Vacation

I would really like to say that for our vacation we spent it on a beautiful island and we had the best family quality time ever but I think in the the Bible it says "Thou Shall Not Lie"!

So this is what the really happened! Back in March we were trying to decide where to go this year for vacation because every year we try to go somewhere because it's always a great family time for us. Drue had gone out to a school in Wyoming and really wanted to go out there again but this time with all of us, so that was the plan but as gas prices kept going up in the months ahead and we just started to tithe at the beginning of the year because I felt God had laid that on my heart to start doing so we felt we better go on vacation a little closer to home. We decide to go to the Iowa State Fair in August.

Days before we actually leave on vacation, I always ponder on what things will we talk about in the car or laugh about, or as parents what new lesson will we have taught our kids while being on vacation and the memories we will create by being together.

Well, the day finally comes and we are all packed and organized (I make sure we have everything because I am a organize freak, just ask my husband of 23 years) and ready to take off and my husband's cell-phone rings, this is not a good sign. Well, it's a family that has had a tragedy happen about 3 weeks ago and wants him to come out to the house and just talk. He needs to do this and I TOTALLY support him on this decision because if we can help this family with any form of healing I am all for it.
About an hour later we are headed out after making 3 trips inside of the house again for something they forgot (they do not have my organization skills).

My oldest wants to ride in front with his Dad and I have no problem with this sitting in back because as long as we are all together that's what counts. Now, that they are both teenage boys they really didn't want to talk much, I tried several times but didn't get much response from either one. They really just wanted to listen to music but did have some great conversations with their dad about music, bands and other manly things so I just sat back and looked out the window and just listened to my boys converse with their Dad.

The weather was kind of cool and rainy so we decided to go to the State Fair the next day. So we get something eat at Culver's ( they have really good burgers) and check into the hotel. This is always a great thrill for my boys to check out the room (they don't get out much and easily entertained) so we open the door and Logan is so awed about the free shampoo, conditioner, and lotion and a leather lap desk, Ethan loves the big beds and Drue likes the big wall desk unit for his computer and for me it's just getting all of us in one room and we are going to talk and be together!!
Later we took a drive around Des Moines and as we are driving around Des Moines we always have to hear the old stories when Drue use to work there as a Crime Scene Technician (the real C.S.I.) on what crime happened in what buildings as we past them. The boys and I have learned how to sound really interested because we can still hear the excitement in his voice.
We get back to the hotel and they have hot cookies waiting for us (very good) and it's about bedtime and we try to settle down but are a little excited about being away and then Ethan, Logan and I get the giggles and we just can't stop because how can I say this, 3 boys and their body functions and someone snores but I won't say who. My husband can't see the humor in all this and just wants to go to sleep!! Well, about 1:30 in the morning we finally calm down after Drue threatens he is going out to the van to sleep, we are quiet as a mouse!

Iowa State Fair day! We all got up around 8:00, had our free breakfast and we were at the state fair by 9:00. There's so much to do and I am so excited. We first go in the building that they have all this merchandise that will make your life easier. Then off to the building that has all the FREE STUFF!!! I have pencils for schools, magnets, pads of paper, mardigras beeds! I love free stuff! The boys wouldn't wear the free ISU hats or get their pictures taken with Clifford the Red Dog, teenagers!! We did run into some old friends that we had fellowship with from our old church in Indianola, we were so thrilled to have ran into them. God is so good!
We pretty much stayed together, but the boys were always ahead of us (not cool to be with your parents) I knew if we really got lost we all had cell-phones and they did come in handy. The boys were ready to leave by 12:00 p.m. Drue and I couldn't believe what we were hearing that they wanted to leave so soon, we wanted to show them the cow made out of butter, find the 4-H Red Oak entries, listen to some free entertainment but they kept saying we thought it was going to be different? It's the state fair, one of the biggest one around and they are bored!! I at least talked them into letting me get a deep fried snickers (it wasn't that good) so we left and went back to the hotel and took naps, the giggling the night before was catching up with us.

On the last day, the boys asked if we could all go see a movie since we never spend the money to go to a theater to see a movie and I was all about spending time together and it was our vacation so I was all for it but I was trying to figure out on the way there how was I going to convince the 3 boys to watch a chick flick? They all wanted to see Batman? Didn't know much about it but how bad could it be? Batman and Robin, the Joker, watched it as a kid, Pow-Boom-Bam! This Batman movie was scary, I had my hands in front of my face and asking Logan if is was over yet? The 3 boys thought is was good but I wouldn't describe it that way at all. It was our conversation piece for the ride home.

It was good to be home but that night I was wondering did the boys have any fun? Should we have just stayed home and saved the money? I created a whole different picture in my head what this vacation was going to be like. Then I remembered someone told me that when boys turn the age of 13 they really start to lean on their dad and less on their mother and that's the way God had intended it to be. I really noticed on vacation that this process is happening right before my eyes! I won't lie and say this process is easy for me and at times I do feel alone but I do believe God has the perfect plan for all of us and I do trust HIM!

In closing, if you ask any of my 3 boys they will tell you they had fun!

Back to Work!!

The summer break is almost over for me and I will be going back to work officially Aug. 19th. For the ones that don't realize where I work at, I am employed with the Red Oak Community Schools and I will be working in a new building and with new staff memebers.. I am really excited to meet new people and to work with Pre-K children! Those are just some of the things I am looking forward about returning to work. I honestly am feeling very blessed with this new chapter in my life! God is really good to me and his timing of answered prayer is awesome!

Some of the things that I am really going to miss about being home is, I'm going to miss getting up every morning and hanging the clothes out on the clothes -line, they smell so good and sheets always feel so good when you put them on the bed. My boys will not miss the towels being hung out, they think the dryer towels feel better! Wait until theyhave to pay bills and maybe then they will understand why I did it so much!

I am also going to miss just picking up the phone and talking to my mother whenever I feel like it , that is such a blessed time for me because you never know when the day will come and I won't be able to have that chance anymore or friends that you can count on to lift you up on bad days or joys you want to share with them and have them to share what is going on in their life too!

I am also going to miss my time of devotions, not that I don't do them when I am working but at 5:00 in the morning sometimes I wonder if I am really understanding what I am reading and when I close my eyes to pray, I'm scared that I might have nodded off just alittle. (I don't drink cofffee either so I have to wake up on my own). It just seems like I am more relaxed and I feel I just have more time to wait on HIM!

I'm also going to misss the little conversations I have with my boys, (OK the older son we may have more intense conversations but we are still talking) as a mother it's just a safe feeling knowing you can look at your children anytime of the day and they are there or you can hear them screaming becasue they are having a conflict with each other. Oh what a sound!!

The one thing I am looking forward to is starting up our youth group again (OK in may I wasn't thinking the same way) but I am ready because I won't be seeing them all day like last year because I won't be in that buliding this year, so am anxious to see them again!

I know in my heart God stil has so many things that he wants me to experience through his love and grace it's worth getting up and going back to work!! Life is so much more rewarding when you have him as a friend!

Where did the day go?

I had a doctor's appt. at 8:30 a.m. (which I have been getting up at this time during summer break) so after the appointment I thought I would come home come and write about the wonderful time I had with 3 other ladies going to Omaha, visitng Boys Town and getting some pointters on how to start this Parent Support Group that I am co-chariman on. Well, to get on your blog you MUST remember your e-mail address and password!! I am not that OLD so this should not have been difficult but I created a Myspace and a blog page the same night using different account e-mails and passwords for each one that is even different than my regular yahoo account, and I didn't write them down because I knew I would remember them in the morning.
Let's just say I spent 4 hours trying to come up with anything close to it, NOT A CHANCE!!! So I finally e-mail my friend Heather to tell her I would be making another blog page. She doesn't e-mail me back to ask why but calls me because she knows this has got to be too good to be true and wanted to probably hear the laughter in my voice because I am all about laughing at my own mistakes. I so enjoy this womans laughter too, it's what makes us human. So the great friend she is, she doesn't explain to me how to start over she says"Let me make one for you and it will be awesome!! Gee, just like our Heavenly Father would say "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest!" Well she came through and I have an awesome blog and I wrote down my blog page, e-mail, and password. I am weary and I am going to go rest! HA!
Oh, about last night, I made some new friendships and increased my confindence to start the support group but the thing that really amazed me was we set in on a support group and they didn't know us and we didn't know then and they were saying the same thing about their teenagers that we as parents are stressed about. I guess if you are a parent of a teenager no matter where you live, they are having the same issues as others!

Ethan Can Drive Without Me!

I just want to say that I am glad that my son had to drive for the D.O.T before they issued him his license because I know Dan would not have issued it to him unless he felt he deserved it. I feel like I am proud but at the same time very scared for the unknown. As I wrote the title of this post "Ethan can drive without me " I know even if I'm not there God is by his side, (and I'm sure God will be wearing his seat belt with my son) HA!We have already told Ethan that he would be having to buy his own car (I guess that's what happens when you have older parents) and the blessing is he doesn't even have a job yet!He has had his license for 3 days now and still hasn't asked for the car yet, it might be because he went swimming the other day for 6 hours, lets just say he is as red as a baboons hiney! Now I have a son that is acting like some men when they are sick and act like they are the only ones that have been sun burned. I'm sure God is doing this all for me so I can still enjoy Ethan before he takes his first ride without his mother! I will be sure to thank God for helping me out tonight in my prayers.