Thank you, dear friends of old... its never dull.

A weekend spent with these fine individuals is a weekend to remember. Thank you...

Scott and Holly... Dave and Beth... Geoff, Amy, Emily, Ethan and Eva... Jenny and Leo (missed you, Dusty) and those dearest to me, Kyle, Katie, William and Ben... also, in addition, my fantastic brother in law in from California. He had the pleasure of laughing around a table late into the night with these fine folk.

Cheers!

(Here are some shots from our Saturday afternoon down at Green Lake. Enjoy!)

My Jenny...

Everything 'fits' into place when she's around. There's no better way to describe how I feel when Jenny is here... and Leo has quickly become a fixture in that. He is exactly who he's supposed to be - the wonderment of who Dusty and Jenny are together as a couple. Now Leo just 'fits' and he is amazing.
God bless you, my dear friend. I love you and cherish our friendship.

Just?

LYSOL WIPES

Yesterday afternoon following my arrival home from Bible Study I was getting the kids dressed and ready to go to the park - it was sunny! As I sat on the floor of the kids' room, assisting William in the 'proper' way of getting dressed, I noticed a smudge on the bedroom door. It can't be what I think it is. After 3 weeks of coughs, watery eyes and runny noses the likelihood was high that this 'smudge' on the door was ridden with bacteria and cemented to the door - I have no idea how long it was there.

Katie walked over to the smudge, wrinkled up her face than relaxed and casually commented, 'oh... its just a sneeze.'

JUST A SNEEZE?! Have you got to be kidding me? I didn't think my kids KNEW how to pick their nose and wipe it on the walls! I immediately felt myself beginning to black out and struggling to come to. Everything around me began moving in slow motion and I could spot marks on walls as though I had a super power... boogers boogers everywhere! I HAD to get this house wiped down and FAST. My kids voices were getting slower and much lower as I rose to my feet and began searching for whatever antibacterial 'thing' I could find... LYSOL Wipes would do.

This morning I have swept, mopped, laundered, folded, stripped, and scrubbed in an effort to rid my home of grossness.

And I have LYSOL wiped any and all the boogers off my walls. Hopefully.

"Beauty is Pain" and other Schei Shorts

BEAUTY IS PAIN

I [discretely] rolled my eyes at Katie this morning as she asked me to put her pink and black Hello-Kitty-Found-In-My-Happy-Meal-Yesterday wristwatch on the 'tightest' fitting... she squinted as I squeezed the nodule into the proper hole (custom made by Dad as the stock holes were made for someone larger). I apologized for how tight it was and asked if she wanted me to loosen it. To that question, she shook her hair from her face, lifted her chin and sniffed back the snot and tears... she grinned through pained eyes and said, 'no, Mom. Than it would just fall off.' Under my breath I said, 'beauty is pain, my child. Beauty is pain.' She heard it. I didn't think she had and when she asked what I said I just chuckled, 'nothing love.' But not a moment later, Katie was reciting it to herself as if it were her new mantra. 'Beauty is pain. Beauty is pain. Beauty is pain.' I wouldn't have been all that concerned had she not been swaying back and forth with her eyes closed and rubbing the sides of her temples... For goodness' sake! I HAD been considering the thought of looking into some child modeling for Katie ONLY because she is a natural in front of the camera... but I'm not so sure it wouldn't completely destroy her sense of inner beauty and the importance of.
(photo: Pacific Northwest born model, C.E. Schei, and her young beau, Leo, at the Parents Magazine Awards banquet last October)

VIOLENCE

As we drove to the park today Katie and William sat in the back discussing the technicalities of being 'squooshed' on the road. Whether that be themselves or some other mammal was what sparked my interest in the conversation. Oh no. Wait. WHAT sparked my interest in the conversation was, 'HEY MOM' and what immediately followed was Katie regurgitating the entire theoretical situation to me.

"It would be bad if you left William in the middle of the road and his head split open...' (to which William lifted his arms in the air and whispered loudly as if to claim victory over the moment, 'yeeeeaaahhh...') "... that would be bad. And then you'd have to go back and get him because he'd be in the middle of the road getting run over by cars." Immediately following was William in his oh-so-conservativeness, "yeeeeeeaaaaahhhh... and my body would be broken all over and my head would be split open..." as he made a warrior-like face. WHAT in God's good name did this kid think he would be accomplishing by dieing such a heroic/martyr-like death (or so it seemed he thought) at the mere age of 2 years and 11 months? I can only imagine what was going through his mind...

THE EARTH IS BEING INVADED (whatever that means) BY TRANSFORMERS

THE EARTH IS BEING BLOWN UP (didn't know what invaded meant) BY BIG BALLS OF FIRE

THE EARTH NEEDS ANOTHER SUPERHERO AND I WILL SAVE THEM BY BEING SQUOOSHED

... and oodles of other imaginative stories, I'm sure.


(TO BE CONTINUED)

GGDC Update

Albertsons:
Total Bill: $59.13
Total Savings: $46.41

Safeway:
Total Bill: $57.26
Total Savings: $59.85

Safeway Purchase II: (took advantage of a sale where the limit was 'limit 1 per purchase' so I did two separate transactions) *this transaction did include 5 bottles of wine that were not 'grocery game material' which explains the less than 50% savings.
Total Bill: $45.65
Total Savings: $28.50

Pot o' Pintos

Here is by far the largest pot of beans I have ever cooked. This evening our Small Group has committed to serving at a local church where every Saturday night those in need around the area can come and enjoy a free meal. Tonight we are serving bean burritos to 100+ people... and my house will smell like taco meat for days to come.

Happy Valentines Day!

We have spent the morning decorating our house, lounging in our sweats and making Valentines for every person that is in the house, is coming to the house, and may possibly come to our house at any time today... Katie loves anything "art". If you're coming over, please call first. Katie would like to make sure you are her Valentine, too.

Laughter where once there was...

William McCormick Schei has a way about him. A way of making one laugh out loud in the middle of a church service. Or worse yet, a funeral. What's so great about this 'gift' of his is that he has no idea he possesses it. Oh how I wish that wouldn't change. Because I know the day will come when I look at him quizzically and say something along the lines of, 'honey, what was that?' with a disgusted expression on my face. He will think that he is the hit of the moment when all he's really showing is that he has no tact and/or understanding of the social context he's in.

But for now, creating a "shooting gun" out of two royal blue 4/5 Crocs and a pew pencil while the worship team belts a hit song from the most recent, not to mention original, WOW CD is fantastic and awesome. As is his way of distinguishing the difference between circumcised and uncircumcised. 'Hey, Mom. Look.' He painfully speaks through clenched teeth. I look across the hallway into the bathroom and realize that his face is scrunched in pain as he looks at me and then down again at his 'peep'. My eyes travel down and there he is, standing with his peep out as he leans backwards, legs apart, knees bent, pants down around his ankles and he's pulling the foreskin as far as it will stretch down around the base of his little 'peep', "this is what [friend's name] looks like..." He looks back at me - probably in hopes that he hasn't executed this maneuver in vain - and I frightfully lurch forward as I go into a schpeel about fertility I MEAN privacy and uniqueness.

He tries so hard too. My heart is so proud that he makes such an effort at being, well, a girl when the time is appropriate and he feels the need to connect with Katie. He likes to have his nails painted, he likes to play the Mom if necessary and because he loves 'movement' so much he often turns that into a dance of sorts. This evening it was ballet. Or modern dance, if you will.

William's moves were new and original. Brian Boitano couldn't compete with the likes of one graceful W.M. Schei. He moved across the floor not unlike a crab walking on its two back legs, front arms bent and elbows shooting skyward behind him as he bent over in, I don't know, beautiful form. He waltzed and twirled and must have felt to him much like one feels when watching footage shot from a handicam - a little queasy and uneasy, your back hurts and you keep blinking your eyes in hopes that the feeling will go away and everything will become smooth and clear again. He ends each and every 'count' in a gorilla-like form. Squatting low, with one hand curled up under his armpit and the other one pounding the floor while slightly bouncing. He tops it all off with somewhat of a superhero expression on his face...


And off in the distance my daughter is extending one lanky leg up over her head as she does an arabesque with perfect balance and pristine form. A look on her face as though she's performing in front of thousands of people and they're all there to see her and no one else.

Ok. You can't see the latter expression on her face but I know her well enough to know that she is already thinking that way. They're there for her charm and elegance. Oh dear Lord, help me now. I have a little man who believes guns, foreskin and gorilla dancing are the way to get through the difficulties of life and a little lady who, if she could, would dress and dance until her clothes were too small and her feet bleed.

I have a lot to learn from them.

Oh... and I don't know what was there before the laughter. It just seems that when I laugh at my children due to their awesomeness and originality, I don't have anything to compare it to. I think God created that feeling for this moment... when I look at them as though I can see something supernatural and my heart swells as though I want to cry because the moment warrants such emotion but all I can do is laugh.

It is good.

GGDC Update

That stands for Grocery Game Dot Com.

Albertsons:
Total Bill: 36.87
Total Savings: 43.05

That's awesome.

Safeway:
Total Bill: 24.51
Total Savings: 34.98

That's also awesome.

If you're wondering whether or not you're reading the information correctly... you are. I spent $61 and saved $78.

Quiet.

I've had about a week of feeling quite numb. Whether its been that I've missed a couple doses of my 'happy pills' or the Satanic snow fall; whether its the detrimental behavior of my eldest child or the absolute bliss-turn-apathetic feeling of spending time with friends who know me well enough to not need me to be happy... (shout out to Mark and Rebecca and Jeremy and Rachel... you all are in my top 2 of couples - nothing like a good bloody battle, eh?)

Not sure where my quietness is coming from... well actually, I do. I simply don't have the energy to 'filter my words' carefully. I want people to be like me and in my egocentric moment I've realized I should cautiously stop typing and go pray about the words that want to fly forth... no, nothing earth shattering and most likely it has nothing to do with you. I'm not holding any grudges or upset to the point of melting but I am stewing in my quietness... whether out of contemplation or cautiousness. I'm not sure.

I'll (probably) talk to you tomorrow. No, not the 'you' that I've been stewing about. Just the 'you' that's reading this right now.

Cheers. Sleep tight.

Love Him Better

Just yesterday evening Kyle informed me that a couple we've known for the last 10 or so years was getting divorced. We watched them as they built their relationship after meeting, we were part of the bridal party at their wedding and have continued a relationship with them since - trying to bridge the miles between us by visiting them each summer on our way to the Oregon Coast.

What's interesting is that God has been doing a work on me for the last few months and it all began to make sense during the funeral service last weekend in La Grand, Oregon. I want you to love your husband better. Not necessarily more because love isn't measurable in that way. He wanted me to begin at that moment loving my husband better. Chad and Kathy had a love affair and it was what made an impression on those around them from the time they met at 14 years of age. Now that's not to say that there weren't times Chad may have been locked out of the house -- that's nothing more than assumption -- or times Kathy may have wanted to bail! But the intensity of the love that God built between the two of them was inseparable by man and in Chad's passing Kathy was impacted in a way only God could empathize with.

I have no doubt the love Kyle has for me -- he does an exceptional job of showing me and I don't always receive it. He showers me with praise and encouragement; he's slow to anger and extremely patient; he keeps his heart contrite and is quick to correct it when its wrong; he communicates openly with me and when he's not [communicating openly] its a result of him being completely oblivious; he gets up early with the kids and lets me sleep; he calls me from work to say he loves me; he always calls on his way home to see if I need anything from the store... he adores me. He doesn't love me more than I love him... just better.

In my heartache of hearing of our friends' divorce I began contemplating how weird and unfamiliar that must feel... I can't even leave for a few days without dealing with the side effects of feeling unfamiliar and out of my comfort zone -- Kyle is the one I want to be around day in and day out... how does that change so drastically in one's marriage? I was speaking with my Mom today on the phone and discussing the oddity of the such things that God had such different intentions for and I told her:

I know in my heart of hearts that I will never be opposite Kyle in the courtroom...
I know in my heart of hearts that we will be tempted day in and day out...
And I know in my heart of hearts that prayer will be the only safety from an Enemy that seeks to destroy us...

Kyle and I have begun taking time to pray together just before he walks out the door in the morning. We are building a shelter around our marriage and seeking the Lord to bring us joy unimaginable in each other.

Not So Family Friendly and Kid Safe.

As I ran my errands this morning I braved the local Christian radio station - of which I'm not a big fan of. The "uplifting and kid-safe" motto is not what inspires me to listen to it from time to time... I actually DO enjoy some Christian music out there and if it weren't for the unflappable cheerful tone that plagues the station no matter what they're talking about, I might be more apt to listen. I mean no offense to anyone who enjoys this station -- it just doesn't suit me or the faith that I cling to on a daily basis. I'm one who awakes in the morning, tussled hair and sweaty, gulping my 2 cups of coffee as if it were my life-line and close to homicide anytime someone turns on overhead lighting. If I were to turn on Spirit at that point in the morning, I can guarantee you I'd pull my gun from its holster and blow away the face of the receiver - without regret. But that's neither here nor there.

My relationship with the station itself is beyond repair and today created even deeper wounds when one of the ads came on for a local weight loss clinic. The ad contained material such as 'God didn't create you fat' and 'be more capable to do what you've been called to do' (what?! how many strippers are doing it for the Lord?! was my first thought... oh, they're talking to teachers, pastors and strippers alike. I see...) I was sick to my stomach to hear this ad twist God's voice in such a way as to make someone think that we have the ability to take ownership of what God does in our life! What's to keep someone from feeling entitled to some of the credit for what God's done in their lives when they're under the impression that the weight loss was what made the difference in their 'success'?! Sick. What a testament to our perverse way of thinking. I think what angers me so royally is that its the same crap that I've heard in my head for so many years and through studying the Word of God its been reiterated over and over again that these are lies the Enemy forces us to believe. The ad continued down the road of lies as it joyfully described the opportunities that await you -- no diet or exercise needed!

For those who know me. I enjoy the art of exercise. Exercise is what keeps our bodies healthy and capable of performing in our daily lives. Yes! Exercise creates health and health creates a physical aptitude of sorts which then in turn can contribute to what God has called you to but that has NOTHING to do with your physique. Your heart... your lungs... your body as a whole performs at various levels and what is sufficient for one may not be sufficient for another dependent on lifestyle and only you can be held accountable as to whether or not your physical capabilities is withholding you from serving the Lord in the capacity He's asked you to serve Him. But don't for one minute think that your light weight 120lb-self is going to be able to perform better than your 180lb-self in God's kingdom following some 'fantastic opportunity' you paid for down at the lipo clinic! No, God doesn't care about your physique. He cares about why you're the way you are... I can guarantee you the result of being obese can be due to the same compulsiveness that is at fault for being 95lbs. It is a heart that worships something greater than the God you claim to serve. Whether you eat too many calories during one meal or you run 10 miles a day -- if its not honoring to the Lord, you're both at fault.

As I sat in the car today, my children in their seats behind me, I teared up. I could not stand the fact that the local Christian radio station was enabling my daughter (who asks me daily if she's beautiful) to invite such dangerous lies into her head. And I had to conscientiously remember to not discuss my 'squooshy tummy' with an heir of resentment anymore but instead discuss with her the fantastic opportunities that await us in getting outside and playing.

The Lusk Home

Here are some shots of Chad and Kathy's property in La Grand, Oregon... its beautiful. We spent the majority of time in Chad's 'man room' where I took the indoor shots. Yes, even the dessert table was set up in there... gorgeous dessert table.

Entering the property - Chad built this...

A close up -- you can see the eagle on one side and the ram on the other...


The Lusk home in the distance. A beautiful sight as it rests at the base of Mt. Emily - you are not able to see the mountain as it extends skywards directly behind the line of trees due to the fog... on a sunny day its absolutely breathtaking...

The long drive up to the house...


Looking from their deck across the valley. A cowboy boot-bird feeder in the foreground...

The deck - you can see the smoke from the BBQ. It was a feast! We had Tri-tip, moose, Coleslaw, Waldorf salad, bread, baked beans, meatballs and phenomenal desserts!

The view across the valley...


This is carved out of one moose antler -- I believe Chad bought it at Sturgis when he went...


Desserts to die for...



Congregating before everyone arrived. My Dad sipping his coffee, my brothers - David and Geoff, my Mom and Kathy in the background and Kathy's Mom setting up the desserts...

A Day to Remember a Life

Saturday, Januray 24th, 2009 will be etched in my memory just as all previous memories of the Lusk family have...

I opened the van's sliding door and gathered Ben together as I grimaced against the cold wind pelting the side of my face. Hat secured under his chin - check, jacket zipped - check, legs covered - check. He and I braved the elements as we made our way to the front entrance of La Grand High School. I entered and stomped my feet on the large door mat just inside as the euphoric smell of 'highschool hallway' took over my senses. Directly in front of me was Kathy Lusk - strikingly beautiful, dabbing at her tear-streaked face with a handkerchief and welcoming everyone individually into the auditorium. Next to her was a podium where we signed the guest book and picked up the service program - it read "Chad Dalton Lusk" with a timeless picture of him in the mountains with his dog. I quickly walked over to Kathy, kissed her cheek and embraced her. Just her voice was an oh-so-familiar and welcome sound... I knew this would be a moment I would remember for the rest of my life.

Matt met me half-way down the aisle as I searched for a seat... we exchanged kisses on the cheek and I introduced him to Ben. Amy was not far behind him and in a voice that still holds so much warmth and visceral memories for me she spoke and embraced me. We talked for a little while and I found my seat. For the next several minutes I watched as the family spoke to old friends and those they have built community with there in La Grand. It was all so surreal and full of emotion... yet numbing at the same time. There were no large pictures at the front of the auditorium, no classical music playing as people filtered in, there were no black veils and very few somber moods but instead praise and worship songs played quietly over the speaker system, Matt and Amy laughed with and embraced dear friends, most everyone smiled and enjoyed those next to them as they informed each other of their 'connection to Chad'. If I hadn't known, it would be hard to distinguish this crowd from that of a wedding ceremony. We were all there to honor the Lord God Almighty and celebrate a life short of nothing. He knew Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour, he met life head on and gave so much of himself as he lived it, and in the end, when 'tragedy' was upon he and his family, he knew that all this was was 'another adventure' - he would soon be sitting at the feet of Jesus and conversing with Him. For Chad, there was no greater adventure than that. And with his family, we would spend the next 2 hours sharing in his life together and laughing until it hurt.

Blessings to you, Kathy, Amy, Clayton, Reed and Regan... Matt, Jennifer (and the kids!) It was a blessing spending an entire day with you and your extended family. Thank you for welcoming each of us into the place that you call home... to talk about and remember the man that made that home so much of what it is.

Chad's 'Man Room' pictured at the right.

Dear Diary

Even when things aren't necessarily going on that I think are worthy of a mention, there's always something unworthy of a mention going on and if I'm using this blog as a place to 'jot my thot' then I need to give even the most menial a mention at times...

Here are a few of the small things:

1. Beer-Brined Grilled Pork Chops - best pork chops you'll ever eat. Discovered this brine a couple of weeks ago and I may have found the perfect recipe. We grilled it until the meat reached between 145 and 150 and then tented it for 5 minutes, or so. OH MY GOODNESS!

2. Tomorrow I'm traveling by myself with Benjamin to Eastern WA while Kyle has a weekend at home with the big kids. Chad Lusk's memorial service is on Saturday in La Grand, Oregon. Ben and I will be accompanying my Mom and Dad to the service and back over to the Lusk home for a BBQ and some time to visit. I expect it to be a memorable weekend as we remember Chad and give glory to the Lord for the moments we spent with him during his life.

3. Today at BSF (Bible Study Fellowship), our Teaching Leader broke the ice with these police quotes that were caught on tape - it got a good laugh:

#16 "You know, stop lights don't come any redder that the one you just
went through."

#15 "Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they're new. They'll
stretch after you wear them a while."

# 14 "If you take your hands off the car, I'll make your birth
certificate a worthless document."

#13 "If you run, you'll only go to jail tired."

#12 "Can you run faster than 1200 feet per second? Because that's the
speed of the bullet that'll be chasing you."

#11 "You don't know how fast you were going? I guess that means I can
write anything I want to on the ticket, huh?"

#10 "Yes, sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don't
think it will help. Oh, did I mention that I'm the shift supervisor?"

#9 "Warning! You want a warning? O.K., I'm warning you not to do that
again or I'll give you another ticket."

#8 "The answer to this last question will determine whether you are
drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?"

#7 "Fair? You want me to be fair? Listen, fair is a place where you go
to ride on rides, eat cotton candy and corn dogs and step in monkey
poop."

#6 "Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster
oven."

#5 "In God we trust, all others we run through NCIC."

#4 "How big were those 'Just two beers' you say you had?"

#3 "No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to, but now we're
allowed to write as many tickets as we can."

#2 "I'm glad to hear that chief (of Police) Hawker is a personal
friend of yours. So you know someone who can post your bail."

AND THE WINNER IS....

#1 "You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we
don't. Sign here."

... but truly, it was the final one that had women laughing all the way through prayer. 150 women in the sanctuary and as Claire (our TL) is praying one woman would bust up and the chuckle would just roll through the crowd. She ended the prayer time laughing and shaking her head saying, 'that's harsh... really harsh...' - laughing still as she dismissed us.

4. The good news is that my Mastitis is almost gone and no longer painful... the bad news is that I have to go buy a load of new bras which wouldn't be much of a problem had my mother-in-law not introduced me to the bra authority - Nordstroms. $$$$

I think that's about it for right now.

I will go and hand wash the dishes in need of hand washing, change out the laundry, fold the laundry, take out the recycle and the trash, pack for the weekend away (should be easy with ONE kid), wash the counter tops and, if possible, sweep the floors.

Cheers.

Getting Back in The Saddle

I went from Friday, feeling oh-so-normal and comfortable in my own skin, to Saturday afternoon, dealing with the druthers of aging, constantly cleaning, driving a minivan and penciling in when to make mad, passionate love to my husband -- oh, not to mention, its probably behind the locked doors of our Master Bedroom as opposed to some glamorous European Bed & Breakfast... it wasn't until Sunday that I realized my lethargy and lack of motivation was due to a very subtle bout of depression that had settled on me over the course of the past 24-48 hours.

Friday evening our friends from Bellingham came down with their two girls to spend the night. Shari and I had a wonderful evening out by ourselves talking and doing some shopping together while the guys put the kids to bed at home. We mentioned to each other the oddness of still feeling like the 15-year old babysitter at heart but realizing that those same kids you babysat have now grown, married and birthed a child of their own. We were old and we were beginning to feel those feelings that we've always rolled our eyes at in others.

We made it home with little to no energy left and interrogated our husbands on the going-ons of the evening we had so wonderfully missed. We all went to bed and slept soundly, at the mercy of our offspring.

The next morning I prepared the house for a brunch with the Archers, ourselves (the Scheis) and an old friend who had recently married. Kyle, the kids and I had not met his wife as of yet and we were anxious to have them over. Then the door bell rang.

As the kids excitedly opened the door I caught a glimpse of the couple before I about tripped over my own feet. Tall, model-like, without children, and full of newly wed joy. I dug my heart out of my stomach and warmly welcomed them into my home... 'crap, they're taking their shoes off - there's dried macaroni and yesterday's apple juice still on the floor - no time to sweep this morning'. I hug and invite them into our home. They seem so regal and well-rested; so on top of the world and perfectly matched with each other; so young and energetic... so toned. No loose skin, no wrinkles, no blood shot eyes from years of trying to keep them open when all they want to do is close... just beautiful and very hydrated, if I might say so myself.

My first bullet wound came when I asked if I could interest them in a cup of coffee or a Mimosa... 'oh, no thank you, just a glass of ice water please' as I've got one of each of the aforementioned partially drunk in either hand. My eyebrows raise, I swallow my sip of coffee quickly and nod. 'of course! My apologies. I forgot that we offer that here' ... as I turn and scowl, setting my Mimosa oh-so-patiently onto the counter.

She's about 5'11" if I had to guess, blond and tone. A WHITE smile with WHITE whites of her eyes. She's witty and on top of her game. She keeps up with the guys and makes everyone laugh. She's 24 years old. I realize that while we sit there I'm staring her down like a vulture... trying to find any fault I can but finding none. She's wonderful and eloquent; she's kind-hearted and easy to have around... 'isn't there anything wrong with this girl?' Kyle asks them how they met and they tell a story just short of You've Got Mail and then after further questioning begin to disclose with us the towns they visited whilst on a 17-day cruise throughout Europe just recently.

At this point, I have nothing left. I can feel my loose skin fold over the top of my favorite jeans and my frizzy "baby hair" wisp like a halo around my face; I'm not on top of my game today due to my breast infection and clogged milk ducts and I'd be tempted to lose this party were someone tempting me with a pair of sweats and a nap.

I know that there are more important things in life. I'm fully aware of that... and today has been a good day for jumping back on the horse and getting things accomplished.

I DO love who I am and where God has me and the ins and outs of my life -- yet I do believe this is the first ever true REALITY CHECK when it came to the wear and tear of life as I've known it.

"The older you get, the more you tell it like it used to be."
-- Author Unknown

Our morning at home...

I got up with the kids at 7:15a! For those of you who know our family THAT is fantastic. Our kids go to bed around 7-7:15p every night and wake up about 6:30a every morning... that way Kyle and I have a predictable evening to ourselves and I don't mind the early morning start to our day. I'm a loon.

This morning was wonderful as the kids slept until 7:15 -- some of them even slept until 8! I woke first and let Kyle sleep... then Kyle woke and I went back to bed while Benjamin took his morning nap since I wasn't feeling so good. We decided to bag the 10:30am service that we usually go to at church and instead catch the 5pm service tonight... I just wanted to share some fun shots of our morning. I was playing with my speed light while Katie turned our living room into a bounce house and then took them upstairs for a nap when I noticed the sun coming through the window. Did you hear me? SUN! I had the kids pose while I played with the exposure.

Oh, but first, please enjoy William's 'homemade' umbrella. When he whipped this up I was inspired to get the camera -- I'm glad I did because these are some fun shots.