Newest family member

I've been going through my blog posts adding labels/tags, which has been nice in a reminiscing kind of way.

And then I realized that I don't think I posted about our newest family member!

Let me introduce you to Kitty Boots! We got him unexpectedly from a sweet friend who could no longer keep him because of allergy reasons. She was so sad to part with him, but I think she was glad to know where he would be and that he would have a good, loving home.

Boots is definitely a sweet kitty, and very fluffy, as you can see. He is also on a bit on the naughty side, but less so the longer he is with us.

He and Galileo have gotten along famously almost from the very first hour. At first it was the usual hiss-hiss, but then when the formalities were over, Galileo seemed to be like "at last! a feline friend!" and they've been close ever since.

They sometimes seem to bicker like an old married couple. One time Galileo was outside and he was briefly chased by a neighbor dog. Boots witnessed the whole thing from the window and as Galileo was running to the back of the house outside, Boots was running to the back of the house inside, crying and crying.

When we finally got Galileo down from the roof (where he had jumped to escape the dog - yes, he jumped on the roof), and brought him inside, Boots couldn't seem to decide if he was happy to see him or mad, and kept alternating between batting at him with his paw as if to scold him, and rubbing against him and meowing. It was pretty cute and funny and just a little bit moving to see.

And of course, there is the howling.

Boots knows how to howl. Like a dog or a coyote.

Galileo did not know how to do this. Until Boots taught him. At 3 am. Every morning. At 3 am. Did I mention the 3 am part?

Thankfully that has calmed down a bit . . .

As for the kids, they love him and Boots is so great with the kids. He has never scratched them or bitten them, even then lay on him, or attempt to carry him around. Mike and I are pretty vigilant about the kids leaving the kitties alone, but we can't be everywhere at once.

Bottom line - he's been a great addition to our little family and we look forward to many long and happy years together. :)

PWOC Spring Retreat Lesson

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

This verse is not new to me, but while I was on the PWOC in Santa Fe back in April, it really spoke to me – God just kept reminding me of His love and what that means through this verse again and again.

Christ died for us . .. not after we got our life together.

                                 . . .. not after we had a perfect marriage.

                                . . . not after we had instructed and parented our children perfectly.

                                 . .. not after had a good attitude all time, in every circumstance.

                                 

While we were still sinners . . .

While we in our addictions . . .

While we were angry . ..

While our marriage was a mess . . .

While our parenting was ungodly . .

While we were sinning . . .

While we were a mess . . . Christ died for us.

God doesn’t want us to come to Him after we “solved” our own problems. He wants us to come to Him in our brokenness, in our mess – so that He can heal us. At retreat we talked about treasure , specifically diamonds, and that diamonds start out a lump of coal – messy, dirty, unfinished. After heat, pressure and time are applied, that lump of coal turns into a diamond – beautiful, sparkling, complete. The same can be said for Christians.

Before the retreat I was very angry at circumstances in my life and during the retreat, God showed me that I needed to repent of that anger and the hurt that it had caused and give it over to Him. So that is what is I did. I have been a Christian for years, but this weekend Jesus reminded me that He saved me while I was angry. He took that anger and replaced it with peace.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to be there on the retreat, with amazing sisters in Christ who came along side me in love to pray for me, with me and use the Word to teach me, rebuke me, correct me and train me in righteousness, like the Word says in 2 Tim 3:16. It goes on to say, in verse 17, so that man, or woman in this case, may be fully equipped for every good work.

I pray that the Lord will continue to work in me, and you, until the day He returns and we are made perfect in Him. 

Christina, me, Caitie at breakfast in the hotel

Book Review: The Point by William E. Jefferson

Poetic. Stunning. Beautiful. Unexpected. Amazing.  Full of hope. A must-read.

A young couple coming to terms with a chronic disease.

A man split open by tragedy, shut off from the world, refusing to let anyone in.

An island of peace, tranquility and pondering.

Words written by monks about a story in which we are all apart. A story older than time. A story of love. And redemption.

Words to be contemplated. Believed. Remembered. Practiced.

William E. Jefferson's The Point: The Redemption of Oban Ironbout is all of these things and more. I was expecting a novel when I picked The Point, but Jefferson drew me into so much more thank just a novel with his amazing story of Hollie and Goodwin Macbreeze, who have traveled to the Isle of Estillyen. The island is inhabited by monks who write, and read, Readings: verses and stories from the Bible that are brought to life before your eyes.

The young Macbreeze's meet Oban Ironbout, who is a bit of mystery on the island. As the mystery unravels, they find themselves changed forever in this story of tragedy, of love and of redemption.

I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. The Readings are amazing. They are like seeing the Bible come to life in a whole new way and they will touch you. The story is wonderful - you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll put the book down to ponder and think on life and what it means. Jefferson's way of arranging words on paper is something very special that you don't see very often. You just have to read it. :)

Disclosure of Material Connection: The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Time for a change

It's been change time around our house lately! And I'm lovin' it!

What's the change? Well, Butterfly and Little Man shared a room for a long time (2.5 years to be exact) and it's high time they had their own rooms. Well, for a little while. Little Man will be sharing with Flower in about six months.

When we put them together, it was the best thing we could have done for them. They needed each other. They needed to not be alone at night. They needed the companionship. And they never fought. Or stayed up late talking (well, they did a few times, but it wasn't a regular basis thing). They got along so well.

Until about two months ago.

All of sudden they were fighting and yelling at each other when they woke up. Every. Single. Morning. Without fail.

And I was done. They were done. We were all done with the sharing of rooms.

The biggest hurdle to our rearrangement is that we had our "study" in one of the bedrooms. One computer table. One file cabinet. Three computers. One keyboard. One guitar. Five (yes, five!) book shelves. And over five hundred books. Not kidding. We're readers, what can I say? Big readers. (And I just got rid of a whole lot of books . . . .). So all of that stuff had to come out before Butterfly's bed and clothes/changing table came in.

We also had to decide where we were going to put all said books. We decided to turn the front part of garage (what is considered "dry storage" here in base housing) into our new study. We're going to get a nice rug and everything. Eventually. 

I started with a lot of ambition, put on some workout clothes and started moving books downstairs, through the house and out into the garage. While the kids were napping of course. Actually I put a movie on for Butterfly, which kept her contentedly ensconsed on the couch.

Twenty five or so trips later (yes - 25!),  I had worked up quite the sweat and kids were starting to wake up. And I had moved approximately two bookcases. I felt like I had hardly started, yet had worked really hard. An arm load of books is heavy. 25 arm loads of books down the stairs and very heavy.

Needless to say, the whole thing took a lot more time (and effort) than I had anticipated.

Then, (yay!) Mike's parents came to visit and while they were here, I was able to enlist Mike's help to finish moving the books out and Butterfly's bed inside and then we were finally done!!

Butterfly and Little Man were ecstatic to get their own rooms! Especially Butterfly. Little Man was so excited all day, but then at night, as he was laying in bed, curled up on his train pillow, he quietly said, "Where's Butterfly??" in a sad voice. I was so touched. He already missed his big sister!

He soon got used to her being in her own room though.

And the next morning? It was blissfully quiet! I heard a very quiet voice coming from Butterfly's room, "I need to go potty, Mommy." And that was it. No yelling. No fighting. No stressful first-thing-in-the-morning. YAY!!!!

And here are some pics for you!

Flower will be sharing a room with Little Man eventually . ..

She was so excited!

So excited!

She's just always happy, lol.

And the books? They're still sitting on the floor in the garage. When I get some more energy, I'll put them back on the shelves. In alphabetical order by author's last name, divided by genre. Not the Dewey-Decimal system, but close. And yes, I did research the Dewey-Decimal system for the purpose of our books at home, at one time. But that's just me! :)

Book Review: The Christian Mama's Guide to the Grade School Years

Being a new Mom isn't easy. And it doesn't get easier just because you're oldest is heading off to kindergarten - whether they're going to a public school, a private school or you're going to home school. In some ways, it might even get a little harder. Erin MacPherson's The Christian Mama's Guide to the Grade School Years is just the resource to pick up if you want some honest, down to earth (and witty) advice on how to navigate the waters of school-dom. Erin, and her Mom Ellen Schuknecht, who is a dean of family ministries at a private school, go through the how-to-get-your-kid-prepared low-down. Covering everything from social-emotional learning to bullying in school and what to do about it, this book is a great resource for any parent who has a little one venturing into the world of school for the first time.

I loved this book! I loved the emphasis that was put on spiritual readiness and pointing your child in the direction of the adult that you want them to become (God-loving, people-loving, honest, compassionate, etc). I really enjoyed Erin's antidotes from personal experience as well. She isn't perfect, and she isn't afraid to admit it, which makes her, and her experience and what she has to say, very relatable. I would recommend this book for any parent who has curiosities, uncertainties or downright fears about their child entering kindergarten, no matter which type of school is chosen.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Heartbroken for Oklahoma

Many of you probably already know about the devastating tornadoes that struck Moore, Oklahoma, today around 1500 CST.

About the two elementary schools that were directly hit. And the hospital. And the movie theater. And the whole neighborhoods wiped off the earth.

If you haven't heard, click here and here.

There are 51 24 (updated Tuesday morning by OK Medical Examiner's Office) confirmed deaths, many of them children who were trapped in one of the elementary schools. The houses ripped off their foundations, debris littering the area for miles around. The metal wrapped around limbless, leafless, lifeless trees. Cars flipped upside down, tossed about and thrown through walls. The mud caking remaining buildings, cars, people.

The damage path was 30 square miles. The tornado over 2 a mile wide at its' widest.

I am so heartbroken about this.

You see, Oklahoma is my home. I may not be "Sooner Born, Sooner Bred", but I consider Oklahoma home. I left a piece of my heart with the land and people there.

I have so many friends who live in Oklahoma.

Who live in Moore.

Who live in the neighborhoods that took a direct hit.

I have been in touch with them either directly or through friends on FB and so far no one I know has lost their lives or been injured, but some have lost their homes. Everything they have is gone.

Some have damage to their homes, and cannot stay for the time being.

I so want to be there with my friends to help in any way I can. But since I am two states away, all I can do is pray (which is no small matter for with God all things are possible, but in my humanness, I wish I could physically do something to help), so praying is what I have been doing.

I must confess some of my prayers have been questions to God "Why? Why children? Why so much pain and devastation? Why to Oklahomans, who are are good people, God-fearing people?"

The answer I got was a small, quiet voice whispering " . . . he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous." (Matt 5:45b)

It didn't directly answer my questions, but it did bring me a small, still peace inside to quiet the storm of uncertainty and doubt in my heart.

I am praying for you tonight my fellow Okies - praying for comfort, praying for peace, praying for safety (as I've heard looters have already started coming around), praying for those who lost loved ones, especially the parents who lost their child[ren] in the storm, praying for those who lost their homes, praying for mercy . .. and when I don't even know what words to pray, I know the Holy Spirit will intercede on my half in words that I cannot express.

One thing I do know for sure, and it one of the characteristics of Oklahomans that caused me to fall in love with this state and its' people, is that there are people, right now, who are opening their homes to friends and family and neighbors, helping them out, no questions asked. There are people who will be giving their friends, family and neighbors the shirt off their backs. And the people of Moore will come together and comfort one another and help each other through the grieving process, and then they will resiliently rebuild their city and they will be the stronger for it.

You've been down this road before Moore, Oklahoma, and you will overcome tragedy and rise again. God bless you Oklahoma! I love you!

Book Review: A Place to Belong by Lauraine Snelling

The adventure of life on a ranch in South Dakota continues for Cassie Lockwood in this final book of the Wild West Wind series, titled: A Place to Belong by Lauraine Snelling. Cassie is still getting used to how to live and work on a ranch with help of Mavis and her sons, but the allure of being apart of a wild west show still calls to her. Questioning her relationship and love for Lucas and what the future holds leads her to ask some very big questions of herself and God. What will happen if she decides to leave the ranch and pursue her former life as a star in a wild west show?

I loved this book! I also really enjoyed the prequel, Whispers in the Wind. Snelling writes about ranch life with love and passion, still including the realities of the hard work it takes to run a ranch, especially back in wild west days. The romantic aspects of the story were pretty fun to read as well.  I felt like I was getting to know the characters even more and the friendship between reader and character grew. The story picks up right where Snelling left off in the previous book, although I think it would be possible to read this book as a stand alone.

I would recommend this book for anyone who loves western romance fiction, historical fiction or asked God some big questions about the future.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Bethany Publishing Company book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

Color Me Rad 5K!

One of my 101 in 1001 goals was to start running on a regular basis again. I am very happy to [finally] announce that I have been doing just that!

I started running with some friends in late February on a somewhat regular basis (I think they ran more regularly than I did!). And then a week or so later, I found myself signing up for the Color Me Rad 5K on 21 Apr!

At first, I set my goal to run the 5K in under 30 minutes, since my slowest 5K race (back in high school, which was 14 years (years!!!) ago) was never over 30 minutes. Then after running a few weeks, I revised my goal to just run the entire race and not walk at all. (I was having a hard time making it 1.5 miles without stopping to walk, although that was because I got such horrible cotton mouth and had to have some water before I started gagging and throwing up.) I think the longest run I got in before the race was 2 miles, so I was pretty sure I wouldn't make my goal.

I also counted time at Jazzercise as training, because frankly Jazzercise is quite the workout! :)

A whole bunch of us at Kirtland PWOC signed up for the Color Me Rad 5K and a friend of mine even ordered us some neon streaked "Crazy Pants"!

So the big day arrived and I felt ready!

It was a beautiful Albuquerque spring day! Race day dawned bright and clear with sunny blue skies. It was pretty cold but once the sun was out for about an hour, it warmed right up. I hosted a breakfast with a few of my friends and we car pooled over together. Mike sweetly watched the kids so I didn't have to worry about them.

I was really surprised at how many people turned out for the run! We later heard that 5,000 people signed up to run! And over $4,000 was raised to help with the Boston Marathon Fund after the horrible terror attacks that happened near the finish line at the Boston Marathon just a short time prior to this race.

Of course, this was a Color Run so we had on white t-shirts and we all had our crazy pants.

I'm third from left.

The run was a lot of fun! We were in the first wave at 0900, but then they broke that wave into 3 or 4 shorter waves, so we ended up waiting at the start line for about 25 minutes before we finally got to start. I ran the entire race with my friend Whitney and her friend Heather who had come in from out of town to run the race with Whitney.

There weren't as many color stations as I thought that there would be, but they were pretty fun to go through and we got doused with colored powder and colored spray of some kind (it wasm't water, whatever it was, and it was cold!). The race was held at the Balloon Fiesta Park, and they even had a hot air balloon tethered above the racers, which was pretty cool.

I'm on the far left.

The race course wound around and at the very end they had a huge color station and I couldn't even see through the cloud of orange color, it was pretty neat crossing the finish line again for the first time in so many years. And I met my goal - I ran the entire way without stopping!! (I carried water with me).

It was a super fun time, I loved getting back into running again and being in a race, and being completely covered in color by the end was pretty rad, if I do say so myself. :)

I got blued right in the face at the start of the race!