to conserve, but then when you ask for ketchup for the one order of fries you have they give you 63 packets? Can there be no middle ground?
I have this thing that I don't fully understand. But sometimes I miss being a waitress. Why? Couldn't tell ya. So on Friday Steve and I ordered take out from Chili’s and I went to go pick it up. I was waiting inside and I had a full view of the kitchen area. They were in the thick of the Friday night rush and everyone was running around and people were yelling that they needed their order and yelling that things were messed up and I wanted so bad to be back there, yelling for my baby back ribs for table number 8 who have been waiting for forever. Thankfully I have a voice of reason within me that knows full well that if I ever did take a job as a waitress again, I would enjoy it for all of, umm, 1/2 a shift, and then I would be done. I will just stay at home and do my laundry and clean my kitchen and read to my children and be thankful.
Addison has been sick pretty much all winter and, well, it's still winter. Sigh.....
Is anyone else having problems getting spell check to work in blogger? It is really making me mad.
I found the bathtub I want in my new house. It only costs $7,000.00. It has light therapy included along with tiny holes where thousands of effervescent bubbles emerge. Steve said I can have it and we just won't put garage doors or any entry doors on the house to offset the cost. It sounds like a good trade off. Don't you just want to be in that tub right now? It makes me start to fall asleep just looking at it.
Hmmm....if everyone I knew wanted to chip in some cash.......
This picture was taken at a youth conference we had when we did a pioneer trek. That was a lot of fun and this brings back a lot of memories. I have enjoyed spending time with my sisters over the last two weeks, even though it is a sad circumstance that brought us together. I think that they should both just get it over with and move here.
Emily, Aubrey and Zac
David (Steve's brother who used to live with us), Emily, Zac and Aubrey
Allyson, Farrah and Kristy (sporting her ever so stylish splash painted shirt, I can remember mom splash painting in the back yard. Ahhh the '80's)
Now right about this moment you are probably thinking, "SAY WHAT??? Am I at the right blog???" Rest assured, you are here, safe and sound.
I found the bathtub I want in my new house. It only costs $7,000.00. It has light therapy included along with tiny holes where thousands of effervescent bubbles emerge. Steve said I can have it and we just won't put garage doors or any entry doors on the house to offset the cost. It sounds like a good trade off. Don't you just want to be in that tub right now? It makes me start to fall asleep just looking at it. 
Allyson, Kristy, Farrah and Earl