Friday, July 30, 2010

Update

Now and Then On the way home today, I was eagerly anticipating being able to use my new laptop! The shock and the upset over losing my old one has been lessened as I've fallen in love with my new one... That being said, I am still anxious to take some other measures to see if I can, in fact, recover the documents and data off of my old hard drive... I'm not throwing in the towel yet.
As for catching up on my homework, yesterday was productive but not enough to get me completely caught up. I still have my "major" paper to start over and another three papers to write. I was completely amazed to realize last night that I only have 2 weeks left of these classes and then I will only have 3 classes left... only 8 weeks of two classes and 8 weeks of one class... And then I'll be done with course work!!!! Done! All I'll have left is practicum... And then I'll apply for internship, take my licensure exam and.... Wow. It seems like it might actually be really happening. :)
The weather has been fantastic here! We are deep in the heart of monsoon season and we've been blessed with tons of lightning and thunder. We've had rain to play in and to cool the mugginess. The kids haven't been swimming much this week; our neighbors have been gone. The kids have been entertaining themselves mainly with the computer and tv... I'm excited for school to start again, but I'm not looking forward to the battle that I know will ensue on the first couple of days that I start dragging kids to school. Nathan has already said that he would rather stay home and play the computer instead of going to school. Well, no chance of that Bud! I've talked to him about it and I've stressed about what kind of mother that makes me...
Lowell's promotion has been put on hold because their company has voted to go union. I have no idea how long it will take before they will negotiate all of their new working conditions and salaries so that is a bummer. Additionally, they have told Lowell (because he's a supervisor) that they are going to be letting a couple more people go. One of them is a friend of Lowell's. Again, with the addition of the union, I don't know how soon this will go through, but I know Lowell doesn't like having information that he can't share with his friend.
Nathan has a birthday party to go to tomorrow - it will be his first time bowling! The girls are going to get together with the younger siblings of the birthday boy, so I think I'll have a houseful of kids tomorrow. Usually we yard-sale on Saturday mornings, but I think tomorrow will find us going to Walmart for a birthday present and dropping off my car for its much needed oil change.
We are still hurtling toward October when we will be moving. I am still purging and packing slowly but surely. I've packed a lot of books and almost all of the little knick-knacky things. I've gone through the kids rooms as well as the clothes, kitchen, games, linens and scrapbooking stuff in order to get rid of things. I still need to go through the file cabinets and the movies... And I'm sure there will be more things to get rid up as we get closer to the day. We still don't know where we're going... We are still thinking Tonopah for the most part but after that, things get fuzzy. There is the possibility that we could apply for a mortgage and buy something or maybe rent and still consider our options. Long term, Lowell and I are talking about staying here for two or three years and then possibly moving back to northern California once my internship is completed. I could teach at the community college there and still have my own practice. And Lowell would be ecstatic to be back in the type of landscape that he loves. He misses the trees and the mountains... He is doing remarkably well with the heat here however!! Very different from the last time we lived here! :)

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Just a Thursday

I am here, typing to you on a new laptop. It was not the joyous occassion that one might first think because the only reason I got a new laptop was because my old one died... along with everything on it. That was a tough day. It took a week just to find out that it was totally dead and then I got the news that all my data was lost. Crummy. By that point, I was already a week behind in my classes. Thankfully my profs are going to accept all my work late without penalty, the problem now is that I have to do two weeks of work in one week. I already have enough trouble getting my work done for one week... So, I've taken a mental health day today to catch up on homework. I was very much a God thing that I happened to ask for today off... Not only do I desperately need to do some homework, but yesterday at work was a doosey.
I spent about an hour on the phone with a woman who was suicidal and, at one point, said she couldn't do it anymore and hung up on me. At that point, I didn't have her phone number or location. I was devastated. Thankfully, she called me back and, in time, I was able to get her to let me call the police for her safety. We got her to a mental facility where she can be taken care of and then we're going to work on getting her a place to stay.... All in a days work, I suppose, but emotionally, it took a lot out of me.
On the way home, I turned up my radio and prayed for God to refill me of the emotional strength that I had expended at work because I knew that when I got home, I'd need to be ready to give to my kids and my husband. I couldn't be empty when I got home. And, like He always does, through worshipping Him and sitting in silence, He refilled me with energy and strength so that I could take care of my family. I am very thankful that God used me in that woman's life and also thankful that He loves me enough to help me recover. :)
Now, enough procrastination, back to my papers..... :)

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Amazement


I can't believe it.
The boy has done it.
Using his handy "cricket catcher" (otherwise known as a strainer) he has succesfully nabbed a lizard. And a baby lizard at that. I confessed to him that the only reason I told him to first catch the lizard before we talked about him keeping one was because I never thought he would actually catch one... Well, I underestimated my son.
My husband has also surprised me. He is supporting Nathan's new pet and even volunteered to help Nathan find ants and bugs to feed his new pet. Oh, the lizard's name is Quick. How appropriate. :)

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Parenting by Phone

Because of our schedules, Lowell is the parent at home during the day. However, this is also his time to be sleeping. With three active kids at home, this arrangement has not been very conducive to sleep. So I've started parenting by phone from work. If there is an issue, the kids call me instead of waking up their dad. Nathan has gotten very good at using the microwave and has even conquered the electric can opener!! (It is very difficult to teach an 8 year old to use an electric can opener over the phone...) When they are getting hungry, they will call me and I'll tell Nathan what to fix and he makes lunch for everyone. Also, I settle disputes, kiss owies and suggest ways to avoid boredom... I love this system because it has allowed me to be more involved with their lives even though I am not physically home with them. Also, Lowell has been able to sleep for longer than 2 hours straight for the first time in months! I've been parenting by phone for about a week now, but today was special and I wanted to share it with you...

Around 9am
Nathan calls. He has gotten a blue bowl from my kitchen and has filled it up with leaves, sticks, sand and a little water. He's outside watching lizards and believes that he's found where they "disappear" to - a hole at the bottom of the empty house next door. Said hole has been blocked off. This is his way of feeling me out to see if a pet lizard is in his future... Catch it first, and then we'll talk about keeping it.
9:15am
Nathan calls. Totally out of breath. Lizard has been chased through three different front yards, out from under bushes, between houses and up walls. "He's really good at running, I'll give him that much."
9:20am
Lizard has gone up the concrete wall and Nathan can't jump high enough to reach it. Need to come up with a new plan.
9:35am
Lizard went over the wall and has reappeared near the house. Nathan gave chase and was "like 5 inches behind him" but, alas, he has escaped again.
9:39am
Lizard has been lost under a bush. Mom cautions that chasing the lizard too much will cause it to die. Nathan reasons that since he keeps coming back out, there must be a reason.
9:42am
Nathan decides the lizard is thirsty and is going to lure him out of the bush with a large dish of water.
10:10am
New plan. Now the sisters are enlisted to help "herd" lizard into the area where Nathan will be waiting with the bowl. (Insert long conversation here about exactly how Nathan plans to physically catch the lizard and then transfer it into the bowl...)
10:15am
New plan fails. Lizard got too close to Chloe and she screamed. Chloe squeals, "Its soo gross."
10:25am
Secret lizard lair has been located. 2 lizards have been seen going under a board in the neighbors yard. Further reconnaissance is necessary.
10:35am
Nathan decides that its too hot for lizard hunting and that he will resume his operation in the evening.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Fear Becomes Peace

I have been struggling for quite awhile with the fear of losing my kids. I've been afraid of something happening to them, of them getting hurt, being taken, having their hearts broken or a million of other things, but my ultimate fear is of losing them completely. I've been terrified that I would lose one or more of my children and I didn't know how I could deal with that loss.
My fear was always about the physical and emotional pain, but I also realized that this fear had a spiritual component. I knew that my incredible fear about my children was a lack of trust in God. There's a quote on the side of my blog that says,
"We're not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.
- C. S. Lewis"
This was always my fear, that it would be in my best interest to go through the pain of losing a child. I know that God has a plan for me, but I was really afraid of the pain.
That being said, I am still afraid of the pain that would come if I were to lose one of my children. However, I have made peace with the fear.
Yesterday, I invited one of my friends to come with me to church. She came. And she accepted Christ. I was so excited that I called Lowell on my way home.
When I hung up the phone, Nathan asked me what I meant by "she accepted Christ". So I explained to all of them about asking Jesus to live in your heart. I reminded them that once they've done it, they don't need to do it again - its sealed in heaven. But I also told them that if they weren't sure that they'd asked Jesus to live in their hearts, that it was super easy and that we could pray right there on the freeway...
If you want to ask Jesus to come into your heart, all you have to do is ask Him. "Jesus, I know that I've made mistakes in my life and that I need You to forgive me. I believe that You died for my sins and that You love me. I want you to come into my heart and help me live my life for You. Thank you for saving me."
At that moment, I told them, they were saved - and there is no way to get un-saved. And at that moment, I found peace.
If I do lose one of my children, from now on, I haven't really lost them because I get them for eternity! I will be with my children forever, regardless of what the future holds! That was a wonderful moment.

Thank you Lord for being the leader of my life and for the sacrifice You made to bring me into a relationship with You. And thank you, so much, for the promise that once we're saved, nothing came separate us from Your love!

Friday, July 9, 2010

Swimming







We've had so much warm weather lately. Of course we have, we live in Phoenix! :) Its been in the triple digits everyday for the past 3 weeks and around 110 for the last week or so. We've been so blessed by being able to take advantage of our neighbor's pool. Here are some highlights from the past couple weeks! :) We are so blessed to have met and befriended these people! Our children are pretty far apart in age but their girls are so great, they play really well with my little ones. I'm not sure how it would be possible because of the years between them, but I'm still trying to come up with some way for us to be related. :)

Friday, July 2, 2010

Blessings in Tough Times

God is so wonderful. I am sooooo blessed. And I'm really thankful that I still feel that way, even when things are tough. I can still look to Him and know that He's working in our lives. This month Lowell and I decided to help a friend of ours. It took a lot of money out of our pockets and made things kind of tight... And we were okay with that because we knew that we were sharing God's love and we knew that He would meet all our needs "according to His riches". And then we got a huge blessing in the mail today that was completely unexpected. It was like God was reminding us that its all His anyway... We used the resources that He's entrusted to us to help another person and in turn, He provided us with more resources. That's what He does. The Bible says that God loves to bless His children. :)
We are especially thankful at this time in our lives because this is the beginning of a new fiscal year... There are a lot of people who are getting bad news at work... And at our respective meetings for work, Lowell learned that he's being promoted and getting a raise and I also got a raise. Because of my job, I see people who aren't employed all the time. I go to the job fairs and see the husbands and wives together, both in line, both unemployed. And I'm reminded of just how preciously blessed we are. And how desperately this nation needs prayer right now. So, I'm again on my knees thanking God for His wonderful provision in our lives and praying for those who I know are struggling. I pray that they will feel His presence and know that He is with them, providing for their needs and loving on them even though life is tough.