The Jackson Family Online

Just as a follow up to my previous blog…for my birthday Lauren picked out a picture frame from Family Bookstore…says “You have a special place in my heart.” Phil 1:7, and “Your love has given me great joy and encouragment…” and “an Extraordinary mom” on the bottom. She knows me well…I enjoy capturing moments in time and the words on the frame were really nice too. I’ve already put a picture of the girls and I in it from our trip to the Botanical Gardens this summer. Lauren bought a bag to put it in and it came with wrapping paper, but she thought it was tissue paper so she tried to crinkle it all up but it didn’t work so then she tried to flatten it all out and wrap it around the frame without any tape. It was very classical Lauren style and I loved it:). Lydia bought me a Bluetree CD called “God of this City”. It’s a cd that she knew i was wanting to get at some point…and it was very typical for Lydia…she’s a music lover. I’m looking forward to listening to the cd. Lydia simply had the cd tucked in the folds of the wrapping paper…didn’t bother wrapping it or using tape…I told her it was very practical as now I can simply reuse the piece of wrapping paper at a later time:). Anyway, I’m glad they enjoyed picking something out for me and their cards were very nice as well. Lauren didn’t buy a birthday card because that only means something one day a year…she bought a more multipurpose card and wrote her thoughts in it as then it would apply for more than one day:)…I think the Dennings gene has definitely rubbed off on her…:). Lydia picked out a musical card…again totally her. I’m so grateful and humbled to have children who love me, who try to really know me, who want to give good gifts to me, who want to do life with me. I often take it for granted until I see other parents and children interact. Many kids are rude to there parents or don’t want to be around them. My girls are a blessing and I have no idea where I would be right now without them in my life. Obviously they don’t replace God. But honestly…there is nothing that means more to me than my kids…it’s not as if I have a marriage to work on…so all my energy and time goes into them. Not in a codependent kind of way…but in a way that I know the older they get it’s just going to get better and better. I look forward to the day when we three girls will all be on the same level and be simply friends hanging out…I can see the start of that kind of relationship…in the mean time…I’m still in charge:).
Ruth

Well I”m another year older…and hopefully another year wiser:). Offically 39 years old. They announce birthdays of teachers at my elementary school so I had the most magnificent birthday celebration all morning as I went from class to class…nothing like celebrating your birthday with elementary kids…they love birthdays. Seemed nice.
My best birthday gift so far is that Lauren’s drum lesson teacher canceled tonight and there is no youth group…while both of these things are normally good things…to have no plans on my birthday evening, to be free to just be with my kids and enjoy is wonderful!. I think we’re going to go to Applebees for dinner…and I’m starting with dessert…a Triple Chocolate Meltdown. If you’ve never had one…you need to:).
If I made it sound at all yesterday like I’m wishing time away with my kids…please know that I’m not…I’m just wishing away the yuck stuff…the homework, practice, fighting, tedious things. However, that being said…I’m more than willing to deal with that stuff in order to have my kids at home with me. I treasure each day…you never know what it will bring:). Later today my girls are giving me their birthday gifts they chose for me. I’m always curious to see what they would choose…they usually do a great job and truthfully, I love anything that they’ve put thought in to. Lydia has taken to leaving me post it notes on my cart often at school while I’m getting ready for the day and I don’t usually see them until sometime later in the morning…what a wonderful surprise to see her little love notes while I’m at work. I enjoy dropping notes into their lunch from time to time as well. It’s amazing how much a few words can mean and brighten the day!
So…how’s life with you…it definitely feels like fall these days, which is surprisingly nice. I love being able to put on a sweatshirt and jeans and have it feel good, not sweaty. And I’m looking forward to taking the girls to the orchard. We have a nice surprise, my parents are coming down for a visit in a week and a half…they will get to see Lauren’s first quiz in Decatur. And thankfully that weekend we have Monday off of school for columbus day so they will get an extra day to spend with us, which is great. I have a feeling will go pick some apples or pumpkins…or something fallish that day. I haven’t seen my parents since July so it’s always good to have a visit! And they were happy they will get to catch Lauren on a quiz weekend. It’s hard for them to have stuff go on with the girls and not be able to come much…same with Mark’s parents…it’s just the reality of living 10 hours away. My girls and I have already put in an order for my mom to make her marvelous meatloaf:). And her pies are wonderful…I’m addicted to her crust. I’m glad they’re going to get a chance to get away, summers take a lot out of them and they need a chance to relax and get a new view for a couple of weeks.
Anyway…it’s my third birthday without Mark…for some reason I mark time as with Mark and after Mark…I guess that’s how it is when someone is so core to who you are. I’m grateful that I’m doing alright, that I’m working hard, am happy for the most part and have a good life. God is good,
Love,
Ruth

People always stress how fast your kids grow up. How much you’re supposed to cherish every moment. How devastating it will be when they leave the nest, etc. And I know it’s true…really I do. I love my kids, I spend my whole life it seems trying to make moments in time matter with them…but can I tell you…I can guarantee there are some things I won’t miss…and this is my list…
1. Homework tops the list…I am so weary of coming home from a long day of school only to enter my home and have to do school at home to kids who are weary of having a good attitude. It’s a choice I make every night…let there homework go, or check it…if I check it guaranteed that they’ll probably end up with better grades and yet…for whatever reason they sure give me grief over fixing the errors. And then there’s the projects that come up…tonight Lauren thought she had everything at home to do her homework but realized that she had forgot to bring home her rough draft of her biography which is due in final form tomorrow. She was ready to turn it in late and receive an automatic deduction in points…but since I have a key, we ended up going back up to the school to go to her locker to get the stuff…get this, by the time we got home and were here for a few minutes, she realized her rough draft was on her desk in her bedroom the whole time at home so the whole trip to school was not needed. That’s something I won’t miss. Then there are those days when your kids bring home tests with grades that aren’t so hot…and I feel guilt over the fact that I didn’t really help them study. My mom was a stay at home mom who was really good about the whole homework thing…I remember doing flash cards with her every night…will my kids be messed up because I don’t…guess I’ll just have to throw that to the wind. Can’t do it all.
2. Music Lessons…that sounds crazy, I’m a music teacher and I love music, but I have to tell you I will not miss music lessons with my kids…every night saying Lauren did you practice your drum, your voice, Lydia did you practice your violen and your voice…sitting in the car waiting for lessons to get done, etc. I love the end effect and I know it’s worth it just like homework is…I mean I want my kids to be smart, and musical…but wow…I can’t believe how much of that falls on me.
3. Getting around in the morning…nothing like having to wake Lydia up in the morning…let’s just say she’s not a morning person and as much as I love her…I won’t miss the crankiness. Lydia when you read this if you do…know that I love you…but you know how you are, sometimes it’s just not very pleasant. I imagine what getting ready must be like when no kids need to get around…No I don’t look forward to eating breakfast alone…but somehow I think my wake up time and get ready time will dramatically reduce when my kids are grown.
4. I won’t miss the bothering and fighting…Now I have to say I think I have wonderful children who love one another… but still…I won’t miss the annoyance of them being catty with each other.

There are many more things I could probably list…the tons of laundry I do…the other tedious jobs that are associated with having children in the house…but now on to more positive things…
I will miss…
1. Seeing my kids at school…they will move on someday and I will stay at Elementary and Middle school while they bypass me and my world. They brighten my day more than they realize.
2. Eating with my girls…I love our conversations, the things we laugh about, whether it’s at home or out to eat. I don’t look forward to eating alone every meal in the future…
3. The times when we all sleep together on weekends especially…I don’t look forward to being alone in my house at night.
4. The times when I have the priviledge of sitting in the audience and hearing them perform or receive some special award. There is no greater pride that you can have in my opinion than pride in your child and their success.
5. Seeing the world through their eyes…as we travel, in relationships, etc. They have a fresh outlook where sometimes I’m not so fresh:).
6. The hugs, kisses, moments of holding a hand and cuddling up on the couch. I will definitely miss watching movies someday with my kids…
7. Listening to music together in the car…I love getting crazy with them, turning the music up, putting the sunroof down and driving down the express way.
8. Sitting in the hottub with them…truthfully…it’s not much fun to do that alone.
9. Playing games with them…
10. Going to church, together…having someone to sit with that belongs with me.
I could go on and on…I love my kids, more than I can even express…they are all that really matters to me truthfully when the rubber meets the road…But as far as I’m concerned you can take the homework, the practice time, the fighting, bothering, crankiness away and I won’t miss that…I’m getting older…39 by tomorrow:)…and I tend to enjoy more peace and quiet these days when I come home…it’s the nature of the job I have. I’m in a room all day long with more kids than you can imagine…so when I come home I need my home to balance out my work life. Sometimes that’s frustrating, more than I can handle. I’m a morning person, I have a lot more to give of myself in the morning…by night I’m running on empty. We make it through each evening..but it’s hard. Lydia told me tonight…”Mom I hate seventh grade…” which I thought was interesting since she’s not in seventh grade but she hates the fact that Lauren has more homework and so she’s not available to play with her more. I can totally relate to that frustration. And at times I am envious of home schoolers for that very reason…they actually probably have some time to be a kid…I wish my kids had more. But I guess it’s the old motto, pay now, play later, or play now and pay later…I’m trying to choose the hard stuff now so that my kids will be better off down the road and have a better life so…grades matter…music lessons matter, memorizing scripture verses matters, etc.

That’s where my mind is at the moment…now I need to help Lauren type up her biography…
Have a great night,
Ruth

Happy Monday…it’s a bright sunny day today here in Alton…a bit cooler and windier but still beautiful! This weekend I had a strange episode with my ATM debit card. Could use it Saturday morning, knew I Had money in the account…but by Saturday afternoon and for the rest of the weekend I couldn’t withdraw anything or use it anywhere…it was “restricted”, which definitely restricted me:). Today upon going to the bank to find out what the problem is I found out that I have fraudalent charges on my account…someone somehow has gotten ahold of my numbers and was using them…thankfully not much was spent (less than 20$ praise God)…but I’m amazed at how quickly my bank picked up on it…made me glad that I was restricted…at least no further damage was done…so now I have to have all new cards made up, etc. Makes me leery about ordering stuff online, I have no idea how this person got my numbers…but I wonder…Anyway I guess I’m safe for now.

I’ve started singing Up On the House Top and I saw Three Ships Come Sailing In…with my K-3rd graders…it’s time to start getting ready for programs. Actually I’m always amazed at how well they pick things up. Today starts my 7/8th choir fundraiser for the year. I hate fundraising I admit it…I rarely if ever let my own two girls sell anything…but it is part of my job as a choir teacher so…this is that time of year again. I’m sure I’ll be buying my share of cookie dough soon:).

Tonight I need to get Laundry done…I knew it would catch up to me eventually and this morning it did when lauren said to me…”Mom…I don’t have any pants…” o.k. she did have some but none that she wanted to wear…so she had to wear some dress pants today…so I give in…tonight is time to get the laundry caught up. I did clean house yesterday so that feels good. I also made out my next massive to do list…amazes me how there is always something to do…not just something…but many somethings…oh well it will get done when it gets done.

No big plans for the evening…the girls and I picked up the first series of “Castle” on dvd this weekend so we’re having fun watching those mysteries. I love watching tv shows without the commercials…I know you all probably do that with tivo or other great technological things…I’m not quite that with it yet:).

I’m a little more gun shy about the Sicily thing…(sorry I hope you’re not tired of reading about this…) I made a grave error…I thought that the lodging price was for five nights when it was actually only for one…thankfully I hadn’t made any reservations yet…but that opened my eyes dramatically…we’re back to looking at Ireland and reconsidering…it’s just so much less expensive and I have a feeling just as good. I kind of wonder anyway if in July and early August Sicily would seem too hot. Only time will tell…I need to do some further research.

Sometimes I feel so busy making my plans happen, planning events, trips, moments in time, looking forward to things coming up, etc. I have to occasionally step back and think through whether my plans are my plans or are they God’s plans for my life. I’m not saying that I’m off target…but I have those kind of leanings I have to be careful of. I’m always aware that I need God…I need HIm to be in my budget…my schedule, my plans, my hopes and dreams, my home, my car, my chores and responsibilities, my classroom, etc. I need Him…without Him in it none of it really means a thing. Last night as we were taking communion I was reminded to stop and reflect to take stock on some things in my life…just want to make sure everything lines up the way it should.

Hope you’re off to a great start!
Ruth

This is one of those weekends when I’m having a hard time getting motivated to do the housework that I know I need to get done…I mean I know things don’t have to be perfection…but soon laundry is going to be an issue, along with other various household things that need to get attended to. I’ve found myself just craving rest this weekend. I took a nap yesterday and it was a hard nap…one where I felt like I was about comatose for a few hours. I found myself in church this morning sitting there wishing that this week wasn’t full…wishing for another day or two to just do some of the things I want to do. Maybe that’s a selfish thing to feel…but it is true of how I’m feeling…I’m a person who has so many ideas and things I want to do, to read, to experience…and never feel like I have enough time to pursue it. I told the girls yesterday, it was kind of ironic, after Mark died and I took off three weeks from school (one for the funerals, one to be at home and attend to things there that needed to be wrapped up, and one to have a week away to Florida with the girls after a hard six months in our home) people were real big on telling me that I needed to get back to work…”to get my mind off of things.”…I know for some people trying to stay busy so you don’t think is something they have to work at. For me that’s never been a problem…I’m not one to sit around and get myself all depressed. In fact, I have to watch for exactly the opposite…if I don’t get some time I don’t get a chance to think and reflect…and while for some maybe they don’t want to go there…I do, and I need to…I can tell when I’ve not had that time. While I do work fulltime…it’s not my life, I don’t do it because I would be bored at home…I do it simply out of calling…and health insurance is a real nice benefit.
Pastor Mark preached about rest this morning…”Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest…”. I have to admit my soul craves that kind of rest. Sometimes I wonder if it is even possible on this side of heaven, at least in the way I’m craving it.
Anyway…the girls are out shopping with Missi Hall…my birthday is this week and they wanted to be able to surprise me with a gift, which is kind of them and I appreciate Missi taking them out.
I’m going to get comfortable…put on some music…and start cleaning. It has to be done…
Here goes another week…I’m trying to console myself with the fact that friday is a half day at least a half day for the students, teacher meetings for me…And next Saturday I’m going on a Ladies Retreat for the day…I’m not totally sure why…guess I just thought some time with other adults might be good without kids. I very rarely ever have that kind of time.
Hope your weekend was restful!
Ruth

Here’s an update on my sister in law Amy directly from her email to me:)…”I’m going to be having surgery on October 30th out in Pittsburgh. The hospital there specializes in treating the kind of cancer I have. They will remove all the visible cancer they can and then place chemo right in the abdomen for 100 minutes, wash it all back out, and then close. It’s major surgery, it will take 8-10 hours but it sounds very hopeful. They have had good results with this procedure. It’s more aggressive than many hospitals will do but it is their specialty so they are at the top of their field. I’ll then stay at the hospital for 2 weeks and then another two days after that nearby in case there are any problems. I’m very positive about this and feel God is answering my prayer for direction. Everything has fallen into place so smoothly. The last post you made about me sounded pretty grim and I want people to know that I am feeling fine right now and still believing that God is going to heal me. He is amazing and it seems everyday he reveals something to me about Himself that is fresh and relevant in my life.”
Amy is a remarkable person…and I would ask for you to continue to pray for her and her family…as I have any other details I will be happy to post them but this definitely gives us enough to pray about for the next couple of months. If I have sounded grim at all over the past month it’s only because I love Amy and I’ve seen how cancer can step in first hand and take someone you love all too fast. I’ve witnessed the kind of sickness it can bring…witnessed first hand asking God to take someone home all because I couldn’t bear to see him that sick anymore. Obviously Mark and Amy’s situations are very different but I will be the first to tell you once you’ve walked that road with a loved one…the lines begin to blur. That being said cancer is different and takes many different forms for everyone who has it. Some living with it for years, some being able to have it all taken out, etc. I’m thankful that regardless in Amy’s situation that GOd is being given the glory and that she is coming to know Him in a closer way…and I have to say…somehow when God reveals parts of Himself to us in this kind of personal way…it’s worth whatever comes. Knowing God is the ultimate.

Last night I took the girls to see “Fame”…they seemed to enjoy it, lots of music and dance…I guess I wanted to see it as it reminded me of the tv show that used to be on when I was a kid. I also picked up some books on Sicily. So far my thought on going there has been confirmed in what I’m seeing and reading about. In fact I went down in my bedroom today to take a nap and realized that the picture over my bed is probably from someplace in Italy…possibily even Sicily and the outdoor eating picture I have over my collection of books is also that general vibe…so as busy and crazy as my life can be I must have something in me that calls out for the peace and simple life that is evident in the Italian…they are not a rushed people…and enjoy their food and relaxing together. You don’t get the feeling that in Italy the “to do list” is what rules the day…my heart, soul and mind call out for that kind of life…at least for a vacation if not for everyday:). I’m curious to see how God lines up the details for me. And I’m amazed as I look at the pictures to see the things and places we’ll be able to take in. And I haven’t even really given much thought to Romania…I know that will be great as well…I guess there mainly I’m hoping that relationships will be good and we will be able to pour ourselves out in loving those around us. I have a feeling that in the pouring…we will experience God pouring Himself into our lives at the same time.
Thankfully the rain held off this morning for our walk for “Arms of Love” a pregnancy resource center in our community. That’s become an annual tradition for me and my girls…it’s only one mile…but I think it’s great for them to be a part of something that is trying to take a stand and actually help those who are considering abortion. Then we came home and it poured…so I read and took a nap…I did the Italian thing even though I could’ve been doing housework and I have to say it felt good:). Now the rain seems to be passed and we are headed to a Barlowe Girl/Super CHick concert tonight…hope the rain stays away as it’s all outside…I’ve had enough of sitting in the rain while being at a concert to last me for a little while. The think I’m most grateful for is that this is my town so I don’t have a long drive after it’s all said and done!
I had a good talk with my girls today at Bread Co…after the walk this morning, we were talking about our family…the good, bad, etc. genuinely trying to ask forgiveness from each other from stuff over the past few weeks…and in the process it was kind of hillarious for me to watch Lydia…she went from being way “up” was acting silly, making faces, being funny…to a few short moments later being down, head down, etc. her moods can so quickly go up and down. So it gave us opportunity to talk about the way God has made some of us to be steady and some of to be more up and down. And how when God is coming more and more into our lives how that effects our up and down. We talked about how up and down people are balanced out by steady people. How people like Lauren actually enjoy provoking people like LYdia simply for the show of up and down…it’s really quite entertaining until the down hurts Lauren. We talked about marriage and how it should be something that balances us out. Two up and down people don’t generally work out well together just as two steady people don’t work out well together. I don’t remember ever talking about this kind of stuff with my mom. But it was a good conversation…and one I’m glad I had. I’m finding that although I would say overall I tend to be a steady person, I’ve never been known to the be the life of the party…that was Mark…I’m finding that with more and more of God in my life…I’m also not just the wallflower, boring person that I could’ve been without Him…that’s encouraging to me. He takes each one of us and molds us and helps us to have the right amount of ups and downs, to steady ourselves just like we hold the hands of a child who is trying to learn to walk.
Anyway…I better close the girls are ready to head out…have a great day!
Love,
Ruth

It’s been kind of a crazy morning…didn’t start off that way but when we were at Honor Choir this morning…Lauren fell down off the risers forward from the top row…she’s not sure what happened but I think it’s probably a combination of things, she was overheated and not totally dressed appropriately (oh the things we do in the name of fashion:)…so she ended up coming home, I could tell she just wasn’t herself, having a stomachache, etc. Now that I”m home on a break I’m glad I made that call as she told me she threw up a couple of times…hopefully nothing too serious. Time will tell. I managed to make it to the elementary school just it time to grab the two boys(grab meaning in a figurative way of course:) that had been bothering Lydia…that seemed to chill there jets so we’ll see how that goes. So far when I saw Lydia later in the day she said they called her “snitch” one time but since then everything has been better…I just wanted both of them to know today that I have there number and the behavior has to stop immediately…time will tell. Lydia did have some good news today as she got elected to Student Council…I’m not even sure what the process is but it made her feel good so that’s the important thing:).
I have three more classes to go for the day, I’m ready to be done…almost there. Last night both girls were in bed early…for various reasons…so I had time to myself on the computer and have come to a decision about the European thing unless God tells me differently:). We are going to fly into Palermo, Sicily, stay there for five nights, fly up to Budapest, Hungary and go to Romania for the missions part of our trip and stay there probably 10-11 nights and then fly back to Palermo, Sicily for a wind down for five nights and then home. I even found our place to stay which I’m excited about. I tried lots of other places and kept mapping out flights here and there…but in the end it’s cheaper to get round trip tickets…and I realized the thing that attracts the girls and I to Europe right now is the movies that we’ve seen with the blue, blue water, and the outdoor eating, and some history, the accent, etc. And we can get all of that on the Island of Sicily. So…now I want to go to a bookstore and get a book and read up on it. It looks like it would even be a possibility to go on a boat ride in the Mediterranean Sea…which might be fun for a day trip…we’ll see. My main goal though for those five days before and after the missions part…is to relax, chill and enjoy some down time…we’re right on the beach front and also will have a nice pool so that should be exactly what we need. Who knows…I may very well end up going back the following summer anyway and then I can try some other location in Europe. So many good places to choose from…
O.k. back to my real life today….
Happy Friday, have a great weekend! And Karen…I didn’t even know that you ever read this blog…how nice to hear from you!
Love,
Ruth

It’s been another full day…it’s 7:15pm and I’m just sitting down for the first time this evening to hopefully have some time to relax. I’ve now walked three days in a row on the treadmill so hopefully I can stick with it. The girls are doing their Wii Fit everyday too so that’s good. And tonight…instead of running out to get food elsewhere at a restaurant…I made a quick run to the grocery story to pick up the sausage to go along with our pancakes…Ah…maybe an old dog can learn new tricks:).

My mama Lion self came out a little tonight. Lydia has been sitting between two boys at school who are out of control. The only thing is that by fifth grade they’re really good at being sneaky so that even while the teacher is teaching she doesn’t see them bothering Lydia. The make sexual gestures, noises, the one boy has been cheating off of Lydia, and out on the playground they’ve said a few choice words about me and Mark (which is really bizarre as they don’t even know Mark…). For awhile I told LYdia to try and ignore it…maybe it would just stop (yeah right…), but tonight Lauren got emotional with me about the whole thing because she can’t stand the fact that her sister is having to deal with this on a daily basis. Lydia has talked to the teacher about it…told her the situation and asked to be moved…but nothing has changed. I’m not trying to fault her teacher…I don’t see everything either…and often tell kids who are good to try and tolerate things and not make a big deal about things (in a gentle way of course)…and truthfully maybe sometimes as teachers we’re not totally sure what to do about some of the kids that come are way. I mentioned maybe there parents need to be involved…but Lydia made the comment that they’ve already had parent phone calls made and nothing changed…which is a normal state of affairs in this day and age so that’s probably not going to do a whole lot. I tried to picture if Mark was still alive what he would do…and decided in the end maybe it’s good he’s not…I have a feeling he would rip there heads off and ask questions later:). I’ve made the decision that I will confront the two boys tomorrow…I’ll try a straight on rational approach…and I’m praying for the fear of God to fall on them. The reality is one way or another it has to stop…I won’t tolerate Lydia having to deal with it anymore. And frankly…God and I had a little go around tonight…most of the time I can see the public school as a mission field and am a great advocate for public school education…but tonight…I found myself telling God…I could be a person who puts my children in a cocoon, home schools, etc. my children wouldn’t be confronted with this stuff at such a young age…and truthfully I guess I was letting GOd know that I’m expecting HIm to hold up his end of the deal here…to protect my kids…etc. After a little venting…Mama lion needed to roar I guess, I was reminded that GOd does not have to fulfill my expectations…imagine that. I’m praying for wisdom at this point to deal with this and to have it worked out tomorrow.
In the same day…Lauren in band today had her music taken from her by someone without her giving permission and then the music disappeared…so now Lauren has no music for one song. I just wanted to trounce on into that band room and give that kid a piece of my mind…Obviously I’m feeling a little confrontational today. Instead…tomorrow I will walk in, grab someone else’s music and I told Lauren since this is the second copy of the music she has managed to lose I’m making several copies…so that we have reserve copies of the music on hand. Sometimes just keeping track of all of the girls activities, and stuff is a fulltime job.
Anyway…that’s life…and I’m walking that fine line between when a mom steps in and rescues and defends and when my kids should be able to fend for themselves. If I step in too much…then Lydia will end up being in worse shape as she’ll be snubbed by all the kids for being a “snitch”. (I walked my two miles tonight at a faster pace and burned off some of my aggression:)
I’m so glad it’s Friday tomorrow…we’re ready for a break. Lauren said to me tonight “Mom…I feel like a machine…all I do is go to school, come home, do homework, practice voice, drums, quizzing, exercise, eat and it’s time to go to bed and do it all over again…” I wanted to give her some great encouragement…but yes I would describe that as the majority of life these days…praise God for weekends! This weekend we’re doing the Arms of Love Walk on Saturday morning and then going to a Barlowe Girl/Superchick concert on Saturday evening…thankfully it’s all here in Alton so no long drives. I play piano on Sunday morning so that’s an early morning…but oh well…once a month is doable.
Hope you had a great day!
Love,
Ruth
An update on Amy…as far as I know…she is looking at going to Pittsburg where they have some specialists in the kind of surgery that she needs, to try and remove some of her tumors…At ann arbor they won’t do anymore surgery…she has too much scar tissue from previous surguries…or maybe there are other reasons too…so, hopefully in the coming weeks this is something that can take place. I’m not sure how long she would be in Pittsburg and I don’t know many details of what they are trying to do…but that’s what I do know. Keep praying for her…she needs to be healed.

Mark the day…today I officially started teaching my first Christmas song for the year…fittingly named “It’s snowing…” The irony of it all was we were burning up hot in our choir room while we were learning the song.
It’s half way through another week already, before you know it the first quarter will be over. I’m not complaining:)…but wow time flies. Next week I turn the big 39…last year of my thirties coming my way. Used to think 40 sounded old…not these days.
Tonight Lauren has drum lesson and then small group with her youth group…it’s always kind of a pain for me from the stand point that I drive her there, drop her off…and then have just over an hour before I need to pick her up…not enough time to make sense to drive home and yet…it’s in a little town…where there is nothing else to do while I wait…so Lydia and I will probably take a book…and hang out in some parking lot for awhile to kill the time. I’m tempted to not bother taking Lauren…but truthfully she wants to go and it’s church youth group…how do you say no to that:).
This morning I took her to the “see you at the pole” event at our school. She was kind of nervous, I guess because she hadn’t done it before. So afraid other kids might make fun of her…which led into an interesting discussion about acknowledging God before man…Truthfully, it was kind of sad to me, I’m glad that some kids showed up but for a school of around 2000 kids to only have about 25 show up…not exactly a great turn out…then again we’re talking middle school and this involved coming early to school. So…maybe that’s why. I do think it helps for other middle schoolers to see in their public school setting who else is a Christian…and this was one of those mornings where at least for some it was clear.
I’ve been spending quite a bit of time on the computer as of late…looking at flights to Europe. As it’s kind of a costly venture I’ve been trying to figure out which flights are cheapest on which days, etc. I have discovered it’s cheaper to buy a round trip ticket than to purchase a one way ticket even if you might not use the other ticket…kind of strange if you ask me. But no one is asking so…I’ve also discovered that different European cities are definitely at different prices…you can tell where the masses usually must want to go as those cities tend to be jacked up in price. For the missions portion of our trip we’ll fly into Budapest, Hungary which is actually one of the better deals flight wise…praise God!. I had originally been looking at Ireland and Greece as possibilities for small trips before and after the missions portion of our trip…but I’m not totally sure about that. I’m leaning a bit to Venice, Italy…, it’s closer to Budapest…and who can pass up those boats and rivers as your transportation to get around…seems so romantic…too bad I won’t have anyone to share that portion of my experience with…oh well…I’m sure the kids and I can enjoy it as well:). I’m kind of at a point where I’m praying about it all and praying for some direction on the whole thing…I’m not sure if anyone else might go along with us…so I don’t want to commit until I know for sure…I’ve talked to my sister Mary Anne…cost is a factor but who knows…maybe it will work out…and I’ve also talked to the leadership at my church if anybody else might be interested…the work involves hanging out with orphans in Romania and we’ve had a major focus on orphans in the past months at our church. However, that being said, it might very well end up being just me and my girls and thankfully, LYnsey, the missionary contact I have is fine with just that as well:). By the way…Lynsey Ball has such a great smile…and pleasant personality…I know we’re going to have a great experience!! So…I”m not sure how God will clear all of this up in my mind and truthfully…I”m not just ready at the moment to drop the dollars down (need to save a little bit…) but hopefully between now and then it will become clear. How in the world do you choose when their are so many great places that could be a possibility…and then how in the world do you choose your lodging…even the currency is different so I have to consider that…I’m trying to talk to people I know who have been there which is always helpful…and I’m researching, and researching some more on the web…good thing I have some time:). If any of you have traveled to Europe and have tips or places that I should definitely go…leave me a comment. This trip right now seems much more complicated over the Israel thing, mainly because I have no planning to do for that trip…it’s all planned out for me. Oh well…it’s a great problem to have and I look forward to seeing how it all turns out:)!
Well…I better go stir up my dinner on the stove before it burns to the pot…
Love,
Ruth

Lauren and I had a thorough goal conversation last night and have made quite the list…ok the reality is were not going to be able to keep at it all the time…but we’ll try as best as we can. So…I’ve put my treadmill back to use…I’m nice and sweaty after two miles walking and Lauren is currently doing Wii Fit. Took us awhile to get the thing going just because it had been so long! Both of us are again trying to lose some weight by June. Our plans for the summer involve a lot of walking and we want to be in the kind of shape where we can actually enjoy that…besides it sure would be nice to have some extra room in our clothes for a change…or at least that’s what I’m thinking:).
We’re also working on getting scrapbooks up to date…Lauren is so behind that she said…”Mom I quit” but then when I talked to her about it further and said, Lauren someday you’re going to want to show your kids that you went to the grand canyon, etc….and you won’t have anything to show them…she seemed to get motivated to get back into it…I’ll have to help her break it up into manageable chunks. It’s a pity we’ve made so many good memories that this is a problem right?!?
Lauren is also working on grades…and other various things…practicing drum, voice, quizzing, etc. Basically it all came back down to the disciplines of life that although they aren’t exciting are the bread and butter of a good life. So…I’m trying to hold her accountable and keep her encouraged…she even had some goals for good table manners (and the angels sang:).
For me…setting up a better budget is a biggy…the more I look at taking some of the kinds of trips we want to take I’m realizing that is going to take some major cutbacks and saving…doable…but have to be more disciplined.
All in all it was a good talk…needed for both of us…and already today we’re putting some of those things into practice. I just have to remember that if a day goes by and we screw up to get right back at it the next day.
So…Lydia is currently reading a book about the HOlocaust…I’m getting ready to actually relax for the evening…and I have a feeling we’ll watch the season premiere of NCIS…the girls love that show or at least they love the reruns. Tomorrow is another day which will fast be here.
Hope your day was great!
Love,
Ruth