Tomorrow is… March?!

When I was in elementary school I was taught the adage “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb” or maybe it was “March comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion”. I could never get it straight. And some years March came in like a lamb, other years like a lion. And the same holds true for how March went out. That is until I moved to Phoenix. Here, March is a lamb all month long. Except for the year that we had our first 100 degree day on March 26. Although, other than it being warm, it was really beautiful.

My March 2011 is filled with expectation, hopes, and dreams. I expect to have a new granddaughter early in March. I hope to lose a few pounds. I expect to spend some time with family and friends. I hope that the appraisal work picks up at least one order over February. I’m dreaming of projects that I can finish so that I can start other projects that are just a dream. I expect to commit two more Bible verses to memory in March. I hope to complete at least one more item on my 101 in 1001 list.

I will be celebrating Janel’s birthday on March 15, the same day that we celebrate my nephew Matt’s birthday. I have three friends with March birthdays and my nephew’s wedding anniversary is at the end of March.

What about you? Is March the beginning of great weather where you live, or is winter still gripping your community? Do you have special celebrations planned for March or is it a quiet month? Will you start a veggie garden or flower garden this month? Whatever your plans for March, I hope you’re able to take some moments to enjoy… life!

Waiting…

Patience is a virtue, but it’s not one of my virtues. I am notoriously impatient. And I don’t keep it to myself. When I’m impatient, everyone around me knows it. Especially Dan. I drive him insane with questions, comments, deep sighs, pacing, any behavior that exhibits my impatience and tests his patience.


I am currently impatient. I just can’t wait for my new granddaughter to arrive. I want to see her. I want to hold her. I want to hear her. I want to know her.


We went down to Mesa to see Zach and Ashley this afternoon. They’re ready. All of her clothes are washed and put away. They have tons of clothes, blankets, socks, diapers. Everything new parents need. Ashley is already filling in the Baby Book. They are so ready for the baby to get here.


Her official due date is Friday, March 4. We have a little family pool going to see who can guess her arrival date. JD is already out. He guessed 2/25. Janel chose 2/28. Dan & I have 3/1. Sunny 3/3 (three is the only number she can say!) Jessica 3/4. Katie, Gabe, Adam all chose 3/6. Ashley 3/8. Zach 3/18 – can you imagine?!


This will probably be an anxious week for me. I’ll do my best to not drive Dan up the wall. But I’m not promising anything…

Another Week Gone By

March begins next week. Tuesday to be exact. Am I the only person who thinks that January and February flew by in a blur? 2011 has started out as a very busy year for us personally. And it doesn’t look as though that pace is going to slow any time soon. I’m not complaining though. After several years of stress and strife, this busyness feels great.

I’m feeling particularly optimistic today after a visit to my doctor yesterday. Due to a perfect storm of events a couple of years ago, I developed high blood pressure and had to go on medication. I can’t stand pills. I will do anything to avoid taking them. That’s why I’m so strict about my diet with my diabetes. I don’t want to take medication to control my blood sugar. Yesterday when my blood pressure was measured it was 96/63. I said “what it is?” she said “96/63”. When we got back to the exam room I asked again “what was my BP?” “96/63”. When my doctor walked into the room I said “did you see what my BP is?!” She was as ecstatic as I was. Of course, then the worry started.

me: “is that too low?”
doctor: “no, but if it gets down to the lower 50s or 40s we need to change your medication”
me: “what should I look for?”
doctor: “feeling sluggish”
me: “I’m 54, I already feel sluggish, plus that’s a sign of low/high blood sugar, how will I know?”
doctor: “if you start to pass out when you stand up call me. Gee, I really can’t believe your BP is that good”
me: (laughing) “me either”.

Later as I was recounting my visit to the cardiologist in January by telling my doctor that the cardiologist asked if she was following my carotid artery since I’m diabetic…

me: “of course as soon as she asked that I got worried about are you following it, what if you’re not following it, why would she ask me that, does this mean you’re going to start following it if you weren’t already, what does following it mean…”
doctor: “I really can’t believe that your blood pressure was that good…”

Yeah, if you haven’t already figured it out, I’m a champion worrier… not that that’s a good thing!

There is a 100% chance of rain today in Phoenix. Normally when they say 100%, we don’t get a drop of rain. It is already quite cloudy, and I hope it does rain. We could use it. Plus, I just love a cloudy, rainy day when you have to turn the lights on in the house. It’s just so cozy.

I started buying a few things for Katie’s baby boy. They haven’t picked a name yet, so she refers to him as “little man”. I bought little man a plush basketball toy that chimes when you shake it. A cute newborn sleeper. Two outfits from Costco. She’s decided that since she’s having a boy, she’d like to have a baby shower, so we’re trying to figure out when to schedule that.

I have the best friends a girl could want. Each friend brings something special into our relationship. I can’t imagine not having these special women in my life. Just their enthusiasm alone is a blessing! They are multi-talented, encouraging, creative, supportive, fun, and the faith we share is at the center of each relationship. Some of them live close-by and some of them are phone/email relationships, but there is no difference in the level of friendship or in the love I have for them. Today, I am feeling so grateful for my friends.

Joanna Polling Photography

Top Ten Reasons I Use Joanna Polling Photography

10. She’s a friend
9. She creates a comfortable environment and experience
8. She has an impeccable “eye”
7. She has infinite patience for waiting for the perfect shot
6. She’s not afraid to stretch the box, or even step out of it
5. She picks locations that provide the perfect backdrop for my family
4. She doesn’t get flustered by working with a toddler
3. She takes command of the photo shoot and gives instructions that are easy to follow
2. She provides a quality finished product

And the #1 reason I use Joanna Polling Photography…
1. She even makes me look good!

Check out a sample of our recent family photos at http://www.joannapolling.com/blog/.

Daniel's Wedding/Ashley's Shower

This post is going to be long because of all the photos. What a weekend! By the time I got home last night I was exhausted. But, oh! how much fun I had.

Friday night we attended the wedding of Daniel and Audrey. Daniel has been Zach's best friend since 6th grade. They were inseparable. And they slightly resemble each other. Both of them tall and skinny. Way tall and skinny. I can't tell you how many times I would be hollering at Zach, but looking at Daniel.

The wedding was gorgeous. Zach was a groomsman and escorted Daniel's younger sister, Hannah. Hannah is the little sister Zach never had. It's so hard for me to believe that all of these kids are grown up.


On Saturday, Ashley's mom and grandma threw a baby shower for her. She got great gifts, the food was delicious, and the decor was cute. I got to meet some of Ashley's family for the first time which was really nice.

Zach and Ashley

Dan and me

Daniel and me

Me and my boys!

Ashley at the gift table with diaper cake

me, Zach, Jessica, Katie, JoAnne (my mom)

Jessica and Sunny

Katie and Grandma

Francesca and me

Katie

Zach: the proud (and anxious) Daddy

Ashley and her cousin

Zach with his gift

Isn't it the truth...

Zach and Ashley with the cake

Sunny playing in the stroller box

Sunny trying out the car seat

Circle City, AZ

Dan had an appraisal yesterday in Circle City, AZ so I went along for the ride. Circle City is a small, unincorporated community northwest of Phoenix. It's name derives from the fact that the streets in the community are laid out in a circle.

There is no HOA in Circle City. This can be a good thing. It can be a bad thing. I'll share the photos that we took of one of the houses in the community and you can decide for yourself. I have no idea what kind of a fashion statement this homeowner is trying to make. What do you think?

Maybe he's a construction worker...

Maybe he collects Tonka Trucks...

Maybe he shot a turkey buzzard and had it stuffed...

All I can say is that this is hands down the most unusual home decor I've ever seen. 



It's a Boy!

Katie had her ultrasound yesterday and discovered that she's carrying a baby boy.

We are all very excited!

I said "we're off to Oshkosh b'Gosh to buy cute boy clothes".

Dan said "now we can buy boy bibs!"

I guess that's the difference between men and women...

Bogged Down

In my reading of the Chronological Bible this year I’ve come to Leviticus and I am bogged down. Bogged down in the laws. A law for every little aspect of life. A sacrifice for every possible wrong. A right way to prepare the sacrifice for the wrong. A law for every possible crime. And it’s not just a general law. No, these are very specific laws. The consequences for accidentally killing a slave. For killing a slave on purpose. For accidentally killing an animal. For accidentally maiming an animal. For on purpose injuring an animal that accidentally dies. And on and on.


Every year I get bogged down in this part of reading by one question. Why did God give His children all of these laws when He knew there was no way they could follow them? Why did He make their lives so difficult? Why did He tell them that He knew that they would not be able to follow His laws, but they had to try all the same?


I actually know the answer to this question. God gave His people all of these laws so that when He sent His Son, Jesus, they would see how simple it is to attain Salvation. He gave them all of these laws so that when He sent His Son Jesus, they would be so relieved and grateful to be out from under the law that they would accept His gift of Salvation through the death and resurrection of Christ.


Of course, people being people, it did not work out that way. They (we) chose not to believe. They (we) clung to the old laws even though they were impossible to follow. They (we) took the simple gift of Salvation and made it into something difficult. They (we) broke God’s heart.


But, God being God didn’t give up. The offer for Salvation through Jesus is still available today. And if we are followers of Christ, we (I) need to be diligently sharing that offer with every one we (I) know. Despite our (my) fear. Despite our (my) concern about what they will think. Despite the fact that it could cost us (me) a relationship. Because do you know what the cost is if we (I) don’t share? It’s the knowledge that our (my) friends and loved ones could spend eternity apart from God.


He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."
Mark 16:15-16

Family Fun

I was having so much fun this weekend that I didn't take very many pictures. Bummer. I'm not bummed out that I was having fun. I'm bummed out that I didn't stop to preserve the memories of the weekend. Oh well. At least I'll have the professional photos taken of our family. Here's what I did manage to take.

Gabe, Mark, Kelly, Jessica

My brother Mark and me

Gabe

Janel, Sunny, JD

JD and Janel

Tia Janel and Sunny

Tio JD is funny!

Ashley, Zach, JoAnne (my mom)

Adam and JD

Scripture Memory Challenge Pt 4 (and other stuff)

Ok, it’s time for me to reveal the fourth of twenty-four verses that I’m trying to memorize in 2011. The verse I’ve chosen is: Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

I know. It’s short and sweet, but, oh, the comfort derived from knowing this verse is priceless. When I say it, I can just feel some of the burdens I’ve piled onto myself melting away.

Plus, I’m struggling to keep my #3 verse memorized, so I thought I could use a break with a short verse. At least I didn’t choose John 11:35 Jesus wept (!).

In other news, we had a terrific, awesome, fun-filled weekend with JD & Janel. It exceeded my expectations and I was so sorry to see it come to an end. Tomorrow’s post will contain details and photos of our time together.

We Scored Big at the Book Sale!

Yesterday we attended the VNSA Book Sale. We had a great time and came away with tons of new reading material. Janel and I really scored big on cross-stitch patterns. We bought more than 20 books and pattern leaflets between us. There is plenty of patterns to keep Jessica, Janel, and I busy for years! I told the girls I just hope my eyesight and fingers hold out.

They changed the way you enter the building this year. There was one monster line instead of two huge lines, and they searched your bags before you went in. We overheard one of the volunteers say that it’s because last year two people got into a fight and drew their weapons. Really?! Our first thought was “wow, what book were they fighting over?”, and our next thought was “gangbangers at the book sale? that’s kind of encouraging that they’re reading!”

We were only in line for about 75 minutes and the weather was wonderful so it wasn’t too bad. There seemed to be less books and we did hear on the news last night that there wasn’t as many books this year. The fiction area seemed very sparse to me. The children’s area was full as usual and I came away with some really cute books for Sunny to take to her house and for me to keep at mine.

Our fun weekend with JD & Janel continues today and I plan to get some photos to post. Enjoy your Sunday…

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the start of a fun-filled family weekend. I am so excited, I could just squeal! JD & Janel fly into town around 11:45 am. The first item on the agenda is lunch at In & Out Burger. It’s one of JD’s favorites and of course they don’t exist in South Carolina. Then we’re headed to Attic Needlework in Mesa. It’s a great cross-stitch shop that I only get to visit about twice a year. I can’t wait to introduce Janel to it.

After we get back home, we’re grilling steaks for dinner and watching a movie. Frankly, I don’t care what we do as long as we’re together. I haven’t seen JD and Janel in over a year and I plan to just stare at them for the first day, along with lots of hugs!

I'm a Winner!

Jessica introduced me to a couple of writing blogs recently. I love to write. That doesn't mean I'm any good. It just means it's an activity I enjoy. One of the blogs is called "One Minute Writer". The blog author gives a word prompt every day and you have 60 seconds to write. I look at it every couple of days or so and when I checked today I found that I'm a daily winner! Yea! You can check out my winning submission here. I have no idea why she says "congratulations on another win", I've never won before that I know of...

Update on 101 in 1001

February marks the 3rd month of my 101 in 1001 list and I wanted to give an update on my progress (or lack thereof). I have started 20 of the items on my list and have completed two of them. I'm having a hard time not feeling pressured, or like I'm falling behind. I think it's because in the back of my mind I think I only have one year to get this all done. I really have 2 1/2 years. I'm really enjoying the list, especially the accountability on some of the items. You can follow my progress by clicking on the "101 in 1001" tab at the top of this page.

Do you have a list? If so, I'd love to hear about it...

Misc. Photos, Overnight With Sunny, Animal Pancake Breakfast

 I found this photo on the camera when I was downloading the overnight pictures. I think it was taken a couple of weeks ago... I'm pretty sure they're watching "Sesame Street". I thought they both had nice smiles!

Sunny spent the night Friday night. We went out to dinner at Culver's with the Greats and then stopped by Target to see Tia Jessica. She saw another little girl with one of these great big balls and tried to take it away from her, so of course we had to buy her one! Dan said, "you realize we just set a really bad precedent!" Oops...

Saturday morning we got up and Dan made animal pancakes. The picture below is of the "S" he made Sunny, I was a little late in getting the shot.

Jessica came over for breakfast so she could have some play time with Sunny and this is a picture of the "J" he made for her! Even though all of our kids are grown, they still love Dan's animal pancakes. He really does a good job of making lots of shapes free-form. In our family, he's famous for them!

Thursday Thoughts

Oh my goodness! It is so cold here in the Valley of the Sun. Yesterday’s high was only 43 degrees which set a record for the lowest high temperature for the date and for the entire month of February. Brrr. Plus the wind blew all day long. Yesterday morning at 10:30 am, the temperature was 34 degrees, the wind chill was 21 degrees, and the dew point was –18 degrees. Yes, not only is it cold, but it is bone dry also. So, although we’re under a freeze warning, there is no chance of frost in the area because there’s no moisture in the air! Thank goodness they’re calling for 70s by next week.

I know there are lots of aspects to the situation in Egypt. There’s the political, the religious, the cultural, the financial, but I want to talk to you about the archeological aspect of the situation. It really bothers me to hear the reports of museums, pyramids, and antiquities being looted, burned, and broken into. Why would a people want to destroy their past? Especially when their past is so old and plays such an important role in the advancement of society? I just do not understand it. Once these treasures are destroyed, that’s it, there’s no replacing them. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying this is the most important aspect of the situation over there. I’m just saying that it really struck me yesterday when they were discussing it on the news.

I am so excited about the happenings of this month. Tomorrow night Sunny will be here for her monthly sleepover. Next week, JD & Janel arrive for a visit, we attend the VNSA book sale, we’re having family photos made, and we’re having a family dinner. The following weekend, Zach’s best friend Daniel (and our “3rd son”) is getting married on Friday, Ashley’s baby shower is Saturday, and Katie’s hosting a candle party on Sunday. (If you want any Gold Canyon candles, let me know). On Monday, 2/28, I’m having lunch with Daniel’s mom and grandma. Then on Friday, 3/4 my new granddaughter is due! 2011 is shaping up to be quite the year for our family.

Pray For the Christians in Egypt

In Egypt, 9% of the population are Coptic Christians. They need our prayers. Hundreds of Christians in the U.K. took part in a day of prayer for believers in Egypt last Saturday. Bishop Angaelos, the General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Britain said Christians have a "duty" to fill Egypt with light as he spoke of their determination to stay.

"As a church we've been there for 2,000 years. We're a resilient bunch. We're not going anywhere. We're the indigenous people of Egypt and we're staying in Egypt and people need to realize that. I do not mean that provocatively but defiantly," he said.

There is a history of persecution of the church in Egypt and in the last few years there has been an alarming escalation in discrimination and violence against Christians. According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide there have been 53 incidents of sectarian violence from 2008 to 2010.

So far the violence in Egypt seems to center on a change in government. However, as the unrest continues, the target is shifting to include a religious overtone.

What can we do? We can pray. I can only speak for myself, but sometimes I get so bogged down in praying for what's going on in my world, that I fail to pray for what's going on in the world. It is important for us to remember our brothers and sisters in Christ around the globe. Many of them face persecution every single day of their lives. They live in circumstances that you and I can't even imagine.

I'm not telling you to give up praying for your family, your friends, neighbors, the prayer requests you read about on other blogs. Indeed, we must keep praying for all of them. But we need to take time to remember to pray for fellow Christians in other countries. And right now, today, the Christians in Egypt are in need of our prayer support.

February 1st - Scripture Memory Challange

So far, so good. I've memorized two verses so far this year and am ready to take on my third verse. This time I've chosen:

If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.
Psalm 130:3-4

For more information on Beth Moore's Scripture Memory Challenge, check out her website. You can join thousands, yes thousands of other women in a commitment to memorize scripture this year.

My personal experience has been that the first verse was a breeze. The second verse was a little more difficult. I think that's because I have to keep working on the first verse so I don't forget it. It's not like studying for an exam -  learn it, take the test, forget it - this is information that I'm trying to commit to my memory, never to forget. It's a challenge, but it's a challenge I'm excited to meet!