Exercise & Goals...

I consider myself a goal oriented person. I like to make a list and mark off my accomplishments. I also try to be healthy and make wise choices in regards to my eating habits. However, I have some how I have failed. I have not worked out in 3 months and the scale continues to increase...I even asked Granny if her scale was broken!!! In addition to being a complete slacker when it comes to exercise, I have been a slacker PIG! I gained a pound a day over Spring Break (thanks Granny!!!) and can barely zip up my jeans!!!

Sooo, now that we have recovered from the stomach bug, which originally derailed me...over 2 1/2 months ago and have settled in our darling apartment...I have absolutely no other excuse not to exercise! I met a friend at the gym for Boot Camp. I had 911 on stand by, but managed to make it through the class (OK, I did not do all the spirits and probably only half of the crunches) without needing to be carried away in the ambulance...that was a huge accomplishment!!! I made it home and was standing in the kitchen stuffing my face, when I got sooo nausiated, I threw up...it was sooo weird! I did not even feel sick and feel totally fine now...I guess, I should just rejoice at the additional calories lost!!!

Our New TV Stand...

Testing the durability of the stand.

Thanks Houks for passing along this great TV stand. We had a blast last night!!! Love you guys!!!

A Great Day...For Silly String?!?

It is GORGEOUS out today...and Gideon got silly string as a "reward" during Sunday School.

He attacked and covered ME.

Eventhough ME got a little retribution,

Gideon declared victory as ME washed silly string from her hair!!!

Sunday School...

Gideon was so excited to go to Sunday School in his new Sport Coat. He looked sooo handsome! Thanks Granny!!!

A New TV Stand...

Keith and his 2 trusty assistance are putting together a million piece TV stand, while mommy plays on the computer!!!

I overheard Keith told his assistance to get the piece labeled D. ME said (after looking a total of 2 seconds), "I can't find D, but here is M! Let's use it!"

10PM UPDATE: The assistance are still alive...which is a huge surprise due to the amount of "assisting" they were actually doing and the frustration level of the commander...who says he needs reinforcements...I don't know if that is in reference to supplies or more assistance!?!? I am off to bed!!!

JOY...

JOY: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.

We try to get joy through entertainment. We pay someone to make jokes, tell stories, perform dramatic actions, sing songs. We buy the vitality of another's imagination to divert and enliven our own poor lives. The enormous entertainment industry in America is a sign of the depletion of joy in our culture. Society is a bored, gluttonous king employing a court jester to divert it after an overindulgent meal. But that kind of joy never penetrates our lives, never changes our basic constitution. The effects are only temporary-a few minutes, a few hours, a few days at most. When we run out of money, the joy trickles away.
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, Eugene Peterson

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13

TGIF!

Today has been a great day!!! I love Fridays, but a Friday that you are confined to your home, can stay in your PJs and do nothing...that is a GREAT DAY!!! I honestly rarely do nothing. I love to contemplate a life of doing nothing, I like to talk about doing nothing, but I rarely do nothing. I know it is hard to believe, but it is the truth...really!

Today, I wanted to make a plan that would address my families nutritional needs. We like to eat, I like to plan, but I am not a great cook. I had a million cans of veggies (thanks Granny!) and it is definitely a great day for soup! I searched the Internet for a recipe that would accommodate my abundant can supply...but got distracted and hungry....so I just dumped all the cans together, added Fritos and it was delicious!!! OK, the soup was OK, but I could add Fritos to dog food and love it!!!

Yesterday, the kiddos and I made a cake!!! I love cake and a cake for no reason at all is sooo fabulous!!! The munchkins wanted sprinkles, which we did not have. But, in my search for sprinkles found...PUMPKINS!!! They were happy and I was thrilled to get rid of pumpkins, that had been in our cabinets for 6 months!!!

It has been a great day...soup, Fritos and chocolate cake!!! I am going to top this incredible day off with a nap, while watching Oprah!!!

Life With Mary Elizabeth...

Life with ME is never boring...funny, frustrating and crazy, but NEVER BORING!!! Today, she wanted to get pretty. So, she fixed her own hair and found some gorgeous earrings in her high fashion (AKA junk) jewelry bag (AKA a ziplock baggie).

ME's Dictionary:
Ostriches, but not the real ones: link sausage
Hanatizer: hand sanitizer

Our morning conversation...
ME: Is today tomorrow?
Mommy: No, today is today.
ME: I want today to be tomorrow. It is always today!
Mommy...to avoid a fast approaching melt down: OK, we can pretend it is tomorrow! What do you want to do today...which is really tomorrow?
ME: Stickers!
We spent the morning writing letters, so we could use the cute Walt Disney stickers, which were really stamps!!!

Home Tour Update...

I was feeling a need to get dirty (OK, only a little dirty!) and fill this old lonely pot that has been in my family forever!!! I have no idea where it came from or if it has any value, but I love it!

In all of the junk we had stored away, I found several treasures! My mom made this floral bedspread for me years ago and it still has all of the necessities, including pillows, bedskirt and curtains!

I also found several very old quilts made by my Grandmothers. I was able to use several as accents and this one in the kid's room. I am not sure how my mom would feel about actually USING these treasures. She obviously never did use them, because they are in immaculate condition. Since I am trying hard to limit our storage needs, I decided to put them to use!!!

Thanks for visiting!!! Stop by anytime!!!

READY!

I am pretty laid back regarding the clothes my kids choose to wear. Sometimes, I don't even insist that they be seasonally appropriate. ME has even worn long johns with a miss-matched floral spring outfit and a Christmas dress in March. But today, I drew the line! She can not wear her lifejacket and flippers to go to the grocery store!!!

Gideon...

OK, I know that 2 consecutive emails about Gideon could be viewed as bragging, but I AM SOOO PROUD and I HAD TO MAKE THIS KNOWN!!! The phone rang this morning and I had a moment of panic when I saw that it was the school. It was his ESL teacher calling to tell me that she had retested him and the results were INCREDIBLE!!! She said that he has made amazing progress and is READING PHRASES...R-E-A-D-I-N-G!!! I am sooo thrilled and thankful...OK, AND PROUD!!!

To keep me humble...this is Gideon's School picture...I am not sure why they take Fall pics and Spring pics, unless they are trying to boost the economy...but what is up with his hair?!? The top is doing something I have never seen it do before...and now we can remember it forever!!!

We love you Gid and are sooo PROUD OF YOU!!!

ME-isms

Going through Hereford, Texas..."I don't like the smell in the car!"
Neither did I!!!

Tonight, ME asked where daddy was.
I said that he went to run errands.
ME said, "But, I wanted to go to Aaron's!!!"
I want to go visit Aaron, Bri and the rest of the Scotts too!!!

Bed Time...
Tonight, I told the kids it was time to go to bed...after lots of TV and way to much silliness! I said that there was to be no more talking. Then I hear ME singing, "The wheels on the bus go round and round..."
ME I said no more talking!
But Mommy, I am not talking, I am singing!
ME, please stop singing then.
But Mommy, the wheels on the bus go round and round and it is my favorite song.
Well, please sing it to yourself.
Once again ME starts singing.
ME, I said no more singing...sing in your head.
But Mommy, I was singing to myself and the wheels don't go round and round in my head, but on the bus!
That is right, but you need to stop talking and singing and go to sleep.
Mommy, just one more thing...turn your head the other way...I don't want your breath on me!

Gid's Kindergarten Class

Last September, our lives changed. Gideon had been diagnosed with developmental delays that prevented us from returning to our home in Russia. I know that the last 6 months there have been two consistent themes in our lives...waiting and wonder...mixed with many struggles and an over whelming amount of emotions!!!

We had no time to prepare Gideon for Kindergarten, we were not able to research schools, interview teachers, evaluate curriculum and we bought school supplies in October! We had to fully trust the Lord and surrender Gideon into the Lord's hands...and we are sooo glad we did!!! Oklahoma is one of the worst rated states academically, OKC Public Schools has a questionable reputation and a few of Ridgeview's own teacher send their kids to other schools, but Ridgeview has been such a blessing to us!

When Gideon started school, he could not identify all of the numbers, almost no letters, could not write his name and we were told that he may never read. He can now count to 100, write all the numbers and letters and can read!!! Miss Cook is AMAZING!!! Gid loves school and is learning sooo much!!! I am so thankful that this was the Lord's plan for Gid!!!

Stuff!?!?

This week, I spent 99% of my time doing nothing, but did manage to pull myself from the comforts of the couch and cleaned out the remaining things we had stored in Keith's parent's shed. I found my Wedding dress, Yearbooks, baby clothes and sooo many memories, a few tears and lots of laughs!!! I crammed all that would fit into the Yukon and spent the entire day reorganizing our apartment. What do you do with all stuff that contains sooo many precious memories? Do I wear the hat Keith brought back from China or let the kids use it for a Star Wars tent? Do I continue to save the gorgeous quilts my grandmother's made or put them to use?

TMI...ME is sitting at the bathroom door yelling to Gid, "Are you pooping? Do you want a speed racer car? Hurry up, I want to play! Get out now!"

This morning at 3am, I woke sweet Gid up to go potty. We are still struggling with making it through the night without an accident. I have to pull him out of bed, drag him to the bathroom, pull his pants down and pray he is able to aim. Today he missed...really missed!!! He peed on the shower curtain, floor, rugs but thankfully not me!!! I just don't know if washing a sheet or cleaning the entire bothroom and washing the shower curtain is easier?!?!

Good-Bye Granny!!!

This morning Spring Break "fixed" and I had to return to reality! We said good-bye to Granny, Clovis, free baby sitting, laundry service, our personal chef and unlimited cable!!! Sooo sad!!! We had a fabulous time with Granny and Grampy, the kids are completely spoiled and I am ready to go home! Thanks Granny for a fabulous week!!! We love and miss you already!!!

What Happened to Cute Face and Princess?!?

They have turned into Weirdo and the Brat!

Fun At The Farm

 
 

Not much can top hanging out with Granny, but another Clovis highlight is spending time at the Scott Farm!!!  The kids love to play together, explore and run wild and free!  Thanks Scotts for hosting another fabulous day at the farm!!!  We love you!!!

Another Great Quote

 

Keith's Thoughts on Waiting...

I have been learning a lot in recent months about waiting. Waiting is not something we would normally think of as a positive thing. Waiting is not something we usually want to be doing. I don’t like waiting for my wife to get ready for church. I don’t like waiting in line to get a license plate for a car. I don’t like waiting for the weather to change so I will stop sneezing. I don’t like waiting. In our culture, it is a negative to wait. But, what does God say about waiting? As I have been reading in the Psalms, these are some things I read about waiting:

May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You.
Wait for the Lord: be strong, and let your heart take courage: wait for the Lord!
Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord.
Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.
But it is for you, O Lord, that I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.

God is not opposed to waiting. For some reason, He thinks it is good for me to wait. He is not in a hurry. He has His own schedule of how things need to work out, and thinks His schedule is a lot better than mine. I have been put in a place in life where I feel like I am constantly waiting, but I don’t really know exactly what I am supposed to be waiting for. I think it is more than just Gideon getting caught up in school, and more than me getting a job, that will pay the bills. All I can say is that I am waiting on the Lord. But, what does that mean? I don’t know what He is doing, or wants to do, or will do. I must only trust that He is in control. He knows what He is doing and is more than capable to do it. Also, I don’t think waiting implies that I am not moving or doing anything. No matter where I am or what situation I am in, I need to be doing certain things. I need to be growing in my relationship to Him. I need to be a part of His body (church) wherever that may be. And I need to be about helping others know Him. I can do that while I wait. I should anyway. So, I just wanted to throw that out there. It’s what has been on my heart and mind a lot lately. Blessings to all you other waiters out there.

Daddy Is Here!!!

 

A Great Quote...

 

More Pics of Cute Face & Princess

 

Saint Patrick's Day at the Zoo...

 

 
 

Models...

 

Granny totally spoils all of us...but especially her Cute Face and Princess...they got new clothes and fun toys...and I have heard the mention of Heaven in reference to being at Granny's several times!!!  Thank you Granny!!!  We love you!!!

Note to Daddy:  We miss you daddy!!!  Don't have too much fun without us!!!  We love and miss you!!!

Memories...

 

I am sooo thankful that Grampy attempted to contemporize Granny 3 YEARS ago when he gave her a digital camera for Christmas!!!  When we discovered we had arrived with no ability to capture the precious memories of this week, Granny dusted off the box to her 2006 Christmas present!!!  I am dreaming about a new SLR camera to capture the few moments my kids are being agreeable and look and smile at the same time.  This week will be a test in patiences and a wonderful lesson in appreciation of what we have and what we can borrow!!!

We Are At Granny's!!!

 

We made it to Granny's today!!!  I took 3 naps during the 5 1/2 hour road trip.  The kids are having SOOO MUCH FUN and Granny will definately be ready for bed tonight!!!

I can not believe how quickly I have lost my packing abilities...I forgot my camera...Gid remembered his, but we left it in daddy's car when we made the switch in Sayer!!!

Lessons From Esther

Excerpts from Esther, by Beth Moore

FEAR: The most critical breakthrough of faith you and I could ever experience is to let God bring us to a place where we trust Him-period. We don't just trust Him to let us avoid what we fear most. We determine to trust Him no matter what, even if our worst nightmare befalls us.

Our only steadfast defenses against life's cetain uncertainty is unconditional trust in a Savior who loves us more than He loves His own life.

As hard as trusting can be, living with constant fear can be harder.

PERFECTIONISM: Perfectionism is a disposition to regard anything short of perfection as being unacceptable. I am not suggesting we should not do our best. I am simply saying that sometimes just surviving certain tasks without falling apart is our best and in those times God is not ashamed of our performance. He is proud of us for fighting overwhelming human emotions to do His will. God is not interested in our stellar performance but in our hearts. He loves our willingness and obedience despite our insecurities.

SELF: I have come to understand a little more about why Christ calls us to die to ourselves and follow Him. It is not because humanity is such a titanic disappointment and summarily unworthy of His love on our own. Amid all the depravity of this World, man is still God's prized creation and most valued treasure. Christ's purpose in calling us to deny ourselves is that we would deny our selfishness, ambition, pasts or any damaged emotions the right to cheat us of His far higher plans for us.

Our Creator unquestionably wants us to know that He is God and we are not, but He also wants us to see who we were meant to be when He formed us in His image.

Kristology...

Copied from my FACEBOOK page...

Learn a little more about me...I am bored and desperate for entertainment!!!

What is your salad dressing of choice?
Blue Cheese

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
Tana Thai or Red Robin

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
PBJ or hamburgers

What are your pizza toppings of choice?
Everything

TECHNOLOGY*

How many televisions are in your house?
3

What color cell phone do you have?
Black and silver

BIOLOGY*

Are you right-handed or left-handed?
Right

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
2 kids

What is the last heavy item you lifted?
My son to carry him to bed

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
Not that I remember...but I would have been unconscious!!!

BULL-CRUDOLOGY*

If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
The control freak in me would want to know, but I need to learn to love and live life like it is my last day!!!

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
Sophia or Esther...I don't really like Kristie

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
No way!

DUMBOLOGY*

How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
2...Fit Flops and Switch Flops

Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
A few months ago, but I talked my way out of a ticket!

Last person you talked to?
Keith and Gid and ME...they keep talking, but I am trying to ignore them!

Last person you hugged?
Gid and ME this morning when they woke-up

FAVORITOLOGY*

Season?
Spring

Holiday?
Thanksgiving

Day of the week?
The Weekend...any day!!!

Month?
May

CURRENTOLOGY*

Missing someone?
Yes lots of people!!!

Mood?
Improving

What are you listening to?
Veggie Tales and the kids chatting

Watching?
I just finished watching "The Boy In The Striped Pajamas"...it was sooooo sad and I can't stop thinking about it!!!

Worrying about?
My damaged relationship with a friend

RANDOMOLOGY*

First place you went this morning?
Living Room

What's the last movie you saw?
The Boy In The Striped Pajamas

Do you smile often?
I try to

LIFE-OLOGY*

Do you always answer your phone?
Occasionally

Its four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it?
Who knows...I can't find my phone!!!

If you could change your eye color what would it be?
Bright blue

What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic?
Cheery and Vanilla...both to Diet Dr Pepper...I love this, even though it turns to formaldehyde in my liver!!!

Do you own a digital camera?
Of course!

Have you ever had a pet fish?
Maybe, but honestly I do not like pets of any kind...to much additional cleaning and I like tominimize the time I clean and maximize the time I can be lazy...and I already have to clean up enough human pee...I do not want to add any unnecessary bodily fluids!!!

What's on your wish list for your birthday?
A vacation (a Carnival Cruise), a new camera, but will settle for a day of peace and quiet!!!

Does the future make you more nervous or excited?
Both

Do you have any saved texts?
No...just ones needing to be deleted

Ever been in a car wreck?
24 years ago!!!

Do you have an accent?
I don't think so.

What is the last song to make you cry?
While I am Waiting by John Waller

Plans tonight?
Do as little as possible!

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
This last summer when Gid was going through some testing and then again when we found out we had to take a leave of absence from the IMB.

Name 3 things you bought yesterday?
Fixings for lasagna, brownies and rented a movie.

Have you ever been given roses?
A friend brought me gorgeous yellow roses when we moved to our apartment. It was such a great treat!!!

Currently hate right now?
My attitude and lack of discipline!

Met someone who changed your life?
Yes

How did you celebrate the new year?
Staying with friends in Fort Worth as we prepared for the funeral of the daughter of our other friends.

What song represents you?
While I am Waiting

Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?
Yes...to tell my mom how much I love her and what a great job she did and ask her to tell me more about my childhood.

Have you ever dated someone longer than a year?
Yes

Will you be in a relationship 4 months from now?
Of course...until death do us part!

Does anyone love you?
I hope, but sometime wonder!!!

Would you be a pirate?
NO

What songs do you sing in the shower?
I don't really sing out loud, because I don't want to scare anyone!!!

Ever had someone sing to you?
Emme sang Jesus Loves Me in Wal-Mart yesterday

When did you last cry?
Almost cried last night, but decided to get mad and then laugh

Do you like to cuddle?
Sometimes

Have you held hands with anyone today?
Nope

Who was the last person you took a picture of?
The kids and Keith...my usual victims

What kind of music did you listen to in elementary school?
I have a horrible memory...did I go to Elementary School?

Do you believe in staying close with your ex's?
No

Are most of the friends in your life new or old?
New

Do you like pulpy orange juice?
Yep

What is something your friends make fun of you for
Not sure...why do you make fun of me???

Have you ever ridden a on an elephant?
Nope

What are you saving your money up for right now?
A new camera or unexpected crisis...I am a saver and worrier!!!

When is the last time you ate peanut butter and jelly?
Yesterday...I am addicted

What song(s) do you want played at your funeral?
Shout to the Lord

What were you doing at 12 AM last night?
sleeping

What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
How horrible I feel about my behavior last night

A House Warming Party...

Our sweet friends at Village had a house warming party for us (a month ago). I can not believe that we have lived here a month already!!! I was very worried about having to leave the security of free rent and the comforts of a great house, but have been amazed, once again, at the Lord's loving, gracious and abundant provision!!! We only had a few remnants that remained at Keith's parents, but I knew that I could not furnish an apartment...no matter how small!!!...with 3 hope chests, an antique ice box, a dresser and a desk. We were both working part-time and not making much more than minimum wage! When God says, "Do not worry about ANYTHING, but pray about EVERYTHING!!!" He means it. You do not need to worry...it will not change anything!!!

God used sooo many people to fill our house with EXACTLY WHAT WE NEEDED!!! We did not need to buy anything...all of our needs were met...ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT WE COULD HAVE ASKED OR IMAGINED!!! God is sooo amazing, loves us sooo much and will meet all of our needs...SOOO, WHY DO I WORRY?!?!

Thanks VBC for being used by God to meet all of our needs, remind us of his love and bless us beyond measure!!! We love you!!!

See You In 24 Hours...

I hope you are still speaking to me after this post!!! I love Blogging, because I can post whatever I want!!! I can pick and silly, random picture and share it with the entire World, but of course only posting the absolute best pictures of myself...HAHA!!!

After Church, we will be meeting Granny and Grampy in Sayre (sort of half way between OKC and Clovis) and the kids and I will leave Keith and spend the week in Clovis. I will live in my PJs, eat way to much, enjoy expanded cable requiring me watch hours and hours of mindless TV and see how long I can go without a bath...are these not great goals!!!

Gid is bring Monopoly Kids, ME is bring all of her mixed up puzzle books and I am bringing ear plugs!!! I hope you are ready for a week of FUN!!!

ME and Her Friend Liberty

ME and Liberty are playing dress up at school. They are sooo cute and such great friends!!!

Mother's Day Out...

Here is a picture of my MDO Class on my last day of work. I resigned this month and plan to spend my extra time readjusting my increasingly negative attitude and seeking the Lord's wisdom and direction for our life. I have loved my teammate, Alicia, and the great MDO staff.

Our Anniversary!!!

Today, Keith and I celebrate 9 years of Marriage!!! I asked him if it had been the happiest 9 years of his life.

He said, "Marriage is not to make you happy, but holy (a quote from the book Sacred Marriage)...and I am very holy!!!"

Yeah, and I must be a Saint!!! I am sooo thankful to be married to Keith!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY KEITH!!! I LOVE YOU!!!