Blog in Pictures - Day 6 - Blessed by God, Blessed by my kids

It's been a rough day to say the least. The good thing is that amongst the tears, sobbing at times, I was able to pull through it get it all together. I was able to get the schooling and chores done. The house may not be in the greatest shape but at least it's clean and organized.

Tonight I was reading another's blog. It was about raising a child with special needs. It hit home for me. It made me think of how life with my boys has been. It certainly hasn't been easy. It's been hard some days to keep going. Between all the doctor's appointments, schooling and home therapies, it has been a rough road.

Between being told one child will not be able to live on his own, ever, and the other child will be a vegetable, I wonder how it is that I am still alive. Amongst major surgeries, lots of doctor's, therapists, tons of prayer, and even more tears God has shown those people they have no idea what they are talking about, despite their PhD's. Starting out with a boy who could not learn to read or write despite may years teaching him it, and another child who had no voice and little muscle usage when born, I'm proud to say that I have two amazing sons. Adam, 11th grade, reading and writing above a 9th grade level, and Daniel who some day's won't shut up. Through God's mercy and grace both my boys have far exceeded the doctor's predictions.

God is good. Through it all He has shown us that life's battles, life's pit stops, don't really matter in the long run. It matters how we pull through those pit stops and battles. It's not been easy I'll tell you that. Some days are full of tears, some are full of laughter. Some days there are more screams then I care to admit and others there is nothing but peace. We started out wondering where this life's journey would take us. I now sit here blessed by how wonderful my children are.

Thank you, Precious Jesus, for raising my children to be healthy and well.

Adam, this past month, in his Explorer's uniform.

 Daniel, hanging out at home.

Blog in Pictures - Day 5 - Spring is here!

Spring is here!!! time for the rebirth of the earth! Winter has gone away and left it's mark. I am blessed that winter's mark hasn't been as strong this year. What a blessing it has been not to fight with the snow and the ice!

So, to mark this joyous occasion of Spring I have a few pictures to share.

Amongst all the clutter in our lives blooms pop up to show us it's all ok after all. :o) I know these are not the prettiest pictures. They are just a few shots of things that brightened my day when I went on a walk. :o) I hope you enjoy them too. 

Happy Spring to you!

blog in pictures - Day 4 -> Spring Peeper Frogs

God's littlest creatures. In our lives we tend to think large. The bigger the better. God doesn't work that way. He does things on a small scale sometimes. These little frogs (spring peeper frogs) are so tiny they can fit on a person's thumbnail! We found a lot of these tiny frogs at Herkimer, NY several years ago. It always amazes me how awesome of a God I serve that He could create these intricate little frogs.

G

Blog in Pictures - Day 3 -> Date Night - a must for every marraige!

Date Night

I came across this idea online the other night. I loved it! You get 12 envelopes, any envelopes you want. You can label them, decorate them, what ever you like. Each envelope has the name of one month on it. 12 months, 12 envelopes.12 dates.

That's right, 12 dates, one each month. 

In each envelope you plan a date for that particular month. It can be anything you enjoy doing together. Seeing as how we are not the richest people here we have to plan on the cheap. That 's ok though, I like simple things. In the post I saw this idea on the lady planned all the dates herself as a surprise for her husband. I didn't. I planned ideas and then checked with my hubby as to how he liked the ideas. He actually liked all the ideas. (yeah me!!) 

Some of our ideas include using the free movie tickets we have had for a while now, using the gift cards we have had for a while now, going to McDonald's for ice cream and taking a nice neighborhood walk, going to the local beach to walk on the pier, among other ideas.  These all will cost us less then 10 dollars. There is one idea that will cost more but I'm not sure how much. I want to plan an over night at a hotel for our 18th anniversary. Mike said he liked that idea too. big yeah!!!

Well, here are my envelopes. I pray that every wife (or husband) out there takes this idea and runs with it. What a wonderful way to tell your spouse that you love them? Isn't your marriage worth the investment of time? Remember, it's not the date that is important, not even what you plan to do. It's important to spend quality time with your spouse. Let hem know that they are the most important person in the world to you.

Blog in Pictures, Day 2 - Cooking Adventures -

Ok, so I do not profess to be a wonderful cook. Although I would honestly love to be able to say that and I greatly admire those who are, I am smart enough not to say that I am. That being said I do enjoy cooking. I enjoy the feel and textures associated with cooking. I love the fact that cooking can be an art form. It really can get your creative juices going!

Since I do love to cook and I have had some extra time lately, I have whipped up a few things that are not our ordinary fare. I hope you enjoy seeing the pictures.

I have always wanted to learn to make crepes. I can't get over how simple they are to make! You can fill them with practically anything you wish too! I filled mine with apples and oranges. I then drizzled some homemade black-raspberry syrup over them. They were heavenly!

We are trying to eat a bit healthier, and I refuse to go the tofu route, no matter what Matt says. lol
I came up with this on the spur of the moment. It was delish!!! It is only pasta mixed in with sauteed chicken, broccoli and carrots with Italian dressing drizzled on it.

This has to be my favorite of all time. I really should have made this years ago! I took regular lasagna noodles, alfredo sauce, a creamy white parmesan cheese and imitation crab meat and layered it jsut like lasagna. I can't get over how yummy it was.

My sons love corn dogs but they can be a bit pricey. I found an easy recipe online and tried them out. They were not only easy to make but really great tasting too! I loved the crunch the dogs had on the outside but the nice moist breading on the inside. I will definitely make these again!

I made cupcakes a little bit ago because I wanted to try to make filled cupcakes, like the mix shown below. I'm pretty cheap and hate to pay for something I can do myself. So, I took the time to try to make these. I succeeded! I have no picture of the finished product to show you but I did have a little bit of batter left over. I made the tiny cake shown above. I thought it looked pretty.

Ok, there are supposed to brownie cookies. They look so yummy! However, they are not as good as a friend of mine. Alfreda makes the best cookies!!! I will try these again because I am determined to master this recipe. I think I baked these cookies a bit too long because they are harder and not chewy. :o( That is ok because we will still eat them. Chocolate is chocolate right? lol

Friends of our s are heading toe Disneyland in a couple of days. I saw these Minnie Mouse cupcakes on pinterest.com and thought they were a great idea for the Gerwitz family. I think they liked them. I know I had one last night and they were yummy!!! It's just a regular frosted cupcake. I put the mini Oreos for Minnie's ears, a regular Oreo for her face and cut a stick of gum to look like a bow. It was so easy!

So that is it for now. More cooking adventures to come I'm sure. I hope you have enjoyed sharing in my cooking joy.

why I go on, not just a title

Hi. My heart is breaking right now. I just read this blog about a little boy who had EB, short for Epidermolysis Bullosa. "EB is a group of blistering skin conditions. The skin is so fragile in people with EB that even minor rubbing may cause blistering." Seeing how these kids live their lives and how parents cope with this is a bit overwhelming to me. 

I know there are a lot of disorders, syndromes, diseases, and abnormalities that affect the human body and for me it is a way of life. I have fibromyalgia and depression, my oldest son has Asperger's, dyslexia and dysgraphia. My younger son has Moebius and anxieties. My husband has SADs and Asperger's, both undiagnosed. So you see my whole household is full of abnormalities. But we are so mild compared to a lot of families. For that I am truly blessed. 


So why does God allow these disorders, syndromes, diseases, and abnormalities? Why does He allow humans, His own creation, to suffer so? It has an easy answer but most people do not want to see the truth. They would rather believe that God is vengeful, or that there is no God because a god, any god, wouldn't allow these things to happen.


But there is a God and He does allow it to happen, no matter how cruel we think that is. The truth hurts.


You see, over the years I have spent a long time thinking about this and asking God, pastors, other believers why God allows things like this to happen. I have listened to many people complain that God is mean and cruel because of this. I have prayed about that a lot too. I just prayed a second ago that God would give me the right words to express what I feel may indeed be the truth. 

(I am by no means telling you exactly what God is thinking or why God does things. I am simply stating what I think has happened. That is all, jut an opinion. I could very well be wrong though. It happens, ask my husband. lol)


Ok, back to the topic on hand. God made this Earth form His own imagination. He made people, humans like you and me, in His image. If He made us in His image then why are we "defective" with all these physical problems? Easy, SIN. Sin has done this to our bodies. 


Yeah, right... You are probably thinking I am being stupid. How could a little sin do this??? Easy, a little sin from you and a little sin from me and a little sin from the guy down the street all adds up. Any sin, even the tiniest particle of sin causes a wedge between us and God. That wedge allows more sin. Sin caused death. It still does. When Adam and Eve were created they were intended to live forever, with God. Sin happened and deserved a punishment. Death. Our bodies, which were once made to withstand the ailments of all time, were now in separation from God. This allows the bodies to decay and to become infected with ailments. Satan uses this to make us think that God wouldn't allow this or He would be cruel. Not true. 


Trust me. I have suffered a long time with my issues. God still loves me and shows it to me each and everyday.



Think about it for a second. Light is awesome. It is without any darkness. It is bright and it shows us everything. Adam and Eve had pure light when they were in the Garden of Eden. Then they sinned. Darkness came into play. The light was no longer as bright as it was before the fruit was eaten and they lied about it to God. (People forget about that part... they lied about their sin...)
This darkness from their sin caused a wedge between them and God. What happens when one has a operation from light? it becomes darker and darker, right? The further from light you get the darker it gets. When Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden their sin multiplied because they did not have the pure light all the time, although they did have access to it bow they had to make effort to be with it, unlike before.

God is pure, holy and righteous. Correct? Yes. Anything that is not pure, holy or righteous cannot be int eh presence of something that is pure holy and righteous or the latter will no longer be pure holy and righteous. In order for God to stay pure holy and righteous there has to be some type of distance between Him and the unpure, unholy and unrighteous thing. 

BUT WAIT! There is good news!!!! A bridge was sent down. :o) (See, didn't your momma tell you every cloud has a silver lining?) Jesus came down from Heaven. The Son of God, God Himself, came down to Earth to create a way for His Creation to be in union with Him again. Jesus is the True, Holy Light that gets us through this awful darkness we call Earth. With Him, and His true salvation, we can be living the good life! A life that is happy, joyous, prosperous, and worth living, despite the pain and suffering we have here on Earth.

I do not know about you but, despite all my aches and pains, despite the frustrations of daily life, despite stupid people and stupid situations, I am thrilled to be living. I love life and I love my life. I hope and pray that after reading this you are too.

things to remember: a blog in pictures, day 1

life getting the way of life

You ever find that happening to you? You know, when life gets in the way of life? I know that sounds redundant but think about it. The life you have gets in the way of the life you want. It happens. We focus so much on life here on Earth that we forget about the life God wants us to lead. Day to day life takes over and the Life being led for God gets pushed on the back burner.

Recently I have found myself questioning my addiction to the internet. I know, and here I am writing a blog! lol Kinda  funny. Anyhow, I have been questioning whether it is profitable for me to be here online as much as I am. It's not, there is no question about it. It is not the life I imagined me having. It is not the life I had hoped to have. It is not the life God wants me to have.

 

So what am I going to do about it? I plan to take action. I have to make life changes. I hate making life changes by the way. I know I have to, I just haven't decided what those changes will exactly be though. Cutting out the surfing is one of them though.

I know that the internet will take a back seat for a while. I can check it in the late afternoon or evenings. I have things on the compute that has to get done but I have to limit my internet though.  I must read the Scriptures more often, that is unmistakeably, unequivocally, undeniably the most important task needing to keep focused on. I have to go through my digital pictures. I have to work on completing the boy's' schooling this year and plan for next year. I have some organizing to do at home here too. I have a lot to do.

I can no longer let life get in the way of the life I need to be living. Can you? Are you? I was, but now I won't be. Will you?

how much can we handle?

Ok, so God thinks I can handle quite a lot apparently. I don't want Him to think that. I want Him to stop giving me so much to handle. I really do.

Over the past 3 months or so we have had one problem after another rise up to need our attention. Between my mom's passing, major car issues, health scares, Mike's now probably permanent 80% vision loss and our van pretty much  dieing I'm not so sure I can handle it all. I know I don't want to handle it all.

I am trying to rely on God, I really am. I pray, I read, I pray some more. I can't help feeling that I have failing those around me and especially my husband. I'm not being the wife I should be and I know I'm not being the mother I should be.

I ask others for encouragement and some help fine tuning my life, trying to get my life under some sort of control but no one seems to care. No one seems to want to help. What do I do?

O, enough crying, enough woe is me crap! I am done. I have to get up and move on, right? pull up my boots straps as the saying goes. What has God told me about life?

Simple, rejoice in it for He has given us breath in our lungs. There are so many others out there without and we are blessed with. There are hurting people, disfigured people, people on a ventilator for their whole life, there are others with dementia that don't even know how they are. Yes I sit here complaining and crying over a few bumps in the road.
My husband can still work, he can still see out of one eye, he can breath, play and laugh. I can walk, I can clean, I can breath on my own. My kids can talk, learn, play and watch tv, invite their friends over and so much more. We are truly blessed beyond measure.

So what is going on in your lives that you are grumbling about today? Are things not going your way? Are things hard to deal with? Are you breathing? Walking? Thinking? Can you work? Pay your bills? Plan your life? Some people can't. Some people can't get out of bed, wipe their own butt, breath on their own. They are the ones that truly should get our empathy.

(Note: I did not say sympathy, I said empathy. Empathy is way different then sympathy, btw. One is understanding another s feelings, the other is feeling those feelings with them.)

What right do I have, do you have, to sulk in our own problems when others out there are so less fortunate then we are? Even if we do not know o anyone, personally, that has things worse then we do, they are out there. Trust me. In a house near you there is a woman getting beaten, there are children left unattended because their parent feels the need to go get drugs, there is an elderly woman or man who is neglected and left in their 0own filth. Trust me, these people are out there, whether we admit it or not. So when you feel like sulking in your own problems remember that those problems really aren't as bad as we let ourselves think.

Pull up your boot straps, dust yourself off and cling to the Lord. Only He can help you feel better. Only He can give you peace and comfort. Only He loves you enough to die specifically for you.

PS: This blog is more so written for me then it is for you. Therapy is just one person talking to another. I am talking to you and you, by listening, are my therapist here on Earth. God is my true therapist though. He helps me through all life's little (and not so little) problems.

Thank you.

thing is

thing is so many things are on my mind.

I'm gonna be 40 this year, in Nov. I'm lost my real mom, my real dad, my foster mom, my grandfather-in-law, and my father-in-law already. I never knew my grandparents in my real home nor my foster home. I barely knew my aunts and uncles in those homes either. I would like to say I am too young to have all this death upon me, but I'm not I'm afraid.

Years ago, I was deeply hurt by someone. That person had no idea they hurt me, let alone hurt me so deeply. I'm sure if they did they would have been horrified as it was not their nature, nor their intent. But I was hurt nonetheless.

Being a foster kid you grow up not really knowing where you fit in in life. Yes, I was blessed beyond measure to have the foster family I did have. I was raised, lovingly, by the same couple for 14 years. It was a Christian household. I was blessed. VERY BLESSED.

Growing up in a foster family, despite it being a wonderful home, I always felt like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. My real mom gave me up, willingly. My real dad did not stop her. I was torn from my siblings, left not seeing them hardly at all.When other foster kids in this home moved out most contact was lost. I was never sure why or who's fault it was. I was feeling that maybe that would happen to me when I moved out. Again, I was waiting for the shoe to drop. I was waiting, half expecting, life to get worse.

Despite all that I had and all that I was given, deep inside me I was hurting. I guess I still am. When someone whom you love deeply tells you something so hurtful, even if it is due to a deteriorating medically issue, it is very, very hurtful.

I'm sorry I lost so many years over something so stupid. Had I just known. Had someone told me her condition,. I can't go back, I must go forward. My life is not here for others to determine my worth. God has done that already. Only he can determine my worth and He did so upon that cross. I just pray that others can see that too.

I was a brat growing up. I was a bit self-righteous, very pig-headed, and maybe snobby. I was hurt by so many people that I wasn't sure what it was like not to feel hurt. Maybe that is why I was always expecting to have the other shoe drop and my life to be turned upside down again. Maybe that is why I believed the hurtful words. Maybe means nothing in the long run though.

I'm an adult now. I'm different then that stupid lil kid and arrogant teenager. I have learned a lot since those years so long ago. I have been hurt deeply and have been able to get over it. I have been treated rudely and been able to get past it. God has healed me from a lot of hurt. He has physically healed my body from the abuse and healed my mind from the memories. He has healed my soul by showing how much He cares for me. But, just like when I was a kid, I get hurt still. God has my hand in His right now for I have no other place to put it. He is guiding me as to what to do and what to think. He is holding His hand over my mouth keeping me from saying things I'll regret. He is whispering for me to be calm.

Right now I'm hurt by three people. I need to let that hurt melt away. I know my intentions. I think I know their intentions. I know what I am doing and I know how I should behave. Giving it to God is my only choice really. Why do I hold on to it though? Because I am human.

~~ God, you know my hurt. You know my thoughts and my feelings. I chose not to give into those feelings. I chose to give them to you instead. Heal me Lord. Heal my hurt, my anger, my frustrations.  ~~

I lost all those years with my mom but I know she has forgiven me as that is they type of person she was. She was lovely in so many ways.

Mom, you are truly missed by so many people down here on Earth. You are loved and cherished and held tightly in our hearts. I love you. I'm glad you never gave up on me and always loved me despite how things turned out.

Dance the night away and play that organ music for the angels. While you're there, mom, give Jesus a hug for me. <3 rip

correction on my forgiveness post

Since I wrote the first forgiveness blog the other day I have had a few conversations with people. I have thought a lot about what I wrote and how it came across. I forgot to add something, the absolutely most important thing was left out. I was tired and I was stupid, that is my reason for forgetting...


SALVATION

You see salvation is the most important thing to forgiveness.., We could wish forgiveness on everyone and we could convince ourselves that we have truly forgiving someone but unless that hurt and pain has somewhere to go, it's still in you. It doesn't just disappear. I know,. I've been there.

You see when I was a lil tyke I was severely abused, emotionally, yes. Physically, yes. sexually, yup you guessed it, that too.

How does one forgive their parents when instead of protecting them they are causing the abuse. How does a young girl forgive the father that raped her? I'm telling you she can't. I couldn't. My dad died denying all that happened. How could he?

What was a girl to do when her mother denied all of it too? Her own mother broke her bones in a fit of anger... her mother, her very own biological mother, caused scar tissue on her brain from all the beatings...

How could that little girl forgive that? She can't...

But God can. You see God is bigger then the hurt. Bigger then the pain. Bigger then the abuse. Jesus took all the pain, all the anger, all the hurt, all the hate upon Himself on the cross. He had His arms spread out, nailed to the cross and then dripping with blood He cried out Forgive them Father for the y know not what they do. That is true forgiveness. You can't have true forgiveness with the out that....

So you see Salvation is the key to true forgiveness...

enough said.

update on forgiveness

Hi. well, it''s been 2 days since I wrote that last long post. You know the one about forgiveness? Well, I was thinking yesterday that it might have been a temporary thing that I was feeling. I'm here to say that once God fixes something, it doesn't break again until we mess with it. lol If I leave my hands out of God's handiwork things will be a ok. lol

I'm still feeling pretty well about the lady I was so hurt by.

Writing this right now makes me think of something.

I was hurt by this lady right? Well, I know she didn't mean to intentionally hurt me. I can't see her thinking that way. So, the only other way to understand what happened was a bit of miscommunication and lack of listening to each other.

That leads me to think about whose fault my feelings getting hurt was. After thinking about it, only one explanation makes sense. It was my fault my feelings got hurt. How cold that be? I wasn't rude, I wasn't hurtful to this person. I was trying to avoid the argument. How could it truly be my fault?

Well, we all have choices in life. We can choose one thing or the other. Forgiveness is a choice. Hatred is a choice, love is a choice. They are all action words. I could have chose not to get so hurt my her words. I could have just been like a duck and let it roll off my back.

I must remember this for when (and I do men when as I am still human and will continue to screw things up) I open my mouth and get myself into trouble again.

So anyhow, leave it in God's hands is truly the best advice ever!

Praise God.

true forgiveness, finally.

Forgiveness.

It's not about them, it's about you.

I have been dealing with an issue that has been preventing me from giving true forgiveness.

I won't say who or what but lets say I was deeply hurt by someone. I sort of wanted to forgive as I know that is the right thing to do, but deep down inside I did not really want to forgive this lady. My feelings were to deeply hurt. I was angry and a bit bitter.

One would think that to forgive someone is to forget what they did and to be best friends with them again. Not so. It truly has nothing to do with the person you are forgiving. It has to do only with ourselves.

Think about it this way. If you are angry at someone, who does that affect? You. Most likely that person doesn't know you are angry or doesn't care. If you are hurt by and bitter towards someone who does that affect? You. Not them. They probably don't know or don't realize the extent of your hurt feelings. If they did they might or might not care. They might or might not do anything to help you feel better about the situation. They have no control over your feelings. They have no say over how you feel. Only you do. You can't make them apologize but you can chose to forgive. It truly is a choice. A decision you have to make; to forgive or not to forgive is the question of the day.


I have had to make the decision today. God has been working on me for sometime now to make this decision but stupid me doesn't like to listen. Listen means that I may be wrong and I did not want to admit I was wrong. But I was wrong. I was wrong for not wanting to forgive this lady.


Let me simply say one thing before I go on. Forgiveness does not mean you have to put yourself in the same situation to get hurt again. It does mean that even though you know what happened and you knwo how you were hurt you must not let it bother you anymore. Our human brains do not forget like God does. We tend to remember every horrible detail of how wer were hurt, by whom, when and how badly. We need to make a conscience decision to put it in the past and leave it there.


Ok, back to what I was saying. I had a good friend call today and tell me he was praying for us with this situation. In fact he prayed right there on the phone with me. He gave me some great advice about this topic. Then, immediately (within seconds) another close friend called me. We talked for 90 minutes (WOW!!!!!) and she gave me some great advice too. (Can you say God was working on my heart today???)


To err is human to forgive is divine. My good friend said this to me today. She said how true it is. True forgiveness only comes from a divine being giving us grace to do so. We cannot forgive on our own. We must have the grace of God to be able to truly forgive.


Without going into any more details I just wish to simply say that I praise God for giving me the grace needed to truly forgive the woman who so deeply hurt me.


I do wish to add more to this post but it is late and I am am tried. I have to go to bed. Maybe I might add more in a day or two. We'll see.


For now I will leave you with this.


Luke 17:2-4  It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.



Matthew 18:21-22  Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.


Matthew 6:14-15  For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

For all the moms out there.... and dads too!

31 Things To Do on a Boring, Rainy or Cold day...

Ok, before I go into my post I want to share another blogger's post.

http://www.thriftyhomemaker.com/2010/01/31-winter-activities-for-kids.html

1. Make a cake/ cupcakes and use powdered sugar for icing and drizzle over a paper snowflake.
2. Write a poem or story about snow or winter
3. Hide a mitten in the room somewhere and let others try to find it. Give them clues by telling them whether they are 'hot' (near the mitten) or 'cold' (far from the mitten).
4. Go for a walk and look for animal tracks in snow
5. Make ice cube popsicles by freezing juice and putting a toothpick in to hold it with
6. Make snowmen out of old socks
7. Watch birds
8. Make a list of things to do in 2011
9. Draw a winter picture
10. Clean toys, books and clothes to bless others with
11. Eat popcorn and play a game
12. Make cinnamon toast in the oven
13. Make glitter snowflakes, draw on paper with glue shake glitter or salt let dry and write Psalm 51:7
14. Make ice sun catchers using pie plates and nature items, add water and string to freeze and hang up.
15. Make pizza and watch a movie
16. Make snowflakes with tortillas
17. Bake Cookies
18. Make Marshmallow snowmen
19. Make Rice Socks
20. Make Snowflake Tshirts
21. Have Picnic inside
22. Make igloo with marshmallows/sugar cubes and icing
23. Play with snow in a tub / pan / tub in the house.
24. New Years Poppers to give to others
25. Make Snow Cream if it snows or make glue snowflakes
26. New Years Day Dinner
27. Play in Snow if no snow make white play dough
28. Read snow and winter books
29. Make Paper Snow Flakes
30. Pinecone Bird Feeders
31. Make Donuts out of can biscuits

Now my post.
I love all these ideas but some aren't ones I would do even if my kids were still little. I thought what a cool idea to make a list like this though. So here I am, making my own version of the 31 things to do on a boring, rainy or cold day...

31 Things To Do on a Boring, Rainy or Cold day... 


1) using construction paper make a hopscotch board on your floor. Use bean bags, larger coins, small soft toys or such to instead of rocks.

2) Take silly pictures of each other with a digital camera.

3) Put on a fashion show.


4) make a tent out of blankets and have story time in the tent. (String up strings and drape the blankets over them to hang them as the sides of the tent or throw a blanket over the kitchen table covering all the sides and camp under the table.) :o) 

5) Make sun catchers with coffee filters, markers and spray bottles of water. color with markers, spray with water then let dry. :o)

6) make up a game to play. 


7) tell stories


8) do some kitchen science.


9) play with a light up bouncy ball or flashlights in a dark room.


10) create a spa in your house complete with a nail polishing center, a facial area and a hair dressing table.


11) play floor hockey in the basement or on carpet. You could use bouncy balls instead of hard balls.


12) Make your own phone using cans and string. Go into separate rooms and talk to each other. :o)


13) build with Legos. You could make all sorts of things from complete cities to futuristic cars!


14) Play house. Play dolls.


15) Create your own restaurant. Make a menu, decorate the table top and then serve food suing the fancy dishes.


16) think of what era you would have liked to be born in and then dress up and spend the day like you actually lived in that era.

17) go for an expedition in your own house. Plan a route, and events to do at each destination (ie: room)

18) start a scavenger hunt

19) make up silly songs

20) play the music really loud and dance the day away.

21) bake cookies

22) make a rainy day scrapbook. (Scrapbook about only the things you would do on a rainy day)

23) act out different animals

24) play with water. use food coloring, toys rocks etc.... have fun with it.

25) Have a pajama day. Bring the blankets and pillows out int the living room, cuddle up and watch a movie together.

26) go outside in the rain and dance and play in it. Stomp in all those puddles!

27) have a fear factor day. Do things you usually wouldn't like to do just to see if you can do them. Make sure there are prizes for all that hard work of doing things you don't like!!!!

28) create an obstacle course through your house and time yourself as you race thru it.

29) Tie Dye t-shirts or pajamas. You could also do pillowcases too. :o)

30) using window markers decorate your windows for all the world to see.

31) Play Marco Polo, sharks and minnows, or other such games, in a spacious open area lke the living =room or basement.

Ok, so there is the not 31 things I could think of. I hope I have not repeated any. lol If you like this and wish to share it by all means do so. If you try any of these ideas and like them comment below.

Oh, here are a couple of more ideas.

Play jepordy (make up your own questions and such.)
play wheel of fortune (again, make it up as you play)
act out your favorite tv show or book
Make your own ice cream or ice cream sandwiches


Ok, that is it for now. lol I think
Have a great night!!

sharing some great sites and blogs. Enjoy!

I have had a bit of free time, and thanks to some amazing friends, now have access to wifi high speed internet on my desktop. (The desktop being the primary computer I actually use, lol) I have had the opportunity to be able to search blogs and some fun and informative sites lately. I just wanted to share a few of my favorites. :o) I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

24 CLEVER IDEAS TO MAKE LIFE EASIER

    http://jugglingwithchainsaws.com/2011/12/30/24-clever-ideas-to-make-life-easier/

Just from my own experience I have found a few things that have helped me in my everyday life.

I like to freeze chicken broth in ice cube trays so that I can add them to rice or noodles to add flavor.

We save the plastic trays from chocolate covered cherries. They make a great mold for homemade pb cups or nut clusters!

We use plain white stickers to bind our cables and cords. This keeps them tidy and gives us a place to label the cords so we know what ones go to what.

To organize toys I bought the plastic drawer units. We labeled the front of each drawer using printable stickers. We also use stackable crates to store games and large toys on. Placing the units in the closets gives us free space in our room and hides them from company. It also keeps the toys easily accessible and neat. The boys have quite a few nerf guns and blow pipes. I bought a clothing hamper and stand them up in that. It makes it easier for the boys to chose what they want to play with and keeps them from falling all over the place.

In the fridge we tend to have pop bottles and water bottles all the time. They tend to easily tip over. I put a tray in the fridge and place them on that. This keeps them from tipping over. (We have the wire grates as shelves in our fridge.)

To keep the Tupperware cupboard neat I only buy stackable containers. I then put all the lids in a plastic clear shoebox (you can buy one at the dollar store). This makes the lids easily found and at your fingertips when needed.

I’m sure there are many other things we do around our place but I will not bore you anymore.

So You’re Thinking About Giving Up Your Pet? You Might Want to Reconsider.

    http://makeadifferencerescue.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/so-youre-thinking-about-giving-up-your-pet-you-might-want-to-reconsider/

 

Everyone I know knows that I am not a big animal person. That being said, even though I am not really fond of them I don't hate them either. I think killing an animal unnecessarily is uncalled for and should be avoided. They are one of God's amazing creatures. They deserve to live. I just think that people who took the time to pick out an animal, buy it food and bedding, and have taken them to the vet to make sure they are healthy have made an unspoken commitment to taking care of that animal. That animal is now dependent on you. You have made it so. Stand up and make sure you take care of that animal then. It's not the animals fault you change life situations. If you find you cannot keep the animal for certain reasons, find it a new home. NOT A SHELTER. Most certainly DO NOT just let it roam free. This animal you are trying to “set free” has been dependent on humans to care for it. It is not used to the world and will surely be eaten or starved all just because you changed your mind. Don’t do that to the animal. It’s cruel. Ok, off my soap box for now. Thanks for listening. :o)

Being Retarded

http://phoebeholmes.com/2011/12/23/being-retarded/

 

I have an older brother who is clinically diagnosed as Mentally Retarded. I do not honestly believe he is retarded but rather  somewhere along the autism spectrum. That being said, I feel that those who are retarded are due more respect then we give them. They are smart, wonderful people who have such a warm heart, and a bright smile. They certainly are a true gift from God.  They are innocent for the most part. They have not grown up to become the way society feels they should be. They are who they are, not who others think they should be.

I sometimes am very guilty of using the word “retarded” casually and off-handedly towards others that I am close to but I never do it in anger or frustration, nor do I do it to those I do not know. I usually use it as a joke and a playful put down (usually referring to myself). May I first say I am sorry to those who are offended by my attitude. I do feel that I am wrong for using that word so casually but I also think too many people put more meaning on the word itself and get offended way too easily. My son has Asperger’s Syndrome. So does my hubby. My other son has Moebius Syndrome. My brother has Mental Retardation and I have other siblings that are “slow”. My parents were both “slow”. I have grown up around people with disabilities all my life. I babysat a child with Downs Syndrome for most of my high school years. She was a pure delight. I am not without sympathy or empathy just because I use the words in ways you may not like. If I see that I have offended anyone I will willingly apologize and correct me attitude. Please do not take offense to it as it is not said with maliciousness or to berate anyone. It is not said with uncaring or being flippant. It is just said.

Ok, this is my FAVORITE site that I have come across recently. 

http://playathomemom3.blogspot.com/

She also has a facebook page located here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Play-at-Home-Mom/174614952594331

 

Now, some of these ideas I have seen, and used, before. Some of them are absolutely wonderful! I really wish I had this site when my children were younger. It would have made their difficulties that much easier to deal with and would have made homeschooling so much more fun. I have spent so much time (that could probably have been spent doing something more useful, lol) looking at this site.

Ok, well, that is it for now. I hope you find these sites helpful and fun to look at. I know I did. :o)

WOW! So many amazing things to talk about tonight. Right now, due to wanting to get to bed soon I will only talk about two things.

First thing I must praise the Lord Almighty for helping guide me to something that is actually helping me out of this depression rut I was in. For the last month or a bit more I have been taking St. John's Wort. I must tell you, IT IS AMAZING STUFF!!!

I'm not sure what it does in the body but I do know that it has changed my life. I have not felt emotionally better in the last 10 so years. I feel more like myself and am interested in doing things I haven't found energy or desire to do in so long.... I am back into braiding my hair and painting my nails. I feel more like visiting with friends and talking to people. I feel more social. I feel physically better, not so tired, not so sore. I also know that now I am spiritually I am better. The desire to pray, read Scriptures and memorize the Word has increased a lot! all because of taking one pill!!! That is it! Ok, so it's really 4 pills but it is the same pill so I can honestly say it is one (type of) pill. lol I take two in the am and two in the pm. I am no longer on ANY depression meds. Yup, you read that right, NO DEPRESSION meds at all!!!! I am literally blown away by the difference in me. :o)

THANK YOU JESUS!

On the next note I want to thank Mathew Gerwitz for his continued wonderful performances as worship leader for Worship Jam night. Tonight's worship Jam was wonderful!! If you live in the Rochester area I HIGHLY recommend you come some day. You will be blessed!  Each and every month the Lord works on someone, if not everyone who joins us there. today it was me He was working on. I'm not sure about anyone else but I know I have an issue with pride. Yup, PRIDE.
When I was teaching Sunday school to the little ones we had a lesson on Jonah's pride getting in the way of him forgiving the Ninevites. I was trying to find a way to teach what pride is really all about. God showed me this acronym. Personal Reflection Is Deemed Excepterional. Well, all day I have been reminded of that acronym. During my driving around I was listening to the radio. I heard "My Own Little World" by Mathew West. I have recently been faced with seeing myself as the person this song is talking about. I tend to shut out the bad in the world because it is hard to deal with. It is hard to think that people will do horrible things to other people, even though I have been the "victim" of such horribleness. I find the daily news broadcasts depressing and even angring at times. I have said I no longer wath it because it is depressing. Well, truth be told, I hate seeing all the sin this world is doing. Hiding from it is not making it go away or stopping it in any stretch of hte imagination. It is only hindering me from learning the lessons God wants me to learn. I do not live in a world of only me. I live in the world as God made it, even thought we do not treat it is as so. I need to watch the news more often so I can pray for the country, the leanders and the other countries and their leaders. 

We tend to try to live in our own little worlds and as a result we forget that those out there in the world around us need our prayers and our help. We can only do that if we pay attention and care. 

I will leave you with a note of encouragement. Pray for those around and you and thank Jesus for the ability to do so. He uses each one of us where ever we are in life, whether we realize it or not. Wake up and start focusing on what can you do for Him? What can you do to further the cause of spreading His word and shining Hi light? I plan to try to be better at letting Him use me to the fullest. I pray you do also.

depression sucks rocks!

Supplements - hokum, right? vitamins - just a way for companies to make money on the niavity of the citizens. With all my medical issues taking vitamins and supplements won't help me much. I need to take prescriptions, right? Going off my meds is scary. How will I think and behave? I will become a basket case. I guess I am at the mercy of the doctors and pharmaceutical companies. UGH!!!!! Life is hard enough with out all these thoughts running through my head.

Ok, so where am I going with all this? Well, let me start from the beginning.  About 15 years ago I started having pains that were eventually found to be endometriosis. After 5 years of arguing with the insurance company I had  full hysterectomy. I thought that would be start of a pain free life. Little did I know then that it was only the start of a very, very long depressing road. After the surgery, I was diagnosed with a thyroid problem and depression along with being forced (due to the surgery) into menopause. All at the early age of 30. It was as if someone took my life and tossed it out the window. I was pain free for the most part but my whole personality changed. I was no longer the carefree loving life type of person. I hated what I had become. I tried to do the same things and live my life as "normal" as I could but I didn't have the heart for it anymore.

I have tried medicine after medicine. they have had one bad side effect after another, some of them particularly bad and uncontrollable. The meds were making me feel emotionally better, not great, just better. They were also controlling my life, ruining it day by day. I have two kids whom I homeschooled for many years before putting them into public school. (I eventually pulled them both out and am now homeschooling them again.) I couldn't take care of them they way I wanted to, the way I felt God wanted me to. I just didn't have the heart for life, being a mom, being a wife. Most days people had no idea how bad I felt because I tried to hide it but those who knew me best knew I was different.

I also have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome which causes a great deal of pain and tiredness. Along with the depression life pretty much sucked a lot. Now, don't think I was so bad that I wished to end my life. Praise the Lord that it never actually came to that. Even though I was depressed I was not suicidal thankfully!

Ok, so why am I telling you all of this??? It seems pretty dumb to tell my life story to those I do not really know. Why am I putting my medical issues on line for you to read? Is it becuase I want your sympathies? Oh heavens NO!!! I do not want your pity nor am I seeking attention. I am just simply sharing some amazing things with you that have happened to my lately.

Well, frankly that is the way life USED to be until a couple of days ago. I say used to be like becauase as of the last 4 or so days I have a new outlook on life and an whole new way of thinking and feeling. Praise the Lord!!! He is AMAZING!!!

St John's Wort is my new best friend! lol Ok, not my best friend but pretty close to it!

I started on a new medicine a while back that gave me some nasty shaking all day long! It drove me nuts. On top of that the doctor in all her college smartness thought that increasing the dose would actually help calm the shaking and make me feel better. Well, that didn't happen! lol (I actually love my doctor, she's really cool.)
I was really sick of all the side effects I would get taking all these stupid medications the doctors were prescribing to me. I had to do something!

Mike, my wonderfully, amazing husband, (and other people I know) have been talking to me over the years about trying vitamins. I have tried some but with a lot of skepticism. This time I thought I would try it again. Mike has been asking me to try St. John's Wort. So after all the shaking I have been doing I gave it a try. Not thinking anything would work I thought I was at the mercy of the medications; like it or not. What could it hurt to at least try the supplement? I had nothing to loose except the shaking, right I was getting desperate. I had to stop shaking! It was interfering with my daily life. So, I tried the suplement.

WOW!!!!! It works amazingly well!!!! I have read research on it and everything I see says that it takes up to 6 or so weeks for St. John's Wort to take full effect, though in just 2 days I felt so much better!!!!!! ONLY 2 DAYS!!!

It has been 3 or 4 days now and I have not taken any of my prescription medicines. I am not taking my depression med, my thyroid med nor my estrogen for menopause but I am not having any effects that would seem to happen if I miss a dose of my medicine. (I always get the withdrawal feelings if I miss a dose or two.)
I have not felt this great in so long. Over the last 10 or so years I have had a lot of trial and error with medications and supplements alike. I have NEVER had such a wonderful response to any of these until now.

I am not so naive that I might start to think that this little pill is the answer to all my depression problems. I am not holding onto the medication as a safety met or a cure all for my issues. I am smart enough to know that God is more powerful then anything we can imagine!!!! I am relying on God to help me through all of these though. God is bigger then any medicine man can come up with or find. God can and does use things to wake us up and help us through our issues. We have to have faith in Him to do so. He will if we seek Him and just ask. I am proof of that.

So, in all your tough moments in life remember that God is bigger then any of them and rely on Him. He is always there for you just waiting for you to seek Him and lean on Him. Sometimes He uses the little things here on Earth to help us out in our time of need.

As I told a friend at church this morning I am feel like I am waiting for the shoe to drop and to start feeling depressed again. She told me in all her wonderful joyfulness that the shoe won't drop because God is holding it so it won't. lol

I may become depressed again and if I do that is ok. I will deal with it when that happens. If it doesn't and I pray it won't, I know God will always be there for me to lean on. I know God deserves all the glory for how I feel. Praise His Holy Name!