I Love My Life!

Can I just say that "I LOVE MY LIFE!" Is that allowed??
When I first desired to write this blog, I feared that it might come across as bragging, so before I begin, I just want to state that I owe my life completely to the Lord. HE is the one who gives me JOY, PEACE, LOVE, and HOPE!

About 2 1/2 years ago, a good friend of ours sold his home and was able to pay off a lot (possibly all) of debt. To celebrate he treated us and a few others to dinner. One of the other guests was in her first year teaching. During this time I was also teaching full time while Josh stayed home with the kids (and cleaned the church). Throughout the evening she chatted about how her first year was going and how much she enjoyed it. At the end of the evening, she finished her conversation with "I Love my Life!" From that day on, I was determined to find the joy to be able to say that. In January, I was diagnosed with depression...and yes, I was put on an anti-depressant. I desired so much to love my life, yet I was unable to find joy in anything. In June, I found out I was pregnant with Makenna and decided to go off of my medication. The next 9 months were like a roller coaster. With morning sickness (that lasted all day), depression, and kidney stones, this pregnancy left me feeling numb. I was very excited about having another baby AND Josh had decided that I needed to be home and that he would find another job. I had every reason to be filled with joy...I was being given what I had desired. Yet, depression doesn't work that way. It can take you to a deep, deep valley, despite your circumstances or determination to fight it off.
It was then that I realized that I could not handle this one on my own...or even with just the help of medicine. I needed GOD's Healing Power...
And that is just what he gave me! A few months after Makenna was born, that dark cloud was slowly lifted from me. I was free from the wrath of depression...Praise be to GOD!
As I started my second year of being a stay-at-home mom, I was finally able to find joy in what I had desired for so long. This year, I admit, has had a few challenges, with homeschooling and babysitting, but I would not choose to be anywhere else. As I was able to take a few weeks off for Christmas break, it gave me a chance to renew my mind, strength, and spirit. God has given me a purpose for my life. This last Sunday, our pastor preached about running the race that God intended for us. It was an amazing encouragement and challenge for me. I learned that I have to run my own race...the one that God planned and prepared for me. I also learned that I need to continue to persevere towards the goal...HEAVEN...even through the toughest times.
My life may not be perfect...but then, whose is?? But with Christ, I have JOY, PEACE, HOPE, and LOVE! And I can say..."I LOVE MY LIFE!"

Boxes, Cousins, and Pancakes

Thanks for the packages, Grandpa!


Sorry Andrew...I know that group pictures are not your favorite.


I found these pancake shapers at the dollar store...the kids loved them!

Merry Christmas!

Our traditionally untraditional Christmas!

Christmas dinner: Meatballs, Little Smokies, Chips and dip, etc...finger food smorgasbord!

Activities:


And of course...

Santa is coming to town...

Fun in the Snow

Wednesday

Yahoo- a day off! I slept in yesterday, and it was wonderful. Prior to Thanksgiving, I had extra kids (babysitting or homeschooling) everyday of the week and was unable to have a day "off". I was able to change some things and now I am home with just my kids on Wednesdays! That means I can sleep in!!!
Katelyn had a dentist appointment in the mid-morning and that went well. She received an A for brushing! After that we went grocery shopping...something I have not done in a LONG time with my three kids (I was going in the evenings prior). It was Makenna's first time sitting in the basket...I know, she is 10 months old, but she is so little that she still fits nicely in the carrier!
We did so wonderful with our food budget that afterwards I decided to stop at KFC for lunch (I spent $3.40...Dave Ramsey would be proud!) We went through the drive thru and then decided to head to the church to see how the move was going and see if we could help out (our church just built a new building for the kids and teens).
Sidenote: Yes, I then remembered that I had a car full of groceries and took a side trip home to unload).
We spent a few hours at the church helping...okay, more like visiting...amidst the wonderful new paint smell!
I then headed home to cook...I was actually cooking for three families (my own, a friend that just had a baby, and a friend that was ill with pregnancy). A bag of potatoes, bag of shredded cheese, 1/2 package of bacon, gallon of milk, 1/2 bag of corn, 1/2 carton of sour cream, and 2 hours later...I BURNED THE SOUP! Yes, you read that correctly, I scorched the milk and the entire pot of soup was RUINED! So, with humility, I called my friends and sadly told them they would not be having a home-cooked meal. I ended up ordering chinese food...do you think Dave Ramsey would deem this an emergency?? -because I had to use my DEBIT CARD (rather than my cash from the food envelope!)
I truly enjoyed my day-off!

The journey of the Stone

It all began a year ago this month. I was 7 months pregnant with Makenna when the stone made its presence known. After calling my older brother at 2am to come and stay with my kids, Josh and I headed to the hospital. No amount of pain medication injected into my IV would take the pain away. My kidney was blocked and action needed to be taken. I was scheduled for emergency surgery to have a stint put in. Due to my pregnancy, they were unable to remove the stone, so the stint was there to prevent the kidney from becoming blocked again and to hopefully help the stone find its way out. I do not remember much about my stay at the hospital, but I do remember how my wonderful friends came through for us. There was a lot of shuffling, but my kids were well cared for thanks to Rich, Kym, Jana M., and Barbie. I love you guys!
The next 6 weeks could only be described as horrible...The levels of discomfort were indescribable. The stint caused a lot of pain. Let's put it this way...my urine looked like red koolaid for the entire 6 weeks. I also had the strongest urge to go to the bathroom ALL THE TIME. I was on pain medication 24/7. Not so great when you are the mother of 2 small children. Thankfully, my wonderful mother came to the rescue. She came down and stayed with me for a month. I am not sure if words could ever express my gratitude.
On January 25, 2008 my doctor induced labor and Makenna was brought into this world. Soon after delivery, the doctor did an x-ray on me and gleefully announced that the stone was gone.
But the journey did not stop there. 8 months later, the stone made its presence known again, only this time it was bigger and impassable. After another x-ray and CT scan, the doctor found that this stone was hiding (could not be seen on an x-ray, but could be seen on a CT scan). We were going to have to do surgery, but the type of surgery was dependent on whether we could see it on an x-ray. Finally after 2 more x-rays, the stone showed itself and surgery was scheduled. Did you know that you can meet your deductible with 2 x-rays? I had 5.
Last week I was put fast to sleep and the stone was blasted to smithereens. The best part is...no stint! I have decided that I would much rather have a stone than a stint...crazy huh! Once again my 3 children were well cared for thanks to Amy. The next day, while I was recovering, my other dear friend, Debbi, came over and made me lunch and dinner. You guys are wonderful!
This journey was not a fun one, but God has once more reminded me of how awesome my friends are. Thank you!

Happy Thanksgiving

I love traditions. One tradition my family has is to celebrate Thansgiving and Christmas at my in-laws home. The cousins all enjoy playing together and the moms all enjoy RELAXING in our jammies! Here is a picture walk of our trip!
Happy Thanksgiving!


Riding cowboy!

Working on a puzzle

Makenna opening her stocking...her 1st Christmas!

Our Gingerbread village!

Winter Wonderland

Have you ever seen turkeys walking around your yard on Thanksgiving??

Gooey's! Our favorite desserts from Dockside Restaurant

Of course I am going to share this...

Our annual flannel shirt picture with Grandma Jack!

We even feed those turkeys that roam our yard on Thanksgiving!

Makenna

Last week my little baby girl went to the doctor for her 9 month checkup. After the normal measurements were taken, the doctor came to the conclusion that Makenna is extremely underweight. I knew that she was small, but so are my other two children. She eats very well and nurses every 3-4 hours throughout the day. I wasn't shocked at the results, but truly unsure as to how to change things. I have attempted to follow doctor's orders and give Makenna formula in addition to nursing. No success yet with the bottle. A week later, I have now decided to improvise...Makenna now eats baby cereal with 2 oz of formula about 4 times a day...that gives her about 8 oz of formula extra a day. I am also feeding her 3-4 meals a day (I was doing this before, but I am giving her more now). The doctor wants to see her in a month...I am praying for good results!





Makenna is such a joy in my life! She is very happy, easy-going, and content with life. She is also a bundle of curiousity and energy. She loves having the ability to crawl everywhere! Right now we are working on saying "MAMA". Whenever I prompt her, she giggles and says "DADA"! I am not sure if she truly gets the joke...but Josh loves it!

Soccer, Soccer, Soccer

Didn't know that I played soccer...well, I do now. Yes, I am playing on a women's Indoor soccer league...with a bunch of other ladies that don't play soccer either. So we thought we would do it for the fun and exercise! Our team name is the tornados...yes, we thought we were going to be a natural disaster! Okay, so we had our first game last night. We played...Nampa High School soccer team. Are you done laughing??
Well, actually we did quite well. We were ahead for most of the game...unbelievable isn't! I even scored a few goals! Us "older" ladies got tired about the last 10 minutes (okay we were tired the first minute, but by the 40th minute we were wiped!) and the "young" girls caught up and we TIED! 14 - 14!
I am a little sore today, but overall...it was fun! Go Tornados!

It is a Miracle!

Living a legacy - part 2

Life has been a whirlwind lately. Last week I flew to Texas on Tuesday for my PawPaw's funeral. My brother Chris, Makenna, and I flew down together. We had a wonderful trip. It was my first experience of a family member's funeral (that I remember - my uncle died suddenly when I was five). It was also the first funeral I had been to where the deceased was ready to go (does that make sense? Not a sudden and unexpected death). It was a completely different experience. There was still sadness, but it wasn't for all that they were going to miss out on, but rather for the memories and the realization that we are all getting older. My dad did the funeral, and I might add, he did a fabulous job. He has such a way with words! It was great to spend a few days with my cousins...some of whom I have not seen since I was 9! Despite all of our differences and the reality of really not "knowing" each other, we love each other as family and enjoyed our visit as if time had never passed. Here are a few snapshots...

The last time I saw my grandparents...My Grandma died 2 years ago.


The 9 grandkids...past


The grandkids...present (minus my brother Rich)


How it all began...my dad is the one on the right!


You can't go to Texas without eating at Whataburger! We had some pretty awesome TexMex food as well!


Did I mention it was about 80 degrees there?? This picture was taken outside our hotel (on the beach)!

Proud to be Americans

Leaving a legacy...

Last night my PawPaw passed away. After being in a nursing home for many years, he is now walking in heaven with Jesus. I am sure that there is great rejoicing as he has reached his eternal life and has been reunited with the love of his life, my Grandma (whom Makenna "Muriel" was named after). My PawPaw was an amazing man of God. His life was filled with God's blessings! His passion was to preach God's Word! During his early years at the nursing home, my PawPaw kept his mind young by writing a book about his life. What a joy it was to learn more about my heritage and see life through my PawPaw's eyes. I am anxious to share this book with my children. Most of my memories with my PawPaw come from early childhood. My favorites were visiting he and grandma on their farm in southern Texas. My PawPaw was an excellent cook (just like my dad), especially when it came to TexMex and grilling! He was always so patient with us grandkids! He always had a heart to serve others...even up to his last few years in the nursing home. Even though I am sad that my PawPaw has left Earth, I am rejoicing with him as he has finally reached his destination! I know that he lived life to the fullest with Christ in the center! He has left a legacy for generations to come. I love you PawPaw!

Proverbs 16:3

This week I have been reading to the girls the story of Joseph. What an amazing testimony he had! While reading this to the girls we talked about how sometimes things happen to us that we don't like, but that God has a plan that is even bigger than we can imagine.
Josh and I both desire financial peace and to truly be able to enjoy life as God intended. At times, it is easy to look down the "road" and know that we will achieve our goal as "If we live like no one else, THEN LATER WE CAN LIVE LIKE NO ONE ELSE!" At other times, that road seems to drop over the horizon and never end. Though my experiences are very different, I feel that I can learn a lot from Joseph. I know that God has a plan for our life. He has and will continue to provide for our needs with our poverty level income. He has blessed us in many ways. But there are times when I feel like I am an innocent prisoner. I want to cry out to God, "We have worked so hard, and now this??" But then I am reminded of Joseph or better yet, his attitude. He knew that God had a plan for everything...and he believed it. I want to believe it to.
"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3

On the move!

Well, it is official - Makenna is crawling! On Sunday she took her first few "steps", but hasn't ventured far since. Today, she made it to the kitchen. I now need to make sure that the bottom 18 inches of my home is "Makenna proof"! Even after three, I love each of these little milestones. For awhile, I thought she was never going to sit...she was 8 months old! But in a two week span, she learned to sit and crawl! Both Katelyn and Brenden didn't officially crawl until they were 10 months old. Katelyn was just content to sit...she wasn't even a very fluent roller. Brenden loved to army crawl or roll everywhere. It is still strange for me to see such a small infant crawling...size-wise, not age-wise.

One last goodbye

Did you go outside today? It was fabulous! Summer came back for one last goodbye! My family spent the day outside working in our yard. We decided to take advantage of the warmer weather and "winterize" our yard. We usually do it in November or early spring, therefore, making it colder and wetter. Today was perfect! I know that some of my plants had a little more in them for this season, but I was ready! It was strange to be outside in a short sleeve shirt in the middle of October...and to see the leaves changing colors! It felt good to be done...and now I can focus on preparing for winter and the holidays!

Makenna playing on the patio!


"Dad, you work over there and we will work over here!"


Going on a hike??

"Dad, are you okay under there?"

Glad to be done with that!

Winco bins

Yes, I love to shop the Winco bins. Cheap stuff in bulk! Well, a few weeks ago we ran out of baking powder, so I kept my container and added bp to my Winco bin shopping list.
Over these past few weeks I have been trying to add wheat germ to my cooking (I read that it can help prevent breast cancer...ladies). I read that you can substitute it for part of your flour. So anyways, on Saturday my husband made pancakes for us...and well, let's just say that they were not that great. We figured he must have read the recipe wrong or something. So anyways, this last Saturday I made pancakes...and well, Katelyn said, "These taste worse than Daddy's!" I was baffled! I could not understand how wheat germ could make such a difference.
Well, later that day I made bread in my bread machine. It tasted fine, but was pretty dense.
After much thought and discussion, we came to the conclusion that maybe it was our Winco bin baking powder. So, tonight I went to the store and bought a new container of bp. I brought it home and my husband did a taste test. They tasted totally different! At first we thought that maybe we had ended up with baking soda instead, but even that had a different taste. The bin bp tasted very bitter with the same aftertaste as the pancakes. Evidently our Winco bin item was not good...or something different!
I still love the Winco bins, but I guess I will be more aware next time!

She can read!

After teaching for 6 years, it still made me excited to see my students learn to read! But- teaching my daughter how to read tops it all!

Childhood part 4

During my 3rd grade year, my family moved to Cd'A. My dad then worked full time as a pastor of Lincoln Way Church of God. Our neighborhood school was full and so I had to go to a different school across town. I loved my new teacher...I even remember her name - Mrs. Medved.
When I was in fourth grade, my world changed. My parents got a divorce. I remember that they fought a lot, and they were separated off and on, but I never ever imagined that they would divorce. I even remember talking to a friend prior and we both were certain our parents would never do such a thing...and they both later did. I really don't know what to say about this time of my life. Honestly, the hardest part for me was when they went to court to fight for custody. It hurt me so bad that they both wanted us so bad and that only one of them could win. I can't imagine what they were feeling during this time. I know that this was a choice that they made, but I prayed a lot for them that the hurt would go away, especially for my dad, since my mom won custody. I am so thankful that even through divorce I still have an amazing relationship with my dad. He never let those miles come between us.
Okay, back to lighter things...
In 4th grade, I switched schools to our neighborhood school. On the first day of school, my teacher (another favorite) asked a girl named Heather Polla to show me around. Little did our teacher know that she had just matched up best friends. Heather and I spent all of our time together that first week...she was the kindest, sweetest friend you could ask for. About a week after school started, I was out riding my bike and I saw someone riding their bike down the street. As I got closer, I was very pleased to see Heather. We were neighbors! It was truly a God thing! We now could hang out together at school and home...and we did! We went to and from school together. We played together after school. And then, we spent the night over at each others' houses every other weekend (the other weekends I was with my dad!).
I have many wonderful memories with Heather...
To be continued...

Supermom

No, not me...but really, I think we all are in God's eyes!

Growing up my favorite shows were the "family shows," like Full House, Cosby Show, Who's the Boss, and Growing Pains. I enjoyed watching them, but was never crazy about particular actors and actresses (though I did think MaryKate and Ashley Olsen were cute). I was not a teen with crushes on the "hot" guys you would find on magazines. To be honest, I am pretty ignorant when it comes to Hollywood. I don't know much about anyone or anything...until I met supermom (well, I didn't meet her, just saw her on TV).
Most of you know that my favorite show has become Jon and Kate plus 8. I have truly enjoyed watching them raise their adorable kids...and honestly, live my dream out on TV - to have lots of kids and multiples. Though I do not necessarily agree with the way that every situation is handled, I realize that that would be true of anyone. We are all different, but most of us don't have cameras showing us in our ups and downs. I am sure we could all surprise each other.
I have begun to see Kate as a role model: Christian mom, loves her kids, devoted, healthy, etc. But then I realized that I was becoming like the "world". I was beginning to see her like a young teen looks at models and young actresses. I was beginning to envy her life, even though I all see of it is on TV. I was envying how good she looks for having 8 kids...and never exercises. I was starting to beat myself up and feel sorry for myself and how "tough" my life was compared to hers.
And then it hit me...or rather flashed before me...I was staring up at our digital photo frame, and a picture came up of my kids, and then one came up of my best friend. And then I realized that I have been blessed beyond comparison. I would never want to change what I have right now...because it is what God has given me, and I am who God desires me to be. It baffled me that I was yearning for something that really I already have. My life is not perfect or easy, but is any one's?? I have a wonderful husband, fabulous kids, fantastic friends, and a loving family...what more could anyone ask for!
I am sure that Kate Gosselin is a wonderful person and honestly, I would love to meet her - but not superficially, I would want to be her friend. But - I also have to realize that she is on TV, and TV does a pretty good job of making people look glamorous! I am sure that they could even make me look "appealing!"
So to say, I still love the show, but I have realized that I can't compare my life with theirs...besides, she probably doesn't have time for blogging...and I love blogging!

My Childhood part 3

When I was 4 or 5 my parents sold our house and we moved into the trailer that had been used for the daycare my mom owned. I remember that the trailer was divided in half by the bathroom. One half was the "living area" (living room, kitchen, and daycare area). The other side was the bedroom that my family shared. My brothers slept on a bunk bed, I slept on the floor, and my parents slept on a mattress (like a hide-a-bed type). I did not mind this arrangement, because then I wasn't alone at night and wasn't scared.
When I was in 1st grade, my dad sold KTNR and bought a radio station in Spokane, Washington (KRSS). He and my older brother moved up there to get things going, while my mom, Chris, and I moved to California to live with my grandparents for a few months. My grandparents are probably my favorite people in the world and I was so excited to live with them. My cousins also lived nearby and so it was fun to get to go to the same school as them. My main memory from these few months was buying juice at school. My oldest cousin was in the 5th grade and she "sold" the juice with a classmate, who happened to be a boy. She was an extremely shy person and so every time I would come up and say Hi, she would "die" of embarrassment and then be mad at me. I never wanted to make her mad, but as a first grader and new student, it made me proud to know someone...especially a 5th grader. We laugh about it now, but I really think she was not laughing at the time! After a few months, we joined my dad and Rich in Spokane where I finished 1st grade.
I met a girl from school that lived down the street from us. I had very, very long hair and my friend had very, very short hair with a very long "tail". Does anyone remember tails? One day I walked home from school and my mom told me that she was taking me to get my hair cut...with my friend and her mom. For some odd and unknown reason, my mom thought that I wanted to get my hair cut just like my friends'. I was shocked and appalled...yet being a fairly quiet person, I did not want to argue and risk hurting my friend's feelings or her mom's...for some reason I remember her being very excited about it. So, we chopped all my hair off...and yes, I got a tail. I was mortified...and still am...which is why I will not be putting that picture in this blog. I do not think the tail stayed around for long, but it took FOREVER to grow my hair back.
Another thing I remember about this friend is that she had twin baby sisters. It worked out great because then we each had one to play with. We each had our favorite. One of them was darker skin toned with dark hair - like my friend, and the other was very pale and blonde haired (actually more bald) like me.
When I was in 2nd grade, my dad became the pastor of a church in Coeur d' Alene. We commuted to church for about a year or so.
The summer between my 2nd and 3rd grade years, I broke my arm playing on the monkey bars at the school. It didn't set right and I ended up having surgery to set it right. The only thing I remember about it was that I got to sleep with my parents because we had to get up real early.
At our house in Spokane, we had a basement that we called the dungeon. My older brother's room was down there and I even had a room down there for a short time...it was more like a closet, but it was fun (except at night...there were spiders down there!)
I remember one autumn, my mom paid my younger brother $.10 for every pinecone he picked up. I don't think she did the math before hand or thought about how many pinecones there were in our yard...but she ended up paying him a lot of money. I think he was only 4 or 5 at the time. I was bummed that I had school and didn't get to get in on that deal!
When I was in the 3rd grade we moved to Coeur d'Alene.
To be continued...

My Childhood part 2

I forgot to mention in part 1 about my siblings...nice sister huh! Anyways, I have 2 wonderful brothers (3 now, but I will get to that later). Rich is 5 years older than me and Chris is about 2 years younger. Here are some photos that I was able to get from my dad.


About age 2


My dad (remind anyone of Kenny Loggins?) and mom. My mom is holding me and Rich is in front of my dad. The other two are my cousins. Chris was not born yet (obviously).


They had dress-up shoes back then, too! Me and my cousins...I am in the middle!



My brothers and I...or is it me and my brothers??


1st grade

My childhood part 1

On March 28th I was born in Texas to two wonderful parents. I grew up (well, until I was 6) in a very small town in southern Texas. My all time favorite place to eat still exists there - Ken Kreme...they had the best Tostadas (or Chalupas as we call them in Texas) in the world. A few years ago I was even able to take my husband there! Anyways, our town was majority Hispanic and minority White. I was one of two whites in my kindergarten class...I was blonde and she was a red head...we stood out like a sore thumb! At that time, spanking was allowed in schools (hard to believe) and I remember always fearing to leave the classroom and having to witness someone getting "paddled" in the hallway. I also feared that I would one day make a mistake and get my share of paddling...but luckily that never happened. Luckily, I felt very comfortable with my teacher, as she was also my Sunday School teacher at church and my mom's hairdresser. I always felt pretty special since I had been to my teacher's house!
My mom had an in-home daycare. Even as a young child, sleeping in was a joy. I remember waking up and coming out and our home being filled with other kids. I always felt that I had missed out since many of those kids had been there for hours, but for some reason I could not wake myself any earlier (I am sure I probably got up at about 8 am, but it seems late since some of the kids arrived at 6am.)
My dad owned a radio station with call letters KTNR...the TNR stood for Tiner (my maiden name). When I was little I even spoke for a few commercials with my dad. I don't remember it, but I have a tape of it.
When I was about 4 or 5, we lived on a cul-da-sac with a field and forest next to it (this is from my 4 or 5 year old memory). One of our neighbors once told me that wolves lived in the forest and that I should watch out for them or they might come out and attack me. I still very vividly remember always watching that forest. When we were outside, I would sit up on top of the swing set and constantly watch. I also remember that I would sit there and devise a plan for what I would do if I saw wolves...the plan that I remember was that somehow I would get a toy tunnel and yell for everyone to crawl through it to the back door of my house. I was always worried for all the kids and my mom.
To be continued...

Another exciting day...

Trust me...it got messier!


So, maybe hidden talents run in the family!


The kids were "going on a picnic," but it looked and sounded more like a parade!


Eating cut-up cooked carrots...yummy!

Gazelle Intensity!

I love FPU (Financial Peace University)! It has and will continue to change my life. For those who are not familiar with it, it is a Christian-based financial class that WILL change your life. Josh and I have already figured out our date that we can yell, "We are DEBT FREE!" I am so excited for the time when money won't be dictating what we can't do, but rather what we can do! Praise God!

Fun times

Women's Fitness - We were up before the sun! We had a very wet run/walk! It was lots of fun, but it rained and poured all day.

The kids just hanging out!

Glass orchestra!

Lego Mania!

Lunch time!

Hard at work!