happily random

Internet Time Sucker

It has recently come to my attention that I spend a lot of time online. Case in point: Monday I was completely without internet service (stupid DirecWay/HughesNet :P). In the morning I was scratching my head wondering, "Hmmm... what do I do NOW?" LOL. Boy, am I pathetic.

I usually get online in the morning and drink my coffee in the light of the rising sun and my computer monitor. I check my email and then head over to the Pub to chat a bit, maybe post in my blog, maybe read a few blogs. This while getting up here & there to get the kids breakfast and turn something else on the TiVo for them. But Monday my routinue was completely interrupted! Ahhhh!!!

So what did I do? I SCRAPBOOKED! Digitally, in fact. I actually finished an entired layout that I am very proud of. So proud in fact that I can't share it because I'm going to save it for something special. :) You know how it is with publishers; they're not wanting layouts posted anywhere these days. Picky, picky. Ugh.

Which brings me to this: Tyler is obsessed with anything electronic. If I get up from my laptop even for a second without shutting the lid, Ty is there like a shot. My iPod & cell phone aren't safe either, although he's better about not taking my phone now that he has his "own." When I say his own I mean our hand-me-down, no-longer-in-use real cell phones. He is not satisfied with anything less. Although his grandma got him this little game at a garage sale and he loves it. He calls it his 'puter.

So there he is, sitting across from me right now working on his 'puter and talking on his cell phone. *shaking my head* Boy have times changed. I didn't ever even use a computer till 7th grade and didn't even own one until I was 21. Now we have 3! And cell phones? Didn't have one of those till I was in my 20s and here my 2-year-old is playing with one. It's a different world from the one I grew up in. Don't even get me started on the HUGE VCR we first had when I was kid. LOL.

But I digress... So, does this mean that I won't be online as much? Probably not. I'm hooked, what can I say. But at least while I'm wasting time I'll know what I could be accomplishing instead, right? :)

The Da Vinci Code

Yes, I am a Christian and I have read it. Honestly, I wanted to know what all the hype and controversy was about. Actually, what really peeked my curiosity about it was hearing my pastor talk about it at church. He said that this movie was an opportunity for believers to share the truth of Christ now that people were now curious after reading the book or seeing the movie. Wow. I hadn't really thought of that. What an awesome outlook!

I must say, I did enjoy the book. Dan Brown is a good fiction writer and I see why people are enjoying this book so much. It hooks you. I read it in 2 day myself. I just love a good treasure hunting story; Sahara & National Treasure are a couple of my favorite movies. But then I got to all the stuff about Mary Magdelene and all I could think was, "What a load of crap!" I guess since I am a believer something that so goes against my core beliefs is something that is hard to wrap my mind around, even if I do know that it's fiction. And if I have to read about the "sacred feminine" again I'm going to be sick. That got old.

As a Christian, my fear for people is that this book will distort the truth and mislead people who don't know the truth. This book is what my pastor called "faction." LOL. It's a little bit of fact & weaved with a whole lot of fiction, hence the word faction. And Dan Brown weaves it really well. Guess that's why the book is selling so well. But how much truth is in there?

Well, I decided to check it out. There a lot of books on the subject. And even some free Podcasts, which I've been listening to. Josh McDowell has a really good one entitled The Da Vinci Code, if you're interested. It's entertaining and in short snippets. If you're interested in finding out the truth behind this book/movie, I highly recommend them.

I just started listening to the Podcasts and here's a couple of things I've learned already. First of all, the Priory of Sion did exist... but not until the 1950s. So there is no way that Da Vinci was a leader in the group. Also they were not affiliated with the Knights Templar, which also existed. I think the book did pointed out that the Knights Templar were created to protect pilgrims on the road to Jerusalem. That's it. And the Pope didn't burn any of them at the stake, but actually supported them. See, fact weaveds with fiction. Check it out.

So as I said, I did enjoy the book. It was a entertaining novel. :)

Wild Hair and Ruffly Bums

Isn't she a crack up? Of my 4 babies, she's the one who has made me laugh the most. She just has the brightest little personality and an easy smile. That, and she's just silly, even at just 6 months old.

She popped out with a full head of hair, which makes people thing she is older than she is. And despite what people predicted, it hasn't thinned and it hasn't fallen out. It has actually gotten longer and thicker. Her hair also defies gravity and refuses to lay down. I could probably do pigtails if she would sit still. Yes, she gets tangles (dreadlocks if I'm not careful) and I have to brush it every day. And look at the expression. That one is her "Holy cow, Mom, what's with the blinking lights!" LOL.

And here is a little bit of silliness that I impose upon her. At what other age can you get away with ruffly-butt pants? I just love them. They were actually her sister's and I've managed to hang onto them for the last 5 years. They just make me smile seeing her roll around with the little ruffles on her butt. Yes, I am a mom and I torture my kids with silly clothes. Hey, there has to be some perks for all this work!

So, there you go, a little sunshine for your Friday! :) And a little for me too. I need it. I think if another thing in this house breaks I am going to scream!

This winter the pump in our well died and we had to replace it. My husband and neighbor (who shares our well) spent 2 days in the cold and snow pulling out the piping and the pump and replacing it. Doing it ourselves saved us $2500, so it was worth the cold.

Then 2 weeks ago, 2 days before I was to have a Pampered Chef party, our oven dies. It will not shut off and then burst into flame. God blessed us with a used free stove that Joel was given on a kitchen he was remodeling to fill in for the party. It's not the most attractive thing, but it heats and will work until we get the opportunity to repipe the stove for propane (we currently have electric).

And now the boiler is going out. It won't stay on, so we are running out of hot water. Ugh. So today I get to call a heating repair place to see what this one is going run us. I'm hoping that things really do come in threes and ONLY threes.

But then I look at those adorable pictures of my baby and somehow things don't seem so bad. Thank you God for blessing me with such adorable, funny children. :)

Bittersweet moments

The kids had their last day of school yesterday. For Rebekah, it was her last day of kindergarten. Can she really have just finished kindergarten? That means next year she'll be in school all day! *sigh* She really is growing up too fast. And this was her second year in Ms Ray's class. She had her for pre-K & now kindergarten. She is a wonderful, sweet, patience woman and a great teacher. I am going to miss having her as Rebekah's teacher, as I am sure Rebekah will as well.

Lucas had his last day of preschool on Tuesday. It was his teacher, Mrs Eggleston's first year at their school. Lucas has patience issues and does not handle frustration or change well (he screams), but Mrs Eggleston was a kind and patient teacher. She always greeted him with such enthusiasm and the biggest hugs. Lucas loves her very much and I know that he will miss having her as his teacher.

Both of them will get to see their teachers this summer though, because I have put them in extended care every Friday this summer. They have some fun things planned for the kids: water play, bicycles, and cooking. I thought it would be a good way to break up the week and not only give me a break to run my errands but give the kids a break from me. :)

Another bittersweet moment: Samantha is 6 months old today. How can it be? Time is passing too quickly. She's not sitting up or crawling, but she rolls all over the floor and can pretty much make it to wherever she wants to go. Oh, and of course everything goes into her mouth. She is still the world's sweetest baby: great smiles & a sweet disposition. I'm looking forward to watching her grow up, but I wish she would slow down just a bit. I could handle having her as a baby for a while longer yet. Happy half birthday sweetheart!

Stacy Julian ROCKS!

Last night was the third time I have met her in person and the second class I have taken with her and I never cease to be inspired by her. I remember her class that I took at CKU in 2003 and she said, "You are so ahead!" She changed the way I looked at scrapbooking, realizing that I didn't have to scrapbook in order and I wasn't behind! It allowed me to let go of a lot of the expectations & guilt I had when it came to scrapbooking. This is supposed to be a fun hobby, right?

Last night I was inspired yet again. Basically she reminded us of the big picture, that it wasn't how many pages I get done, or even how brilliant the design is, but that I'm doing it and finding joy in that. There is no such thing as a "regular" scrapbook page and that however you chose to scrapbook was totally fine. She is just a breath of fresh air. She is a beautiful lady with a ton energy and heart. And if you don't have it, get her new book "The Big Picture." Oh and her blog is linked on the left. <<<<

At the class she challenged us to finish an entire album in 2 weeks. And, if we did that she would post it on her blog. Gotta get crackin'!

Thank you Stacy for taking the pressure and guilt off me when it comes to scrapbooking! Thank you for reminding me of what it is all about!

Quad

Joel has a new toy. Our "next door" neighbor was selling his quad and Joel just had to have it. He's been wanting one since we moved up here, so he's a very happy guy. It's great for tooling around the property and it has the added bonus of being fun to play on. The kids absolutely love it and beg for rides from him daily. Aren't they cute? :)

He spend all day Saturday riding with our neighbor looking for prime hunting spots. It was supposed to have only been a 4-hour trip. 12-hours later, he arrived home dirty, but happy. It seems they got "lost." With a GPS. And you know, they wouldn't stop for directions. ;) The elk & moose ain't talkin'. I'm not sure I believe their story, but at least he had fun and came home in one piece. So, I have my iPod and he has his quad. I guess it's fair.

2nd Digital LO

Just finished this layout this afternoon. It was part of a ad inspiration challenge at DigitalDesigners.com. I have made the foray into digital scrapbooking, which I never thought that I would do. I love the hands-on of scrapbooking, but digital is very nice, especially with the kids around. I can scrapbook right here at my kitchen table while the kids color with Samantha sitting in my lap. Can't do that with regular scrapbooking. Oh, and when I'm done, clean up is easy; I just "Save" and shut the lid to my laptop. If you click on the photo, you can read the journaling. Ain't she the cutest little baby?