supers

This morning we got to skype with Mr. and Mrs. Incredible.

You didn't know I was raised by superheroes did you?

ch-ch-ch-changes

Right now it seems like each day is full of changes. The boys, especially Judah, are constantly changing. Our routine is slowly changing and becoming much more manageable. Most of all I'm making changes for myself. I've talked about how I'm working on diet and exercise changes...this week has been the best yet...but I've decided I need to do a few more things.

I finally packed up the bulk of my maternity clothes. There are still a few things that I'm keeping out cause they look like real clothes and I don't have any 'in between' things to wear so I'm trying to make it work. But I felt like as long as they were taking up room in my closet I would feel less like trying to get in my other stuff. Also since Judah is now sleeping till 8 in the morning I have time to get up, work out, have a quiet time, shower and put on real clothes. I think part of my problem while being a SAHM is that I wear sweats and comfy stuff almost ALL the time. This gives me very little motivation to lose weight and keep it off. If I'm getting dressed in actual outfits then I'll know if that pair of pants or top is not looking and/or feeling so hot. I've also kinda used the excuse that living here it's kinda a waste to get dressed everyday, but I think that's just a lie I've been telling myself. So this week I've been doing it, complete with make up an jewelry. Nothing fancy but a little eye make up and a pair of earrings has done me a lot of good. I'm sure it won't be an everyday thing but so far so good.

So between getting in a good workout, a good Word, and feeling good, I'm going to do my best to make these changes last.

30 by 30: 1 down, 5 to go

Today marks 5 months to my 30th birthday. This first month of my 30 by 30 has been a lot about figuring out how to get back into a good exercise routine and adjusting my caloric intake to allow slow and healthy weight loss and at the same time not effecting my milk supply. I think I'm just about there. I'm still working on the food thing. I'm mostly snacking on fruit during the day, getting in enough veggie servings and watching my portions. I've just sucked it up and bought some skim milk powder. I've really been resisting that because powdered milk is just gross to me but the only fresh milk we can get is super high in fat. Plus I haven't been getting enough calcium for sure. So now I'm left with my final two vices...chocolate and peanut butter. This is where I have to be extremely disciplined and practice moderation. I started buying my own jar of peanut butter so I can monitor exactly how much I'm eating. I know that sounds weird but by doing that I can in no way blame the empty jar on the boys. I also have a small stash of dark chocolate. If I feel that urge come over me I allow myself one little square. It's been working to keep me from bingeing. I know eventually even those things will have to be cut out way more but I'm working my way down. :)

I also finally have a good morning routine to make sure I get in a workout at least 5 days a week. Judah's schedule now has him getting up at 8 so I can get in a workout, quiet time and shower all before he is up. Sometimes Kirby and Bennett are up but I have gotten over my embarrassment of working out in front of people and just let them watch if they are up. Kirby has even done some Ab Assault right along with me. Watch out for my ripped 4 year old son! Currently I'm doing Ab Assault (from Core Secrets with Gunner Peterson) MWF and then some sort of cardio workout TThS and getting Sundays off. I'm starting out focusing on my abs mostly to help take the strain off my back which has been giving me trouble for years. After three c-sections that is a big problem area for me. I'm hoping to work up to do the 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels and then my big push for the last 3 months will be P90X...oh my!

So all in all I'm happy with month one. My plan is to work up slowly so as not to burn out too early. This is going to be a long process since even after I get that first 30 off there is more I want to work on. More on a healthier me to come!!!

satisfaction

I'm doing a short little study and today I got this good word as a part of it.

You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.

He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them.

The Lord keeps all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.

My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.

Psalms 145: 16-21

This was just part of todays lesson but when I got to this particular scripture it just really made me think. So many times I have come to a point of realizing that I am focusing WAY too much on material and worldly things to find satisfaction. The new furniture set. A new outfit or purse or pair of shoes. Being out of debt. Getting to that next life stage. The list could go on and on. Today I really realized that although I know in my mind that I will only feel truly satisfied through Christ my heart is still a bit tardy on the subject. The same is true for many aspects of my life but I think this is something that all people wrestle with. Everybody wants to be satisfied in life. Isn't that one of the main human goals?

There is no satisfaction apart from the Lord. When I read this great passage in Psalms it started to burn into my heart a little bit more what the Lord does to give me satisfaction. Sometimes he does satisfy through the provision of material things...there is nothing wrong with a new anything or whatever. But what I must do is call upon Him, fear Him, love Him, and praise Him. Each of those things could be a blog all on their own but I will be meditating on each of these, how they lead to satisfaction through the Lord and praying for my heart to catch up with my mind.

9 years

Nine years ago today Stan and I made the decision to take a new step in our relationship. We had known each other for a year and in that time went from not getting along so much (more on my part) to being good friends. We were both having that feeling of more than friendship for a while, but you know how it goes, we were both afraid to admit it. I wouldn't even admit it to my best friends who would tease and I would deny. Finally Stan took the step and told me he didn't want to just 'date' me but pursue me as his wife. This was either the complete true or a VERY clever way to get me to start dating him. :) Whichever it was, it worked. I am so thankful in the Godly way that Stan pursued me and has continued to pursue me to this day.

Nine years ago I don't think either of us could imagine what was in store. I was 20, yes T-W-E-N-T-Y! What on earth or heaven did I know?!?! I'm glad I knew enough to take Stan up on his offer, that's for sure. Stan I love you and I look forward to many more years of our adventure. I love you!

date night

So tonight, for the first time in a long time, Stan and I are getting to go on a date. Three very brave singles have agreed to babysit for us so we can go without even having to take Judah. M, one of my friends here, is in charge of Judah by default because she is female and the two guys, G and J, will be here for Kirby and Bennett crowd control. We don't have a plan as far as where we will go or what we will do but it doesn't really matter. I'm planning to let the boys, and sitters, enjoy some KFC (still our only fast food, and I'm making them eat left over green beans with their chicken burger and fries) and watch movies with popcorn or whatever else their little hearts desire. I don't even care if they get in bed on time (well I do care if Judah gets in bed, but he's easy at bedtime, I just hope M makes it through his fussy time before hand). I'm kinda hoping that a little bit later bed time could possibly get the boys to sleep in tomorrow morning. I doubt it but there is always positive thinking.

Now, Stan needs to get home, get rested up and we are on our way....hurry up date night!

loaves and fishes

I heard a good word last week and I just had to share. Someone had read through the story of the loaves and fishes, I think most people are at least somewhat familiar with the story, even if they have only been to church a handful of times in their life. Anyway, he said that for the first time reading that story he got something more than just the story of an incredible miracle. We know that even though there were only five loaves of bread and two fish, Christ and His disciples where able to feed thousands, probably more than 10 including women and children, with no problem. So even if I have only a little to offer, God can do something miraculous. You may be thinking, ok, so? Most of us get that.

The revelation comes to see that God does not expect me to do the miraculous. He doesn't need me to try to get out there and write some amazing book about some aspect of Christian life, or be able to speak in a way that makes the Gospel clear to the masses and bring them to Him, or any other 'big' thing, all I have to do is be faithful in the small tasks he calls me to do. Even changing diapers and wiping noses. Even just sharing with one neighbor about the love that He has given me and how it has changed my life. Even just having a servant's heart towards my husband. That's all I have to do. God will do the rest. My name may never be known outside of my family and circle of friends but it doesn't matter. The most important person knows it and I will be faithful in the small things He asks of me.

I'm ready to fry up my fish (cause how else do you serve it when you are from the South) and butter the bread and wait on Him to do with it what He wills.

Oprah

First I should say that for many years I haven't really enjoyed watching the Oprah show. I have nothing against her personally. How could I? I've never met her. I feel that she is a good person. She gives to charity and does many things to help others but I dislike that she has become someone that people look to as THE authority on almost everything. She is knowledgeable about many things but it seems that she gets the credit when it is due to another. It just bothers me. I saw this video on FB earlier today and it instantly grabbed my attention and I had to watch it. I can't get it off my mind. As I've been mulling it over several things started to weigh heavy on my heart. Everyone has the right to their opinion about God and religion in general. I believe Christ is the only way to heaven but I am not naive enough to think that even someone reading this blog feels differently...that's a discussion for another day. There were a couple of things that I thought were particularly disturbing and inaccurate from this video.

--The first thing was her comment about God being a jealous God. He absolutely is, it says so in Exodus 34:14 (and other places), but not jealous in the way that Oprah has interpreted. It clearly says that God is NOT jealous of us as individuals, as Oprah stated, but that He is jealous for us when we love something more than we love Him. He created each of us for His glory, honor and praise and for no other reason. His jealously is of a person, place or thing taking His place in our life.

--The other thing that bothered me was what she said about God being a feeling experience not a believing experience. I not only believe in God but I believe God. I believe the promises that He lays forth in His word. According to what is said in the video if we still have to believe in God then it's not truly God. Because of editing it doesn't show whether or not this is a statement she agrees with but I have to be honest, that doesn't even make sense to me! (And I watched it several times.) Everybody believes in something, even if just themselves, so if you believe in something then it isn't truly that? Or maybe the author only feels this way pertaining to belief in God. Either way it sounds like talking in circles to me and I'm left with a big, Huh?!?

I know that this is a video created to campaign agaist Oprah and her 'church' (is that really what it's called? remember I'm out of the loop for American TV) and I know that there is a good chance there are some things that are taken out of context. I'm not going to even begin to research each statement in this video to verify it's truth. But the jealousy thing came directly from her mouth during dialog that was not edited in any way. If she has been incorrectly taught during her church experiences then shame on those Pastors and I believe they will answer for that but I hate to hear things misrepresented, especially by someone who has so much influence over society.

I am a conservative evangelical Christian, and I am not ashamed. I feel that Christ teaches a message of love and respect to all people, of every belief and every background. My purpose in this is not to have my own hand in bashing Oprah. I simply felt that these two things were expressed in a false or confusing way and my heart couldn't rest easy until I wrote about it. I welcome comments whatever your belief but I ask that you remain respectful to me as well as others.

State Fair

It's that time again! Since October is Fair time of year and most of us foreigners come from an area that has a pretty decent State or County fair we like to hold our own. Last year was the first and it was so much fun we decided to make it a yearly event. Maybe it's just an excuse to make really fattening fried food but it was still a blast. You can see more pictures of the boys having fun here, but I thought I would run down the list of our State Fair menu (the first two items are our contributions).

-Sausage with peppers and onions

-Deep fried Snickers

-Caramel Apples

-Pretzels

-Corn on the cob

-Apple Pie

-Brownies

-Smokies

-Funnel Cake

-Grilled Chicken on a stick

-Root Beer Floats

-Hong Kong style beef noodles

(HK doesn't have a fair but we decided if it did, beef noodles would definitely be sold.)

-Pepto Bismol (ok, maybe that was just for me)

Add in some candy and a few games for the younger children and you've got a fun evening. So what I need to know is what was the new thing on the menu at the Fair this year? We've got to keep up when we plan for next year!

4 things

I wrote this last Wednesday after a public tag. I thought, wow, what a great post idea...I'll take that tag. So I wrote it and then before I could publish our internet went out. I kept hoping it would come back on its own since Stan was out of town and we had a really busy weekend coming up but no such luck. Thankfully there is no such thing as the weekend here so Stan went this afternoon and we are back in business.

So here are my 4 things.

1. tell me something great as of late


2. tell me something hard as of late


3. tell me something about your family


4. tell me something about your friends

1. Tell me something great as of late—Wireless Internet.

We finally got our router to work. Right now I’m sitting on my comfy bed, watching a movie (Elf, I told you I’m ready for Christmas) and blogging. This is oh so relaxing. When I finish I’m going to set the laptop aside and close my eyes for a few minutes. Ahhhh.

(This is slightly ironic since minutes later we lost all internet.

I am still super excited we have wireless though.)

2. Tell me something hard as of late—Life.

This has proven to be our most challenging season to date. With all the new changes around here we wanted to be sure we were thriving and not just surviving. We had the opportunity to talk with a comp. councilor this week and it was so wonderful. He gave us the best, most practical marriage and parenting advice/ideas I’ve ever heard. He really encouraged us. PTL for Godly wisdom!

3. Tell me something about your family—Good. Bad. Funny.

Good: Judah is smiling and laughing so much. He makes the whole family smile just looking at him. He’s 15.5 lbs of pure joy.

Bad: Bennett is having major sleep issues. The sleep thing is bad, not Bennett himself. Going down for naps and going to sleep at night is a battle, plus he’s up several times during the night. Since Judah is now sleeping 9 hours at night I’m tempted to have him give Bennett a sleeping tutorial.

Funny: Kirby told me today that when Judah gets bigger we are going to have a girl. Are we now? Apparently God has given him some insight that He hasn’t chosen to give me. Hmmm….

4. Tell me something about your friends—Near or far I can't live without them.

This part changed slightly since my original writing. I was so excited that a good friend that lives in a different city was coming to spend a week with us but plans had to change and she isn't able to come visit anymore. Sadness. :(

But, I still feel totally blessed by the friends that I have living here and back in the States. It is just amazing to have friends that are praying for me through this hard season of life and friends that encourage and turn me to the Word of God. I'm so blessed.

Now I'm passing along the tag. I want to hear your 4 things.

christmas

Yes, you read that right. I've already got Christmas on the brain. Mostly because it is the best holiday EVER, but also because this year I'm hoping to start a couple of new family traditions which will need a little preparation. For me the hardest part of Christmas is to make sure our focus stays on Christ and not get caught up in the rest. Don't get me wrong, I see no problem in giving gifts, having parties and all the other fun things but we want to be making an effort to teach the boys that Christmas is first and foremost about the Christ Child. Christmas is many things to many people but to me it is the celebration of Christ's birth. A good friend, who also served in a country that doesn't celebrate Christmas, gave me a couple of good ideas of things to do to help keep the focus of Christmas but also make it fun for children.

St. Nicholas Day-

This is the traditional spin on Santa Claus. We have never done Santa with our boys but I always wanted to be sure to teach where that tradition came from. The main reason I didn't want to do Santa was because I feel like it emphasizes gifts rather than THE gift. Of course I think there is a definite way to teach this and make it a part of our tradition without taking away from Christ's birth. St. Nicholas Day is traditionally on December 6th so we can do the whole treats in the stocking thing (the tradition calls for shoes but I want to use the boy's stockings) and have it be totally separate from Christmas.

Jesse Tree Advent Calendar-

There are several versions of this on the internet but the one that I like the best uses the Geneology of Christ as the basis for an Advent calendar. I am going to get a small tree and each day the boys will unwrap a new ornament for the tree. Each ornament will represent a different person in the geneology and we will read their story from the Bible and show how it points to the coming of Christ. I'm really excited about this but I'll probably have to make most of the ornaments by hand so I need to get busy.

Epiphany-

This is a small thing but I think it would be really neat to celebrate the Magi coming to see Christ on January 6th, the day of Epiphany. In the past this has been a day to commemorate their visit to Christ. My friend told me that in their family the Wise Men in their nativity set starts at the total opposite end of their house and throughout December and the first few days of January they slowly make their way to visit Christ in the manger.

I'm really excited about how we can use St. Nicholas Day to have fun and teach about several traditions that lead to what is now the modern Santa Claus in American and the Jesse Tree and Epiphany to teach the truths of the Bible. Most of all I'm really excited to get an early start on the most wonderful time of the year!

mommy meals

I had one of my first memorable mommy meal moments this week. You know what mommy meals are. Those evenings when you get to about 5 o'clock and either what you planned to make isn't going to happen due to time or you just had a crazy busy day and didn't plan at all or both. So what you end up doing is scouring the fridge and cabinets and coming up with something quick and easy. I'm almost positive that shepherd's pie and such things originated from a night like that. Sometimes you get a big hit that becomes a family tradition and sometimes you get raspberry vinaigrette chicken (sorry mom, you know it is true and has become the measure of a truly bad meal...at least that and the sweet potato filled oranges are your only two meal mishaps in the almost 30 years of my life). This week I had one of those times. I tried to be so organized and make up a weekly menu but when I went to WalMart they didn't have ground beef, so that meant the only other place to get it was to go to the large market, buy a cut of beef and have it ground myself. Well with no helper and a sick bunch I just didn't get in a second trip to the market so the spaghetti and meatballs that I had planned weren't going to happen. I thought about doing plain spaghetti but as I scanned the fridge I saw some things that needed to get eaten. Hmmm....here comes the mommy meal. I ended up combining some cut up chicken, rice, green chili with chicken sauce (I have no idea where it came from, most likely from someone cleaning out their cabinets when heading back to the States), a little milk to make it creamy and a packet of taco seasoning. It wasn't the best or most nutritious (note: I usually try to incorporate a green vegetable) meal I've ever made but not totally inedible either. Plus the boys like almost anything that has rice so they didn't really care. It filled our bellies and some nights that is the most important thing. Anybody out there make a mommy meal that has become a family favorite? I'm always looking for new ideas!

my big sister

(This is the traditional dress of her minority people group.

She wears this each day, as do many of the women of her generation.

The younger generations do not continue this since many of the minorities are assimilating into the more popular culture and many traditions and languages are being lost.)

This is Da Jie (pronounce Da with a short A and Jie like Geah), meaning big sister. It's traditional that I would call her this but everyone calls her Da Jie. Her whole family, even her actual older sisters. The boys call her Da Ma, Big Momma. But no matter what you want to call her I call her a blessing.

Whenever I talk to anyone in the States and mention that I have a house helper I feel slightly guilty. I'm afraid that they won't understand why and I always feel the need to justify it. Because we do what we do I always feel like it gives other people the impression that I'm sitting here watching movies and eating bon bons (you know, like all SAHM do ;) while someone else is doing all the house work and taking care of the boys. I also sometimes think to myself, I could do it without help, having her here is just making me lazy...until this week. It is Mid-Autumn Festival and harvest time so she stayed in her village to help her family. After the last few days I am absolutely reminded that Da Jie plays an important role in our day to day life.

First of all, if you ever get the chance to come and visit we have to sit down and let you hear her amazing story. She came to know the Lord about 6 years ago, when she worked for some friends of ours that are now back in the States. She has strong faith and a servant's heart. So when our friends were leaving they asked her if she would like to work for us. In this culture anyone that has status (which we do by default) or is well off is expected to have a house helper. For us we find that it saves me time in the little things--this week the shopping process seriously took almost an entire day between the actual shopping and then the washing of everything, usually Da Jie helps and it goes much faster, mostly because she has been doing it her whole life. The time I save allows me to spend time with the boys and study, hopefully when the boys are older it will allow me time to get out and do work. The bonus of having a local in our home is that she helps me with culture and language learning. Anyway, some of you may still think I am lazy and I'm ok with that. What I really wanted to do is give credit where it's due. My big sister has become such an important part of our life here. We feel so completely blessed to have her in our home, to partner with her in work and to be her friend.

Autumn Apple Salad

Thank you to everyone who gave exercise and healthy eating suggestions. I even had a friend who has lived here and knows what's available, thanks AnnaLee! Keep any suggestions you have coming. I'm always looking for new ideas with meals because dieting can get awfully boring without trying new things. I found a good recipe at allrecipes.com for a fruit salad that didn't include mayo, cream cheese or whipped cream. Usually those things turn a perfectly healthy snack or side dish into a tasty but high calorie option but this kept the calories low without losing the tastiness. Bonus!

Autumn Apple Salad

(for 4 servings)
4 Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup walnuts (the recipe called for slivered almonds but I can't get those here)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup raisins (called for dried cherries but raisins are easier and cheaper)
8 oz. low fat vanilla yogurt (I can't get low fat here but I think low fat yogurt in the States tastes better anyway, plus I had strawberry flavored on hand and used that.)
a drizzle of honey to taste

Chop apples into cubes and stir all together until all fruit is evenly coated by yogurt/honey mixture.

Simple as that. Next time I will add some banana in there too just because we all like them so much. Really you can add just about anything you want. The tartness of the apples was just so great mixed with the sweetness. This went great with blueberry pancakes and bacon when we made breakfast for dinner. The boys LOVED it. Any other healthy fallish dishes out there? Send them on!

nursing

OK, first of all let me start with saying that I am not one of those women that has a huge emotional tie to breast feeding or feel that I am intensely more connected to my child due to breast feeding. I have been blessed to be able to nurse my babies with relative ease. I do not practice attachment parenting. It is fine for some families but what has (and is) worked/ing best for our family is using the PDF method set forth in Babywise. I'm a scheduled person, I like knowing what my day will bring for the most part and how to get everything done around my baby's eating and sleeping schedule. But, as I step on my little parenting soapbox, I can in no way understand why we as mothers continue to place judgement on and criticize other mothers. Each of us knows the struggles and internal conflicts that come with being a mother. Should I work outside of the home or be a SAHM? Cloth or disposable diapers? How many children is the right number for my family? Public, private or homeschooling? Does he/she have a fever? Do I call the doctor? Has he/she eaten enough today? Oh no, another blow out! Ahhh, the only pair of comfortable jeans I own seriously smell like spit up! You get my point. We are in many ways all in the same boat. I'm just as guilty of the next mom for judging but I have to tell you I am seriously praying for my mind to stop that horrible mess. We should be more encouraging and supportive of each other. Especially now that there are far more serious things our children are facing at much younger ages. When it comes down to my children making important choices, like whether or not to except their friend's offer of drugs, it's not going to really matter if they were breast fed or not. Enough on that, I just got totally side tracked but I had to say it. I'm changing my thinking and praying so hard to be an encourager and not judger of other moms.

My real point is that this time around nursing is posing some new obstacles. With Kirby it was easy peasy. He was my only child so once we got the actual process down it was nothing. Then came Bennett, still not such a big deal. Kirby was 19 months old when Bennett was born so still very much at an age where I could keep him occupied for the time it took to nurse. A snack or short video was always a good option, not to mention the fact that at that point he was awesome at independent play. But now we have Judah. He is just as much a good nurser as the other two but Kirby and Bennett are at much different stages. Almost even more demanding simply for the fact that they are much less easy to occupy. Yes they do ok to play on their own, yes they can get their own snack if need be, yes Kirby can go to the potty unassisted. However, if you factor in the brotherly squabbles, the 'hey, I want to paint/play with play dough/go outside/etc.' and so many other things that only they can think of I find myself saying so very often...'I'm a little busy right now, you will have to wait.' I do not at all mind telling my children to wait but patience is not something they are very good at so I then have to endure whining, which is not so good for my patience. So we have resorted to watching much more TV than I had hoped and much less of the other activities that I would much rather the boys be doing. I am quite honestly putting off potty training Bennett because I know I can't give it enough attention. The preschool things I wanted to do with Kirby and Bennett will have to wait a while. Judah is ever so slowly working to extend his schedule so hopefully that will make life much easier on us all. I refuse to stop nursing just because it would make my days easier. The advantages, both for health (his and mine) and financial (formula is even more expensive here if you can believe it), far outweigh the inconvenience. But I definitely never thought that something that never really posed a problem two times before is now an issue. Alas, Bennett will eventually be potty trained and both will eventually know all the same things other preschool age children know. The added bonus is we will all continue to get a lesson in patience. Although in many ways this is a difficult season I don't want it to pass too quickly.

forgetful and clumsy

These are two of my very prominent yet personally disliked characteristics. Both come quite natural, are increased during pregnancy and have yet to return to normal levels. I've always been someone that has butter fingers and steps on the toes of others (literally). These occurrences greatly multiply during pregnancy, so much so that when I'm not pregnant and I'm having a particularly clumsy day Stan will start to get suspicious. And I definitely have my absent minded days. I feel like I used to have it together so much more but since becoming pregnant with Kirby, pregnancy brain turned into baby brain, turned into toddler brain, turned into preschooler brain, turned into mush. A good example happened just last week. I returned from my morning errands to find that we were without power. Since I had been at the market I needed to hop in the shower. I knew I could take a hot shower because our hot water heater connected to the shower is large and wouldn't have had time to cool down. So I shower and then go down stairs to get a bite to eat before time to feed Judah. I wanted to reheat some leftovers so I started to get it all ready, all the while having a conversation with DaJie (what we call our helper, meaning big sister) about how the power was out but I still had hot water, blah, blah, blah. She must have thought I was completely insane. I finished getting my lunch all prepared turned to the microwave and said 'Oh'. She laughed at me, as well she should have. She seems to laugh at me a lot. Sometimes I really wonder what she is thinking that she doesn't say out loud, probably something about her crazy American little sister. Thankfully now that she's been with us a year she is much more a friend than anything so she has come to expect me to spill, drop an trip frequently. Big sisters are good like that. Not only does she help me with language and cultural learning but she helps make sure I don't burn the house down. Which very well could be a risk with my coordination of late. And don't even ask me to prepare any type of food without some type of spill. That must be why whenever I start to make something she is extremely eager to help me, well that and she really is gifted with an incredible servant's heart. She needs a post all of her own, maybe soon to come.

So what I really want to know is will my clumsiness ever return to its more mild version of years before? Will my brain mush ever reform into a solid and be capable of retaining the slightest bit of information? Am I destined to depend on my Big Sister to keep me from disaster and sticky notes to keep my To Do's in order? Maybe, but I think I can handle it. If this is who I am to be permanently then I will accept it, move on and laugh at myself. Cause like Granny always says, 'It's better to laugh than to cry'!

i heart october

October is my absolute favorite month. Autumn is my absolute favorite season and alas October is Autumn to me. I decided to make an 'i heart October' list to bring in this wonderful month...enjoy.


-The humidity drops and is sometimes almost non-existent. This really only applies when I live in NC cause there seems to almost always be humidity in FL and hardly ever here, but growing up October brought great relief and the ability to straighten my hair with ease.

-Fall clothes are the best. I love to layer and my favorite is wearing jeans and a short sleeved shirt with flip flops and being so comfortable. Then throwing on a comfy sweater in the evening.

-The smell of clean, crisp air.

-The leaves changing color. The middle of October in the NC mountains is heavenly. I've never lived in the mountains (ok, well I do now but I meant in NC) but I remember lots of Fall time drives there as a kid. Or maybe I just made them up in my head, either way, it's the best. I'm seriously trying to plan for us to make it to NC in October during our first trip back to the States so Stan and I can have a weekend getaway in the mountains. I quite possibly might schedule the whole 6 months just around that. Grommy and Poppy, go ahead and mark your calendars now to watch the boys. Thanks.

-Stan and I met in October 10 years ago and started dating in October 9 years ago. Is is possible that Stan and I have been a couple that long!?!? I guess so since we started dating when I was 20...wow. I really wanted to get married in October but my love of the month wasn't worth putting the wedding off 7 more months.

-The State Fair. I love the crowds. I love the rides. I love the exhibits (even the animal ones believe it or not). Most of all I love the FOOD! Another great reason to make sure October 2011 is spent in NC.


There are so many more reasons but I think that is enough for now.
Happy October!