TGIM a.k.a. Thank God it's Monday!

yes......you read that title correctly!

(*warning....random jibberish/thoughts and praise ahead)

I am thanking and praising God for this Monday. It's not due to having a bad weekend.....in fact, I had a great weekend. The boys didn't go to their youth group on Friday because G was filming the high school football game and H had a commitment to babysit next door.
So I took full advantage of not being a taxi cab driver all night and decided that I was going to do some serious damage in the way over due cleaning dept. of my house. E was completely mesmerized with his new iPod, which thankfully arrived that afternoon. He has been waiting ever-so- not -patiently since he ordered it, hmmmmmm 48 hours before (what is it with these kids and instant gratification?!?....iPods, IMs, texting, etc.....yeah, I just answered my own question)

Now I know I am not tech savvy and it doesn't take much to amuse me......but I am blown away by this little slice (literally) of technology. Most of you probably have one, or the iPhone or even a Blackberry.....but you have to understand, I just upgraded my cell phone to one without an antenna. The way my kids made fun of my old phone, it might has well been one of those bag phones. (which I did have "back in the day" and sported it around ever so proudly, thankyouverymuch).

They also have a good yuck on my behalf because apparently my new phone is really cool with this overly sensitive touch screen and some fancy new fangle slide out keyboard......both of which I am have no clue and am having a hard time adjusting to because A: I do not have texting.......and B: I am paying these outrageous charges for dialing up the World Wide Web without knowing I am doing so.....did I just say dialing? EEK! You see? *sigh*. Anyway.....E pooled his savings, sold his paintball equipment and bought this refurbished iPod from Apple online and was completely consumed with playing games and downloading applications, whatever those are.

So, my little helper N was thrilled to jump into cleaning with me and decorating for the fall. I was pretty proud of myself as the control freak in me subsided a bit and I actually let her put that ceramic pumpkin on the end table as opposed to the coffee table. Yeah, I have some OCD and controlling issues with decorating. But I had to put my foot down with the wooden Blessings sign placement.

Does she not know that rustic decor belongs on the rustic barn red colored wall? I have some work to do with her......but the good thing is that she just turned 7, so thankfully she has some time.

OK, so we cranked some Third Day and whipped through the house, vacuuming up dust bunnies that grew to the size of footballs.......we used good old Murphy's Soap on all the furniture and then placed pumpkin/harvest themed decor randomly throughout the house. Then we lit some apple spice candles to bring it all full circle in the name of fall.

So Saturday morning rolled around and it was the beginning to another great day......I woke up to a nice clean house, the sky was clear and my coffee came out just the right color. We headed out to a local "Celebrating Agriculture" fair where we had an awesome breakfast in the barn, toured the dairy farm and visited countless educational exhibits with all the local farmers. There was everything from fiber artists demonstrating the art of spinning to baby chicks hatching to booths with bee hives. Of course I gravitated to the dairy goats and alpacas.....Josh was hanging with the chainsaw and tractor guys.

Josh had to go into work for a few hours on Saturday night, so I took full advantage of another "quiet" night and did what felt like the right thing. Junk Food.

I went out to the grocery store with the kids and bought all kinds of chicken wings, popcorn chicken and soda.......we also bought all the ingredients to make hot fudge sundaes. Yeah, we were taking this hanging in Sat. night seriously and we were not going to miss out on any extra calories or stomach aches. Not sure what got into me....but I just felt so blessed to have my almost 16 and 18 year old sons home with me on a Saturday night, because they wanted to......not because they had to or were grounded. I don't take these things for granted, you know. I know they are not perfect, we have our challenges with them......in fact, I believe I did have to get alittle psycho in the store when they were being obnoxious to each other (you know.....that crazy dazed glare from a mom when she starts shouting without releasing her clenched teeth?)......but the truth is, they are good kids and I love them with all my heart. So I felt like treating them and let them each pick out something for our Saturday night food fest.

We woke up Sunday morning.....I was a little puffy due to the sodium and fat content in my bloodstream......and headed off to church. The best part was that Josh has been inviting a friend, R, from work to come with us to a service as he has been really "searching" for answers. Well, he decided to take him up on his offer this week. Josh had voiced his concern that this friend came from a negative church experience and probably might be a little apprehensive. Coupled with the fact that he has only been exposed to a stand, sit, kneel experience with a very quiet dark atmosphere......we knew he might be a little intimidated walking into our church that had the band rocking out with the big screens and a bunch of people dancing and shouting in the aisles. I reminded Josh that God knows what He is doing and will make sure that R gets blessed in one way or another. Well, of course.....this is exactly as it went down. The message was all about modern technology/media and the church which is exactly what Josh and R do for work (entertainment/audio visual) and they also touched upon the fact that our church is currently opening a campus location one town over from where R lives. How cool is that? The cherry on top (sorry, still in ice cream sundae mode) was R calling Josh later in the day and thanking him again for inviting him to church and that he wanted to come back next week! WOOT!

OK, so the only not so great thing that happened this weekend was that for some bizarre reason, the Patriots game was not broadcasted on our local Fox channel. They had a NY Jets/Giants game (not sure which one) airing instead.......(you will see I am not a football person, I just play one one Sunday afternoons when it gives me an excuse to make nachos). The only reason I knew it was a NY team was because I could hear Josh having a meltdown, yelling at the TV something about why would they show NY and not the New England game? He was frantically flipping through all the channels and I believe I witnessed a vein throbbing from his forehead.

He did find one channel that just displayed a score board with all the Sunday football games and had the commentators for the Patriots game. I suggested that it was better than nothing and he could pretend he was back in the olden days when people gathered around the radio......let's just say that didn't go over so well. He grabbed his plate of reheated spicy chicken, growled as he dipped them into the ranch dressing and later just gave in to it all as he flopped on the bed. I will say that it was pretty comical to see a 40 year old man pout as he listened to the game...... until he fell asleep for a very much needed nap.

We ended the night by taking a ride to a good friends' restaurant that she had recently invested in. Someone we used to work with, at that nightclub "back in the day" was leaving for Florida and he was throwing himself a going away party. So I threw on my favorite jeans and we headed out. The kids had strict instructions to keep the knucklehead antics to a minimum and my most important request was to keep the house nice and clean as I worked so hard the night before.

So we headed out to the "city" for this party. Now I haven't seen any of the people expected to attend (except my friend) for almost 10 years and really did not want to go......but I went because I knew I would get to see her new place and it was the right thing to do. We decided we would go early so that we could make our appearance and then return home because I was not missing Amazing Race!

Now, I know that my life has done a 180.......but even being around the language and the mindset of some of these people made me uneasy for that one hour, whereas I used to work in that environment 25-30 hours a week. The things I might have laughed about before made me uncomfortable now......I had a hard time joining in their conversation as I couldn't relate to what they talking about. Partying, bragging on their newest sports cars....clubbing, dating, showboating all their accomplishments/materialistic gains........It just seemed so empty and dark to me.

Josh and I received more than a few comments about how happy we looked and how it was so "unbelievable" that we were still together after all these years. They had this confused look on their face when we talked about being happy in the country raising our kids (both human and goats, lol).....homeschooling and living more simple. Some asked how we "do" it......as many were either in between relationships or going through a messy divorce. When talking to a few people, I started to see through their happy partying facade and see the sadness that was buried under it all. When asked that question, I had one simple answer. It's all God. It's all because of Him.

I know that these words fell on some deaf ears as well as some drunken ears......but I hope and pray that I planted a seed in the few that heard them. I would have loved to share more of what God has done in my life......but most changed the subject very abruptly as they did 10 years ago.

As more people started to shuffle in, I gave my friend a big hug and then it was our chance to slip out the back door. I couldn't wait to get out of that atmosphere, both the physical and the emotional/spiritual. I couldn't wait to get out of the city congestion and get back to my house "in the sticks". Josh and I reflected on how once again we were reminded of the grace of God and how thankful we were that He had a beautiful new-and-improved plan for our lives.

So much so, that it didn't bother me that my house was not in the same condition as it was when we left......it was better. There were dishes in the sink and there were shoes/clothes scattered around the house. My twinkling lights were not plugged in and it didn't smell like an apple pie......but there were four kids who were healthy and safe.

I didn't care that the dishes stayed in the sink......I made a plate of nachos and settled in to watch the shows we recorded. I could help but continue to think about my past that I feel God rescued me from.....so I kept giving thanks to Him. I thanked Him for all the great blessings He has rained on us and even all the little details of a great weekend.

....and that is why I woke up today thanking Him for this Monday.

I hope you are ready to embrace the week ahead.....I'd love to hear what you are thankful for today......

Peace, love and stay barefoot~
*~Michelle~*

Not Me Monday!

So I always enjoy reading the hilarious posts from McKMama and friends with the Not Me Monday posts.....and thought today would be fun to jump on that wagon and join in! You basically 'fess up about a few things you've done that week (funny, embarrassing, sentimental)...and pretend that you totally did not actually do them!

OK, so that won't be hard for me

I did not feel like I went ten rounds with Mike Tyson after attempting Level Two of The 30 Day Shred this weekend.

I did not swear like a sailor when she (that would be the evil drill sergeant Jillian Michaels Shred-monger) instructed to do five more of this humanly impossible feat of lifting my arms with weights while lunging my legs in the opposite direction. Nope. not this Christian gal. ;)

I also did not blow all that hard work when I devoured two baskets of chips and salsa at Applebees on Saturday night.....and did not order extra sour cream either.

I did not pee my pants during a relentless 13 sneeze attack at N's soccer practice. And I did not make a mad dash to the Port-a-John before the floodgates opened. I guess that would not prove that I did not do my Kegels after each time I birthed one of my children, like my doctor suggested.

I did not run outside my house one night (after dark) last week in my underwear because I was dared to by my teenagers. It was not because we were celebrating our victory over debt and I did not mention how I felt like just doing that (in a crazy victory dance kinda way).....and they called me on it. I am not one of those people who cannot say no to a challenge.

I do not have a bag on my head right now for admitting those things.

I did not bawl my eyes out I watched the Mother's Day "DVD card" that Josh and the kids made for me....which included interviews of each of them telling me why I was so special and the best mom ever. I also did not laugh when N mentioned that her mom was loving and caring....not aggressive, like our rooster. That DVD was not the best.gift.ever. It will not be cherished forever either.

And speaking of roosters and chickens......I did not witness the most amazing event watching nine chicks being brought into this world over the weekend.

Ahhhhh, that felt good. Nothing like a healthy confessional to start my week! If you could use a little yourself.....pop on over to My Charming Kids and join in too.

Peace, love and stay barefoot~

*~Michelle~*

Proverbs 31

So with Mother's Day coming up.....I have been thinking about alot of things beside my "typical" Mother's Day weekend thoughts and plans.

The "typical" ones are......I am going to sleep in both mornings (which usually is only about 7:30....wishing my internal clock had a snooze button)

Then I have a Get out of Jail It's Mother's Day Weekend pass to do pretty much whatever I want. Within reason, of course.....setting fire to the piles of clutter in my home or wracking up a huge bill at Pier One would not be reasonable. Taking off Saturday morning for yard sales, then hitting some nurseries for plants, and treating myself to a special lunch is more likely the reasonable choice I will make. This also gives Josh the opportunity to pick up a few things for me with the kids......and because I am such a thoughtful and gracious wife, I took the burden off of him and gave him a list of suggestions. ;)

I reminded him that he got the low maintenance version for a wife. My list only included home-made soap from a local farm, some new garden snippers and an exercise mat. Easy, huh? I am not a fancy jewelry person, although I "love me" a new choker or simple stone pendant once in a while....I work part-time at a hair salon so I could grab a pedicure/hair treatment whenever I wanted (although I am like the painter whose house needs to be painted)
Point being....have the kids write me a note telling me how beautiful, wonderful and awesome I am much they love me and a bar of patchouli soap and I am thrilled.

Sunday plans include church and maybe coming home to fire up the grill for lunch and just "chill-ax-ing" at home, playing in the dirt and doing a little bit of nothing with my favorite people. :)

But I woke up this morning and two things are on my heart:

1. First, I want to focus on what The Bible tells us in Proverbs 31 about being a wife and mother. These are just a few of my interpretations....

• I want to give Josh the extra confidence that he needs to know that I support, love and respect him always. I want to try to remember to think before I say something negative or complain. I want to make sure he is reminded that he is an awesome husband, provider and father. Proverbs 31:12
  
• I want to dedicate more time helping others this year......and have my children by my side to teach them as well. Proverbs 31:20
• I want to live my life as the best example to my children so that it will be a positive effect on their future. I want to infuse Godly wisdom every step of the way. For my boys with choosing a wife and how to treat her.....and for my daughter, (who this really won't matter as she will never be allowed to date, according to Josh anyway)....show her the respect she deserves and how she needs to respect/treat her husband. Proverbs 31:26

on a lighter note......I remind Josh that I am def. following Proverbs in other ways already......

• Proverbs 31:24 ( She makes linen garments and sells them....) my online business!
• Proverbs 31:16 (.....she plants a vineyard) well a garden counts, right?
• Proverbs 31:17 (..her arms are strong for her tasks) working on that...30 Day Shred, baby!
• Proverbs 31:10 (She is worth far more than rubies) Josh always teases me. He puts his hands out like a scale and bobs them up and down.....he says that he can imagine what it was like back in those Bible days, lol. "Hmmmmm........rubies or Michelle.....yeah, I guess you are worth a little more than rubies."
  

2. And secondly.....it occurred to me that there are people who are not able to or wanting to celebrate Mother's Day in the way I am blessed to.

I want to pray for:

• the moms who have sick children, may God grant them peace/strength/trust and believe in the power of prayer/miracles.
• the moms whose children have went back Home to Jesus, may God comfort and fill that hole in their heart that only Christ can fill and heal.
• the women who are struggling with infertility, may they trust that God has a plan for their barrenness and may they continue to have faith during their journey.
• anyone who has had to say good-bye to their mom, may they continue to hold loving memories in their heart and keep them alive by sharing stories with others.
• moms who are raising their children on their own, may God continue to be your source of strength.
  
• and this last group is one that doesn't get thought about often at this time.....the people who have been abandoned, abused, and/or betrayed by their mom. May God bring forgiveness and peace in your heart so that you may your life full of joy, love and hope.

So, with that.....please take a moment to say a prayer for others. Maybe take a minute to call someone who might need a lift this weekend or bring a card/small gift over to them. This one small gesture could be just what this person needed and you can bring light where they might have darkness.

I hope you have the best weekend possible.....may you be surrounded by the family and friends.....and most of all, may you be surrounded by God's Love.

Peace and love
*~Michelle~*