Mr. Coffee is back...

... THANK GOODNESS!!  Ryan is so happy.  He doesn't drink coffee, but CrankPants does.  Today is a MUCH better day!

Yesterday was bad...

... I broke my coffee pot. Haven't been able to replace it yet. See? Bad.

The Teacher's are Bored

... and this is how I know:  7 days left of school and now every day has to be Some Kind of Day.  Today was "Crazy Hair Day".  Carly was THRILLED.  And Ryan was THRILLED that I was home this morning to create the hair you see above... as far as he's concerned, every day that Mom's Working is Crazy Hair day.  If you click on the picture, you'll be able to see the glitter.  I don't know, I kind of like this look.  Reminds me of the Whale Spout days when she was 15 months old.  Multiplied.

More Stealing...

Another post in which I refer you to SOMEONE else's post because, well, it's just so funny.  Actually, I will be adding to this post...

Tracy, I was just wondering if perhaps THIS was the Elf?  Because he's pretty sneaky...

Ahhh, treasures from the past.

Facebook Treasure

ok... I'm a ROTTEN facebook-friend.  If you have me on your facebook friend list, you are well aware of this.  But there are times when I actually check in with it to see if some random-person-who-only-contacts-me-on-facebook has also checked in.  Who knew said Random Person would be my husband...  (although, he DOES contact me in other ways, ie, sending me humorous text messages).  I got a wall-posting from my cousin, mentioning a post RYAN made.  This was all over a month ago.  I figured that since she took the time to comment on it so kindly, perhaps I should check it out... I'm glad I did.  Ahhh, blessed by your own husband.  I love that.  I don't need a blog to give a shout out to The Man, but really?  You are awesome Ry-Baby!  I love the direction you lead our little happy family.  I love that you so wonderfully put to words what God lays on your heart.  I MIGHT just give you the passwords to our blog so you can be a guest writer:)  Anyways... here's Ryan:

March 27, 2009

I tried to change a tire yesterday. I'm not very good at it, no one said I was manly. The bad part was when the car slipped off the jack and fell on my hand. Yeah, no kidding. My wife nearly screamed and I freaked out. Before you freak out, don't worry, my hand is A-OK. It hurts and is a little swollen, but none the worse for wear. 

This morning I was actually thanking God that it wasn't worse. It could have broken my hand, it could have sliced into it. Nothing like that happened. My wife said I was pretty lucky. As I talked to God about it, I remembered last month when our family went to Wendy's and my son started choking on his hamburger. Not cough cough choke, but the frozen in space, not moving, I can't breath choke. My wife moved around the table, gave him the Heimlech and saved his life. That could have went differently. My thoughts moved back in time further to when my brother overturned his truck into a river in the middle of winter. He was trapped in a car, found a small pocket of air and screamed for help. He lives in a rural part of Michigan, and someone happened to be driving by on that lonely road, in the dark, and pulled him out. 

How my life would be so different today is any of those events had gone a few seconds either way. Like opening the wrong door on a submarine, I was flooded with memories: of my wife's emeregency C-section with Caroline, my mother thinking she might have cancer, my totalled car accident from college, that time I was drowning at Word of Life Ranch and this kid whom I've never seen before or since, grabbed my hand and pulled me to safety; when my mother was in that plane flying through horrendously bad weather, when Jennifer had to go to the hospital when I was in Michigan.

God has given me so much. It didn't take me hours and hours of pouring over memories of my life. Those came to me in minutes. Ways that God has miraculously helped me. It wasn't necessary. Certainly I know people who have broken their hands, who have lost children, who have gotten bad news about their parents, who have been in fatal car accidents. God was their God too. God wouldn't be any less good if I had two fewer fingers on my left hand, He wouldn't be any less good if one of my children had been taken. 

This is on top of the things that God does for me everyday that I hardly notice. The universe's creator lets me talk to him, anytime I want. He keeps me healthy. He keeps the Earth moving around the sun. He's provided me with a church, a family, true friends and laughter. His kept my heart beating hour after hour. He's written some great stories. As a matter of fact, every good gift comes from Him. 

So with that in mind, why am I ever in a bad mood? Why do I get down or frustrated sometimes? It's ridiculous. When God has done so much for me, I should be kissing His feet from morning until evening -- not getting mad at people who aren't doing things my way. I guess I just forget. I don't remember how life could be so different, if God willed it that way. It's to my discredit that I ever make stupid mistakes. That I ever get caught up in idiotic things

I read over what I wrote and I know there are people whom God has brought through some incredible things, and I don't mean to belittle them. I don't mean to be condescending or better than them. I just felt the need to write this and thank God that I could.

Random Cheating...

Ok... this is cheating. We had a REALLY big weekend last weekend while Ryan's parents were down visiting. You'd think I'd have GREAT blog entries about it, right? Well, I keep saying I'm going to get the pictures from Rochel (we smartened up and just used ONE camera!!!), and that obviously hasn't happened. Then I noticed on HER blog that she's ALREADY got GREAT entries posted... so here's where the cheating comes in... and Rochel can't POSSIBLY mind since I'm certain she owes me for SOMETHING.

Mom's Birthday (a MUST SEE for hilarious pictures of Ryan and Eli!!)
Friday with Grandma
Saturday at the Beach
Eli's Baby Dedication

If you already follow Rochel's Blog, you can skip this one. Or read it all again. We had a wonderful weekend!

Cinco de Mayo

Ok... so Carly cruises downstairs after swim team and showering in THIS getup.  Sombrero.  Matching dress.  Adorable shrug, "It's Cinco de Mayo, you know.  Can we go to Ti'Juana Flats?"  One would think after all this work, her wish would be granted!  Shocking, I know, but we had JUST eaten there on Thursday (Ben's choice for celebrating FOUR!!!) so we stayed in.  And ate TACO's.  Hey, it's May 5th.  

Lastly, everyone needs an Aunt like Rochel!  She made these super cool cookies to celebrate Ben's big accomplishment.   And the math-genius-cookie-making-diva that she is, she actually owns cookie cutters that are numbers.  I'm pretty sure that if she homeschool's Eli, it might involve sugar coated numbers.  I'm thinking about joining him for first grade math class.  

Summer Hair!

Carly got a new hair cut for the summer!  She's pretty excited about "being faster" during swimming races and of course, easier brushing!  Adorable girl!