WHEW . . . I'm Tired!

Some of you know I have become the coupon queen and playing the Drugstore game and some of you don't but here is a picture of God's Provision today. Before you say, "yeah, right . . . who needs 5 plastic protractors" I will answer that for you . . . All the area kids who the church collects school supplies for. . . :)

My total OOP (out of pocket) expense was a whopping . . . .

$ 12.97

Yes, I am serious! In a nutshell, it consists of

3 transactions at CVS,

1 transaction at Office Depot (total .38 cents)

and

1 transaction at Wal Mart ( I still don't like you, Wal Mart !)

and . . I forgot to put in the picture the 3 bottles of Pert Shampoo that Wal Mart paid me 1.50 to take out of their store ( . . . nope, still not lovin the place)

I could have done even better OOP but I was stuck with a $10 ECB (CVS extra care buck) and my total was 6.43. I thought Is was going to cry b/c my previous total was 9 cents and she was hoping to beat me with "her" transaction.

My stockpile (in the biblical sense . . "stores" not in the hoarding sense) is looking stronger which is the key to spending under 50.00 a week for the family grocery budget (including paper products, laundry soap, health & beauty, etc)

If you want to know more about how to make this happen at your house, email me and I will send you some links.

Now take a look at my little burst of creativity which does not come around much anymore:

The hubby was in town for a quick 48 hours and wanted to take us kayaking (we were given one about a year ago) to Jupiter Island (think Tiger Woods home) We found ourselves on a deserted beach. These are sea sponges we found. Is found the most but we could not bring them all back over on the kayak. The candle came from my mom and I have been waiting for the perfect time to use it. I think I found it. What do you think? Frugal and free . . and a staycation!

"Mommy, what are the Olympics?"

"Well, I$ . . . you really don't have to concern your$elf with that right now. Plea$e put it out of your mind. Really. . . plea$$$$$e."

"But Mommy . . . can I go to them? Pleeeeeeaaaassssse"

"You mean go to China this Summer and watch them?"

"No, go to China and do my gymnastics"

"Oh . . . I think it is a bit too far for this Summer. Why don't you just swim for now and bother your boys . . but please don't be too rough on them . . . you're going to need them someday"

"yeah . . r i g h t" (7 is the new 21 !!)

Strange . . she looks innocent enough . . .

I know God has given her this superhuman strength for a reason and for His glory . . just not sure He remembered to give her parents and her brothers an extra measure of patience and understanding to go along with it. Unless of course He did that on purpose . . which I'm sure He did.

***N E W S F L A S H***

THIS JUST IN . . . .
FCAT results are in for 3rd graders and M shredded the math and reading scores. Too bad you can't score above a 5. He would have done that, too!

Academic games . . here we come. (something else to add to my schedule, btw)

Resident Artist . . .literally!

I am sooooo not good at keeping this post updated. I blink and another month has gone by. Someone needs to come up with a "How To Book" on making time slow down. I would actually slow down to read it.

Here are a couple pictures of the work of my "Artist in Residence"

The boat is his all time favorite and the other is a portrait of his school mascot and was his gift to the lower campus as he is heading to the upper campus next year. It has been a gift to have C at a Early Learning-6th grade. A gift of one more year with the little kids. I will take every moment I can get. Enjoy the pictures.

Backyard Circuit Training . . brought to you by Is

So, the pool water is warm enough to swim in . . if you consider 78 degrees warm enough. Personally, I prefer the 98 degrees of the ocean in mid-August. I thought I would swim some laps, which is not very effective in a kidney shaped pool, but exercise still the same. My daughter decided to designate "stations" to add to the workout regime. Two days in the gym and a private on Saturday's has turned her into a machine. But to her it is fun. To me it is work. So put the two together and we have a picture I never anticipated. Mother following daughter around the pool attempting to keep up. Here is her plan:

1. 5 laps of free style

2. 20 pull up's/ chin ups at the waterfall

3. 10 leg lifts or kicks of each stroke (free, breast, fly)

4. 100 IM (individual medley . . but keep in mind, we don't have a 25 yd pool)

5. pull Mom off the bottom of the pool as she sunk!

I think I will have to pull out the old "don't forget Mommy broke both of her arms" card and become a spectator.

DON'T BLINK . . .

So I on have been going through a stage in my mind lately where I find myself staring at my kiddos and trying to drink in all that I see. I am at that point in my life and in their lives where I realize how fleeting this time is. Not to be a downer, but very few people gave me a heads up on this. My dear friend Cheryl G. certainly did, praise God! Otherwise my "sphere of influence" was my peers and we were/are all in the same boat . . at the same childhood stage . . so we often only vented to each other. Pray for an older, wiser mentor who is not too much further down the path you are on so they can be a voice of reason in your life. God gave me a precious one in C.G and I hope I can be one for someone in the future.

On that note, I remember the times when I impatiently (sinfully, because after all, it was all about me, you know . . .)wished a certain stage of my children's lives away as they were too taxing . . . too demanding . . . and just plain ole too much. I heard a song by a country singer, Trace Adkins and here is the chorus. Might not be as dramatic without the music but search it on itunes and you can hear it for yourself. Newer moms . . .let me lovingly urge you to drink it in.

You’re gonna miss this
You’re gonna want this back
You’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you’re gonna miss this

Now . .. go hug those little ones, and not so little ones . . . and don't blink.

So, I never do these questionairres but due to my lack of creative blogging latley, I thought I would throw this in.


A) Four places I go over and over:
M and I's school, C's school, office, church and Publix would tie for #4
B) Four people who email me: (Regularly):
Mom, Tracy, my MLS system, my Broker
C) Four of my favorite foods:Mexican, salads, Merlot (yes, I can make a meal out of it) pasta
D) Four places I would rather be right now:
Please . . . I live in South Florida, if I were anywhere else I would long to be here! Non geographical locations would be a spa, a tag sale/flea market(a real one, not one with socks, Mary Kay and sunglasses) Disney with the kids and Bathtub Reef beach at low tide
E) Four people I think will respond:No one, everyone is as busy as I am
F) Four movies I would watch over and over:Not a lot of time for movies either but I would have to say 1)The Sound of Music (the kids are watching it as I type), Gone with the Wind, Forrest Gump and It's a Wonderful Life

Pillowcase = Balance

So I have been reading the blogs of some very creative people and it has really got me missing the sewing days of my past. It is insane for me to even consider taking on a sewing project but it is nice to remember those days. Some of them have been doing seasonal pillowcases. While I is 7 now, I thought she might enjoy one. I was in Walmart one day and just wandered over to the fabic area. Pretty pathetic, actually. But I did see some silky Hannah Montana fabric. So I paid way too much for this silky fabric and pink silky binding and Is and I sewed up a few seams and she was then the proud owner of a new Hannah Montana pillowcase. What a great idea for a girl sleepover party . . said she who doesn't allow sleepovers.
So I put the rest of my agenda away for a couple hours and made my little girl so happy. M wants to make one for his friend, J, who if you will recall from earlier posts, had cp and is Hannah Montana crazy. I think we will.

The kids have a meet this weekend and D is so slammed I am flying solo tomorrow. For someone who did it so well for so many years, I am like a fish out of water when I have to carry it all now.

Praise. My sis in laws tumors are shrinking. Dramatically. I got to visit with her yesterday and her hair is about to fall out. I said, "I know it is easy for me to sit here with a head full of hair and say, 'don't worry about your hair', but . . . DONT WORRY ABOUT YOUR HAIR" She is as ready as one can be. She is doing well so far on the weekly chemo. Keep her in your prayers.

Have a great weekend.

CRAZY BUSY

That pretty much sums up life around here lately. We are slammed. How does it happen so quickly? I am crazy busy at work. The foreclosure buyers are out in huge numbers. The "flippers" have been bored to tears for two years and are itching to get back in the game. A few of the properties are a lower dollar value . . . ha . . in S. Florida that means they are under 200K. I have met some sweet people and some crazies as well. Today I am juggling and negotiating 5 contracts. That is a praise as early in the year I was uncomfortably quiet. Dale is slammed as well. He has lighting jobs backed up to April at this point and is working in Palm Beach on some entertainment lighting.

Another praise is the new church we have been visiting. Treasure Coast Presb. Church is a small PCA church in a little historic building in the downtown area near the water. We Love It!! It took awhile to find it but God is good and led us there at the right time and for the right reasons. The youth, both middle school and high school are pretty strong. C wants to be there all the time. They are going on a mission trip to the Gulf Coast hurricane hit area to minister to areas that are still in need, neighborhood ministry, clean up, etc. M feels a bit left out as his age does not have as much going on at this point. Small world. The pastor and his wife were married at CSPC and her parents still live in Village Green. I think this church has been the missing peice for the last couple years here in S. Fl.

One last note and I have to run. My sis-in-law has started aggressive chemo. She is a stage 4 with her cancer and rather than double post, we started a blog for her updates. They have friends and family all over the country and a blog seemed to be the best answer for updates. Please check it out regularly and pray for her and her family as they walk through this part of her "story". http://www.sharonjewett.blogspot.com/ and feel free to post and introduce yourself. Her department at the hospital had a prayer meeting for her in the hospital chapel. Keep in mind that even though we are in the "south" part of the US . . S. Fl is FAR removed from the Bible Belt. God is very much at work through this illness in Sharon's life.

Have a great week.

Update on Sharon

I thought I would give a quick update on my sis-in-law, Sharon. She has had a bunch of tests this week and we found out today the cancer is in the liver as well. She gets her port placed on MOnday and will begin Chemo right away. They are going to have to be very aggressive in her treatment as this cancer is a meanie. Please continue to pray for her and her family. Her oldest is planning a wedding in August and is taking her to her appts, etc. Her youngest is in pre-med at FSU and wants to be home and not finish the semester. Her hubby is staying strong and they have a SUPeR support group with their church family. We were not able to connect there but they have been absolutely surrounded with love, etc. The picture above is a couple years old but it will put a face with a prayer. Thanks.

I'M TRYING . . . REALLY!

I really am trying to post on this lonely little blog more and more. I cannot always promise pictures but if you will be happy with my words . . anyone who knows me knows I have plenty of those!!!
So this weekend was CRAZY!! The kiddos had a swim meet in a nearby town (no overnight travel, yea!!) They had to be at the pool by 7:45 each morning (Saturday and Sunday) and the meet was over by 12 noon. My phone must have rung about 10x Sat morning and 4 or 5 times Sunday morning . . all business calls. yikes. I got back to as many people as possible. I am currently working about 40 foreclosure homes and the calls pour in. I have become a bit . . . um . . I will call it professionally direct but others may call it cold. Bottom line . . I am not wasting my time running all over South Florida so show a home to someone who has all of $500 in the bank and a lousy credit score. Sorry. Not going there. Ask the kids. Not happening.

The kids had an excellent meet. Especially C. He lowered all of his times . . . some by 4 seconds . . which is huge in the world of swimming. He really needed it. He had one swim, the 50yd breast stroke, where I saw a side of him I have never seen. He is defiately on the small side, in height and weight and he is on the blocks with these large boys . . but he has good techinique so that often compensates. As he was coming into the first turn, the other boys were already on their way back to the wall. So sad really, but let me tell you . . the look on his face was intense . . which of course was accentuated with the goggles. To put it crudely . . he was PISSED! It was like one of those slow motion life moments. He knew he had "left it all in the pool" as his coach says. He truly gave it all he had. The other swimmers were just bigger and stronger. The anger I saw on him was on one level disturbing but on another level, refreshing. The bottom line is he came in last in his heat . . but shaved 4 seconds off his best time. He had to pull something from deep within himself . . although it did stem from anger/frustration, that neither his coach nor I could give him. He had to do it himself. Growing up. *sigh*

The afternoon? I met two buyers at two foreclosure. Wrote an offer on one and am getting an offer with deposit on a second one tomorrow. Manna

We did have a hard week this last week in our family and our small S. Fl family. My sister in law who has been down here a couple years longer than us, was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer. Ugh. They tested 5 lymph nodes and it was positive in all five. Ugh again. Sharon is 53 and a respiratory therapist at the local hospital. She has been able to sort of circumnavigate the system and get a lot of tests run early. She had a bone scan and that came back fine. Praise God! She has a PET scan on Monday and a MRI on Tuesday. Please pray for clear results. She will meet with the oncologist later this week. Needless to say this has rocked their world. My neice is planning a wedding in August and my other neice is at FSU in pre Med. Please pray for them.

Thats about it. D and I are both working hard and the kids are working themselves into more and more responsibilities at home. That's a good thing.
One more happy note. We have started visiting a small PCA church here locally. Small world. . the pastor and his wife were married at Cedar Springs. It is a small church, the teaching is rich, the music is . . . new to us . . more praise and worship with instruments/piano but the childrens programs are pretty large. (considering the size of the church) The middle school has a strong program and C BEGS to go. Now the younger two want to go as well. All the time. Our new routine is to get up on Sunday like it is a school day, get ready, go to Panerea Bread for bagels, sweet rolls, etc, go to the service at 9:30 and be home by 11:30.

Okay . . I'm done.
Remember Sharon in prayer.
Thanks.

Lonely, lonely blog . . .

What a pitiful blogger I am . . . I have not posted since I's b-day in Oct. I guess I always feel I need to post a picture to make my posts interesting and by the time I locate my camera and download, etc, another month has gone by. So, my goal for 2008 is to not care whether I have a picture for my blog. Just consider it gravy if I do.
So, what have we been up to? The usual. The holidays were great. December went way too fast. D and I have made a conscious effort to say "No" to more things than ever before. It really is sort of unfortunate to the people/programs asking/demanding our time, talent or money because the answer is an automatic "No". And then if we change our minds, it has come after much deliberation, etc. There is so much we HAVE to do that when you combine all that with the extras, our lives were spiraling out of control. If you are not reformed yet and still have trouble saying "no" to people, call me. It really is liberating.
The kids got way too much at Christmas even though we make a huge effort every year to not make it huge. We all are suffering from Wii shoulder injuries although I still like to get in a quick 6 games of tennis if it is raining out and I cannot run.
We had the pleasure of having D's brother and his sweet family over for Christmas Eve feast. We sat out by the pool, tiki torches and all. Don't expect a picture . . didn't take any. Another freedom I have allowed myself. :)

So now we are back to work and school. The kids have a swim meet this next week in Clearwater on the West Coast of Fl and then C has a field trip to Epcot the following week. I will try to post some of his artwork, however. That will be my goal for Feb.

The Real Estate market is as challenging as can be right now and where as I was blessed tremendously last year financially, I don't see the same momentum this year. Keep me in your prayers if you think of it. God knows I struggle most with the uncertainty. I really stink at it actually.

That is about it for us. We enjoyed getting Christmas cards from our dear friends from Tennessee and elsewhere. We will be there in June for a little family reunion so hopefully we can visit with some of you.

Happy 2008. It really is going to be great. With a new president being elected this year, I find myself at a crossroads on my party line. I think the entire thing is a mess and know that no one candidate or party can fix it. "Oh, my, K has moved to South Florida and become a Democrat"
Not at all. K has come to the realization that something has got to change. We cannot expect to put the same people with the same "affiliations" and "relationships" and "associations" in the White House and expect anything to be different . . and I am not just talking about the war. In my opinion, we do not live in a country that God is blessing. We live in a country that is living in the "remnants" of God's blessing. Think about it. Ok . . . stepping down from the soap box.

So, my wish for you as well as my family is that we cherish what we have, where we are in our journeys and trust in God's Providence.