Wacky Kids

I have to believe that all the earths rumblings and weird weather are affecting (or effecting) the behavior of my kids. Not all of them but some of the more sensitive ones. We had some pretty extreme emotions this week, good and bad. We are pretty extreme as a family, doing most things with gusto. But this week was exceptional. At first I thought it was the allergies rearing their ugly heads, but after much research and examination, that was not it. Maybe it was the moon. I don't know what it was to be honest, I just know that I had some wacky kids this week.

weight update

yeah!!! wk 1 day 4 got on the scale at the Y and down 4 lbs....woo hoo.... still want cheesecake though^.^

Submission

I can't even tell you how long I have been working on the submission thing. When God told Eve she was going to have some problems of her own after cursing all of mankind, He was not kidding! I've had control issues all my life. It has caused me to be rebellious even if it has been displayed as passive aggressiveness. I am getting better and am learning to allow myself to" just let it go". ..but other people sure make that hard! I guess I am not the only one who knows best ^.^ and I must remember that if I don't want to be in charge, I need to let others who do, do their thing and not complain. It's the not complain thing that I am working on.

Waiting for God's timing has been hard, I usually want what I want yesterday. But in God's infinite wisdom and with His great sense of humor, He has continually put me in situations that stretch me. He has made sure that I allow others to have the same joy from serving me as I have for serving others. He has made sure that I am grateful for the gifts He has given me by making me wait for them. He has also made sure that I am prepared clear to my heart before blessing me with His gifts.

Submitting to earthly authority has been a bit challenging too. I have no problem following rules and laws. That isn't what I mean. I mean people that have charge over me personally. Parents, Leaders, Teachers.... the like. I seldom act out openly, but boy can I drag my feet and grumble. Especially if I think they are wrong and I have no power to change anything. I work daily to be respectful of others opinions and seek wisdom in letting others experiences help me.

My sweetheart and I once attended a conference where the submission word was taught. Man I had trouble with that early on in our marriage. I was just as good as any man! The couple teaching was amazing. They talked about who they were in submission to and how that worked in their marriage. They broke the word down into two parts...sub and mission. Sub meaning under and mission meaning plan. It wasn't about giving up my will , but trusting that my man had my best interest at heart. He in return trusted that I would not harm that mission and respected me and my opinion. He doesn't control me and I don't control him. We are a team and he is the head coach and I am the assistant. Our mission as a couple has been clearly defined by us. We have talked about it and planned what we want for our lives together. We both agree what that mission is. We both also trust that the other would only do and lead us toward the goal of that mission. So being in submission to my sweetheart is the one place I don't struggle anymore. I trust him . (Wow, I just realized that I have trust issues with God. Hmmm must ponder that.)

Today will be better than yesterday, I will stop complaining about what I have no control over and be happy that God is in charge and His will is what is best for me and the ones I love.

So....

So....as you may have seen in my last blog, I am on a diet. I'm not going to call it anything else because the word "die" is in it, please people, get a grip. If you need to be on a diet, it really doesn't matter what you call it, it is hard work and usually not fun but necessary. I'm using a system, I know it will work, it doesn't mean I have to like it. I like food that is fattening, hence my current size. I like rich, carb loaded foods. So no matter what, I'm not going to like vegetables, I just have to live with them, kinda like zits. Yes, they are that appealing to me.

So....why am I on a diet this time? Couple of reasons. One is that I may need to fly to my dear mommy's house to help her out. Fat people and airplanes don't mix. Seats aren't made for people much bigger than a size 14, and I am way past that. The last time I went down to help her out, I was miserable and so was the poor guy next to me. And my pride will not let me buy two seats.

So....the other reason is I need to be able to do more with my kids. I want to get on the roller coasters with them. I want to go on long hikes with them without my joints going ballistic. I want to be able to sit comfortably in the backseat of the car if I need to. I want to go bike riding with them and not worry about being able to get the seat out of where it isn't supposed to be. I want to hold them in my lap even when they are growing up.

So....it would probably be good if I was doing it for my health or for myself, but who am I kidding. If that was why I was doing this, I wouldn't be the size I am. But I guess it will be a serendipity of dieting. And I'll get new clothes, that's kinda cool. And my sweetheart will be able to wrap his arms all the way around me.

So....I am grumpily on a diet, doing what I have to do to get what I want to have. Doesn't mean I have to like, just have to do it.

Warning!

Woe to the family of the woman who has high hormones and is on a diet!!! Nough said!

A Day Worth Remembering

Today has been full of emotions for me. Now, I am pondering my life and what I want the second half to look like. I've been experiencing crotchety-ness the last couple of weeks, tired of playing games with people who are not kind and tired of being questioned for the things I do. Plain out angry that people in general don't look out for others and are very selfish (which makes me feel like being selfish too). Then I had today.

I woke up with a call from my dear mom in law who needed a ride to her doctors appointment today. As anyone who knows me will tell you, I am not a morning person. At all. But she is past 80 and is just now needing help so I set the kidos to tasks and head on down the road. While driving her in her car, she tells me stories and shares the things going on in her life and I smile as she tells me to slow down and to take this turn and that.

Her husband was prior military and so we were at the army medical center. I had one of my dear children in this hospital many moons ago. It hasn't changed a bit. It was comfortable being around all the soldiers and their families walking the halls. As I waited for her to come out of her appointment, I saw a few things that made me smile

In the area she was in there were a lot of old retired soldiers. They almost all wore black baseball caps with pins and patches depicting their branch of service, the units they served and the conflicts they were in. I over heard more than one conversation that started "where were you during..." This generation is very different from mine. They were all dressed up to go to the doctor. Slacks, jackets and not a sneaker to be seen. For the most part they were all happy.

There were two couples that made me feel deeply though. One couple had the wife in a wheelchair who obviously had some amount of dementia happening. The tenderness and love her husband had for her as he buttoned her sweater for her and held her hand was amazing. The love was palatable. The other couple were the most outgoing people I have seen in a long time. The lady was German and had a lovely accent. Her husband was tall and distinguished looking. I could see that they would have been a great looking couple in their day. She smiled and talked to everyone around her. When the person she was talking to would get up for their appointment she would say to her husband, "that was a nice person". He would nod and agree. How could anyone not be nice to such a sweet smile and happy disposition.

Then later in the day, I got word that a dear man that we have known for 18 years had passed away last night. How my heart broke. This man was an amazing person. I have heard his life story many times and am always amazed by his great wisdom. He gave of himself like no one else I have ever known. He raised a beautiful family that has carried on his love of others, that are passionate about life and helping others. I can't even imagine the grief they are experiencing right now. His leadership has touched my family very profoundly, more than any church we have attended in the last 18 years. I will miss him very much.

I don't want to be the crotchety old lady who yelled at the kids to get out of her yard. I don't want to be another name in an obituary remembered for liking crossword puzzles. I want to be the person who touched others profoundly, who helped them to be better than they were before they met me, not because I taught them patience and endurance, but because I loved them deeply. I want to be the smiling old lady who sees the niceness in others and brings that out in others. I pray that God allows me to remember this day the next time I feel fed up with the world.

A Movie Review

We took the family to go see Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief yesterday for the birthday kids. Going to the movies is quite the big deal at our house. We don't go often because it so darn expensive! Even the matinee was over $80 for us! Now I know why movies gross so much. No popcorn for this crew, that would mean we couldn't get dinner after.

The movie was okay. That's all, just okay. Makes me wish we had waited for the dvd. If we hadn't loved the books SSSSSOOOOO much, maybe it would have been better, but then again, maybe not. The acting was pretty bad and the changed story line was pretty shallow. They definitely spent all their budget on special effects which were pretty loud but not all that convincing. Maybe that was the acting, I don't know. I liked the hydra and Percy's water powers, but that was it. The only actor choices I really liked were for Grover and for Luke. The rest were not what we pictured or was even described. Liam Neason would have been a much better Poseidon . And don't get me started on Annabeth. She must have been someones daughter. The story is vaguely the same as the book, but far enough from it to be a different story.

So if you have read the books, don't go, wait for the dvd. If you haven't read the books, I would be interested in your opinion of the movie. If you haven't read the books, READ THEM! We listened to them on cd from the library. The whole family sat around the living room like in the time before tv but after radio. We even had to wait for my sweetheart to come home from work because he didn't want to miss anything. The stories are a great way to learn Greek mythology in a modern adventure.