A Sunset

Hello I have been so bad about posting. I have had alot going on around here. I am still not quite ready to post about it. I am sure I will eventually. I have had some good things happen and some not good things happen lately. I am trusting God to take care of the not so good things. He made everything. The world, the rain, the feet of snow we had over the weekend, the sun rise and yes even the sunset. He is always and forever faithful. He is working on us and for us before we even know there is a problem. We had to drive in to Hutchinson, Ks today for some doctor appointments. As we were driving home this evening two of my boys and my daughter and I were so blessed to see such a lovely sunset. We stopped and took the first 5 pictures and then we headed farther toward home and then decided we wanted to watch the rest. So I turned back of the highway and we pulled over and watched the lovely sun set. What a blessing to have had the freedom and time to just sit and enjoy the art that God placed here for us. I hope you can enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed taking them.
Hugs
Amy

SNOW and small update

Things here are obviously cold and wet. I am so wanting spring to finally get here. I am waiting on many things right now. And am looking at a whole twist to my life. God has already blessed me in some of what is to come. Just need to hold on and keep trusting and have that faith that God has a plan and he wants only good for us.
Hugs
Amy

Been working on a gift

I have been working on a gift this evening for one of Wade from Staynlis' daughters. She had a birthday yesterday. So besides the other hair things and lip gloss and goodies she isgetting thought I would make her a little book.

Have a delightful Sunday
Hugs
Amy

With out God it is just talent, I got the illustration before the lesson

So I had women's group last night. We were bringing in goodies for snacking on, plus it was someone birthday. So I decided I am making lemon squares. I have the best recipe for them. And since I kinda pride, gasp, yes pride myself on my baking and cooking, I am actually trying to look at this a bit different today and I will explain, just bear with me.

So I have made a wonderful looking batch of these bars they smell great and the crumbs tasted good. I need to leave in 20 min. So I am trying to get them out of the pan. I used my pan that has a removable bottom, so that I won't mess any of the bars up taking them out of the pan, I can just pop out the bottom and cut them and then have perfect squares. So I am pushing it out when suddenly it just flies out flips over and SPLAT on the floor it goes. I screamed, I fled, I wept.

I have been so struggling the last few weeks and this was the first time I would have been bringing any of my cooking to this church. And for someone who is a perfectionist by nature, a pleaser by nature, and one who very used to compliments on her cooking and may be a wee bit proud of that, I broke. I have never had something like this happen to me. I ran to my room and just wept. My husband came in and rubbed my back and said he was sorry, and then said well you still have the wraps, and while yes the turkey, bacon, ranch wraps that I make are always a hit, they ARE NOT LEMON BARS. I was so frustrated. I said no the only thing I am good at is this, this is my thing and now it is ruined. I then told him no I don't want to take the wraps, yes pity party, I am not taking anything.

My husband said everyone will love the wraps take them. I sat here in misery a few more minutes. Got up washed my face, I had no time for makeup now, great no make up and a red blotchy nose and face and eyes. SIGH........ I got going grabbed a plate from the china cabinet, cause NO I CAN NOT SERVE OUT OF A STORAGE CONTAINER. Then headed out the door with the wraps, my bible, a journal, and alot of self pity..... As I drove I listened to K-Love and decided to be my usual cheerful self. Decided I would just throw it out there and say Hey you almost got some of my yummy lemon bars, but as they fell on the floor and even though we mopped today with 6 kids and the dogs....... well you probably don't want them now, HAHAHHAHAHHHAHAHA.

So I did everyone laughed and I served the wraps which everyone loved and complimented me on, which I do appreciate made me feel a bit better, remember, pleaser here. But that is not the point of this.

We were studying more then this but the quick point to last nights lesson is how without God our talents are just talents not gifts. And how if we are just using them and not letting God use them through us that they will often fail. My jaw still hurts from hitting the table, LOL. So I sat there with a small little smile of chagrin on my face thinking, Okay God, yes I was using my talents to try to do something not letting you use me. I get it, I guess I needed that lesson. I so often try to do things, because, I can do them, I need to remember to wait on God to use me.

Rats I hate when I get some pruning done. Like I mentioned before in my previous post, I am looking at myself as a plant, perhaps a showy red loud rose bush. That's kinda my speed I love red, I do admit to being thorny sometimes, and yeah I can be a bit showy and loud, but really though it is not in an obnoxious way, I would hope my friends would tell me, and as people seem to like to see me coming, I think I am good. Anyway, last night I had some pruning done, pruning is good. It promotes growth, makes the plant healthier.

But still the human person in me wishes I could have learned this with a stupid batch of cookies...... Oh well, God knows I probably would not have learned it that way.

Hugs
Amy

I have been repotted!!!

Okay so you all know that I have been struggling. Well we have been going to a new church as I mentioned before. I have been so blessed there has not been one time that I have been there that if the Pastor had only been speaking to me, that it would have been totally relevant and pertinent. This in itself is awesome. He has me reading a couplf of his books and I have already underlined alot in the first chapter that were like "DING' lightbulb moments.

So anyway I am now going to the ladies group on Wednesdays. I have been so blessed by the this group already. I really struggled with our last church when suddenly after everything I have given to this church, they all turned on me. I have been going through alot, over the past few years. Suddenly it seems almost as a collective group they all started pecking me to death like chickens do to a chicken that is already struggling.

This hurt as I tend to be a pleaser and so I tried to do so much for this church, I painted, cleaned, cooked, set up, tore down, organized meals, organized meals for the sick,voluntered for everything, organized community sevice workers, answered phones, worked in the nursery, provided breakfast for the whole church on Sudays, baked cakes for the special occasions, made phone calls for events, etc. Yeah I try to be a pleaser. Anyway, I stopped going to the ladies group when I was picked at during an occasion where I was asked to lead the group for the night. I have been alone there.

I have come to accept that a change was most definatley needed. Lets take plants for example, some of us, me, just hate change so much that we are willing to take the few sprinkles of water were harldy ever given and just keep on hanging in there, not thriving, not growing, just being there. Well every now and again, you have to prune you plants and repot them to give them more space for their roots to spread and their branches to grow. So even though I had been feeling for a long time that I was dying in this little squashed pot of a church, we did not make the change.

Praise God that he made it so uncomfortable that WE HAVE BEEN OFFICALLY REPOTTED LOL. I can feel my roots streatching out already. This new group is gowing through lessons that are allowing growth and thought. PRAISE GOD

Well at least I wasn't trying to save a spot at the gas station

So if you recale my Feb 19th post about the inccident at the school program, then you will appreciate the title and the following story, if you have not read it scroll down and you get it, LOL

Man trying to save spot for wife gets run over

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. – Authorities said a man intentionally ran over another man who was trying to save a parking spot at a gas station on Monday. The Lee County Sheriff's Office reported that the victim was standing in a spot to reserve it for his wife at the Murphy USA gas station.

The man saving the spot told deputies that he held up his hands when another man pulled up to the line, but the man drove forward and hit him in the knees.

When the victim yelled at the man to stop, authorities said the suspect pulled forward and hit the man again, causing bruising and swelling. Other witnesses backed up the victim's story.

The suspect was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery.

A lovely place to visit

I was touched today by a post from another gal on her blog. It was a blessing on this winter time of life that I am traveling through. Her blog is called Prarie Prologue. The link is down a bit in my favorites on the right hand side. Please go visit and check out her wonderful thoughts.

Hugs
Amy

These things

Okay you can probably guess what this first picture is. My two youngest begged for rainbow Slinky's. Now I do not usually but them things just because they asked, but their big brother got one on Saturday and boy have they been envious. Well yesterday we were at the dollar store and they had bog rainbow Slinky's for 1 dollar. So okay I thought you can get a slinky. The smiles were well worth the 2 dollars. And now do you know what I have been doing for the last now 24 hours, I figure I have untangled them approximately 3,240 times, LOL. They are having lots of fun with them, making them walk down the stairs, making smiles with them, making rainbow hair with them, making necklaces, bracelets, you get the general idea. So I spend part of my day untangling them. It is so worth the priceless smiles of joy when Mom fixes the toy yet again.

So what's this you ask.

Okay now do you remember from my Saturday post what I wanted to shop for??? Well after an hour and 15 billion different bras. I finally found one that makes me and parts of me happy, LOL ; ) Gosh darn it who makes these things. There are those lovely creations of lace and pink satin that look nice on the hanger and then you put it on and you ponder WHO on earth made this thing???? I mean your "parts" are headed east and west, not just say north, LOL... HAHAHAHAHAH Then there are the peach colored ones who again look good on the hanger and then you put it on and it looks like either a bra from way back when pointy was good or remember Madonna in the 90's???? Okay so you know what I am taking about. Then there was the lovely brown one that had both the aforementioned problems. I will not bore you with all of the details, but, after trying on that many, I had a lovely rubbed area on my back, OUCH!!!! Now what you might ask does the above picture have to do with all this??? Come now there must be another not very tall yet well curved gal who knows what these are..................................... No, well this is what I have to do to every single last bra that enters my home. The lovely under wire/torture devices, must come out. They dig into my ribs and even worse right up into my underarm. I am only 5'1" so my shorter stature makes these hideous things just evil in my book.

LOL now that some of you may have gotten much more info then you wanted, I AM HAPPY. I am thankful for my small things. And a new bra with only 1 hour of trying them on and only having to go to 1 store well that makes me happy.

Hugs
Amy

Happy Birthday Babe I love you

Well today is my husbands 36th birthday. While I told him I would not plan anymore surprise parties, LOL. Okay so yes in the 20 years we have been together, I have planned only 2. But anyway, while I am NOT planning a party. Our 6 kids and I are planning something. And while he does read my blog, he is at work and will not be reading it until he gets home later today or after that. So we bought his present yesterday. The kids actually picked it out and that's fine with me. They know what he likes too! He has a favorite cake that I will be making later and it really is yummy. I started it the first year we were married. There is chocolate, strawberries and whipped cream involved. Lets just say that. I do not tend to give out my recipes for cakes very often, so I just give the general idea, LOL..

Babe I pray that your day today is wonderful and you next year truly blessed. I love you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

And if you all read this and would like to pray for my husband to have a blessed day and a wonderful year, then hey the more the merrier!!!

Be Blessed everyone

Hugs
Amy

A few, check that alot of things that stress me out

Some of you who know me and have actually talked to me know that I am a fairly upbeat kinda gal. I am always trying to find something to be happy about. I believe firmly in the fact that I find my joy, peace and happiness in God. Today I am just grrrrrrrr stressed, angry, mad, you know those kind of words, LOL. I am pretty much keeping a tight rein on my tongue, LOL. Which is good. I have had such a long day.

I was up until 3:30 Sat. morning. My husband and one of the guitarists decided to get together yesterday and practice and stuff. So I went to a friends house in McPherson and helped to stamp out some cards and get them put together for someone. That was alot of fun. Except that it got kind of late. My husband did not get there until almost 1:00 am.

Then we had to go to Walmart. There were things we needed this morning and so we went to Walmart. Drove home and finally after taking dogs out and making sure everyone was tucked in and where they needed to be. FINAllY, I got to bed. So early this morning. I woke up, kinda slowly got moving ran to the thrift store where miracle, upon miracle I found 4 pairs of pants for my little boys that were in decent shape and did not cost an arm and a leg.

Went home and my husband suggested taking the kids out for lunch and then out to do something. Well, I had been wanting to do a bit of shopping for some let's say feminine undergarments. Okay y'all got me?? Plus I had 3 kiddos that needed new shoes. And 1 that needed a new coat as the zipper busted off on his and as it was a not so toasty 20 degrees today where we live. I figured a new coat was in order. Especially as he was outgrowing his anyway.

So we went to lunch and while eating my husband started not feeling well. So I said okay let's drive you home, get you to bed, and I will take the kids myself. I made sure he was settled in and then after people needing to use the bathroom and running back in for something. We headed out.

So, we go to an unfortunate, 8 stores today, myself and 6 kiddos, and then I went into 2 others alone. In the first 4 store we found nothing, except my new Schnauzer key chain. SIGH....... Nothing like cold weather that chaps your hands and face and nothing much to show for it. We went to the dollar tree picked up a few odd and ends that we needed some pencils and paper. Okay so we needed that stuff. ONWARD.....

Payless shoe store had a BOGO half off sale and this included everything. They had little boys Airwalks marked down already, plus the BOGO half off. As we like the Airwalk brand, I went ahead and bought them. We only had a small incident of fussing from the 5 and 6 year old who for some reason thought they were getting Heelies. Yeah, not today... Okay this one it was worth going in. Then we briefly went into Game Stop.... SIGH, why is this store always full of a bunch of men??? Sometimes a woman or two like myself, saying to someone at the register, well I don't know they just told me....... or they said this was scratched and they needed me to return it. Those few of us, a couple of kids, and a bunch of overgrown boys, I mean men looking for games. SIGH.... I decided that I did not want to be in there with 6 kids.

So I had my oldest stay with my daughter who was looking for a game, and I loaded the 3 youngest and my 14 year old into the car and then drive it down in front of Game Stop and parked sent my oldest out and then paid for the game. Whoohoooo onward to Walmart. Yeah........ Was my enthusiasm waining, yup. Did I really want to go into Walmart, no. But we still needed a coat, a pair of shoes, and for some reason the thought of purchasing the aforementioned undergarment had yet to leave my head.

So we found a coat pretty fast. 7 bucks for a warm, toasty, thick coat. I can live with that. Onward to shoes, this took awhile, but then shopping with a 13 year old girl usually does.... We finally found the last pair of a black with blue trim pair of tennis shoes. Then we searched the electronics department for an inexpensive pair of headphones. Finally I gave up said I hate shopping at a Walmart I do not know, I am done we have a few other things we need let's go. As I turned to leave electronics, that's when it hits me.

What you ask??? What was it that finally dawned on this sleep deprived, weary, mother of 6???? THERE IS NO POSSIBLY WAY I AM GOING TO TRY TO SHOP FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED UNDERGARMENT WITH 6 KIDS IN TOW. ESPECIALLY AS 5 WERE BOYS. Why on earth it had not occurred to me until then, I will never know. You would have thought I would have given up on that idea quite quickly. You know like hours before when my husband said he was not going with us??? That would have been a fine time to have a realization. As it was in the middle of the store after other frustration, I was kinda annoyed. Not with the kids, not with my husband, just plain ol' annoyed. SIGH.....

So I turned to leave and a few rows down guess what? I found the stupid headphones. So we bought those and then the hunt began. WE WERE ON A MISSION. The search for ginger root. All of a sudden it seems Walmarts aren't carrying it. I finally gave up, paid,packed all the kids in the suburban, and then started for home. After I got on the freeway, my daughter says Dillon's sells ginger root. Now I was not sure if this was true or not as I do not typically shop at Dillon's, but about 2 miles down the highway, I pulled off and turned around.

Now I did not want to turn around. I don't take ginger root. But my husband, you know, the poor guy sick at home. He uses ginger root. So I turn back. I go back to the Dillon's a few miles back and go in. Brrrrr it's cold as it is now dark. I go in, search 3 places where they have herbs. NO GINGER ROOT...... I could have cried. I am so tired. AS I get back into the suburban the kids ask if I got it. NOPE they did not have it here. I start thinking hey wasn't there some stupid place called Vitamin something back another couple of miles, the wrong way. I think okay I will call home ask husband to get number and call them. I try calling. No answer, no answering machine..... GRRRRRRRRR What the heck here I am running myself all over looking for ginger root and he isn't answering the phone.

Then I noticed a Papa Murphy's, So I pull in there and go in and pick up a couple of their take and bake pizzas. After they made them all up and I climb in the car, I finally get a return call. I was on the phone with someone else, I am told. I am now cold, weary and hungry and could really care less about the stupid ginger root. Hey I don't need it. So not a nice attitude, I know. I am working on it, okay? I mean hey what if we were being hijacked or held for ransom or the car broke down or hey what if I needed to ask him a question and I only had the one call for some reason. SIGH....... WHY DID YOU NOT ANSWER??? Of course that last few things I thought to myself. I said hey I was gonna have you look up this place and see if they had it, but just never mind now, I am heading home.

So he asks me, how far away are you, SIGH......... Man, I am such a sucker pushover sort of gal. Okay Hun, you look them up and call them and if they have it I will go and get it, I will start driving that way, but I will not get out unless you get and answer. Well he calls them and they have it and so I go and get it. YEAH!!!!! GINGER ROOT!!!! Can't you feel the love, the enthusiasm, the excitement, the joy. NO??? Me either, just checking!

Okay so it is 7:00 and cold. I drive home 30 minutes. I stop to pick up the movies I promised to rent and then we go home. I was going to put gas in. But you know the mean part of me won that battle. I decided my husband could put the gas in tomorrow morning while I sit warm and comfy in the car on the way to church. Yeah, not the nicest. I know. I am really trying otherwise. No not a good excuse, but come on it was sooooo cold. Sniff sniff, come on you all know you feel sooooo sorry for poor ol' me.


So, I get home dinner is made, I wait until after the movie and then finally cut my 14 year olds hair. I brush him off, send him to the shower first and say be fast I need a shower too. I always take a shower after I cut hair. Otherwise I feel like way itchy, LOL. So kiddo gets in the shower and I hear I am done. I was honestly not watching the time. And incidentally, we are having to use the shower in the laundry room/bathroom, as one of the youngest got mad, kicked a little wooden door in the hall and cracked the PVC pipe for the shower in the front bathroom. So we need to fix that now, and the laundry room shower head has a much higher pressure and flow for the water. So I finally go to take a shower to wash my hair for church and get the cut hair off of me.

I HAVE NO WARM WATER..... IT IS ICY COLD.... WHY, I AM SO TIRED, I JUST WANT A SHOWER, WHINE WHINE WHINE. I did start to cry. With everything going on in my life and then today... I am just plain ol' worn out. So that's why I am here whining at you all. Cause I have to wait.

I hope everyone is having a better weekend then me. I hope you all have a delightful Sunday.

Be Blessed
Hugs
Amy