Even Though it is Monday, Don't Complain About your Job....

......you know your job can't possibly be as bad as this one!!

Before & After!

I picked up #1 from school and she went to get her braces off and then we ate lunch at Olde Country Buffet. Then, since we were running ahead of schedule we went to Kohl's for her to get a "makeover" and then in true "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" fashion, we needed to get her a new outfit!!

I think it is a birthday she will not soon forget! Isn't she gorgeous?

before

after

Shhhhh! It's a Surprise!

I'm leaving in a few minutes to pick up #1 for a SURPRISE orthodontist appointment.

Big deal, right?

It is, because in celebration of her birthday tomorrow, I moved up her appointment to get her braces off 2 weeks early!

Hee-hee!

I'm a sneaky mom, aren't I?

Under His Wings We Find Refuge

refuge - Shelter or protection from danger or distress

fortress - A fortified place; a large and permanent fortification, a stronghold; a place of defense or security

Psalm 91 says that if we make God our dwelling and rest in His shadow then we can say of the Lord that He is our refuge and fortress. It strikes me that there is some action involved on our side. We must willfully choose to put ourselves in that place of obedient and child-like faith so He can rescue and protect us.

And, the other thought that strikes me in this passage is how much you are either for Him or against Him. There is no middle-of-the-road Christianity that pleases Him. He desires to be our Lord, yet, so many mainstream denominations limit Him to being just their Savior. We are not to love Him with the watered down love of the world (yum...I just love that ice cream, love your new shoes, etc...). No, the love I believe He speaks of is a love that puts all of our own motives and agendas aside to contently follow where He leads. Even when it costs something.

Starting with verse 14 the Lord demonstrates what happens to those who love him:

Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

¹⁵ He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

¹⁶ With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

Mother / Daughter Birthday Plans

This little beauty was an early birthday present from The Husband. I can text at the speed of light now! It slides open to reveal a full keyboard. Sa-weet. And, with rebates it was extremely inexpensive....I don't know how he manged to get a phone this nice for less than $40, but he did....I think we must have a 14-year contract now or something!

#1 turns 13 in a few days and I follow her birthday three days later and turn 39. I can't believe it. I'm not sure what shocks me more, her age or mine!! We decided since she already had her big roller skating par-tay and she got a new phone, too, that we will go on a family birthday dinner on my birthday which is the same night we are going to Sight and Sound to see Behold the Lamb. We're contemplating which ethnic restaurant we are feeling up for....she and I both really like Indian food. Actually, we both like pretty much ANY food, so we could end up just about any place! We're trying to keep in mind that #2, #3 and GAS will be with us, so we can't get too funky!

I really enjoy having a late-March birthday since spring is starting to appear. It is like having something else to celebrate!

Meet Our Newest Niece.....Mia

The Husband's sister gave birth to her 5th child (BRAVE WOMAN) this past Thursday. Isn't she precious???? Now, since they live in Florida, I have to patiently wait until July to get my hands on her when we visit!

I Was Twittering and Came Across This......

Obama`s "Believe In Me `09 Tour" is off to a great start with his groundbreaking appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He brought the house down along with the last trace of his dignity. He might as well have kicked a puppy across the stage. What kind of a person makes jokes about the disabled? Answer: The kind of man who should not be our President.

This comment was in response to Obama's appearance on Jay Leno Thursday night where he quipped that he bowls like he is in the Special Olympics.

Are you kidding me??? Now, there is a role model for our kids!

President Obama, our country is in the throes of chaos and our economy is in shambles, please get off of late night television and DO YOUR JOB!

You can read more about this here.

An Early Birthday Celebration

Last night we had #1's Not So Surprise 13th Birthday Roller Skating Extravaganza! It was really fun....for the amount of people (about 50), you would have thought it would have been more stressful, but everything went smoothly. We had it at Doc's Family Fun Center and I highly recommend it! The employees were very helpful and for a reasonable amount of money we had the entire place to ourselves for over 2 hours!

We had snacks (including #1's favorite Buffalo chicken dip with Scoopables), a make your own sundae bar and one of the best cakes I've ever eaten from Costco (their cakes are scrumptious and well worth the annual membership fee by themselves!). The kids signed a memory journal for her and decorated a pillowcase. The glow bracelets were a huge hit, as I suspected they would be....apparently, teenagers are not too old to "glow"!

The Starburst Game

The "Peanut Gallery"

Doing the Hokey Poky

church friends

cheerleading friends

school friends