Little Bits of Life

Daniel Fast Plan: 2012

2011-12-30T15:31:00.000-08:00

This is probably the first year since we started doing the Daniel Fast that I am actually excited about it. (Just being real y'all.) For the past two years the biggest issue, other than my attitude, was meal planning. I don't want to have to over think the menu. It's not about food; it's about spending a purposeful amount of time talking to and listening to our heavenly Father. Sometimes food gets in the way, including during a time of fasting. Seems odd, I know, but true none the less.

I thought I would post our meal plan for the next three weeks. You might find some of this helpful or you may just think, "Sounds good to me!" and copy the whole thing. I'm all about sharing. I hope your fasting time (regardless of what you are fasting from) is a time of listening and reflection. I hope when God speaks, you deeply enjoy His presence, and He gives you a vision for 2012.

1-1: Lentil and Quinoa salad with cashews
1-2: cous cous and roasted veggies of your choice
1-3: potato corn chowder (caringcarrot.com)
1-4: Southwestern veggie bake (leave out the cheese)
1-5: Marinara and whole wheat pasta w salad
1-6: ------we'll be out of pocket, eat on the run!
1-7: ------ditto the 6th
1-8: Lifegroup
1-9: cous cous and roasted veggies of your choice
1-10: red beans and brown rice (sausage for kids)***
1-11: leftover marinara, pasta, salad
1-12: taco soup**
1-13: Thank the Lord! Friends have invited us over
1-14: leftover Taco Soup (after church, easy)
1-15: Lentil Tacos (I'll post this recipe later)*
1-16: quick slow cooker veggie soup (The Daniel Fast by Susan Gregory)
1-17: quinoa and black beans w corn tortillas and avocados
1-18: Spinach zucchini casserole (The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast)
1-19: Marinara w whole wheat pasta and salad
1-20: Spicy red bean burgers, sweet potato fries (served on corn tortillas) (The Daniel Fast by Susan Gregory)
1-21: EMFH (we will have plenty of leftovers)

*** I buy boxed red beans and rice for this. You can make your own. But again, I want to feel it in my stomach, not the amount of time I have to spend in the kitchen, so the easier the better. Kids are eating meat after day 7, so I will have sausage on the side for them.
**can of green beans, red kidney beans, black beans, corn, petite diced tomatoes, packet of taco seasoning but I do use a homemade taco seasoning during the fast. I also double this recipe. Serve w sliced avocados and baked tortilla chips.
* Put a little oil in a pan and sauté 2 cups of dry lentils w a pack of taco seasoning for about 2 minutes. Then pour in 5 cups of broth. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, maybe a little longer. We serve it w corn tortillas, tomato, lettuce and sliced avocados (this recipe from my awesome friend Deleise!)

Questions?? Just ask!

Motherhood

2011-12-15T15:29:00.000-08:00

Today was a day. And it's still not over. It started at 4am when Reese came to my room with Reia following close behind to let me know she had thrown up. She missed the bed though and got it on the floor. (She was quite happy about that.) Over the next few hours, two more episodes and one where she didn't come get me. Bless her heart, she tried to clean it up herself.

By the end of the day, we had gone back and forth from vomiting to diarrhea (one time all over the couch), fever up and fever down, naps and a few minutes outside for some fresh air. Yes, I believe in LOTS of fresh air when your house smells like a poop/puke/Lysol combination.

The washing machine has been running all day. I'm almost out of bleach. I had to console Reia after she realized one of her hermit crabs had died. I'm praying I haven't ruined the couch cushion covers since I just threw them in the cold/hand wash cycle of the machine. And now I've got to figure out dinner.

You would think that I have really hated this day. You would be wrong.

About half way through this day it occurred to me, I was doing something I was created to do. We all have gifts and talents. Mine just aren't very glamorous, but they are very important to at least three people on this earth. And I loved every minute of serving them today. Puke, poop, prayer, cuddles, wash, Lysol, and all.

Joshua 1:9...And Then Some

2011-11-09T17:38:00.000-08:00

The thing I love most about God's word is that no matter how many times you read it, there's always something new to learn, to expand on or just plain something new to read. I've read stories in the girls storybook Bible lately and thought, "Really? That story is in there? Never heard it." It's a bizarre feeling for some one who has been reading the Bible (at least on and off) for nearly 35 years.

This past August when I was considering homeschooling the girls after Terry gave me the go ahead, I decided to pray and fast over the issue for a few days. I was thrilled that homeschooling was now an option, and I didn't intend to take it lightly.

On the third day during my quiet time, this was the verse I read in my devotional:

This is a command! Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you where ever you go. Joshua 1:9

Still, one of my favorites. And when I have a rough day, I remember it. Because He promised. I'm not in this alone.

So, yesterday during my morning time, my YouVersion reading plan brought me back into Joshua. Woohoo! I love Joshua 1:9! But before verse 9 is verse 8. (Go figure.)

Study this book of instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in everything you do. Joshua 1:8

Well, THERE is some good information to have. BEFORE I get to be strong and courageous, without fear or discouragement, I might need to spend some time in God's word. Meditate day and night and obey.

I do want to be successful and prosper. Especially with homeschool because my kids are depending on it. And while I've been pretty good about starting my day with God, I'm still not great. I think God wanted me to see that verse 9 is in no way a stand alone. Neither is any other verse in the Bible. It's all so beautifully interconnected. It's the flowing, breathing and living Word of God.

Of course the kicker is, now that I "see" a little more. I'm held more accountable. I can tell you what I'll be placing a high priority on tomorrow morning. Because God does what He promises. =)

**On a side note, if you know something more about this passage than has been revealed to me, let's stick with" ignorance is bliss" until I get the hang of this.

Shakeology Update

2011-10-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of September I was going to rock my 40th birthday by using Shakeology for 30 days along with working out to Jilian's 30 day Shred.

Bwahahahahahaha!

We had just started homeschooling, so to say I was already overwhelmed was an understatement. To add one more thing to my "to-do" was a big mistake. What started as an every day plan turned into an every other day use of shakeology as a snack and/or one of four meals and not exercising. At. All. And then running a 5K on September 29th.

Here's is what I learned:

I honestly didn't think Shakeology was doing much for me until I stopped taking it for a week. All of a sudden I was sluggish and bloated. I couldn't figure out what had happened at first. Then it clicked. I started back up two days ago and now feel great! I still like my power naps, but Shakeology can't rob me of that joy. =)

In conclusion: it's worth it. If you think it's expensive, then use it for a week then back off to every other day. Your bag will last two months and that's basically what I do and still feel great.

Have questions about the product? I can't answer them. But my husband can, so connect with him!

He is the Potter; I am the Clay.

2011-10-01T07:29:00.000-07:00

We've been saving money. For almost a year now a little stash has been tucked away in the house some where so when Christmas comes, we can go and buy presents without having to take money out of savings or charging on a credit card or stressing the regular household account. I feel like that character in Lord of the Rings who fusses over that ring and calls it "my pretty". Except I look WAY better than him.

And then God. Isn't that how a lot of things start on this blog? He likes to wreck me I think. Take off this coat of luster and color and get to what's beneath. Expose what is probably a ticking time bomb within; fix it; refine me in a fire of my own doing really.

Back to the money. Yes, saving is a good thing. And unlike my usual self who has a list and half of Christmas purchased by September, I've not touched it. So as we were listening to our pastor, Craig Groeschel, on Friday (the last day of our annual Lifechurch staff get together called Family Reunion) and God asked me to give up the money, I was stunned.

My first response, out loud (so glad we were singing at this point) was "You have got to be kidding me." My second? "Ok, I'm going to see if I can forget about this and if I still feel you when we leave, then I'll think about it." But I couldn't shake it. Not even for one minute. So I cried. Cried because I knew I would do what He asked and cried because it shouldn't be this hard to give to God something that is His anyway. But it is for me. Let's call a spade a spade. I'm not terribly generous.

I now have to sit down with my kids and explain to them what this obedience means and how it will look Christmas morning. I will confirm for my seven year old what she already suspects about Santa. I will tell them that God also told me it would be the best Christmas our family has ever had; and I trust Him. Even if it doesn't look like I think it should.

Yep, the Holy Spirit is a wrecking ball some days. But what He builds in its place.....

When you take the risk of obedience, you find solid rock beneath you--and markers, evidence that someone has traveled this route before. "The Lord your God will cross over at your head... he will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not be discouraged or afraid" (Deuteronomy 30:19, 20; 31:3, 8, NEB).--Elisabeth Elliot

**And for the record, some of you may be thinking, good heavens woman, get a hold of yourself, there are people DYING of starvation right now. And you are right. Just so you know, I know.
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Our New Adventure

2011-09-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

Quite a bit has changed in the Storch house over the past 7 weeks. The big stirring up has been the addition of Homeschool to our daily routine. And while there have been many challenges and bumps in the road, we are really enjoying this time as a family.

Why Homeschool for Us?

The pursuit of homeschooling for us was never because of the poor schools in our area. I had been very pleased so far with the education that both girls have received at the elementary school they attended. This was all about time and flexibility for us. At the end of last year I noticed how much time the girls spent away from me and Terry. Reia was participating in gymnastics twice a week right after school, Reese was going for one. That in conjunction with church activities and Terry's riding schedule left two nights a week we were home as a family. This was not my favorite scenario. I missed the girls and frankly, with that little time, I wasn't doing a great job of pouring into them like I wanted to.

I do know quite a few moms, like this one, who is extremely intentional with her kids who attend public school. And if I could have managed it like she does, they'd probably still be there!

Challenges?

Yep, we have those. Starting with the girls lolly gagging every morning and not really wanting to get started. What should take about two hours of focused time almost always takes four (with lunch and breaks). The girls do miss their friends, but they don't mope around about it which is good. The biggest challenge for me is getting all of my normal housekeeping done along side teaching them. God is teaching me the art of delegation in this area. They have to help now. Before it was all done when they got home. Now they are actually earning the allowance they receive. =) Which is good for all of us.

Blessings?

Yep! We have those too. First is the co-op we are blessed to be a part of each Thursday. It's probably the reason my kids AREN'T moping around about their friends. Reia is taking drama, PE and Zoology while Reese gets to take a cooking class, PE and Magic School Bus science. It's a good part of the day that they are exposed to other adults, other kids and other topics we may not get to cover during our school week.

Another blessing is the amount of time we have between school and after school activities. I don't miss rushing from John Ross Elem to (insert place here) every afternoon while shoving a snack down their throat and getting them changed. We just have more time and I can use it in a way that is best for us.

The last and biggest blessing (for me anyway) is my relationship with Reia. Wow, I love that kid. I did before of course, but we've both become much more demonstrative in the past month. Hugs, kisses, working together on projects. I get to talk to her from sun up to sun down about what God is doing in our family and how I pray for them and others.

So, that's it. The big change. So far, I'm loving it! I know it takes a good while to really get into a groove, so I'm looking forward to that, but if this is how it is for the rest of our school days, I can handle that too..

Happy Fall Y'all!

A Simple Healthy Lifestyle: Perspective of Meat Eating Meal Planner

2011-08-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

This week my wonderful husband has been posting about the steps he took to a simple healthy lifestyle. In the past three years, he has dropped 60 pounds, become a competitive cyclist, and a vegetarian. I have done none of those things. =) And at first, I wasn't terribly excited about his new endeavor. After all, I was the meal planner and one who would have to figure out how to feed my new faux-vegetarian as well as the meat eating rest of us. I thought I'd share what this transition has looked like for me and the kids.

First of all, I'm not a vegetarian. While 99% of our meals are meat free, I often choose meat at restaurants and am happy to eat meat when we are visiting friends and family. Secondly, this was a very gradual change for us. I do have two uber-picky kids.

In the beginning (Yeah, tempted to throw in a little Genesis here, but you can go to YouVersion.com for that) I started by making two meat free meals per week. And even then, I usually made a grilled chicken breast for the kids on the side. I also found meals where the meat was easy to add in or remove. Tacos are a great example of this. We would have ground beef as usual, but also a boat load of sauteed veggies on the side so Terry could just have a veggie taco.

Step two: having three to four meatless meals a week. Still had the option of a grilled chicken breast on the side. Over time, the need for this has lessened as the girls become more accustomed to the flavors in vegetarian dishes. There are several that they even look forward to!

This is when being a fish eater, which I am not, would be sooo handy. If you are, eat a lot of fish!

Now, the only time I plan a meal that includes meat is when Terry is out of town (poppy seed chicken is still a favorite for the kids) or we are hosting people for dinner. But the vegetarian option is always there.

I am happy to answer any questions you have. Also, if you aren't on PlanToEat.com, check it out. I follow several vegetarians for meal ideas and I'm happy to share my recipes with you!

*I will try and post again soon about the health benefits to me for following my husband's lead.**

My Birthday Wish

2011-08-17T18:19:00.000-07:00

In a few short weeks I will turn 40 years old. God willing, and I live to 80, that means I'm starting the second half of my life. *GULP*

In honor of this occasion, which in reality is important to very few people, I have a wish.

Whirled Peas.

HAHAHAHA. I'm kidding.

No, really, I do. My wonderful husband asked me a few nights ago what my expectations were for my birthday. Most likely this question came because he not yet received my yearly email with a list and links of items that would bring me great joy. I always have a "list of things I will get as soon as I have some extra cash". An ice cream maker perhaps? Or a new bag? (Scratch that last one. I always get a new bag. I have my priorities.) But this year, no list.

Sure lots of things that would be fun, but also meaningless. I thought about what I could do with the money people actually spend on me at my birthday. A lot, I bet. And frankly, I have what I need. God knows what I need and is so generous. And I don't think God gives us life (emotional, spiritual and beyond) so that we will feel guilty; it's so we will feel generous!

Here is my proposal: give for my birthday. Not to me but to any organization you like that helps people. And if you want one that I like (hellllooooo, it is my birthday) here are a few options:

Give Locally: The Tapestry Project

The Tapestry Project is an organization that is revitalizing a deteriorating neighborhood through renovation, restoration, and connecting people in need to the resources that will equip them to thrive as a community. The vision is to create model for urban development and community transformation for women, children and families in crisis all across Oklahoma City.

Give to help a national cause: Taylor's Gift

Thousands of people are waiting on life-saving organs.

Our Regift Life mission-pillar is dedicated help the US reach its national goal of 100 million designated donors.
We strive to bring urgency and show necessity of organ donation, to separate myth from reality, and to share information about how you can become a hero by becoming a donor. Thousands of people are waiting on life-saving organs.

We strive to bring urgency and show necessity of organ donation, to separate myth from reality, and to share information about how you can become a hero by becoming a donor.

Give to help an international cause: Touch A Life

The poverty suffered by people in Vietnam was nothing like Pam or Randy had experienced before, and as they walked the streets of cities like Saigon and Danang, they began to pay attention, and eventually get to know, some of the children forced to live and beg on the streets. After returning home, Pam began to read about the problem of street children in Vietnam, commonly known as doi moi, or “dust of the earth:” about the beatings and fear they were forced to endure, their hunger and malnutrition, and, worst of all, their chances of being picked up by child traffickers and forced to work in hard labor conditions or sexual bondage.

Hoping to do their part to save at least a few children from this fate—and a future in slavery—Pam and Randy decided to partner with volunteers in Vietnam and use Jantsen’s gift to rent a house in Saigon, hire houseparents and bring in fifteen children who would be given a permanent home, an education, medical care, and a chance to be part of a family. A few months later, they rented another house, brought home fifteen more kids, and Touch a Life was born. Today, the foundation supports 211 children in eleven group homes throughout Vietnam....you can read their whole story here. Get a tissue.

I do have a wish, that people would give generously, that lives would be changed, and that God will be glorified in the midst of it all.

Acts 1:8 ...and you will be my witnesses telling people about me everywhere--in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Food, Family and the Dinner Table

2011-07-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

Last week we had some friends over for dinner. I had planned a vegetarian meal that I thought would appease most everyone. We sat down to eat, visited and enjoyed our time together and after they left, I thought something seemed "off" about the meal.

I was trying to figure it out when I realized how relatively plain the meal was. It hadn't occurred to me to make a lot of sides, fillers, salads, etc. No dessert was planned although the kids located ice cream in the outside fridge I had forgotten about. And it hit me. Our family is changing how we "do" dinner.

We no longer have a meat, a veggie, a pasta or bread, some other side and dessert. Often, we have a big platter in the middle of the table, family style, full of rice/couscous, roasted veggies and more veggies. Dinner is no longer about food. It's about family. A time to sit and visit about the day, find out what's new, what's on the agenda for the evening. Our meals consist of good real food, enough that we are fed and nourished, but not so much that we eat until we are stuffed.

The food is no longer the main attraction. We are.

So You Want to Try Meatless...

2011-07-02T14:32:00.000-07:00

Several years ago now my husband started going vegetarian. Much to my chagrin. I hated it. In my estimation supper included a meat, vegetable, pasta or rice or bread (or a combo) and possibly a salad. Meat was the main attraction!

So there I was, stuck with how to handle the situation. I offered to make meals 2-3 times a week that were either vegetarian or the meat could be easily removed or was more like a side dish, and I kindly explained to him I was happy to help but I was not going to become a vegetarian. I'm still not. =)

However, over the past few years we've gone to 95% of our meals being vegetarian. I will usually grill a chicken breast for the girls to have along side if they want it, but I buy very little meat.

Why in the world would you want to do this? I've found a few surprising reasons:
1) Meat is expensive. I spend $10 or less every pay period on meat now unless we are hosting a special event or guests, and I want to accommodate the meat eaters. Even then, I have a few go to vegetarian meals that do work for most every body.
2) Since I don't buy much meat, I can spend more on the stuff I do buy. Hormone free, cage free meat and eggs, organic milk, more produce in general, less processed, higher quality items.
3) I really do feel better. When I do have meat, especially a heavy item like a burger or a steak, it really wreaks havoc on my system. I've found more often than not, unless it's a couple of nuggets, meat free works better for me.

Some days I come across a vegetarian meal I want to make it every night of the week, make everyone I know try it, and certainly tell everyone about it. If you are reading this: you're everyone. Congratulations!!

This meal hits the trifecta: cheap, fast, everyone will eat it. I found it on allrecipes.com. It's the sweet of the brown sugar and spicy of the pepper jack that compliment each other so well.

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

2 teaspoons olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
1 (10 ounce) can whole kernel corn drained
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¹⁄₄ cup salsa
¹⁄₄ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons butter divided
8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1¹⁄₂ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese divided

Directions | Numbered...

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in beans and corn, then add sugar, salsa, and pepper flakes; mix well. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Melt 2 teaspoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the skillet, sprinkle evenly with cheese, then top with some of the bean mixture. Place another tortilla on top, cook until golden, then flip and cook on the other side. Melt more butter as needed, and repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

If you've been wanting to try meatless, here's your chance! Serve with chips, salsa and sour cream. Delish!

Women...

2011-06-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

Today at the pool a friend of mine paid me such a lovely compliment. I really was blown away by her comment and left feeling pretty happy. Not in a smug, proud kind of happy, but a happy that feels "I work hard at _____, and I'm thankful another mother/wife/woman noticed." The compliment was unexpected and made me want to continue to work hard!

A little later that day I was texting with a mom who had earlier made a comment about feeling shortcomings as a mom. Don't we all feel that way at one time or another? Of course. I was surprised to hear her say this though because of all the moms of older kids I get to hang with, she is one of those I look at, listen to and want to emulate. Why? She does a great job. It shows in her children's behavior and attitudes. Not because they are perfect, none of ours are, but you can tell she works on heart issues in her home. So, I let her know.

Yes, I'm getting to a point. Sheesh. Hold your horses.

1 Peter 3:8-9 says
Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters.t Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9 ...That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.

Women can be haters. (Myself included; especially if you make me mad.) We don't have a long history of lifting each other up. We are more prone to tear each other down. I see it all over the tv, on blogs, in church circles. You read that right...church circles. If you can't edify your own people (so to speak) then who outside of the church is going to believe in the grace of the God you proclaim?

Is there a woman in your life that you look up to? Something she does really well? Parenting? Being a good wife? Serving a community she's passionate about? Mentoring? TELL HER!

From House to Home

2011-05-29T06:26:00.000-07:00

As I was getting ready for my run this morning, I walked through the house getting my gear on and listening to the quiet. (If you have or have had young children, you understand the necessity of reveling in any quiet you can find during the day.) I ran into the powder bath and looked at the lamp wondering how long it would be until the bulb went out, and do I have any replacements, when I looked up and noticed the spray glitter all over the wall. This last Christmas, Santa (ahem) brought both of the girls spray glitter for their hair and my mother in law sprayed their hair with it in the powder bath so they could see the results instantly. I saw the results... all over the walls. I remember at the time thinking, "I'm going to have to paint over that at some point." Today I smiled at the memory of them giggling in the bathroom with their grandmother and thanking her for making this house even more our home that day.

Some days I look around at the places where we have dings in the walls, stain chipped on the cabinets, spots on the carpet and have a moment of "can't we keep anything looking nice?" But perspective is important; is it not? Those are the things that make this The Storch Home. Not just the place we happen to keep our stuff. They are the memories we keep safely tucked away and don't realize how important they are until a major catastrophe happens. (Such as someone losing every thing they own in a tornado.)

Today, and from now on, that place upstairs where the wall is clearly patched up since we still haven't painted over it, will be the place where the Reia, Reese, Audra and Zoi perfected their cartwheels on the bed while falling into the wall and creating a hole. We now laugh about it while remembering the fun we had with the Havens family.

The chip in my cabinets won't be something to sigh about but smile about since the girls spent hours after receiving scooters from Gran at Christmas riding around and around and around the kitchen squealing with delight. Outside toys inside? You bet!

Spots on the carpet? Honestly, I don't know and I'm pretty sure I don't want to. Dang dog.

Our house isn't perfect by any means, but our home is. It's the place we live and love and make messes. And I am so very thankful.

Why I've Stopped Running

2011-05-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

In the spring of 2010, I trained for and ran my first half marathon. Ran the whole thing. I was so proud and promptly stuck a "13.1" sticker on the back of my car. (Terry nixed the sticker that said, "I Don't Go All The Way". Probably a good call.) It was fabulous. I looked good and felt good, but after the race I had no desire to continue running the distances I had been training with. Plus, it was HOT outside.

I spent the following year running a few races with poor results and I couldn't quite land on what it was I was looking for. I'm not a competitor and I'm never going to be a fast runner. I'm fine with that, but if not, then why run for that purpose. And really, I just want to be fit.

I started thinking back to a time when Terry and I traveled to Hawaii. At the time I was running about two to three miles four or five times a week with my friend Holly. I was in the BEST shape I had ever been in. And we didn't even run the whole time. I would wimp out after about 5 min and she would graciously walk for a few then we'd pick the running back up again. I am taking into account that I was eight years younger than I am now, and age does affect, but there seemed to be something to the starting and stopping that worked for me.

Then I remembered an article I read wherein it was explained that if you raised your heart rate and lowered it throughout your workout, you would burn 30% more FAT calories. Honestly, I don't know how this works so please don't tell me why that is all wrong. I don't care, because I've changed my running habits and am losing weight and inches like I did a decade ago. (I was eating so much to keep up with the crazy calories I was burning for half training that I didn't lose a pound. I was hungry!)

Now I go out for an hour three to four times a week. I start walking and usually after about a mile, I feel like running. I run until I feel like stopping and walk then run then walk...you get the idea. I so still push myself. Most of the time I get into a five minute running and two minute walking cool down cycle until I've reached an hour.

So far, it's working like a dream. I'm not nearly as hungry or exhausted after my workout and most of the time I can throw some weight training or lunges or something in afterward. And I've lost a few pounds and inches (those inches are way more impt to me now than pounds).

If you are struggling with your workout and want an easy change this might be worth a try for you. Not to mention it seems to be much easier on my knees and feet. That's always a good thing!

Happy Running/Walking/Cycling or whatever you do~

Storchville Update

2011-04-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

What I find so interesting in life is how much I change over time. What I am interested in and passionate about is so different even than what it was a few years ago. Lately, it's been all about gardening. Flowers, veggies, fruit, you name it.

We've been working hard in the yard since the first day it warmed up, and here are some pics of the fruit (hee hee) of our labor!

The first pic is the bed that I tried to fix last year. The yew died of root rot and the "perennial" flowers I planted died of who knows what. The hostas came back beautifully though. This year I found the tall papyrus plant that will supposedly do well in very wet soil. More hostas and a fern rounded out the perennial list. And shade begonias for color. Voila! I really like the way it turned out.

Love love love the lime green colors in this hosta.

I've never had a fern come back. We'll see!

(I kept my receipt just in case. Thank goodness for a one year guarantee.)

Again, the other bed I tried desperately to make nice last year, but it turned into a big mess. Hoping all this stuff comes back, It'll be nice to just add color next year. I do love the things we planted in here.

Tri-Colored Coral Bells above and a white hydrangea below.

Moving on....

I'm trying blueberries again this year. Three varieties and I'm already getting some fun blossoms. Love watching them grow!

These are the raised beds that will house our veggies this year. I hope we have lots to share.

Sweet lettuce growing in pots. Guess I could make a micro greens salad out of this little bit.

I'm becoming more and more passionate about a few other things I plan to start blogging about soon. What are you passionate about?

This Isn't Goodbye, Just See ya Later

2011-02-01T17:51:00.000-08:00

Since I have been alive, very few people I've been associated with have died. Even fewer that I've been related to have died. It's always such a shock to me. So, it seems strange that when my mother sent me a text earlier today to let me know that my dad had found my grandfather in his bed at home having died, I wasn't at all surprised.

He would have been 90 in March. He couldn't see very well since he only had one eye to begin with and I'm not sure it wasn't covered in cataracts. He had been grieving the death of my grandmother since she died from cancer and the related illnesses nine years ago. Every year on the anniversary of her death, I would comment to my mom, "It amazes me he hasn't gone from grief yet."

But now he's gone. And I'm sure the sadness will hit at some point, but all I can picture right now is my Grandpa in heaven, with two good eyes (one was put out at birth from doctor error before the days of suing the pants of every one) and just ridiculously happy to see the face of Jesus, and his wife. I imagine she's asking him what took him so long. She always was a bit bossy.

How can I be sad when I know he's so stinking happy?

So, just so I will remember these things as I get older and my memory fails, here are a few things about my grandpa:

1) He had the longest earlobes on the planet. We used to just sit and play with them. (Don't judge, toys were scarce at Grandma and Grandpas.)
2) The man could garden like no body's business.
3) He loved a fat basset hound and had several while I was growing up and a grown up for that matter. Sorry mom, I guess now YOU have a fat basset hound. =)
4) He would tell you his favorite number was forty-eleven and his favorite color was purkle.
5) He loved Jesus.
6) He loved my Grandma.
7) He loved to decorate at Christmas. (I think this must be a gene that runs in the family.)
8) I still remember what he looked like when his hair was black. I didn't even notice that it had turned white for along time.
9) He was a good man all around.
10) A list can't end with 9. I'll miss you Grand Dad. Give Gma hugs for us all.

My Thoughts on "When Jesus Isn't Enough"

2011-01-26T13:08:00.000-08:00

After I read this post last week, I asked myself "Is Jesus Enough"? I thought about my life and my relationship with Christ and at that point, decided maybe. If I'm being completely honest (thanks Simon Cowell for ruining that phrase forever) I wasn't sure. Do I rely too much on the things of this world and not nearly enough on Him?

But I want him to be. I want him to literally be the air I breathe. The force that sustains me each and every day. I want to be willing to lay it all down for him.

I wanted God to just tell me to sell it all and move to Africa and help the orphaned children, the sick and and dying, and live in the same place as they do. I wanted to prove myself in some dramatic gesture. Maybe then I would "get it". Maybe then my answer would be "Because I have Jesus." However, He's not asking me to do those things. Why?

I believe God called me to THIS time and THIS place in the history of the world. We are to glorify Him just as much with what we have as others do with what they don't. I think it's actually harder for me (personally) to live in this tension of "having" while others do not and not feel guilty about it or hold onto it so tightly God can't use me to pour through.

So after more reflection and prayer, I asked myself again this morning: "Is Jesus enough?"

Yes. I couldn't do this without Him. I wouldn't do this out without Him. He is the air I breathe.

God's Ways Aren't Very American

2011-01-23T06:13:00.000-08:00

Some days you have encounters with God that leave you thinking. The kind of thinking that leaves your brain in a slushy mess, but at the end you feel revitalized because it caused change. Somewhere in the crevices of my brain some of my God "knowledge" made it's way to my heart.

This past November, our family went down to serve with a local ministry (The Tapestry Project) that helps provide care and housing for marginalized women and children. The day consisted of helping these sweet families gather food for the upcoming holiday and then sit on the lawn and enjoy lunch with them. I was able to wait with several families and talk to them about what they did and how their children were enjoying school. After the food was bagged up we either helped them to their houses or cars. I got to hug some necks, tell them "thank you", and walk back feeling like I had done something, even if it was little.

I had helped one woman (who had five children ranging from 17 to two) to her modest home that day. Her place was cozy and warm (really warm, she clearly did not like the cold) and I looked around. Modest, but she had what she needed. And as we drove away that day, I thought, "God, thank you for taking care of my family the way you do."

And then God... "Why is the way that I take care of you any better than the way I take care of and provide for these people? Are you better because of it?'

Ouch.

If I had been a balloon, I would have deflated on the spot. And really, I did. I didn't even know how to respond to that. So, I didn't. I have, however, been thinking about it ever since.

In America, we are taught "If you work hard, and make good choices, you can have and do anything." Our blessings are up to us. That's great, except it's not entirely true. Yes, your choices make a difference, but I know plenty of people who work hard and make as good of choices that they can and still struggle to make ends meat. I know people who do little, but have been born into privilege, and according to the American way of life, are "blessed".

God's standards are not American. His blessings are more than I can understand because they go beyond what I have been "taught" my entire life to consider as blessings. And still, He blesses me in ways I can't see with my heart because He loves me.

And that right there, His love, sacrifice, faithfulness, is the biggest blessing of all. I know this in my head; I pray true understanding continues to trickle it's way to my heart.

Psalm 144:15 "....Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord."

A Journey into Mentoring: A Beginning

2011-01-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

During this past year Craig had a message series on mentoring. In essence everyone needs to be a Paul and everyone needs to be a Timothy. Mentor and be mentored. But what if you have never mentored or even been mentored? What does it look like exactly? Where in the world do you find a mentee or mentor and when you do, what then?

"Hi, my name is Robin. I'm going to be your mentor for a while. Why don't you lie down on this couch and tell me your deepest concerns while we go through God's word verse by verse and interpret the meaning within."

After that little scenario flashed through my mind at church, I decided maybe mentoring wasn't for me. And pretty much washed my hands of it...until our small group met the next night. One of the young ladies in our group expressed she would really like a mentor. Actually, most of us expressed that sentiment, and all the wonderful things that would come out of a relationship built on that premise. And there it was, the small tug in my heart. You need to ask her if she would like you to mentor her.

For those of you who know me well, I was NOT about to go up to this woman and put myself out there like that. No way. What if she said no? What if she said yes and I completely screwed her up? So, I nicely explained to God that I was happy to do it! As long as she approached me. Then end.

And you know what? She did not approach me. The nerve. (I'm kidding)

So, there it sat for a couple of months. No one went anywhere. Until the subject came up again and the tug was there again. Sheesh. God was so not going to let this go. At that point I asked her out to have a drink and chat one evening. I had the whole speech planned out in my head ending with, "And if you don't feel like this is for you, I totally understand and won't be upset." I might as well have been giving her the Costanza, "it's not you, it's me" scene.

God love this woman. She not only accepted, she seemed legitimately happy about it! Score!

Which brings us to now. We've met a couple of times. After the first time I thought, "Hey, I think I can do this!" After the second time it was more, "Oh, Please God don't let me completely mess her up."

Same Song; Different Verse

2011-01-16T12:47:00.000-08:00

Last year at this time I posted about my three words for the year: change, action, and wisdom. I wanted to be different in so many ways at the end of 2010, and I can say without hesitation that I am a changed person. But, I'm in no way where God wants me to be...yet.

I do realize this life lived out in Christ is a lifelong process. If I ever feel as though I've arrived, then I'm probably literally sitting at the feet of Jesus singing his glory for eternity. I almost kept my same three words in 2011. But really, change is good. So, without further ado, my words for 2011.

"Yes": Such a simple word really. I was watching a Kay Warren video this past fall and she was commenting on how we have such a hard time saying Yes to God. It's as if we are afraid that God will allow something really bad to happen to us once we do. She called it the character assassination of God. I don't want to assume God is going to allow bad things to happen to me just because I fully surrender to His will. Bad things are going to happen whether or not I say yes. I want 2011 to be a year of "yeses" to God. Take me, show me, mold me. If I look more like Jesus at the end because of that simple word, then YES!

"Trust": This word goes along with my yes. Because I really need to trust God. It's so easy to say things like "God's will is perfect." "God is Good", or "His Grace is sufficient for me." All those things are in my head, but I need for them to be in my heart. I want to truly trust God this year when he leads and where he leads. I'm asking the Holy Spirit for help on this one. I can't just Jeanie blink it into existence. (Although that would be very cool.) I think we (The Holy Spirit and I) are just going to have to walk this road together.

There is no third word this year. Two is enough. More than enough for me to try and wrap my brain around and plenty for God to help me with.

Yes, Lord. I will trust you.

Love or Hate the New Twitter: My 2 Cents

2010-10-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

My alternate title for this post is: Why I Won't Be a Twitter Quitter.

*Insert Sheldon's (from Big Bang Theory) laugh here.*

I felt so honored last week to finally get "The New Twitter". That is, until every other friend of mine got it about five minutes later. Oh, well, if you're not first, you're last, right? =)

I really do like the new layout. It's very aesthetically pleasing. I think they've done a great job fitting more on the page in a manner that is easy to skim and catch up. I'm not jumping up and down in excitement over it, but it is nice.

Sadly, Twitter does has two major fails as far as I'm concerned.

First, new tweets. Instead of an auto update on the tweets, the bar just states "# new tweets". If you can update that, why not let me know what the tweets are? And, if we are going this route, then when I click on the bar, start where I left off and let me scroll up! For the love, I shouldn't have to scroll back down to catch up.

Second, I take issue with the direct messages, or "messages" as they are now called. Why are messages not in the same tabbed section as the timeline, mentions, retweets, etc? Also, when I have a new message, no flag or marker showing me I have one pops up. If I don't see it come through my email, I wouldn't know.

All of that to say, I won't be a twitter quitter, but I will continue to use another platform like tweetdeck (or whatever new gismo Terry puts on my laptop because "it's superior" to the last gismo he downloaded) instead of the actual Twitter page.

The End

Square Pegs and Round Holes

2010-09-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

I've often wished I had a special talent. Something that I could really pinpoint. I know you aren't supposed to compare yourself to others, but when some of your best friends are fabulous singers, soon to be published authors, amazing speakers, or brilliant and creative bakers, it's kind of hard not to look in the mirror and ask God, "What the crap? I know you didn't screw up, but I think I'm missing something."

However, in my ongoing pursuit to be "good at something", I've signed up to be the room parent in both Reia and Reese's classes this year. Never mind that I was Reese's room parent last year and struggled the whole year just keep my head above water. I really thought after a year under my belt, it would be easier for me and what's one more class? But a manager and administrator I am not.

So, as this last week passed me by, I realized I had quite a full plate on top of my normal to do's of running a house, running kids all over town for gymnastics etc, and just running: my favorite exercise. I started to feel very snippy ans short with my kids and with Terry. Just frustrated all around. I wanted to blame it on PMS; really I did. But that wasn't it.

After one particularly irritating day, God said this: "Why do you keep trying to do things I haven't gifted you to do? It's taking you away from the things that I have."

Huh.

I was right. I was missing something. My special talent: being a great wife to Terry and a fabulous mom to Reia and Reese. No one can do what I can for them. I kind of like it. =) It's not a talent that will get me noticed with the rest of the world, but it will with the people that matter.

From Baby to Backpacks. It's Just Beginning.

2010-07-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

I was just reading this post over at Ragamuffin Soul. It made me stop and think about where my girls are in the growing up process. While he is worried about his girls physically maturing, I've got my mind on the emotional maturing that is going on in the Storch house.

Reia will turn 9 this year. Her last year in the single digits. She's also the people pleaser and mom pleaser. Which is great for a mom who likes control. Like me.

Where Reese puts makeup on more days than I do, and can accessorize like no body's business, Reia has always been more a creature of comfort. No makeup, no ear piercing, jeans and t-shirts for everyday wear. And I've always been good with that. I still have most of the say in her life. But this year when we were online looking at backpacks, she picked a black LL Bean. Not a stitch of girly color on that bad boy.

Momma? Not thrilled.

(This battle isn't over just yet. Reason with her.) "Honey, I'm buying one of these that will last you through middle school. Are you sure you don't want red or blue or any other color than black?"

(She won't be dissuaded.)"I want black."

(I am still the mother here.) "But, then you are stuck with black. For. A. Long. Time."

(Mom, I'm growing up. Let me make the decision.) "Black."

(One last hail Mary) "Ok, I will order the black bag. But I am NOT buying another color if you decide you want something more feminine."

"Thanks, Mom."

I'm used to Reese wearing crazy things or lip gloss to school. Those are not the battles I choose to fight with her. (I mean, there are so many to choose from.) With Reia, the battles are few, and I rarely lose. But at some point I have to let her begin to make her own decisions. The kind she has to live with.

This wasn't a battle over a black backpack. This was her own acknowledgement that she is growing up and wants to be trusted. I will slowly (and I mean VERY SLOWLY) be sitting on the sidelines more and more with advice instead of directives. Praying that I'm letting go at the right pace. And watching my sweet baby turn into a beautiful young lady who I am proud to call my daughter.

**On a side note, she also got black tennis shoes. But they did have a hot pink stripe up the side. Score one for mom. =)

Waiting Quietly

2010-07-11T07:03:00.000-07:00

I am waiting on something.

A very large movement of the Holy Spirit on my behalf.

I'm also a complainer and not very patient. So, I could only smile at God's humor and at myself when I read my devotional from Elisabeth Elliot earlier this week.

Few of us enjoy having to wait for something we want. It is human nature to desire instant gratification, and it is divine nature to do many things very, very slowly. Growth is always imperceptible. But the farmer exercises long patience in waiting for his crop. He has done his work and is assured of the result, hence he waits quietly. He is at rest because the outcome (barring disastrous "acts of God") is certain. If we could simply remember that this is true of everything--that God's purposes are slowly being worked out for his glory and our good--we would, like the farmer, keep faith and wait quietly.

Lord, take from us all fretting and hurrying and teach us to rest our hearts in the "ultimate certainty" (Jas 5:7 JBP).

You talkin' to me? Well, of course he is. I am not only to wait, which in itself requires I learn patience and trust in the will of God, but I am to do it quietly. To which I almost "bwahahahahaha"d at God. He knows me too well. But then I remembered Sarah who laughed at God (on the inside even) and was heard. By God's angels. And God, who called her on it. (Gen 10:18) Ahem. I didn't bwahahahaha just in case.

So, quietly.

I asked God to show me when I was complaining, worrying or fretting (as Elisabeth calls it.) After about 30 minutes, I asked him to stop. The noise was deafening. I see now the complaining isn't just in my voice, but in my heart.

Our hearts are a tricky place I've decided. Still, mine is a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. I'd be naive not to think he'd be constantly cleaning up the place.

Tis the Season

2010-05-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

Bathing suit season. Do you just want to throw up? Multiple times so that your tummy looks nice and flat? Sadly, it just keeps getting harder as you get older. Sorry, but it's true.

I weigh the same now as I did 10 years ago. Since then I've had two children, gained cellulite, and watched my waistline just, well, spread. Last year I worked out, ate fiber bars like they were the greatest thing ever and finally fit into a super cute suit. Loved it. But it was totally immodest (I admit it) and felt completely uncomfortable every time I got up off my lounge chair. Which was a lot since I have little kids who like to actually get INTO the water. By the end of the summer, I had found a different suit (still cute) that covered a little more. Frankly, I was sick of sucking my stomach in and not eating.

I love food. Moving on.

Over the past year I've tried to become more realistic with my body image. And the fact that I'm not just gonna wake up with my 20 year old legs any time soon...ok ever. I want to accept me. I really do. Cellulite, increasingly grey hair, fatty tumor (got one of those too!) and all. But it is ridiculously hard!

So, I've been doing something different this year. I've been praying that God would help me see myself the way that he sees me. I stopped looking through all the magazines at the store while I stood in line. I trained for a half marathon and didn't think about if it was changing my body; I just wanted to accomplish my goal. I ate foods that were good for me and tried to find a balance in between being healthy and being a health nut. I thought about what our pastor's wife said about modest dress when she discussed purity a few weeks ago.

And I bought a new swimsuit.

At first I was concerned I looked a bit matronly. Just because I'm getting older doesn't mean I want to look a older than I am. But, after getting the ok from Terry and several neighbors, I took the plunge. Is is so freeing!!! To own a bathing suit that covers me and all of my jiggly bits and that I don't have to "suck it in" for is helping bring me to a place of peace with my body.

Being comfortable in your own skin, or body as it were, is a mental feat. I'm working on it, and though I have lots of relapses (ie: comparing myself in a negative or positive way to another woman) God is changing my heart. Because it's not perfecting my body He's concerned with.

I praise you because I am fearfully and WONDERFULLY made! Psalm 139:14

Memorial Marathon: My First Half

2010-05-21T10:27:00.000-07:00

This past April I reached a goal I have been working towards for a while now. I ran, without stopping, my first half marathon.

I was anxious before the race. I had all kinds of crazy dreams several days before including not having checked in by the time the gun went off to start the race and another in which I ran the half with Cameron and Mitchell from Modern Family. I didn't want to just finish this race, I wanted to finish it without stopping. It was stressing me out.

We did finish, and I'd love to tell you that I felt amazing at the end. That I could have gone farther, but I can't. Frankly, I've never been so happy to finish something in my life. I was tired, numb, had to pee like a mad woman, and a huge blister broke on my toe at mile 10. It was extremely painful. If it weren't for my training partner, Kelly, and my race day partner, Lorren, I'm not sure I would have made it to race day, let alone the finish line. But we did it!!!

Looking back I would like to give a few tips:

1) Just because you can run 10 miles, does NOT mean you can run 13. Every one says that. And tho I had trained up to 10, 13.1 definitely feels different.

2) I started training with Clif Shot Bloks on the recommendation of Andi. I'm pretty sure they saved my life, or at least my legs, that day.

3) Some people like to run "blind" as I call it(not knowing the course). I don't like not knowing where I am going or how far I have gone. If you can get a Garmin to track your pace and distance I highly suggest it. At the very least, drive the course before hand if you can.

4) Running. Partner. Get one. I had lots of days I wouldn't have even gotten out of bed to train if I didn't know Kelly was waiting on me outside in the cold.

5) Strength training. I don't think I focused on this enough. Those last 3 miles were tougher because my legs just weren't strong enough. Running alone probably won't get you there. (Not to mention in your 30's you start to lose lean muscle mass. Strength training helps this.)

6) Don't think you can't do it! We spend too much of our lives talking about what we can't do instead of just going for it. I don't know, maybe you can't, but life is too short not to try.

I will run another half. The day after the race, I was planning on running the Memorial Half again next year. As of today, I am committed to the Route 66 half in November. Kind of wondering if maybe I just need to be committed? =)

I am Changed

2010-05-19T19:45:00.001-07:00

At the beginning of this year, I wrote a post about my three words for 2010. One of them was change. I wanted to be a different person at the end of 2010 than I was at the beginning. I had no idea what event God was going to use as a catalyst for that change.

A little over two months ago my 13 year old niece, Taylor, was killed in a snow skiing accident in Colorado. The two weeks following her accident were tremendous. I saw a depth of grief I could never have imagined and a fullness of God's love you can only see (I believe) when you walk through the deepest valleys.

I spent time reminding my sister in law, Tara, that our God was still the same God he was before they left for Colorado, and frankly, reminding myself in the process. There are truly no words on the lips of man that can comfort a mother who has lost her child. None.

As we left Texas to return home from Taylor's funeral, I knew I wouldn't be the same person again. I didn't want to be. I was changed, but even now, I am still seeing the depth of what God is working out in me because of her life.

I haven't written much about Taylor's death because I just didn't know what to say. It's tragic. It's incomprehensibly sad. But, I can also see the hand of God in every bit of what has happened since she walked into eternity.

Lives were saved through her organ donation and countless more will be saved through the Taylor's Gift foundation her parents have started in her memory.

God is giving many of Tara and Todd's family and friends the opportunity to be His hands and feet to them as they walk this journey.

Every one who knew her or knew of her is changed. Her life has helped us to see beyond ourselves. Beyond our own selfish plans and desires to those plans and desires God has for us. And ultimately, it is about HIM.

He will be glorified; make no mistake about it.

Redbud Classic 2010

2010-04-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

Terry participated in the Redbud Classic today and rode 52 miles! I'm so proud of how hard he has worked over the past year to get to this point. Here are the highlights:

Terry crossing the finish line.

Daddy gets a big hug from Reese.

And a big hug from Reia too!

And of course a medal.

Next big race is the Hotter Than Hell 100.

Spring Has Sprung! (If Only in My Head)

2010-02-27T14:00:00.000-08:00

With the winter not anywhere close to being over (ridiculous groundhog) I have had to cling to warm days like today as if they were the very sustenance of life. Because really, I've mentally moved on....to spring gardening.

Last year I began an experiment in gardening. I used a book called The Bountiful Container to try my hand at growing veggies in pots instead of the ground. (Basically, Terry wasn't going to let me destroy grass when I had no idea if I was going to grow one thing past the first year.) And I liked it! Pretty good results, although slower than I had hoped. Apparently, gardeners have to be patient. Sheesh. And it was comparatively inexpensive and less time consuming than a traditional garden.

This past fall I got my hands on a new book called All New Square Foot Gardening. I am still not interested in destroying the grass even in 4x4 foot blocks. So, I am taking several of the ideas in this new book, and applying them to my containers.

Here are a few things I am changing this year:

1) Bought better/larger pots. Still plastic or fiberglass. But they are square so I can still use the square foot method (mostly) when planting.

2) Buying the "ingredients" to make Mel's mix. This mix is supposedly just the right amount of compost, peat, and vermiculite that I shouldn't have to fertilize or make sure I have the pots at the right pH.

3) Going a bit vertical. I'm investing in one of Mel's vertical trellises in order to have my squash and even sugar baby watermelon grow up and off the ground.

4) Invested in a good soaker hose and will probably get a hose timer to water for us when we are out of town. Watering was a big "fail" for me last year. And trust me, tomatoes need water!

5) Starting from seed this year. I should still have enough seeds to last me several years. By using the square foot techniques, I can use less seeds, less space and save money. I ordered my seeds from Gurneys but the ones at Lowes are probably just as good. They just sent me a coupon, so you know. Frugal. =)

What I am planting this year: tomatoes (3 varieties), cucumbers, squash, basil, bell peppers, cantaloupe, sugar baby watermelon, and mint. Still may throw in some eggplant and zucchini but I kind of have a full plate already. Or hope to have a full plate!

Nope, have no idea if it will all grow well, but I'm using inexpensive seeds so I don't feel like I'm wasting too much.

As soon as I get everything set up, I will post pics. Until then, go check out those books and let me know what you think!

Three Words for 2010

2010-01-03T06:37:00.000-08:00

For the past several years my husband, Terry, has come up with three words that he would have represent the new year. Last year, I just decided there was a song that I wanted to represent my year. This year, I really wanted to join him and come up with three words of my own.

I have been really pondering this, and until this morning I didn't have much. I told Terry it's because I couldn't think of just three words that I would want to sum up my year. All I knew is that I wanted to be different at the end of 2010. But while in my quiet time this morning, I managed to land on three words. (With the help of the Holy Spirit I believe.) So, without much further ado, here are my words:

Change: Like I said, I want to be a different person at the end of this year. A better person by God's standards. A wife, mother, daughter and friend closer to what God would have me be. A continuous and permanent change that can only come from God's intervention in my life. Not sure that this can be quantified, but at the end of the year, I'll let you know.

Action: I have so many friends and neighbors who need to see the love of Jesus in my life. Not just hear me yap about Him. I pray that 2010 would be a year that my neighbors and friends would see Jesus lived out in my life daily, whether or not they hear me utter a word.

Wisdom: This really had more to do with my kids. I do not believe there is any perfect parenting trick/tip/plan. Our kids are all different, even with our own families. I want wisdom to know the best way to lead each of our girls into a life personified by Christ. Knowing ultimately, it is their decision. I saw this quote from a friend who read an article in Christianity today: "We will parent imperfectly, our children will make their own choices, and God will mysteriously and wondrously use it all to advance His kingdom."

Sometimes the Answer is "No"

2009-12-30T08:31:00.000-08:00

Today I went to the dentist for a crown.

I did not have the greatest experience last time I had a crown because they were unable to completely deaden my palette. I could feel just about everything. The final solution was a shot in the roof of my mouth. The dentist at the time said, "This is going to hurt." And it did. I decided at that moment, I should get to throw out a few choice explicatives just because.

So, when I went into the dentist several weeks ago and was informed I was going to have to have another crown, I tried not to panic. I basically didn't think about it until the dentist office gave me a reminder call yesterday. Then, I panicked.

First was an email to my BSers. Then I just prayed like crazy for 12 hours with a nightmare thrown in for good measure while I was sleeping. (The nightmare, for the record, included my dentist's office leaving me in the chair for over eight hours waiting on my Novocaine shot while they watched Spongebob Squarepants. Who can resist a yellow fellow who lives in a pineapple under the sea? Right?)

While I was in the chair two shots down, I tweeted for more prayer. Please, for the love of all that is good and holy, let me be spared the shot in the roof of my mouth. Because the two previous shots? Once again, not working. Boo and Hiss.

I threw my iPod in, put on a little John Mayer, and begged. "Please God, let this stuff kick in!"

And you know what? It didn't. The answer was no. Cue cussing like a sailor and crying like a little girl because I was not happy. And cry I did. God bless the dentist; he looked at the assistant and asked me if I wanted some nitrous oxide. I just told him I would do whatever would help this situation. His response, "It's still gonna hurt, but you won't care quite as much." Well, ok then.

So, yeah, the shot still came. It still hurt. But sometimes life just hurts. Sometimes you have to go through pain (a shot in this case) to be healthier (a new tooth that doesn't hurt when I eat.)

But most importantly, God is still here. He still loves me. And He gave some wonderful inventor the idea for nitrous oxide.

Merry Christmas: Thoughts from an 8 Year Old

2009-12-24T18:52:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about Christmas is getting to play Santa. I really don't spoil my kids with toys and goodies all year long so when their birthdays and Christmas come around, I like to just have fun with it. Right now I am waiting on the girls to fall asleep so Santa can get busy, and frankly, go to bed herself. What? You didn't know Santa was a chick?

Anyway, in spite of my love of all things Christmas and getting to buy the girls things they've wanted all year, I am ready for Reia to figure things out. It's getting hard for me to reconcile the fantasy of Santa with the reality of Jesus. She turned eight today and I know she's heard kids talk. I keep waiting for her to ask some good questions that will lead to her knowing the truth. (No, I cannot bring myself to just tell her. So, don't ask.)

Tonight, we were sitting on the couch watching Elf, which is my favorite Christmas movie by the way. She looks at me and asks, "If Santa goes all over the world, how is it that some kids don't get presents?"

I was very excited! Except that Reese was sitting next to me. Since she just turned five, I'm not quite ready for her to know the truth yet. So, I told Reia, "If you really think about it, I bet you can figure it out. Here in a little while when we are alone, we can talk about it."

"Ok." She responds and I can tell her wheels are turning. I am so happy! Yay! She's gonna see it, and although I will be a little sad, it's probably time.

After a few seconds she looks at me and says, very matter of factly, "I know. They're all on the naughty list." And turns back to the tv to finish watching Elf.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. Even if you are on the naughty list.

Mini-Me at Metro

2009-12-10T02:00:00.000-08:00

God never ceases to amaze me; especially in regard to my children. Reia is so often so much like me that I forget God has given her some of Terry's traits. He is athletic, fearless, limber and outgoing. I am not. Since Reia is studious and an introvert, it never occurred to me that she could also be limber and have some athletic abilities. And she does. (She is super limber in case you can't tell.)

Tonight at parents' night I got to snap pictures and take video of all that Reia has learned in the past five months. I often watch through the windows anyway, and she is just stunning to me. I shouldn't be shocked at how well she seems to be doing, but I am anyway.

I'm learning so much by being her mother. I hope I never put her in a box based on my assumptions of what she is capable of. I hope she continues to grow and mature into a beautiful young lady. I hope she knows how immensely proud of her I am. She continues to blow me away by just being the precious little girl God has created her to be.

Reia, darling, you are a Rock Star!

Mini-T at Metro Gymnastics

2009-12-09T08:43:00.000-08:00

Last night was parent night at Metro Gymnastics. Reese took the first 10 minutes of class to bawl profusely and try and play her momma. This child is no wall flower and I know it. Of course, every other momma there looked at me like I was Cruella DeVille because I refused to pick my hysterical child up and console her. This picture was taken five minutes after her episode ended. Yeah. She looks tortured and grief stricken doesn't she?

Love my monkey child. Figuring her out little by little, day after day.

Deeper Still OKC: Thoughts and Take Away

2009-12-06T12:41:00.000-08:00

I had the amazing opportunity to spend the weekend at the Deeper Still event being held in OKC. Several of my Bible study girls had been planning on going for a while, and when offered a ticket, I jumped at the chance. First and foremost, because it meant time with my the women who have helped me grow so much over the past year; secondly, because it meant connecting with a friend I had once traveled to Savannah with to eat at Paula Deen's Lady and Sons. We haven't seen each other in 3 1/2 years! I also was getting to connect with several friends I have "met" via the twitter. And lastly, but by no means least, because I was beside myself at the chance to see Kay Arthur, Beth Moore and Priscilla Shirer speak and give us a glimpse into their knowledge of the Word of God. I planned to be a very happy sponge for two days. And I was not disappointed on any front.

My BSers: We weren't all able to be there, but Cindy, Christi, Dusty, Amy, Deleise, Mandy (honorary BSer for the evening) and I made the long 20 min drive to downtown. And even though we left three hours before the event, we still ended up eating dinner at the Cox concessions stands. One word: rip-off. Is that really two words? Or does the hyphen still make it one? Anyway, I was thankful that Cindy had plenty of cash, other wise I would have been hungry and tired instead of just tired when the evening was over.

They are just a fun group to hang out with. We challenge and encourage each other even in a setting like Deeper Still. Christi asked me such a good question on Saturday: "Robin, what are you passionate about?" I've never been asked and never really thought about it. Even though I gave her an answer, I have a feeling I will be reflecting on that question and talking to God about it quite a bit over the next months.

And, thanks to Amy and a discussion about one of her tweets, I've decided to ask God to interrupt my day. You just never know what he is going to show you.

The Brownie Song: Do you know that Girl Scout song that goes something like "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other Gold."? That was what it was like when I got to see my friend Sophie (after way too long) and meet several new friends (Pam Case and Paige Greene) I had been twitter friends with for a while. We were all able to go out to dinner Saturday night and talk in sound bites longer than 140 characters. I wish we had had more time, but I will take what I can get and know I walked away a little richer for time spent with genuine women who genuinely love God!

The Speakers: Kay, Beth and Priscilla are some of the most amazing women of God I've had the privilege to hear. I am calling them by first name out of sheer laziness, not because I'm on a first name basis or anything. =) For this I thought I just give you what was the most important take away I got from each of their teachings.

Kay: When Jesus is in the garden with his disciples He asks them to "watch and pray". (Ok, she mostly spoke on the ENTIRE book of Hebrews, but this was the thing that really got me thinking. I realized that we all have issues or stumbling blocks. Things that maybe we continually struggle with. And we need to WATCH and PRAY. Don't let your guard down. It's not like most of our struggles just sneak up on us. We know what they are. But I get lazy or think "I" have it licked. So I stop watching for it and praying about it. That's when I lose.

Priscilla: I've never heard her speak, but let me tell you, this woman can communicate her message. Loud and clear. My take away from her was simple: God can. More than I can imagine or dream up. It's His choice as to whether or not He will. But make no mistake about it. He. Can. I've decided I love this so much I'm just gonna ask and then some. Since He can, who am I to even think that He won't? I'm trashing the box I have around God starting now.

Beth: I've heard Beth speak several time before this. I just love her. As I watched her talk to us, she continually got on her knees. I determined this woman spends more time on her knees than her feet. We should all be so faithful. Her talk was on spiritual discernment. I took notes and all, but really she helped me put a finger on something (or really someone) I've had a gut check on for a while. I may have just let it go, but now I feel as though I have a plan. Hopefully, God will use me to help this person.

It was a great weekend. If you have the opportunity to see these women together or even individually, I highly recommend it. Thanks to the hard work of everyone who put Deeper Still together!

**On a lighter note, I hope Paige notices I finally started spelling her name right. =)

Annabelle's Galleria

2009-12-03T18:03:00.000-08:00

Recently I found several great little shopping spots about a half mile from my house. The first one (and the topic of this blog post) is Annabelle's Galleria. The minute I walked in I was smitten. Lots of super cute home decor, jewelry, jeans, t-shirts, baubles and trinkets.

After talking to the owner, I found out that she normally sets up shop at Affair of the Heart, but opted to give the shop a try until December. Personally, I would love to see her stay, so please go a do a little Christmas shopping or just buy something fun for your self. I doubt you will be disappointed!

This is the table of goodies that are $10 or less. Yes, I bought several things. For a friend. She hasn't gotten them yet, so I can't share. =)

Need any teacher gifts or cute serving pieces for the holidays? She's got 'em.

This is her temporary sign. Let's help it become a permanent one! Seriously y'all, go check her out!

(Her store is in the strip center next to the Super Wal-mart at Danforth and Santa Fe.)

Ta-Da!

2009-11-22T18:05:00.000-08:00

I am in no way a great seamstress. But I am fortunate enough to have a fairly nice machine. This is great because when I do decide to put something together, I'm not fussing around trying to get my machine working properly.

Regardless, I have had this window treatment in mind since last year. I saw something very similar in a model home and knew it would be perfect in our home. Outside that window is a view to a beautiful green belt. All kinds of animals reside there including a deer I saw last week. So, I needed something light and airy that I could see through, and casual while still looking custom. I found exactly the fabric the model home had used at Hobby Lobby. It's a sheer fabric with a tone on tone polka dot and a black corduroy topper.

Then the fabric sat in my sewing cabinet for six months. =)

All in all the entire window treatment cost me less than $75 and that includes the rod which I got on clearance at Lowes. Yay!

Just thought I'd share.

She Wanted To Recognize Her Chicken

2009-11-17T06:18:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while Reese has a "family homework project". She came home last week with a turkey shape copied onto brown paper. Our job was to cut out the turkey and disguise it so that it wouldn't be found and eaten for Thanksgiving.

It was due today, and yesterday she walked in and animatedly exclaimed, "Mom! We need to recognize my chicken!"

Me, with furrowed and questioning brows, "Huh?"

She responded again, "You know, make it so my chicken can't be found?"

Me, "Oh, we need to disguise your TURKEY."

Reese, matter of fact, "That's what I said."

Yeah, exactly.

A Movember to Remember

2009-11-10T04:07:00.000-08:00

From Drop Box

At the beginning of the month Terry decided to participate in Movember. For this, I apparently have Josh Turmel to thank. (Josh, there will be something "special" in your Christmas goodies this year. =) ) I'm wondering if his wife would be willing to start a Movember Wives Support Group with me. Hmmmm. Food for thought, but back to the issue at hand.

What is Movember you ask? Yeah, I wondered who came up with this delightful event myself.

From the Movember website: Movember is an annual, month-long celebration of the moustache. Highlighting men's health issues-specifically prostate and testicular cancer.

So, for the rest of the month, I get to see Terry in his 'stache making jokes about Smoky and the Bandit. I'm surprised he hasn't asked for a new Trans Am for Christmas.

As for me, I'm counting down the days until December 1.

A Time To Run

2009-11-09T02:00:00.000-08:00

Even though it doesn't feel like fall outside, I have deiced to look on the bright side of this crazy Indian summer. My bright side includes the kids still getting to play outside and I am still getting to run without either sweating my insides out or freezing my rear end off.

In honor of my fabulous run today I thought I'd post about my running list on the iPod. Here you go for anyone who cares:

Pictures: Kid Rock/Sheryl Crow

Without Me: Eminem

Crazy: Gnarls Barkley

Technologic: Daft Punk

I Gotta Feeling: Black Eyed Peas

Sexyback: Justin Timberlake

What Goes Around: Justin T.

So What: Pink

Sweet Child o Mine: GNR

Welcome to the Jungle: GNR

Mysterious Ways: U2

Black Horse and the Cherry Tree: KT Tunstall

And that is what gets me through my miles on the road! What do you listen to while you workout? Anything you'd like to suggest?

Looking Back and Looking Forward

2009-11-07T02:00:00.000-08:00

Two and a half years ago I wrote this post. I cried re-reading it again just now. I felt so raw and ripped open that day. It was awful and my first step forward all at the same time.

So much has changed in the past 30 months. I am back at home now and am able to really focus on my husband and children. God gave me a group of women to meet with last January that have been more of an inspiration in my life than I can even verbalize.** I'm watching God use me in ways I never imagined. All in all, some days I feel like I'm looking at someone else's life. And I am so very thankful.

I knew even the day I wrote that post that I would come back to it in the future. I knew I didn't want to forget being in that place. If I don't look back occasionally, I might forget how far He's brought me. It brings me to a new place of gratitude and that is the place I want to stay.

**To my BSers. Srsly, y'all. You rock. As you know, I will not insert warm mushy sentiment here b/c I don't want to get all teary. =)

Scentsy Alternative

2009-11-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

Several months ago Terry brought home a Scentsy product and I was instantly smitten. It made my whole house smell wonderful and there was no worry about me burning down the house! Score!

Since then I was told that Hobby Lobby (aka: The Mother Ship) carried a Scentsy knock-off for quite a bit less money especially when you used their coveted 40% off one item coupon. Obviously, I went to check it out. Here is the deal and how it fared.

The product is called ScentSationals and has "Not a Scentsy Product" very clearly printed on the label. The large warmer is $19.99 and the scented cubes are $3.99. I haven't seen these go on sale yet aside from the Internet coupon, but it's still cheaper than a medium Scentsy warmer and bricks.

I bought the cubes first to try in the warmer I already owned. I was worried the smell wouldn't be as fragrant, but was happily surprised. I tried the cinnamon and brown sugar and it was great! I could even go so far as to say it was a bit strong. I picked a smell sweeter than I should have.

My neighbor across the street bought the warmer and says it works just as well as the Scentsy product; it's just not as pretty.

So, pros are that ScentSational is less expensive, easy to get, and smells great. The only drawback that I can tell is Scentsy has a larger selection of smells (if you will) and a larger selection of warmers. They also sell a nightlight warmer that you can't find at Hobby Lobby...yet. =)

Wanting My Hands in the Dirt!

2009-11-05T07:46:00.001-08:00

For as long as I can remember, I've looked forward to fall and the holiday season starting in about August (or July if it was crazy hot). There is just something about the cooling of the air, leaves falling, and preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas by decorating, shopping and baking that captured my heart and imagination.

But this year has been different. For the first time as long as I can remember, I am kind of wishing Christmas away. Why? I am ridiculously excited about the garden I am planning for next spring. Secretly, I wish I could spend all the money I have saved for Christmas gifts on gardening supplies and seeds!

I tried my hand at container gardening this past spring and summer. I did learn quite a bit and while I was researching for next year, I came across a book called Square Foot Gardening. Now, I'm even more excited about planting tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and a variety of herbs next year using a combination of both container and square foot gardening.

Of course, I might feel differently right now if the high tomorrow was 50 instead of 80. =)

Happy Birthday Reese

2009-11-03T02:00:00.000-08:00

Reese Renee Storch was born 5 years ago today. The first words I said when I held her were, "I could have a thousand of you." (Terry's response was, "But I just got you on video saying you never wanted to give birth again.") Didn't matter. That little bundle had our hearts from the word go.

She was a great baby. Slept well. Wasn't fussy. Good eater. And, as I have always thought to be true, you will pay the piper at some point. She has been a mischief monkey as soon as she could crawl. She's still a wonderful kid, but we have our hands full!

In honor of her birthday, I thought I'd give you a few tidbits about our big kid:

Reese is INQUISITIVE: Reese will study something and then completely demolish it by taking it apart.

Reese is ARTISTIC: She will color on anything she can find including furniture and herself. (I'm praying that the magic eraser continues to work in our home.)

Reese is PERSISTENT and KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS: She will argue with you about the color of the sky (never gives up her point of view) and will ask you a question only to tell you you're wrong when you answer. Huh?

Reese is a TRENDSETTER: Her outfits? She certainly has her own style and sense of fashion.

Happy Birthday sweet girl! Your momma and daddy love you. And even though I could have had a thousand of you, there's no way I could have handled a thousand of you. =)

Toronto In Pics

2009-11-02T05:52:00.000-08:00

I guess Terry got tired of waiting on me, so he downloaded my Toronto pics to Picasa. After he did that, I got a tutorial on all the fun Picasa features. This is photo collage is one of those features, and I thought I'd share. From left to right and top to bottom:

Row 1: Niagara Falls, The CN Tower, Building adjacent to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Casa Loma

Row 2: Brownstones near Kensington Market, View from CN Tower

Row 3: (top) Stanley Cup, Us out to eat, Us at Niagara, (bottom) Maid of the Mist, Chinatown Markets

Row 4: Dark Horse Espresso Bar, Royal Ontario Museum

I left out pictures of the black squirrels. Sorry!

A Weekend in Toronto!

2009-10-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

Terry and I had the luxury of having a little time away and alone together (thanks to my wonderful Mother in Law) last week. We traveled to Toronto, Canada. I keep getting the question: So, what did you do? And usually, my brain gets so overwhelmed with all that we did I can't even come up with anything to tell them. I've just started saying, "Everything. And we walked everywhere." Really, that's only a slight exaggeration.

So I decided to make a list of the top bullet points of our trip. If I decided to blog about everything, I'd have blog fodder for a few months. And I may still, but for now, and in no particular order, here you go.

1. The squirrels in Toronto are black. Terry kept telling me I was a racist for even noticing, but they were beautiful. So there.

2. I was almost hit by a DHL van while walking through Kensington Market. It was a scene straight out of Seinfeld with the van hopping the curb to the sidewalk in an attempt to avoid another van. Apparently, DHL guy thought I was protected by some invisible super bubble.

3. They call the restroom the washroom. I was happy to realize it translated well and I was always directed to the proper place.

4. If you ask for iced tea, you are brought Nestea in a can. Real tea was the first thing I had when we got to Chicago.

5. I rode a subway for the first time and had crepes for the first time.

6. No matter what tourist attraction you see, they snap your picture in front of a green screen at the beginning (so you can buy a pic of you in front of said attraction) and dump you in the gift shop at the end.

7. Seeing the Stanley Cup in person is really cool even if you don't really follow hockey.

8. If the Dead Sea Scrolls come to your area museum, go see them. Incredible.

9. Everyone at Maid of the Mist in Niagara Falls looks like Teletubbies once they cinch the hood of the poncho.

10. Toronto has a Whole Foods and a Costco. Therefor, I love it.

11. Our waiter at Jamie Kennedy's Wine Bar, while giving us tips on other places to eat, said another restaurant's food was so good it was "retarded". He was from Australia, so he sounded cool.

12. We actually started getting AT&T coverage on the Canadian side of the Niagara. That was a nice surprise.

13. I was still happy to be home and see my girls when it was all over. Thanks Terry for a great weekend!

Because I Didn't Want to go to Hell, That's Why

2009-09-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

I grew up in a very traditional Southern Baptist church. And the summer after I turned seven, I walked the aisle at Vacation Bible School professing Jesus as my Savior. My understanding was limited and frankly, I was trying to get out of hell. Looking back it was more of a "get out of hell free" walk. None the less, God took me and my itty bitty faith and understanding, and managed to keep me close to Him for many many years before I finally understood that how I walked my life on this earth was also important. Life wasn't just about the end result.

Last night at the dinner table Reia just pops up and says, "Mom, last week at church I asked Jesus to be Lord of my life." And then she continued eating her fish. Needless to say, my eyebrows went up and I started to ask a few questions.

I asked her why she has made that decision. She informed me in a very round about seven year old way, that she wanted to be more like Jesus and do the things that would make Him proud, and for Him to lead her in life.

Not a word about hell. (That did come up when Terry asked his questions to her when he got home.)

Needless to say I was ecstatic about her decision. It's something Christian parents pray for from the day their kids are born. But my prayer has never been that she would "become a Christian". My prayer has always been that my girls would seek Him, love Him and want to be closer to Him each and every day. Because if they are doing those things, with all of their hearts, I have no worries as to where I will find them when we leave this earth.

And to the God whom I love and trust: thank you for this amazing answered prayer.

**Special note to Lifechurch.tv kids peeps: you are such a blessing. God has used you to plant seeds and help this decision along. So happy to partner with you!

Just Recycle Your Clothes and Spend a Fortune

2009-09-24T12:44:00.000-07:00

I was watching the fashion portion of the Today show this morning. I was very excited because they were supposedly going to talk about how to take your summer wardrobe pieces and convert them to fall/winter pieces if you were unable to buy all new winter clothes. I'm all about reuse, reduce and recycle, so I was certainly tuned in. Also, I don't have a budget for new clothes and will take all the help I can get.

Their first model was sporting a cute purple print sundress. The re-do included some cute black pants, a sweater and jacket. The three additional articles were $50 each. (They said under $50. To their credit the items were $49.95, but really, who's kidding who? I'm handing over a $50 bill if I want any one of those items.) Bohemian was the look that was achieved, and it only cost $150!

What the heck?! How is me having to spend $150 for ONE OUTFIT saving me anything?

Sadly, each outfit was the same way. Sure you can take your summer stuff, add $150-$200 worth of merchandise and wa-la! Whole new wardrobe. Duh.

All I have to say is :

Dear Today Show,

I bet a lot of stay at home moms watch your show. I'll even bet a lot of those moms sacrifice to be able to stay at home. Therefor we cannot afford to spend $150 on one outfit even if a portion has been recycled from summer. Please show me how to get a whole wardrobe for $150 and I will happily tune in. Better yet, please just buy me some new clothes. I'll even take leftovers from your wardrobe department. Except Natalie Morales' clothes. I'd have to lose 45 pounds to fit into them.

Best Regards,

Robin

Captivating

2009-09-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

I am starting a book club/study tonight on the book Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge with several women from my neighborhood this evening. It's been a while since I've read it and frankly, I'm not sure I paid much attention to it then. From what I've read so far (the introduction and Chapter One), I think I'm going to like it.

**On a side note, I just made my four year old come in from outside to hand me the remote. I'm pitiful.

Here are the questions we will be discussing tonight:

1) When was the first time you felt like a woman? (p.4)

This was an easy answer for me. The first time I deboned a chicken. Seriously, my hands were deep in a chicken carcass and suddenly I was my mom. A grown-up who was feeding her family in a way my mom did. I loved it.

2) What if anything, do you feel guilty about? (p.8)

Some days I feel guilty about more things than I don't feel guilty about. I'm still transitioning from the working mom (plenty to feel guilty about there) to a stay at home mom. Why do I still feel guilty? I don't know. But I am more calm while feeling guilty now and I don't scream at the kids as much. Actually, hardly ever. God help us all during PMS week. Can I get an AMEN?

3) Do you agree with Stasi that all women crave the following three things?: to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, and to unveil beauty.

Not sure I agree with them all. I'm not an adventurist (is that a word? It is now.) by nature. Maybe we all crave a bit of all three, but more so one than the other. I'm interested in other thoughts on this one.

And since I do have the remote now, I'm off to watch the news!!

Stray Cat-1; Daddy-0

2009-09-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

While on my run yesterday a sweet orange and white kitty began to follow us. (I say kitty because it wasn't full grown cat and not quite a kitten anymore, for the record.) Not only did it not eventually turn back, but kept with my running partner and myself for two and a half miles. And naturally, since I have "sucker" stamped on my forehead, as we came to our homes, kitty followed me to mine.

Of course, Terry is very allergic to cats. So kitty had to stay outside much to the mortification of my children. They were immediately smitten with the kitten. =) The cat sat on the window ledge outside while the girls talked to it through the window from the inside. Eventually, I had to take the girls to school and was hoping kitty would find it's way home by the time I returned.

No. Such. Luck.

Kitty was still waiting when I came home. And kitty was still waiting after I picked Reese up from pre-school. And naturally, Reese started begging. She really wanted the potentially disease contaminated animal in the house. I gently reminded her that her daddy was very allergic to cats and we couldn't even let kitty in (as I was calling animal control).

She thought for a minute and came up with this solution:

"If Daddy dies, and you don't die, can the kitty come in then. I think I'll name him Fred."

At least she decided to keep me around.

My Thoughts on Getting Older

2009-07-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

I was leaving Braum's the other day with milk and bananas in hand while a group of, let's call them, mature women came in. They were all at least in their 70's, giggling like school girls and having a good time while discussing what burger and milkshake was on the agenda for lunch.

I thought, for as much as women detest the thought of getting older, or elderly even, it IS going to happen. I do want to take care of myself and my skin so that I will, at the very least, not look older than I actually am. However, I don' t want to be one of those women. You know, the ones who celebrate the 20th anniversary of their 29th birthday; or ask their grandkids to call them by their first names as opposed to Grandma or Grammy; or still dress like someone in their 20's when they are clearly not in their 20's.

I want to do this thing gracefully, realistically, and with some dignity for heaven's sake. My girls need to see that aging and hopefully gaining wisdom and perspective along the way is a good thing and not something to run away from or be admonished.

So, without further ado, here are a few things I look forward to about getting older:

#1: Having my hair set once a week and not jacking with it a moment more. I get so sick and tired of washing, blow drying, coloring, straightening, and spraying my hair. I realize I don't HAVE to do those things, but I don't want to look like a drowned or greasy rat every day when I walk out the door.(And I still need to look attractive to Terry for a while anyway.) I will have a standing appointment at the beauty parlor once a week. I will look all gorgeous when I walk out and hope it stays that way for the next 6 days.

#2: Never again repeating the phrase, "a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips". Because really, how much longer is that lifetime at that point? Bring me a burger, fries, and milkshake. I will try to work them off after my nap later.

#3: A moderate walk is really good exercise. Now, in order to feel like I have worked out, I have to run three or more miles, do 50 minutes of yoga, or do Jillian's Shred DVD. I see my neighbor Ralph when we go for our runs in the mornings. He's just strolling along, happy as a clam, NOT KILLING HIMSELF running a 10 minute mile. He probably eats bacon after his workout too.

#4: Not having to buy the trendy or cute stuff. No one wants to see their 70 or 80 year old grandmother in skinny jeans or a low cut sundress. I'm not saying we shouldn't dress nicely, but let's get a grip on appropriateness, shall we? (However, if you happen to look like Sophia Loren does at her age, but all means wear what ever you please. The men stopped looking at the rest of the normally aging women who aren't their wives eons ago.)

#5: Grandchildren...because I will spoil them rotten, load them up on sugar and send them home.

Getting older is going to be great! I am so thankful that God has blessed me with the length of time I've had already. Wasting my time trying to not get older is no longer on the agenda.

If you happen to read this and you are already in the "mature" women group(and no, I have no idea when that start exactly) what is your favorite thing about getting older? I want more stuff to look forward to!

My Great Summer Idea

2009-07-13T06:16:00.000-07:00

Water bottle. I know. So simple. And actually this idea came from the great Cindy Beall. It's not even really MY idea, but it is my blog so I can title this post anything I want, right?

Here's the deal: she bought each of her boys a permanent water bottle to use at home and keep in the fridge. They couldn't have anything else to drink until the water in the bottle was gone. I loved it from the stand point that my kids do not drink nearly enough water. What I didn't count on was the bonus: fewer cups to clean.

I really had no idea how many cups my kids went through in a day for water or juice or more juice. Now, these 32 ounce jugs just stay in the fridge. When they want a drink, presto! And when they are done, back in the fridge they go. I have started filling them with a Crystal Light package every other day. Because these are larger than a traditional water bottle, it's fairly watered down but the girls still feel like they have something special to drink all day long.

We now return to your regularly scheduled programming....

Everybody's Nuts!

2009-06-17T06:56:00.000-07:00

This is a bit of a product endorsement. I really like pistachios, but I really love this brand of pistachios. I tried them in lieu of the Sunkist brand one afternoon, and realized there is a difference in pistachios.

Not only are Everybody's Nuts pistachios bigger and truly open (which means easier for me for me to get into), but they come in flavors! Salt and pepper, unsalted, European roast and South of the Border. The Salt and pepper variety is my personal favorite.

Just for the record, no one asked me to blog about these nuts. I really do think they are that good.

I'm on vacation in Dallas right now hanging out with friends while Reia is having the time of her life in Disney World with her Grammy, Grandpop and cousins.

Ready for Etsy?

2009-06-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

I seem to have some funky creative mojo going on right now. I really wish the above picture did it justice, but this is the gift the girls and I made Terry for father's day this year.

While attending the Dynamic Church conference in Frisco, Texas we stayed at the Embassy Suites and got to look at the unique and modern artwork hanging in the hotel. There was one piece Terry and I really liked. As usual, I thought to myself, "I could do that." Of course, I normally can't. I don't have the gift of the artsy or the fartsy in my blood, and those things that look so easy, usually aren't.

This time, however, I thought I'd give it a shot. Terry needed a piece for a large wall in his office. Off I went to Hobby Lobby (AKA: The Mother Ship) for a canvas, print I thought Terry would like, mod podge and coordinating scrapbook papers.

I consulted with Mandy over at Messy Canvas to see if she had any additional ideas to help my project be super fabulous. Because let's face it, I can't re-do it once the glue went down and can't return it if Terry doesn't like it either.

What I thought was going to be a week long project was finished in an afternoon. I was surprised at the vision I had for the piece and how I let myself get all gross with glue. I finally stopped wiping off my hands since it seemed to be part of the creative process. (I did keep a wet rag handy for when glue hit the table. That stuff is sticky.)

Terry gets home on Monday from Paris. I won't get to see his reaction since the girls and I will be long gone in Dallas for the next week. I hope he likes it, and I'm seriously half-tempted to make some more pieces and give Etsy a try. =)

The Runner In Me

2009-06-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

I just came back from a 5.5 mile interval run with my friend Amber. For us that means three to four min of running and then two minutes of brisk walking. Mostly, I'm just trying to get used to what 5.5 miles feels like without actually killing myself. The plan is to be able to run it by the end of the summer, and then start training for the half marathon in the fall.

I so often have people tell me "I am just not a runner." Well, me either. Never have I had to work so hard at being barely mediocre at something.

My legs are short and not terribly flexible. If there is even 5% humidity in the air, I feel as if I'm breathing water and have always had a hard time getting air into my lungs. I don't have a runner's body at all.

But there is something about running that feels good. Ok, not the actual running part, but the feeling of accomplishment when I reach a goal. At first it was one mile. I thought when I was able to run one mile without stopping, I had arrived. (Arrived at what? I have no idea. The one mile marker on the course I suppose.) Now, one mile seems pointless. If I'm not grabbing at three miles, it's really not even worth my time. My brother in law calls this my tipping point.

It is amazing what God gives us the capacity to accomplish. As I've gotten older, I've really started trying stuff. Creative stuff. Physical stuff. Stuff that allows me to get my hands dirty and revel in what God equips us with on a daily basis. (Although I am still OUT on sushi.)

I will most likely never run the Boston marathon. Personally, I don't see the point of running for hours on end, but I never thought I'd be training for a half marathon either. So, who knows. But I will keep trying.

I am a runner. And it rocks.

Anxiously Waiting

2009-06-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

I started several tomato plants for a container garden several months ago. When we went to Dallas last month, we stopped by mom's house. And while my tomato plants were all but dead, hers looked amazing. They were all bushy and gorgeous with tons of flowers, so I said "I love you, mom. It really stinks you have 13 green thumbs and I have NONE."

She loves me of course, and when I came back at the end of the weekend, she had this little gem for me. A tomato plant that was gorgeous and bushy and already had 10 tomatoes on it. (She bought it at a grocery store of all places.) Needless to say, I came home replanted it, planted marigolds around it to help with the bugs and watered it with Miracle Grow. Just. Like. My. Momma. Said.

Here is my beautiful plant. It makes me happy just looking at it. Up to this point I've been waiting on all of the tomatoes to turn red. I've even consulted the experts about when in the world these things were going to be edible. I was assured the nights have just been too cool. So you can imagine my delight when I came outside and saw them like this....

They are turning red!!! Looking forward to some tomato and avocado salad very soon.

Summer Vacation

2009-06-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

We have been on summer vacation for one week.

So far, we have cleaned house only to mess it up again.

Slathered boatloads of sunscreen on our bodies before many trips to the pool.

Taken Reese for her four year shots and checkup, and then for ice creams afterward.

Bought a OKC Zoo membership and actually went once.

Had my niece in town for a visit. She will be here until the 15th. I think she's bored. Are 13 yr old ever NOT bored?

Read a novel (see my reading list on the side bar over there.) And am starting another today with three on the nightstand waiting for my attention.

And now I really need to get back in the blogging game. On top of the two I barely keep up with, I am going to start another with a friend. Because, really, I can't sit completely still.

I do need a few more weeks of downtime before I can get the show on the road so to speak. The best part is I will have time to work on stuff and not feel crunched with the end of summer! Yay!

See you guys with a new post soon. No, really. I will.

Here We Go Again

2009-05-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

It is Memorial Day. Happy Memorial Day y'all.

We have had a great weekend full of out of town friends, food, swimming and more food. When you have 4 girls under the age of 8 in the house, that feeding time comes pretty regularly. And after the guests left, we had some friends who live here come over for more swimming and dinner. And to say I am pooped would be a monumental understatement.

And tomorrow we get up for one of the last four days of the school year and of my paid employment for a while. It's making me a bit introspective of the road God has led us down over the past two years. I am so grateful for that road.

That road has humbled me. That road has grown my faith. That road has given me friends I would not otherwise had. It has made me much more appreciative of time with my husband, my children and time just to be. It has made me more cognisant of the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and understanding of what happens when you ignore said prompting.

But most of all, it has made me realize the importance of Proverbs 19:21. "We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God's purpose prevails."

That is, I'm gonna make lots of missteps in my life. But they neither surprise God or derail His ultimate plan for me. He just works through it. And I am better for it.

Praises to Him for He is Holy. Happy Summer Everyone!!!

The Good and Bad of Getting Older

2009-04-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

Today I was schlepping up the stairs at the middle school on my way out for lunch time bliss, and in doing so, I fell UP (yes, up) the stairs.

There were suddenly several students looking at me and asking if I was okay. I was highly impressed that they weren't laughing. Maybe they did when I finally picked myself upright and grabbed my beast of a bag and continued on my way. Who knows? I don't really care.

Then it dawned on me. If that had happened while I was an actual student at said middle school, I would have been beet red with embarrassment replaying the scene over and over in my mind for weeks. Who saw me? Who told other kids?

Today, I wasn't embarrassed; I was just immediately sore.

Conversations

2009-04-26T18:27:00.000-07:00

Sadly, I'm not the quick witted or quick on my feet with a comeback kind of gal. So, on the off chance I do think of something that I believe is remotely clever, I have to blog about it.

Tonight in the car as Terry and I were driving to pick the girls up at Konnect, it started to rain.

Me: Look honey, it's raining. It would be fabulous if you would drop me off before you go park the car.

Terry: *looking at me incredulously* I had no idea I had married a prima donna.

Me: You didn't marry a prima donna, but I did marry a gentleman.

Terry: Dang.

He was kind enough to drop me off even though he parked 15 feet from the drop off and it wasn't even really raining.

Going Green!

2009-04-21T17:22:00.000-07:00

Terry and I are trying to do our part for the environment. Going a little more green if you will. So, here's what we have been up to for the past month or so...

This is the composter we bought at Sam's. Very easy to put together and it's so nice to put vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, etc in there instead of the trash. The girls love taking the "peels bucket" out there and adding it in. Next spring we will have wonderful dirt to use in our garden.

This is our new rain cistern. (Also purchased at Sam's. ) The gutter spout pours into it and collects up to 50 gallons every time it rains. The first time I watered our plants with the water from here I was so excited! It's a completely gratifying feeling knowing I'm not wasting water. Besides, I have to attempt to make up for my long hot showers and running the water while I brush my teeth. =)

We will be working in the flower beds this weekend. Another great Sam's find was the recycled tire mulch. The color won't fade by next year and the mulch itself is dense enough that it won't blow or float away. I'm hoping the plants do well under it. I guess we'll see. The above pic is the flat of begonia, some other little cute flowered ground cover, and several types of potato vine I will be installing this weekend. I can't wait to see it filled out about half way through the summer.

This pic above and below are the pots I planted this afternoon. Last year they were filled with geraniums, asparagus vine, potato vine and some tiny while flowing flower. This year, I wanted to plant herbs in them. Above we have several types of basil, parsley and chives. As just the pretty filler I added several coleus, a spikey thing, those bunches of white flowers and asparagus fern. The filler is the same below but the herbs are a lemon and traditional basil, cilantro and oregano.

I'm still new at all of this, but I really enjoyed picking things out that I thought would go well together. I still need some mint, and a few more veggie plants, but they are going in the back yard. More on that later.

SPRING has SPRUNG at the STORCH'S!

A Budding Obsession

2009-03-29T18:36:00.000-07:00

Before I start on this post, tomorrow is the 4 year anniversary of this blog. Just felt like I needed to make a note of it. Moving on to what this post is actually about....my new container garden.

I've been reading and studying my container gardening book for the past month, so when I walked into the nursery today with the girls today, I got a little excited. Mostly because as we walked around, I knew what I was looking at and understood the information I was reading on the little tabs inserted into the plastic tubs.

I really went just to get some ideas. It is too early to plant the few things I am going to try this year, but when I saw the Juliet variety of tomato plants and the banana pepper plants that were already producing veggies, I just could. not. resist.

I bought two tomato plants, a yellow pepper plant and the great banana pepper plant. Then we high-tailed it over to Lowe's so I could get my economical planters: five gallon and one gallon paint tubs, organic potting mix and paint sticks as temporary stakes. They were recommended in the book as a great size and frankly, they really appealed to my sense frugality. I want to make sure I can make this work before I spend a lot of money.

What I have now are my beautiful plants...in my bathtub. It's the warmest and sunniest place in the house right now. None the less, here I go with what could be a new obsession pretty quickly. I will keep you posted on how things are going. And we are eating one of the banana peppers in a salad tomorrow!

Spring Break 2009

2009-03-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast this week has gone by. I was sure it would just poke along with Terry being gone for such an extended period of time. But we managed to keep ourselves busy! The girls and I traveled to Frisco, Texas for a few days to pass the time, see some friends and then bring my niece home with us for a few days.

We started off at my friend Holly's house. She and I haven't gotten a chance to visit, really sit and catch up, for a very long time. I forgot how much we had to talk about! Plus we spent dinner on Saturday at Blue Mesa where I enjoyed my favorite avocado enchiladas. Yum-my. Made my mouth so happy.

After a night with Holls, we trotted over to IKEA to eat some Swedish meatballs, let our kids play in SmaLand while we strolled around trying to spend money. Oddly enough, I found only $10 worth of stuff I couldn't live without.

The next day we took all the girls to a nail salon where Richelle and I got pedis and the girls got their nails painted. See below:

After our super duper time at Chelle's, we drove to my mom's to spend the night. It was my grandfather's 87th birthday. For his birthday we all got steak and cake for dinner. I think it should be his birthday every day. Slept like a log that night. Partying with your friends two nights in a row will wear you out. (They will laugh if they read this. )

On our day to return home, Mom and I stopped in the TJMaxx Homegoods. (Yet another gem we need here in the OKC area. Hello OKC? Anyone listening? Chamber of Commerce? Anyone?) I bough this adorable top and shorts there. (See below for all purchases.) Gotta love a deal. Actually, I spent more on the shirt than I would normally, but just loved loved loved it. Besides, it looked so cute with the fabulous spring bag that Terry bought for me. (He's an amazing man people.) AND, I can wear them with the orange sandals I got a Target a few weeks ago. Now I have 3 outfits to go with those shoes.

The Shoes:

Once back in OKC, we stayed very busy cleaning this house. It was a total pit! Frankly, this will probably be the last deep clean it will get until summer. 10 weeks away!

Lastly, and I need to throw a TMI alert in here because I am going to divulge some very personal information about me. If you don't want to know about bra sizes and how messed up women are when they buy them, stop reading now! (If you are leaving: Bye! Come back soon!)

Ok, part of the spring break festivities included going to Dillard's with my gift certificate on the hunt for a strapless bra. The nice lady in intimates (I should have know by the department name I would be more intimate with Joan than I wanted to be) asked me if I had ever been properly fitted. I asked her if by "properly fitted" she meant I took 14,000 different bras into the dressing room and tried them all on until I found the right one, then yes. Otherwise, no. So, she marched me back to a fitting room where I was completely mortified. I'm sure Joan sees all kinds of hooters, but only the only people who see mine are either married to me or giving me some sort of physical examination. Which is also very embarrassing. Joan knows too much about me now. I may have to "take care of her".

She told me most women buy cup sizes too small, and the number too big. Needless to say, the 34B I was wearing was all wrong. And she showed me all the ways it was wrong. Who knew buying a bra was so complicated. She then told me the size I SHOULD be wearing, a 30D. At which point I had to burst out laughing. Because really people, when I think of women who wear a D, I think some pretty major bazoongas. Not little ole me.

But let me tell you, here I sit, in that size, with an empty wallet, in the most comfortable bra I think I've ever worn. Amazing. It may make eating ramen noodles for the rest of the week totally worth it.

Spring Break 2009. What an adventure it has been!

....and Counting

2009-03-02T04:49:00.000-08:00

Normally, I don't start my End Of School countdown until after spring break. But since this is my last year of teaching for a while, I thought I'd get a head start. Without any further ado: Edmond Public Schools has

weeks of school left! And no, I am not counting the last week that only includes one ridiculous snow day.

In addition to that little tidbit, we're only 2 weeks away from spring break. At which point I get to visit friends in Dallas and go to IKEA and Costco. I'm just all aflutter with anticipation.

Another Run at Gardening

2009-02-26T14:00:00.000-08:00

The first time I tried my hand at gardening was in 2003 or maybe 2004. I was really hoping to have my mother's green thumb. Terry ever so kindly dug out a little plot in our back yard and put in a raised bed for me. My mother came over and helped me plant a few tomato plants, cucumbers and green beans. And then me and my brown thumb entered the picture. Just as my tomato plants were coming up nicely, I came out one day to find many huge green tomato caterpillar bugs had completely eaten every leaf and bud. I was so mad.

I promptly cut every bug from the stem it was on (I certainly wasn't going to touch them...ewww) and flushed them all down the toilet hoping for a slow painful death. My tomato plants and everything else died pretty quickly though. After that, I just gave up.

Then we moved to Dallas. We had great beds already framed in concrete in the backyard so I figured we'd give it another try. We planted a few pepper plants, a cucumber, and a squash plant. We also planted some cilantro and basil in pots. And, as I'm sure you can guess where this is going, we did manage to keep the bugs off and had a few squash blossoms and one pepper, but that was it. The cilantro and basil, on the other hand, took off.

So, here we are in a new house. I still have that yearning to change my brown thumb to green. And I am going to attempt another garden. This time, however, everything will be in containers.

We have plenty of space for a traditional garden, but I don't trust my abilities at this point and I don't want to ruin the sod around our house for nothing. And the basil and cilantro did so well, what the heck? Maybe I was onto something back in Dallas.

Today I bought a book called "The Bountiful Garden" that got many great reviews on Amazon that I couldn't wait for delivery, so I went and bought it at Barnes and Noble. I was able to sit outside in the wonderful warm Oklahoma sun this afternoon and start re-defining gardening for me.

My first plants will be tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and several herbs specifically designed for container gardening. Next stop will be purchasing containers and I can't wait!

Anyone out there garden in containers? Would love some advice!

Sick of Her Crap

2009-02-24T16:03:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you thought I was speaking metaphorically, but alas, no. I literally mean I am sick of her CRAP. As in poo.

See, I have a four year old who is indeed potty trained. She knows what the potty is for. She knows how to sit on it. She has even been trained like Pavlov's dog to expect an M&M on occasion for using it. But this four year old of mine has a mind of her own. Much to my chagrin.

The problem seems to be that she refuses to stop playing and use the aforementioned potty. Nope, she just plays like it's no body's business and at the last possible minute, when she can hold it for only about two more seconds, she freezes. Trying to desperately figure out how to make it the 25 feet to a bathroom, any bathroom, and potty. I've seen her face on a few of these occasions. I'm the one screaming, "Well, run! Don't just stand there and make a big flippin mess!"

It is, of course, too late at that point. So I have a child who is either wet or poopy and knows her momma is going to be none too happy about it. At that point what is the best thing to do? Well, try and cover it up of course.

I have found wet and soiled clothes in the hamper and tucked away under a rug. I have found an entire container of baby wipes shoved down the toilet after the effort to clean up has been made. I have soaked more panties so they could be washed more times than I care to count.

We have gone around and around and around on this issue. I've been mad, madder and furious. She's shed tears....and promptly returned to her normal gleeful self 30 seconds later. And nothing changes.

Just today we had to detour on our way to ballet to change clothes after school. Then while at ballet she knew it was coming and just tried to hold it back. Only somewhat successful. So there I sat in the pinkest of all bathrooms telling her we would sit there all night until she had a complete poo. "But I can't go!" she insisted. "Well, then, PUSH.IT.OUT because I'm not leaving until you do."

She didn't.

A mere five minutes later, I saw her looking at me with big eyes perfectly still by the pre-K toys in the lobby. "Reese, do you need to go now?"

"No."

"Reese get over here right now." And she ran at me at lightning speed. Naturally two girls were locked in the bathroom changing. My only course of action was to start pleading with God.

"PLEASE let them hurry. All I've done for the past two hours is be mad at her for not going on the potty and now she needs to go and we can't. Puh-leeeeeese!" The door opened and I shooed those girls out of there so fast. I just told them if we didn't get in, Reese might poop all over their precious new ballet floor. Hey, it was entirely possible.

So, we made it. Her pipes are clean until tomorrow. Two pairs of panties are soaking in the laundry room, and I am again calm. One day she will have one of her own. (at least) That child will have a mind of his or her own.....and every Christmas I am certain this grandmother will give underwear as a gift, while smiling knowingly at my beautiful daughter. Because I have been there and will understand.

My mother in law has a sign hanging in her kitchen that reads, "Grandchildren are God's gift for not killing your kids." I'm starting to believe there is some truth to that.

She's Just Beautiful!

2009-02-24T10:42:00.000-08:00

My wonderful new MacBook was delivered 10 or so days ago. I know. I promised to post a pic as soon as she arrived...all 7 pounds of her. Actually, I'm guessing 7 pounds. I won't go and put her on the scale. We have enough body issues in this house. No need to aggravate her the second she gets here.

I will indeed post a pic. Sooner or later. Or maybe never. Whatev'...she's here. And I love my husband!

Waiting for the 4th Greatest Gift of My Life

2009-02-11T15:12:00.000-08:00

Well, in a sad turn of events, my Mac died. *cue death march here* I wasn't sure what Terry planned to do. After all, I don't really care what kind of computer I have. My last three have been his hand me downs. Which is great when your husband works on the digerati team. He gets lots of good stuff.

This time there is no hand me down. Although sitting at his computer now writing this post, I can see it would ROCK. Big beautiful silver Mac. I'm sure it has an official title from the Apple people, but I just know it's very large, runs like butta, and is shiny new. But it is shiny new and Terry is not about to give it up.

So, my beloved tells me in the middle of his flu induced psychosis, he was going to find me a used Mac laptop. He had feelers out for one since so many of his tech-y buds upgrade more frequently than normal people. I was okay with that. Heck, I've been itching for a laptop for a while. And used is good. I like a deal. Actually, that's the reason I have so many "cute" clothes in my closet I never wear. They were a good deal. I really need to stop that.

Then I get an direct Tweet that my laptop has shipped and he got a great deal and free shipping. Do you know what that means? A new one people!

I. Cannot. Wait.

I keep checking out the door just in case the UPS or FedEx man comes while I'm not looking. I gave it up last night around 10 p.m.

When it gets here I'll let you know. I may have to find the coolest wi-fi spots in Edmond to visit so I can sit and blog like some of my uber-cool friends. I hear Panera is very good.

Life in America

2009-02-05T17:01:00.000-08:00

Working with students from all over the globe will certainly open your eyes to new cultures and languages. Okay, I don't actually understand anything other than a smidge of Spanish, but still. And now I am getting the opportunity to work with two women who are here from South Korea obtaining their masters degrees in bilingual education. I found myself asking as many questions today about their lifestyles as they were asking me about teaching English as a second language.

Today I had lunch with Mee-Sook Yoon. She graciously goes by Michelle so I don't have to butcher her beautiful name every time I say it. As we were talking she began explaining how she had to "run away" from her family. At the ripe old age of 33, her parents and grandparents have told her she is too old to get married. And, as the middle child, she defiantly refused to be the second one to get married. Her younger and older sisters are now married and her parents have told her maybe a "blond haired American" is her only hope.

I had to just laugh. She's gorgeous. I personally think any "blond haired American" would be lucky to have a woman who can fluently speak two languages and is a world traveler.

We discussed education and how appalled the teachers in Korea would be if they had to put up the antics of American children. She also told me that even though high school is required in S. Korea, it is paid for by the families. I don't really want to pay for my kids to go tohigh school, but I think there may be something to that.

These teachers are giving me a run for my money. They have experience already, and I'm supposed to teach them more. But I have a pretty sneaky suspicion I will be learning just as much from them.

The Use of Technology for God

2009-02-04T10:20:00.000-08:00

I've heard Terry say the phrase "leveraging technology to reach people for Christ" many times in the course of our marriage. It is something he is so passionate about. The absolute joy he has every day when he goes to work and gets to use the internet to do just that makes me one happy wife.

I know it's so important; but just in case you don't, here's why:

HT: Dana for the video!

Got Guilt?

2009-02-02T15:05:00.001-08:00

I've typed it once and I've said it a bazillion times, guilt is a powerful tool. And women are notorious for using it on others and on ourselves. When I was a stay at home mom, I didn't ever directly say things to working moms, but deep down it was there. "How could you choose a job or money or stuff over your kids?"

Then I became one of those moms. And yes, I chose. I justified the choice in so many ways that I was making my friends sick of hearing about it; I'm sure. (I've worked through and apologized for all that by the way.) And then Terry and I started talking about me staying home again. I was elated. We are settled on it. I am staying home next year.

And today, I felt guilty for that choice. What the? I could not be seriously feeling this way. It's all I've wanted for the past two years. I've pleaded with God. I've been mad at myself for bad decisions. And I finally resigned myself to...what ever happens, happens. If I have to work, I at least have a great job, great flexibility and I enjoy it. Okay, the getting up in the morning I could forgo, but I'd have to get up at some point in the day anyway.

And the opportunity to stay home finally arrived.

But this past week, I've been enjoying my job on a whole new level. I'm a good teacher. I could be much better over time and putting in more hours; but all in all, I feel really good about my abilities. It's all been just clicking. Little Legoes just snapping in place. Kids are getting it. I'm getting kudos for my performance. All the stuff that makes teaching worth while.

However, several times I've had to talk myself out of STAYING. Why in the world would I want to stay? In a word: Guilt.

I realized today I actually feel guilty because there are so many moms who have to work, or work and are much better at "doing it all" than I am, or I feel like I'm giving up this great job...crap, crap and more crap.

I hate guilt. I hate that we use it on each other. I hate that I use it on myself and sometimes even act like God is behind it.

I don't have any words of wisdom here. This is a problem bigger than me, but I can at least address this in my own life. Frankly, from this point forward I refuse to allow guilt to be a burden in my life. I will make plenty of mistakes to feel bad about, but that is what God is there for, right? Pick me up, teach me, move on.

Guilt is one of Satan's best ploys to get us off God's track. He's got the majority of us wrapped up in it, ladies. It's just another way to condemn people.

So what's it gonna be? What do you feel guilty about?

R.S.V.P.

2009-01-31T05:57:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up I don't recall my mom going to many baby or wedding showers that weren't held at the school. When the party is in the teacher's lounge and food is present, teachers just show up after work with a gift for the bride or new momma and a gift of gab. It's pretty simple. I don't recall ever seeing R.S.V.P. on any of the "invitations" hung on the bulletin board beside the teachers' boxes. So, not only have I never heard my mother discuss the use of the R.S.V.P, but I'm not sure I really knew of it's importance until I got married.

Now that I think about it, who needed R.S.V.P's when you were a kid. We weren't so crazy busy. If a neighborhood kid or fellow student invited you to his or her birthday party, you came. Your parents practically forced you. It was two to three hours of free babysitting on a Saturday afternoon. Ahhhh, the sheer bliss. I bet my parents just walked around the house and enjoyed the silence or maybe sat on the couch and watched something other than cartoons. We only had one t.v. so we had to share.

But today the R.S.V.P. is very important. Because you see, WE are all very important. Every one is now crazy busy with extra-curricular activities, traveling or really needing to rest from the week of busyness. It's important to let people know if you plan to attend their gathering.

What I have found over the past ten years of throwing my own wedding showers, baby showers and children's parties is that people are rude. They think their time is much more precious than yours and you should be so lucky that they would even show up at your gathering, R.S.V.P.ing has just become some sort of "if it suits my mood" option.

WRONG!

It's just rude to not let someone know whether you are coming or NOT. Unless the invitation says "Regrets Only", (In which case if you don't have to notify unless you aren't coming. It's a new and popular trend.) please just call or e-mail.

Why is this soooo important? Well, apparently the party in question thought you special enough to invite you in the first place. You should think enough of them to not want to waste their time or money. When people don't respond at all, I usually consider they may still show up. Which means I am making enough food to feed them, purchasing enough plates, forks and cups to put said food on, or enough party favors for their child to take home.

Okay, getting off my soapbox. Some help please?

We are attending a birthday party this morning for one of Reese's friends. She is very excited and now that I have typed all of this, I am hoping Terry actually passed my R.S.V.P. along to the birthday boy's mother. Otherwise, I may get some funny looks when I show up!

Weather Drama

2009-01-29T06:04:00.000-08:00

About a week ago I commented to a friend that maybe, just maybe, we would be out of school early since we still hadn't used any snow days. I should have known it would be the kiss of cold death. And it was. Monday afternoon, the weather drama ensued.

I'm okay with weather drama. But I think cold, especially extreme cold, is only good for two things: Christmas and snow. If the mercury dips below freezing, I better be enjoying one of those two things. Both? Even better!

Anyhoo, this is our 3rd snow day. (Which is pretty stupid. I think we could have made it with maybe just a late opening today. I am not however the district that would have it's pants sued off if something tragic happened to a child.) And I am slowing making a list in my head of all the things I could accomplish today. The kinds of things that don't get done on the weekend. Cleaning out of the closets; rearranging furniture; finding a decorating vision for our bedroom.(check, check, check by the way!)

Reia has her homework packet and a project due tomorrow, and I am writing my first post in forever. In reality, I have several in draft, but they were pretty heavy and some days the words I have in my heart for my gratefulness for God aren't enough.

Also, all of this is making me think more about the stay at home mommy thing which will officially start in May. I think I may not count the summer because my plans are, wake up, eat, pool, lunch, nap, playtime, dinner, bath and bed. Every day.

Yeah, that sounds really nice right about now. Not nice enough to go try on bathing suits, but I'm definitely ready.

What do you do during snow days?

Give Me Your Eyes

2009-01-14T13:44:00.000-08:00

So far in 2009 I've read posts about New Years resolutions, people who have a "word" for 2009, or in my husband's case, three words for the year. (I do like his choice of words this year by the way.) And I did consider all of those.

But ever since I heard this song toward the end of 2008, I knew it would be my song, my prayer, for 2009 or maybe longer. It speaks volumes to me every time I hear it. I have spent so much of my life living for me. In general, I am completely oblivious to the world around me. I don't see those people right outside my comfort zone of close friends, immediate family and work relationships. (It's partly in my nature to be unable to focus on more than, I don't know, 1 thing at a time. Ugh!)

And there are so many more people. Right here, right now.

I want to be different. I want to be different for Jesus and because of Jesus. I want to see who He sees and how He sees them. And then I want to do what He does. Care for them. Love them where they are. Serve them.

Here's my prayer. Here's to 2009.

Brandon Heath - Give Me Your Eyes from Brandon Heath on Vimeo.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T12:33:00.000-08:00

A new school year means much more to me than the actual new year. I still feel like I am in the middle of the year right now. None the less, I am committing to something new in 2009. I am planning on running my first half marathon in April. Sixteen weeks from Sunday to be exact.

I am also trying to actually change my eating habits. For real this time. I was going to try Weight Watchers, but frankly until I decide to spend the money on the stuff, I am going to simply calorie count. Terry encouraged me to sign up on LiveStong.com to keep track of calories and exercising. So far, it's pretty easy and the things I eat are already in the system. That means I don't have a lot of leg work to do. I've tried other sites where I have had to type in everything manually. This is much easier.

I will also be involved in a Bible Study on Wednesday mornings. It's been a while since I have been able to do this and I am super excited to be able to meet and get to know better the likes of her, her, her and many others. That starts on Wednesday, so I will be back to getting nothing done until the weekends through June. It's only five months...I can deal with that.

And speaking of five months. That is the amount of time I have left as a working mommy! Yay! I still wake up and wonder how much I am going to miss my job next year, but as soon as I get a look at all that needs to be done around the home, I realize I am ready to be a home maker again. I just have to focus on giving 100% of myself at work and staying away from short timers disease. Never burn any bridges!

All of that to say, Happy New Year! Praying this is they best one yet!

I Hate it When People Make Me Think

2008-12-20T18:49:00.000-08:00

My friend Aaron is a thinker. I love him to pieces, but man, his questions make my head hurt. I'm usually all about acceptance. I tend to go with the status quo. And no, I don't always think that's a good thing, but it is easier.

So, tonight I was skimming over some blogs, (Can you say 331 posts in my blog reader? Yikes!) and I popped over to Shaun Groves blog and a series of posts entitled "Going Giftless". I should have just clicked onto another blog, because now my head hurts.

The basic premise is whether or not we should give gifts at Christmas. He explores some of the common reasons behind gift giving and why it is so hard to stop the over abundance at Christmas, and how he and his family handle it.

And now I'm thinking about it. The whole Christmas gift giving has been a thorn in my marriage since Christmas number one. Terry is not a big fan of giving people a bunch of stuff when they already have a bunch of stuff. Especially when there are a whole boatload of people without anything who could use even a little stuff.

Frankly, I've never been submissive in this issue. Why? I LOVE GIVING GIFTS AT CHRISTMAS! There, I yelled it. Ok, I don't think I will go down the submission road in this post, but just know it will be a key point in how I address this issue next year.

Americans are, in general, spoiled. C'mon. Admit you know it, and see it. Look at how everyone is freaking out that Christmas spending is down for the first time in several decades. Nevermind it's only down by like 2-3%; the world will never be right again if people don't overspend themselves into the poor house at Christmas! I've been guilty of this more than once in the past. It's a crazy ride we get on at Christmas. And I've come to the conclusion, rides that make you get sick, stressed and puke are not good ones.

But back to the series. One of the most thought provoking parts (at least for me) of Shaun's posts was this:"I thought it would be a good idea to have a moment of honesty with our adult selves. Truth be told, giving gifts to our kids isn’t always about our kids. Sometimes it’s about us and what we’ve always known. It’s about our comfort and compliance with a societal norm, a tradition as old as milk on cereal. If we changed the tradition, the expectations, if we made a radical substitute, who would be most affected by it the most really: The children or the grown ups?"

As my friend's wife Lorren would say, "Yeah, about that....".time to do some thinking. And don't worry. I know not all of my friends ( all 4 of you who still check in) will share my questioning on this. It's ok. I don't expect you to. Sometimes God asks things of us that he doesn't ask of others.

Boomama's 2008 Christmas Tour of Homes

2008-12-14T18:01:00.000-08:00

I guess I am going to start under this picture since blogger won't let me do it any other way. So, welcome to my bedeckeled halls! This is our family Christmas tree. What I love most about this tree is the hand sequined tree skirt you can't see. It was made by Terry's great grandmother, and I managed to snag it. I love it! It is a bit old fashioned, but the older I get the more sentimental I become about things from the past.

This is the super fun skinny tree in the girls' room. They had fun picking out ornaments this year and I expect it will become a fun tradition for years to come.

Santa's Snacks are Chex Mix in this house!

I love this boingy Santa my mother gave me. He is fun just to push around.

And what would Christmas be without one or two or three (the girls have one) Nativities?

The wreath above the mantle used to be pre-lit. Now it's only half-lit and I can't figure out how to fix it. So, I just stuck a JOY ornament in the middle and called it a day.

What do you do with big ginormous ornaments you had a great place for in your previous home? Stick them on the dining room table of course!

Looking in from the entry. And yes, Virginia, that is my laundry on the chair waiting to be folded and put away. You didn't think and happy, jolly laundry elf came and did that did you?

Merry Christmas everyone! And if you come by, I will eventually make it to your tour. I can't check every blog from school, so it may take a bit! For more fun tours check out Boomama's here.

Aprons are the new Ugg boots!

2008-12-13T14:03:00.000-08:00

So, don't be a fashion don't by not owning your own apron.

Really, Par!s H!lton was spotted wearing a new Kate Spade apron just the other day. Well, if you want a super cute apron and don't want to pay Couture prices, check out these latest styles by the seamstress formerly known as Kim.

Even better is that you could WIN one before they are actually available to the rich and famous. So go check it out. Right now.

Really.

Go.

12 Days with Straight, No Chaser

2008-12-11T04:57:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure how I've never heard this as it seems to have been around for a while, but I love it. One of my new favorite Christmas songs!

Introducing My Sister

2008-12-10T07:53:00.000-08:00

My sister, Theresa, and I could not be more different. She is tall; I am not. She is blond; I am not. She has a crazy sense of humor; I am more serious. Yes, really. And, she is super creative; where as if I want a nifty idea, I google "nifty crafty idea" and then find where I can buy the finished product.

Theresa has always had a love for puppets. She worked in the puppet ministry at Fellowship Church for a while and finally one day got the gumption to start her own little business. When she told me she was making her own puppets I wasn't sure what to think, so I asked her to send me a picture or two. All I can say is, WOW! I loved them. (My puppets would have been paper bags with cotton balls glued to them.)

So, if my loyal following of four readers would be so kind, would you click over to her blog or etsy site and say hi! You might even find a fun, unique gift for your kids for Christmas!

My kids each have a puppet. I am sewing them a puppet stage and they just can't wait!

A Serioulsy Long Meme

2008-12-06T06:37:00.000-08:00

I received this from a friend via e-mail. But rather than cut, copy and paste it into a new e-mail to send to all of my friends, I just decided to blog it. So, if you want to join in, copy and paste on your blog and then leave me a comment so I can come read yours!

Happy Saturday!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No, my dad named me before my mom's anesthesia wore off!

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED

When was the last time I didn't cry? It's pitiful really.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Some days yet, some days no. Depends on the pen.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Smoked Turkey. What kinds of questions are these?

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

Two sweet little girls!

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Yep!

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Usually in my head so it doesn't rub off on the girls.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
No way. Although it would be interesting to see if vomit falls faster than human.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Lucky Charms

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
I wear Mary Janes or Flip flops most of the time, but no.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?

Depends on what I'm dealing with and whose dealing with it along side me.

.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Blue Bunny Bunny Tracks

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
I don't really know.

15. RED OR PINK? Pink

Pink

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My tendency to yell.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?

Friends from Dallas and One from Mexico!

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
No, please just blog it if you choose.

19. WHAT KIND OF SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
slipper socks...I'm still in my PJ's.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Cinnamon Twists with chocolate frosting.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The news on the tv and the girls working on a puzzle.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Hummm, I like so many colors.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?

Fall smells like cinnamon and pumpkin.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?

Lorren

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Of course, or I would have deleted it.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Sports?

27. Hair Color?

Natural or the color I keep it?

28. EYE COLOR?
Blue

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Yes

30. FAVORITE FOOD(S)?
Avocados, hamburgers, mac and cheese...anything not fish

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
happy endings

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
I cannot remember

33. COLOR SHIRT YOU’RE WEARING?
Out of pj's now. Heather grey thermal with white tank underneath

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
How about Spring and Fall?

35. HUGS OR KISSES? Why not both!

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Richelle's cupcakes of course

37. Can you drive a stick shift and do you like it?
What's a stick shift? Ha ha, no.

38. WHAT OR WHO INSPIRES YOU?

God

39. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD?

Ratty old baby dolls

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
DELL, it was free

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?

The Office on Hulu

42. FAVORITE SOUND?
Terry's voice when he calls me on the phone, and the girls when they are playing.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Neither, really

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME???

Hawaii

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Does frugal-ness count? Is frugal-ness a word?

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Jonesboro, ark

47. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE BIBLE VERSE OR SAYING?

God is good. All the time.

48. HOW DO YOU VENT ANGER?

We're supposed to vent it? Not just keep it in until you explode like a human volcano?

49. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT?

Dinner Parties!

What I Am Doing Right Now

2008-12-04T18:32:00.000-08:00

Right now I am playing on the new Dell Netbook. It is tee tiny and I keep mashing a bunch of buttons I do not mean to, BUT it is so nice to be sitting here on the couch leaned back working on a blog post instead of at my desk with my back hurting after a long day of work and kids and dinner and kids.

Terry borrowed it from a friend to see if I liked it. Umm, helllooo? I love it! I could really get used to this.

On another note, we only have two weeks until Christmas break. And then two weeks of a hanging with the girls and begging them to sleep late and take naps every day. I may even begin to contemplate a New Year's resolution that includes eating stuff that doesn't turn my insides to organs that hate me.

Okay, enough practice on the teeny tiny keyboard now. It's harder than it looks, but if I can figure out the keypad on the blackberry, I can handle this right?

Some Days, A Little Perspective Helps

2008-11-24T11:16:00.000-08:00

Another ELL teacher in our distict asked some of her ELL students what they were thankful for this year. Here are some of the responses:

*I am thankful for my parents because they take care of me. My mom buys me stuff. I am thankful for not walking to every place like I did in Somalia so I go in the car here and don't get so tired. I am thankful war not going around here.

*I am thankful for the parents I have and another reason I'm thankful is that I get to be in a place of a lot of opportunity's. Another thing is that I'm living.

*I am thankful for the opportunity to be an American. I am thankful for God for being there for me. I am thankful for my food because I have more here and always eat every day. I'm also thankful for people like you help me in life. Because life is a strange world but people help me through it.

And I am thankful that God humbles me and reminds me I am not thankful enough.

I REALLY Love These Pants

2008-11-21T06:52:00.000-08:00

Those of you who really know me will see what a big deal this is. Frankly speaking, I'm frugal. I rarely spend more than $20 on any one article of clothing, including shoes. And even more honestly, my goal on shirts is $10 or less.

However, when Terry and I were in Dallas last weekend, I saw these sweat pants. I was immediately smitten. But, if you clicked the link, you can see my dilemma. For that $78 price tag I could easily get two pairs of Fila sweats (with cutie patootie silver trim I might add) and two matching hoodies at Kohl's. And if I score a 20% or 30% additional savings, it could be less.

On the one hand I rarely spend this kind of money on myself. For one article of clothing anyway. Oh sure, I've dropped my fair share decorating the house or things for the girls....but I can't stop thinking about these stupid sweats and how I would look so uber cute in them.

One more thing, if I do buy them, I will feel the need to wear them a lot. =) Have to get my money's worth and all.

So, what do you think ladies (and any gents that may be lurking) splurge or not? I will need some new sweats regardless by the way.

Turkey Dinner Thrice?

2008-11-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

The thing about being a teacher or even having kids in school is the numerous times you will enjoy a traditional turkey dinner before Thanksgiving.

Yesterday was Reese's Thanksgiving feast at Staffkids. It was wonderful.

Today is the Thanksgiving feast at lunch through the cafeteria. Those women in the kitchen know how to make a yeast roll. I asked and received extras.

Next Tuesday is the Thanksgiving feast sponsored by the 1st grade. And seeing how Reia is in charge of cheese cubes, I feel I must attend.

So, I will eat turkey three times before the actual day of showing our thanks and gratitude by stuffing ourselves silly.

Just thought I'd mention it. Oh, those are my pants at the tailor being LET OUT by several inches.

I bring you good news of great tidings and joy.

2008-11-18T10:22:00.000-08:00

I am able to access my blogger account from school! Of course, as soon as they find out I can blog from my desk, I'm sure it will be disabled once again.

Therefore, I'm going to take this moment to let everyone know how nuts my life is going to be for the next month or so. I do love the holidays, but going back to work has put a bit of a damper on my joy. I wasn't nearly as excited about decorating for Christmas this year. And that may be due in part, to the fact that decorating takes me a whole dad gum week. Who knows, maybe I'll pare down next year.

Nah. Moving on.

Reese's birthday was at the beginning of the month and Reia's will be Christmas Eve. I am the mother of 4 and 7 year olds. They helped decorate the tree with me for the first time this year. I just let them go to town and sat in the fetal position while chanting, "I will not rearrange. I will not rearrange. I will not rearrange."

And I didn't.

Except for the few (or twenty) ornaments that were hung RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. The nervous twitch in my eye finally went away this morning. I really am NOT OCD except for a few things. And I have no idea where it came from. My mom isn't OCD. My dad certainly isn't. I showed none of these tendencies until I met and married Terry. Hum. I'll have to think some more on this.

Moving on again. I wasn't planning on having Christmas (with family and all) at our house this year, but it seems that we will. Should be fun having my parents and mother in law in town. And now I have another list of the grocery variety to work on.

One day I will stop with all the rambling posts. I do have things to talk about. But can't seem to focus on any of them right now.

So, y'all have a great Thanksgiving and hope to catch some of you in the middle of Christmas madness that will begin in a week or so, if it hasn't for your family already.

Gobble Gobble!

Feels Good To Be Back!

2008-11-12T09:57:00.000-08:00

I am happy to be back at my original bloggy home. I have some updating to do. The first of which is changing my blog skin. Although I love this one, The Cutest Blog on the Block ladies have some adorable things on their site.

Secondly, I have my blog roll to update over there. So, if you don't see yourself listed, I will get to it soon. Ok, eventually. =)

Right now I'm looking at all of the Christmas figurines and thinking, "Huh. That sure is a lot of Santas and snowmen I have to find a place for." Maybe, just maybe, I need to stop buying Christmas stuff. (Meanwhile, Terry just had giddiness sweep over his whole body and has no idea why.)

Can't wait to get on the blogger homepage and find all the new stuff they have added since I was last here. And I have an exciting introduction to make in a few days, so keep checking back!

Hello Again

2008-10-15T18:37:00.000-07:00

Just making sure I still know my login and password to this account in case I decide to switch back to this blog.

Hello to anyone who still happens to have this blog on their blog reader.

Time for a Change?...Definitely!

2007-11-06T05:35:00.000-08:00

Even though I love love love my blogskin, I've decided to make a move to Wordpress. I already love it's functionality!

So, if you don't mind, please make note of my new address to your blog reader...

www.robin.thestorches.com

See ya there!

Time for a Change...Maybe

2007-11-05T15:03:00.000-08:00

So, I'm thinking of changing my blog over to another service. Mainly because I can't work on blogger from my school during my lunch. Blogger is blocked. Humm. This means that I will lose my cute blog skin though. I doubt I'll be paying for a new one anytime soon.

I'll let you know. All five of you.

=)

More Today

2007-11-04T18:44:00.000-08:00

As I was laying in bed one night thinking about life, and Terry, it hit me. This sense of such a deep love. I thought to myself, "I truly love him more today than I did when we got married."

And before you say, "Well duh, I hope so." let me say that I have been told time and time again, as you go along in your marriage, "Love is not a feeling; it's a choice." And maybe that is true at times, but I know what I feel. I am here to say, at least for me, it's both.

I should mention that this particular feeling hasn't always been there. I have had the "I know this is the guy for me" feeling, the "I really WANT you" feeling (aren't honeymoons fabulous?), and the "I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you" feeling. I've even had the "Do I really have to live the rest of my life with you?" feeling after a particularly rough time in our marriage--which wasn't all that long ago.

At that point "Love is a Choice" became my mantra. I laid it at the Lord's feet, because I had no idea how to do this thing--submit and trust and release control (there's a little reveal into my iceberg). And it's still hard, but I'm trying.

All of a sudden, out of the blue, this feeling. It was almost as if the Holy Spirit said, "If you just keep trusting God, and do what he asks in regard to your marriage, you will get so much more than that tiny glimpse of a feeling; you'll feel like that all of the time."

And I'm all over that! Because that first love feeling is great, but I can tell you right now, it's got nothing on what I feel for my husband right now at this very moment.

Happy Birthday to my Reese's Pieces

2007-11-03T14:54:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to my baby, who I guess is no longer since she's 3!!!
You'll never know how much your momma loves you.

An Iceberg of Sin

2007-10-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

Only about 8% of an iceberg can be seen above the water. It's amazing to me that as a ship travels across the ocean, what looks like a great big innocent ice cube above the water line could indeed kill everyone on board if the captain isn't paying attention.

Still, I have an iceberg that needs to be addressed. I could go around it, (I have been for years.) but it would still be there. And let's face it, I travel these waters called life every day and eventually it will do major damage. We all have character flaws, but what I am talking about is a character sin that continually keeps me from doing what God needs me to do. It keeps my heart from being completely malleable in my captain's capable hands. And, it has to be addressed.

Of course, I've known it's been there for a long time. I can see it...but only about 8%. This move to Oklahoma that has rocked my world for the past ten months, forced me to get off the boat. Yes, into the freezing waters where I could look under the surface. See how big this thing is.

Good heavens. Big. Huge. Ginormous. And not in a good way.

I really don't know what to do about it yet. I see it. It's bigger than me. Not bigger than God of course, but WAY bigger than me.

Can I get back on the boat? On my deck chair and read a book? =)

No, I can't. Now that I know it's enormity and God wants it to be dealt with, ignoring it is out of the question. Five million more questions have popped up in it's place.

And, I'm not going to share what all of this is. I really need to be focused on Him. I need Him.

God is my captain. I'm glad he's paying attention.

I Don't Even Know Where to Start

2007-10-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

There is so much going on. So much to blog about. So much I don't even know where to start.

Do I tell you that in the last three days my youngest has pulled a dresser over on top of herself, ate part of a glow stick...again, had at least 15 accidents even though she's potty trained, tried to pour her own dose of decongestant and poured the entire bottle of Dimetapp on the floor, (she still smells like grape), got her fingers caught in between the door and the walkway of my portable, and dismantled several glue sticks while "helping" me in my room this morning?

Or, do I mention this is the first weekend in the past 8 that we have not had company? Please don't get me wrong. I love each and every person that has come. I miss them like crazy, but 7 weekends in a row means a lot of meals, even more toilet paper, and one tired workin' momma. I'm actually ready for my week now that I have had two days with nothing to do. Well, except clean five thousand pounds of dog hair off the stained concrete floors. I know if we had carpet it would actually be just stuck there, but at least I couldn't see it.

What else in my random-ness can I bring up?

I would become a member of a cult that extolled the greatness of Michael Scott, if one were available. Maybe I should start one? If you aren't watching "The Office", you are indeed missing out on one of life's guilty pleasures.

Actually, I don't feel guilty at all.

So, I guess it's just a pleasure then.

Moving on...

The girls are currently listening to that song where the dogs bark the theme to Jingle Bells. Exciting stuff here people.

I just bored myself reading my own post. But I'm publishing anyway or you guys might just think I've fallen off the face of the earth.

I guess I'm just checking in. Y'all have a great week!

When Best Friends Collide

2007-10-07T07:46:00.001-07:00

I could have also named this post, "If Loving a Lip Gloss is Wrong, I Don't Want to be Right"

My friend Richelle is here from Dallas and I couldn't be happier! We're having a blast and Terry even watched all four kids yesterday so we could go to Kohl's by ourselves yesterday. At which point I bought this fabulous lip gloss from Flirt. It's the greatest shade for fall.

Okay, have to run. Too much fun to be had in too short amount of time.

Tales from the ELL Zone

2007-10-04T15:46:00.000-07:00

I am an ELL Teacher. I love being an ELL teacher, and here is just one reason why:

While discussing how to change a noun from singular to plural (most commonly by adding -s, by the way) I looked at my class and asked, "Now, how can I go from one dog to more than one dog?"

The reply?

"Go buy the other dog." And he totally meant it.

I couldn't help but giggle and smile.

On another note: go read this post for a real gafaw!

I Guess This Blog is Just for Me!

2007-10-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

A week or so ago Terry changed a few things on my blog. Consequently, my new post (notice I didn't say posts) hasn't shown up on any blog reader. That means the only people who are now checking in here are my friends who generally don't comment. That's okay, I still love y'all because you call me and tell me you care. And read. You know who you are. Because you lived in Corinth with me. Amy. and Michelle. And Holly. and Richelle.

But I digress. The point is this: I suddenly feel kind of free to post what I want without worrying about who is reading it. Since my friends really know me and all. And there is nothing controversial about what I am about to post or anything, but since no one is really reading I can ramble all I want. So there.

This is for all of the moms out there...

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response,
The way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and
Ask to Be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on
The Phone?" Obviously not. (personally I think they can see, and that's why they have chosen this moment to need you. )No one can see if I'm on the phone, or
Cooking, or Sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner,
Because no One can see me at all. I'm invisible.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this?
Can You tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands;
I'm Not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm
a Satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm
a car To order, "Pick me up right around 5:30, please."

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the
Eyes That studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude --
But now They had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.

She's going ... she's going ... she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return
Of a Friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous
Trip, and She was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting
There, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was
Hard Not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my
Out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was
Clean.

My Unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could
Actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic,
When Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I
Brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly
Sure Why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte,
With Admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one Sees."

In the days ahead I would read -- no, devour -- the book. And I
Would Discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after
Which I Could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals
-- we Have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives
For a Work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and
Expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by
Their Faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit
The Cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a
Tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why
Are You spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be
Covered by the roof? No one will ever see it."
And the workman replied, "Because God sees."
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place.

It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I
See The sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.
No Act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake
You've Baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are
Building a Great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a
Disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of
My own Self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder.
As one Of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished,
to Work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the
Book Went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our
Lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that Degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend
he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in
The Morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand-bastes a turkey
For Three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would
Mean I'd Built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to
Come Home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to
add, "You're gonna love it there."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if
we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will
marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has
been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Being a mom is sometimes so hard and frustrating. And I thank God every day I get to do it! Whew! That was a long post. Thank God for copy and paste.

A Moment of Silence...

2007-09-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

Fall has officially begun here in the Storch household. It is a nice 65 outside; high tomorrow is 78; and I just made and partook (is that a word?) of my first batch of Chex mix.

Heaven on earth.

Enjoy fall my friends!

For Your Viewing Pleasure...

2007-09-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

We're locked, mostly loaded and ready to go regardless. We're in. Most of the boxes are unpacked. We're waiting on the rest of the girls bedroom furniture, and I still need to hang several dozen pictures, but so far I feel completely at home. (Actually, I've felt completely at home in all the places we've lived. It doesn't matter where we are as long as were together and where God wants us.)

View of the Kitchen

Family Room--eventually red velvet curtains will cover the back window.

Powder Bath Vanity; It's hard to take a pic of these little areas.

New Master Bed Threads. I was going for simple. Notice my makeshift shams in the back. The new ones are a summer project.

Master Bath Tub; yes, I still have tags on the towels. Just not sure yet.

And this was a the lovely surprise I received from my friend, The Sweet Diva. Just a few of my favorite things! Thanks Chelles!

Our new neighbors. We have about 20 of these making the biggest webs I have ever seen outside every window. The exterminator comes tomorrow with eviction notices!

Finally...

2007-09-11T05:46:00.000-07:00

Well, we've moved. And although things are out of boxes, they aren't all put up, hung up or put away. And, it may be a while. When we moved to Dallas last year, I had all the time in the world since I was at home; not so much now.

As soon as I find the cord to download pics, I'll share. Especially the one of the HUGE spiders building HUGE webby homes outside of every window. I'd knock them down (about 15 of them), but I'm sure they'd turn and attack. I'd be a gonner for sure.

Also, it's 55 degrees right now. Can I get an Amen! and Chex Mix! please?????!!!

Moving Day???

2007-09-06T05:57:00.000-07:00

We should be closing on our house today. We've had so many issues building this house. We've lived in an apartment with no outside space for eight months; which, if you know me, is about the worst.

After all this, and we could have yet another setback today, what I have realized is this:

It's just a house.

I can live with a lot less--space, money, things.

God provides, even in limited space, so much more than I could ever hope for in regard to my marriage and relationship with my girls. Both have grown considerably in the past months.

He is in control. I am not. Even today I must give my concerns to him.

And of course, in God-fashion here was my Elisabeth Elliot devotional today: (Good words for a woman on the brink of telling her builder where he can put this house.)

Today will be full of turmoil, for we are moving. Decisions to be made, complicated sorting and packing to be done, hard physical work, confusion and misunderstanding. I will be tempted to "manage" things which are not mine to manage, to be impatient and anxious and vindictive--I can see it coming! But there is a quiet, steadying power--the love of Christ, and "this love of which I speak is slow to lose patience, looks for a way of being constructive" (l Cor 13:4 JBP). It is not in me. That brand of love is not a part of my nature. So I simply ask for it. Lord, your love alone, at work in me, behaves like that.

Love through me, Love of God.
Make me like thy clear air
Through which, unhindered, colors pass
As if it were not there.
--(Amy Carmichael, Toward Jerusalem)