Turns out this is my Thanksgiving post

No new news here. I have been delaying posting until something exciting was happening. I got nothing. Im praising God for every day he has allowed me to remain in my home because it truly has been a gift. Im thankful for my husband and his unrelenting willingness to do whatever it takes to provide for his family. We are nowhere in the clear but I am recognizing and Im really looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. I really do think these are some of the best days of my life. My kids are young and still LOVE to do stuff with me. I am entertained by them and they allow me to do things that people without kids cant do.
Things such as:
Watching kids shows: Dont lie! You know that you have laughed at Phinneas and Ferb or danced to "Hot Dog Hot Dog Hot Diggity Dog." And even though somedays you wonder if gouging your eye out would be more entertaining then watching just one more episode of Yo Gabba Gabba...just remember that the party in your tummy is what convinced your child to even attempt to eat spinach and then they tried and now they like it!
Coloring and Art on your Fridge: Let's first start with coloring. What a great way to reduce stress...coloring a picture of My Little Pony. If you havent tried it you have to. I find myself asking my children if they want to color just so I can spend the time coloring. Same with crafts. I love making crafts! Cutting stuff out of foam or construction paper, using glue (or even better...glitter glue), googley eyes, colorful pipe cleaners, string, you name it! You'd be amazed what that white elementary glue can hold! And then the best part, the pride that both parent and child have hanging the art in the Gallery De Fridge. I have even taking to hanging other near and dear childrens art on my fridge! All the Picasso Pieces on earth couldnt hold the value that these pictures hold for me.
Playing Tag and Hide and Go Seek: Tell me this doesnt rock! The best part about tag is that when you play with the kids, typically, or at least my daughter, can't run because she is laughing so hard so much that she suddenly gets a very stunned look on her face and says "Mommy, I peed a little." Wouldnt trade it. I also have to note that I love their willingness to run aimlessly. Even when no game of tag is going on, they continue to run just because running is fun and unlike me, they dont have the fear of their ankle buckling below them or that every part of their anatomy is freely bouncing so they run with everything they have. My nephew does this well. I just love watching that.
My most favoritest ( btw, you can use made up words like favoritest when you have kids) part of Hide and Go Seek is when I seek. To pretend to look for these "well hidden" little ones and you cant possibly find them even with the giggles and whispering that you can hear clearly coming from the closet. Then the look on their faces when you find them. Snapshots in my brain.
Animal sounds: Tell me for what other reason would you need to make your best and loudest Oink!
Dancing and Singing around your House: Now I admit I dance and sing around my house regularly prior to kids and with or without an audience still, but nothing is like forming your own rock band with pots and pans, the broom as the guitar, and the hairbrush as the microphone. Watching kids interpretations of what band does is really amusing. I also love hearing the interpretations of the words. I will have to add some lyrics that Emma has made up when I can think of it.
Simple Prayers: It is funny when I dont have an adult audience the nervousness of praying out loud just goes away. Most nights I get the privilege of praying with my daughter before she goes to bed. The best part of those prayers for me is not only hearing her prayers which typically include praying for the United States of America and for Papa and that his legs heal, but I love my being freed of the pressure of prayer that makes perfect sense with big Godly words. It works to pray for things such as just for our family and keeping us safe and giving us happy sweet dreams. God knows our heart and I think that is evident when you pray with a child.

All in all, the best memories by far in my life are created with a child involved. Whether it was my own childhood or living life with my children. God has blessed me in this way and to this day I dont understand what I did to deserve it but I thank him everyday. Even with the simple prayer of thanking him for the blessing of a family.

See...I started this post not having anything to say. Goes to show that even when I have nothing to say I still have something to say.

Just thought this picture was funny. Dress up day at the Reimer house. Ry in Dog the Bounty Hunter costume ready to kick some tail, and Emma in her Miss Attitude Belle costume. This is a great representative of personality.

Election is over....YAY!!! The last few days pre election made me go back on my words that I was done with arguing politics. I couldnt help it though...I got set off. I am a pot stirrer as my near and dear family and friends like to say so when someone stirs the pot for me I typically cant let it slide. I have to start stirring as well, but it tends to always be stirring in the opposite direction. Anyways...it is over. Hope prevailed... character prevailed... and now we can move forward. On to new things.

My vacation is 2 months away and I can just jump out of my skin just by thinking about it. I have not been on a real vacation since my honeymoon which was by far my best vacation ever and next to a few trips to Wisconsin, a couple mission trips, and a family trip to Florida in eighth grade really my only vacation I am looking forward to going somewhere so special with some of the most beloved of my family. It is going to be a blast. After the last two years with Isaiah's health issues and our major financial troubles, I am just looking forward to doing something that I can truly say is not for any other reason than to make memories...good memories. I know that with allof this anticipation it will be over in a blink but I just want to make the best of our blink that there could possibly be. Thanks Old R's. I dont know that a thank you can even come close to appropriate but since we are broke, it is about all I can offer at the moment. I will make it up to you though. My love and affection will have to be enough until Billy makes it big or my BFF Barack offers me a job on his staff. Hey anything is possible now!

Another thing is that I really like my Avon business but I am running into a few problems....I hate sales for one, and for two, I will not end up with a profit if I continue to buy things from them. Now I have bought many samples to sort of build my business and since it is all tax deductible it makes sense but it is the other things.... I really like their skincare line and I have tried several different kinds and have not liked anything as much as Avon skincare. I also like their makeup and some of their seasonal knicknacky things. This is the issue. I do not want to work to put the money back into Avon. I think the novelty will wear off but I have to figure out that balance. I am looking forward to seeing where it goes. I have to get better at sales and stop feeling so self concious. I am the same girl who wouldnt trick or treat cause I hated the idea of going door to door in a begging sort of way. If I can't get the free stuff due to my fear of rejection, how in the world will I be able to build this business! Luckily I have a few solid customers which will make my selling worthwhile at least for a few extra dollars but the potential of what it could be if I "grew a set" would be unbelievable! The profit really is unreal for Avon if you have a good client base.

Ahhh...isnt it nice to hear something from me that is not deep and contemplating lifes (I have no apostrophe key so bear with me) greatest mysteries. I tend to get really profound in my blog posts. It is that love for stirring the pot I guess.
My kids are hanging off of me literally right now so that typically is my clue that they need some attention. Gots to go!

MY passion for November 4th

OKAY THE FOLLOWING IN ITALICS IS NOT MY WRITING BUT ACTUALLY SOMEONE WHO'S EMAIL WAS FORWARDED TO ME TO "MAKE A POINT." BELOW THAT IN BOLD IS MY WRITING "THE GOOD STUFF" AS I LIKE TO CALL IT. IT IS A LONG POST BUT SERIOUSLY WORTH GETTING TO THE BOTTOM. I WOULD LOVE FEEDBACK GOOD AND BAD.

http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/view_shared?p=7030bd098cca768e72d111&skin_id=701&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=image

http://www.americaschoicenow.com/

Hello everyone,

I have never written an email such as this before, but after these two videos were brought to my attention, I realized that it would be wrong of me to remain silent. Those of who you know me are probably pretty much aware of where I stand politically and on the pro-life/pro-choice issue. If I am sending you this and you don't know where I stand, shame on me for not standing up more emphatically for what I know to be true.

Well, election day is fast approaching, and this time around, I have become more aware than ever of the complacency of Christians in America. So many of us have compromised politically and tried to justify it. Well, you say, don't we all have the freedom of choice? Of course we do, it's America. However, as Christians, when we asked Christ to enter our hearts and lives, we fell under His authority and His guidelines. Our opinions and plans did not matter anymore! Why? Because He knows what is best for us and has plans so great for each of us that we can't even comprehend them. The whole purpose of Christianity is to die to ourselves so we may further His kingdom!

I am not here to toot the horn of a particular candidate. Frankly, I was not overly impressed with any of my choices this election (except for Fred Thompson, bless his heart). I am here to toot God's horn. We have been told time and time again to vote according to our standards and what we believe. Horse manure! When will we as Christians vote according to GOD's standards and what GOD says is right? This election, it goes beyond the candidate; it goes to the party that candidate represents and the types of laws and policies that will be enacted. The truth is, Republicans have for years supported policy that is more in line with God's Word than the Democrats. Issues such as abortion and homosexuality are shaping the moral climate of America, and that, my friends, is more important to me than the economy. If America returns to God, I firmly believe that God can fix all the financial woes! Plus, the state of the economy right now is directly related to greed and corruption, other symptoms of our moral decay.

I am not saying that all, or even most, Republicans are godly, as we all know that politicians are smooth talkers and have a tendency to be untruthful at times. However, it needs to get beyond that. Our Christian focus needs to be on turning this nation back to God! It is a God-given right that we can vote, so please vote according to God's principles and not society's. I encourage you to view the two videos whose links I have posted at the top. I have always been pro-life, but after hearing about some of the policies that Obama wants to implement once he is office, I grew fearful for our country. If I can't trust him to protect the lives of the most innocent, my unborn babies, how can I trust him to protect my money? I truly worry about the spiritual battles my children will have to fight when they are my age.

God bless all of you and remian in prayer for our nation, for it is a great nation.


Here is my passion for November 4th
I find it offensive that the thought that I would vote Republican just because I am a Christian is ridiculous. I will make it plain and simple. The only thing that seems to align value wise in the Republican party is the pro life issue. That seems to be the only thing holding some Christians in the Republican party. Recognize that Roe v. Wade has yet to be overturned even under our current "Christian" president so if you are voting thinking this is going to change than you will likely be waiting a looong time. History shows that the Supreme Court does not have a large record of overturning major cases as this.

So this is the single issue that seemingly makes sense to vote Republican? Oh wait, and then there is the issue of homosexuality. What ever happened to love the sinner, hate the sin? but if you believe in this country you should also believe that the constitution is entirely written on the basis of freedom. I do believe that marriage is designed for one man and one woman. How about divorce? Is anyone fighting that on the consitutional front? No and why is that? it likely has alot to do with the fact that the divorce rate is nearly at half and there are more Christians divorced than gay Christians. Or could it be that as Christians we see it as more tolerable to be divorced but we are sickened by the thought of a homosexual....sounds more like intolerance and hate than love for what is right to me.
No doubt my job is to LOVE unconditionally and let my life be witness in order to bring those who need it closer to understanding love of Christ and be freed from sin. That is what I will do. Homesexuals, liars, cheaters, thieves, even those of you who might have...gasp...done something dishonest in your lifetime as WE sinners do. I dont hear anybody running to say I think we should take away my rights since I (_____(fill in sin here)___. All sin is created equal. Your sin is no worse than mine and mine no worse than yours. Homosexuals no worse than heterosexuals....we all are condemned to death without Jesus. Lets fight that battle. Not the battle of whether we can stop a gay person from seeing their loved one in the hospital because they do not have the right or whether they are entitled to be on the same health insurance policy. Fight the battle on the right front people! That war isn't going to be one with anti gay rallies and conversion retreats. Put 1/10th of the energy used fighting the gay people and their rights and try loving them and you might be surprised by the results.
Other than that, although I don't see this as the best way to look at it, lets talk about just the big issues which seem to drive the Republicans for Christ. Tell me at what point is gun rights a Christian view? The right to use a weapon that is single handedly used to kill or severely and permanently damage life? We are so concerned about life and apparently the value of it and yet we have no problem with allowing normal everyday people the right to a death device. Do you believe Jesus would have been walking around shooting animals for sport or carrying a gun just in case he needed to defend himself. Doubt it. Also another issue that tends to get alot of attention is that of the environment. I do not claim to understand it all and I leave that to the scientists, ecologists, environmentalists...whatever. But what I do know is that the democratic party seems to be majorly more concerned with the environment and the longevity and sustainability of the beautiful creation that we call Earth.
So I appreciate your effort to align Christians with the Republican view because we need to "stand up for what is right!".
I am no less Christian because I am ready for change in Washington. I am no less Christian for loving the idea that we could be voting in a president who represents more Christian family values than a man who has divorced his first wife to marry his mid life crisis.
I swore I was done defending my belief. I have continued to receive ridiculous emails about everything from Barack Obama being the antichrist to Obama killing babies and seriously I am at wit's end. I have been prayerful and making a point to educate myself on ALL the issues, but it is at this point that I need to defend one last time before tomorrow. My passion for November 4th isn't that Christians will get a grip and stop voting out of fear and vote for what makes sense. You may see this all as my "opinion," and that's right, as Christians we shouldn't have an opinion (I constantly forget this). I really hope that you can correct me on anything that is unbiblical in what I have said. I am open to understanding things better. I pray that you can be in search of truth as I am.

I will also remain in prayer for this great nation.

If there is nothing more that happens in the next 3 weeks, please let this elections be over. Honestly it isn't just the unrelentless ads and signs via mail, neighbors yards, tv, radio etc., but more so I am really tired of hearing people's opinions on the matter....myself included. I am tired of defending my candidate of choice. Don't you ever get the feeling of being sick of hearing your own voice. That is where I am at. I don't have any fire under me to continue to have the same conversations and same "friendly" arguments. I dont want to see people use their facebook as a way of communicating this. I made this error once and never again mainly because it seemed to be one of the first that I noticed and it just went downhill from there.....as bad as people talking about Obama killing babies! I am just done!
I am also finding that as hard as I try I tend to view people a bit differently based on who they are voting for. I know I shouldnt but it just seems natural when you believe someone as a moderate or even liberal and find them highly conservative and viceversa. Just messes with my formed opinions and apparently I dont like it.
Bottom line is when the election is done whomever ends up Commander in Chief I will respect and my prayer is the same for everyone else.
I am really just counting down the days.

Is it a "sign" that we need another??

So really dont worry as there will be no more little Reimers anytime soon but....lets just say that we have been getting some hints from Emma that she is not nearly as patient as we are.

The conversation which went on after church on Sunday went as such:

Emma: "Mommy, I want to have another baby in our house."
Mommy: "Do you? I dont think it is time yet?"
Emma: "Yes it is. I want a girl....a sister."
Mommy: "Oh"
Emma: " I think she needs a name. How about Cheese?.........(thinking) no Cheese is not a right name?....(thinking)......I know!!!! StopSign!!!!!!"
Mommy: "Stop Sign???"
Emma: "YEAH! That will be good!!!"
Mommy: "So...StopSign Reimer?"
Emma: "Yep...We have to tell Daddy."
Mommy: "Yeah I think we do"

I found my camera cord!

Just some of the fun I have with my kids! I thought I would share this oh so funny but oh so pathetic picture of my son when we decided to put Emma's dance class costume on him. The picture speaks to the fact that this was not a pleasant experience for him. Poor boy!

Whats in a dollar? Not just 100 pennies.

You always hear the biggest cause of divorce is money. Today after having a heated "conversation" with my husband and him leaving the house without the conflict resolved I just sit here wondering what is it about money that literally divides so many couples??? Really we are talking about a thing, something that helps acquire stuff and obviously pays for the necessities but what is it that we are really getting at when money is the cause of the fight. Billy and I have what I would say was a decent relationship. I wouldnt lie and say it is perfection but I definitely know it gets worse than this. We can fight about little things such as household chores, kid related arguments, and what not but nothing seems to get more rage than money. Im so frustrated because I always told myself I wouldn't fight over money. It was dumb and just a thing that wasn't worth our precious time. I grew up in a house where money was always scarce and as a result many mornings I woke up to a screaming and yelling match going on until I pretty much left for school that day. It directed how I felt the rest of the day, made me not want to go home, so when I say I swore off money argument let me tell you I meant it. It seemed like an easy thing to to denounce when the first 4 years of our marriage we had enough to pay our bills and then a little extra.
Yet today, the argument stemming from not having enough money has left me really wondering how can something so stupid lead to such hurtful division in a marriage?
I dont know at this point I am conclusive on anything so if you are reading to get an answer I have little to offer. This is what
My guess is that money is symbolic, it symbolizes different things for the husband than it does for the wife, it has different meaning for people with different economic backgrounds, it means something different for people who grew up in different faith backgrounds and their understanding of God's provision. Those differences have no need to be revealed until there is not enough money. That is when the differences become clear, the expectations are revealed and the fights begin. I've done enough marriage studies and read enough marriage books to know that the cause of all arguments boil down to having expectations.
I could break down and explain how our argument goes but the reality is that to tell the detail only reminds me how ridiculous most of the arguments are.
If I get to the base my faulty expectations are that I expect that my husband will provide for his family without fail. I become frustrated when he can't and in turn try to take over and take away his ability to lead. Leadership does not equal financial stability...I am learning. I also have the baggage of growing up in a home where money was always scarce and there are some times that we went without even the bare necessities. A horrible feeling...an anxiety that sits in the pit of my stomach to even remember some of these times. When those memories start to run parallel with my current life I start to get all sorts of panicky. I say things that I would typically refrain from saying out of fear and angst. I then am reminded that although I believe God is alive and well in me and in my family I tend to take finances and try to manage that situation on my own, not allowing God to enter in to this part of my life. Im getting better at this, much much better, but know it is not natural. It is not what I was brought up to do. If things weren't going well than you do anything in your power to fix it. Prayer was never thought of as an option.
So this is the way I think.
My husband typically on the defense of this has not only expectations for me, but his perspective is much different. He comes from a family of financial stability, not wealth but not intense financial worry. He comes from a Christian home where prayer was not foreign. He also has the added difference of having to succomb to not being able to financially provide which has caused him to lose some of his drive for leadership. You can only get knocked off your horse so many times before you have trouble getting up. I tend to not help him get up and sometimes even am the one sideswiping him and knocking him down. I admit this and am working on it.

So this is my recipe for a nasty all out yelling match, complete with name calling, cheap shots and ultimately cold shoulders.

We are nowhere near divorce and likely when my hubby comes back home we will be okay again but it does make me sad that a relationship where I can honestly still say that God ordained and that we are soul mates, that we can get so caught up in something as dumb as money.
It does make sense why it is said money is the root of all evil. Money masks so many other issues. Who would of thought a green piece of paper with an old guy and a serial number on it could have such an impact?

Oh and the whole kid fight thing. I dont remember fighting with my siblings so young. I likely did fight as young as 3 but I just choose to not remember, maybe for the sheer reason that I likely started it...selective memory I guess. If I can ever find the cords for my camera I will post video. I do my best to turn each one into a teaching moment and breaking it up as necessary but sometimes while saying no I just have to laugh at these kiddos. Emma plays what I like to call Whack-a-Mole on Isaiah's head. She makes it a point to hit him nowhere else but right smack dab with an open hand on the top of his head. It is premeditated and thought out. Isaiah just looks up at her and makes it a point to hit her back but typically it follows up with him krinkling up his eyebrows and saying in his deepest voice "NooNoo!" Not as funny written out but definitely humorous to watch. Let me work on that camera.

The spilled juice blessing???

If there is anything to be taught in Billy not having a job is to take joy in the little things and live for today. Today it is beautiful out, the sun is shining, the unusually cool breeze going through my house on a mid August day, my kids are healthy, we are all chillin out in our jammies at 1pm....Awesome! I think people get to do this stuff everyday and let the days just pass and take for granted this time. I know I did. I stayed home and yet I only have a few good memories of the year I spent exclusively at home. I could have made memories but instead I found ways to complain about the monotany, the need to feel appreciated (if you dont believe me look at previous posts). I hate having to learn lessons the hard way, yet it seems like that is the only way I get it. So Billy is out of work and I have been working many hours to try to put a dent in the growing amount of debt and past due bills which up till now have been somewhat manageable. Now it is getting tough. We can't keep up like we were before. You can only fix so many family friends and friend of a friend's toilets and faucets before there is nothing to fix. We are praying and recognizing God in all of this which I save for another post, but today I write to just praise Him and let it be known that the little moments matter. This day of breaking up kid fights and cleaning up spilled juice has been a blessing. I love this. Whatever tomorrow brings is irrelevant today. It has no place in consuming my thoughts and robbing me of the beauty of this day as I used to allow it. Praise be to God for giving me perspective.

Its not meant to be understood.

Long time, I know. I have been in a blogging slump. Ive noticed that typically I do not blog as much whenever I have felt like I am running my mouth alot and am able to express myself in talking out loud to other people. That is the case right now. I have had support from many VIP's in my life and therefore am feeling less of a need to talk in a public journal.

I update today mainly because I am sobered by the thought of losing a friend. I feel the need to explain as I have caught myself tearful and emotional and then being questioned in my relationship with this friend. She isnt a best friend, or even someone i consider a close friend. Probably somewhere in the range between acquaintance and friend, but when it comes to my heart and soul friendships, this is one of the closest friends that I have at the moment. Weird maybe, but let me explain. For months (almost a year) I have been praying for a young woman named Leslie from my church. I said a prayer (short and small) when she had her surgery that her doctor said would be a small outpatient surgery to remove some nose polyps. I felt the anxiety for her when they told her they think it may be cancer of her sinuses, I was terrified and my heart hurt when she learned it was a cancerous tumor in her sinuses and forehead. I prayed without cease for her practically every day since, in bed,on my knees, while driving, via email, over the phone with another friend, with my husband, with my kids, in Leslie's front yard, with my extended family, with my church family, out loud, in quiet, in tears, in hope, in loss of hope, in fear for her. I cried and prayed in thought of being her friend, her spouse, her child, her mom, her sister.
As the illness became terminal, I learned so much about myself, the value of a day or even a minute. Recognizing to hold my kids and husband tighter, to get over petty issues with friends, to even find ways to develop relationships that I recognized I took for granted prior. I felt guilt in that I was able to enjoy things she couldn't and yet thankful that I was given the opportunity. Life and death, complicated and complex. The more I think about it the more I think it is supposed to be. If we understood every part of it we wouldnt be able to have moments like this, these paradoxes of thankfulness and confusion, or hope and fear. God wants it this way I think, and until my day comes when I get to meet my Creator I will have to be settled with not understanding. In the meantime, I will continue to trust in what God's plan is for my life and attempt to accept all that gets thrown my way as Leslie has done. Your fight is not in vain my friend, it will have an eternal impact.

Home Sweet Home

Yo yo yiggity yo!
So I recognize that my last post should have had some sort of sappy violin instrumental embedded in it. Dont get me wrong, I meant everything I said but I do know that it was all my emotions published which is really interesting going back and reading when you have been back home for over 24 hours. I definitely have grown a new appreciation for my family. I like the simplicity of my life. When I was on my trip I had the opportunity to spend alot of time with a few people. Some I knew well and others I had just met. As I talked and did lots of listening I realized that what I have is golden. One woman I met actually said she would give anything to be in my life. Prior to last week this would have been a bizarre comment because not only is my life not exciting but it is soooo normal. Even my trip was an attempt for me to add adventure in my life. I have now realized that what I find so typical (boring) is actually what people would give up everything for. Whoah! Husband?kids?? house in need of maintenance?? finances that rely on God's grace every week????...sounds like paradise......not!!! The grass always looks greener on the other side. The ironic thing though is that I came home and the grass I had been trying to grow in my yard for two years that has been patchy and basically just circles of mud in the backyard is flourishing. We laid this great seed mix before I left for my excursion and when I came back the grass is pretty much flush in color and height with the natural grass that has always been there. As icing on the cake my brand new garden is getting sprouts too! This is absolutely literal and absolutely figurative...you take the meaning as you need it today....either you are in need of gardening advice or perspective help. Either way I am totally on the ball with both this week. God is good.

Other note...new favorite movie alert!!!! Juno! If you havent already you have to see it. I have watched it a minimum of 7 times this week and if you think that is only because I was jailed in a hotel all week its not. I am currently at home watching it for the 8th time. My kind of humor....totally.

I am currently "out of town" and have been for about 5 days. I am without my husband and children. As I reflect back on all experiences I have had in my life this distance between my family and I feels similar to taking a part of my body away from me. Dont get me wrong, my experiences have been good but I realized how much I love what God has given me. If I dwell too long on how much I miss them the tears well, my heart hurts, and I feel slightly suffocated. Dramatic I know! It shocks me too! It isnt like I didnt know it would be hard but I didnt know how much my heart would long just to wake up to their hugs and kisses, their little voices, and my husbands bright eyed and bushy tailed attitude when I can barely grunt a "Good Morning". I am so blessed....so very blessed. I know that life will soon return to normal and I will begin to take it all for granted once again but in this moment, right now I have to shout Thank you Almighty!!! I did nothing to deserve it yet you have blessed me in abundance.

Common misconceptions

Okay maybe it is just me or 1 year ago around this time I was dreaming up all sorts of ridiculousness. The fantasies had to do with how different/great life would be as a stay at home mom. It is different and great, but not nearly in the same ways I had expected. Here are the things that I would say was exactly what I was hoping for:
1. There would be days we would stay in pajamas all day.
2. I would feel no Mommy guilt for letting someone else raise my kids.
3. I would get to know my kids and have not doubt that they saw me as number one caregiver.

Okay honestly that is all I can say is absolutely true!

Here are the things I was sure was going to happen that either have never happened or at least not to the level I would have expected. If you are a stay at home mom and agree or at least can relate I would love to hear from you and if you are not I would like to know if this your misconceptions as well.

Myth #1 My house would ALWAYS be clean and organized. Uh, actually I have gotten to an all new level of dirty. I have just been able to spend more time finding ways to make mess in all areas of the house. When I was working I lived in about 4 rooms...now we change scenery a bit which means that we can have complete filth and chaos in every room all at the same time...good times!

Myth #2 I will be able to organize all my pictures and keep up on milestones and maybe even scrapbook. Um....no...how about I just was able to buy new containers to store more pictures. The only milestone I have accurately captured for Isaiah is the day of his birth...everything else...either not recorded or recorded so late that I picked a day around the right week. Again my chances are slim of me being able to lay out pictures and organize them when it is likely that kids will be either stepping on them on the floor or they will need my attention in the amount of time it takes to do so.

Myth #3 I will have play dates all the time. My stay at home mommy friends can attest to the fact that this is not true at all. Although I would like to, money and time still are an issue. I cant manage to get all three of us out of the house in enough time that would actually be worthwhile. Plus most of my stay at home friends live farther than just a couple miles so it becomes an outing.

Myth #4 We would have home cooked meals everyday. With time or without time...I still hate cooking. Gave it a shot and never found the joy. Sounds like frozen pizza tonight kiddos.

Myth #5 I would never miss working. Also not true at all. I actually miss it all the time. I miss my old coworkers, adult contact and MONEY! I definitely do not want to go back but there are aspects that make me realize that working is not the devil!

Myth #6 I would be bored. Never say this. It is not true. Boredom is something I was actually looking forward to once I quit working. It is a word I hadnt remembered saying since before I was in high school. I thought how nice it would be to be able to seek out something to do out of boredom. My kids dont allow for this. They keep me busy always and when they are not my vice known as my laptop is doing the job. I might as well delete the word from my vocabulary since I dont see any use for it any time soon.

Myth # 7 I would have times I would want a break from being with my kids. Okay despite all that I have previously wrote, I do not have a strong desire to spend time away. I love being with them. We have all sorts of fun all day. I get to do all sorts of things that I couldnt do by myself ( or I could but I would definitely be considered a weirdo) like coloring, dancing for 20 minutes a day in my living room, playing ring around the rosie, be able to be all sorts of character voices through reading books and playing with little figurines (you should hear my spongebob laugh...totally realistic), and the list goes on! Now dont get me wrong time away is appreciated but it isnt considered an escape or rescue mission to be away.

I could do more of this list but I have to go back and be with my children as they are waking up from naptime. Moral of the story here folks is that the grass isnt always greener on the other side of the fence but I am happy to say that I have been on both sides and by far the rewards have had much more depth on this side. No regrets.

Hello...Echo...Echo...Is anybody home?

Okay, is there really a point to me writing right now?? Im sure the majority of my blog followers have given up on me and have found new ramblings to read. I know I have been thoroughly entertained by fellow bloggers who actually keep up with their blog close to daily. Thanks Peepers, Llama, Reconciliation, Ponderings, and TTalking. I have vicariously lived through you folks and have been satisfied up to this point by reading.



As for me...not much has changed since my last post. This is still a product of naptime, or bedtime. I am still a stay at home mom but I do have a great part time job. I am within walking distance of graduation day for my Masters! This is my most exciting news since I have been a Lewis student for a decade! I should be on a wall of fame....or shame, I dont know, but either way I am mentally and physically ready to be out of school.



We are also victim of this recently devastated economy because the Hubby is now going on 4 months of no work. God has truly blessed us and is revealing Himself each day by the fact that we have been able to pay our bills. We remain faithful that God will provide. It is still scary at times. Its one of those times when you say to yourself, If God doesnt show up we are *(choose your expletive)! We know He will...He always has, He still is, and He always will.



One last thought before I end this landmark post...why is it that when you arent keeping up with a blog you have the thought go across your mind 15 times in a day for great blogging topics and ideas. When you are ready willing and able to keep up...your mind goes completely blank.



This is where I am at...

Take it or leave it people.