Thirteen Years and Bleh....

Mr. Clean and I had the opportunity to actually head out, ditch the five little ones and go out to a restaurant with cloth napkins and no Happy Meals. It rocked. My friend Elisabeth watched the kids and it would have gone off without a hitch except...

Not long after we left, K.Z. threw up. A couple times. And he did not make it all the way to the bathroom. He had complained that his stomach hurt right before we tucked him into bed (we opted for a late dinner), but he has a sensitive stomach and it bugs him every once in a while. He pretty much never gets sick over it however so he assumed he would drift off to a peaceful sleep.

My friend Elisabeth is a mother and a compassionate human being, but she has one small beautiful little girl, who when hurls, hurls like a small, beautiful little girl. Not like an 8 year old boy who had Bagel Bites for dinner. The woman should win the Nobel Peace Prize for, a) helping clean up my son and his mess, b) not running, screaming from the house and, c) for not wanting to ruin our dinner by calling us.

When we got home, K.Z. was tucked away in his bed, all vomit had been eradicated from my bathroom floor and the towels had been washed. I do believe the woman is a saint. Elisabeth went home probably never wanting to step foot back in our crazy house!! And it did get a little crazier that night as the hurling intensified with C'sa adding to the fun, and neither she or K.Z. sleeping at all last night. I even made a pallet of blankets and pillows for K.Z on the bathroom floor (his) so when he threw up every 20-40 minutes, he did not have to go far. Needless to say, EVERYTHING was washed and sanitized today, including K.Z. and C'sa.

Here in the part that screams with irony. Our house was a mess. The kind of mess that you will not even answer the door for the UPS man in fear that he may catch a glimpse. No worries though, as most of it was delegated to mine and the kids' rooms so it could be safely hidden.

Except that K.Z decided not to puke in HIS bathroom, but mine. Behind the door hiding the many laundry baskets of folded and unfolded clothes waiting to be put away. Behind the door hiding the big box of Christmas wrapping paper spread out on the floor. Behind the door hiding the piles of books on my dresser that have still not been put away. Behind the door hiding the carelessly thrown shower towel and (gasp!) pair on underwear I left on the bathroom floor.

I just about died from embarrassment when I realized that not only did Elisabeth get to clean up vomit from my floor and son, she got to do it amongst all that glory that was my bedroom. Now I know she will never come back!

It humbles me to no end however to have a friend who would be willing to go through all that, and still put our needs first. She did not want to ruin our night out as a couple celebrating our sacred union and was willing to serve us and our son in an amazingly unselfish way.

Thank you Elisabeth.

13 Years and Counting

This is the ONLY "hair band" song that could, can and still make me tear up. This was our first dance as husband and wife thirteen years ago. You know that Mr. Clean had to have picked it or we would have been jamming to The Brian Setzer Orchestra for our first dance!

This song means more because Mr. Clean had this in mind before he ever met me. This is how he wanted to feel about his wife and apparently I fit the bill. Thank you Mr. Clean for 13 wonderful years...

This was my real pick for our first dance. We used it for the "parent's dance"...

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!

Merry Christmas from Xena, C'sa, Iggy, Eazy, K.Z.,
Mr. Clean and Angel!

"How Much Do You Have to Hate Someone to Not..."

Many of you know Penn Jillette from the comedy act of Penn and Teller. Many of you know he is an atheist. Listen to this and hear what he has to say, from the viewpoint of an atheist. VERY convicting for a Christian and right from the heart. Pray for him!

Contentment

I have not yet wrapped a single present. I have not yet baked a single cookie. My house needs straightening. My laundry needs done. My printer ran out of ink so I cannot finish my Christmas cards. My checkbook needs balanced. Yet I am content.

This Christmas is different than the past few. We have two more children and lots more to do, but simply being all here together makes my piles of laundry, unbaked cookies and unwrapped presents not a big deal.

This year there will be no grandparents here on Christmas Day, no rushing around, no need to ever even get dressed Christmas Day and I know that is the way the Lord has arranged it to be. I would have planned it differently, but then I know I would not feel so calm and content right now. Isn't He good?

Christmastime Is Here

I have finally gotten around to this meme. It looked too fun to pass up. If you do one (or have already done one), let me know, I would love to read it! And I could not resist posting a video of one of the shuffle selections. You will have to see which one!

Rules:
1: Put your iTunes shuffle on.
2: For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3: YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!

Here are mine:

IF SOMEONE SAYS, "IS THIS OK?", YOU SAY:
Butterfly - Nicole C. Mullen

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Going Public - Newsboys

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Falling - Pocket Full of Rocks

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Intro to 2nd Timothy - NIV version (hmm, maybe I should go read that?)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Jersey Bounce - Benny Goodman

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Return to Sender - Elvis

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Go West Young Man - Micheal W. Smith

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
The Engineer's Dying Child - Johnny Cash

WHAT IS 2+2?
Numbers 04 - Zondervan NIV (I am not making that up!!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Day by Day - dc Talk

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
So Long, Farewell, Goodbye - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Revelation 13 - Zondervan NIV

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Sanctify - Delirious?

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Jingle Bell Rock - Bill Haley and the Comets

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes - Cinderella

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Flat Foot Floogie - Count Basie

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Stupid Cupid - Patsy Cline

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Rejoice Greatly - Handel's Messiah

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
More Lonely Guys - Channelsurfers

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
They'll Know We are Christians By Our Love - Jars of Clay

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Highwayman - Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Oye Como Va - Carols Santana

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Spousal Communication - Jeff Allen

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
The West - Peter Kater and R. Carlos Nakai

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
We Three Kings - Go Fish

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Entertaining Angels - Newsboys

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Trundrumbalind - Joe Satriani

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Mystery Of Grace - 4Him

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues - Lena Horne

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Christmastime Is Here - Sixpence None The Richer

This is one of my all time favorites songs from my childhood.
How often will you hear four talents like these combine?

Straight No Chaser

I love these guys and have one of their older dvds. Last year I posted a silly Christmas song from them, but this year I thought I would post this. Enjoy...

The Guilt Trip

I am not a "girly girl". I wear make up and lipstick and like my hair to look good, but when it comes to clothing I do not do the skirt/dress thing that often. I would rather rock a pair of jeans and a really cute shirt. Comfy, but stylish. When I need to look professional or attend a formal event, there are always appropriate slacks to be found. This apparently stresses my youngest daughter.

C'sa IS a girly girl. She occasionally asks me when I am going to wear a dress, to which I try to sweetly assure her I might "someday", while I laugh under my breath. It isn't like I have never worn them, after all I got married in one! But that is not enough for her. The other day she told me (while wearing a Sleeping Beauty gown) that she was going to put on jeans and only wear them so she could be like me. I assured her that she was gorgeous any way she wanted to dress and encouraged her to wear whatever she wanted, especially her dresses.

Tuesday I am speaking at our annual Ladies' Christmas Banquet and frankly, my closet was just boring. So I went shopping (and found a great pair of slacks and a jacket... don't get to excited anyone). The next day C'sa asked me if I bought a dress.

I told her that I did look at dresses (after all, I had to walk past them in the store), but did not see any that I liked. She sighed with the weight of the world on her shoulders. "But did you go to the 'Pretty and Handsome Store'?" she asked, disappointed.

I almost went right back to the "Pretty and Handsome Store" (wherever that is) to buy a dress just to please her. Almost.

How To Fall Off A Horse...

"In the life of every horseman occasions will arise when it is desirable or necessary to leave the saddle in a hurry and without formality. The problem is to achieve the fall without incurring more danger than is involved in staying on the horse. Unfortunately there is very little time to think out, much less apply, any kind of technique. The believers in learning to ride from a book will find themselves particularly handicapped—there is hardly sufficient time to turn to the right page of the manual."

~"How To Fall Off A Horse" (original publication 1962)

Good thing we never bought the book. Last week for her birthday, C'sa was treated by Abbie (Xena's beloved riding instructor) to a saddled ride on a miniature pony. When I say miniature, I am not kidding, This pony, "Dusty" is about three feet tall at his highest point, tops.

She rode him around the ring for quite awhile when K.Z. who was helping to lead her, accidentally kicked one of the jumps with the toe of his shoe, dislodging a pole, causing it to come crashing to the ground. For self preservation, Dusty took off (it is almost funny to see a miniature pony run that fast), leaving a very shaken, but unharmed C'sa on her bum, on the ground. She cried, had a sore bum for a little while but was just fine.

Today was Xena's next lesson. The pony (full size) she normally rides, "Ella", is on stall rest due to a cut on her hock (sounds like I have a clue, huh? I had to look it up when Abbie told me). So she rode a newer pony named, "Tucker". This is a really handsome painted pony. He is very gentle, but a shy horse. Abbie thinks he may not have been well cared for at his last home.

Xena shed her coat, popped on her helmet and did very well on him. Until she decided she was cold. She asked Abbie if she could get her jacket and Abbie brought it to her. Tucker decided that was not cool and got a little nervous. He took off and so did Xena. Right to the ground. Her helmet protected her head when she landed, but her back took the biggest brunt of the fall. Structurally she is fine, but she now knows how "road rash" feels!

My heart just about left my chest as I watched my girl take that tumble, but she was just fine. After a lot of crying and a quick trip to the pediatrician to have her back checked out she was her happy go lucky self again.

She's ready to get, "back in the saddle". Let's hope next time she stays there!