For Unto Us...

... a child is born, a Son is given.

We talked about Luke 2 & 3 in our small group on Sunday night where Mary was told she would conceive through the Holy Spirit and give birth to God's Son, Jesus.

We wondered what must have been going through Joseph's head after an angel appeared to him and told him that Mary's child was from God. And then the angel told Joseph to name the Savior of the world Jesus.

We considered how Mary must have felt during her pregnancy months, what she must have been thinking and worrying about.

As the moms in our group mentioned feelings of inadequacy and fear with how we raise our own children, we couldn't help but recognize the same feelings within Mary... with one huge difference. Mary knew. Mary knew. She knew, as she stroked the hair of her newborn, what Jesus was sent to earth to do. She knew one day that he would suffer, be beaten beyond recognition and eventually die for the sins of all mankind. Yet Mary didn't run from the mission for which she was chosen.

So, the baby was born to a virgin on a cold winter night in a stable surrounded by farm animals. Her first visitors after giving birth? Shepherds, the lowest of the low. Dirty and smelly from spending week after week in fields attending sheep. Do you get the symbolism? We, you and I, are the lowest of the low no matter what our social status may appear to be. We are the ones God sent His Son to shepherd, to look after, to save from certain death.

It seems simple, doesn't it? Sometimes I overlook the telling of the story because I've heard it told countless times in many different ways. It's the Christmas Story and it doesn't change. Yet, it changed me. And I look at it with new eyes today, through the eyes of Mary. May the story never get old for you. Luke 2

Merry CHRISTmas!

50!

Today is a snow day for Diego. Usually on a cold, snow day I can be found curled up with a hot chocolate, Chai tea and a good book. Not today. Today I am getting ready for Joe's 50th birthday party that's happening tonight at our house.

With the monumental accomplishment of reaching 50 years I thought I'd make a 50 Joe's list:

1) Joe loves me
2) Joe loves God
3) Joe loves our kids (all of them)
4) Joe gives from the depths of his being
5) Joe uses his spiritual gifts to serve God
6) Joe works hard
7) Joe is a wonderful husband
8) Joe is a tremendous provider
9) Joe clears the sidewalks & driveway of snow
10) Joe clears the sidewalks & driveway of snow for our elderly, widowed neighbor
11) Joe does the yard work (also for the widowed neighbor)
12) Joe does laundry once in a while
13) Joe uses the vacuum once in a while
14) Joe cares for others
15) Joe likes Diet Coke
16) Joe takes care of himself for me
17) Joe has put up with me for 26 years, 3 months and 8 days
18) Joe knows when I need comforting
19) Joe is very insightful
20) Joe listens to my hair-brained ideas and even agrees with them sometimes!
21) Joe supports me
22) Joe defends me
23) Joe is Diego's best advocate
24) Joe leads our family well
25) Joe is the 'go to' person for countless people
26) Joe is respected
27) Joe is humble
28) Joe shares
29) Joe buys me flowers
30) Joe is funny
31) Joe loves to vacation 'up north'
32) Joe is a good judge of character
33) Joe completes me
34) Joe bought me a Honda Element even though he really wanted it
35) Joe is intelligent
36) Joe is wise
37) Joe loves looking at house plan books - no, we're not building another house
38) Joe doesn't argue
39) Joe does not use harsh words
40) Joe is quiet
41) Joe is a good listener
42) Joe is gentle
43) Joe loves others unconditionally
44) Joe is a great son
45) Joe is a terrific brother-in-law to my family
46) Joe is great at being a grandfather
47) Joe snores
48) Joe's smile lights up a room
49) Joe sometimes laughs until he cries
50) Joe gives me a reason to live every day to the fullest

Happy Birthday, my love!

Project Share: Food. Love. Hope 2008

Project Share 2008 is in the history book. It's over but not to be forgotten. Take a look at the video taken from this past weekend here

This project had God's fingerprints all over it from conception to completion. Check out some of our "God Moments":

* Community Action Agency graciously offered to collect names and addresses of recipients through their office. It took countless man hours to compile the names and organize them into a list for us.

* Borchardt Brothers grocery store in Blissfield, MI carried the entire amount we owed them (over $41,000) for 2 months then sold us additional stock from their shelves 3 days prior to the project which allowed us to feed an additional 11 families.

* The boxes used to pack the product were generously donated by Pro-Pak Industries in Toledo, OH.

* 1000 names were signed up to receive a box within a little over 2 weeks from time of starting sign-up.

* Hunter Moving and Storage stored the product in their climate controlled warehouse for nearly 2 months and also did several pick ups of product for us. Plus, Hunter's truck was used to transport the product to LCS for packing.

* A week prior to Project Share 300 packages of pre-cooked bacon were donated.

* The day before the project, more than 1000 packages of rolls were donated by a local bread company.

* The Morenci Fire Department's ladies auxiliary collected money and decided to donate it to Project Share.

* The offering goal was $42,000; as of 12.6.08 more than $52,000 has come in. (The overage will be given to help heat homes this winter.)

* 1011 boxes were packed and ready to deliver in under 2 hours by nearly 450 volunteers.

* All boxes/maps were out for delivery within 1.5 hours with over 350 volunteers.

I'm sure there are many more God moments which I've not listed here. If you were involved in Project Share in any way, I encourage you to write your God moment(s) down and go back to look at it often. Like I started out, the project may be over this year but it will not be forgotten anytime soon.

It's Here!

After many hours of planning, Project Share: Food. Love. Hope is finally here! Crossroads is going to help feed over 1000 families - check out the project on our website.

The food is being loaded into a semi as I write this and will be delivered in about an hour for unloading... and the process begins.

I have to show you what 4000 candy canes and about 1000 chocolate chip cookies look like in a Honda Element (yep, they fit!)...

Giving Thanks

I planned on posting a list of things I'm thankful for today. I ran through several ideas in my head as I was going through my morning routine.
Then I received a call that a friend went to be with the Lord this morning after a long battle with cancer.

Char has touched the lives of and influenced many, many children and families through her ministry of Small Wonders Child Care. She is an amazing Christ follower who now sits at the feet of our Lord completely healed and whole.

While we rejoice for Char because she is no longer struggling with the pain of cancer, we grieve with her family and loved ones. Please lift up in prayer those Char has left behind. She will be greatly missed.

I guess this post is about thankfulness. I am blessed and thankful to have known Char. I am thankful she is celebrating her first Thanksgiving in heaven free from the cares of this world.

Here It Comes!

On December 5 and 6 Crossroads Community Church volunteers will take part in Project Share: Food. Love. Hope.

This project will touch the lives of 1000 families and countless others in and around Lenawee County through the simple delivery of basic food items. I say countless others because not only will the family members of food recipients be touched but the lives of our volunteers will be changed... for good.

Helping with a project of this proportion is undeniably a rewarding experience. Rewards that are seen on the face of an elderly woman who answers the knock at her door to see a teenager standing there with a box in his hands, smile on his face and a "Merry Christmas" on his lips. Rewards felt through the tears of a single mother picking up a food box at the Daily Bread - the heat in her tiny apartment has been shut-off, she is faced with the dilemma of buying medicine for her sick baby or food for her 3 other children. Rewards for the little girl who gives up the annual Christmas party at her father's workplace to pack boxes with food for hungry children, possibly children in her classroom at school. Rewards expressed by the touch of a veteran's trembling hand as he reaches to take his box of food from a joyous family who is sharing this experience for the first time. Rewards for the countless Crossroaders who will make untold sacrifices to pay for the food we will pack into 1000 donated boxes.

Get ready, here it comes. It's going to be incredible and God's going to get all the glory!

Noteworthy quote...

I ran across this quote a couple of weeks ago on a blog that I read. I've been holding it in my email inbox until now. It arrived at just the right time and seems quite apropos to my life right now...

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it. If you think about that you will do things differently.” - Warren Buffett

See, I believe I've done things differently, guarded my reputation, taken steps to be careful and cautious. Still someone seeks to ruin my reputation. Sad, really that someone can speak harmful words allowing them to spread to others; burning with the flames of deceit. Sad that others would listen, people who know me, and not put out the wildfire. That's gossip, ugly gossip... and it spreads and changes and spreads some more.

So, I am faced with defending my honor against an unnamed force. But when I know their name...oh, when I know the name of my accuser...

I will have to forgive them for their ignorance, forgive them for the hurt they've caused me and my family, forgive them for spreading such a lie. It won't be easy to forgive because my nature says to lash out, destroy, to get even, and never trust again. God's nature however, tells me to forgive and walk away.

Notice I didn't say forgive and forget. I'm not God. I won't forget, I can't. That's probably the worst thing about this type of rumor, it can't easily be forgotten. So it will remain in my mind but not my heart because once I've forgiven, it's gone from my heart.

So, read that quote again. Let it be a reminder the next time you listen to or are tempted to share a juicy piece of gossip. You could be destroying a reputation... your own.

Tribute

My niece Rebekah, put this tribute to my parents (her grandparents) together on youtube. She did a great job and I thought I'd share it with blog world. (You might have to copy and paste the link into your browser, I had some trouble getting the link to work here)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsXY-ePbTkk

Rhyme and Change of Time

Daylight Saving Time always does weird things to Diego. Sometimes he gets downright naughty, other times he is plain silly. After coming down with a cold this weekend, Diego has been a bit of both naughty and silly.

This morning as I loaded the washing machine, Diego was supposed to be getting dressed and ready for school. I turned to see him standing in only his underwear in the upstairs hallway. With arms raised and hips wiggling he said, "Mom, I have something to tell you." Now, that's not always something I like to hear and in his chosen attire... I just wasn't sure what he would say.

His rhyme went something like this:
"I have a mom, she's so cool;
Now it's time for a little school."

Classic after time change FAS moment!

Halloween

Diego usually doesn't get into the Halloween thing but for some reason this year he asked (a lot) if we could transform our front lawn into a grave yard. Well, we didn't do that because I think it's plain creepy to do but Diego did get to play a ghost for Halloween.

One of our 8 trick or treaters (you read that right, we had a grand sum of 8) thought that Casper lives at our house. At least they were old enough, and not too old, to be out trick or treating. I was very surprised at the number of costumed infants being pushed in strollers and/or carried by a parent (probably 6 out of the 8 who visited our house). There's no way they were eating the candy we handed out... I guess that's part of the 'trick'?

Here's a pic of my little ghost. I had cut a hole in the middle of the sheet so Diego's head could show but decided to sew it back up because he refused to wear make-up on his face. Without the make-up he would have looked like he was wearing a white poncho! Yes, there were eye holes so he could see where he was going.... don't email me and tell me how dangerous the costume could have been...

That felt great!

After dropping Diego off at school this morning I ran an errand and then went to McDonald's for my Thursday morning treat of a Diet Coke.

While in line at the drive-thru, I noticed a young woman in the vehicle behind me whom I haven't seen for a long time. She was one of my favorite teenagers from back in the good old days. She has fiery red hair and the personality to match. I just love this girl. She and another teenager gave me the nickname "Tree" which they still call me to this day. She's all grown up now with 2 children and a third on the way (soon!).

Well, one of the teams I serve on at Crossroads was given the challenge last week to do intentional acts of kindness. I seized the opportunity when I saw this young woman in line behind me and I bought her breakfast when I arrived at the payment window.

The cashier asked me if I wanted her to say who had paid for the meal and I smiled and said, "Just tell her Tree says, 'Hi.'"

I'm going to be smiling on the inside all day.

Day Trippin'

I went on a field trip with all of the third grade students from Diego's school yesterday. I was given a group of 4 students, one of whom was my son. The remaining part of the group was made up of 2 girls and one other boy. I must say I had a great group. They obeyed very well by staying within eye sight (most of the time) and if they weren't in my sight, they came back fairly quickly when I yelled their name. The classroom teacher gave me permission to use my best 'Mom Look' and honestly, I only had to use it once... okay, twice.

The other boy in my group became very interested in my iPhone camera and begged me to allow him to use it to take photos of points of interest at the Michigan Historical Museum. Together Daniel and Diego shot quite a few photos that were, well, interesting to say the least. Unrecognizable would perhaps be a better term :)

Here's a shot of my group. I have a new appreciation for teachers and totally understand why they get 3 months off during the summer!

Political Signs

About a week ago a political sign appeared in our front yard, Joe had approved it. Diego looked out the front door - while taking his usual detour on his way upstairs to go to bed - and he said, "Well, it looks like we're cheering for Dudley Spade."
What a kid.

Why Do That?

While shopping in a local drug store this afternoon I observed a young woman with 2 children; one was probably 3 years old, the other was an infant about 8 months old. The young woman held the hand of the older child and carried the baby on her hip.

The store has a couple of aisles of Halloween costumes, decorations and candy. The woman stopped at an extremely macabre looking skeleton hanging on an end cap. She turned the baby toward the skeleton and pushed a button on the thing. It came to life, moved and let out an awful sound.

The poor little baby jumped and began to cry, obviously frightened by the skeleton. The woman laughed and said, "Don't be such a baby!" She looked at me, shrugged her shoulders, stifled a laugh, and went on her way scolding the baby for crying.

I had all I could do to keep from shouting, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" That poor baby! Perhaps I don't have much of a sense of humor when it comes to frightening small children but I didn't find that to be funny at all. How about you?

Finished Reading

This afternoon while waiting for school to let out, I finished reading "The Shack" by William P. Young. The best piece of fiction I've read in a long while.
Here's an excerpt from one of the last pages of the book: ..."This is not a revolution that will overthrow anything, or if it does, it will do so in ways we could never contrive in advance. Instead it will be the quiet daily powers of dying and serving and loving and laughing, of simple tenderness and unseen kindness, because if anything matters, then everything matters. And one day, when all is revealed, everyone of us will bow our knee and confess in the power of Sarayu (the name used in this book for the Holy Spirit) that Jesus is the Lord of all Creation, to the glory of Papa (the name used in this book for God)."

Pick a copy up and read it. I laughed, cried, and found myself realizing how little my faith really is.

Are You Dead Yet?

Diego has been quite concerned about death lately... not his, Joe's and mine. This morning Diego again asked me when I am going to die. As usual, I explained that no one knows when they will die, only God knows that.

Diego then said, "You can't die yet. I don't know how to cut my toenails."

Classic Diego. Classic FAS moment.

Bragging on My Boy

Diego has been doing very well in school this year (so far, so good!). His teacher told me he tested with the highest reading score in his classroom. He read 2 entire books (75 pages each) on Tuesday! He did AR (accelerated reader) tests on both and only missed 1 question on each test.

He's making wise choices and reaching goals, even unspoken goals.... like, he decided that it was better for him to eat in his classroom instead of in the gym because it's too noisy and confusing in the gym during lunch time and the other kids bother him. Diego decided to continue to take his sensory breaks the first thing every morning because it helps him focus.

This morning he actually got ready for school with only a couple of reminders (warnings, really). He told me, "Mom, I get to play the Wii today and have a movie night tonight and go see "Igor" tomorrow." See, he's been losing his privileges lately because of uncooperation at home with me in the mornings.

Sounds like he's made his plans for the weekend :)

9/9

Today is National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders day. At 9:09 (either a.m. or p.m.) people around the globe will stop for a moment of silence in recognition of the 1 in every 100 children born with Fetal Alcohol Disorders.
Diego has FASD, a prenatal brain injury caused by exposure to alcohol. Completely avoidable, the only form of mental retardation that is.

A few facts about FASD:
* Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the leading known cause of mental retardation in western civilization.
* Of all the substances of abuse, including heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, alcohol produces by far the most serious neurobehavioral effects in the fetus.
* Over 50% of women of childbearing age drink alcohol.
* About 20% of women who are known to be pregnant continue to drink during their pregnancy. The incidence of drinking during pregnancy has increased substantially in the past several years, possibly due to the misleading media message that a drink a day is healthy.
* Women at risk of drinking during pregnancy include women who smoke, who are single, who are in college or have a degree, and women in households with incomes over $50,000.
* At least 5000 infants are born each year in the US with full FAS (like Diego) or approximately every 750 live births.
* People with FASD have serious problems with attention deficits, impulse control, judgment and memory.
* Fewer than 10% of individuals with FASD are able to acheive success in living and working independently.
* Among children with FASD up to age 15, the social maturation process seems to be stunted at the level of a 6 year old child.

It's almost overwhelming to me as I type those facts to think every single one of them applies to Diego, I see it and live it with him every day. Would I want him to be normal? Absolutely. But God created Diego with a unique personality and gifts and talents within this thing called FASD. God took something horrible and made Diego wonderful!

Please never attribute the 'just another bad kid' attitude to a child who in the news for doing something horrific, they may be living with undiagnosed affects of prenatal exposure to alcohol.

If you know a woman who is pregnant and is drinking alcohol, please urge her to stop drinking... for the sake of her unborn child.

First Day of Third Grade

Diego started his Third Grade year on Tuesday. He was a bit nervous and apprehensive about Third Grade. I must admit I always was nervous the day before school started, in fact, I can remember not sleeping much the night before school started.
Last night after his second day of Third Grade, Diego told me he was used to school and Third Grade now. He even asked me if he could skip Third Grade and go into Fourth Grade. Hmmm... I told him he really needs to finish Third Grade as I am sure he will learn some new and exciting things there.

Labor Day, Zits, Baby

Joe and Diego went for a walk today, about a mile. Diego told me later when I asked him how his walk with Dad was that, "It was a long way and my zit hurts." WHAT?! Well, it appeared yesterday on his forehead, a big old zit, it looked sore too. We got him all fixed up with a bit of soap, some zit cream and a kiss. Hopefully the nasty zit won't show in his "First Day of Third Grade" photo tomorrow!

I received a call from Eric this morning, we haven't heard from him for a couple of months. We talked for a few minutes and he asked me what I thought about his son. WHAT?! Evidently Eric has a son; someone failed to tell me about it :-( so I was a bit shocked with the news.

Eric, Angie and baby arrived at my sister's house and spent the afternoon with us there. I'm not so sure I like the sound of the name "Grandma" but this little angel is adorable, sweet, precious and perfect. Tyler Joseph Emens was born August 23. He weighed 8 pounds, 3 ounces and was 21.25 inches long. I took a bunch of iPhone pics, here are a couple of them, one with proud 'Uncle' Diego.

Last Day

Today marked the end of my tenure on staff at Crossroads. I want to share some of the things God's given me over the last almost 3 years at Crossroads:

1. Some great friends
2. The art of proofreading (I could do this prior to Crossroads but my skills were ever challenged and sharpened)
3. How to look at everything through the lens of an unchurched person
4. Did I mention great friends?
5. Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, youtube... what can I say, I'm hooked
6. Connection to several hundred people coming to know Christ as Savior
7. The privilege of working with incredible volunteers
8. I learned more about myself, how I work, why I do things the way I do them
9. Mac vs. Windows - Mac wins
10. My passion is serving God with all my mind, heart, strength
11. Great friends!!!

I've been asked if Joe and I are leaving Crossroads. My answer: No! See you Sunday!

It Doesn't Get Much Better Than This

Today I turn another year older. Today at Crossroads we baptized 55 people!

I was struck by the variety of people who lined up to take the plunge. Children to teenagers and adults who enthusiastically answered, "Jesus!" when asked who they have placed their faith in. People thrust their fists in the air as they rose from the baptismal tank, thunderous applause from the crowd, and tears of joy from onlookers.

An amazing day, an amazing way to celebrate new life in Christ. I don't think I've ever had as incredible a birthday, ever.

Sleeping With The Pandas

Diego didn't sleep much Tuesday night. He was up wandering the house and sneaking snacks upstairs to his bedroom... all night. I had sent him back to bed several times and had threatened to take away the Wii, TV and movies, nothing seemed to get through to him.

Around 3 a.m. I heard my bedroom door creak and thought the wind had perhaps pushed it open. It went creak again and I heard a scraping sound. Now, what could that be? Diego. I found him lying on the floor trying to hide the Wii remotes which I had placed on my dresser for safe keeping. I swatted his bottom and sent him back to bed with the promise that if he didn't stay in bed he would be a very old man before he played the Wii again.

Fast forward to Wednesday evening. Joe, Diego and I were in the car headed for an ice cream. Diego decided to remind me that he was tired (I wonder why). He then said something that was absolutely priceless...

Diego said, "I was in your room last night, Mom. I saw Dad sleeping and I looked at him and looked at him for a long time. I saw him sleeping with a panda in his hands."

Joe. Sleeps with a panda?

Priceless.

I Gave In To Technology?

There is just a lot of talk these days about Twitter. Practically everyone I know is twittering, tweeting, or twitting...whatever it's called. Twitter is about the ONLY way I can keep track of my husband!
I caved (as Wendy would say) and signed up for a free Twitter account. Interesting how addicting it is. Beyond email, I don't know what else I check more often for updates.
If you're not on Twitter yet, check it out.

The other day someone said to me, "Hey Faythe, your husband just added me as a friend on his Facebook." What? Really? Facebook? Joe?
My nephew then sent an email asking if I had a Facebook page and if so, I could see photos of his family. I haven't seen his kids in over 3 years except for an occasional snail mail photo in a card.
I decided to check out his page and discovered that in order to view anyone's profile, you have to be added as a 'friend' and in order to be a 'friend' you have to have an account.
I caved (again) and created my Facebook page. Again, addicting. Especially when the network begins to discover your page and begins to send requests to be added as a friend on your page. I've received requests from people I haven't heard from in years! It's a lot of fun.

I am sure there is so much more technology that I don't have a clue about. I probably won't try to check too much more out in the near future after all, I've got to get all this other stuff figured out first!

Monty the Bug

Joe's assistant (St. Susan) sent a Turbo Bug Vacuum home to Diego last week. This thing looks like a squirt gun only it sucks bugs up into a tube which will trap the bug so it can be examined through the built in magnifying glass. It allows studying up close and personal (well, through the plastic tube) any bug you want to suck up into it.

Now, you have to know that Diego has been deathly afraid of bugs lately. Yet armed with this wonder bug sucker, he was ready for any insect that might come his way.

Diego decided to go outside (after dark even!) on Friday evening to hunt bugs and suck them up into the vacuum. He found a moth and brought it inside to show off. When I asked him what he had, Diego replied, "Monty." Hmmm, Monty? "The moth, mom!" Okay, we've named a moth, and it was a little one at that.

After complete examination of Monty, Joe convinced Diego to release Monty the Moth back into the great outdoors... no bugs were harmed in this experiment :)

DMV

So, I received notice about a week and a half ago that I needed to renew my driver's license this year and I COULDN'T renew by mail! AARRGGHHH!!! We all know what that means.... going to the Secretary of State's Office (or DMV) and waiting forever, or at least a really long time, for your number to be called and issued the standard license tests.

Well, I happened to have the form from the DMV with me today and I decided to drive past the office to see if the parking lot was full. It wasn't so I parked and went inside.

I picked #50 from the machine near the door and before I could sit down, a clerk called, "Number 50! Are you 50 or are you 49?" I told her I was number 50, not nearly 49 or 50 in age :)

This woman was a hoot! I explained that I needed to renew my license, handed her the license and she issued an eye exam complete with flashing lights (for peripheral vision testing). She then told me the cost for my renewal would be $18. I handed her a 20 and she made a comment about needing an advance on her allowance from her boss for change?!

She handed me the change and asked me to step over to the blue screen for a photo. She said, "Smile at the birdie." The birdie? Oh, there was a Beanie Baby bird hanging from the camera..... hmmmm..... okay.....

The clerk made my image appear on a computer screen and she asked if that looked like me. The photo looked like I was saying hmmm.... okay.... I did a chin count - 1, 2, 3, "Yep, that works for me."

She said my license will arrive in 7-10 days and I asked if that was all I needed to do. What no written test? She looked at her supervisor and said, "Does this woman need to take a written test to renew her license?" The supervisor said, "No, I don't think so."

Works for me. I was so happy I almost walked out without my old license which now had the upper right corner clipped off and a temporary license stapled to it.

Relatively painless process and finished in under 10 minutes! Things have changed at the DMV, either that or I picked the right day to visit :)

Bridal Show

I'm going to have a table at the Elder-Beerman Bridal Show this weekend. I'm introducing some new services for brides! Stop in and see me on Saturday afternoon, I'll be near the Mall entrance between the cosmetics counters.

Diego-isms

Following is a short list of recent Diego-isms... he's so funny!

* My tailpipe hurts (after he fell down the stairs yesterday)
* I didn't go in the water today, I just tanned like you do.
* It was very boring looking at the cars over and over, now I can see Bob the Builder and Cars at the same time (after tearing the border off his bedroom wall)
* Why are there mosquitos? Don't they know they make me itch?

Been working on...

My website! Let me know what you think... (be nice, it's my first attempt at website building)

For some reason I can't create a link so just copy and paste the address - www.yourbigdayweddings.net

Thursday

I got to hang out with my April bride this afternoon, she is a real peach... and I mean that in a positive sense of the phrase. She is a lot of fun. We checked out another reception venue and then went to my office to go over the "9 month to-do list".
Her big day will be here before she knows it. And I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure her wedding is perfect. I think I'm as excited as she is to see this wedding happen!

Just Finished

I just finished reading this book. It is a phenomenal perspective on living every day to the fullest.

House guest

Last Thursday I told Joe and Diego we were going to have a house guest over the weekend. Joe just said, "Really?" and Diego said, "Who? Maxiumus?" That kids is really good at guessing games (just a side note: don't play "I Spy" with him unless you want to lose!)

Maximus was the perfect house guest, he made himself right at home. Diego did a great job taking care of him and playing with him... he even got Diego out of the house for short periods of time!

Here's a shot of Maximus choosing his side of the bed (it's Joe's side, by the way!)

Stuff...

So, it's been a while since I posted, lots going on recently and some not going on... read on, you'll understand in a minute.

Joe, Diego and I went up north for the July Fourth holiday weekend. We stayed with my sister and her husband at their cabin in Hale, MI. I tell you, that place is a haven for good times, good food, good friends, good rest, and great weather! We came home on Monday (7/7) so we wouldn't have to deal with the heavy holiday traffic. Must be the price of gas didn't frighten most travelers because the southbound traffic was pretty thick.

The Bender's stopped by to see us on Saturday night as they finished up their vacation. Diego was going through serious Chloe withdrawals.


We got home and I started in on all the stuff that had to be done around the house. Being the email addict that I am, I decided to see if there was anything in my in box that couldn't wait. Well, my in box wouldn't work, neither would my Internet connection... bummer! I even re-set the router and modem several times... still no connection. ARGGH!

Finally back online today after a helpful suggestion (thanks, Brian!).

July 2, 1995

I couldn't sleep last night and thought it was because I had a Diet Coke not long before bed (caffeine, you know). When I finally drifted off I dreamed about the house I grew up in and vividly saw the detail in the woodwork and red carpeting (my mom loved red!).
Realizing the date is July 2 hit me like a ton of bricks... I lost someone precious to me on this date 14 years ago; my dad. No wonder I didn't sleep well.
Every year since his death I have trouble sleeping on the anniversary of his home-going. You see, my sisters, mom, grandmother, and I spent several sleepless nights watching and waiting for death to come and take him. Dad had Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. He won his final earthly battle and went to be with Jesus very early in the morning.
We buried Dad in the family plot in Sand Creek, a place I visit often. To return there somehow makes me feel a little closer to my parents although I know the ground beneath the headstone holds only the shells of the persons I knew as Dad and Mom.
I miss my dad, especially today, but find comfort in the fact that he left behind horrible pain and suffering to put on a white robe of righteousness... and I look forward to the day when I'll see him again.

Weekend

We did some fun stuff over the weekend... take a look at the iPhone pics I took from our niece's wedding. We took Diego to see Wall-E on Sunday because he was really good during the wedding. It was his second time to see the movie... it's sure to be his new favorite!



Diego with Grandma B.

An Adult Child

What do you do when your adult son calls and tells you he's hungry, no starving?

Now, before you go feeling sorry for him, you must realize that he's got a full-time job, a car, pays rent, buys several packs of smokes a week, spends most of his money on energy drinks and video rentals, and drives wherever he wants to go thereby filling his gas tank every other day.

Still, it's hard to hear your child say they're hungry and not be able to respond in a tangible way. He lives in Toledo, where exactly I do not know. He could have driven to my house to get something to eat but that would be a terrible waste of gas money (his words). Yet, he told me how good my homemade pizza would taste to him tonight.

So, what's a mom to do? I doubt he's starving, I doubt he'll go a full day without any food. Still, that phone call is really bothering me. My motherly instincts are heightened. I want the best for him but he won't listen to reason or healthy advice.

In his irrational world he makes all the right choices until he's in too deep. He then only wants to hear, not apply, our advice.

I love him but tonight, after that phone call, love isn't enough.

Sittin' In My Office

On a Monday afternoon, watching the world go by and here's what I see...

* A t-shirt that reads, "Nothing could be finer than to be a 109-er" (in reference to
the bar across the street)

* A car going the wrong way down the one way street out front... must have missed the
sign!

* A guy walked up to a truck and rubbed the chalk mark off the tire that the meter guy
just put on there... should have taken a picture of that one.

* People walking with a child in a stroller, a dog on a leash, both with cell phones
pressed to their ears. What if the kid needs them or the dog needs to stop?

* A hand written sign that reads, 'Karaoke Tonight' hanging in the window of a bar
across the street... oh wait, I now see it's been stenciled, much nicer than
handwritten.

* Consumer's Power just blocked off the alley next to my office. The guy came in
looking for the basement, he's planning to shut off the power next door and wants
me to let him in the basement to do that. Can't do that... sorry.

* A guy wearing a winter coat, sporting a beard.. he looks very warm for the weather
conditions.

* Same guy just sat down on the ledge outside my window, right in my line of sight!
Like he can't see me in here and I can't see him?!

* It's pouring rain now!

Downtown Adrian's adventure for Monday...

Some pics

Here are some photos I took on my iPhone Saturday of the wedding cake, ceremony site and the bride's hair.

06/07/08

It was sure to be a BIG day for weddings... see the significance? 06/07/08
I was blessed to have a wedding yesterday and the couple chose this particular day because of those numbers.

The temperature was in the high 80's, 100% humidity (okay, maybe not that high but it seemed like it), with a 30% chance of a thunderstorm but we set the ceremony up outside anyway (without a tent!) and watched as the wind blew in and tipped over the decorative trees that had been placed around the perimeter of the seating area. No worries, we moved the trees inside to the reception hall and used them as decoration there. Note to brides-to-be... no tent is like no net in a high-wire act.

We had to work around traffic heading to a horse auction and a couple of shouts from vehicles passing by. A simple traffic re-routing was all it took to keep the dust down, couldn't do anything about the shouts.

The caterer's husband had been in surgery the previous day and was rushed back into the operating room Saturday morning. She arrived up with the food, a helper, and a back-up plan that allowed her to leave if necessary.

The bartender had been ill all week prior to the wedding but she showed up ready to work.

The bride's hair stylist changed the way she wanted to do her hair and exceeded the allotted time for the appointment (yep, my schedule went out the window for a couple of hours). The bride frantically called to say she wanted the flowers for her hair delivered to the hair salon instead of to the ceremony site as planned. Thankfully I was able to catch the florist (a terrific woman) at her shop as she was loading her vehicle, she was able to oblige at the last minute.

When the flower arrived, they were stunningly beautiful! The florist helped the baker place a cascade of orange lilies, gerber daisies, and peach roses down the side of the chocolate frosted cake... absolutely gorgeous!

We were able to rush the girls into the motor home they dressed in and have them all ready for a few pre-ceremony photos (back on schedule, much to my relief!).

The father of the bride dressed into a tuxedo that was a few sizes too large and decided to switch with the Best Man at the last minute only to switch back and have the person they rented the suits from do a quick alteration (another terrific woman).

The Maid of Honor had, for a very long time and very loudly, proclaimed that she would NEVER wear straps on her dress. After tugging on the dress repeatedly to keep it from exposing her top half, I was able to convince her to attach the straps to the dress.

The bridesmaids were 2 gorgeous young ladies who went with the flow and did whatever was requested of them. The flower girls were sisters who are absolute dolls. The ring bearer, brother of the flower girls, proudly sported his Mohawk haircut as he carried the monogrammed pillow (actually tossed it a few times...).

Once the handsome groom dressed in his chocolate brown tux was corralled, the bridal party lined up behind him to walk to the ceremony site, we were right on time :)

The radiant bride shed some tears as she rode up to the ceremony site with her dad in Wendy's Hummer. She was overwhelmed by the idea that all of her guests were actually there for her. She stepped out of the vehicle as the bridal attendants began their procession.

The ceremony was short but meaningful as the couple spoke their vows before 150 witnesses seated under the hot, June sun.

The groom made a tender-loving comment to his bride when they had come back down the aisle, he told her how beautiful she was and said he would love her forever.

The party was just that, a party. I'm sure the long awaited wedding day was over before the couple knew it. I hope their big day was everything they had hoped for and more. I'm glad to have been able to be a part of it.

I'll post some photos I took on my iPhone tomorrow. Tonight I'm spending some time with the boys... going to see the "Indiana Jones" movie... if I can stay awake.

Goofy kid

Diego and I had some shopping to do at Wal-Mart on Tuesday evening after I picked him up from day care. Of course he wanted to check out the Wii games in the Electronics Department.

While he was deeply engrossed in looking at the new "Speed Racer" game, I saw a most frightening person and had to whisk Diego from the store. (It was actually Diego's biological father and I did not want to be accosted by this man... again)

Diego didn't understand why we had to leave his "favorite store in the whole wide world" so quickly. I tried to explain that I had seen someone who could be dangerous to his safety.

Wednesday morning while getting ready for school, Diego asked me about this person who had ruined his Wal-Mart experience the night before. I decided it would be a good time to review our address, phone number, and a description of Joe and me.

He looked me over and described what I was wearing. So I asked for a more physical description and gave him some hints... "She's very tall, has, um... blond hair (I corrected him there, and it's time for color!), she wears black shoes almost always, she has brown eyes..."

I then put my hands up on either side of my face and tried to coax him to say, "She's beautiful.." by mouthing the words. Diego looked at me and very seriously said, "She has a face."

I lost it, what a goofy kid. We never did get to Diego's description of Joe.

A Big Day!

I'm down to the wire with prep for a wedding on June 7; it's going to be so much fun! Call me crazy but I love weddings!

Actually, it's been a fun ride already. I met Caitlin and Andrew back in October of 2007 and started working with them on their big day right away. We set the date, took engagement photos, sent Save the Dates, tasted scrumptious cake, selected gorgeous flowers, found a ceremony venue... 3 times :), shopped for flower girl dresses, designed and printed invitations, worked through the guest list, and so much more.

It's been a privilege working with this couple. I hope they will find their day relaxing, stress-free, beautiful, and basically everything they've always dreamed it would be!

Congratulations, Caitlin and Andrew!

Vacation

We got to go up north over the Memorial Day weekend. It was a great time with my sister and brother-in-law and their 2 dogs at their cabin on the edge of the Huron National Forest. And the weather was beautiful!
We went out to eat on Saturday night with my Uncle Dave and Aunt Becky, Diego has a great time with Becky... she's a special needs teacher and always has a new trick to share.
Diego hugged Big Boy on the way into the restaurant and made his own super hero costume from place mats.

According to Diego....

I rock! Well, in my opinion, so does he!

Three Years

It's been 3 years since my mom went to heaven. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about her.
I was privileged to have had my mom for 44 years. She wasn't unlike a lot of moms. She worked outside the home for many years. She also volunteered at church and was involved in civic activities. No matter what, Mom was always there for my sisters and me.
I knew I could call her anytime and get good advice or a good scolding if necessary (and it was necessary a lot of the time!).
Mom was the best cook and she loved to entertain. She baked everything from cookies, bread, cinnamon rolls, to wedding cakes... mine included.
Mom made my wedding dress and all of the bridesmaids dresses; each hand smocked (a lost art).
She was one incredible woman. She loved her husband, family and God. She had a strong desire to see others come to know Christ and supported efforts of those who were called to reach people in other countries with the gospel.
So on May 5, 2005 when Mom said she wanted to go to see Jesus I knew it wouldn't be long before she was in His presence worshiping at His feet for eternity alongside my dad (he died July 2, 1995).
Mom slipped away quietly late on the night of May 6, 2005. Her earthly life over, her eternity was just beginning!
I was crying one day shortly after Mom died and Diego asked me why. I told him it was because I was missing my mom. He told me, "Mommy, don't cry. Granny is with Jesus!" He understood what I knew.

Stuffed

Do you know how many stuffed animals and dirty clothes it takes to fill Mr. Incredible and Spiderman costumes?

No school today due to an in-service day for teachers. So, I'm catching up on the laundry and can't find any of Diego's dirty clothes, his basket is empty. Okay, I did laundry on Saturday but there really ought to be something in the basket, right?

I searched the usual places (closet, cabinet, ceiling fan) no dirty clothes. What did Diego do with them? Just as I was about to call out to Diego, interrupt a rousing MarioKart Wii game, and ask about the clothes, I noticed there were no stuffed animals in the tub in the corner of his room. Interesting... the clothes had absconded with the stuffed animals! Or had they?

Searching Diego's bedroom a bit further (under the bed, duh!), I found the aforementioned costumes stuffed with stuffed animals... and the dirty clothes. The costumes actually looked like there was a body in them, bulges and all (minus the head, hands and feet, of course)!

No wonder the child isn't sleeping. Mr. Incredible and Spiderman have been making appearances in Diego's room and keeping him awake!

Needless to say, Spidey and Mr. I have disappeared. The dirty clothes are in the washing machine and the stuffed animals, well, they are waiting for Diego to put them away - where they belong :)

Disappointed? Nope.

A few weeks ago, Joe shared with the church that he will be transitioning back to Adrian Steel and won't be continuing at Crossroads as Executive Pastor.

Several people have asked me since that day if I am disappointed. Nope. I'm very proud of Joe's strength and admire him for the courage to do what's right for his particular shape... the way God gifted him.

There's no way Joe will quit serving God. He's just getting into the 'right seat on the right bus'. I can hardly wait to see what God has planned for the next leg of our journey together.

We need to be like this...

Talk about customer service! Check this story out, there's a lesson in here for sure!
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,352063,00.html

Student of the Month

Diego's name is in lights - outside his school that is. I know, I know, I need to be a good mom and get a pic with him standing next to the sign.

Blowin' Out The Candle

Diego's birthday party was a hit! Here are a couple of pics...

Nine Years

It was 9 years ago tomorrow: March 28, 1999 at 4:20 a.m.

I had been at the hospital with Diego's mother during a difficult and lengthy labor. As he walked out of the hospital room at 3:45 a.m., the doctor warned that it would be a long night and advised me to try to get some sleep. The nurse had to call him back to the hospital almost immediately when Diego decided he was going to arrive with or without medical supervision. At barely 5 pounds and nearly 3 weeks premature, Diego was born with a double knot in his umbilical cord; he was severely deprived of oxygen.

I feel blessed to have witnessed Diego's birth early that Palm Sunday morning. I admit, I was in love with him the moment our eyes met.

Little did I realize Joe and I would be further blessed to call him our son 3 1/2 years later.

Diego continues to be a blessing on my life, every day. He makes me smile, laugh, cry, and I am tremendously proud of him.

I used to ask God the "Why" question in regard to not being able to have "our own" children. I didn't think I'd have an answer this side of heaven.

I now know why... Diego. I wouldn't be his mom if I'd been able to have biological children. I wouldn't be raising this special little boy. I would not have known the sweetness of the touch of his precious little hands. My neck would not know the strength of his hug. I would miss the way he curls up on my lap to snuggle, even if he never had. How I would ache to hear his voice call out, "I love you, Mommy."

Diego is my precious, damaged angel. But I am so very grateful that his birth mother chose to give him life; if she hadn't there would be a Diego-sized hole in the hearts of all who know him.

So, Happy Ninth Birthday, my little love; I thank God for lending you to me!

Are You Kidding?

Friday, March 21 was Crossroads' Annual Flashlight Egg Hunt. Everything was set... except for the weather. Early in the week, the weather man promised balmy 47 degree temps by Friday. Somewhere along the middle of the week he changed his mind and gave a most ugly prediction of a winter storm to begin around noon Friday and ending sometime in the middle of the night.

(May I just say I'm SO over snow! After all, Christmas was nearly 3 months ago!)

Of course, God, in His infinite wisdom and most keen sense of humor caused the snow to start falling in downtown Adrian around 11:30 a.m.; it continued steadily throughout the afternoon. At 4 p.m. (set-up time), there was about 3 inches of fresh snow covering the ground. (Did I already say I'm over snow?!)

Crossroaders showed up, bundled in their winter garb, set-up, and waited for kids to arrive to hunt eggs... in the snow. Honestly, I felt like I was in a snow globe all night. But it was well worth the blustery temps, gusting winds, and oftentimes, blinding snow. The smiles on the cold faces of the little ones who gathered snow-covered eggs were worth every minute spent standing in that storm.

I am over snow (have I mentioned that?) but never will be over the lives touched and blessed by such an event. Way to go Crossroaders! I'm sure God was smiling at us... probably even having a good laugh!

What Happened To Your Eyes?

Diego brought a red ribbon home from school today. Now, usually the color red is a bad thing; it means stop, there was negative behavior that needed to be addressed more than 2 times during the school day.

Today however, the color red stands for something very good! The ribbon has this written on it: #1 Meijer In Partnership With Lenawee County Schools Student of the Month

Written in Diego's daily report was, "Great Morning! Diego was selected Student of the Month from the entire Second Grade. Yea!"

My heart swelled with pride, my eyes filled with tears as I hugged Diego and told him how proud I am of his hard work and effort. He had no idea he was working toward this incredible award. He said simply that he was, "Doing all his work, listening to the teacher, and following directions"; that's why he received the red ribbon.

He looked at me and asked, "Mom, what happened to your eyes?"

And yet another lesson, the one about a mother's tears of joy.

Which Land?

I received word that my step-grandmother lost her battle with cancer last Friday; she was 88 years old.
There were a lot of thoughts that passed through my head after I learned she had died. We weren't as close as some grandparents and grandchildren but that's okay, before ending a phone conversation or visit she would say, "I love you," and I knew she meant it.

My younger sister and I made the trip to Bad Axe for the visitation and funeral. During the funeral the pastor said something that has been on my mind since he spoke the words.

He was telling a story (not sure if it's true) about an elderly preacher who was writing his memoirs through a scribe. The preacher couldn't quite find the words to say as he lay dying so the scribe wrote: "I leave the land of the living to step into eternity." When the words were read to the preacher, he told the scribe they were not correct. He said, "Tell people I am leaving the land of the dying to step into the land of the living."

Those words, to me, are profound especially as Easter approaches. Christ came to earth to save the dying of which I am one. He died in my place so I don't have to die. He was buried and rose from the grave. He ascended to Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. He did all of this so that one day when I leave the land of the dying I too will step into the land of eternal life.

God's love amazes me!

Time Change

Along with Diego's FAS comes the inevitable issue with the Spring and Fall time changes.

It's difficult enough for nearly everyone I know to deal with the loss of that hour, but that hour might as well be days lost for Diego.

To a child with no real concept of time, the hour seems to disappear into a foggy tunnel of disorientation and confusion... and of course, we missed the digital clock on the DVD player when changing all the other clocks in the house!

Diego's argument that it was still light outside was, well... correct. But that digital clock glowing the wrong time was really hard to confront. It felt like 6:30, looked like 6:30, it was 6:30 the night before (if you know Diego, you get that), so it must be 6:30.

Poor kid, he thought he was going to bed an hour early... and he was! Or was he?

What Kind of Customer Are You (Am I)?

Lately I've been the recipient of poor customer service at just about every public place I've visited.

Good (or poor) customer service is a pet peeve of mine. I've had years of customer service experience, either providing it or receiving it. I even had to provide good customer service when I worked in the jail with inmates!

I was going to blog about the poor customer service I'd received at the grocery store and the rude girl behind the counter at a sandwich shop, oh, and there was the person who ignored me at the gas station while I stood in the freezing temperatures to pay him. And then it occurred to me... customer service is 50/50... 50% provider, 50% recipient. Now, I know that's neither an earth-shattering nor an original fact. Interesting though, huh?

So I had to ask myself if I had been the kind of customer I would enjoy serving. Probably not. How about you?

His Prayers Have Been Answered!

Our Nintendo Wii has been out of commission for a couple of weeks now. We have no idea what happened to it, it simply wouldn't power up... until today. It's a snow day so Diego is home from school. He was happily playing with his V-Flash educational game and somehow knocked the Wii off the shelf it sits on and sent it crashing 3 feet down to the floor.

Joe picked the Wii up, placed it back in its stand and plugged it into the wall. Suddenly the Wii had been healed! Diego jumped up and yelled, "Yes! I have been praying the Wii would work again and it is! Now I can buy the Ice Age game!"

All I can say is that God works in mysterious ways.

New Glasses

Both of my boys got new glasses within the past week. I snapped this pic last night. Diego is saying, "Who's a handsome debil?" I think he meant devil.

Hot Dogs, French Fries, and Chocolate Mousse

I've been meaning to blog about this for a week now. After Joe re-told the story last night in our small group I decided it had to be shared....

A week ago yesterday our sweet friend, Chloe came home from church with us to spend some time with her buddy, Diego. Joe had a meeting after church so I took the kids to McDonald's for lunch, came home and we had a nice afternoon.

Around 5:00 everybody was hungry so we decided to go to a local restaurant to eat. We ordered our meal and Chloe saw the dessert menu and asked, "What is chocolate mouse?" Joe explained the name is chocolate mousse and Diego says, "How do they make a moose chocolate?" It was over. Control was lost. Our waitress stayed away, people were staring.

We ordered dessert, and here's the good part, Chloe ordered Chocolate Mouse, Diego ordered a hot dog. When the "desserts" arrived Chloe decided she didn't like Chocolate Mouse, instead she ate Diego's french fries, dipping them into the Chocolate Mouse. I looked at Joe and said, "We've ruined this child's healthy eating habit, she's going to have to be completely reprogrammed." (Did I mention we'd fed her a forbidden meal at lunch time?) She then discovered an Oreo cookie on the bottom of the Mousse cup and dug for it.

Now, I am not picking on poor Chloe, I love that little girl like she's my own. Diego brought his hot dog home... in his mouth! He had not chewed it, he was holding it in his cheek! I asked him what he had in his mouth when he was getting ready for his bath (an hour after we'd left the restaurant!). His reply, "My hot dog." I made him spit it out. Can I just say, "YUK!?"

These two bring so much joy into my life; I am blessed by their naivety, sense of humor, purity, and love. If only we could all be like children in those same aspects.

Perspective

Diego's school was closed today due to frozen/broken pipes and loss of heat. He played the Wii far too long, we went grocery shopping and had some lunch. I needed to go to my office this afternoon and he reluctantly went along with his Cars toys in tow (Cars toys are the toy he's stuck on lately).

Diego got a little bored and started talking about what he would be doing at school at any given time and whether or not he would have had gym class or music today. He then pulled a chair up to the window and stood on it watching the people passing by. Without trying he frightened a kid riding a bike, I don't even think He realized he had done that.

I asked Diego what he was looking at and he said he was counting how many people smoke. He also said he saw quite a few coming out of the door across the street (there are 2 bars across the street).

In typical Diego fashion, out of the blue, he says, "Mom, I know what kind of cars people who smoke drive." I said something like, "Really?" And then he said, "Yes, their cars have brown spots of rust on them and they are not shiny, they are dirty, there's one right there."

He was right, there was a salt covered, dirty gray car with rust parked across the street. Someone who was smoking had just stepped out of the vehicle. It makes perfect sense why he would come to the conclusion he had.

I did talk to him about how that conclusion wasn't quite right but he was out the window again, lost in thought.

Farewell to a Friend

I received word tonight that a faithful, loving, four-legged friend died yesterday. Toby was a wonderful dog. He was a yellow lab. Toby had an extremely important job, he was a seeing eye dog for our friend Doug. And he did the job extremely well.

Toby was always ready and eager to go to work. Doug would bring the harness out and no matter how Toby was feeling he sprung into action to wear the harness proudly and be the eyesight Doug needs. Toby always had a smile on his face... yep, a dog that smiled.

I'm not exactly sure how long Toby was with Doug but I know it was many, many years. Toby was raised for the Leader Dog School in Rochester Hills, MI. The person who raised him was a school teacher who took Toby to her elementary classroom every day where Toby was showered with hugs, kisses, and a lot of petting. Toby loved kids.

Diego named his favorite stuffed animal after Toby (of course it's a yellow lab given to him by Doug and JoAnn). He never goes to bed without Toby. Diego said, "Toby has a long, wet tongue and he licked me with it, on the face! He played with me and I love him." That about says it all.

Goodbye our friend Toby Spade, you were a good boy, we love you.

He's so funny

Diego just makes me smile. He comes up with the funniest things, out of nowhere, and completely unexpected most of the time. A couple of Diego-isms...

I picked Diego up from school yesterday afternoon, he was uncharacteristically quiet. I could see by his expression that he was lost in thought. He kicked his shoes off and tucked his feet up underneath him. All of a sudden he says, "Mom, if I won Eric's money, I would have like ninety-nine dollars."

What? Whose money?

Come to find out, he was referring to an adult at Crossroads who serves in the Kid Fusion experience, Eric Doyle. Diego loves most of the characters that Eric plays. In fact, he can't always tell me what he's learned but he can usually tell me what crazy thing Eric did during church on any given Sunday. Must be Eric gave away some sort of 'money' on Sunday and Diego is contemplating winning it the next time the game is played.

Diego's daycare provider told me he didn't eat much lunch today... Diego's explanation for not eating is because he's, "On the patch." (He wears a patch for ADHD and uses it as an excuse for not doing a lot of things!)

Tonight we are struggling to get Diego to stay in bed. His most recent reason for coming downstairs was to show us that his blanket is electric. "Watch," he says, "When I rub it on my head and watch it closely, there's electric stuff."

Stay tuned, I am sure this child will provide a lot of comedic relief in the future.

You Know You've Had Enough...

Saturday was a great day for shaking hands, meeting potential clients, and presenting my business to a specific sector of the community. It was a blast.

I must say that 'crashing' afterward was not good. Allow me to explain crashing. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and when I push myself too hard, I crash. Now, I haven't crashed like this in a very long time. Through the 8 years since I was diagnosed, I've learned to pace myself so that it doesn't happen very often. It would appear that pacing wasn't part of the schedule these past few weeks, however. I came home from the Expo Saturday afternoon, changed clothes, and went to bed... at 5 p.m.!

Even though I slept on and off for about 36 hours, I'm still tired. Can you believe it?

Still, I can't wait to meet with the bride who won my give away and help her plan her big day!

Getting Ready

This Saturday is the biggest Bridal Expo held in Lenawee County and I get to be part of it; I'm so excited! I attended the show last year and promised myself I would be an exhibitor this year. Goal attained... gotta love that! :)

I'll have the opportunity to meet lots of brides-to-be (I've been told there will be around 500 in attendance).

I've put together a bunch of giveaways, printed business cards like crazy, made 500+ handouts, printed and will fold around 800 brochures, and I'm working at the final touches for my table look/layout.

Wendy will go with me to help handle the crowd; she's great at talking with people too.

The 2008 Bridal Expo takes place at Lenawee Country Club in Adrian from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, January 19. If you know any brides-to-be send them to see me!

I'll let you know how the event goes.

White, sandy beaches... Bahamas

Joe had to go to the Bahamas this past week for a meeting. I got to tag along, thanks to our friends who kept Diego for us. Check out how much fun he was having!

This was the view from the resort where we stayed. One of God's most beautiful creations, don't you agree? (If you'd like to see more pics, let me know and I'll put them up on this page.)

This is SO me

I am wondering how my mornings with Diego got recorded?

Copy and paste the link into your browser then listen, you'll understand....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxT5NwQUtVM

My logo

I found a site online where I could create logos for free from stock graphics. I selected the one I liked best and bought it. Yeah, I said free but it was only the creating part that was actually free.

Here it is, with my business name....

Happy New Year

Our New Year's Eve was quite uneventful. I had taken Diego to the store with me earlier in the day and had plans to do some things in my downtown office and at home before having a nice dinner and movie night with the boys.
Well, the flu took care of the plans. Diego and I arrived home to find Joe on the couch. He had gotten sick at the office and had to come home. He got as far as the sofa and was out.
Needless to say, Joe was on the couch all night last night and all day today. He is finally sitting upright this evening, reading a book.

Diego and I made the best of the situation and went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks (again) with some friends. This movie is one best seen with children and definitely better with the second viewing.

It was an early night, I fell asleep around 10, Diego was in bed by 8:30. No flashing light ball in Times Square for us. Maybe next (this) year?