Shara Shares

My Thoughts on {Housework}

2009-05-06T15:34:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was reading a blog where the writer requested input on how to keep a house in the midst of a chaotic schedule. I've come to respect this blogger greatly over the months even though I don't actually "know" her other than through her blog. She too is in ministry and juggles a hectic schedule as well as the weight and responsibility of ministry. It is a tough task.

Anyway, back to the original request. I have thought a lot about her question. There are times when I have the same feelings.

When we first moved here and began the building of relationships that is necessary in church planting, I found myself busying every moment of every day with relational things. I struggled with keeping up with our home and all that entails. So, I decided to make some changes to make our home run more smoothly. Instead of having a cleaning day, I tackled small tasks each day. Monday was laundry and ironing; Tuesday was deep kitchen cleaning; Wednesday was deep bathroom cleaning; Thursday was floors and dusting. I decided to not task anything to Friday, Saturday and Sunday; mainly because I knew myself. I knew that I would not do house work on the weekends and would feel like a failure if it was on my own personal task sheet and never checked.

I kind of wish that I still lived by that task sheet. However, when I went back to work almost 2 years ago, I had to make some adjustments. These adjustments actually work well for our family and our stage of life now. Basically, I do everything "chore" related on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. Our kids are also at an age where they are tasked with more responsibility; read as, they can clean the bathrooms. I love the fact that our kids can help more the older they get.

When we married and had my own home to keep, I began a practice that has served me and my OCD habits well. These are almost non-negotiables for me. While cooking and baking, I clean as I go; that makes cleaning up after dinner much faster. We clean the kitchen and dishes after every meal. I also pick up the house every night before bed, and have the kids pick up their bedrooms. Those three things keep me happy because I really hate waking up or coming home to a mess.

In all of the housework pondering during the last couple of days, I also have made another observation. When Paul and I married, it was a joy to cook for him every night. I loved having the ability to show my love for him in the meals we shared each night. I've since found out that he barely tolerated my cooking of our newlywed days. Bless his heart - he was so long-suffering. We then began adding to our family which allowed for me to practice my cooking skills on more people....with not so hidden opinions. All the while, I still enjoyed providing nice meals for our brood. However, now that my "job" involves cooking all day, the last thing I want to do is cook when I get home. Thankfully, most days my boss loads us up with catered fare. I've also noticed that when one person of our family is gone during meal time cooking becomes a chore to me again. I'm weird that way. Our kids get very tired of peanut butter & jelly and soup when Daddy is out of town or has a late night at the church. Bless their hearts! I wonder what will happen once our nest is empty? Poor Paul.....

Embarrassing Confessions

2009-05-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

Throughout my life I have had a couple or hundred embarrassing moments. Like the time in first grade when my friends and I found a large hole to jump over on the playground over and over and over again. I was the one that fell in that "hole" which could also be called the sewer. That was a pretty stinky day....literally. Especially since my Mom couldn't bring a change of clothes right away. For some reason nobody wanted to sit next to me for the rest of the day.

Then, there was the time in third grade when those same friends and I played kickball during recess. I do see a reoccurring theme with the playground mishaps. I was third baseman. Apparently, I was so into the game that I failed to notice that third base was the red ant pile.

For those reading not aware of what red ants are or their habitat, please allow me to tell you. Red ants are very large. Red ants have big stingers. Red ants build large hills and live in large colonies.

When I got back to my class after recess, we were doing math. As if on cue, approximately one hundred red ants bit me at once. I literally jumped up from my seat screaming; ran down the hall crying and disrobing at the same time to the school nurse. Thankfully, my Mom was able to come to school right away and pick me, and my horribly bitten self, up to go home. It took several years to laugh about the red ant incident and the fact that I literally had ants in my pants.

You know, if I wanted to, I could chronologically detail embarrassing moments through the years but who would want to read about that? Why not just jump ahead twenty plus years to yesterday.

I was out shopping for my Momma's Mother's Day gift. While I was inside shopping the weather proceeded to get worse and the wind and rain picked up. In battling the elements and trying to avoid the massive water puddles, I was distracted as I walked back to my van. I headed to the aisle where I parked and spotted a lovely champagne colored minivan. I drive a champagne colored minivan. There was a big, navy truck parked beside the van and it was straddling the parking line making it very difficult to open the door and get in. I did manage to get the door open and make my way inside to the driver's seat....of the wrong van! The worst or the funniest part; depending how you look at it, was the man sitting in the passenger seat. A very surprised passenger greeted me with a, "Heelllooo?"

I could not get out of his van and to mine fast enough! In an attempt to defend myself; it was the same make, model and color as my van that was parked 2 spots down. Unlike the red ant incident, I was able to laugh hysterically immediately. Funny...and embarrassing.

Time Flies

2009-02-19T16:34:00.000-08:00

I have to acknowledge the huge elephant on the blog before moving on to anything else. I haven't posted anything since November. That is CRAZY! It's not that there's not a lack of happenings to post about for sure. I have definitely missed journaling my thoughts online and hopefully can get back in the swing of things.

We did have a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and Christmas trip to see our families in OK and TX. We almost didn't make it to OK in time for Christmas after an insane run through the Denver airport.

Portland had the most beautiful snow in the weeks preceding Christmas. Beautiful snow in Portland also translates to a city that rarely sees that much snow and ice therefore the equipment needed to plow 16 inches of it is non-existent. The streets, parking lots and sidewalks were a mess, but it was so much fun and will be a forever memory for our family. Hopefully we'll still be remembering the fun when we're in school an extra week in June to make up for the week of cancellations in December!

Because of the mess of the streets with the snow Paul and I decided that we should stay at a hotel near the airport the night before our 6 AM flight. When I booked our tickets, the excitement of the trip apparently superseded any sense of logical thought because our layover time in Denver was 25 minutes. Twenty-five minutes for a layover anywhere is cutting it close at any airport when things are going "as planned". Twenty-five minutes in the Denver airport, on Christmas morning, after leaving a snow storm in Portland was mere stupidity on my part.

When we boarded the plane that took us from PDX to DIA they had our family seated separately throughout the plane. Paul was in front, I was in the middle, and the kids were separated by a row and an aisle in the back. I was slightly frustrated with that seating arrangement until we landed in DIA late and Paul was able to exit the plane quickly and make the trek 14 gates down the concourse to our connecting flight. One wouldn't think 14 gates to be very far, until the food court and restroom/snack areas are accounted for.

Paul raced off of the plane when we landed late due to taking off late from PDX for de-icing. He ran to the next gate only to see them closing the doors to the jet way. He begged and pleaded for them to open the doors for his family so that we could make it home for the Christmas festivities. Mind you, the kids and I are still on the first plane at this point because we were seated on the very last rows of the plane. They greatly hesitated but finally relented only if we got there in the next 2 minutes. The kids and I were off of the plane and running at this point. I was struggling with the run because I packed many books in my carry-on that I carry on my shoulder. Sidenote: I have to get myself a roller carry-on. Jared was having an asthma attack and Kylea was suffering from motion sickness.

We did finally make it to the connecting gate and they did let us on the plane. The ticket lady was not very happy with us....but the older gentleman that also made the flight was very grateful...we adopted him as another "Grandpa". The flight crew was very hospitable and let us take the seats at the front of the plane, where there is a lot more legroom than the very last row next to the bathroom!

We had a great time with our families. It's always a joy to see our parents and an even greater joy to see our kids with our parents...or our parents with our kids. Kylea and Jared got to spend time with their cousins; one of which they met for the very first time.

Fun Memories!

Christmas Wish Received

2008-11-24T12:08:00.000-08:00

On Friday I purchased 4 airline tickets to go see our families for Christmas. Those 4 little pieces of paper cost a lot of money - but I'm sure will be worth every penny! Each of our parents bought a plane ticket, Paul's aunt generously gave towards another ticket and we paid the rest. What a blessing! I changed the words and came up with a song for the occasion!

We'll be home for Christmas.

You can count of us.

Please have snow and mistletoe.

{We don't want} presents under the tree.

Christmas Eve will find us

at the 3 Westport Christmas Eve Services.

We'll be home for Christmas

Thanks to the monetary gifts of family.

I Changed My Mind Today

2008-11-09T17:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I posted my Christmas wish list. Today I decided that although a laptop would be my first choice of a material item I would much prefer four of these.....

One for each member of my family; departing on Christmas Day to Oklahoma City, OK and returning home to PDX on January 3.

Our family is going through some serious extended family withdrawal. The strange thing is, all four of us are in this emotionall state at the same time. I've lived away from "home" since I left for college and have experienced extreme home sickness through the years. Thankfully, I'm not home sick, per se, but I am family sick. I miss our parents, sisters, brother, brothers-in-law, nephews, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. My heart aches to see them all again soon and there's a very large lump in my throat that could give way to profuse crying if allowed.

This is the stinky part of moving 3000 miles away from family to start a church. I love our church and what God has called us to, but it's hard sometimes to be so far away. The wonderful blessing through church planting is the peace that has come from my heart settling in Portland and the ability to call Portland home. We have lived in five states in our marriage, which translates to 11 homes (oh my!) and the previous 4 states were not "home". Sure, we set up house at each place and settled in, but our hearts were never settled. Our hearts are settled here, praise God! Nonetheless, I still miss my family and REALLY want to go see them this Christmas.

Christmas Wish List

2008-11-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

My busy schedule, desire to be with my family and having to share my computer with my children has me eyeing this:

I have wanted a laptop for a very long time. In fact, there have been a couple of times that I thought I had finally landed a used one...only to be disappointed with someones obsolete reject that didn't work. So my only want for Christmas/Birthday/Mother's Day for the next 10 years is a laptop....my fingers are crossed.

If anyone is interested, I have a list of reasons for why this will be helpful for our family, you know, just to help make my case:

The kids are getting to an age where they need the family computer for homework.
I could be one of those really cool Panera Bread people that study/write/communicate while enjoying a delectable treat.
Paul and I could sit in the same room and work while watching football games. I have a vision of dueling computers; it's kind of like dueling banjos...only more productive!

Perhaps if you leave a comment confirming a mother's need for her own laptop, I could pass that on to my hubby!! Thanks!

Peace

2008-11-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

This week, during one of my Bible Studies we were asked to sum up in one word what God was doing in our lives. The first word to come to mind was peace.

For some months now, I have been in a very low valley. That valley affected my view of everything in life; relationally, spiritually, emotionally, physically...I think you get the idea. In those months I have mourned and yearned for my relationship with the Lord to be revived. I could be described as spiritually paralyzed. I can identify with David as he was in Psalm 42.

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God.

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When can I go and meet with God?

3 My tears have been my food day and night,

while men say to me all day long,

"Where is your God?"

4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul:

how I used to go with the multitude,

leading the procession to the house of God,

with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and 6 my God.

My soul is downcast within me;

therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan,

the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

8 By day the LORD directs his love,

at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.

9 I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?"

10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me,

saying to me all day long,

"Where is your God?"

11 Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

A couple of weeks ago I was driving down the road and recognized my thoughts, feelings, behaviors and emotions. I even asked myself, "Why are you so discouraged?" God began to bring to mind many things to praise and thank Him for. I began to count the many blessings and began praising the Lord as I recognized His hand in my life. Basically what happened was taking my thoughts away from me and directing my heart back to Him. It seems so very simple and an action that I know in my head. As a pastor's wife, I could even give someone that simple, pat answer if needed when they come to me. But to know something in my head and to practice it with my heart are very different.

Peace.

God gives me peace.

A peace the surpasses all understanding.

A peace that withstands a failed economy, a breached security and the change of a new President.

A peace that is steadfast when my children encounter turmoil at school.

That peace requires dependance, that dependance requires humility.

Daily. Hourly. Moment by moment.

11 Things.....

2008-11-06T17:53:00.001-08:00

About my Baby Girl:

She has a contagious laugh.
A joyful heart.
She is a gifted writer.
Loves to shop.
She enjoys family time, playing games and watching movies.
A great friend.
She is a leader.
Loves Jesus.
She can bake!
3 Words (or syllables)...O-R-G-A-N-I-Z-E-D.
Turned 11 years old a couple of weeks ago.

I love my baby girl and enjoy being her Mommy. She brings such joy to our lives and home with her witty ways and sweet, precious spirit. A couple of weeks ago we were able to enjoy a Sabbath together. After a huge, delicious breakfast, we spent the morning reading the Word and praying together. Our prayer time focused on praising the Lord rather than requesting the Lord like we tend to easily do. Baby Girl's heart was revealed as she praised God for His Son and His gift of salvation. There is no greater joy for a parent than to know that her children are walking with the Lord.

Thank you Father for these precious gifts.

The Ickiness of Life

2008-10-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

Today is a hard day emotionally speaking.

Both of my kids are experiencing some icky relational things at school. Those things hurt my heart and are gripping my emotions. Mama Bear has emerged from hibernation and I feel a sense of protection for my kids like never before. Don't get me wrong, I have always felt a protection for them but never at this level.

To add to their troubles, I just got off the phone with my mother. The beloved family puppy is very sick and will be put down today. I cry as I type. My sister got her puppy, Ruffles, in July of 1994, the summer before I left for college. That was a long time ago; many, many, many moons ago. Ruffles is Jenna's dog, technically speaking, but she remained with my parents after Jenna moved out and has lived as "our" dog all of these years. If you look up "our" in the dictionary, I'm sure that you will see a picture of my parents, my sister and her family, me and my family, my grandparents, and one of my aunts with her family. She is a precious dog and will very much be missed.

Fond memories.

When we brought her home all those years ago she was so tiny. She would steal and play with my hairbrush which was bigger than her. Some of that could be the fact that it was the early 90's and I proudly teased my hair to great heights and so I needed a large brush to do so...or that she was just that tiny! She could fit into the palm of one's hand. She would also go into my bedroom where I situated all of my treasured stuffed animals, nestle into their warmth and sleep for hours. She was so tiny and the perfect shade of red that we would "lose" her in the stuffed animals; she just blended in so perfectly.

So, I'm sad; very, very sad. As silly as it is, I'm also praying for my parents. They are experiencing a great loss and an emptier house tonight.

Ick.

God of This City

2008-09-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

This song is rocking my world. I can't help but think of it today for so many reasons.

You're the God of this city

You're the King of these people

You're the Lord of this nation

You Are

You're the Lord of Creation

The Creator of all things

You're the King above all Kings

You Are

You're the strength in our weakness

You're the love to the broken

You're the joy in the sadness

You Are

Greater things have yet to come

Greater things are still to be done

In this city

Where glory shines from hearts alive

With praise for you and love for you

In this city

Greater things have yet to come

Greater things are still to be done

In this city

Greater things are still to come

And greater things are still to be done here

I first heard the song this summer on a weekend where our church was serving the community we live in. It was impacting; the song and the weekend.

Here we are today, a scary day in the US economy. I stood at the ironing board tonight listening and watching the analysis on CNBC. As a woman that craves security, humanly speaking, I could get really scared from today's events. However, my heart began singing the words to this song. Then, I started rehearsing and meditating on verses that God brought to mind.

He is not only God in this city; He is God of this state, of this nation, of this world. He is in control, even when everything, everywhere looks to be crumbling. In that very fact, I find peace.

Thank you God for Your peace that surpasses all understanding....

Politics :: Oregon Style

2008-09-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

The other day I was driving home from work and saw a most peculiar site. I noticed it right away as it is a site that I don't see much in these here parts. Please read the previous sentence with your best hick accent.

Anyway, the truck in front of me was plastered with bumper stickers. They weren't just any bumper stickers though. The owner and driver of said truck wanted everyone to know where he stood politically...a Conservative Republican. Seriously, in Hillsboro, Oregon! At the risk of giving away my political affiliation, I felt an instant connection to the driver.

Then, as we were sitting at a red light another truck pulled up beside the first truck. He too had similar bumper stickers plastered all over his vehicle.

At that point I observed one of the funniest things I've seen lately. The two drivers looked at one another, rolled down their windows, gave a thumbs-up and fist-bumped in the air!

I was so sad when the second driver turned at the next intersection. We had a political bond. However, I got to follow the other driver for several miles until my turn. I was so tempted to continue following my bumper sticker buddy, but reality called and the kids were getting out of school.

Can I just say that it is quite possible that I will be insane before November 4? And I know what you are thinking; I am not there yet!

Multiple Post Day

2008-09-29T22:08:00.000-07:00

OK, guilty, I am a blogging nerd. For some reason today I am very reflective and have several posts swimming in my brain.

Some posts are funny and some are quite serious which is causing me to really think about their posting value.

Teaching Moments

2008-09-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

I have an ongoing, unpublished list of age-appropriate things that I want to teach my children. Some things are fun, some are practical, some are practically fun. I tend to focus on a few new items every summer.

Folding clothes.

Washing Dishes.

Loading Dishwasher.

Dusting.

Cleaning bathrooms.

Making No Bake Cookies.

IRONING.

Cooking.

Handling a knife in the kitchen.

Sweeping, vacuuming and mopping.

Changing a lightbulb.

My goal is to teach my children to do the things that I don't like so that they can perform the tasks while I sit on the couch eating bon-bons. OK, not really. I really just want them to know how so that they will function when they leave our nest. Hopefully.

It's known fact that I cannot bake, but really enjoy being in the kitchen. Kylea also loves to be in the kitchen, so we decided that we would learn how to bake a pie this summer, crust and all. Kylea is my super organized list maker. She read through my cookbooks and made a full-page list of pies for us to choose from. The house was split between apple pie and peach pie....so we combined them. It was really good and easy and we had a bonding moment in the kitchen!

i.love.football.

2008-09-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

I recently had a conversation with someone and asked if they enjoyed football. The response, "Isn't that what the weekend is for in the Fall!"

Oh yeah. My thoughts exactly.

This weekend Paul jokingly told me that he loved me because we can carry on an intellectual football discussion, sit on the couch for hours together watching football and I never once nag him or change the channel...unless I'm changing to another game!

I think that my love for football began in the womb because of THE Oklahoma Sooners. Love them. Always have. Always will.

When one is born and reared in football country she can't help but LOVE the game! For those reading that are unfamiliar with the term football country; it is defined as any state that boasts Big 12 or SEC teams. Other states and their fans claim a love for the sport but it is scientific fact that it does not run in their blood. Proven.

I have struggled with living in Oregon for the very fact that those I rub elbows with on a daily basis do not share in my love of the game. I absolutely have to keep my feelings in check when leaving my house.

So please imagine with me my excitement on Saturday. I was so looking forward to a 7 PM viewing of my Sooners demolishing the TCU Horned Frogs. (Huh, what kind of mascot is that?) We planned our day around it. The Oregonian confirmed the previous day that we would get to watch the game on our local FSN broadcast. Our Comcast TV viewer confirmed a live showing of the game at 7 PM on the FSN station.

Now, on a side note, I did think it funny that a LIVE viewing of a game played in Oklahoma would begin at 7 PM on the west coast. That would make the real kick-off time 9 PM in Oklahoma and I knew that wasn't true. So we were grateful to see a delayed LIVE game and made a valiant effort to not read the ticker at the bottom of ESPN showing updated scores.

Like I said, we planned our day around it. We donned our OU gear. We painted our faces. I went to the store to buy "football food" and prepared our unhealthy, yummy and delicious feast just in time for kickoff. The clock struck 7 PM. We called the kids in to watch (afterall we are making them love the sport as well!). We prayed....for our food, come on now! We turned to channel 34. We watched the University of Washington vs. Stanford game.

I could tell you that we took it like the good sports that we are. But that would be a lie. Paul and I sat on the couch sulking like adolescents.

I have yet to see a Sooner game this season, but am so determined to. You know what, I'm also going to leave my house untamed in my Sooner pride. Watch out Oregon!

I'm not really blonde....

2008-09-18T15:43:00.000-07:00

One of the many hats I wear in life is that of a prep cook at a catering kitchen. I really enjoy my paying job...but there are times that I make a mess of things. Today is a terrific example of a mess.

As soon as I arrived to the kitchen I was asked to bake a triple batch of Almond Cookies. OK, should be easy, find the recipe, triple the batch, bake, cool, plate. Yeah right!

I tripled the recipe. I scooped and placed the neat, round balls on cookie sheets. I pressed my thumb into each ball. I designed a pretty circle on each cookie with red food coloring. I put each cookie sheet into the large industrial oven. At the end of 15 minutes, I pulled out the flattest, hardest, nastiest tasting cookies known to man.

Humiliated and embarassed, I looked at the recipe trying to figure out what I did wrong. I checked and rechecked my math abilities and mutliples of 3.

Obviously, a professional catering company cannot send out those odd, nasty, flat, ugly things that are supposed to resemble cookies. I was tasked to make another batch....three times. About half way through the first batch of the second try, it occurred to me that I tripled everything BUT the flour!

I did get my hair cut and colored yesterday, apparently the blonde made its way to my brain!?

Oh dear!

Observations of a Small Town

2008-09-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

Last week I was blessed with the ability to go to Woodward, Oklahoma to see my sister, brother-in-law and precious baby nephew. The blessing was in being with my family, the out of the box experience was in small town living for a week. It is not my desire or intent to hurt feelings; but I promised that I would write about my observations:

It's a Cheers like atmosphere where everywhere you go, everyone knows your name. I stood in line at Subway where the man in front of me was asked, "Hey Joe, how ya doin', would you like your usual today?" She then proceeded to know "Joe's" favorite fixin's. Perhaps I'm just weird, but I have a hard time keeping up with my families favorites, let alone Joe's, the local construction worker.
Gift cards are just hitting the streets of small towns. There is a really funny story associated with this observation and I'm afraid that the hilarity will not come through in writing; but I'll try:

My mother and I went to a local eatery to buy a gift card. My mom purposely asked for a Gift Certificate, in her attempt to speak a familiar language to the waitress. She excitedly announced that they no longer have gift certificates but have these new things called gift cards. "Have you ever used one of these, ma'am?", she asked with a big friendly smile. My mother in her surprise thinks that the girl is asking about this particular restaurants gift cards and perhaps they are different than those that are sold in the big city and answers a polite, "No, we haven't." To which the waitress goes on to explain in her cute, thick, accent, "These are kind of like credit cards, but instead of putting money on them, when they are used, we take the money off of them until the balance is zero."

I did my very best not to laugh until we left the restaurant...but it was a long way to the door.

Not every home has computer(s) or internet access. I was in withdrawals and apparently need to seek professional help for this matter because as soon as we got to the big city, I raced my mother upstairs to check email and blogs.

When one needs to go somewhere, 9 blocks is considered, "all the way across town"! I honestly had to laugh out loud for that one. We actually got in the car to drive one block to get lunch...seriously! I have a longer drive to the end of the street we live on.

I did have a wonderful time during this visit. My sister is doing a great job with motherhood and all that entails, and my nephew is adorable. It was very surreal to be with my family...without my family. I haven't been to Oklahoma alone in almost 11 years. Kind of weird!

My Quest

2008-09-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

I'm on a quest to create a more structured life. I'm so tired of always feeling busy and yet not getting the sense that I'm accomplishing much. So, I've mapped out on paper what a "desired week" looks like.

The problem with writing down my desired week is the feeling of failure when it doesn't go "as planned"! So, here I sit on Monday morning. I didn't complete the tasks from yesterday; because I was tired from my travels last week and still acclamating to this time zone. I didn't wake up at 5 this morning as wished for the same reasons. But alas, I did get the kids out the door, lunches in hand, and at school on time. I have done most of the financial responsibilities for the week. I am working on our menu for the week so that I can go to the grocery store before picking the kids up from school.

The writing of the menu is what draws me to blogging world today. My new quest for structure also includes more structured, (which really reads "healthy") eating. I'm coming to the conclusion that I don't like healthy eating. At least not when it consists of the likes of blackberry chutney and coscous. For some reason this morning, all of the recipes that I find have those ingredients. I can't seem to find healthy fare that consists of cheese, tortillas, beef, sour cream and guacomole....perhaps I'm just in the mood for fajitas!?

OK, seriously, the recipes that I've found are not appetizing to me at all. Which causes me to wonder what I'm missing out on. Why does my stomach jump at the thought of comfort food; creamy soups, casseroles, meat & potatoes, and turn at the thought of collard greens, bok choy, tomato glazes and goat cheese? I'm sure those things are delicious in their own right, but I'm not ready to enjoy their culinary delight.

I am definitely open to recipe suggestions. I have settled on the fact that tonight our family will be enjoying a Pasta Carbonara dish. I'm making up the recipe as I go and will attempt to make it structured....er, healthy!

New Addition.....

2008-09-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

This week my little sister gave birth to her first child. He made his presence into this world at a whopping 9 lbs. 7 oz. Wowsers is all I have to say!

I get to travel to OK to see my sis and her new family this week! I can't wait to be a help to them and cuddle my new nephew. In the meantime, I have so much to do to get ready to leave. I've never left my own family to travel alone for more than a night or two. I'll be gone for a week this time! Oh goodness! I have a week of "home"work to do in one day. Laundry, ironing, paying bills, balancing checkbook, grocery shopping, cleaning house, ministry obligations and packing.

I think I'll stop blogging and start working now!

Date Night

2008-09-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

I love my husband. I could go on and on making a long list of reasons, but I'll keep the list and details to myself!

Through the years, my hubby has done some great things to show his love for me, our marriage and our friendship. Believe it or not, he is quite romantic! This week, he truly surprised me with a wonderful treat! He took the initiative, spent much time and planned date nights, childcare included, until the end of the year! Yehaw!

Last night was the first of many date nights in the months to come. We went downtown to enjoy a delectable steak....probably one of the best I've ever had. It was infused with a delectable garlic butter and came to the table sizzling on a hot plate. Delicious! We enjoyed wonderful conversation, without "Mommy" interruptions.

Thank you babe for the wonderful evening! I love you!

~Kids Say the Darndest Things~

2008-08-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

This week our family ventured out to enjoy a warm, summer evening on the patio of Jamba Juice. It was our attempt at being spontaneous. Ky had her tonsils removed last week and some friends brought her a Jamba Juice gift card and she was eager to use her gift card and share with us. This particular day Ky was in a lot of pain; probably the most pain since her surgery, therefore she was uncharacteristically cranky. So when she accidentally dropped her beloved drink on the ground which caused it to spill everywhere she let out a very loud, "Oh crap!" That is only funny because she never says such expressions....but I guess someone in our house is guilty of teaching her such a thing.

As we were driving home from Jamba Juice, J was in the backseat acting like an eight year old boy....go figure! Paul and I were getting slightly irritated with his obnoxious noises but were trying so hard not to squelch his fun. He was continuously making a noise that I can only describe as a soft scream or cry; and we knew nothing was wrong. Finally, we reached our patience maximum and asked him to stop making the noise. To which he replied with a funny sounding voice, while pointing at the car next to us at the stop light, "But I'm scared of strangers!" Leave it to J to keep us laughing!

Our children bring such joy to our lives....it is so fun being their Mommy!

Saddened

2008-08-04T14:51:00.000-07:00

I have a friend that is going through some really tough stuff in life currently. When we talked today she is at a really low point. It hurts my heart so much to know that the enemy has such a hold on her thoughts and emotions that she has lost sense of her worth and will to live. I wanted so badly to take her into my arms and pray with her. Actually, I'm pretty ticked that I didn't do that. I'm mad at myself for worrying more about time restraints and all the circumstances surrounding our encounter this morning rather than her and her needs. She does know Truth and for that I'm thankful; she is just incredibly blinded by Satan's attack and lies.

There is a song that has ministered to me lately and totally reminds me of my friend and her circumstances. Kylea wanted me to hear her new Mandisa CD last week and once while I was in the car alone this song came on. If I'm breaking laws by posting the words, it is out of ignorance for sure, but the words are very powerful. The song is titled He Will Come.

If what you thought was the truth is a lie

And what you fought to keep on breathing has died

You face the lonely nights and wrestle with the dark

And you reach to find the love to fill the space inside your heart

It's hard to put it into words the way you feel

It's an ache and emptiness that lingers still

Are you a victim of the past without a trace of hope in sight?

And it all goes by so fast without a way to make it right

If you worry, don't worry

God will come and wrap His arms around you

It wouldn't be too much For Him to love you as He found you

And it may seem like you're too far gone

But He loves you like His only Son And He will come

He will come

From the bounty of a river there's a flow

And from the beauty of the Father's heart's a home

That never leaves you empty no, and never leaves you bare

So come and bring your guilt and shame

Come and leave it there

If you're willing,

He is willing

Oh, you don't have to be worthy

You don't have to be anything but willing to fall into His arms

Willing to fall into His arms

So Much To Say ~ So Little Time To Say It

2008-08-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

Oh my stinkin' goodness! What a whirilwind of events from the last couple of weeks. I have been overwhelmed with tasks and calendars and meetings and events and birthdays and mommyhood and ministry and entertaining and and and....you get the point. That is not a complaint because it has been a fantastic ride in a fast-paced, crazy kind of way.

A quick recap:

June 8 - 27 :: Our family took a very long vacation back to our roots in Oklahoma and Texas to see our families and to spend some quality down-time just the four of us in San Antonio. We also ate our weight in delicious Tex-Mex and BBQ....YUMMY! Below is a picture of us after a full-day at Sea World in the HOT, Texas sun! Good times!

July 6 - 8 :: Westport Camping Trip with several families from church. That was a great, semi-relaxing, fun time. The greatest memory from that trip was playing cards with 6 year old Jon and him telling me in his sweet, precious tone, "Miss Shara, I'm gonna beat you so bad you're going to cry home to your little Momma!" Normally one would allow a 6 year old to win, but with that comment, I had to send him packing to his little Momma! Who's competitive?

July 15 - 17 :: Westport Pastor's Retreat :: God has blessed Westport with an amazing staff; and we've added two new staff members with their families in recent months. We had a wonderful time in beautiful Sun River, OR together (without kids!) for a retreat. We spent our time getting to know one another better through stories and personality tests. We also went on an awesome canoe trip, played some games, laughed and of course ATE!

July 22 :: My sweet J turned 8 years old. Someone please tell me how that happened and how I'm old enough to have an almost 11 year old and 8 year old? Oh dear me. We celebrated his birthday with friends at a Laser Tag party. That was fun and required very little planning which was a blessing during this busy summer.

August 2 - 3, 16, 22-23 :: City Sync! :: One of the values at Westport is Community Service. Our desire as a church is to serve our community with no strings attached. That service is played out during the annual Celebrate Hillsboro event that is sponsored by our city and the Chamber of Commerce; Hillsboro Community Care Day; and this year, the Luis Palau Portland City Fest.

This past weekend was Celebrate Hillsboro and the Mainstreet Madness Basketball Tournament. This was the second year that we teamed up to serve during this event and it is so much fun. As a church plant we have many supporting churches that like to send mission teams annually and this is the event that we invite the mission teams to join us with. This year we had 6 churches represented by 58 mission team members come from Texas and California. Those 58 people along with 120+ from Westport converged on downtown Hillsboro by handing out water bottles, setting up the basketball courts, keeping score and times for the games, raffles, Sk8 demos (the LakePointe Sk8 team is awesome!), children's games, XBus and so much more. I pray that because of our service for the Lord, hearts are being softened and lives changed. This year was very strange for me in the sense that I didn't spend much time downtown because my duties were to feed the mission team members. Since serving and preparing food is my life, it is my joy to serve in that capacity, but on the same token makes me sad to miss out on the happenings downtown. It is a FUN and ENCOURAGING week and I love connecting with the mission teams.

August 6 :: K gets her tonsils out!! My precious angel has been plagued with strep throat many times and in the recent months she's had it 8 times. Her doc finally recommended surgery. She is so excited and I am too. Her recovery is going to force us to be at home and REST; a much needed and anticipated luxury.

In the meantime :: When not preparing for a trip, on that trip, preparing for City Sync meals, etc, I have been working. I really enjoy my work; it brings satisfaction, fulfillment and causes me to be more organized and disciplined. What I don't like is working in the summer while the kids are out of school. With all that is going on I feel pulled in so many different directions. I cried on Friday because I feel like I'm doing 10 things and not doing any of them well. Satan's attack point on me is guilt and shame; and he knows so well how to push those buttons.

I really wish that I were artistic and could draw the picture that has been swimming in my head as of late. It's a cartoon version of me, sitting at a trunk filled with various hats that are labeled with all of the "jobs" that I encounter any given day. I'm putting on one hat, taking it off, throwing it to the side only to don another hat. Now that I'm in pity party mode, I will step away to say I realize that everyone in this world wears many hats. But, this is my post, on my blog! Seriously, I do think that some sit at a trunk of hats that is barely full and some have a trunk that is overflowing. My trunk is not overflowing by any means because I know people that carry way more responsibility than myself (I'm married to one of those people!) and what I'm realizing is that God does not give us more than we can handle. But He does use circumstances to grow us in what we can handle. Kylea often tells me of how she doesn't want to grow up because she doesn't like the responsibility that growing up requires. I think back to my days of childhood when my responsibility was nothing more than keeping my room clean. Then as I got older I had to add on the component of washing dishes once a week. Then, cooking dinner once a week. Then doing my laundry and ironing. My parents were wise, whether they knew it or not, to add components as I could handle them. With each passing year, a little more responsibility. I feel as if God is using this time to grow my abilities of handling a little more. I'm learning more to fully relying on His strength, abilities, guidance and wisdom with each endeavor because it is more than me.

An Old Entry - Part 3

2008-07-25T09:33:00.001-07:00

NEW BEGINNINGS (Originally posted January 2008)

It seems so strange to post again after the length of time that I’ve let pass. Since my blog was created more than 2 years ago so many things have happened in my life. It angers me that I did not stay consistent to journaling daily on this blog, of all events, thoughts and feelings…they were many. Life has been a roller coaster; times of absolute exhiliration and moments of utter despair and heartache.

I do sense in my life changes on many fronts…a new beginning…for the new year.

Last Spring, I went on a retreat to the mountains of North Carolina with other church planting wives. Prior to my trip I asked God to allow me to experience Him as so much had been happening in life and I had lost my passion for Him and His Word. Be careful what you ask for unless you really mean it!

When my plane landed I was greeted with the unsettling news that the airline had “misplaced” my luggage. That was at midnight in a town that I had never been to and I was alone. What a helpless, lonely feeling! After little rest, but a new perspective, I realized the next morning that I would experience God because I did not have any material things to distract me. That was further evident when I got to the conference center and there was no cell phone coverage. Which left me with little hope of communicating with the airport of said luggage or my sweet husband that took on the task of finding the stinkin’ luggage.

So, without material distractions, I did have a sweet time with the Lord and I did experience Him once again that week. The retreat had times where we gathered as a group and times where we were alone. The group times were wonderful and refreshing and the alone time was life altering and prepared my heart for what was ahead in my life for the next week and the months that have followed. I walked away with a new perspective of prayer and praying the Word of God and a renewed passion for Knowing God.

An Old Entry - Part 2

2008-07-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

This is another post from July 2005.....Memories!

BLESSINGS

Remember the hymn, “Count Your Blessings”. God has been so gracious to us that if we don’t stop at the moment of a blessing, sometimes we tend to forget it. That hymn’s chorus is…”Count your blessings name them one by one, count your blessings see what God has done….”

In Paul’s and my ten year marriage God has been so good to us. As I’m sure it is with most families and especially young married couples, finances have been a burden at times. We have had many instances where we did not have the money in the bank for a bill, but everytime God provided the money in a miraculous way. So many times we’ve opened the mailbox to find an unexpected check at the right time. My mom always encourages me to write it down so that I can write a book at some point…I’m a terrible communicator, so that will probably never happen!

The other day as I was organizing our home office, I found a file that has documentation of those God-timed financial blessings. The five years that Paul was in seminary were the hardest in our marriage from many aspects. We moved to Dallas when Jared was 2 weeks old, and during the first year we could not get health insurance for the kids. We tried many companies and were turned down by all of them. For those of you who know of Jared’s first years of life….they were difficult. He is an asthmatic and it was especially bad in heavily, polluted Dallas. We were at a doctor’s office about once a week and in the ER a couple of times in that year. The doctor had pity on us and charged us very little. But one day I received an unexpected bill from the hospital for an awful amount of money. I was in tears because there was not a way to pay this bill. Finally, I’ve come to the part of God’s blessing…a couple of weeks after that I received a letter from the hospital that my bill had been paid in full!

WOW, we did not deserve that, we had not paid anything to that point. That reminds me of the payment Jesus Christ paid for me. Totally not deserved…the torture He bore for me. How humbling.

I’ve taken mental note of some blessings since our arrival in Portland….

Angel - 6 -year-old friend across the street that my kids have played with almost daily since we moved in.
Judy - I met her in the grocery store the day we unpacked our truck. She just moved here from Arizona, is a believer, and is looking for a friend and a church.
Neighborhood - I love this place!! We’ve met almost all of our neighbors and they are all very friendly and the neighborhood is safe.
New acquaintances - We have met so many people and have had the opportunity to open our home already. We begin our first meetings July 21.

Those are just a few of many. I pray that God continues to move in this place, with these people and that I will not become desensitized to what He is doing.

**It's funny to look back at posts from 3 years ago. The blessings are abundant and makes me want to revise and add on to this post. I'll wait for another time!

An Old Entry - Part 1

2008-07-25T09:18:00.000-07:00

I referred in a previous post that I've had a blog for several years now. The first blog was very user-unfriendly so I made the great switch to Blogger. For my own sake, I am going to post on this blog the posts from the old blog.

This one is from July 2005 - my first entry - during our first month in Hillsboro.

HELLO HILLSBORO

WOW, what a whirlwind adventure we have been on! It all began 10 years ago with a journal entry in college…where will you be in 10 years? I found the journal a year ago, and my answer to that question…starting a church in the Pacific Northwest. Seven years past and we began narrowing that answer to a specific area of the Pacific Northwest and we landed on Portland, Oregon.

In the 3 years since, we have been able to narrow our target area to the very technological suburb of Hillsboro. This is right up Paul’s alley of expertise with Intel, Hewlett-Packard and Epson being within miles of our home. Since I’m not gifted in the technology department I was glad to see the demographics that show a very high percentage of stay-at-home moms in our area.

It was hard to say good-bye to our friends, family and life in the Midwest, but we have fallen in love with the place God has planted our family. It is so beautiful here, the people are wonderful and friendly, and there’s good eating and shopping!! As I write all of that I can not adequately describe the depth of the beauty of the land and the people. Yes, good-bye’s are so hard, but thankfully God has put a passion in my heart as well as Paul, Kylea and Jared for the place we are.

In our 2 weeks here we have been able to do a lot of sight-seeing. Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens are visible from various parts of the city. In our first weekend here we took the kids to the timberline of Mt. Hood. It was astounding, such beauty. Paul and I could not help but be in awe of the Creator’s beauty.

That same week we went to Seattle for “Boot Camp” training for church planting. The kids were able to go with us and we enjoyed seeing the sights of Seattle. That was the first encounter our kids had with the “ocean”, although we were quickly corrected that it was the sound (Puget Sound). When you are 7 and 4 it really is a matter of semantics. We also had many glimpses of Mt. Rainier and got to go to the top of the Space Needle.

Our third weekend we were able to go to the coast and spend Saturday at the real ocean in Seaside and Cannon Beach. On the way there stands the largest Sitka Spruce in North America. That tree is huge! We enjoyed the picture opportunity before hitting the beach. When we did get there the kids played with a large crab that had burrowed in the sand, we flew kites, watched a parade and ate at a restaurant on the beach.

One “gift” or curse, I have is relating almost everything to a song. I LOVE music. Jared will say, “Mom, does everything have to have a song with it?”. My answer is yes, of course! Darlene Zsech has made the song “Shout to the Lord” very popular. I can’t help but sing that song at the top of my inner lungs…

Shout to the Lord all the earth let us sing,power and majesty praise to our King.Mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of your name.

We are within an hour of majestic mountains to the east and roaring oceans to the west. Which rings another song in my ear…

It’s the beauty of simplicity, that brings me back to my knees,and Lord I sing, I love you ’cause you first loved me.

I marvel at the the works of our Creator. I’m amazed at how He has glorified Himself through creation. I am humbled that He allows us to enjoy it with Him. I am so thankful that the beauty of this part of the country has helped ease the transition.

Thank you Father for being our creator and the creator of all things. I praise you for your marvelous works and stand in awe of you. Continue to stir in me an appreciation for all of your creation. Amen

My First Meme

2008-07-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

So first I have to admit that I had to go to dictionary.com to look up what a "meme" is after reading the word in other blogs. Then, I was catching up on my blog reading and saw one on BooMama that picqued my interest.

By the way, am I breaking blogging etiquette rules by linking to someone that I don't know? I am not a natural rule breaker and truly like to stay within the boundaries given.....unless it's a speed limit...but that's for another time.

What were you doing 10 years ago?

1998 was so long ago.....We were celebrating our 3rd anniversary and K would be soon turning one. (BTW, I can't believe she'll be 11 soon, am I old enough to have an 11 year old?) We lived in South Bend, IN where P was a youth pastor. That was many, many moons ago.

Favorite Snacks

Cheez-It Crackers
Croutons
Junior Mints

To Do List

I am a lister and proud of it. Today's list:

LAUNDRY (the first 2 are mainstays on the list everyday)
IRONING
Clean house for company coming tonight
Grocery shop for the aforementioned company
Continue planning meals for City Sync
Develop and send City Sync meal budget
Buy 3 birthday presents (why were all of my kids friends born in the month of July?)
Prepare for J's birthday party tomorrow
To do my list and stop blogging :)

Jobs I Have Had

This is a story in itself. When I was a teenager, my parents were set on me being a kids because I had the rest of my life to work. That seemed great at the time, until the news came that I would need to pay for my own college and I was not allowed to get student loans. There were two ways of acceptable money-making: babysitting and ironing. I sat with so many babies and ironed for anyone and everyone in our immediate family and extended family that was willing to pay for it. It was at that point that I became OBSESSED with ironing and watching movies, mostly on Lifetime, to pass the time away. Now that I run my own house, EVERYTHING gets ironed before it is worn. I jokingly thank my parents to this day for beginning my OCD ironing tendencies at such a young age!

I also have been a credit clerk (that's a glorified term for filing) at Friendly Bank in OKC, telephone marketer, bank teller, medical receptionist, insurance underwriter, day care worker, Pre-K teacher, Mother's Day Out teacher, legal assistant, catering prep cook...those were the paying jobs. I am also my husbands personal assistant, home manager, ministry wife (it is a full-time job in itself), and all that is WIFE/MOMMY. I love my current positions!

Places I Have Lived

Oklahoma City, OK :: Springfield, MO :: South Bend, IN :: Dallas, TX :: Little Rock, AR :: Hillsboro, OR

Bad Habits

Procrastination, talking too much, procrastination, being too busy, procrastination.....

5 Random Things People May Not Know

Referring to the above question, I talk too much, therefore feel like an open book. But, I'll give it a try:

I LOVE to read
I LOVE music and singing - To my families dismay; I am known to have a song for any and every occassion.
I enjoy cooking for others
I enjoy talking with others hearing their "story" and building friendships.
I have a vivid, memory library of 80's & 90's commercials and TV show openers and will quote them at any given time. The only song that I can "rap" is the opener of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

CDs I would want if stranded on an island

Passion, Paul Baloche, Norah Jones, Switchfoot....wow, that's an assortment.

What I’d Do if I Were a Billionaire

Tithe. Give away most of it. Afterall, Westport Church needs a permanent building! Pay off our mortgage. Save for our kids college and first cars. Take the fam on an exotic white sand, blue water, extended vacation, buy a house there so that we could enjoy it annually for years to come....I like the sound of Greece or the Caribbean would be great too!

Random Thankfulness

2008-07-25T06:49:00.000-07:00

Now that I've ventured into this new world known as blogging and thanks to the addiction that Facebook offers, I find myself throughout the day updating my Facebook status in my head and noting what is blog worthy.

My thoughts go something like this for Facebook:

Shara is cutting fruit.
Shara is playing with her kids.
Shara is driving all over town.
Shara is working.

Then, for blogging, I have a whole slew of items to blog about and can't find the time to sit down and write. That is so aggravating! If one only knew how much goes through this analyzing mind.....I'm so thankful that God does.

Psalms 139:1-6
O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

My Wonderful Family Heritage

2008-07-13T18:28:00.000-07:00

I spent the first 18 years of my life in Oklahoma and have moved to Missouri, Indiana, Texas, Arkansas and Oregon since then. Each of the places that we've lived has its own uniqueness, friends and special memories ~ but none compare to the love that I have for Oregon. It is the first place that we've settled since growing up in Oklahoma that has become "home" for me. I praise God for that settled peace!

A couple of weeks ago our family was able to take a very extended and needed vacation. The entire purpose of the vacation was to go to Oklahoma to celebrate my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary. We did much more during our 3 week excursion and I'll write about that later, but this particular family gathering celebrating my grandparents was incredibly memorable and will rank among my fondest memories for the rest of my life.

Growing up I was very close to my grandparents. I ran to their house everyday after school, and I do mean run because I had a silly fear of being kidnapped during that 5 block trek from school to their house. I was greeted each day with a cold Coke from the can, frozen marshmallows and a 3:30 viewing of The Brady Bunch. Oh, the memories!

I was the first female grandchild, and the only one that went to school close enough to walk...I mean run, to their house each day, so I felt especially spoiled!

My Grandaddy loved to let me crawl up in his lap and he would tell me stories about growing up in Burns Flat, OK, being a butcher and driving the meat truck. He still asks if he can pull me into his lap....I decline as I'm not as small as I used to be and quite frankly I'm afraid of breaking his legs. He also has the richest, deepest, most beautiful bass voices and can sport aftershave better than anyone!

Now Grandmother is just plain silly and a gem! She is a listener and a Godly, wise counsel. She is also amazingly blessed from God with piano playing skills. I LOVE to hear her play! One of my favorite childhood memories, and there are many, was Monday night trio practice at their house. Since being an adult, I've desired a time for all of the family to sit around, while Grandmother plays the piano and we all sing the songs that we know from long ago. Picture a Gaither Homecoming, but without the Gaithers. Aside from those that have married into the family, all of the Howard offspring sing and have sung since we were in the cradle.

Our vacation back to Oklahoma was heightened in its specialness because Grandaddy was diagnosed with Alzheimer's this Spring. While my Mom and her sisters were planning the celebration I requested that we make the sing-along a reality because the window of that actually happening is closing.

This day was also special because our family is growing and it has become increasingly harder to get all of us under one roof for an extended period at one time. Grandmother made a special request a couple of years ago that all she wanted for her 60th anniversary was for the whole family to be together. I took note of that, seeing as how I am the only one out of everyone to have left the great state of Oklahoma.

The day arrived and we all gathered at my aunt and uncles "farm" otherwise known as the most beautiful acreage Oklahoma has to offer. I love it there! After lunch we all congregated in the living room and videotaped our memories and appreciation for Gdaddy & Gmother. It's funny how each of us grandchildren commented on the cold Coke from a can and frozen marshmallows...I guess I wasn't the only spoiled one! The clincher of the day was when my newly Alzheimer's-diagnosed Grandaddy spoke up, looked into the video camera and shared a story. He told us about the day he accepted the Lord and His gift of salvation and the promise he made to God.

He said, "God when you bring a Godly woman into my life to marry and find it fit to bless me with children I promise to love her, raise them for You and live for You all of the days of my life. To the best of my knowledge I have done that and challenge each of you to do the same. "

Needless to say, the entire room was a blubber fest because Grandaddy had spent the day, to that point, silent and looking vacantly out the window.

The other wonderful memory came when my Mom had arranged for my sister to bring a keyboard. It was snuck into the house and set up behind Grandmother while the blubberfest was transpiring. We then spent the next couple of hours singing....all of us together.....in four part harmony.....while crying. It didn't take long for us to nix the list that Momma had made because someone would make a suggestion. At one point Grandaddy turned to Grandmother to tell her she was playing in the wrong key, when she took it down a step, he continued to sing "his song". It is the song that he sang in church for years and others have requested it to be sung at their funeral. I wept and made the morbid note in my head that since that too is on video we will play that at his funeral along with his charge to his offspring.

I love my Grandaddy and Grandmother and praise and thank God for blessing them with 60 wonderful years of marriage!

Introduction to Blogging

2008-07-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

About 3 years ago my sweet, technical-savvy husband set up a blog for me. In those three years, I've averaged about 1 post per year....get back Jack! That blog has always been a sore spot for me because it was not very user friendly. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am not a technical guru. So, after much frustration of trying to make the first blog presentable, I finally gave up and made the move to blogger. It's amazing that it has only taken me a couple of minutes to get it up and going and presentable all at the same time! Phew!

I find myself easily sidetracked reading other peoples blogs and so in an attempt not to be left out of the loop, I must blog! My husband keeps asking why and is afraid that my overly-transparent self will share too much...but I've assured him otherwise. I have so many random thoughts in my head through the day, why not capture those thoughts into typing and post them onto the web for nobody to see because quite frankly, I'm the only one that cares about those random thoughts!

Happy Blogging!