Evicted With Extreme Prejudice

The kids have been sick. It's been like slow-motion dominoes around here. One gets sick, I disinfect like crazy, a few days later the next one gets sick - rinse and repeat. With sick child number three the nurse told me to be sure to throw her toothbrush away once she has been on the antibiotics for 3 days. WHAT? HUH?
#1 - I can't BELIEVE I did not think of their toothbrushes sitting all together bumping each other and all rubbing on one tube of toothpaste.
#2 - I REALLY can't believe that none of the health officials dealing with us until now thought to mention this little tidbit about avoiding a recurrence of extremely contagious and raunchy strep throat!


Behold the streptobrothel...



A hotbed of communicable disease. This tenant has now been evicted from our property with extreme prejudice!



Meet the new tenants...









blessings on your day,

Be My Guest

*Waves*
Hello, all! Our beloved S4J has a really nasty cold and her hand is still healing- she asked me to come on over here and post a guest blog to chat with ya'll about a conversation she and I had the other day over the phone.

If she were to tell this tale, she'd likely tell it with music or pictures, both artistic mediums that she uses skillfully, but I can do neither of those things. For over 20 years, she has been the melody in our friendship, singing the soundtrack and holding my hand for just about every major life event I can think of- high school graduation, my wedding, the births of my children... and nearly every "small" event too- nervous breakdowns, crises of faith, burnt dinners. We have honest, raw, silly, hysterical, logical, weepy, giggly, smart, stupid, deeply spiritual conversations pretty much every single day for longer than I can remember. As for me? Well, I'm not the singer or the photographer, but I have always loved that I have the privilege of humming along... even if I'm out of tune.

So anyway, back to the phone conversation we were having this week. We were talking about that verse in Romans...

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.

... how true that is for S4J and I. We talked about how she willingly held adorable twins this week with her crippled-from-fresh-surgery-hand knowing full well that she shouldn't . We talked about how often I wake up and turn on my computer before I do my quiet time with Jesus, even though I know if I do, I won't find the time to sit with Him before the end of the day.

We discussed our stupid, selfish natures, disappointed with ourselves when we behave as though we haven't already learned what's best for ourselves- physically, spiritually, emotionally. It's bad enough when we discover something new, but it's just frustrating when we do something ridiculous and we know better.

Why, why, why do we keep doing stupid things when we know we should not? Why do we keep not doing what we know we should do? It's simple; because we are sinners. We're sinners in need of a Savior. Since the beginning of sin, we've delighted in things that are bad for us and complained about things that are good for us.

I find much comfort in Romans chapter 8 in which Paul talks about this same topic with his friends. He points out that while we sin because we're sinners, there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus, that we are no longer bound to sin and we are not slaves to it. There's so much comfort in realizing that the Bible is filled to the brim with humans who fell short all the time- even in Paul’s day… even Paul! There's peace in knowing that we have Jesus Christ who did what we are just not able to do... live a sinless life.

So, what's the point of realizing that we've messed up? That we mess up a lot? That we shall certainly mess up much more in the future? Well, I think there are a few things that can happen (and none of them involve giving up or feeling guilty) :

First: Recognizing when we sin against our better judgment can give us inspiration to improve. That awful feeling of being wrong can be used to motivate us into not behaving that way again if we don't sweep it under the carpet or let it paralyze us.

Second: It can make us appreciate our salvation. That Christ would die for us KNOWING that we would continue sinning is an absolute miracle. Seeing ourselves for what we are should give us a fresh gratitude for His sacrifice.

Third: It can cause us to give more grace to others. We can remember that even well-meaning people do things they don't want to do. Sometimes people who don't mean to hurt us know they should do things but don't. Realizing we do this too should make us kinder and more patient. You know, that whole... to whom much is given much is expected thing. We can’t expect from others what we are unable to accomplish ourselves, can we?

All in all, we just want to encourage you all to keep plugging forward. Don’t get discouraged that you’ve done dumb things. You sin because you are a sinner. That’s no surprise. The miracle is when we break from our sinful nature and do the right thing. And to get a miracle, there’s only one direct route… through Jesus. The only defense… and what a marvelous one it is… is to put our trust in Him. We have to trust God to provide everything we need to resist the ‘shoulds’ and ‘certainly should nots’- and when he provides what we need, (self control, patience, kindness) we need to actually use those tools. That way, hopefully, our regrets will decrease and our victories will increase…all for His glory!

Please join me in praying for an extra dose of those tools for S4J, as she struggles with being both invalid and infirm. Thank you for letting me hijack S4J’s spot. Hopefully, she’ll be back and making the blogosphere more beautiful and melodic soon.

Nothing Much *

*edited to include missing pics

My husband is sad that I, "sold him out" that he doesn't take me on many dates, and also he is bored with my last post and would like me to give him something else to read, and also requests that I post about him. We have been on vacation since the 23rd here at our property in Texas and I haven't posted much because there is not a whole lot to report.
I AM glad to be able to tell you that for Christmas we bought tickets for the entire family - including the Grandparents to go see Bedtime Stories on Christmas day. We all enjoyed it very much.

But before we headed to the movies, we walked our property and of course, planned out our compound homestead. My priorities have changed slightly from; Hubby's shop first, fence second, house third, pool, vegetable/cut flower garden, guest cottages....

to; Fence first, Hubby's shop second, my recording/photography studio third (who cares if we have to live in a trailer for 3 years - only half the kids will be still at home by then) and then whatever else. (By the way - I got a remote control for my camera for Christmas and so I could take a picture of myself while recording a song. I know you agree with my priorities) And think of all the jam sessions when singing friends come to visit! (I will only charge them nominal fees) Maybe then my Chicas will be happier about visiting me here. 'Cause it'll be way cool then.

My hubby showed me this tree he found when he was working on clearing some of the back 40 and he called it the climbing tree. It has a limb growing from one tree into another.



He then exhibited to me how it got its name.



There are lots and lots of trees here. Some of my favorites are the dozen or so Pecan trees which seem to give off a crop every couple of years or so, several Osage Orange trees which are neat but the fruit is really weird looking and makes a giant mess, and then we have a bunch of one of my favorite species of tree - the Honey Locust. Now this bad boy, currently is dormant from the winter - but it does not loose its macabre thorns. Here is a small sampling.



My father-in-law would like to cut them down because they are pretty dangerous when riding around on the tractor, and those thorns have flattened a tractor tire in their day - I am hoping though, that we can just prune them high enough to be able to go under them with the tractor cause I surely do like the looks of them. I'll show you them in bloom when I am here during blooming. The twins took ill night before last and we have been having the on again-off again barf-fest to close out 2008 with a bang. Today I was in Sam's club and there was a family with 9 month old twins buying piles and piles of diapers and piles and piles of formula. *cue cha cha music ~ and dancing ~ my twins are thirtee-een, my twins are thirtee-een* They were really so cute though and I had to work really hard at not staring and making a scene.

Blogger is resisting uploading the rest of my pics, so you have two choices:

1.) Post anyway and follow tomorrow or so with the rest of the pics
or
2.) Save as a draft and post when it can be done in its entirety.

What's your vote?

Get Well Soon And Pass The New Appliances

My husband's parents came in for the weekend to stay with the kids and take care of some things around the house while I went away to the beach with the Praise Team. When I got home yesterday afternoon I had waiting for me the biggest basket of sick-girl lovin'!! Triple G had me delivered a basket full of her love and care!

This morning after my in-laws packed up their car and loaded up the kids to drop them off at school on their way out of town ~ YES THEY DID! ~ I found the small appliance section from Walmart had been transplanted to my house.

I am blessed!
Still sick, but functioning at full capacity now. Praise God! I will post about my adventures this weekend and the Casting Crowns concert and Me And My Girl Problems, but I'm trying to get caught up on life from being sick. Patience. Patience.

What A Difference Thirteen Days Makes

I am still sick but today I was able to run the vacuum before knocking out cold for three solid hours. I also cleaned my room AND did the dishes. Apparently my child labor needed a rest from their sweatshop duties and God allowed me to do a bit of it. Thank you to all of you who have been praying for me - don't stop!! I am going to leave with you another great song that I love (and wish I could play) - and also a Hamper Scamper assignment for those of you who are well enough to play...




Hamper Scamper: Pick a window with mini-blinds and wipe them, vacuum them, dust them - or throw them away! GO!!

Pushing The Envelope Of Hospital Fashion

I have been sick for 12 days. It started 2 Wednesdays ago (rehearsals day); the day after I finished taking my first course of antibiotics for the Staph infection. I would like to just interject here that once I again, I was right and no one believed me. "What on earth is she talking about?" you might be asking. Remember back when....when I said I had the plague all across my neck....turns out, it is a Staph infection. So there you have it: Plague=Staph infection, same thing. FACE! Anyway, this sickness, I really just thought was a cold. I immediately took home-care measures in hand and went straight to the bed on Thursday. People! I have been in the bed ever since with very few exceptions. Each time I have left the bed - even to just walk to the car, drive to the elementary school, let the twins get in, drive to the high school, move to the passenger seat so the 15 year old daughter could drive us home and walk back to the bed - it has left me feeling completely weak, drained and out of breath. Literally, my children and my friends have been taking care of anything that gets done around here AND been taking care of me too. Last Monday I started my second course of antibiotics for the staph infection. There has not been a lick of improvement in my cold symptoms and people were starting to yell at me about going to the doctor. My answer : What are they going to do? I am already taking antibiotics and all manner of cold medicines. Over the weekend my fingers started tingling and that low-grade fever would pop up here and there. So, this morning after Lowe's dropped off our new floor tile, and I spent 35 minutes on hold with the appointment line so that I could be told there was no appointment available for me, I loaded up in the car and went to the emergency room. They decided a chest x-ray was in order so off I shuffled down to the x-ray department in my hospital gown and got signed in and waited. When the technician called me back, imagine her surprise when she discovered underneath my hospital gown my overalls and under wire bra! What are you going to do? These girls need support whenever possible, unleashed they can be a hazard. Plus -it's cold in that place! And nobody told me I COULDN'T wear them. Anyway - 2 blood draws, 2 chest x-rays and checks on my ears, nose, throat, lungs and heart, and 4 hours later.....It's a virus, it has to run its course, nothing more we can do for you - go to the pharmacy and pick up an inhaler. Continue to take whatever you've already been taking. If you're not better in 3 days follow up at the clinic.
Now, I've been a very good girl - doing all the things I am supposed to do, so every one can quit picking at me about taking medicine and going to the doctor and blah blah blah. I am going back to bed now.
But here's some fun: Hubby has weighed in on the telling of Me And My Girl Problems and hopefully pretty soon, I will be posting part quatre with Hubby and HisGirl chiming in!
God's blessings to you all in the mean-time!