Saturday, November 24, 2007

Departure Day

Tomorrow morning we leave for Hawaii!! I'm very excited. Here's what I have gotten accomplished since Thanksgiving:
*made 5 freezer meals for my mom to make while we're gone
*caught up all the laundry
*cleaned the house
*decorated for Christmas (including 2 trees!)
*I even got a little Christmas shopping done

I'm (almost) all packed and ready to go! I know this week will go super fast. I just hope I am able to relax, take a deep breath, and take it all in. And I pray my mom (the "saint") is able to survive a week with my children.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

A Thankful Heart is A Happy Heart

If any of you watch VeggieTales, you'll recognize that title!

I AM THANKFUL FOR...

Eternal Life (I am working on the whole eternal perspective idea)
My husband
My great daughter
My 3 boys who make me laugh...a lot
My twin's birth mother who chose life for them
My church
MOPS (we have a meeting today!)
My parents (My mom watches my kids every Monday & will be with them all next week).
My very flexible job
Dark chocolate (I love it!)
Coffee with flavored cream
Friends
Good Books
My newest addiction....blogging :)

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Sunday, November 18, 2007

My Clog Story

Have you ever wanted something very badly? This time last year I found a pair of Clarks Artisan clogs in a magazine ad. I loved the clogs. I had to have the clogs! I researched the clogs. I looked for them on Ebay. I signed up on Shoebuy.com to get a discount. I had to have the clogs!! I looked for stores close by that sold Clarks, and I called to see if they had the clogs. I looked at several different shoe websites and found the best deal on the clogs. I had to have the clogs!!! (Yes, I became obsessed).

So I finally bought the clogs from Shoebuy (with my 10% discount, of course). I think I spent around $75. Way more than I spend on shoes! When I finally got the shoes I was so happy I couldn't wait to wear them. I even loved looking at the clogs. After wearing them, I didn't love them as much. They were a little tight, my ankle turned easily in them, and they weren't nearly as cute as the picture. Slowly they made their way to the back of my closet. I got them out last week and wore them to church 2 weeks in a row. After church last Sunday, my back was killing me! I wore them mid-week, got home and my back was killing me. I wore them to church today, and my back is now killing me! Common thread to the back pain??? My beloved clogs!!

This is so typical with my life. There have been things I have begged and pleaded God for. But God knows. He knows what will give me pain. And he decides what is best for Denise. I pray I will be able to listen when God says, "No, Denise, you don't need (fill in the blank) because it will cause you pain or suffering or heartache and you are My child and I know what is best for you!"

Thursday, November 15, 2007

You never know...

It's amazing how you never really know what's going on in other's lives. A couple from our church, whom we don't really know all that well, have been communicating with my husband and myself. They are definitely being added to my prayer list. It breaks my heart to hear of struggles and hard times. I know no marriage is perfect, and we always put our best "faces" on for church. This just serves as a reminder that my marriage should not be taken for granted, and I need to be constantly relying on God.

I just got the book "It's All About Him" by Denise Jackson (Alan Jackson's wife). The Him she is referring to is God, not Alan! I can't wait to read it. That is my weekend project.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

My Husband

My husband and I have been married 10 years on November 29th. We are going to Hawaii for a week the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We did not go on a honeymoon 10 years ago, so this is our anniversary gift to each other. My mom is staying with the kids while we are gone.

My husband has been a minister at our church for the last 5 years. I did not marry a minister. I married a construction worker (or so I thought). When we lived in Colorado (1997-2002) I didn't want him to quit his construction job to start working at the church we attended. When we moved to Indiana, he started working for our church. I am so thankful he listened to God and not me this time! We are blessed to be a part of an awesome ministry.

5 things I love about my husband:

1. He can fix anything (seriously!)
2. He is an awesome dad
3. He is a follower of God
4. He makes me laugh
5. He lets me ride on his motorcycle

Saturday, November 10, 2007

What's on the Menu?

Tonight we are having some church people over for dinner. I am making meat lasagna, chicken lasagna, salad, cheese bread, brownies, and a pumpkin dessert. None of which I've started...yet. My husband (who stayed up until 1 a.m. working on the neighbor's truck) is going squirrel hunting with my 6 year old! So the twins and I will be cooking and cleaning today!! Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Tuesday

My interview went well. But it was a little awkward being interviewed by a former employee at my current job. They will make their decisions by Thanksgiving. So it will be a while before I hear anything. I have not been on a job interview in over 5 years. It's a little intimidating and I definitely felt like I was out of "my boat". If this doesn't work out, I plan on just hanging out at my current job.

Last night, twin #2 went #1 in the potty. Then today he went #1 & #2 in the potty. (Twin #1 went #1 on the kitchen floor.) We definitely celebrated. Tomorrow is our MOPS meeting, so we won't be able to work on more potty training. I have lots of potty training days to look forward to!!

Monday, November 5, 2007

Step Out of the Boat

Today on my way to work (a 25 minute commute), I listened to a highly recommended sermon by Danny Curry (a minister at our church) that I missed a few weeks ago. His message was all about getting out of the boat (your comfort zone) and walking on the water (like Jesus did). I haven't felt a calling on my life recently. I don't feel like I'm getting ready for anything big or earth shattering. But I want to be open and willing to do what God calls me to do.

As I was walking in the door after being gone for 13.5 hours (I work a very long day on Monday), my husband was talking to the human resources department for a new surgery center I applied to work at. I have an interview with them tomorrow! This is definitely out of my comfort zone (I've been at my job over 5 years), but I am willing to take a shot.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Halloween Recap

We had a great time last night! We went to our church for trunk or treat. The trunks were "dressed up" with some sort of Bible theme. There were lots of whales (& Jonahs). The kids got more candy than they will ever eat! I have a large bag to take to work on Friday. (all the chewy bad for your teeth candy that my guys don't need!) My husband left for Colorado today for a men's retreat with our former church (Temple Baptist in Pueblo, CO). My mom picked up the twins to take them to story time. So my house is totally quiet now!!

Here's what's on schedule for the rest of the day: haircut, post office, bank, Bath & Body works for hand soap, Teacher conference for 1st grader, wedding shower tonight. This day will go by quickly.