WOW - I am so impressed

Sarah Palin chosen as McCain's republican running mate.

She sounds perfect, I am almost more excited about her than McCain. She sounds like a great choice and I am so excited to learn more about her in the coming months.

My prayers are with the republican party for a respectful, moral race over the next 2months and with that hopefully good outcome. Our country is in dire need of a continuing Christian moral leader.

A prayer for my children...

"Help my child to see that what makes a person truly attractive is Your Holy Spirit living in him/her and radiating outward. May he/she come to understand that true attractiveness begins in the heart of one who loves God."

This is a prayer from a calendar of mine and it really touched me. I want people to know my children believe in God because of the kind of people they are. What a wonderful prayer.

We had Back To School Night tonight and when I introduced myself to Josh's teacher she got such a delightful smile on her face. The opinion she has of my son after 1 week of school was written all over her face. What a great feeling.

I also got a chance to talk to Courtney's teacher, the opportunity to talk about Courtney specifically was presented and it amazed me how many stories she had to tell about Courtney after a week of school. She walked around the room and told me the stories like they were happening. How does a teacher of 20ish new students have the memory to repeat Courtney's words from what I believe is probably almost word for word because I can hear Courtney voice saying what her teacher was sharing with me.

God Blessed Josh and Courtney with 2 teachers that I think are going to be perfect for them. And I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to meet their teachers tonight and have my heart overflow with happiness. I needed that after such a hard first week back to school. Thank you God!

SCHOOL!

School has hit in full force. Wowza! The boys still have football practice from 6-8 pm M-F so keep that in mind when I talk about homework.

Courtney's isn't too bad. She was given a project last Thursday, an all about me poster that is due this Friday. We finished it yesterday so she turned it in today. It was so adorable, I wish I had taken a photo of it. She needed to write 3 wishes: 1. I wish I was old enough to be in the Olympics. 2. I wish my grandma and grandpa lived in California. 3. I wish my room didn't get messy so easy. (Me too baby!) She had to draw a picture of something she doesn't like, she drew a picture of a spider. (Me too baby!) She drew a picture of herself as a singer in the spot where she was supposed to draw what she wants to be when she grows up. She is on her way, she has a beautiful voice already at 6 years old. She was given a normal homework load for a first grader on Monday. A packet of papers to be turned in on Friday.

Josh on the other hand is the one that is swamped. Last Thursday he was given a project to do that was due today. We didn't spend enough time on it on Saturday and we were gone from 7:30 am to 7:00 pm on Sunday. It was a collage of things in California. Then he was assigned another project on Friday that is due tomorrow. It is basically a Newspaper about him. Who his hero is, he chose his dad. He had to write articles about things in his life, etc. Plus he has had about 45 min-1 hour of regular daily homework. And today he brought home this awful word search. He spent about 30 minutes on it and found 2 words, I spent about 1 1/2 hours on it and found about 10 and John finished it after spending about 45 min on it. Crazy! Today, including the word search, had he done it on his own, he had 4 1/2 hours of homework... IN FOURTH GRADE. I remember when Luke was in fourth grade, I always and still do think it is the most academically intense grade so far.

I am so pleased with Luke's attitude, his classes, etc this year. Big turn around from last year. 6th grade was horrible. He spends 1 1/2 - 2 hours a day on homework.

Did you forget we have football 2 hours every night? We are all so exhausted and cranky. My house has not been fun this week. But we had a ray of light tonight when we heard that Friday there is no practice because we have scrimmage games (said gameS) on Saturday. Between the 2 boys we have to be at the park from 9:30 am to about 4 pm. It is supposed to be 95*.

Okay there is my complaining. I do remember through it all that God only gives us what He knows we can handle. We just have to have faith in Him... rely on Him. He knows us better than we know ourselves.

Gotta love a successful youth group day!

Hi all. Been busy getting the kids situated back in school and I am just exhausted all the time. I guess getting used to getting up early again.

Our youth group went to Soak City (waterpark) yesterday. We had 48 total people, whole families went, not just the youth group. We were so excited about the turn out. It was 107 in Palm Springs and so the water felt great. Now we are on to planning our youth kick off with tables showing off all of our plans for the next year and a t-shirt designing contest. I am excited. Every year the youth groups gains a few more regular attenders. It feels like we are gonna have a good year. I am sure praying for it.

Tough love

I made John fold a load of laundry tonight. Oh my goodness was he mad. But I had to get Courtney's clothes in the drier or she wouldn't have jean shorts for school tomorrow and well when a girl gets in her mind what she wants to wear... she better have it. :) And I had to get started working. Anyway, the clothes in the dryer were his shorts and t-shirts. He was so mad at me. But when he was done he was bragging that he did his first load of laundry since we were married. Not something I am too proud of. LOL But I thanked him profusely hoping that he would remember this feeling of pride.

Does 1 - 4 - 7 mean anything to you?

To me it means I have a first grader, 4th grader and 7th grader. I have been looking ahead lately and thinking about 2 years down the line when I will have 1 in elementary, 1 in middle school and 1 in high school. EEK. Okay Marlayna, stay in the here and now.

I got a couple of pictures this morning that didn't turn out too great, but here they are to document the first day of school in 2008.





The house was quiet. I have been waiting for this for a week, but when it was here I felt kinda teary. That is done though and looking forward to tomorrow when I don't have to work until 11 am and have the morning to grocery shop and then come home and watch some Olympics. I think God gives us school to give us mom's a little break once in a while to recharge.

Camping

We went camping this weekend. First time this summer and I can't believe it. We love it every time. The kids were awesome, I was proud them all weekend. They were not irritable with eachother. We played games, went on hikes, relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful mountains. We went with Josh's cub scout pack, only about 40 people went, but it was still nice to be with people we know and visit, etc. Bare with me and all the pictures.

Josh and his cub scout jacket and patches.


The boys playing Uno.


Several years ago the cubmaster asked John to do a religious ceremony on Sunday mornings on our camp outs. It is called "Scouts Own". Here is John and Luke doing the service.


And a picture of our group, or the ones who attended the service anyway.


We went on a walk with some of the others and I just loved walking behind this. I think it is such a loving picture of a dad holding his daughter's hand on one side and his arm draped over his son on this other side.


We walked to this gigantic pine tree that had needles shaved off it all the way up the center of the tree and the kids all climbed up. Well not Courtney, I let her climb a couple of branches, but the boys were up about 30 feet.... OI! They are towards the top, you can't really see them, they are wearing earthy tone colors... and don't worry the red shirt towards the bottom isn't Courtney.

And a close up.



I never thought I would be one to love the outdoors, but I love the relaxation, getting away from home, cooking outside, sitting by the campfire. We go again Labor Day weekend with 8 other families from church, to the mountains again. Our pastor is going along this time and we will have a church service and pot luck meal on Sunday. What a way to celebrate God and all His glory, surrounded by His goodness, with our church family.

Does my blog look different to you?

I don't know if something is up with the system or if I fiddled around with my settings and messed it all up. But everyone's blog that I visit has a yellow box at the top, instead of all the pretty designs everyone uses. It is not easy to comment, the right side looks different.

But mine looks fine to me. It is exactly how I set it up. Does anyone know what happened?

How do you know you are married to a redneck?

I know it because my husband pronounces it with lots of pride. I also know it because he came home from work today and did this...
He put plastic in the bed of his pick up and filled it up with water so the kids could have a pool. I find his childishness exhausting most of the time, but then I saw how excited the kids were, it was 100* today, or nearly anyway. The dogs even seemed to love it because the plastic didn't hold and I found them under the truck where the water was dripping out. I guess the whole thing made me giggle.

I do want my kids to grow up with manners and all that good stuff, I am a city girl, raised with the "good things in life" and he grew up on a farm in a town of 200 people. Now after almost 17 years of marriage I find myself longing for that lifestyle.... but not in the city. LOL I don't know, I am so back and forth about it really. I think we have figured out that this is where God wants us.

Oh, so back to ... wanting the kids to grow up with manners. No matter how hard I try it is a fighting battle because my husband is crude and rude, though a strong Christian... yep I scratch my head at that one too, he is more friends with my oldest than anything. He lets him watch TV shows that I think he is too young for, uses bad language around him, burps, farts, the whole thing. I have been so grumpy lately because I want my kids to have good manners and I can't compete with a fun dad. HELP. Any ideas? Not to be putting John down at all. He is a great dad, he does parent as well, the kids respect him completely and I have to give him kudos because he came up with some parenting ideas that I think they will respond to way better than my nagging.

This is one of those things that I continually pray about and find the right time and words to talk to John about. But really anything he doesn't want to change he won't even if he knows he should. I feel kind of defeated. I am in an up and down place right now. Happy, frustrated, tired....

Children's message

Today at church our pastor was doing the children's message and there were about 10 kids and Courtney was the youngest. In his message he had 1 present and he said.... with all these kids and only one present, who should get it? My daughter shouted out... the youngest one. The pastor about busted a gut laughing so hard... as did the rest of the church. She pretty much has something to say that is so innocent it is funny at almost all the children's lessons.

Reason, Season, Lifetime... Friends

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong -doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (anyway); and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

I have a friend who has been my closest confidant, spiritually and in every day life things. She has taught me so much about prayer, which I believe to have made an enormous difference in my life, she has taught me to look for the blessings in everything in life, even when they don't seem like a blessing... that everything is from God. I love her for how she has helped to change my life. I found out last night that she is leaving our church. I feel bad that she didn't tell me, her husband told my husband... who are also friends. And she is very old fashioned and obedient to him, I think he probably asked her not to tell anyone until he was ready. But now I don't know how to talk to her. I am not mad at her. I am very sad she is leaving our church, but I can't imagine how those feelings would make me not want to be friends with her anymore, I have considered her my best friend for several years now. I don't know what to do with what I am feeling....I don't really know what I am feeling. Except that I have had 3 girls/women in my life that have gone. First my sister who died 20 years ago, a very dear friend of mine who was very special to me who moved to the other side of the country and now this friend.

So I thought of this poem, if that is what you call it. I pulled it out to wonder what God's plan was. Where did Linda fall for me in this poem. I wonder if it is possible for her to be the friend who is the reason, the season and the lifetime friend all rolled up in one. I know she is not gone, but I feel like she is. I just pray that I keep my heart open and realize how this works in God's grand plan... or if it will be one of those things that I won't get an answer for until I get to heaven.