Cake Walk.....

Target, I've conquered you again!

2010-05-08T14:56:00.002-05:00

Here's my latest deal from Tar-Zhey! Sale prices for these items if I hadn't used coupons would have been $97.41. I used store coupons and mfg coupons totaling $66.42. I'm sending off for a $7.99 rebate and got a $0.15 discount for bringing my own bags. And I also had a coupon for get a free $5 Target gift card when you buy the Scrubbing Bubbles, so we'll count that free $15 as well! So here's the math:

Product: $97.41
Coupons: -$66.42
Rebate: -$07.99
BYOBags: -$00.15
Free GC's:-$15.00

Total Out of Pocket: $7.85!

Not bad for almost $100 worth of stuff, eh?!

Bluebonnet Photos

2010-05-07T14:43:00.005-05:00

Heath's grandpa has a huge bluebonnet patch in his front yard! Actually his whole front yard is a bluebonnet patch! We love this because it means every year we get to take wonderful wildflower photos, without stressing over our kids playing on the side of a busy highway! Here are the photos from this year!

Drugstore Deals Sunday 1/17

2010-01-18T09:15:00.002-06:00

Walgreens

Raisin Bran 2/$4, used $1.50/2 Q (meaning coupon) so $2.50 for 2 boxes
Curel Lotion 2/$12, used (2) $2/1 Q + $1 Walgreens Q that deducted for both bottles and got $5 RR (Register Rewards) so after Q's and RR's $1 for 2 bottles!
Welch's Grape Jelly 2/$3, used (2) .55/1 Q so .95 each
Wet Ones 2/$4, used (2)$1.50/1 Q and got $1 RR for buying 2 so 2 for FREE!
DayQuil/NyQuil $5, Get $10 RR when you buy $20, bought 4 @$5, used (4)$2/1 Q + (2) "Free Puffs Tissues wyb (when you buy) 2 DayQuil/NyQuil products" Q so $2 for 4 boxes of Day/NyQuil and 2 boxes of tissues!
Neosporin Overnight Lip Therapy 2/$8, used (2) $3/1 Q and got $3 RR for buying 2, so $1 Money Maker!!

So after combining sale prices, coupons and RR's, that's $78.91 worth of stuff for just $6.40!

CVS

Frosted Mini Wheats $4.29 + BOGO (Buy One, Get One Free), used $1.50/2 Q, so $2.79 for 2 boxes.
Pepsi 12 packs $3 for 10, Buy $20 worth Get $10 ECB (Extra Care Bucks), so after ECB's, (6) 12-packs for $10 or $1.67 each
Rimmell Eye Makeup Remover 75% off of $7.69, used $1 Q, so $0.92.
Rimmell Lasting Finish Mineral MakeUp 75% off of $8.49, used $1Q, so $1.12.
Rimmell Mousse Blush 75% off of $6.99, used $1 Q, so $0.75.
Rimmell Eyeshadow Trio 75% off of $5.99, (no coupon, but it was too pretty to pass up!), so $1.49.

So after combining sale prices, coupons and ECB's, that's $77.68 worth of stuff for just $17.07!>

New Year...New Commitment to Blog

2010-01-17T22:43:00.003-06:00

I can't believe I haven't posted a thing since June! Well, actually I can. Until yesterday, getting on our computer held about as much joy as standing in line at the DPS office. The computer was 8 years old, which in computer years is like, I don't know, maybe 108, so yeah, it wasn't the best experience ever. But I'm glad to announce that we bought a new computer and it's wonderful. The screen feels so nice and huge and I think I need a seat belt because I am not used to surfing the web this fast!

So, now that I have my speedy new computer, I shall return to the blogosphere. Or at least, I'm gonna try to.

A lot has been going on with me since June, so here's a brief update.

Ezra is now 8 months old! I can't believe how time flies when there is a baby in the house! I know the 2's don't go by this quickly!
I have become a couponing diva in the past 3 months! You would not believe how much money I am saving on everything from groceries, to toiletries, to rain boots for my kiddos! I'm sure you will hear about my couponing conquests in upcoming posts! Saving money is too good not to share with you!
I have set a ton of goals for this year - among them: to set up an Etsy Shop and start selling some of my hand-sewn baby items and girly stuff!

So, dear Reader(s)...please stay tuned and make my commitment to blogging worthwhile!

Love,

Kareah

Ezra Jos

2009-06-10T08:24:00.006-05:00

Here are some of my favorite photos that Melissa took of Ezra for his birth announcements. Enjoy!

2009-05-28T22:10:00.004-05:00

"Love is the extremely difficult realization that something other than oneself is real."
-Iris Murdoch

Announcing the newest member of our family

Ezra Jos Wakeland

May 15, 2009

8 lbs. 8 oz.

20 inches

Easter

2009-04-13T05:25:00.001-05:00

I grew up in the country in a small town. I'm so glad I married Heath because he and his family are just the same way. So this is how most of our holidays are spent...with our kids running around on lots of land, chasing dozens of cousins.

Oh and PS - If you're wondering what in the world our son is wearing...it's his outfit that we had made for him in Nigeria! He's our pale little African boy!

Camp Out!

2009-04-05T11:03:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics from our little friend Zac's 6th birthday party! As Heath and I were standing around enjoying the campfire, the guitar-playing, the s'mores and the company, I realized that just one year ago, none of these people were in our lives. And right then and there I stopped and thanked God for what he has done in the past year to bring so many new friends into our lives. It's amazing what can happen when you put yourself right in the middle of your culture...whether that's your neighborhood, your kid's school, your work-place or your faith community. Relationships are so important...it's how lives are changed. Think about it...

Happy Birthday Zac!

Brian with his fancy beer holster! So Texan!

S'mores! Mmmm!

This is Corban's best buddy Jacob enjoying a glow wand!

Chloe doin' her diva pose!

Marshmallow Kisses for Daddy!

Alvar and Chris singing by the campfire. They were great!

Spring Break!!

2009-03-23T20:33:00.001-05:00

Here's a little recap of what the Wakelands were up to over Spring Break!

Saturday:

My beautiful cousin Ashley got married! I had really hoped to let her meet my brother in law...but oh well, I guess her new husband does seem pretty great too! Unfortunately I'm running out of beautiful, single cousins and friends! Looks like I'm destined to never have any nieces or nephews...or sister-in-laws! :)

Sunday:

I made this quilt for Aaron & Janna's son who is coming right around the same time that our little one will be arriving. Aaron is one of Heath's cousins - They had a super-fun baby shower at an ice cream parlor in Frisco.

Then we went to another wedding - This one was for two of our friends from Mosaic - Zak & Lisa. It was fantastic!

Wednesday:

What a great "mom-moment!" Heath and I took our kids to the park and he taught Chloe how to ride her two-wheel bike! She picked it up immediately! I couldn't believe it! I had my camera and was snapping away and just crying because I was so proud of her! It's moments like these that make you so happy to be a parent!

Thursday:

Dinosaur Valley State Park! Even though I couldn't fully participate in all the dinosaur-track hunting...I still had a great time documenting this little Spring Break Roadtrip!

And on Thursday night we had a pizza-making movie night with our good buddy Daniel!

Rodeo Day

2009-03-12T14:43:00.000-05:00

Today was Rodeo Day at Chloe's school. Here are a few shots of her in the western dress I made her and of her parade! Enjoy!

The Fruits of Pregnancy-Induced Insomnia

2009-02-19T10:00:00.000-06:00

It's only about once or twice a week now that I sleep all the way through the night. I'm in my 27th week of this pregnancy and I've reached that point we all come to where sleep is nothing but a sweet memory. But on the bright side, Chloe's wardrobe is growing about as quickly as my belly! Whenever I can't sleep, I usually retreat to my art room and whip up a little skirt for my girl and a matching outfit for Josie, her beloved American Girl doll. Here are a few snapshots of my latest creations. Enjoy!

The first of TWO POSTS in ONE DAY

2009-02-19T09:54:00.007-06:00

OK, so I haven't blogged in a while because my camera and my computer were in the process of filing for divorce. Or so I thought. But apparently they have reconciled and now I can actually look at all my lovely photos on something besides the 3 inch LCD screen on the back of my camera! I love when things work like they're supposed to! So for your viewing pleasure, here's a recap of what's been going on in the Wakeland House since...well, for the last several months or so. I had almost 700 pictures stuck in my camera! Here are some of my favorites.

Chloe in Rag Rollers

I just love this photo.

Just because my husband is so cute.

OCD Much? Notice how he is color-coordinating the ring toss rings to the correct color peg? This is my life...every day...

Indie dressing at it's finest!

My little Thanksgiving Indigenous Person

Little Chef Corban

Corban frolicking in the leaves on Christmas Day

A Christmas Kiss

Dimples

Ice Storm

No, this isn't Corban's Birthday Party! It's his Potty Party! He earned this party after using the potty 50 times!

What's a party without presents?!

I'll need to win the lottery to afford their therapists' bills

2008-12-09T09:17:00.004-06:00

Without going into too much, I'll say this: I guess lots of moms feel like they're ruining their children's lives at times. Well, I feel that way sometimes too. I know my kids know that I love them. And I know that they love me. But I just wish I could always be that "good mom" that every child deserves. The mom that never loses her temper, or says hurtful things. The mom that makes her husband proud and her kids feel secure, safe and happy. But I guess that's the thing about being human...we all make mistakes and lose it sometimes. Thank goodness for forgiveness, huh? Forgiveness from our children, our spouses and from our God. Mercy is so good...I should learn to give it more freely.

Getting into the Holiday Spirit

2008-11-19T10:38:00.004-06:00

I just love the holidays. And Thanksgiving is my favorite. I am already dreaming of what I'll make for the four (yes, count em, four) dinners I will be attending next Thursday. At my grandmother's house I have been given the honor of making Mashed Potatoes. Now unless you are blessed with a uterus and ovaries, this will sound like a menial task. But if you are of the fairer sex...then you know what I'm talking about. It may not be mashed potatoes in your family; maybe it's green bean casserole, or pumpkin pie, or that orange marshmallow fluff...but in every family there is a dish that is expected, anticipated and revered. At my grandmother's house, it was her fluffy, buttery, perfect mashed potatoes. Three years ago she taught me how to make them just like she does. And the Thanksgiving after our cooking lesson, she asked me if I would bring them to our family dinner. And I tell you the truth...it is a duty I do not take lightly. I have crossed the threshold between being a girl and being an important woman in my family circle. For it is I who brings the Mashed Potatoes.

My Return to the Blogosphere

2008-11-14T09:29:00.003-06:00

Hello? Hellooo? Anyone still out there? Please leave me a comment if you are here reading this. I so hope I didn't lose my whole audience (all two of you!) by disappearing for so long...

It's been a wacky month full of surprises and challenges & some fun too. I guess the best way to catch up would be to do a month in review in pictures, but Blogger and my camera are having a fight today, so that's just not going to happen. Sorry! So instead here's a transcript of a conversation I had with Corban (my 3 year old) in the middle of the night as he came in my room and crawled into bed with me:

(I roll over groggily and notice Corban looking right at me. He takes my face in his hands and...)

Corban: "Let's talk."

Me: "What?"

Corban: "Friends, right?"

Me: "Friends...right. Of course."

*Photo is of Corban the Entertainer doing his famous smooshie-face on the door of our entertainment center. He really is much cuter than Quasimodo in real-life. :)

6 Years in the Making

2008-09-23T23:56:00.002-05:00

It finally happened! And of course Heath was out of town and missed it - I'm sure he is so bummed. But here are the pics to show my daughter in all her athletic glory, scoring her first goal!

The Real Reason the 'Boys won last night...

2008-09-16T22:43:00.003-05:00

It wasn't just the explosive offense or the amazing athletic abilities of Tony Romo, T.O. and Marion Barber (to name a few). I'm almost positive that last night's victory had a lot to do with the amazing fans we are grooming down here in Arlington!

Go Cowboys!!!

Showing her Spirit

2008-09-11T11:04:00.002-05:00

Tonight the Charlotte Anderson Vikings put on a stellar program at the Welcome Back Feast! All the kids were decked out in their spirit wear, including my little CAE Viking. Check out her snazzy new skirt and hair ribbons I whipped up last night!

Have I mentioned lately how much I enjoy being this kind of mommy again?!

Pool Par-tay!

2008-09-07T22:54:00.005-05:00

Here are some pics from Chloe's 6th Birthday Party! Heath's Uncle Darrell very graciously allowed Chloe and 15 of her nearest and dearest friends (along with their parents) to descend upon his beautiful backyard to celebrate her special day. The kids had a blast and the parents were able to chill out and visit and enjoy the party too. All in all, it was a simply fabulous day!

Watching and waiting for the school day to end...

2008-09-02T22:41:00.002-05:00

As Giddy as a School Girl

2008-08-27T14:12:00.003-05:00

Well, the day has come and gone and I'm glad to say that it all went off without a hitch. Chloe (and her mother, thank you very much) did very well and didn't shed a single tear. Here are some pics to prove it!

My little Hippie-Chick.

I wonder how many more years we'll get to take this photo!

Chloe & Mrs. Conine

Corban thoroughly enjoyed the Boo-Hoo Breakfast that was served for the Kindergarten Parents in the library after drop-off! Not much boo-hooin' comin' from him today! Bring on the Krispy Kremes!

Here's Chloe with her new BFF, Emily. I talked to Emily's mom today and apparently Chloe and Emily "made a secret" yesterday at potty-time. They're going to pretend that they're sisters at school. Girls...so silly...

Getting out of order makes me stressed...

2008-08-27T13:16:00.003-05:00

So before I post our pics for Chloe's first day of Kindergarten, let me post a few other pics that I've been meaning to!

First, here are some photos of Chloe being an adorable flower girl in my cousin Sabra's wedding. It was such a wonderful wedding - one of the best I've ever been to. For their first dance, Sabra and Joey did the dance number from dirty dancing...pure greatness I tell ya!

Now here are a couple from Sarah Valentine's baby shower. Also a fabulous day that totally deserves a place in the blogosphere. I made a diaper cake for her that I was pretty proud of. Check it out below.

OK, next post will be kindergarten pics, I promise!

Just one last post before I leave...

2008-08-22T17:31:00.003-05:00

I'm about to log off of my work computer for the very last time...I have to admit I'm getting a little misty.

But you gotta do what you gotta do.

Here's to my new adventure.

(Sorry...I couldn't resist. It was just too easy!)

3 Days till Kindergarten...

2008-08-22T09:35:00.004-05:00

Last night we walked to Chloe's new school with our neighbor Michelle Dudley and her two boys for Meet the Teacher Night. Michelle's son Zac will also start kindergarten on Monday. Michelle is one of those awesome people who seem to know at least a dozen people no matter where they go! And she knows so much about the school too, which is funny because Zac is her oldest, so it's not like she has previous experience being a school-kid mom or anything. Anyhoo...because I'm so easily influenced I found myself hoping to get Mrs. Conine as Chloe's kindergarten teacher. Michelle told me that's who she was hoping for and that she was just amazing! And I'm glad to say that both Zac and Chloe got her! So yea for that! And the other fun thing is that we'll be walking to and from school w/ the Dudley's (and tons of other neighbors) so I'm also thankful to have a new shared bonds of friendship!

(One of my personal favorite pre-kindergarten reads)

I just love being a girl...

2008-08-21T16:29:00.004-05:00

There is no way a man would get the same amount of joy from a simple photo of a movie of one of the best love stories ever written. It's true...

PS- But Colin Firth will always be the real Mr. Darcy.

Memoirs of a Morbid Mom...

2008-08-21T09:52:00.006-05:00

I often wonder if other people think about dying as much as I do. I know that this is going to sound disturbing...but ever since I was a little kid I've had this feeling that I would die of some sort of incurable sickness or something...and not at a ripe old age either. I don't necessarily think it's a sign or an omen that it's bound to happen, but more that I realize that that kind of thing does happen in this world. And it could very well happen to me as easily as it could happen to anyone else. The thing is that I'm not really scared of death, but instead I'm very aware of my own mortality and realize that my days are numbered. Mostly these thoughts make me realize that I need to live everyday to its fullest and make the most of every opportunity I'm given while I am here on earth.

Last night I was up until 1 a.m. labeling 32 crayons with Chloe's name for kindergarten. Every single crayon had to have her first and last name on it. At first I was a little annoyed at having to perform this menial task in such a state of exhaustion, but then as I was labeling them I started thinking about how Chloe's life would change if I died. (You see it's in these random moments that my thoughts begin to wander...) I wondered if Chloe would maybe keep those crayons forever because they had my handwriting on them and it was too precious to her to let go of anything that I had written for her. I have a good friend who lost her father when she was only a teenager and her mother kept carbon copies of his checks for 15 years because she couldn't bear to let go of his signature. My friend recently used those old checks and had her dad's signature tattooed on her. It's weird to think that we really have no control over how long our lives will be and also to think of how much our lives (and in turn, our deaths) will affect those who are so close to us.

So I drew a little heart on each crayon beside her name...just in case.

Emotional Update

2008-08-19T09:21:00.004-05:00

A few months ago, I went through a very hard thing. I can't really expound on it here, but those who know me well know exactly what happened. So without going into any gory details, the point is this: I realized over the past weekend how OK I am now. It wasn't like a light came on at some magical moment or anything as distinct as that...but after the weekend was over and I was replaying some of the fun and wonderful things that had happened, I gently realized that the pain that had been there before - and the awkwardness and the anger - well, it just wasn't anymore. The change had been so subtle and so gradual that I hadn't even noticed that it was taking place.

They say time heals all things. And even though I'm not usually the biggest fan of cliches, I have to say that I believe this one now. So thank you Time. You've done your job very well.

Green Smoothie Challenge - Day 1

2008-08-15T15:43:00.003-05:00

Another green breakfast and this morning even the kids joined in the fun! The proof is in the pudding, folks! If a 2 year old and a 5 year old will drink a green smoothie, then you know it has to taste yummy! Here's the recipe for my breakfast smoothie:

½ cucumber- peeled and sliced thick
8 fresh strawberries
½- ¾ cup cubed fresh pineapple
1 sliced fresh peach
1 cup red grapes
¾ cup water
1- 1 ½ cups of fresh spinach leaves
1 ½ cups of ice

First blend together all the fruits & the water until smooth. Then add the spinach leaves and the ice and blend until very smooth.

And here's some interesting info on the goodness of greens:

They contain more vitamin A than carrots

They contain more vitamin C than oranges

They contain more vitamin E than whole wheat

They contain more vitamin B2 than milk

They contain quality proteins (with a good amino acid profile)

They provide essential alkaline minerals such as calcium and magnesium that are not found in sufficient quantities in fruits, nuts and seeds.

Source: http://www.greensmoothiequeen.com/materials/prepday.html

I love the smell of fresh kale in the morning...

2008-08-14T08:33:00.003-05:00

So I started on the green smoothie thing a little early. I couldn't stop thinking about kale yesterday...which leads me to believe I may be knocked up or something, because who in their right mind craves kale to the point of dropping everything to go get some...I mean really...

I did a green smoothie for dinner, and was good for about 2 hours. Then I had a hypoglycemic breakdown and scarfed down two bean burritos when I got home from Spanish class. Ooops. But hey, at least I know now what to expect and can plan accordingly for my 3 day challenge.

This morning my breakfast smoothie consisted of fresh cucumber, strawberries, red grapes, kale and a banana. I added in water and lots of ice to make it nice and frothy. It made enough for me and Heath, and it was so delicious! Hip-Hip-Hooray for a healthy start to the day!

PS- Notice that lovely new back splash? Gotta love a handy husband!

The official color of this weekend - GREEN

2008-08-13T16:26:00.003-05:00

I've been feeling rather icky lately with the way I look, the way I feel, just everything. That isn't supposed to sound like a plea for my friends to spew niceties on me...it's just the plain and simple truth and confession that I've been eating well...basically garbage for the past few weeks. So I think this little gem - the Green Smoothie Queen 3 Day Challenge - may be just the thing to get me revved back up and excited again about eating the wonderful, healthy things that God has put on the Earth for us (instead of the highly processed jizzunk that so often finds its way to my plate!)

I happened upon this challenge while searching for a cute clip to send my friend Pam at work after she created a totally fab strawberry pineapple smoothie for us this afternoon. I was so intrigued after reading about using kale, spinach, even parsley into traditional fruity smoothies to up the protein and calcium. It sounds like a wonderful challenge to me. So I think I'll do it! I start on Friday and will end on Sunday. Ooooh...maybe I'll have to tweak it a little since I'm just now remembering that Heath's birthday party is on Saturday and Sarah's baby shower is on Sunday. Maybe Green Smoothies 2 of 3 meals a day with some regular food mixed in at the parties. Shoot...it's still gotta be better than nothing, right?

Here's to the weekend - I'll let you know how it turned out!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

2008-08-12T10:46:00.003-05:00

This time of year always takes me back to the happy and hopeful times of my childhood. It's Back to School time...and what could be better than spending hours perusing overflowing shelves of school supplies?! Present me with a brand new box of perfectly sharpened Crayola crayons and I will exhale such a sigh of contentment the world has never heard. Aisles upon aisles of brand new folders, spiral notebooks, pencils, markers, gleaming as a symbol of a fresh start and hope for a new year. Some people celebrate the new year on January 1, some see Spring as the symbolic representation of renewal or new life...but for me it's Fall. Right now. This is where my new year begins.

Minor Panic Attack - First of Many, I'm Sure

2008-07-31T09:52:00.003-05:00

My daughter will be going to kindergarten in less than a month. I just got off the phone with the YMCA, getting all the details about the after-school program, which actually sounds so fun. I hung up the phone and imagined the exchange between me and Chloe on her first day of school:

Me: OK, Chloe, you'll be in this strange new place all day. Obey all these grown-ups you've never met before and make sure to play nice with all the kids (even the big, huge ones) you're meeting for the first time. Eat your lunch (in that big, strange cafeteria) and don't eat the treat first...eat the healthy stuff too. And after school you'll be going wherever one of the new adults tells you to go and doing things you've never done before until I get here to pick you up at about 5:30 pm. OK?

Chloe: (whimper...)

Monday...it just doesn't even begin to describe it.

2008-07-28T09:18:00.003-05:00

Last weekend was supposed to be one of the best weekends ever. I had been planning a glorious road trip with Heath to Wichita, Kansas to see MxPx at a show they were playing there. It was going to be perfect. Heath's mom is off work for the summer and could keep the kids for us for 4 blissful days and we could just get in the car and drive and hang out together.

But everything ended up falling through. We had an unexpected expense come up and and then my mom needed us to watch my 13 year-old brother, and well...it was all over but the crying. And let me tell you I have done some crying. Call me a baby; call me selfish; call me what you will...but I am utterly and completely bummed!

Heath promised me that we will go see another show soon, but that's pretty unlikely. I'm sure it was more the kind of promise that's made to get a girl to stop crying than one that is well thought out and formulated to succeed. I've looked at the tour dates and unless we somehow become rich enough to buy airline tickets to Belgium, Holland, Germany, or even L.A., and come across someone who can watch our kids during the school year, it's just not gonna happen. This was our only chance to see them this year. The drive was doable (6 hours), I would only have to take one day off work, and MxPx was the headlining band. I don't want to go see a show where they are only playing 4 or 5 songs as an opening act for RANCID or something. I wanted to see them, not somebody else!

Anyway, so here I am stuck in a cube today, crying my eyes out wishing I were in a car riding home with my best friend, hungover from the adrenaline of seeing my favorite band, my ears still ringing from punk decibal overload.

Uncle Timmy

2008-07-24T11:37:00.002-05:00

today kinda sucks

2008-07-23T11:39:00.002-05:00

I can't take it when the one person who is supposed to understand me and love me and be nice to me is disappointed in me and mean to me.

It's crappy and I hate it.

Internal Struggle

2008-07-21T10:33:00.004-05:00

Over the weekend, Heath and I caught the last half of the movie "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price" on Encore. These are the kind of stories I love. The kind of stories that stir up a righteous anger in me. Hmmm...I don't know if that's the best way to describe it...but let's just go with it for now.

I've known in my spirit for a while now that Wal-Mart is probably the devil, but have put off reading too much, watching too much or researching too much about it for fear that I'd have to take action...make changes...inform others.

But I found myself at that crossroads on Saturday - in that sacred place of enlightenment that God often brings me to. That place where He shows me an injustice and watches to see what I'll do about it.

I'm tempted to list off all the horrible things that Wal-Mart does to the communities it descends upon, the workers that depend on them, the laborers that work for less-than-nothing overseas to make the toy I just bought for that kid's birthday party, the environment, and every other person, place or thing they touch. But I won't. Instead I think I may host a public screening of the movie. If anyone is interested in watching or has a location we can use, let me know.

After I watched the movie, I knew I could never shop there again. (I'm sure this won't be an easy feat...but something I will do anyway.) I also researched Target, and found what I already knew - that they are really no different than their evil twin. They just come in a prettier package. So what now for me? Where will I buy birthday presents, groceries, adorable cheap clothing for my kids, get my photos developed? The list goes on and on...
I don't know the answer to those questions. But I trust that God will lead me. I know that the Wakeland family can't single-handedly bring down the big, bad corporate Goliaths - I'm not that naive. But I do know what God expects of me personally and from my family. And to Him I will submit. The right thing is not always easy, but it is always right.

Take on an entirely new way of life – a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you. Ephesians 4:22-24 (MSG)

PS- Please don't take this as a judgment if you shop at Wal-Mart. Obviously the opinions expressed in this blog are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of anyone incredibly important. :)

I swear this isn't an 80's Blog, but...

2008-07-17T13:58:00.003-05:00

This morning Lauren and I were chatting online while we were working. We were reminiscing about all the good memories we have of her dad taking us swimming in the summertime as kids. He always packed us a great lunch and it always, always included New York Seltzer - the yummiest drink ever created! My favorite was Vanilla Cream! MM MM! Anyway, I got online to see if you could still buy the stuff anywhere. Apparently Big Lots carries a new version of it in some places in the U.S. but the location by my work doesn't have it. I know because I checked on my lunch break.

But in my quest to find this delicious drink online I found a fun list that's a bit too long, but I don't want to take the time to edit! So for your reading pleasure:

"You know you're an 80's Child if..."

1. You had a crush on one of the New Kids on the Block members.
2. You wanted to be on Star Search.
3. You ever uttered the word "Radical!"
4. You wore jelly shoes and jelly bracelets
5. You thought "Ghostbusters" was by far the coolest movie
6. You remember watching shows like "Punky Brewster" , "Webster", You Can't Do That On Television" , "Wild&Crazy Kids" and "Double Dare"
7. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off. Or even when he had those freaky eyes in "Thriller" at the end of the video.
8. You wore a banana clip in your hair or one of those slap on wrist bands at some point during your youth.
9. You rolled up the bottoms of your splatter painted jeans.
10. You wore loafers with everything, and you put the laces in those little rolls.
11. You had slouch socks, and puff painted your own shirt at least once.
12. You owned a doll with 'Xavier Roberts' signed on it's butt.
13. You knew what Willis was "talkin' 'bout."
14. You know the profound meaning of "Wax on, Wax off."
15. You can name half of the members of the elite "Brat Pack."
16. You can remember watching Full House and Saved by the Bell for endless hours!
17. You have seen at least 10 episodes of Fraggle Rock.
18. You yearned to be a member of The Babysitters Club, and tried to start a club of your own.
19. You sat on your back porch, playing with your "My Little Pony" ,
"Rainbow Brite" , and "Strawberry Shortcake" dolls
20. You know that another name for a keyboard is a "Synthesizer."
21. You hold a special place in your heart for "Back to the Future."
22. You know where to go if you "wanna go where everybody knows your name."
23. You thought Molly Ringwald was REALLY cool.
24. You know what "psyche" and "not!" mean
25. You fell victim to 80's fashion : big hair, crimped, combed over to the side, big hoop earrings, and possibly the worst:you wore spandex pants.
26. You wanted to be a Goonie, or Elliot from E.T.
27. You owned an extensive collection of Cabbage Patch Kids and trolls.
28. You knew "The Artist" when he was humbly called "Prince."
29. You actually saw Ted Danson as the MacDaddy he played "Sam" to
be.
30. You ever wore flourescent (neon, if you will) clothing....
31. You could breakdance, or wished you could.
32. You know who He-Man and She-Ra are.
33. You remember when ATARI was a state of the art video game system. 34. You know all the words to "Ice Ice Baby".
35. You remember MC hammer well.
36. You can still sing the rap to "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air".
37. You own any cassettes.
38. You were led to believe that in the year 2000 we'd all be living on the moon.
39. You remember and/or own any of the CareBear Glass collection from PizzaHut.
40. Pizza Hut was the coolest place to hang.
41. Poltergeist freaked you out.
42. You carried your lunch to school in a Gremlins or an E.T. lunchbox.
43. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the ONLY female smurf.
44. You wanted to communicate with some being named Cinergy, or you wanted green hair like that lead singer of the Misfits.
45. You totally LOVED Barbie's cooler, punkier counterpart, "Jem"
and her "Rockers"
46. You wanted to have an alien like Alf living in your house.
47. You wore biker shorts underneath a short skirt and felt stylish.
48. You wore tights under shorts and felt stylish.
49. You layered your multi-colored slouch socks, and added suspenders to make your outfit complete.
50. You ever had a Swatch Watch.
51. You actually spent countless hours trying to perfect the care-bear stare.
52. You had a crush on one of the Coreys.
53. You remember when Saturday Night Live was funny.
54. You had WonderWoman or Superman underwear.
55. You wanted to be The Hulk for Halloween.
56. You believed that "By the power of Greyskull, you HAD the power"
57. You thought that Transformers were more than meets the eye.
58. Partying "like it's 1999" seemed SO far away!!!!!!!!!!!!!
59. You ever owned or wanted any of the NKOTB action figures or dolls.
60. You remember when Deborah Gibson was "Debbie" Gibson.

Ten Fond Memories of a Child of the 80's

2008-07-16T08:53:00.006-05:00

1. Punky Brewster

2. Strawberry Shortcake

3. My Little Ponies

4. Rainbow Brite

5. Popples

6. Barbie and the Rockers

7. He-Man & She-Ra

8. Ewoks

9. Side Ponytails

10. The Get-Along Gang

You're so vain...

2008-07-14T14:00:00.003-05:00

You prob'ly think this post is about you.

You're soo vain. You prob'ly think this post is about you.

Don't you? Don't you? Don't yooooooou?

This one goes out to the one I love.

2008-07-06T22:21:00.003-05:00

OK, I really want to put the actual video up here, but Universal Music Group is not very good at sharing. Obviously they missed that day of Sunday School. So just click here to see a music video that captures my feelings lately.

PS- This is from one of my favorite bands, mxpx. If you don't like punk rock though, you may just want to skip this. (But I must say, it is quite delicious...)

When life gives you lemons...

2008-07-02T23:04:00.007-05:00

Make lemonade, right?

So I decided I could mope and whine a while longer or I could just take the kids to a different playground tonight and make some more photographs. I chose the road less traveled. Here ya go, world...enjoy!

And what's a narcissistic mom like me to do when her kids start whining about too many pictures? Duh, turn the camera on herself!

I've renewed my membership card for the "I Hate Technology Club"

2008-06-30T23:41:00.002-05:00

I just took about 50 beautiful photographs of Chloe and Corban at the park this evening - I even let them stay up way past their bedtime, skip bath-time, eat fast-food for dinner and I cancelled an appointment to do this fun family night.

So then I get home and am organizing the photos on the software that came with the new camera. I figured I'd do a quick little post, throw a few new pics up on the site and hop in bed. But to my utter and complete frustration, as I went to delete one shot that wasn't very crisp, I ended up accidentally deleting the entire batch of photos I shot. Yep...every single one.

If I wasn't already in an emotional state of absolute overload, I'd probably cry. But what's the point? There is no one here to see or care, so instead I'll just get another migraine and go to bed mad...again.

Single motherhood isn't for sissies.

Monica or Heath, Please Come Home...

2008-06-30T14:31:00.002-05:00

I'm lonely.

An extrovert left to her own devices is never a good thing.

There's not enough Ben & Jerry's in the world!

My Handsome Boy

2008-06-26T00:26:00.005-05:00

I'm falling asleep as I type, but I feel like I just can't go to bed without posting at least one or two photos I've taken with my new camera. It's not like I've actually had a chance to do any big photo shoots yet with the kiddos...we're in survival mode in the Wakeland house (storm season...need I say more?!) Hopefully soon I'll have a chance to get out in some sunlight and maybe they'll even get their hair combed, but for now this will have to do:

Baby Lily's 1st Birthday

2008-06-17T17:33:00.007-05:00

On Saturday, Chloe & Corban and I made the long and arduous trip out to Frisco Commons Park for their cousin Lily's first birthday party. Now, I love to see a baby covered in birthday cake and icing as much as the next girl...but I wasn't sure that even Lily, who is an absolute doll, could make that drive worth it! (Construction in that area is a nightmare these days; add 2 young siblings in a compact car backseat to the equation and you begin to feel my pain!)

But Lily was quite the vision in her lovely blue and white dress, and every detail of the party was perfectly planned...well except for the blustery gusting winds that blew pizza boxes all throughout the pavillion! But it was all good. The kids had a ton of fun!

I could've gone for more icing on the face though, Lily!

This Just In...from the Wakeland House

2008-06-13T14:03:00.002-05:00

I got this email from Annie, my sweet and wonderful nanny while I was working today:

So I was changing Corban after washing my truck.. and he said he needed to go poopy on the potty, so of course I sat him on the potty (we've done this a few times before). So he sat there for a few minutes and then he
PEE PEE-ED in the POTTY!!!
I hope you are ok with this. I know it's a mom's moment. But it was purely on accident! I didn't think he'd do anything, since he hasn't in the past.

anyhow. I'm proud. He is at least on his way to being ready to start potty training!

The New Rabbit

2008-06-09T11:57:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple of pics of the new rig.

I totally love it...but am conflicted because Peter Cabrera, my childhood friend that reeks of coolness, told me yesterday that VW's are "kind of yuppie cars."

You know what, Peter? You're probably just jealous...You just wish you could be as cool as me.

Ok, yeah...I admit it...I'm a bit of a yuppie. All I need now is my Barack Obama 08, and my Go Green sticker on the back and a couple Abercrombie bags in the hatch...

Geez...

Guess What...

2008-05-29T06:32:00.001-05:00

Photos to come soon!

Someday...

2008-05-25T06:27:00.001-05:00

There will be both a garbage can & a recycling bin outside of every Starbucks.

Teetering on the edge of Obsessive...

2008-05-22T18:22:00.000-05:00

Zip!

2008-05-16T18:30:00.001-05:00

Today is Friday, our free day in El Salvador.

The well is complete.

We leave tomorrow.

Nothing left to do except have a little fun and see what there is to see. George & Annie went to meet Joselita, a little girl that George and his family have sponsored through World Vision for the past 3 years. Stan was preoccupied with Salvadoran Intestinitis. Greg & Joni decided to take it easy and enjoy a walk in the woods. But the rest of us figured it would be a good idea to hang suspended 375 feet over a Salvadoran coffee plantation that lies in the valley of a volcanic mountain range...

The map of all the lines

Stephen Jones

Stephen Hammond way out there...

Estuardo just looked so cool in this one. I had to include it...

Me with Stephen Jones...a kindred spirit, I think...

Life is good...

The last supper...

Headed home...

With a knick-knack, Patyrak gave the girl a custom luggage tag...

Terrible, I know...I just couldn't resist...

Dedicated

2008-05-15T18:00:00.000-05:00

Thursday - Day 4 on the well

When we showed up this morning the concrete slab was all set and ready to go. The task at hand in order to get the well completed was to drop in the galvanized pipe that the water will actually feed up through. Then we had to put the whole hand pump together. Dropping the pipe into the casing is no small feat, let me tell you. Our well was about 90 feet deep and we had to carefully feed 10 feet of pipe in at a time and then connect the next pipe onto it. And the longer the pipe gets and the deeper it goes into the hole, the heavier it becomes! Stan and Stephen told us that this is usually where communication and nerves begin to break down. Keep in mind that we had all been together for 6 days straight now!

We each had a specific role in this job. Mine was a little less intense since I'm not nearly as strong as the strapping men on my team. But it was still important. I got to be the tool pusher and make sure everyone had the proper wrench at the proper time and to make sure that everyone is communicating with everyone else. If one thing went wrong, we could lose it all in the blink of an eye. It's no fun to think of dropping a heavy pipe down a 90 foot hole! I'm not sure how (or if) you could even get it back out and start over!

It took some serious concentration and a lot of muscle to get that part of the job done, but I was really proud of our team! We all communicated very well and we only had one little slip up that scared us! I think I may have taught a couple of those lovely Salvadoran children a new word in English in that moment. Ooops.

After the pipe was in and the pump was put together, it was back to the hotel to get fed, washed and rested for the dedication ceremony that afternoon. It was nice to go back to the school without 60 pound mud-encrusted work boots strapped to my feet.

So many families from the community, La Planta, came out to the dedication. All the girls had on their nicest clothes...some of them even in frilly holiday dresses. It was very exciting to hear Lucia Alvarado Alvarado, the leader of La Planta, speak and thank our team and LWI for the gift of clean water. Then the principal of the school had the honor of pumping the first water in front of the children. What an beautiful moment. The children's faces were just glowing with excitement and they all started cheering as the water started pouring out.

It was just perfect. Everything I dreamed it would be.

Soaked!

2008-05-14T18:39:00.000-05:00

This morning when we got to the school, the first order of business was to blow all the bentonite (the muddy water that was used in the drilling process) out of the PVC casing and get it prepped for the pipes to go in. This was a really cool experience, because Estuardo blasts air into the hole and all the muddy water comes shooting out like a fountain. It is great when it begins to run clear and you realize that this is the first clean water these kids have had at this school ever! There are no parasites in that water that would make a kid sick! It was just so cool! I danced in the stream of water. Stan got the "money shot" but he hasn't emailed me a copy yet, so here's one of the Mosaic team that will have to do until I can put Stan's photo up.

Must...Have...Water...

2008-05-13T16:57:00.001-05:00

Tuesday - Day 2 of Drilling

We got a lot done today. At the end of the day yesterday, we hit a layer of rock and it took us a few hours to get just a couple feet through it. But we started working at it again this morning and we finally made it through and were pleased to find that the next 30 feet or so were just small pebbles and gravel so our shifts of drilling in five feet intervals were pretty short. At about 70 feet down, we stopped for a delicious lunch of cold hot dogs (seems like an oxymoron, doesn't it?)...and after that I got up to go hold some PVC pipe so we could cut slits in it to make it into a filter to go in the bottom of the well. As I was holding the pipe, I felt a all the energy drain out of my body like a coke bottle turned upside down. It was the weirdest feeling. I went and sat down and it was all downhill from there.

My teammates came over to check on me, and Katie (The LWI-El Salvador Health & Hygiene Coordinator) insisted that Stan (also an LWI guy, but from Houston) take me to the van and let me recline in the front seat with the A/C on full blast. I sat there for an hour and a half or so and Stan basically poured a few gallons of water, Gatorade and delicious (read: horribly and utterly disgusting) oral recovery blah-blah-blah down my throat. (Oral recovery blah-blah-blah: can't remember the full name, but as Stan would say, "It's what Gatorade should be, but Americans pump it full of high fructose corn syrup and other artificial chemicals." So in essence it was tepid H2O with salt and sugar...mmm...yummy.) So there I sat, concentrating on not vomiting until they decided it was best for me to go back to our hotel.

Abel (and LWI-El Salvador guy) drove me back to the Oasis (our hotel) and Stan came too so he could make sure I was OK. It worked out well since he had some writing to do anyway, and I was grateful to have someone on site who could understand English in the event I uttered some very eloquent last words. Side note: On the way back to the hotel, Abel saw a HUGE iguana cross the road in front of him and decided that the American girl on her death-bed could probably make it long enough for him to try to catch it. He planned on catching the lizard, wrapping it up in a big blue tarp, and putting it in Estuardo's (an LWI- El Salvador guy - He's so cool, you just don't even know!) room as a wonderful prank that evening. But as luck would have it, the iguana escaped Abel's grasp and probably went on to live a very happy life with his iguana wife and babies. I didn't even remember this happening until the next day. I actually sat up in the van and took a photo of the iguana and didn't remember it at all. Come to find out, dehydration feels a little like intoxication...

I ended up not dying (which explains my being able to do this blog-post). I did however sleep until my teammates returned. They had gotten a lot done without me. Doug (a Jedi-knight from Denver, CO) proceeded to tell Stan and me all the glorious things they accomplished in my absence. "We got the hole drilled to 100 feet, and we dropped in all the casing (the PVC pipe.)" I kind of got a little teary-eyed, because my biggest prayer (other than actually hitting an aquifer) was that God would allow me to fully experience the whole process of drilling the well and to keep me from getting sick. After Doug got up, Stan did one of the most sensitive things a friend could do. He completely minimized the work of my teammates. He got a pen and a napkin and drew a diagram of the hole. He said, "All they did was go down 20 more feet...big deal! You did that all day. Then they glued together five plastic pipes and stuck 'em in a hole. Who cares?! All the important stuff will happen tomorrow and you'll be there to see it and do it." I know Stan was just trying to make me feel better, and we both knew that our team busted their butts to get all those things accomplished. But it was really just what I needed at that moment: a friend who cared about me and didn't mind taking the time to help me smile again. Thanks Stan.

This is Katie. She is one of the most amazing girls I've ever met. She's been working in El Salvador for almost a year now. She's the poster-girl for learning a language through immersion! I just love her so much!

Here's George (a teammate from Mosaic) and Stan (in the background with dark hair) showing off some cool yo-yo tricks to an eager audience.

If only Abel could have captured this beast...

what an interesting post this could have been...

Let the work begin

2008-05-12T23:12:00.005-05:00

Well we're about 1/3 of the way down on our drilling (meaning we've gotten 30 feet down and we'll probably stop at 90). We got to the school at 8 this morning and it took a while to prep the site and get everything ready to start the actual drilling. Part of the prep included me being in a 4 foot deep hole up to my knees in mud. Needless to say, my new work boots don't look anything like they did yesterday! We were divided into 2 teams of four people and each team would drill down 5 feet before we would rotate out. Five feet can take 10 minutes or an hour and a half, depending on what kind of formation you are drilling through at the time. Each time a team is on the drill, the four people have a different job to perform. I think my favorite job so far (or at least the most entertaining one) is mud pit duty. Which is a nice way of saying that I get to lie on my stomach in mud while reaching into a 3 foot mud-pit to remove junk from the suction hose.

More tomorrow.

Today's the Day...

2008-05-10T04:20:00.004-05:00

In just a few minutes I'm putting these bags in the jeep and beginning the journey I've dreamed of for years...

This afternoon I'll land in San Salvador and on Monday, I'll throw on a pair of $4 jeans from Thrift Town, a ratty t-shirt and a new pair of Wolverine work boots lovingly picked out and purchased by my husband and learn how to drill a well...

If we have the good fortune to find an internet cafe, I'll keep you posted as I go...

If not, stay tuned and I'll share the rest of this story in the next couple of weeks.

I'm sure there will be lots to tell...

Wish me luck!

I'm a lucky girl...

2008-05-02T07:20:00.005-05:00

Who needs a Birthday Fairy when you have friends and family willing to get you this:

Dear Birthday Fairy,

2008-04-18T09:20:00.004-05:00

In 6 days I would love to see this sitting on my front porch:

Love,

Kareah

An outsider in my own life...

2008-04-11T14:18:00.005-05:00

This is an entry I've thought about for a while. Something that's a very real and a very hurtful part of my life. And today I heard a friend say she deals with the same thing too...so I know I'm not alone in this.

23 years ago my parents got divorced. 23 years is a long time. One would think 23 years would be plenty of time for a person to heal from something. But I'm not sure that you heal from divorce. That's probably not true. But it feels true. I'm not healed yet. At least not completely.

One of the worst side effects of divorce though is the feeling of being an orphan, even though your parents are still in your life. My dad left me and my mom when I was just 4 years old. I have a vivid memory (like a silent movie in my head) of helping my dad pack his things. Obviously I had no idea that I was helping him rip my heart from my body...but hey, I was 4, right...what did I know? My dad married the woman he left my mom for about a year later and my mom married an emotionally detached work-a-holic about 1 year after that. So then I had 4 parents.

My step-parents have never loved me. They would probably argue that. But they would be wrong. I'm talking about real love...the kind of love that a parent feels for their child...the kind of love that makes you run in front of a moving car to save your kid from being run over...the kind of love that makes you dizzy with delight when you look in your child's face when they tell you they love you. They took me on, which is noble I guess. To marry a woman who already had 2 kids and to take on the financial burden of raising them...get that man a trophy, will ya? My step-mom resented my dad's feelings of devotion towards me and would make fun of me and mock me behind my dad's back. But to be fair, I probably did provoke the hostility. I wasn't the easiest kid to be around (Have you met Chloe yet?). But I was hurt and I was a kid...so, ya know, someone has to be the adult. I never did accept my step-parents as extra parents. I don't think they wanted me to though. I think they more or less married my parents "in spite of" the kids that came with the package, not with the intention or hope of including me in a new family unit. (I have an older half-brother from my mom's previous marriage, so my real dad was my big brother's step-dad...so while my step-mom only had one new kid to deal with, my step-dad had two.) Anyways, I spent the next...well, hmm...I guess I should say I've spent my whole life since then feeling like the old car that was traded in for a newer model.

And life got even better (she says sarcastically) when my parents and my step-parents had their own children together. I was 6 when my brother Matt was born to my dad and step-mom, and when I was almost 14, my brother Blake was born to my mom and step-dad. I guess I had always thought before that the step-parents were just not "kid-people," but when I saw them with their own children, I felt the truth. I saw how the brothers got cuddled and played with and spoiled with all kinds of new toys and clothes and birthday parties and attention and affection and well, love. And it was equal...on both sides. It wasn't like my experience where I was loved by one parent and tolerated by the other. These kids got the whole shebang...mom AND dad...all in the same house. And I'm glad for them that they did. I don't resent them for having what every child should have. But my heart isn't any less broken since I wasn't as lucky.

Life has been pretty much that way ever since. My "big" little brother Matt has a condo and attends the Art Institute of Dallas on my dad and step-mom's dime. He received a brand new Apple computer last Christmas that would make any geek green with envy. My little brother Blake enjoys all the perks of being an only child of older parents who make a ton of money. He has all the cool video game systems, a flat-screen TV in his "game room" and pretty much gets everything that he wants. I know it doesn't sound like it, but it's not really about the stuff. This is the real thing that bothers me: There have been times that I have needed things (or yes, just wanted things) but my parents "couldn't" help me for fear of the "steps" finding out and holding it against them. And every time that my mom or dad have taken me out to eat, or bought me a present, or helped me with an unexpected expense they have, without fail, uttered the phrase, "Don't tell Chris." or "Don't tell Barbara." In those instances, I still appreciate the generosity of my parents. I just wish it didn't have to be a secret. I wish I could be like all the lucky kids who have two parents who are united in their optimistic hopes for their child, who strive to give their kid a better life than they had, who celebrate the very existence of the girl they created together, and who desire to lavish their child with good things. But instead of that, I have been demoted. I have become not only a step-child to the man and woman who took me on, but also to the man and woman who gave me life.

My parents don't realize they do this. They have no idea of the pain they inflict on me when they hide me away or choose their new family over me. At least I don't think they do. I know they love me. And I love them too. But as my friend put it so perfectly, "...it hurts because I know that they are a complete family without me.”

ONEDOLLARWATER.COM

2008-04-07T10:47:00.001-05:00

In about a month, I'm going to El Salvador to drill a well in a village where today, the people are drinking mud.

Will you spend a dollar today on something you don't need?

Think about it.

Go here to make a difference:
www.onedollarwater.com

"Would you like some spinach dip, Dearie?"

2008-04-02T10:09:00.002-05:00

People are Weird Sometimes...

2008-03-27T16:37:00.002-05:00

I've been noticing more frequently how different I am from other people. Well, not all other people...just some. I think even though I'm hot-tempered sometimes, that I mostly try to think things out before I say them. Or if I have to say something, I analyze (some would say over-analyze) how the other person will receive it. I'm really big on being as diplomatic as possible, especially in areas of conflict or disagreement. But not so for some people. They just say it. It's just completely black-and-white to them. You can tell them that you feel one way about something and they just come right out and say, "That's a pile of crap." What are you supposed to do with that response? I'm not sure...
People are weird. That's all. They're just weird.

*Disclaimer: None of the above applies to my dealings with Heath.

Very Spiritual...

2008-03-06T15:02:00.002-06:00

The other night, I was praying with Chloe before bedtime. I'm not sure what brought on this prayer (maybe learning about President's Day at school or all the buzz about the presidential election?), but this was her prayer:

God, thank you for the United States and all the president stuff...
like Tacos and Baseball and Puppies.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

OK, then.

Glen Hansard Marketa Irglova Once Oscar Acceptance Speeches

2008-02-26T14:46:00.001-06:00

Monica told me I had to post this too, so you can see what I was talking about. I was so happy that they let her come back on stage to express her thanks. Here ya go!

Falling Slowly- Academy Award Winning Best Original Song

2008-02-25T09:12:00.001-06:00

Beautiful movie.

Beautiful song.

Beautiful acceptance speech by marketa Irglova.

Frozen Grand Central

2008-02-22T10:47:00.001-06:00

Isn't this awesome?! I love it!

Want Friends? Get a Wii!

2008-02-08T20:27:00.000-06:00

The $250 I spent on the wii has been one of the best investments I've ever made. See the visual evidence below.

Sarah has officially been hired as my new bodyguard!

You gotta see this girl box!

Tracy playing Balloon Darts on the Carnival Game

Chloe watching PaPa box! This is so great!

Pamaw & Scout (one of Alicia's friends) Dancing with the Stars

at Alicia's 13th B-Day Slumber Party!

Monica getting a new high score on Dance Dance Revolution

Tracy & Shannon practicing along.

The youngest DDR champ ever!

My Hair is Making My Brain Hurt!

2008-02-08T10:08:00.000-06:00

I have an appointment this afternoon at 4:30 to get the mop chopped! I really have no idea what I want...except a change!

But in my online search for coiffure cuteness, I came across this lovely blog dedicated to helping women find the perfect hairstyle. Check it out!

http://awonderfuleverything.blogspot.com/

Jellyman Kelly

2008-02-05T18:06:00.001-06:00

This song resonates in my soul...

Well Put, Lemur King!

2008-02-03T21:49:00.001-06:00

Truth

2008-02-01T11:52:00.000-06:00

Funyuns: good.

Iced Chai: good.

Funyuns and Iced Chai: bad.

Why?

2008-01-25T12:12:00.000-06:00

Why are we as women so territorial? Is this a God-given thing or a flaw in our gender?

Simple Truth

2008-01-24T14:30:00.000-06:00

There will always be that one person who has an innate ability to get under your skin.
You may long to run away, hide from, or avoid the person but you know deep down that if you did, you would just get stuck with another one somewhere else.
So, you do your best to force a smile, remain tight-lipped and keep your hands from gripping her skinny little neck.

Tickled Pink

2008-01-22T09:02:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I discovered a letter on our dining room table from my cousin Sabra addressed to Chloe. When I told Chloe she had mail, she came flying down the stairs, snatched the envelope out of my hands and ran to the living room to open it. She tore through the envelope and discovered it was full of puzzle pieces. How intriguing!! After several minutes of diligent and methodical work, this was her reward...

So needless to say, Chloe spent the rest of the evening skipping around the house in pure ecstasy singing made-up songs about weddings, true love and flower girls.

Super Bowl...Schmooper Bowl.

2008-01-21T09:39:00.000-06:00

You know what I'll be watching on February 3rd?

A rerun of Smucker's Stars on Ice.

So take that, Tom Brady.

FC Pegasus

2008-01-16T13:24:00.000-06:00

If your last name is Wakeland, you are pretty much born with a tiny pair of Adidas on your feet. I remember when we brought Chloe home from the hospital, there was a brand new pastel pink soccer ball waiting for her in her nursery. We've been dreaming of her soccer debut since she was just an embryo.

Last fall she was finally old enough to play in Mansfield. Heath of course was dying to coach her. We racked our brains for week trying to come up with a great team name that was both girly enough to please a team of six four-year-olds and tough enough for them to grow into over the years. We finally settled on two names: Starfire and FC Pegasus. We came to Chloe and let her choose, since it was going to be her team after all. After a 10-minute discussion about why we didn't want the team name to be the "Cheetah Girls" she finally settled on FC Pegasus.

The season was a hoot! Most of the time it was a little torturous to watch (probably because I'm one of the most competitive people in the world) but as the girls learned by experience how to play the game, it became quite enjoyable. I was surprised to see Chloe fall naturally into the position of goalie, much to the delight of her Uncle Timmy. It just came to her, like instinct to drop back and protect her goal. While other girls took to dribbling and scoring, my girl was serious about her job in defense.

I'm excited to see how many returning players we will get as our new season starts in the next month or so. I also look forward to seeing Chloe learn more about the game, improve even more in her chosen position and develop an even stronger bond with her dad...uh...I mean Coach.

At this level, most of the teams hang a banner in the goal to remind the kids where they are supposed to score. Sometimes it work...sometimes it doesn't. Not that I'm biased or anything, but I do believe our team's was the best...thanks to my mom who worked her creative magic to make it!

FC Pegasus

Chloe, Hailey, Macy, Lauren & Grace Ann

Chloe with her Coach (also her biggest fan)

The Soccer Party Cake...pink of course!

Not Your Typical Church

2008-01-15T15:53:00.000-06:00

Three years ago, Mosaic was born. For a few of us it's been a little longer. I guess that was just the conception and gestation period though. In some ways it seems like we've been part of Mosaic forever and in other ways it feels like we just started yesterday.

When Chloe was only two, Heath and I were both on staff at Grace Community - I was working in the office and Heath was Steve Hammond's intern with the youth group. Every Sunday night you could find us hanging out with high school students in the living room of one of the hugest houses I think I've ever seen. We discussed important topics such as God's will for our lives and what color eyeshadow would look best with a teal prom dress. Good times. We had been serving the students of the GYM (Grace Youth Ministry) for four years at that point. The kids that were freshmen when we started were about to graduate that May. It was so exciting...and very bittersweet too. It was also that year that Steve approached us and asked if we would join him and a few others in planting a new church. I had never thought of myself as a church planter before...but after talking with Steve for five minutes on any topic, it's pretty typical to let go of your inhibitions and begin to see yourself in a different light.

So that's where our journey began...for a while we met in Steve's living room on Thursday nights. It was just Steve, LaNette, Curby, Robert, Heath and I...not really a force to be reckoned with. We began to dream of what God wanted "church" to look like...there's something about a blank canvas that is both exhilarating and terrifying. And all along the way, Steve, in his typical Steve-way kept reminding us that 8 out of 10 churches will shut their doors within 3-5 years. A comforting thought to a young married couple who had just quit their jobs and had a baby girl who needed diapers and food every week. But we were ready to see what God would do with us and to us and through us.

Pretty soon, six became 12, and 12 became 25, and 25 became well...maybe 26 or so and eventually we began to actually fill a room. And then after meeting for a while on Thursday nights at the North Davis Church of Christ, and then on Sunday mornings at a bar (that's right, a bar...remember, God was teaching us what he wanted Church to look like...and after all "He is not a tame lion."), we found ourselves at CATS (Creative Arts Theatre and School) in Arlington. And that brings us to where we are now. But that's just about where we met, I guess. It really doesn't say much about who we are...who we've become...or what we believe. There's not enough room or time to say it all, but here's what I think in a nutshell. Mosaic is a group of people who long to think the way God thinks and act the way God acts, not the way a pastor or a church tells us to, but how God actually does. We want to live by faith, be known by love and provide a voice of hope for those around us. You may hear us say it a lot, but that's because it's true.

Halloween...I know, I know, it's January!

2008-01-14T13:01:00.000-06:00

So, this is clearly an indication of my personality/ethos/general Kareah-osity...

I've been meaning to post more photos on my blog, but can never seem to bring my photo discs, or my memory card or my camera dock USB connector thingie up to work. (Now when I say work, please note: I am blogging on my lunch break, not on the clock...So kind and wonderful boss, if you ever read this...please don't fire me!)

And as I'm looking at my photo CD's that I brought, I feel I simply cannot omit these funny photos of my kiddos at Halloween!!! Enjoy!

This Halloween Chloe had not one, not two, but three costumes! Here she is using Pamaw's Mrs. Potts costume to enter a contest...(sore subject...the girl at the store told me the wrong time for the contest, so we missed our chance by 20 minutes!!! And I KNOW there's not a kid out there who could have beaten these two!!!!)

M-I-C-K-E-Y...M-O-U-S-E!!!

Now, the tummy was padded, but those cheeks are all natural!

And here she is as a Barbie Princess...this is the kind of costume I discourage. Not because she isn't lovely in pink polyester...but I desire something more original and a lot less licensed!

Now, this is more like it!!! Here is what we actually bought for Halloween! Chloe is Eloise, from the Children's Books Series by Kay Thompson and Corban is just about the cutest, fattest, most adorable rodent you've ever covered with kisses!

Chloe...how many times does Mommy have to tell you to not stick your entire head in the candy bag?

Here is my first-born in the back of a squad car...I'm sure she was arrested for stealing the baby's candy.

And to top it all off, silly skeleton cupcakes, complete with marshmallow heads! Yummy!

My Response

2008-01-07T10:11:00.000-06:00

This morning a friend emailed me at work and had to cut her email short because she had to "go make breakfast...the natives are banging down the door!" She ended with the rhetorical question, "Don't you miss these days?"

But seeing as my heart has been breaking the past two weeks, longing for my old life...I had to respond:

"Actually, yes…I yearn for the days when I could sleep past 6 am, stay in pajamas until noon if I wanted, do laundry or housework during the day while the kids were asleep (instead of the whole day on my ONE free day a week), go work out during the day (instead of at 5 am), have only two children mistreating me (instead of grown women whom I do not love with my entire being), take a nap for two hours if I was completely exhausted, not have to wear high-heels and make up every single day, take my daughter to school and actually feel like I was part of her life, or go to the mall at 11 am just to walk around and get out of the house. I really hate the working mom thing lately. (It’s all because of the woman here who has made it her sole mission in life to make my life miserable.) But you know…the grass is always greener. I am having a meeting with my boss and the woman this week, so maybe that will make things better. I hope so. If not, I’m quitting and moving to Nigeria."

Thanks but no thanks...

2008-01-04T11:11:00.000-06:00

So I made a bet with a co-worker that the Cowboys were going to beat the Redskins last week. Whoever lost the bet had to buy a big fat Starbucks drink for the other. I have since learned my lesson, not to bet on your team in week 17, but whatever.

So, I ask said co-worker when I will have the "priveledge" to buy the venti non-fat double caramel machiatto. And then he replies that I will have to give him an IOU, because he's doing a Master Cleanse for 3-7 more days (depending on how much longer he lives.).

You know what? I think I'd rather just be a little squidgy around the edges.

Handsome (but obviously Two!)

2007-12-26T15:14:00.000-06:00

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin.

2007-12-06T13:07:00.001-06:00

False Hope

2007-12-04T09:20:00.000-06:00

I really thought the Ravens were going to do it last night. I was jumping up and down screaming at the top of my lungs, cheering them on, but alas, the Patriots...I can't bring myself to type it...OK, fine...they won. I was literally depressed for the rest of the night. If the Steelers don't beat them next Sunday, I'm checking myself into the nuthouse. I can't take it anymore!

I now know exactly what I want for Christmas...

2007-12-03T08:43:00.000-06:00

I just read the most wonderful blog. Stop whatever you are doing immediately and follow this link to see what I'm talking about. But first, a teaser.

Ok, here's the link: http://dailycoyote.blogspot.com/

War Dance Movie Trailer

2007-11-28T12:11:00.001-06:00

I saw this trailer while watching the Sundance Channel last night! I am simply aching to see this movie!

I Guess There's A First Time For Everything...

2007-11-26T16:23:00.000-06:00

So last night I found myself cheering for the Eagles.

Weird.

Stupid Patriots. Stupid Tom Brady. Stupid Bill Belichick.

What I'm thankful for...

2007-11-20T12:38:00.000-06:00

As we quickly approach my favorite holiday of the year, I thought I would take just a small moment to reflect on all of the things (or at least the things I can think of right now) that I am thankful for. So here it is in all it's glory and in no particular order...My Thankful List:

1. Chloe Amarise & Corban Timothy- I never wanted to have children. But when I look into Chloe and Corban's adorable cherubic faces (when they are not spouting sassy back-talk) I realize that God in his infinite wisdom did the right thing to foil my life's ambitions!

2. My job- I had the opportunity to go back to work at a very large company and make quite a bit more money, but I decided to stick a little closer to home and work with my best friend. I have never regretted this choice. I have had the privilege of making new friends here and strengthening my bond with Monica a hundred-fold.

3. My home- Anyone who knows me knows how long and how much I have wanted a place to call our own. We've been in our house for a year now and it truly feels like home.

4. My friends- I have the best friends anyone could ask for! They make my life so enjoyable. They truly love me. Not everyone can say that of the people in their lives. I know that in the good times, the bad times and the confusing "where is my life headed" times, these girls have my back.

5. My Nannies- What a lifesaver these girls have been to me! Annie and Patrice are incredible with the kids! Not only do they invest their lives in enriching and teaching my children, but they do it with a genuine love for them. My kids are so blessed and incredibly lucky to have such wonderful care-givers while their parents have to work.

6. My amazing rental car, A 2007 Volvo S40- A lady hit my jeep a while back and I am getting to drive this lovely car throughout the Thanksgiving holiday. It's so nice, I just couldn't omit it from the list!

7. The anticipation of Christmas- The looking forward to the season is so much better (to me) than the actual day itself. I am so excited about the trees, the lights, the making of lists, and the shopping!

8. My Love- (Don't run to the bathroom to throw up just yet!) I'm not a very romantic person by nature, but...I am thankful for the best man I have ever known. He loves me and does everything possible to prove it everyday. He's not perfect, but never expects me to be either. He is quick to apologize and quick to forgive. He is the best father to our children. He dances with our daughter to Disney Princess songs and lifts her in the air like she is a prima-ballerina . He plays hot wheels on the floor with our son in his little room and teaches him to dribble his tiny Spider-man soccer ball and "Take it to the goal!" He tucks the children in to bed every night and prays for them and reassures each of them of his love for them. He is the kind of dad that every child should have had.

9. Chloe's new found love of reading- She will start kindergarten next year, but she is already reading! She has read four books all on her own now. Nothing can compare to the pride in her face when she finishes a page all by herself. She is an incredibly smart girl. I'm very proud of her.

10. The men and women who serve our country- No matter what your stance is on the war, these men and women bravely head out to protect the freedoms we so often take for granted. They are away from their husbands and wives, miss the births of their own children, miss holidays, and rarely get time off. I would personally like to thank my good friend Mike Murphy for doing his job in Iraq and doing it well. We miss you and pray for your safe return soon.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday, eats lots of turkey and green bean casserole, takes a moment to tell someone "Thank you", and remembers to watch the Cowboys whoop the Jets! Happy Thanksgiving!

Ahhh...Young Love

2007-11-06T15:55:00.000-06:00

A conversation with my 5-year old daughter:

Chloe: I have to tell you a secret.

Me: OK, what is it?

Chloe: I'm in love.

Me: (awkward silence.) Oh really? With who?

Chloe: With that handsome boy at school. Devin.

Me: I thought his name was Jonathan.

Chloe: Right! I mean Jonathan.

Stupid Tom Stupid Brady.

2007-10-16T12:14:00.000-05:00

That's all.

Caving

2007-09-13T12:58:00.000-05:00

There are a few things I swore I'd never do.

1. Watch Indiana Jones. I really don't have anything against Indie, but everyone has seen the movies a million and a half times and I had never seen one. In some small (albeit absurd) way, that made me special.

2. Send a text message. The further we get into the 21st century, the harder it is for me to maintain my deep hatred for technology.

3. Buy a digital camera. I thought of myself as a film purist. I thought nothing could compare to the actual chemistry that goes into creating a photograph. Come to find out, nothing can compare to the outrageous expense of buying roll after roll of film just to get that one perfect shot.

4. Create a myspace page. This is my most recent debacle. If you would like to check it out, here's the link: www.myspace.com/kareahw

In the spirit of free speech...

2007-09-10T13:38:00.000-05:00

I read Pollyanna three times and watched the movie about 78,000 times as a little girl, but still turned out to be a cynic. Go figure.

I really do like people (I'm quite gregarious actually) but there are just some personality traits that get under my skin. I've decided to make a list. This isn't because I'm bothered by anyone in particular so don't get all weirdo reading this (see #1)! But this is my blog, so here goes:

1. People that take every little thing personally or feel slighted by the tiniest thing. Example: I know a person who will huff in exasperation if you as much as suggest doing something in a way other than what she had in mind. Then she goes on and on (but jokingly of course...) about how she better not suggest anything anymore since everyone else knows how to do everything better than she does.

2. People who argue just to argue. It's not even that they care about what they're arguing about or feel really strongly one way or the other (they may even actually agree with you), but have to take the opposite stand, just for the sake of argument.

3. People who try really hard to be funny or clever. It's OK if you're not funny. Truly.

4. People who want to be someone they're not. Example: A person hates sports (which is OK) but goes to a Super Bowl Party (still OK) and pretends to be a die-hard Cowboys fan to impress others (bugs me!) BTW: Do ya see my optimism coming out?! Cowboys...Super Bowl...

5. People who have to put a disclaimer before every sentence. Example: I hope this doesn't offend anyone here, etc. Just say it! It's OK to think differently.

6. People who talk about their kids non-stop! Do you have anything else in your life? I love my kids. I love talking about my kids. But when I'm around people who aren't married or have no kids, I withhold the details of Corban's last pediatric check-up.

7. People who think there is only one way to do something and try to make everyone else feel inferior for not being them! ARRRRGH! KILLS ME! The best (or should I say worst) example of this vexation is the person who knows THE way to parent or THE way to have a good marriage! Give me a freakin' break!

8. People who can't appreciate the differences in others. (OK, now you might be saying, "Hello! Isn't that what you're doing here? Complaining about others?!" To which I gently reply, "No, because I'm not asking others to change who they are.") My complaint (which I make no apologies for) is about people who can't appreciate the introvert, because they themselves are an extrovert and can't understand how anyone in their right mind would not jump at the chance sing karaoke in front of 50 people. I love optimists and idealists-There is a place for you in this world- just please don't ask me to become one. I never will.

9. People who alienate themselves and then complain about having no friends. You've built the prison yourself, love.

10. Passive Aggressive Behavior! Just freakin' tell the person what's bugging you!!! But please don't mope around waiting for them to pry it out of you. How do you ever expect the problem to get solved?!

11. People who are very literal. I just hate watching a movie with someone, and hearing, "Oh, yeah...like that would really happen!" over and over again. It's a movie...not real life.

OK, I'm done! If this brought you down, sorry. But this is my space to say whatever! Feel free to leave hate-mail in the comment box!

"Weese" is Corbanese for "Please."

2007-08-15T11:27:00.000-05:00

The high point of my day yesterday: an email from Heath...

When I woke Corban up this morning I was wearing my hat. He took it off and played with it while I was changing his diaper.

When I was done I took the hat back and put it on. He said "Hat weese." I said, "Do you want to wear a hat today?" "Hat yes!!" he said.

So I put the red Bass Pro hat on him, and he hasn't taken it off yet. Every time anyone walks through the room, he says "Hat" and smiles.

Scary Night

2007-08-09T12:58:00.000-05:00

A few nights ago, Heath and I are sleeping peacefully when all of a sudden we both wake up to the sound of people shouting. Keep in mind, we live in a very quiet and safe neighborhood, so this kind of thing never happens. I look at the clock...3:00 am. Heath walks downstairs to see if he can tell what is going on. We can't decide if the shouting is coming from the street, a neighbor's house or from the church parking lot behind our house. I walk downstairs with him and as he is making his way out the front door, I hear some glass breaking and a man in a gruff tone shouting something about, "Where did you put the money?!"

I make my way back upstairs to see if I can hear anything from our bedroom window as it faces the backyard and the noise seemed to be coming from a neighbor's backyard. I kneel down and begin to listen. Almost immediately I hear a man say, "Take your finger off the trigger and I'll tell you." I panic! My mind begins to race! Where is Heath? Did he already make it down the street? What if our neighbors are being robbed? What if the robber runs out of the backyard and finds Heath out there and realizes he has heard everything?! I grab the phone and dial 911. I tell the operator our address and everything I had just overheard. It is then that I hear Heath call up to me from the BACKyard. "What are you doing?" he asks. "I'm calling 911!" I say, my voice trembling, "I heard someone talking about a gun!".

He comes back upstairs as I'm still on the line with the 911 operator. Then we begin to hear gunshots.

From a BB Gun.

Yeah...a BB Gun.

We listen closer and it all begins to come together. We hear the sounds of shouting intermingled with drunken laughter. It seems our neighbor has decided that Thursday, 3 am would be a perfect time to hold a drinking party and contest to see which of his buddies can shoot out the most beer bottles.

Nigeria

2007-08-06T10:21:00.000-05:00

Finally a chance to show you some of what I experienced in Jos, Nigeria. These are photos of mine and Heath's 3 week trip to Africa. We were working at Faith Alive, a free HIV hospital and social services center. It was the most amazing and life-changing experience of my life (so far). I hope to have many more eye-opening experiences like this one!

In Nigeria they use a name, Baba which means father to address an older man they respect. He may or may not be related to you. Shown above is Baba on the left and David on the right in our kitchen. They cooked three meals a day for our team. We were able to try some traditional Nigerian dishes such as pounded yam, egusi soup and jollof rice.

We had a chance to visit the Plateau State orphanage on our trip. I was expecting a sad, overcrowded nursery, but was pleasantly surprised to see that there were only four infants there. And even more encouraging, was the news that these four babies would most likely be adopted as soon as they turned 6 months old. At 6 months of age they can be tested for HIV. It is very probable that all four of these children are positive, but even so, they will be adopted into loving Nigerian families. Here I am holding Amanda, only 2 weeks old. You can see she is wearing a wash cloth as a diaper, because the state doesn't provide diapers or formula for the orphans. The children rely on the workers to buy these items or people to donate them.

The children were amazing. They were so happy to see us. Many of them see only a few Americans each year, so they were very intrigued. We very quickly learned the Idu word for white person, which is Oibo (pronounced O-wee-bo). It became music to my ears to hear the children call out to us when we were walking in the city. Aren't they so beautiful?

All the women on our team had Nigerian dresses made by two of the graduates (Esther and Blessing) of Faith Alive's sewing school. The school is wonderful, because it gives women who are HIV positive a chance to make a new life for themselves. Blessing had been cast out of her family and had her two sons taken away from her once her family found out she was HIV positive. She came to the clinic for help, got better thanks to the free drugs they gave her, went through the sewing school and was given a sewing machine when she completed the one year course. Then she set up her own shop making clothes and bags. She now makes enough money to support herself and her two boys. She is an amazing woman-probably my favorite friend I made in Jos.

Hands down, my favorite moment of the trip! This is how Nigerian women carry their babies. One of the patients taught me how to "wrap a baby" during her appointment. She had twins so she gave me the one who wasn't on her back. The other patients got a kick out of seeing me with baby Joy on my back. I bought some fabric to wrap Corban when I got home, but for some reason he wasn't as excited about it as I was.

Nigerian Public Transportation System! You see entire families on these, traveling here and there. We saw a mom, dad, kid and a goat all on one bike during our stay. No Joke! Not very many people own their own cars so they pay these drivers to take them where they need to go. It would cost you approximately 30 cents to run your daily errands.

Here's the story behind this photo... It was not uncommon to be having a conversation with a Nigerian and right in the middle of their sentence, whoosh! their finger disappears into their nose. I guess nose-picking isn't taboo in Nigeria like it is in the US. Gotta love those cultural differences!

Starbucks Anyone?

It was amazing to be surrounded by such beauty and such poverty all in the same moment. I've heard it said, "Once you drink from the waters of Africa, you are sure to return." I believe it.

London Town

2007-07-23T12:10:00.000-05:00

On May 10th, Heath and I (along with 6 others from Mosaic) headed out of DFW Int'l Airport to begin a 3 week adventure volunteering in an AIDS clinic in Jos, Nigeria. Here are some pictures of our 15 hour layover in London! Jolly good fun, guvnuh! Pictures of Nigeria to come soon!

Taking "The Tube" to Hyde Park to go sightseeing. Lisa, Andria, Me and Garry.

Enjoying a "Pigeon Dog" with Andria. It was awesome, whatever it was made of!

A trip to London wouldn't be complete without stopping in a pub for a pint!

Lisa, Garry, Andria, Kim, Me & Elma

freezing our tails off in front of Westminster Abbey.

Cereal...An Intimate Food

2007-07-17T12:16:00.000-05:00

I have always felt uncomfortable at the thought of someone watching me eat cereal. It honestly took me about three months to let Heath see me eat cereal after we got married. I mean, when you think about it, the only time you eat cereal is early in the morning or late at night. (Unless of course you are in college and your entire diet consists of nothing more than cereal, ramen noodles and microwave macaroni and cheese.) And most of the time when I'm eating cereal, I'm wearing jammies! I wish I was one of those girls you see in movies who always has cute matching jammie pants and a spaghetti strap tank top and looks awesome in her comfy clothes! I'm so not that girl! I usually find the biggest ratty t-shirt that even my husband won't wear and some worn out running shorts to sleep in. Pretty, no...Comfy, definitely! But back to cereal...It's just too personal! Here's a list of other foods I'm not comfortable eating around other people:

1. Sushi - This was actually the inspiration for this entry. Monica wanted sushi for lunch, but Luther was coming, and I just wasn't comfortable with the thought of eating sushi (I'm chopstick challenged) in front of him.

2. Spaghetti - too saucy and way to noodly!

3. Corn on the Cob - Have you ever squirted the person sitting across the table from you right in the eye with your corn juice? And don't even get me started on corn stuck in the teeth!

4. Ribs - Forget it! Unless you are Heath or Tim, my brother-in-law, it's just not gonna happen!

Blog Loser...

2007-07-16T13:05:00.000-05:00

I really want to be a blogger! But sitting down to write about my life is hard. Not because my life is so full that I just can't find the time, but because there's really never much to report.

I actually have things to say though. So this entry is just to let you know that posts are coming soon!

On Flying Across the World, Making Apparently Useless Lists, Thinking of Dying and More...

2007-05-07T14:23:00.000-05:00

This Thursday Heath and I will get on a plane and begin a 24 hour journey from the great state of Texas to Jos, Nigeria. We are leading a mission trip there to work with an organization called Faith Alive, a free hospital that offers HIV testing, counseling, and job training to Nigerians.

We will be gone for 18 days. That's a pretty long time, especially considering we have two very young children whom we are leaving here with two amazing friends. I am so thankful to them as they have offered this amazing service of watching our home, our kids and Gus the Wonder Beagle and have given generously to make this trip even possible.

It's been very interesting to me to see how God has provided financially for this trip. Since Heath and I are both going, we had to multiply every cost incurred by two, making our final amount to be raised a whopping $4400. And that doesn't include things like vaccinations, medications, passports, essential supplies or spending money. To help with the expenses, we sent out about 60 letters asking for financial support to our family and friends. (We have an incredibly large family.) We just knew our family, being the close-knit, supportive, ultra-Southern family they are, would come through in a big way. They have always been so proud of the work we have done in our church and our community in the past. Now was the time to show it and support a great cause. I mean, who wouldn't want to help real, live people in a country so devastated by disease, poverty and malnutrition?

Almost immediately, we began receiving voicemail messages on our cell phones from aunts and cousins, grandmas and grandpas. They wanted us to call them back because they had questions about our trip. "Great!" I thought. "They want to know how much we need to raise, so they can help in the most effective way possible!" Ummmm.....Not so much. What they really wanted to say was that we were crazy, foolish and reckless. "How on Earth can you even think of leaving your babies with total strangers to go to a country so corrupt and dangerous?" Have you thought of what will happen to your kids if something happens to you?" Why can't you just send money and let someone else do the dangerous work?" "Are you crazy to be going to work in an AIDS hospital? What if you come back with AIDS yourselves?" "Well I hope the crazy natives don't capture you and shrink your heads!"

Not exactly the response we were expecting. But on the flip side, we did begin receiving letters in the mail from friends whom we have shared our lives with and our faith with over the past years. I don't mean just $10 here and there either. I'm talking about checks for hundreds, even thousands of dollars. Through this, God began to show me that while family is so important and the love and devotion they show you is priceless, the people that He connects you with throughout your journey with Him is absolutely amazing. Someone told me once, "Show me a man's checkbook and his calendar, and I'll show his heart." You really can tell a lot about the passions of a person by what they invest their money into.

I know our family loves us and some of them genuinely love God too, but there is this overwhelming sense of fear in most of them. A deception that says if you play it safe, everything will turn out OK in the end. Just fly under the radar, Don't push your luck, Better safe than sorry. I just don't see things that way. I can't believe my God, the God who made the entire universe and everything in it wants us to live lives that small.

So needless to say, we are going to Nigeria. We ended up raising $1000 more than we needed which will roll over to help the rest of our team. God is so good.

I leave in 4 days, which means I have a gazillion items on my to do list. And every time I check something off, I think of two more things that must be done. I've been compiling a list of things about my house and about my kids for our friends who are staying here. You know, things like what days trash is picked up, where the vacuum is, how much Tylenol to give Chloe. It's all color-coded and organized in a cute binder so everything is at your fingertips. They came over last night to pray for us and the kids before we head out and were less than impressed with my efforts to make their stay here in our home easier. They are pretty much Super-Parents, so in their defense they probably do have a mystic 6th sense that just knows the where, when and how of most homes in America. But you know as a mom, there are things about your kids that seem meaningless to most people, but if they don't get done exactly the right way the cosmos come crashing down in the mind of your four-year-old. And it isn't like I'm just a phone call away, or I can make it right before bedtime. Not that I'm expecting our friends to do everything our way. On the contrary, I hope my children mesh into their family's way of life beautifully. It just makes me feel more at ease if they know which stuffed animals Chloe is used to sleeping with every night and what foods she likes in her school lunch, or what is Corban's newest amazing trick, (which by the way is clicking his tongue on the roof of his mouth whenever you say, "Clever Boy!") Sure, my kids probably won't die if they get turkey instead of PB&J or take a break from the Amazing Tongue-Clicking-Baby trick, but it would really ease my mind and my heart while I'm 6,758 miles away to know that they know these things.

I've also been faced with the reality of death through this process. I mean everyone knows in some sense that they could die any day, but somehow it has become very real to me lately. Maybe it's been the overly-dramatic worries of my outspoken family or the fact that I have to decide who will raise my children if the plane goes down, or maybe that thought-provoking movie Premonition. Or maybe it's God Himself asking me if I know that it's Him who decides anyway and that I really have no control over it at all. If I believe God, and I do, I must believe His Word which says:

Man's days are determined;
you have decreed the number of his months
and have set limits he cannot exceed
Job 14:5

And when I think of it realistically, I'll probably make it home in one piece because even though I'm not SuperMom myself, I'm still the only one that knows all the information in that useless book without ever even having to look at it.

What's So Happy About A Birthday Anyway?

2007-04-25T15:58:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I feel like the absolute worst person in the world. Someone does something "nice" for me and I pick it apart until it's no more appealing than an animal carcass left to rot in the hot desert. Here's what I mean...

Yesterday was my birthday, the big 26. Yahoo. I hate my birthday. Every year. It has nothing to do with age. Obviously I'm not over the hill yet or anything. But every year I am so depressed on my birthday. I have this major inner struggle going on. One part of me, the idealistic part, which honestly rarely rears its ugly head, perks up and begins singing about how great the day will be. It looks forward to countless phone calls from well-wishers, a towering birthday cake, loads of presents, the whole shebang. And the other side, the side that I know much better, the realistic side, tells Miss Idealistic, "Shut up already!" "Don't you know there are still children starving in third world countries today?!" "Today is not about you." And usually the day goes accordingly. A few people will call which is always appreciated, but basically the day comes and goes just like any other. I lay my head on my pillow at night and Miss Realistic and I are happy enough knowing that we were right. The day really wasn't about me.

But yesterday was a little different than usual. Heath (my husband for anyone who doesn't know, although I know Monica is the only one who actually reads this!) took my birthday into his own hands. I was completely satisfied and cynically looking forward to a day of glorious uneventfulness. I knew I was having a party on Friday anyway so if I wanted any consolation, there it was. On our way to pick up our daughter Chloe from school, Heath pulled into an expensive salon and day spa and just dropped me off. Oh wait. Before he left me there he hands me a wad of cash and says "Here. You'll need all of this." I was...well, I don't know if there are words to tell how I was feeling, no perfect words at least. I felt shocked, confused, undeserving, frustrated, unprepared. All good words, but as you can see none of them are good feelings. So I go to check in and the lady tells me what I'm in for...gourmet lunch, a massage, a facial and a pedicure.

Now don't judge me just yet. I, like any other sane woman on earth, love to be pampered and all those treatments on your birthday sound like a good plan. But let me let you in on a little background. My husband is in the process of starting a new business, and if anyone has ever started a business before, you know what this means - Poverty.

I must be honest and tell you, I really enjoyed the spa treatments. During the process, I actually thought "This should be an annual tradition." I felt pampered and relaxed. It was great. But then it was over.

I had to pay. Pay...that is such a small little word for such a huge amount of money that I handed over to the smug woman behind the counter. $230 to be exact. It pains me to type it. I immediately began a running list of sensible things I could have bought for the same amount. Here's what I've come up with so far:
1. a new couch (sure, it would have to be cheap, but we're part of that home club and it could be done)
2. a new haircut and color ( In my own cheapness I ruined my color recently)
3. 25 movie tickets (That's a date every month for a year)
4. Bills! (Don't even get me started here)

I'll show restraint and stop here on the list. So fast forward to today. I obviously am not over the spa experience. It's pretty ironic isn't it? My husband sends me away to be pampered so I will be able to relax and 24 hours later I am stressed beyond anything I've felt in a long time. It's not that I don't appreciate the thought, I do...mostly. It's just so much money for something so intangible, so un-returnable. I wish I had a conclusion. A tidy way to tie it all up. A smiley face thought at the end of the story, but I don't. Here's the best I can come up with...

My husband loves me and wants to give me good things and hey, it's just money after all, right?! If it isn't for spending what good is it anyway?

How did this happen?

2007-03-07T16:20:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I am a self proclaimed technology-hater! All things technological! Texting, email, answering machines, cell phones, you name it- I hate it!

But I just got a new job. A job I can do at home. I don't even need to hire a babysitter! If I want to, I can work in pajamas! Amazing! There's just one catch...it's computer work. Now don't mistake my hatred for technology for computer illiteracy.

I can handle a computer well enough, I just don't like to.