My BFF is here!!!!!

My friend (BFF=best friend forever and when I say this, dude, we've been through a lot! We'll always be there for each other no matter what...we don't have hardly anything in common and hardly get to connect, but we're there and well that's just it...she's there, I'm there...we're together-somehow) Jennifer drove all the way from Arizona to come for our re-commitment ceremony. She arrived about 1230am today. OMG! I'm so excited. Her 13 year old-Kenny shot up like a foot since I'd seen him 15 months ago, he's as tall as his mom-5ft. 10in. Jayson (15 month old)looks the same he does as the day he was born, except bigger and blonde curly hair. I'm so happy to see her. Our "ideal" plan in life is to get houses next to each other, or connected, with an attaching double door(that can be locked on both sides), and run a preschool...she'd do all the cooking and me all the cleaning and the kids and guys would be able to play together all time. We can't get the guys to agree on a location though...Arizona is too hot for David and he hates California (too many people, traffic, etc.)...blah blah blah. Ahhhh, the dreams...How about selling everything and RVing around the country and working odd jobs? I really need to win the lottery! Let the adventure begin...she's due to be here for a few weeks, til about Aug. 25th or so.

My laptop died!

I can't believe it...I think my life may just be over! This morning my computer froze up, so I turned it off. When I turned it back on, it said Win 32 file missing. AHHHH!!!!! Wait, I have the "warranty" and it's Wednesday!!!!! I will simply take it over to Best Buy while I'm over on the west side for church and they will get me on my merry way. No, that's not what happened at all. They can't help me, they'd send it off to Toshiba (2-4 weeks). One of two things, either my computer needs to have a system restore (software problem-Toshiba doesn't cover it would be charged by Best Buy and Toshiba), or it's a bad hard drive (covered under warranty)...but I'll lose everything either way. I haven't backed up in two months. So Best Buy offered to back up my hard drive for $169! Cough, choke, cough...so I will wait and see if I have any other options...or at least save money to "save my stuff on my hard drive". On the way home, I got the brilliant idea to call super computer guy in our home school group...maybe he can help? I dropped by late and he tried very hard, but alas, he needs another part he doesn't have to "save me". So, my computer sits, until I can save up money to buy the "right part" for him to save me...then I'll do a system restore, if that doesn't work, we'll have it sent to Toshiba to replace the hard drive (the card reader doesn't work either). I'm going to die! Does anyone know what the internet and computer are to me? Life...I tell ya, it is precious! LOL...guess I better work on that!

My baby turns 3!

It's official...I am out of baby-land! Christianna is 3 years old today! We have been out of diapers for 8 months (just use pullups at night time), and she's insisting she's a big girl! I now officially have two pre-schoolers and a school-age! It's great, she can dress herself, she can walk, run and play nicely. I love it. Still can't trust her for nothin hardly, but that's cause it's just her-not the age...hoping the age advancement will help with that actually.

When she woke up, I told her that today is her birthday and that she is three years old now. She looked at me and was so excited! She said, "I'm finally this many?" and held up 3 fingers. It was sooooooooooooooo cute! We had lots to do and I was out all morning. I came home with a cake and a balloon and three Dollar Tree presents. We celebrated just us as a family here at home. Shanndon made a comment while we were eating cake, "why didn't everyone else come?" He noticed we didn't have a party. I would like to have another "combination party" this year for Shanndon and Christianna...maybe end of August. We'll see. Besides, I'm in dire NEED of a party!!!!

Happy Birthday Christianna!

Correspondance with Sonja's Dad

Sonja's dad emailed me today. His name is Paul (the pics are of him and Sonja and him, Sonja and Sonja's mom's mom). He is a "computer guy" in Austria. He seems very nice. It's great to get to talk to the parents! I can only imagine the position they are in. Sending your child to live with a stranger for a year. Heck, I have a hard time sending my kids to my friends' house for the afternoon! Although, that's mainly because my children are crazy and I'd like to continue having friends! BWahahahah!

Having done this exchange program twice now, I get the impression that teenagers are a bit more "grown up" in every other country. By 16 they should know what they want to do and have their lives planned out. The moment they turn 18 they should have their college started and careers on track. Carolina is off in college already! Living hours away from her parents. Other countries don't seem to "baby" their kids like we Americans do. The kids have been in school since 2 or 3 years old, learning to write and academics (multiple languages!!!!! hard math from early on! You should see these kids' report card and course loads!)-not just play. Ben is 9 years old (will be 10 in October), I can't see him deciding his life and being ready to support himself and/or a family in just 7-8 years. Are they too hard on their kids? Are we to easy on ours? The girls are expected to work and be just as productive and successful as the guys-which I think is good.

I personally just always expected to grow up and be a mom and wife. NOW! There are times I wish I enjoyed my single life, instead of searching for a husband. I wish I had enjoyed my childless days. Instead of being overwhelmed by chores and daily tasks that take forever, because everyone needs multiple things all at once. There are days I dream of peace quiet, no fighting, sleeping in, etc. I tried to urge Maialen and Carolina to take their time. Enjoy life, don't seek to rush into marriage or family life. I can only hope they listen! I hope Sonja sees that too.

I really enjoyed my time with the teen girls. Talking after kids went to bed, helping with homework, them working with me in the kitchen and introducing them to making gingerbread houses and cooking, and playdoh and goop, waking up and running out in your PJS after a night of snow and throwing snowballs. It was a little overwhelming with two...so I'm really looking forward to doing these things with Sonja one on one. Having one on one time from the beginning! I hope I can bring honor to her father and her mother's memory! And I hope too, that it will help me appreciate Christianna being little. Soon Christi will be a teenager!!!!! As much as I want to kill her several times a day, she is sooooooooo adorable and little and cuddly. Free with the kisses. I pray for a good experience this year and that Sonja and we are all truly blessed. That God is honored and Sonja's dad is at ease with her placement in our family. That the family meshes well together and Sonja's adjustment is easy. Please pray for us as we enter this endeavor.

4th of July!

Happy Birthday America! "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people" Proverbs 14:34. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 Pray for our nation-leaders, our church, ourselves. God can use HIS people to make our nation great. The sin of individuals affects the entire nation. God's people must take responsibility for our nation.

Today is another one of those "bittersweet" holidays. Fourth of July, I believe, truly was my dad's favorite holiday! The fact that they are illegal in Illinois, was of no consequence to him. He was a pyromaniac! We would go to the parade in the morning and watch him blow off fireworks in the night (then run from the cops!). My darling husband, loves it just as much!

A few days before hand, our friend Lea mentioned going to Haysville to watch fireworks (we'd never been!) and did anyone want to join...well, David is home (not deployed and it's a Saturday, so he he doesn't have to work) to do the driving (30 minutes), so I said we'd love to join them! We had no other plans. Then another friend asked our plans a couple days after that, so we told them about Haysville and said we'd love if they could join. So Saturday we had a leisurely morning and then worked on the basement (where we listened to patriotic and "Indepedence day themed" songs on the radio all afternoon). About 5pm (time to start getting ready to go out for the evening), I came upstairs and Lea had messaged me on facebook saying her cat went into labor, they weren't gonna make it. We called the other set of friends and asked if we could meet later (we were working hard on the basement). They made it about 7/730pm and we joined about 830pm. We stopped at a fireworks place on the way!!!! They allow everything in Haysville! So we arrived in Haysville...the sky was lit up. The citizens were having huge parties and doing their own shows. It was amazing to see their "stash" strewn across their yards! We just went to a public park to watch the town fireworks. It was not busy or crowded at all. It was like we were transported to a whole different place! It was awesome! Why wouldn't EVERYONE flock here?

Shortly after we arrived and started doing a little bit of fireworks, the friend who's cat went into labor and had 5 kittens...arrived! YEA! So we talked about kitties and then continued with fireworks. I was trying to take pictures and the kids and David were doing the Roman Candles and Sparklers and such. Everyone's kids were wanting in on the action...which I don't mind, but David was just handing them fireworks, without asking their parents permission, or watching them! The kids were waving the flames around, not watching chairs, clothes, people or boxes of fireworks. It seemed no one else was bothered by this but me. I told David he can't just allow other kids to handle them, they really need to ask their parents AND they they needed to be WELL supervised! He understood and things got better from there...UNTIL Christianna, who was allowed to have a sparkler alone...placed the sparkler on her chest!!!!! She got multiple burns on her chest! I poured bottled water on her burn and had David run to the car and get the first aid kit and immediately put burn cream and a band-aid on it. (It looks terrible this morning!) She was detoured from fireworks after that for a while. But was begging to do more later. The rest of the night went along just fine. The "city display" was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It lasted about 40 minutes and we were right under them...just across the street from where they were setting them off!!!! The kids barely watched the show! They were playing on the play ground with all their friends! Other friends that we weren't expecting to see, also showed up. Who knew this was the happening place to be? (I say we set up a big "to do" next year!)

Our friend Jennifer is coming for our wedding from Arizona, and she asked if we were gonna get fireworks to do while they are here...we did! Our exchange student will be here and my mom and Jennifer and her boys. It will be so fun!

Happy Birthday America! I thank God, Christianna did not get hurt worse and for David being home and for the wonderful night and so many blessings in my life! God bless America!

New Exchange Student

It's official...we got our confirmation of placement email(June 29) and we've been contacted on the phone and by email (July 1) from our new exchange student!!!! We're so excited!

Her name is Sonja Mueller. She's 15 (will be 16 on Nov. 1). Crimeney, she was born in 1993! That is just a few months after I graduated high school and she could be our kid!!!!!!!!!!! I am soooooo old! LOL. Anyway, her mom passed away when she was 10 and she's been raised by her dad. She's an only child. She is from Vienna Austria. She loves kids and animals. She doesn't like fish to eat (neither do we-except David). We're going to put Shanndon and Christianna in one room (currently looking for bunk beds!!!!) and Sonja will have Christianna's room. She is fluent in German (home language) and Latin, French and English. Her emails are perfect and her English seemed really good on the phone! She'll go to Derby H.S. and be bussed. I'm really hoping she mixes well in our church youth group. They are very active and several kids go to to Derby HS, so she'll have a couple weeks to get to know church kids before school. She seems pretty easy going. I asked her favorite color, to do her bedding, towels and room...she said she doesn't have a favorite color and she's happy with whatever, as long as it's not too flashy.

Today we had a leisurely day for the most part. I had a one on one lunch date with a friend. It was so nice! We met just after 11am at Kyoto Japanese Steakhouse. We were sat with two other ladies and cooked for by the owner. It wasn't the big spectacular show that it normally is, but it was nice none the less. We sat around talking for a quite a bit after lunch. It was so quiet and peaceful. I brought home a bunch of leftovers and ate them throughout the day. I LOVE Japanese Steakhouse!!!!!!! The only minor exception to the bliss, was a daycare client calling 5 times over lunch...the 3rd time the phone rang, I answered and told her I was out to lunch and I'd call her when I was done. The 5th time I answered and said, "I'll call you right back" and hung up...CRIMENY! She didn't have a certain time she had to o stuff and I said I'd call her when I was done. So, I picked up two daycare kids on the way home. Only watched them 2 hours.

After kids woke up from nap, we went to the McConnell AFB "Beach Party". They had delivered a parking lot full of sand, had games and activities, inflateables, Radio Disney was there too. The kids had a blast! Daddy even met us for "lunch break". Then we headed off to church for Missionettes. We're taking the next couple weeks to work on "projects". Today the girls did a "Traits of a Godly Woman" Collage. Next week we're doing a "group sculpture"-they have to work together to create a sculpture with recycled materials (and we'll have an "Art Show" after that with their various art pieces they made during that badge). Then we'll finish up puppets and perform a puppet show.

After church, I picked up Stephanie's 2 dogs (they are going out of town) and we came home. Steph had a big tomato come ripe today and it would rot before they got home, so she gave her "first fruits" to David!!!! I came home with en egg carton of cherry tomatoes and one big tomato...SWEET!!!!! :) We miss our garden! :(