Retreat, who needs a retreat?

ME!!! But, it doesn't look like I'll be getting one this year. It's now 5:20 in the morning, the time I usually get up to go walking. However, I've been up multiple times tonight. Bethany has had a fever for 2 days. I was in denial. I kept thinking that if I just kept up with the Tylenol and ibuprofen she would be fine. Just a fever, nothing else...well...the fever won't go away. I was questioning last night whether I should take her to stay with my parents with this fever, but I thought that if they kept up with the meds, she'd be fine. Ok, now Abbigail has been up all night puking. I'm NOT taking that to Wichita. That is the last thing my dad needs right now! So...I'm not going to my retreat, or to visit my parents. I'll let them sleep a little longer, and then give them a call....Hey, I do get to go to the wrestling tournament now and see my son wrestle, that's a plus...
Ok, I'm having a bit of a pity party here...I guess you are all invited. I'm just going to make sure it's a SHORT party, then back to life!!

I am OUTTA here!

Well, I'm off...ok, not quite yet, but soon! I am in the midst of making final preparations so that I can leave in the morning to attend my pastor's wives retreat. I am so thankful that I get this opportunity to do this each spring...or almost spring! I will not have access to a computer, taking a bit of a break I guess. I will probably check in on Saturday night from my parent's house...
Have a blessed weekend. Give your pastor's wife a hug this weekend! Tell her how much you appreciate the ministry that her husband, and she does in your church. How much you love and support them. Trust me, it will make her week, and possibly year!!!

Blessings-Andie

Thankful Thursday

Yes, it is Thursday again! I am so thankful for a great week! Here is a short list of my thankfuls for this week...

• I am thankful for some beautiful weather...I really think spring is coming!! Yippee!
• I am thankful for the opportunity to teach again. If you remember last week, I was waiting for a call and trying to make a decision. The call came, and hubby and I prayed and made a decision. I am going to be a preschool director and teacher next year! Thank You God, for letting me go back to teaching. I am trusting that God will show me the perfect place for my little Bethany to spend 3 mornings a week while I teach a younger class, she will join me at preschool for the afternoons.
• I am thankful for my children, their love, their forgiveness when I'm not the perfect mommy, their laughter, and their hugs.
• I am thankful for my hubby. He is such a strong support to me. Every morning he asks how far I walked and is so proud of me.
• I am thankful that I am finally seeing results from my walking almost daily. The scale has started going down, and even better...my pants are all becoming very loose. I am planning on purchasing a belt this weekend...I haven't needed one of these in about 4 years (since I was pg with Bethany!) Yippee!!! Thank You, God for helping me to get up at the early hour and walking. I enjoy spending "quiet" time with God while I walk...I read my Bible. So far in 2008 I have read Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, and I'm almost finished with Judges. Wow...I don't think I've ever read this much of my Bible in such a short time!
• I am thankful that my childcare moms are supportive of me going back to teaching. They are sad that I won't be caring for their children, but they are happy for me and my new opportunity.
• I am SO THANKFUL that I get to go to a pastor's wives retreat this weekend. This is my one weekend away from my family...I love them, but having time away is a necessity some times! I am so looking forward to time with other PW's, time in prayer and Bible study. Time to fellowship and worship our God. I am taking my girls with me and dropping them off at my parents house for the weekend. Andrew and hubby are staying home so they can participate in a wrestling tournament. I'm so sad I will miss the tournament, but we have friends who will video his match, so I'll still get to see it.
• I am thankful that spell check is working again on Blogger...hopefully it will help me out! :o)
• There is so much more that I am thankful for...breathing, new eyeglasses, sunshine, yummy grapes I got on sale this week, and a million other things that I won't take time to write out right now....I did promise a "short" list!! :o)

Head on over to Iris' to see what others are thankful for! Have a blessed week everyone!

After Pictures

Well, I'm done. The kitchen and dining room look much better. I know there is still more to be done, but I am proud of what I have accomplished today!

Company girl...today's mission

Have you checked out the button on my sidebar that claims I am a company girl? This is a fun place to go each day for a small mission to make our homes a sanctuary. Well, today's mission is not so small, at least not for me. Today's mission is to tackle the "dumping ground" in our home...apparently she thinks there is only one...not in my house! Some days, my house looks like it is an ENTIRE dumping ground. So...today I am going to do something about it! I am posting before pictures right now, and then I'm going to get to work. My thinking is that if I post before pictures...I HAVE to post AFTER pictures, too...so I WILL do this! So...please be kind, these are the before pictures of my kitchen counters and my dining room table. Come back in a few hours and see the after pictures!

Here's the table... Here are the counters...

Grocery Shopping

I ran to the grocery store this evening to buy some milk, bread, and a few other supplies for the week. While I ran through the isles...I saw other items that I knew we were nearly out of, that were on sale! I only purchased two things that weren't on sale, eggs and generic velveeta (gotta have it for mac-n-cheese!). My total was $29.81. The kicker part is the total savings...$25.18!!!! I purchased my groceries for nearly half price! I LOVE a good deal! All of these items are things we will use, nothing that was "out there" and will sit on the shelf. Here's a list of all the groceries I got for $29.81 (this includes tax, and remember, this is all from the local, small town grocery store)
1 dozen eggs
2-2 cup packages of kr*ft mozarella cheese
generic velveeta
2 gallons of skim milk
2 jars of Ragu spaghetti sauce
2 loaves of sandwich bread
3 pkgs hotdogs
2 pounds of apples
2.8 pounds of red grapes
1 sleeve of celery

Ok, the receipt is much longer, and looks much more impressive. The milk was on sale for $2.99, and is usually $3.85 and the grapes were on sale for .99 cents/pound, they are usually more around the $3.00/pound mark this time of year...and they look so yummy! I know some kiddos who will be in heaven when they open up their lunch boxes tomorrow!
I know I could probably do even better if I took the time to clip coupons, but I just don't take the time. I generally purchase the store brand, unless (like today) the name brand is on sale cheeper than the store brand.
I was just so excited when I saw that the total was $29.81 and the total savings for today was $25.18...just wanted to share! Thanks for letting me ramble! :o)

Menu Plan Monday

What is for supper this week?? HMMM...let me think...

Monday: Bacon-cheeseburger meatloaf and macaroni and cheese. Carrots and ranch dressing for the kiddos and a salad for hubby and I
Tuesday: Spaghetti pizza and ooey gooey cheesy bread, salad
Wednesday: Lenten dinner at church...I don't have to cook!
Thursday: Hubby is out of town this evening for a meeting, so it's just the kiddos and I, probably a combination of corn dog for Abbigail, PB& J for Andrew, and mac&cheese leftovers for Bethany. I'll see what else I can find that tickles my fancy....basically a fend for yourself night! (although I still fix the kids food...
Friday: The girls and I are going out of town, so Andrew and Hubby are on their own.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions...

These three words sum up my weekend. Well, mainly only one decision, but it was a big one.
I am going back to teaching. I have accepted the job offer from the preschool here in town. I am officially now their new director and a lead teacher. I will be teaching a three-year-old class MWF mornings and a 4-year-old class M-F afternoons. I am excited about teaching, this has always been a passion and a love of mine. To be honest, the director part is a bit concerning for me. Thankfully the now-retired director is staying on as a teacher and has told me she is more than willing to show me the ropes. My other concern about going back to teaching right now is that Bethany is not in full-time school. She will be at the preschool with me for the 4-yo program, but not in my class! But I will need to find child-care for her those three mornings.
I also was nervous about calling my child-care families and telling them the news. Being teachers themselves, they understand my love of teaching, but they were hoping that I would turn the job down. They both said that they were happy for me, they think the job is a great one for me, but they are sad for themselves because good child care in this town is hard to come by (oh great, now I'm looking for childcare, too!) I will be able to finish off this school year with them, so that is a relief. They both told me that they didn't want me to take the job, but thought I should anyway...so they are supportive (THANKS LADIES!)
So...this is what my mind has been full of this weekend. It is good to have a decision made. Warren and I both feel pretty good about it, so that is also a blessing. Thank you all for your love , support, and prayers...please don't stop now!

Dance outfits...

Ok, that was really not nice of me to post pictures and not allow my mom and dad to see...so here are some pictures they are allowed to see.

We were able to get Abbigail and Bethany's dance recital costumes this week. They are so adorable. We had to try them on to make sure they fit, and then the girls wouldn't take them off! They followed the "no eating or drinking" while wearing their costumes rule. I let them wear them for about 45 minutes, then made them take them off! I was so worried that something would happen to them! Now we just need to get Bethany some tights to cover those winter white legs!Three guesses what Bethany will be for Halloween this year...:o)

Bethany has a surprise for you!!!

Bethany has a surprise for all of you, but if you are my parents (Bobbie and Papa) PLEASE don't look. She wants to surprise you when she comes to see you next week.

Ok, ready for the surprise?







Bobbie and Papa, you aren't looking, are you??







Can you see the surprise?



How about now?? Sorry for the blurry picture, I guess I need to ask Abbie for some lessons!

Ever since Abbigail had her ears pierced 16 months ago, Bethany has been talking about getting hers done. Our dear friend, Hester, who does our hair is retiring. She is selling all her cosmotology stuff...and in the "stuff" was an ear piercing gun and a bunch of studs. I asked her if I purchased the gun if she would pierce Bethany's ears when we felt ready, and she said of course. Well, that day came only 2 days later. Bethany has been talking about it nonstop since we got the gun (I put it WAY far up so she wouldn't be able to pierce anything on her own!!!) We talked about how it would hurt, but just for a few minutes. How she would need to be brave. How she would have to let me clean them twice a day. How she would need to leave them alone! She agreed to all the terms, and still wanted it done! So...we did it. She was SO brave. She flinched when Hester put the dots on her ears with the marker because she thought that it was going to be the part that hurt, so Hester drew a smiley face on her hand to show it was ok. Hester even "fired" the gun a few times so Bethany would know what it sounded like, so she wouldn't be scared. She sat so still and didn't cry at all, until the first earring had been placed for about 3 seconds, then she howled! We quickly did the other ear, and gave lots of snuggles! She was so brave. She even sat very still while Hester was doing the second ear, even knowing it was going to hurt. As soon as Hester was done, she handed her a mirror so Bethany could see her sparkles, and oh, boy...she was so pleased! You can see in her face that she's been crying, and still not entirly sure about the whole thing, but she's pretty proud now!

I got THE call...

Well, the head of the board at the preschool called and offered me the position as director and teacher. We went over some of the specifics, but I did not accept or turn down the job. I told her that I would like the weekend to think and pray about it. Warren and I have already discussed it many times, and just want to rehash everything one more time. So...I'll let you know when we decide! :o)

I DID IT!

Yes, I did jog this morning...so that makes 3 days in a row!! Oh yea...go me! ;o)

Thankful Thursday

Yes, I know it is Wednesday night, but if I don't do this now, I might not get a chance tomorrow! So...here is what I am thankful for this week.

• I am thankful for the beautiful weather on Tuesday, made me long for Spring...I am thankful that Spring IS coming! Say it with me now "Spring IS coming!"
• I am thankful that Mrs. Wonderful (Abbigail's 2nd grade teacher) is able to begin her treatment for her cancer so quickly. We pray for strength and courage. I am thankful that her substitute teacher (for 2 months, then another one to finish the year) is planning special activities for the children to do for Mrs. Wonderful, to help them stay connected...for their emotional well-being, and Mrs. Wonderful's, too.
  
• I am thankful that Abbigail feels comfortable enough with me that she can share her fears and worries. She can cry on my shoulder, and laugh with me, too. She is so concerned for her teacher, she cries a lot...we talk about Mrs. Wonderful's faith, and even if her body is not strong enough to fight this cancer, we will see her in heaven. However, she is a young, healthy (besides this cancer) woman, she will fight with all she's worth! The principal came to talk with the children on Tuesday and tell them that Mrs. Wonderful wouldn't be back to school this year. When I picked Abbigail up she came running across the cross walk and threw herself into my arms, crying. My heart breaks for this little girl, but I am thankful that she is sharing her feelings and not bottling them up. I am thankful that Mrs. Wonderful has boldly professed her faith, even in this public school. I am thankful for her example of faith in the face of trials, she is a true inspiration!
• I am thankful for a great interview on Tuesday. I will find out today (Thursday) if I will be offered a job as the director and a teacher at our local preschool. I miss teaching so much! I pray that God will make it clear if this is what He intends for my life at this point, and if it is what I am supposed to do, that He will clearly show me where Bethany is to spend three mornings a week while the younger class meets.
• I am thankful for supportive childcare moms. They don't want me to take the preschool position because they want me to care for their children, but they also know my heart and are willing to "share" me with the rest of the community. They have made it a habit lately of telling me how much I am appreciated, and that is always nice to hear.
  
• I am thankful for my husband. Although he drives me nuts sometimes, I love him dearly. I am thankful that he loves me...and finds me attractive.
• I am thankful for my treadmill (thanks hubby!), I am getting great exercise, and I'm so excited that I have actually sped up to a jog a few mornings this week! Woohoo!
• I am thankful for our wonderful Christian music radio station. It is so wonderful to be able to turn it on and know there will be good music, and nothing to embarrass the kids, or me!
• I am thankful for Lent. Such a somber time, but a time to prepare for the highest festival...Easter! Thank You, Jesus for what you have done for us, and continue to do for me, daily!

I hope you all have a terrific week! Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow! Say it with me, now..."Spring IS coming!"

Head on over to Iris's blog to see more lists of Thankful Thursdays.

2 days in a row!

I jogged again this morning...yippee!! I'm going for three days in a row!

I jogged!!!!

I am so excited...I just just have to tell you...I JOGGED this morning! I went for my usual walk on the treadmill and realized that walking at 3.2 mph with an incline, my heartrate was up, but my breathing was normal, not even a bit strained. So, after 2 miles, I thought I'd kick it up a notch. I went up to 4.2 mph, and started jogging. About 2 seconds later I thought to myself "WHAT ARE YOU DOING??? YOU ARE GOING TO KILL YOURSELF!" But, I lived. I jogged 1/4 mile, then slowed down and finished my walk. Ok, I know it's not that far, but HOLY COW, I haven't jogged on purpose for years, if ever! That will now be my new goal, to jog at least 1/4 mile, and hopefully increase that distance! I'm just so excited! I guess all this walking is doing something, even if the weight isn't coming off like I'd like.
Thanks for listening/reading...I just HAD to share! :o)

Picture post, picture post!!!

Remember the old show that had a song "Picture Pages, Picture Pages....lalalala" Ok, that's all I can remember...but here is my version. I've been promising a lot of pictures, and here we go!

First of all (chronologically speaking!) we had our snow day. Lots of snow, lots of fun. The kids sat around and played on the computer and XBox part of the day. Ashby kept an eye on all the goings on from his usual pearch. The view outside was chilly, but beautiful. Of course the next morning there was much of the white stuff to shovel, so we enlisted the help of our 'slave' labor! The little Lutheran Chick was hansomly rewarded with a yummy cup of hot chocolate!

Abbigail is playing basketball. She was concerned at first because she is a bit on the short side...ok, more than a bit, I mean she IS my daughter! She's having fun, even if she isn't the most gifted basketball player in the bunch.

I told you that the girls and I made chocolate covered strawberries for Valentine's day. Here is a pic of the kiddos enjoying said strawberries.

This is what happens when your mom calls just as you are getting ready to tuck the kiddos in for the night, they don't wait for you to finish your conversation! :o) Love the tushie in the air, I didn't think she did this anymore!!

The kids and I ventured to visit my parents this weekend. My brother and his family were on a little trip of their own, so we didn't get to see them, although it was sort of nice to have mom and dad all to ourselves! :o) We got to spend the entire weekend at their home!!! At HOME!! Did you hear me, AT HOME!!! Dad is OUT of the hospital, he is HOME! Bethany and her Papa sure do love eachother! Bethany and her "Bobbie" have a bit of a love affair going as well! Oh, to be rocked to sleep by your grandma (or by your granddaughter!)!!Here is a great picture of my mom and dad...such a beautiful couple, both inside and out!

My kiddos sure do love spending time with their grandparents.

And I'm going out on the limb here and adding a picture of myself and my dad, not that I don't want you to see my beloved dad, but sharing pictures of myself is always a little wierd!

I did find out a bit more about my father's recovery this weekend. I assumed (I know, what does assuming do??) that when it was reported that he now has feeling in his feet, legs, torso...it meant he had complete feeling, just like back to normal. I assumed wrong. He has feeling...kind of like the feeling you have when your leg goes to sleep. He can feel if someone is touching him, he can feel the floor, but not completely or with as much precision as you or I. That is one reason he is having such difficulty with relearning how to walk. You know how it is when you sit on a leg and it falls asleep. You have trouble walking, you don't know if your foot is on the floor, if there is something under it, if your ankle is twisted. It's a bit like this for my dad. Just touching him feels wierd. I was brushing a few crumbs off his shirt so I could take his picture and he commented on how wierd it feels. Abbie was touching his leg while we were praying the other night and it was driving him nuts. He could feel it, but what he felt was not a loving touch of his oldest granddaughter, I'm guessing it was more like the pricklies you get when your leg starts waking up. (Dad...you are welcome to leave a comment and expand or tell me I'm way off base here!) Mom and Dad are in the process of picking out new flooring for their home to help accomodate the wheelchair...wood laminate! Oh, how I would LOVE to have this stuff in my home!

Picture page is finished...do you think I added enough??? Oh, wait, I almost forgot today! Abbigail participated in our county 4-H day today, her first time ever. Here is a pic of her doing her presentationShe told about her camera and showed a picture that she took herself of her and Andrew and Bethany. This little turkey knows so much, I don't think I could figure out how to use the timer on MY camera, and she figured out hers in about a day! Here is the pic she showed:

Ok, I really think we're done now! So...how have you been? :o)

Who knew??

Who knew the Vicks 44 stuff on the bottom of the feet thing would work?? But, it seems to be helping!!! I have kept up with the cough syrup and the breathing treatments, but the vicks on the feet seems to be helping him cough less and less today, much less than yesterday!!! Yippee!! Thank You, God, for great advice from friends!! Funniest thing is that he keeps grabbing his feet and sniffing them! What a BOY!

We're heading back home tomorrow, after worshiping with my parents at their church...they like to "show off" the grandkids to all their friends...they wouldn't even miss me if I didn't come along! :o)

We made it!

I woke up Friday morning to a barking sound. Andrew now has the cough that everyoen in town seems to have contracted. I was thinking we should just stay home so that we wouldn't expose dad and mom to anything. I called and talked to them, and wanted to cry...I missed them SO much! After another round of robitussen and a breathing treatment, I thought he was doing much better, so we packed up and headed out. Since we've arrived, we had a yummy dinner and enjoyed spending time with not only my parents but an aunt, cousin, and second-cousin who drove down from Kansas City to visit with my parents. Andrew's cough is worse. I think his lungs are just too sensitive to be in my parents house which has different allergens than he is used to. I'm truly considering just packing up in the morning and heading back home. I guess I'll see how he does through the rest of the night, I think he's finally resting. I just remembered someone (VICKI) suggesting that if you put vicks on the bottom of the feet, it works wonders...hmmm, I wonder if mom has any vicks??? Maybe we'll have to give that one a try!

Anyway, thanks for your prayers, love you guys!

Andie

Happy Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day!! Wow, is it Thursday already? Where did the week go? Did I forget to breath in there somewhere? What have I been doing all week, since I OBVIOUSLY haven't been updating my blog...
Well, there has been much running the kids around. Between Bethany's dance class, Abbigail's girl scouts, 4-H prep for county days, Abbie's dance class and basketball practice, Andrew's wrestling practices, and church....life has been crazy. Warren has decided that our next mini-van will be bright yellow with checkerboard trim. Sounds about right.
There is no school tomorrow, so the kids and I will be heading out in the morning to make a visit with my family in Wichita. My dad has been out of the hospital for 2 weeks, and we really want to see how they are doing, and give and receive a hug or two...thousand! Unfortunately we will not be able to see my brother, sis-in-law, and nieces because they are heading our way, and then some to the mountains for a ski-boarding trip.
On Tuesday I had another meeting with a board memeber from the preschool I might be working with next year. I feel much more at peace and confident after that meeting. Many of my fears and concerns were understood and taken into advisement. Somethings that were worded incorrectly, are being corrected. I have an official interview on Tuesday, but I don't think there are any other applicants, so I'm guessing it will go well.
Abbigai's teacher, Mrs. Wonderful, is in Texas receiving her first treatments for her type of cancer. She is such an incredible witness of faith! She has set up a caring-bridge site to keep everyone informed about her condition. She quotes scripture, hymns, and prayers almost daily, in addition to reporting her doctors' findings. I am sad to say I don't hold much hope for her returning to the classroom this school year. The medication she will be taking to beat the cancer will supress her immune system. An elementary school is not the best place for a person with a compromised immune system! I don't know this for a fact, just rumors around town. I'm sorry to say I am very disappointed in how our school is handeling the situation. Abbigail has been extreemly emotional and upset this week. We talk about it whenever she wants to here at home. However, NOONE has talked to the class about the entire situation this week. No mention of where Mrs. Wonderful has gone. No mention of what is happening. No counselor going in and talking/listening to the kids. NOTHING! I even contacted the American Cancer Society about one of their books on their website that I thought would be great for these kids...they offered to send it to me free...enough for the entire class. However, the powers that be at the school said that they have their own resources and do not need additional resources. I asked if we could just send these books home with the kids and let their parents decide if they want them looking at them, and was told "No." Not much more explination than that. This just frustrates me and disapoints me. This is a very emotional issue that needs dealing with...math, reading, etc. can wait. I don't know about the rest of the children, but my daughter can't be learning much right now, anyway. She can't concentrate. She's not eating much. She cries herself to sleep...or at least cries before she goes to bed. How can she consentrate when she's terrified that her wonderful teacher is going to die. We talk about Mrs. Wonderful's faith, that if she does die she will be in heaven waiting to give Abbigail another hug. But, we also talk about the fact that she is in the best place for the best treatment right now. That God brought her to these specific doctors to help her body fight this disease. I cannot promise my daughter that everything will be fine. I cannot promise her that Mrs. Wonderful will be back in her classroom next week, or ever. All I can do is hold her and pray with her that God's will will be done, and we've also made sure that if God would like to know our opinion, we would like Mrs. Wonderful to get better really quick! :o) I pray for Mrs. Wonderful, her family, Abbigail, and all the kids in her class and school. I pray that the administration will see the need in the classroom, and do something!
(Ok, enough ranting, onto happier stuff!)
The girls and I prepared a surprise for my hubby for Valentine's day. We melted some yummy milk chocolate chips and dipped some sweet strawberries. Homemade chocolate covered strawberries. He did this a few years ago for me...so we returned the favor. We each got to eat 2, and then left the rest for daddy...I might go snatch another! I took pictures of the kids enjoying their treats, so adorable. Chocolate as far as the tongues could reach! I will post pics when I get back from my trip.
Well, friends, if I plan on leaving in the morning, I guess I have a lot of work to accomplish before the sun rises! Packing, picking up, etc.etc.etc...so, I bid you all good night!
Happy Valentine's Day!

Mrs. Wonderful

Mrs. Wonderful (Abbigail's teacher) sent home a note on Friday to let the parents know as much as she knows concerning her health and cancer. She is such an amazing witness of faith in the face of this tiral. She is a PUBLIC school teacher....but she doesn't let that bridal her faith. One paragraph in the letter says

"Although this caught me by suprise it did not catch my Heavenly Father by surprise and He has given me peace for such a time as this. I know He has a plan for me as well as the education of your student."

She asks for prayers . She also finishes the letter by quoting Jeremiah 29:11 from the Message version of the Bible "I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out--plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for."

Despite the scariness of having a teacher with cancer, I am so thankful that Abbigail has had Mrs. Wonderful for her teacher this year. She has grown so much. She loves Mrs. Wonderful. She has learned not only reading, math, etc...she is also learning to trust in her Heavenly Father by the wonderful example of this woman.

Abbigail hasn't talked about Mrs. Wonderful's cancer very much this weekend. However, we did check out a few children's books about cancer from the library and I saw that she was reading them. These books are rather dated and basically just give the facts, not stories about people surviving and beating this stuff. The librarians are looking to see if there are more books out there on the topic of parents or teachers with cancer, fiction type of stories about other children who deal with the grown-ups they love fighting cancer. If you know of any, please leave their titles and any other info you may have in the comments. Our little town is trying to help these kids and we need help.

Please keep Mrs. Wonderful, her family, and her class in your prayers. Thank you!

Menu Plan Monday

It's Monday! Time to plan the weekly menu....it's going to be a BUSY week! Warren will only be home for dinner one night, Tuesday...so I am planning our "Valentine's Dinner" for that night. All the other nights will be just the kiddos and me.

Monday: Pizza party at 4-H...no cooking!

Tuesday: Steak, Baked potatos, fresh homemade bread, corn, and mushrooms

Wednesday: Lenten soup supper at church...no cooking!

Thursday: Spaghetti & ooey goey cheesy bread, red jello, something else red?? :o)

Friday: I'm going to be visiting my family in Wichita! :-) Yippee!

I am also making Valentine's cookies for Bethany to take to her school Valentine's party, and for the other two kiddos to take to their teachers. I love making sugar cookies, but they are a bit time consuming!

My heart is hurting

I've talked about Abbigail's teacher on my blog before. She is a WONDERFUL teacher, the best I have ever seen. She is a Godly woman who follows Christ. This is hard to find in a public school. Every day I ask Abbigail how school was, and she usually says "GREAT!" with so much enthusiasm. The past few weeks, though, things haven't been so great. Mrs. Wonderfu (not real name, going for privacy here) has been gone a lot. Her father was in the hospital earlier this year, and I thought something might be wrong with him. I never expected this. One of my child care moms has Miss Wonderful (Mrs. Wonderful's daughter) in her class. The daughter told my friend that her mom has been diagnosed with cancer. She told me not to say anything, that the only reason she was telling me was so that I could be there for Abbie when Mrs. Wonderful tells the students. Well, now there are emails going around our small town asking for prayers, so it's obviously not a secret. Multiple Melenoma. I just want to cry. Why? Why? Why? Hopefully the have caught it early and it can be easily beaten! Please keep Mrs. Wonderful and her family, and her second grade class in your prayers.
How do I help my little girl who loves this teacher SO much??

Update...When I picked Abbigail up from school she said she had something important to tell me. Mrs. Wonderful has cancer. She said that the teacher wasn't going to tell the kids yet but that the phone in the classroom rang all day with people calling, so she thought she'd better tell the kids before they heard it through the "grapevine". She explained that this kind of cancer is in her blood, and that there is medicine for it. She will be missing a lot of school so she can have the medicine. Abbigail said that one of the kids asked if she was going to die. (sniff, sniff) Mrs. Wonderful said that she hoped not, but that if she did she knew she would be in heaven with Jesus. Please join me in praying for this wonderful teacher, woman, mother, and wife. Abbie kept saying "I just hope she lives." Me too, baby...me too.

Thankful Thursday

I have not participated in TT for a long time. Not that I haven't been thankful, just haven't taken the time to write out my thankfuls...so here are a few things that I am thankful for this week:

• Safety in the "blizzard" this week. Lots of snow, VERY cold, but we got to stay home and enjoy the warmth of our new furnace! The roads are actually a bit more tricky now, so we are being extra careful. We really had a good snow day, just enjoyed each other.
• My parents. Dad FINALLY was able to go home from the hospital on Feb. 1. He has gained so much strength and is now as healthy as he can be...praise God! I'm sure having him home again after 7 months in the hospital is quite an adjustment for mom...but a good one I'm sure!
• My husband. He works so hard to further God's kingdom, and He loves us so much. I am so thankful that he is the head of our home...he's a wonderful husband, father, provider, and friend.
• I'm thankful for the possibility of teaching next year...(see other posts for more info)
• I'm thankful that our children are growing and learning the faith. Such a joy to see their love for Jesus, and their understanding of their own personal need for forgiveness...and thankfulness that Jesus did what He did, for them!
• I'm thankful for my friends. My friend Jacque is going through a very hard time. Her dad had multiple heart attacks and open heart surgeries last week, and is doing very poorly. They do not know if he will pull through, or pass away. I feel so terrible for her, and there is nothing I can do for her except pray and offer to be here for her family while she is away at her father's side. I pray for comfort and peace for the entire family.

I am thankful for so many things, but one of those 'things' is getting out of school soon and I need to get going so I can pick her up! :o)

Blessings-Andie

The future...an update, sort of.

Well, I have officially turned in my application to be a preschool director and teacher next school year. I have asked questions, voiced concernes, and asked people's opinions. I have prayed nonstop. I still don't feel like I have a complete 100% answer, but I am moving forward. I will keep moving in this direction until I feel that God is closing the door...if He choses.
The preschool board is running an ad in our paper to see if anyone else is qualified and interested in the position, so they have not offered me anything as of yet. I will know something in the next two weeks. If someone else is more qualified, and will fill the position better, then by all means...hire them! That will be my answer.
Continued prayers are, of course, always appreciated!!! :-)

From dust you came, and to dust you shall return.

The children are now in bed, already sleeping. We had a church service tonight. It is the beginning of Lent, Ash Wednsday. During every service, we confess our sins, and the pastor (my husband) announces that we are forgiven because of what Jesus did for us...dying on the cross. During Lent we focus on His sacrifice and what it means to us. During the Ash Wednesday service, we have a cross "imposed" on our forheads in ashes (last Palm Sunday's palms...burned). When the pastor imposes the cross on your forhead, he says "From dust you came, and to dust you shall return." I am a sinner. I am going to die. Hopefully not for a very long time, I want to see my children grow into responsible, caring, compassionate Christian man and women. However, the fact is...I'm going to die. I can handle that. It's a fact of life. But EVERY year, when the ashes are put on my children, I choke. I tear. I die inside. Yes, they are sinners...I KNOW that. They are going to die. But, PLEASE GOD, not while I'm around to see it. The very thought of my children dying terrifies me. They are sinners, they deserve no more than Hell...neither do I. But God, in His infinate love and grace, chose to come to earth as a human being, to live that perfect life that we are incapable of living. He chose to die that horrible death so that I don't have to die forever. His dying on that horrible cross gave me life...eternal life in heaven. But the best part is that He wasn't finished. On that first Easter Sunday He rose...He came back to life to give me hope! Hope that He really did conquor death and the devil so that I don't have to endure eternal hell. He did this for me. He did this for my husband. He did this for Abbigail. He did it for Andrew. He did it for Bethany. He did it for YOU! He did it for every person that ever was or will be. He loved each and every one of us enough that if everyone was perfect, except me, He would have chosen that cross in order to save ME!

During church, the kids were drawing on their little notepads. Abbie was drawing a heart with blood dripping out of it, which I was disturbed about at first. Then she added a cross around it. She wrote the words "NO! NO! NO!" and then "YES! YES! YES!" I thought this was so profound. The very thought of my dear Saviour suffering and dying at the hands of the soldiers. The pain of the beatings, the nails, the thorns...the very thought makes me want to scream "NO!" But if He hadn't endured it, what would happen to me? What would happen to my husband? My children? My friends? We would go to hell...forever. But because He chose this death, we have eternal life...YES! YES! YES! She understands. After church she was crying. She kept saying she was sorry. She felt that she was a horrible person and that she wished Jesus didn't have to die. I totally understand her feelings. I wish He didn't have to do it either, but He chose to do it because He loves her. He loves me. He loves you.

You can learn a lot from a 7 year old.

How do you like the pink??

Thought I'd do a little decorating for St. Valentine's day! What do you think??? :-)

SNOW DAY!!!!

Yes my friends...it's a SNOW DAY!!! Another blizzard type day in western Kansas. Even if we only get an inch or two, the wind is blowing the white stuff around so much that it is white out conditions out there. However, today we are supposed to get 8 inches by evening. SNOW DAY!! SNOW DAY!! I remember what excitement I felt when I was a child when my Mom would announce that school was canceled. When my brother an I were older, watching the TV hoping beyond hope that our school would be canceled! I remember doing the "SNOW DANCE" with the other teachers, hoping for a snow day the next day. Now, as a mom, I am still excited for a snow day. A day to lounge around in my jammies. A day to have lazy fun with my kiddos. An unexpected day off from other responsibilities. What a joy an unexpected day off is!

Menu Plan Monday

It is Monday again! Another week, another menu...what's on the plan for this week?

Monday: soft tacos
Tuesday: Shrove Tuesday...pancake supper at church (no cooking or cleaning up for me! The men serve this meal!!)
Wednesday: Tortilla bake
Thursday: Happy Chinese New Year! In honor of this holiday I'm going to try my hand at some Chinese food...Ham fried rice and chicken stir fry
Friday: Maybe I'll get that date night this week! If not, I'll make pizza pockets for the family.

The future....

Do you ever wish you had a crystal ball? Do you ever wish God would whisper the secrets of tomorrow in your ear? Oh come on...I KNOW you do! Everyone does. What does the future hold? How will this situation turn out? I've been doing a lot of thinking and praying about the future this week. I mentioned the desire to go back to teaching a few weeks ago in a post. Well...I might have that opportunity.
The local preschool has contacted me. Their director has decided that she would rather follow her heart and limit herself to teaching and not directing the preschool. The school would like to grow, and with the current director's qualifications, they aren't allowed to do this (state regulations, etc). The current director is a wonderful Christian lady, and awesome teacher! She knows that the program cannot grow with her in the lead, so she is stepping down and going to her first love, the children. The day that she announced to the board her decision, I received 2 phone calls from the board, and one from the current director. They wanted to know my background, education, experience, etc. The director and I have become friends over the two years my children have been in her class, and she wanted me to know she was recommending me to the board as her replacement.
Well...I have a meeting with the board tomorrow afternoon. They have not offered me a job, nor have I accepted. I have too many questions, but my mind is just swirling...even after knowing this information for 6 days.
Here are some of the things swirling in my brain...

1. I don't want to put Bethany in child care. My dad says it's no big deal...but this is one hurdle I keep coming back to. She will be in the 4 yo program, which will be 4 or 5 afternoons a week, so she would only need care in the morning. According to our state regulations, the director must be there all hours of operation...so I would have to be there mornings and afternoons (if they want me as director...maybe I'm jumping to conclusions here???) Is it fair to her to have her in child care when her brother and sister never had to do that?
   
2. Would I even get to teach? Would my time be filled with "director" duties? By the way, what are the director duties? Would I even have time to be able to teach one of the age groups??? Am I organized enough to keep everything strait that I would need?
   
3. The preschool is run by a church, a Christian church, but it is not our church. I am a certified Lutheran school teacher. That means that I took courses in college to certify me with our church body, I have a certain status with our church body. Since I have been a SAHM for the past (almost) 8 years, my status has been moved from active to inactive, but I am still on the roster. Would I have to give up my roster? If so, what would I need to do to get it back in the event we move somewhere with Lutheran schools? Would I be able to teach "Jesus time" to children in this preschool? I know you don't go deep into theology with 3 & 4 yo, but there is always a hint of theology no matter what Bible story you teach. Would I be allowed to teach what I believe?
   
4. Abbigail and Andrew are mainly concerned with who would take them and pick them up from school. I don't think this would be an issue (one of the current teachers has a daughter in elementary school, and I see her at drop off/pick up all the time).
5. There are the obvious questions about salary/benefits, but honestly they aren't very high on my list of concerns.

What a joy it would be to be back in the classroom again. I think if they were offering me just a teaching position that would simply be while Bethany was in another class...I would jump at it. Right now I cannot honestly say which way I will go if they offer me the directorship. I know my own fears and self-doubt are playing a large part in my hesitation.

I pray God gives me discernment to decide what is best for my family, the preschool, and me. I pray He calms my fears and gives me confidence. I pray He makes it clear which path I should take. I also pray that He will help to quiet my mind so I can get a decent night's rest...which I haven't been doing lately. I know it's already 12:35, and I'm still not in bed, so the good night's rest is already out of the question, but a decent one would be nice! ;o)

Well...I'm heading to bed for that rest now...I'll write another post tomorrow after the meeting, if I can form coherent sentences (I know, my sentences are rarely coherent, but I do my best!!! :o))