Three Things This Thursday (LOST, a little *sniff and an "awwwww")

1. LOST.....let's all give a *high five* to Faraday! WOOT! Thanks for finally clearing some things up for us!

OK, so even though his plan to stop the electromagnetic leak, therefore stopping the whole need for the Hatch shpeel.....therefore preventing the Oceanic Plane 815 crash.......therefore, no-one would be where they are (or should I say.....it wouldn't have been their destiny!)
So Jack would have buried his dad, and continue trying to "fix" everything,
Kate would have gone to jail,
Claire would have birthed TurnipHead/Aaron and gave him up for adoption
Sun and Jin would probably have ended up in divorce
Rose's cancer would have spread
Sawyer would be conning more women
Locke would still be in his wheelchair telling people to stop telling him what he cannot do!
......you get the gist.
So really people......is that what we really want? I am hoping that they all realize this and do whatever they can to stop the "Whatever Happens Happens" theory.

And what's up with Eloise and her obnoxious overbearing ways? And here we thought only the fathers kept the psychologists in business. Why would she send Daniel back to the island, knowing she would be shooting him? I want to guess that the island heals him or this whole time travel loop-de-loop is going to bring back the nosebleed for me.

Not to mention......I was just feeling better that pushing that button all those years was for a good purpose and not some random useless human experiment (does anyone remember, I think it was Season 2, when they showed that mountain pile of canisters that the Dharma researchers sent up one of those vacuum chute things?......they thought they were sending the printed reports to some main station, but they really just got spat outside their station on the ground). So please don't take that away from me! Or Desmond who did it all those years!

Speaking of Desmond........ WOOT! So thrilled that he survived. I also was so happy for Penny, but was anyone else concerned when she just left little Charlie with some random nurse?.....I dunno, after meeting some strange woman who dumped all this crazy information on me and how my husband was now a "casuality" of some raging island war, I don't think I'd be so trusting at that point with anyone.

It was bittersweet to see Charlotte as a little girl.....

I love Mile's expressions.....he always looks so skeptical. His comments are so dry.

I felt bad for Juliet when Sawyer calls Kate, Freckles. It just showed her that it (her happy homelife with "James") is pretty much over. It's bad enough that they have to uproot from their white picket fence home in Dharmaland.......but he clearly still has a connection with Kate.

I wonder if at some other point in time, which I have no clue when.....does Daniel attempt to send his research assistant/girlfriend, Teresa, to the island (maybe to rescue him???) and that is where she ends up in that coma state? When Widmore went to visit him with his "proposal".....Daniel mentioned that he had tested whatever it was that caused her harm on himself first.

Favorite line: When Miles brings Daniel to Jack.....he is rambling and asking all kinds of questions. Jack looks to Miles and asks, "What's going on?" and he replies...."Don't ask me, I just carried his luggage"

Please leave your Lost theories/comments below and also a link to your blog if you have a recap....I love hearing about stuff I most likely missed too!

So onto my Two other "Things" This Thursday!

2. *sniff

I don't know if I should consider the sniff are happy tears or more of a sob......my firstborn son, G.....is officially "on the road". Yes that's right New England drivers.....watch out. G has his permit.......finally.

So yeah, part of me is a little sad......but I am mainly overjoyed for him! He is growing up to be such a good man......I am so proud of him.

Passing this test (which he failed the first time) was so important.... First, it taught him that when he applies himself, he can do it. Growing up with an attention retention issue, he tends to get discouraged at times.

And another good life lesson that came about from this....It also knocked him off his high horse (which was painful for me at first, but it was a tough love time) He was all "I know it, don't need to study" when he took it the first time.....and bombed. It was a very humbling experience as you can imagine.

So we told him that we paid for the first written test.....he's on his own for paying for it again.
Another "tough love" stance......And considering he only gets paid $8/hr at his part-time job, he appreciates $40 now.

so anyway.....be warned if you drive in New England.....Big G is on the road!

3. And lastly.....I came home from a doc appointment with two of the boys yesterday....to find Josh and N working very hard on our little corral fence. Remember I mentioned that Josh didn't calculate the tree's height very well with his last excursion with his chainsaw and destroy a good portion of it? So the two of them were hard at work getting everything secure......

.....because we will be welcoming one of these very soon.....










(or more likely......two or three because I have a habit of not being able to separate siblings).

Aren't they so stinkin' cute? I think the grouchiest person on earth would still say "awwwwww" when they see these little guys. And the best part is that they stay nice and small.

and a bonus "thing".......congrats to Sarah from I Blame My Mother.....she won the Chico Bag Giveaway!! WOOHOO! Thanks to everyone for playing along. I will be doing another giveaway very soon...

So there you have it.....my Three Things This Thursday! Thanks to Dave AKA Homeschool Dad for giving me (well, 3TTT) that shout-out yesterday too.



So come on! Join in, share what's going on with you.......and leave your link and/or comment below....



Have a great day~
xox
*~Michelle~*

Count your blessings!

So this morning, I woke up to my obnoxious rooster cockadoodling like a broken record who wouldn't shut up to the sounds of chirping birds outside my window. It just put a smile on my face and made me realize, once again.....how blessed I am.

So I thought I would just list ten random things that make me smile and thank God for (in no specific order)

• everyone in my family is healthy, even with broken fingers, sunburns and poison ivy rashes today. (sums up what we were doing all weekend)
• Josh and I started on a new garden bed so that we can have a better place to grow our veggies (hence the sunburn)
• we have a gorgeous clean little stream way back on our property that E and N made a little "sinkhole" to cool off in, by creating a small dam with large rocks on one part (hence the broken finger)
• we are clearing out some land to build a new chicken coop (hence the poison ivy)
• I am raising my family out in the boonies, close enough to society.....yet far enough away from it at the same time (if that makes sense, lol)
• we were doing school outside in the fresh air yesterday and plan on doing it today as well.
• I have very special close friends that I can share where I found a deer tick on me (it was the size of this ".") and laugh about it with them (*shudder*)
  
• I found $10 in my pocket, so we went out for ice cream last night
• then ended the night watching a gorgeous sunset
• I have Jesus Christ in me.

In this upside down world, where most worry/complain what they don't have, I encourage you to take 5 minutes today and count what blessings (no matter how simple) you do have.....and please share even just one thing with me!

p.s. Don't forget to enter my giveaway! Picking winner tomorrow~ :)

Peace and love~

*~Michelle~*

You alone are God

Hear, O LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.

Guard my life, for I am devoted to you.
You are my God; save your servant
who trusts in you.

Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I call to you all day long.

Bring joy to your servant,
for to you, O Lord,
I lift up my soul.

You are forgiving and good, O Lord,
abounding in love to all who call to you.

Hear my prayer, O LORD;
listen to my cry for mercy.

In the day of my trouble I will call to you,
for you will answer me.

Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.

All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, O Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.

For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
you alone are God.

Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.

¹² I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.

~Psalm 86:3-12

I hope someone can use this today......I know I can. Maybe you've been struggling with worry, anxiety or depression. Maybe you've been having an inner conflict with not being able to forgive someone (or yourself)...or maybe you need healing in your body and/or heart.....

God is greater than anything we are going through....leave it at His feet.

xox

*~Michelle~*

Three Things This Thursday (giveaway, free stuff and something even better)

So LOST was a recap last night.....I will put a bag on my head and admit that I was having a hard time staying awake.....still the aftermath of mind-racing wakeful nights and knowing that I didn't need to have my precision deciphering antennae up for secret clues or observations

.....or maybe there were some clues with that recap I missed.....please let me know!

So let's get to Three Things This Thursday


1. I am excited to be doing a fun Earth Day Giveaway this week......yeah yeah, I know it was yesterday, but as you can see.....I had something more important weighing on my heart so I was distracted.

I am a reusable bag addict. Seriously.......I buy one at every store I see them at......and is it me or are they getting cuter and cuter? My aunt came over with this adorable one from Stop and Shop with a mama and baby polar bear on it and then I saw these funky ones at Target the other day.
So anyway.....I also went in on a coop recently with Chico Bags and I have one that I am giving away to one of my tree hugging friends.....that would be you guys. ;)

It comes in a little pouch as shown, except this one is olive green. All you need to do is leave a comment and let me know something you do or have that is a great "green" thing. Could be your favorite earth friendly cleaning product, a green "tip" to share.....maybe something like the Earth Day gift we gave to our birds this week! You also can get bonus entries if you subscribe to my blog and/or if you post/twitter/facebook about it. Just leave a separate comment for each time you blab about it. ;) I am also allowing Anon. comments, so please make sure you leave your email addy so I have a way to contact you.

(*Oh, and if you are leaving any tidbits on LOST, that counts too.......just let me know that you want to be entered!)

I'll use that random org thingamajig and pick a winner next Monday Wednesday evening so I can include it with my WMFW over at We are That Family's blog too! :)

2. I found (as in friends have sent along to me and/or tips from fellow homeschoolers/bloggers) a few more cool FREE resources with homeschooling. First, there is a free downloadable (is that a word???......yikes, scary thought that I am responsible for my children's education) book that has 101 Ways to Save Money on Homeschooling. I will tell you that I did download it, but haven't gotten chance to really look at it.....so I cannot vouch for it personally. But I am sure if there are 101 suggestions......there should be able to use at least a couple that could help, right?

Another free resource I stumbled upon was these Bible e-charts at Rose Publishing. Again.......I just found this and haven't gotten chance to know the nitty gritty on the company (and you can see that when I recommend any of these products/resources....I clearly am not getting anything from them, quite sure they do not know I exist, lol).

I did see a couple of charts that I will be printing out such as The Amour of God, Bible maps, etc......see them all here. When you sign up with your email, they will send you new charts every week or so. The only thing I am not sure of is there are some "comparisons" of religions and I am not so sure what that will be all about. But like a cafeteria line....it's nice to be able to just pick and choose what might work for you.

3. And saving the best for last.....although giveaways and free stuff are always good......

is the greatest FREE thing you can get.

GOD!

That's right folks......come on down (Price is Right style).....God's love is free and He has plenty to go around. (He's got this way about multiplying things and never running out......it's insane!) All you need to do is accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and start (continue) living your life for Him.

"that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9

Does this mean that your life will now be free from sadness, issues or confusion? Nope. Won't even try to sell you on that idea......But what I will tell you is that you will now have the Great Comforter, The Ultimate Physician, and the most Qualified Counselor in your life that will see you through it all! You will have The Gentle Shepherd to lead, correct and protect you.....The Redeemer who will forgive.

He is the Truth.......He is the Way....He is the Life.

.......and that's my final answer. :)

Have a wonderful day.......if you want to participate in the Three Things This Thursday fun.....please leave your link with Mr. Linky~

Peace~
*~Michelle~*

ps. Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

Can you speak up?

OK, can you hear that?

Me. either.

Well, I feel it.

Am I making sense?

Probably not.

OK, here's the deal......I feel God speaking to me, but I cannot quite hear what He is saying. I know He is working with me right now......just like The Potter that He is. He is molding me, preparing me for something.

Of course it is awesome to feel His presence, but sometimes it is almost uncomfortable in the sense that I am uneasy. I am a little jiggie (pronounced jig-gee, as in anxious/nervous/unsettled.......not jiggly, although that unfortunately can be used to describe me too)

I know He is calling on me to do something.......something significant. Something that will be effective. A different but even better direction.

But I can't hear what He is saying!

I know, I know.....I need to be still. But that's hard for a un-medicated ADD mama like me. I try.....I do. I try to focus in prayer......and although I get touched by certain Scripture.....I don't get that road map that I am desperately asking God to hand over. I wish they had a GPS system for our walk with Christ. Wouldn't that rock? I imagine it would have different voice settings......like you could choose from angelic singing instructions......or a majestic deep strong voice commanding you! HA! Now see? This is exactly why it is hard for me to stay on task.......(and ultimately need a device to keep me on course).....my brain wanders off so easily.

*sigh*

OK, so I need some suggestions on how to be still. I am yearning to hear what plans God has for me......I feel like I have a big present in front of me, wrapped up in gorgeous ribbons and sparkly paper.....and I just want to rip right into it~!

I know that God has placed some thoughts and ideas in my head when I have one of my lovely insomnia moments. He must love to mess with me because He always sends thoughts racing in at full speed. If I could give you a visual.....it's like a tornado where you see bits and pieces of items caught up in the twister, but never a clear shot on the specifics.

Maybe He just knows that is how I operate most of the time and He's just communicating Michelle-style. I guess He would know best, right?

So for now......I will wait patiently.....I am so eager to please Him that it is hard to keep it contained. He has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams......He knocks my socks off! He rescued me....and continues to forgive me when I screw up.

I owe this to Him.

Peace and love~
*~Michelle~*


ps. This Scripture keeps creeping in my head since I read it this week during one of my "speed-prayer" sessions.....(on the toilet......hey, being honest.....I'm lucky I even get the bathroom to myself in this house!!!
.......And surely I am not the ONLY person who keeps a spare Bible in their bathroom......it beats any magazine or catalog, doesn't It?)

Anyway.....here it is:

'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Matthew 13:29

.....so now what?!??!? eek. I need help.

Jumpstart on Earth Day

So Earth Day is coming up this week......and being a tree-hugging Jesus freak, I thought I'd pass along a few ideas that help save the world (that God gave us) throughout this whole week.

Genesis 1:26 tells us......

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

I believe that yes, we do have dominion over all God's creatures........and we also have the obligation to do what we can to treat them with respect/kindness, protect them and live peaceably with them.

I am pretty much in awe of all the creatures that God has made (hence the name of my blog). It blows me away to think about how God gave us *so* many beautiful living things for us to look at and learn about. Each living thing playing a critical role in the balance of nature. I don't watch TV often, but I just love the Planet Earth series on Discovery. I simply block out all the "instinct" or "evolving" references and enjoy the amazing works of our God.

The same God that created you and me......taught the spiders to spin flawless intricate webs, the African wild dogs to hunt with such precise strategy, and birds to construct incredible homes for their young.

So speaking of nests, I am simply fascinated with them. It just blows me away to see how birds create these amazing homes.....the intricate layering of twigs with just the perfect amount of mud keeping it all together. Such a masterpiece!I love when we find abandoned ones around our property. In fact, you are sure to see one in many places in my home. Sometimes I fill them with smooth stones or acorns....this spring I put three pastel peanut M & M's for our Easter centerpiece in the one that we found in our Christmas tree!

So this little idea/project helps keep our earth healthy and helps out our little feathered friends.....not sure of the name, so I'll call it a "nesting gift bag".

Basically all you need to do is reuse a produce bag (those plastic onion or orange bags work great) and tuck in items that birds can use to build their nests. You can fill it with dryer lint, small strips of fabric, embroidery thread, ribbons, straw, brightly colored yarn scraps are perfect too......stuff that we find "useless" will make a nice warm, soft and colorful addition to a bird's home. I found some moss and stuck some of that in there as well. You can pull a few pieces of the yarn/ribbon out to give them a head start. Then we hung it on a tree that we could see from our house. It will be fun to watch the birds come by and take some materials....you might even spot where they are heading out to build their nest. The bonus would be to see a nest with specks of color in your yard or neighborhood in a few weeks.

So there you go.....an easy project to do this year for Earth Day. I am sure I'll have a few more ideas for you as the week goes on. Please share what you guys are doing this week....I'd love to get more ideas too. I am linking this onto the WFMW fun over at We are That Family's blog......be sure to stop by to see more great tips/ideas.

I hope you are enjoy the SONshine today. :)

Peace~
*~Michelle~*

Cry Out to Jesus

In my "Changing Things Up" mode.....I switched up my playlist. So this morning I did my normal morning routine, popped in my blog and had my music going....

For some reason.....I got very touched by my new "opening" song.....I felt the need to put my head down and let the emotions pour out. Not sure about you, but I get very moved with worship music.....it brings me to a place I cannot really put into words, but I assure it.....it is an awesome place to be. ;)

We serve such an amazing God and I just wanted to share the lyrics with you.

*the best thing to do is to reset my player and read along as you listen.....and you might want to grab a tissue first.........enjoy. I hope it speaks to you half as much as it spoke to me this morning. Feel free to share your favorite song(s) and/or how powerful music works in your life.

To everyone who's lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days
You had were not enough
When you said goodbye

And to all of the people
With Burdens and Pains
Keepin' you back from your lives
You believe there is nothing
And there is no one
Who can make it right

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
And love for the broken heart
And there is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus
Cry out to Jesus

For the marriage that's struggling
Just to hang on
They've lost all of their
Faith and love
And they've done all they can
To make it right again
Still it's not enough

For ones who can't break
The addictions and chains
Who try to get up
But you crawl back again
Just remember that you're
Not alone in your shame
And your suffering

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
And love for the broken heart
And there is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus
Cry out to Jesus
Cry out to Jesus

When you're lonely
And it feels like
The whole world is fallin' on you
You just reach out
You just cry out
To Jesus
Cry to Jesus

To the widow
Who suffers from being alone
Wipin' the tears from her eyes
And for the children
Around the world
Without a home
Say a prayer tonight

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
And love for the broken heart
And there is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
And love for the broken heart
And there is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus
Cry out to Jesus

~Third Day

xox
*~Michelle~*

p.s. Can I tell you that I am counting down the days til SOULFEST!?!?!?!?!? Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

p.s.s. Have a blessed weekend.......they are expecting temps in the high 60s/low 70s! Can I hear an AMEN to that!?

Three Things This Thursday

1. LOST So this way a big smiling episode for me!

Hurley and Miles are in my "Fave Five" for characters so I loved that they were the central focus. Their conversations were cracking me up......everything from Hurley explaining his Star Wars idea to how they compared the fact that they both talk to dead people.

So we learned that yet another guy has huge father/son issues......Miles finds out from his dying mother that his dad kicked them out when he was just a baby.......(or did he?) We also get an inclination that his dad might be responsible for his dead-people-talking ability.

We also learn that it is possible to be on the island in this whole crazy time travel and be two different ages as Miles sees himself as a baby (who I thought was so cute in his Dharma onsie)
.....and btw, who didn't get a little choked up when Dr. Chang/Candle/whoever he is says to Miles....."hey, Miles, I need you".....and he replies, quite child-like....."you do?"

We see "The Hatch" being built.....how freaky was it to see those numbers come back into the picture. Another thing you might have caught is that it appeared that there was something Egyptian being taught at the Dharma school....when Jack was erasing the boards....another something I pointed out last week.

It was nice to see Naomi ......and again confirm that Widmore did a massive grave robbing and staged that whole Oceanic Flight 815 recovery.....or at least that is what that dead guy spilled for information.

We now also know that Illana's sidekick, Bram is also "in" on something.....he was the thug that kidnapped Miles in that van, asked the good ole "what lies in the shadow of the statue" question and threatened him to not take the freighter trip......hmmmmmmmmm? We also know now that Ben must have accepted Miles offer for 3.2 million (double Widmore's offer of 1.6 million) as that was the first question that Miles had for him last season, remember?

We also confirmed the intense electromagnetic ability when that dude's filling got pulled through his skull/brain.....thanks again, Miles!

And a HUGE smile to see Daniel Faraday! WOOT! The fact that he instantly recognized Miles def lets us know that he has the ability to travel more precisely. He is coming to the island as a scientist from Ann Arbor, so he must have had to work that into his life to line it all up

.....can't wait to hear what he has to say, hopefully he can clear up some of this time travel craziness.

Favorite line: Hurley to Miles "You're just jealous that my power is better than yours"

Please leave all your LOST comments and/or links today....love to hear them!

2. Today is Josh's official birthday......even though we had his surprise party last weekend, today is THE day. N and I will be making a special cake for him, although it will be a quiet night with just the three of us. E is spending the night at a friend's house.....and G and H are at The Awakening Conference from tonight until Sat. Last year, there was over 800 youth that attending this awesome event..this year, they expect almost 1000.

I encourage all parents with children of all ages to start "feeding" your children Christ as early as possible. Something in this "world" is gonna grab them early in their adolescence......whether it is their peers' interests, drugs, not-so-positive roll models on TV/Internet/etc, whatever.....I pray that it is Jesus.

3. Today N and I are going to a Fancy Nancy tea party at our local library.......

I never thought my little rag-a-muffin tomboy would like this book series, but she does! So we are putting on our fanciest clothes and heading down for an afternoon of fun.......


ETA: just came back from a fantastic time.....the girls had fancy things waiting for them (including VERY fancy gloves), ate a fancy lunch, and listened to a book about fancy new words to use.....so fun! They even made a fancy purse and wand to take home.....BRAVO for our public library for offering such a wonderful *free* event!





Have a fantastic day today........please feel free to share three things with me. Prayer requests, funny photos.....a great new recipe or tip!







Peace and love~
*~Michelle~*

Time for a change....

Do you ever get antsy that you are ready for something new or a change? I am not sure if it is because spring is here and the "new beginning" buzz is in the air.....but I am definitely on board for changing things up a bit.

Josh and I are tackling a new section of our yard.....clearing out some land....cleaning up the random items that I swore I would never have hanging around to turn us into hillbillies.....such as an old set of tires, a heap of broken bikes, some extra windows and odd pieces of lumber that I've hung onto because there always is a project that needs that odd piece as soon as we decide to burn it.

Our mini corral fence needs some serious repair.....especially now since Josh was on his testosterone high with his new chainsaw. Something about a man and his STIHL (some hardcore saw company).....just observe it from a distance is my advice. You see....math is not one of Josh's best subjects and let's just leave it that he didn't calculate how tall that tree was when it came crashing down on a few sections of the fence. I loved the look on Josh's face.....who calmly turned to me and said...."Add fix fence to our list"

So yeah, we have changes to be done in our home.....but I am getting the itch for changes with me....I know it starts with dusting off the coat-rack treadmill and start running again. It also is going to include using the As Seen on TV "Flex Band Powerpack" pilates set that includes Intense Sculpting Challenge DVD, regular and extra strength Flex-Bands......as well as an Easy Start poster. neat! (eek....now I can see where Nev gets it from, remember this post?)
I scored this at 75% at CVS, because you know I wouldn't have spent more than $5 for it...

OK,
new yard. check.
new body. check.

onto......new tattoo.

Not sure how you feel about tattoos....and it's all good. I respect people's opinions....as long as they are on the same page as me......KIDDING!!!! Seriously....I know some people do not like tattoos....I love what they express.

I have a few....I have a beautiful detailed blue swallowtail with John 8:32 which totally represents how I feel about the butterfly....pretty sure it was one of my first blog posts.

I have a cross with G and H's name in it that was my first tattoo....my big turning 30 moment. I also have a little pawprint that is dedicated to Beethoven.....our gorgeous Rottie who passed away from cancer in 2006 at almost 11 years old. What a beautiful creation from God.

So I have a few ideas on my next tattoo(es). I def. want some sort of "tree of life".....with my and Josh's initials scrolled into the roots.....and then the kids' initials scrolled into the branches. There will be fallen leaves for my angels.....and a dove perched in the branches to represent Our Lord who sits in the center of our family. I want it done in the curly "henna" style, very feminine.....kinda whimsical/paisley looking if you can imagine that.

I also want little curly lines under it to represent a stream....and this all ties into a few Scriptures that it will represent:

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. ~Psalm 1:3

and/or

He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." ~Jer. 17:8

So I know I definitely want this tree to represent me and my family....just gotta figure out where I want it. If I had buff Madanna arms, I would put it somewhere on my upper arm......but that is about 1,385,549 tricep dips away. I even might consider a smaller version on my inner forearm......I dunno. I do know it is going somewhere. I am very particular about not looking like a patchwork quilt of bodyart....so I have to get creative with this.

But going with my un-medicated ADD brain......this weekend, I have this overwhelming emotion come over me with Christ's resurrection and it just blows me away.....and I have the image of Cavalry Hill burned into my heart. Just a simple sketch of the three crosses on the hill is what I am imagining behind my neck, I think. Hmmmmm.....decisions decisions.

Please feel free to leave your suggestions and/or ideas on artwork.....and also if you have any tattoos....I'd love to hear about them and/or see them!

So for now......I am tossing around the ideas in my head, trying to get them on paper......

I guess I am getting to that "time for a change" point for many reasons lately......celebrating Josh's b-day reminds me that we are venturing into a new chapter in life...my baby losing her first tooth....life is pleasantly moving ahead....

....and being in that time for a change kinda mode, I did what any normal sane level-headed person would do.....I went out and got a few baby chicks to hold me over in my "need a change" state of mind. :)

You can see that Mufasa is very on board with our new additions too. Although his "on board" might include how good they might taste.

Have a great day!
Peace~
*~Michelle~*

Surprise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I have been planning a surprise birthday party for Josh who is turning 40 this week......and because he pops in my blog often, I couldn't blab about it......but I so wanted to!

I thought I would share a few photos from the party.......we had a fantastic time and I cannot wait to keep celebrating with my best friend for the next 40 years coming. I look forward to growing old together....and know we will still be teasing each other about age spots and wrinkles.....reminding each other about the Geritol and Depends.....and poking fun about memory loss. I look forward to playing games like "Guess my Prescription"......"Bobbing for Dentures".....or "Musical Walkers".

But for now, in this decade.....we are still standing quite upright, have complete control of our bladders and enjoying everyday of this life that God is blessing us with. Here we are, having fun with family and friends:

Josh walking in.......I think I should fire the photographer.....oh wait, that would be me!

His cake.......this hilarious photo was taken when he was a huge Kiss fan at 12
and yes, I asked the same question......what's up with the trumpet?
The kids and I bought him a GPS.....perfect for the man who never asks for directions :)

Someone got Josh the top 40 CDs you have to own/listen to before you turn 41.....all the musicians were drooling, lol.

my bestest friend Lili and I
a very good turnout....super packed due to the rain cramming us all inside!

family, friends, fun!!!!
random shots of everything

Here is Josh with his Pop.....Josh was told this party was for his dad who also has an April birthday.....so Josh surprised him with tickets to the Jeff Beck show that evening. It was awesome for them to have a great night together to wrap up a fantastic day!




So of course I have tons of photos....but didn't want this to turn into one of those *snorefests* when people show you ever detail of their vacations that you start to lose interest after the first five photos of them standing near a famous rock.....

I hope you enjoyed your weekend....as you can see....ours started with an awesome party on Saturday......and ended with an even better party celebrating The Resurrection all day yesterday!

Thanks for looking....

Peace and love~
*~Michelle~*

Happy Easter

God kept His promise.....from Jesus's birth, life and resurrection. How awesome that we can always trust in Him. With His love and grace......He meets our every need.

He who has the Son has life......... ~1 John 5:12


May His Hope, Joy and Love be your Easter celebration today....
...and always.

Peace and love~
*~Michelle~*

Good Friday

So I have always wrestled with why we call it "Good Friday"....I mean....with all things considered, I would think we should call it "Horrific-Inconceivably Evil-Endless Sorrow Friday" no?

While I laid in bed last night....I started to pray...I felt this overwhelming sadness come over me. I was thinking about how on this night (I might be completely OFF on specific days....but bear with me, I still get the most out of reading my children's Bible)....Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane in probably one of the deepest hours of His life. I actually started to cry as my heart was so heavy just thinking about it all. I felt overwhelmed and also felt the need to apologize and ask forgiveness for the wicked men for some reason....

So not sure if God sent some angels with flash cards or something to explain it more to me while I slept....but when I woke up this morning....I felt a new sense of understanding. I realized that it is good because Jesus accomplished what He came to do, to reconcile us back to God. It is good because had Jesus not suffered and died, we would not have been saved by His resurrection.....so even though it was the most horrible day in our Savior's life....what was meant for "bad" ultimately became "good"....."GREAT". I mean of course I knew all of this when knowing the whole story of His death and resurrection......but last night it just troubled me more than normal. I love it how God cares about every little detail with me and is always there to comfort, counsel and teach.



I wanted to share our Resurrection Eggs with you......I shared the story with our homeschooling group yesterday and went through it again with my kids last night. I plan on doing it again with the whole family on Easter morning too.One thing that I absolutely couldn't have planned any better....check out the egg carton I grabbed to store them in.....We participate in Angel Food Ministries (great resources btw, check to see if you a distribution center in your area)......and this carton came from our last "box" we bought.
I thought that was pretty cool!

OK, so here you go.....

Egg 1 (A small Communion cup)
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and
prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken
from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39)

Egg 2 (Three dimes)
Then one of the Twelve-the one called Judas Iscariot-went to
the chief priests and asked, "What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty
silver coins. (Matthew 26:14-15)

Egg 3 (Pieces of twine with knots)
Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the
people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. They
bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the
governor. (Matthew 27:1-2)

Egg 4 (A piece of soap)
When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead
an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in
front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he
said. "It is your responsibility!" (Matthew 27:24)

Egg 5 (A square of red fabric)
They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then
twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They
put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and
mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on
him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and
again. (Matthew 27:28-30)

Egg 6 (A cross made from toothpicks , we used a cross instead)
After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his
own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named
Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. (Matthew
27:31-32)

Egg 7 (Two dice)
When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by
casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him
there. (Matthew 27:35-36)

Egg 8 (Pieces of crushed rock or pebbles)
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave
up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was
torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks
split. When the centurion and those with him who were
guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened,
they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of
God!" (Matthew 27:50-51, 54)

Egg 9 (Strip of white cloth)
Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered
that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a
clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he
had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the
entrance to the tomb and went away. (Matthew 27:58-60)

Egg 10 (A stone)
"Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as
secure as you know how." So they went and made the tomb
secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
(Matthew 27:65-66)

Egg 11 (A bay leaf or cinnamon stick)
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the
mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might
go to anoint Jesus' body. (Mark 16:1)

Egg 12 (Leave empty)
He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the
place where he lay. (Matthew 28:6)

I encourage you to share the real message of Easter with your children, family and friends.....Christ's victory over sin and death.

I'd like to leave you with this great video, set to one of my favorite songs.....Chris Tomlin's Jesus Messiah. (don't forget to pause my music player)

Enjoy and Happy Easter!!!!!!!!!

Three Things This Thursday (ongoing LOST thoughts, Easter fun and prayer requests)

1.LOST
Hmmmmmmmm, not one of my favorite episodes, although it did bring some insight to a few things. You see, I am not a huge smoke monster fan.

*For the record and in my defense, I do not watch sci-fi stuff and can just about digest the paranormal stuff in movies too. I am probably the only person on the planet who has not watched the original first Star Wars from start to finish. (which actually is not the first, but that is another confusing time line thing) I mean, I've seen enough bits and pieces together over the years with all the testosterone in this house......so I know that Darth Vader is Luke's father and I think I have the Wookie call down too. I know that Princess Leah had that honey bun hairdo and that Yoda was a little lovable in a creepy kinda way. Other than that.....never ingested any of the story line.

So getting back to LOST.....the smoke monster kinda made it a little over the top/unrealistic for me all these years.....(sorry to disappoint all my hardcore LOSTaholics)......but don't throw Dharma tomatoes at me yet.....I totally know that time-travel, islands with healing powers, visits from dead people and all the other crazy stuff that happens on LOST can happen!

Now we kinda get the gist of what the smoke monster is all about.....spooky. I am thinking when it comes to judge you......"it" is really facing all the demons in your past and makes the decision if it's your time to die.

What about that temple?......It's all so strange.....the hieroglyphics (which has been carried through the story, even on that counter-timer thing in the Hatch)....clearly Egyptian, so how long has this temple been here? Who built it? And is it me or does Richard Alpert have some Egyptian thing going on with his black eyeliner? hmmmmmm....just throwing that out there.

Locke is totally more of the all-knowing leader now....which Ben is having a hard time digesting. But going by the look on his face when his dead daughter had him by the throat.....I think he is going to be taking orders for a bit now.

We are definitely seeing a softer side to evil Ben.......he spares crazy French lady, Danielle.....but then takes her child. thanks. (and what was up with young Ethan wanting to get into the action?). We see him as a loving father (with bad hair) to young Alex. He also spares Penny when he sees her young son.....and btw, how awesome was that butt whooping by Desmond??

But Ben also is still showing signs of his manipulative ways.....he totally conjured up that story to Caesar about Locke being a crazy island castaway, fully knowing he could step in and "repay" Locke by "saving" him. (hence, gaining some trust back). Kinda glad Caesar is gone......never had any spot in my heart for him.

Illana is appearing to be more than a pawn that got Sayid back to the island too.....hmmmmm. Who is she working for? Her "what lies in the shadow of the statue" question makes me wonder "when" she came from too.

And speaking of these new plane survivors.....is it me or do they all seem not so phased about this plane crash or concerned about being rescued?

Now getting back to bad hairpieces......Widmore was so cold when wanting to kill baby Alex. And who banished Widmore off the island? I wonder what rule he broke? Obviously he comes and goes from the island by having a relationship and daughter elsewhere.

My favorite line:
Lapidus~"As long as the dead guy says there's a reason, then I guess everything is gonna be just peachy"

So yeah......I am very excited for next week......we get back to Hurley, Sawyer, Jack and the whole groovy Dharma peeps. And we also see if I was right about Miles and his connection to that scientist dude, Dr. Candle or whatever name he is going by.

Don't forget to leave your link and/or comment......I love to see what you guys are thinking.

Two other things this Thursday~

2. I am excited today to have N's homeschooling friends over for an Easter celebration. We are going to frost cupcakes that are in the shape of eggs, do an egg hunt and I am also going to share our Resurrection Eggs with the group. I made our own version using bits and pieces from others versions that I've found online. I'll post photos from today and give you all the information/supplies tomorrow if you would like to make your own Resurrection Eggs too. It is super easy, you probably have all the stuff in your home already and you can do it with your kids over this Easter weekend. :)

3. Still praying for many of God's children.....the earthquake in Italy is just devastating.......of course we still have sweet Stellan lifted high in prayer.....and also are on our knees for my friend Kim's brother, Ronni who I mentioned was in a motorcycle accident last Friday. There is a Care Page set up for him if you'd like to pop over, say a prayer and see how he is doing. If you do not have a CarePage account, it is simple and free.

http://www.carepages.com/carepages/FinnM

There is nothing too great for our God......

Talk soon~
xox
*~Michelle~*

Don't forget to leave a comment and/or your link!! :)

The Tale of Three Trees

I bought this book a couple of years ago and I cannot tell you what an awesome story it is. It doesn't matter if you do or do not have children to read it to....I encourage you to run go to your local library and check it out. In fact, I would suggest buying it. They have it available at ChristianBook.com and Amazon.



So of course we are reading and learning about Easter right now.....so I include some type of Easter themed story into our bedtime reading. This story is perfect for this time of year as well as at Christmas......well anytime, but once you read it....you'll understand. And don't let the "folklore" subtitle fool you. This story is all about the real God we serve.

I will give you the message of the story.....but trust me, this isn't spoiling anything. The beauty will be revealed when you read it yourself and enjoy it as a package with the beautiful illustrations.

The story just reinforces something that I often pray and think about. I believe that God places desires in our heart for a reason. He has a plan for our lives. He is for us, not against us. And even when events in our lives do not play out the way we plan/hope......it is always for the greatest good and we will experience His faithfulness in the end.

I am going to pop this over at We are That Family's WFMW fun....because this message (book) definitely works for me this Wednesday....and always!!!

Have a great day!
*~Michelle~*

Big Day for N

How exciting is it to lose your first tooth?!?

Yes, *sniff......my baby lost her first tooth yesterday. I will admit I was thankful that I was at CVS when it happened. Please don't judge me as a heartless uncaring mother, of course I want to be fully invested in all my children's milestones,.....but there is something about loose wiggly teeth that makes the hair on my arms stand straight up.

I can deal with (and have often) broken bones, gashes that require stitches and staples, chunky vomit and the whole nine yards of what a nasty case of flu can leave for clean-up. I've had pets give birth in my home....I am greeted at the back steps with random rodent body parts that my barn cats "gift" me. Heck, I even helped neuter our goat. I can watch those micro surgery shows on the Discovery Health channel where the cameras go where no man should be probing......

I cannot stomach the "twist-twist-pull" action of a loose tooth *shudder*

So I had eight calls in the ten minutes I was getting my retail therapy at the drugstore. By retail therapy, I am talking browsing up and down the aisles on a mission to purchase all these items I needed with the only $20 bill in my possession. I had my CVS reward bucks, my coupons and I was armed and ready to pull it off.

So the phone calls were messing with the fact that I was using the calculator feature on my phone and throwing my frugal MoJo off.

The first seven conversations were quite incomprehensible.......just a combination of sobbing, sniffling, whining and just the perfect touch of drama. I did manage to decipher that there was blood on the tissues and I must come home immediately to help with this tooth issue.

nope. one. place. I. wil.l not. go.

I love my children, but I cannot cross the line of assisting in a tooth extraction. I have to force myself into a happy place when they keep showing me the wiggly snag.....I always seem to have "dirty fingers" when she wants me to try thankfully. We won't even go to the place where the tooth is almost horizontal. (a little FYI, I just gagged with that visual)

So, I basically was getting a play-by-play update every 90 seconds......with the pangs of horror getting louder and louder and her words getting more and more unintelligible.

Finally.....after people were getting aggravated by hearing my "Alive" by P O D ringtone every aisle I turned down....the sounds of horror were now sounds of joy on the other end.

I am not sure how it came out, and quite frankly......I didn't ask. I was just thrilled that I did not have to witness that final yank. I told her I was so proud of her and couldn't wait to see it. (was it insensitive of me to remind her to clean it up first and make sure there were no strings?)

So yeah....a new milestone for my daughter.....and another for me. Another milestone into my journey of motherhood. Having to grasp the thoughts that my youngest child is getting older....she is no longer a "baby". I am not so sure how I am feeling right now....a little tumble of emotions I guess. I am just gonna hang on to every crazy moment and sentiment I am going through and thank God for blessing me always with my children.

........even if it does include N waking up just now showing me the other loose tooth that she is working on.

Peace~
*~Michelle~*

Psalm 20-this hits the spot

So I am sure I am not the only one who flips open the Bible and is searching for Scripture that will speak to the exact part of my heart that needs to hear it.......right?

Well yesterday, I wanted to pray for a dear friend Kim's brother who was involved in a very serious motorcycle accident. He was life flighted to another hospital where he remains in critical condition with severe head injuries. At that last update, they were talking organ donation. This morning, I believe they are taking him off sedation and doing another neurological evaluation. Please say a prayer for him and my dear friends' family.

My Bible opened to Psalm 20 and it couldn't have been orchestrated any more perfect:

In times of trouble, may the Lord answer your cry.
May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.
May he send you help from his sanctuary
and strengthen you from Jerusalem.
May he remember all your gifts
and look favorably on your burnt offerings.
Interlude

May he grant your heart’s desires
and make all your plans succeed.
May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory
and raise a victory banner in the name of our God.
May the Lord answer all your prayers.

Now I know that the Lord rescues his anointed king.
He will answer him from his holy heaven
and rescue him by his great power.
Some nations boast of their chariots and horses,
but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.
Those nations will fall down and collapse,
but we will rise up and stand firm.

Give victory to our king, O Lord!
Answer our cry for help.

~Psalm 20

I know there are so many prayers that we all are lifting up to God right now.....hopefully this "hits the spot" with you too. :)

Peace and love~
*~Michelle~*

Three Things This Thursday (with thoughts on LOST, pay it forward and Easter fun)

1. I am still pretty much LOST after last night's episode.

I was hoping that the conversation between Miles and Hurley would enlighten us a bit as to what the heck the time travel actually plays out to. Nope. (although it was pretty hilarious to watch them go back and forth)

I am trying to figure out what is going on with Richard Alpert and the other "others" as far as who is calling the shots. It seems like he has to (or is expected to) answer to Ellie and Charles (Widmore) at this point.

I am wondering where Daniel Faraday is to swoop in time and explain this all to us!

Things I was happy to see:

~ Kate, showing an unselfish side and returning Aaron to his grandma (which I said I thought might be the case a few weeks back). But did anyone cringe when she was spilling the big cover-up....two times!?! I can understand why she would to Claire's mom.....but why give all the details to Cassidy. (something I don't trust about her knowing all this information about the island......could be the fact that she was an ex-con woman herself......hmmmmm?)

~Sawyer really appears to have been "re-born" into a new person with new values. I thought it was cool that he said he was doing it (saving Ben) for Juliet (not Kate)

Things that made me sad or annoyed......or both.

~Jack. Not sure I am liking the "new" self-absorbed Jack. Like I think he came back to "save" his friends and now that they appear to NOT need saving.....he is all bent out of shape.

~Ben's father was just starting to look like he did have some "human" DNA in him with his concern for his son and how he started to have regrets on how he treated/raised him......until he started ranting about how mad he was that Ben stole his keys. He does make a crucial statement about how a boy must need his mom. That could go two ways.....Kate reflecting on how she should have stayed with Aaron......or justifying her search for Claire. who knows at this point.

~and one thing that will make my head explode or at least incur a nose bleed.......is a theory that is floating around about how this is all a big time loop and it (the LOST series) ends with original plane Oceanic 815 plane crash. Which is so hard for me to wrap my already fried brain around at this point. But.I. seriously.will.snap.if.that.is.it.

Wrapping thing up......the writers deserve a big fat high FIVE on that ending scene.......

Locke to Ben "Welcome to the world of the living" WOOT!

Please leave a link to your LOST thoughts and theories.....and/or join in the Three Things This Thursday fun~

2. I am sending out my Pay it Forward packages today to Lyndsey, Sarah Eliza, and Amanda! I hope it brings an extra smile the day it arrives. :)

3. I am starting to get excited about Easter.......we are diving deep into the whole Easter story with homeschooling and I found this great way to make your own Resurrection Eggs from Stretch Mark Mama's blog (I always giggle when I read her blog name.....hilarious!) Check it out.

More on Easter to come.....you can count on that!

Join in on the fun and leave your link here:


Have a great day
Peace, love and stay barefoot~

*~Michelle~*

Feeling extra thankful today

Nothing in particular.....just woke up feeling extra thankful today.

Three things off the top of my head......

I am extra thankful:

• that even though his hours are doing a job on his physical as well as emotional self......my husband *has* a job and we can pay our mortgage and bills.
  
• that even though I didn't feel like getting back in my car last night at 9PM to pick up my two older boys (remember, I am sleep deprived).....they were at Bible study. Not at a drug rehab, cancer treatment facility or the police station.
• God has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams......and I am so undeserving.......but He continues to do so daily.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His love endures forever.
~1 Chronicles 16:34

So what three things off the top of your head are you thankful for today?