Injured List

Tonight, I'm laying on a hotel bed, foot elevated on ice, hoping the swelling and bruising on my right calf and ankle will diminish and I'll be able to walk with a regular gait soon. 
Last week, on Friday evening,  my 3rd soccer game was just beginning. I went to pass the ball and felt an excruciating pop in my calf and was unable to even walk off the field.  A couple guys carried me off and I sat with leg propped and iced.  The following day I learned I strained my gastrocnemius muscle (calf). 
Monday we flew out for a family vacation to Washington D.C.  The first couple days here I tried to use the crutches I was given, but the strain on my arms was exhausting.  So, I gave up the crutches and have become a hobbling tourist.
Despite the injury, we're having a GREAT time!  We've been to the Smithsonian Museums of American History and Natural History, the Lincoln Memorial, The Reflecting Pond, The Korean Memorial, The Vietnam Memorial, The Washington Monument, The Holocaust Memorial Museum, The Bureau of Engraving and Printing, The Whitehouse, Lafayette Park, and enjoyed a picnic on the grass at the National Mall. 
Tomorrow we move onto Virginia.  More excitement awaits!

Great Ebay Sale- Target HOME Plates

Years ago, a good friend, The Queen of Auctions, tried to convince me to try selling on ebay to earn a supplemental family income.  I was too overwhelmed with a real estate career and little ones at home to even think of "trying" something new. 

Since leaving the real estate field, I've often thought of making an effort to sell on ebay for a little extra income.  This year she encouraged me to take the leap.  I opened an ebay store and have been selling regularly since last spring. 

I just attended one of her bootcamps and she suggested I purchase this set of dishes we found at a thrift store for $12.50.  Let me tell you...I'm so glad I listened to her suggestion!  The total profit on this set was $114.07!

I must admit, I didn't listen too well at the bootcamp.  I listed them as a BUY IT NOW rather than at auction first.  She thinks I may have left some $$ on the table.  I guess this is part of my learning curve.  I'm happy with the result.  Hopefully they'll arrive to their destination in Florida safely. 

Terra Cotta Dinner Plate

First Day of School- FIELD TRIP!

First Day of School Photo

Our first day of school this year was celebrated with a field trip to SKIRBALL JEWISH CULTURAL CENTER.  I was intrigued with the write up on the Noah's Ark exhibit in Fun and Educational Places To Go With Kids in Southern California.  Not only did the exhibit and museum look education it was packed full of fun!  The kids played for hours in the giant Noah's Ark display.  The animals were made from repurposed materials.  If you look at the flamingo long enough you'd notice the fly swatter legs, the purse for a body, and the thread spool neck.  Other animals would sport whisks for legs, bamboo steamers for necks, noodles for quills, miniature Volkswagen cars for heads. 

In addition to the artistic displays, the kids found hours worth of playing to do.  They climbed rope ladders, pumped water creating the flood, made storm sounds, escorted the animals into the ark two by two, and finished with a little art project.

After the Ark play we grabbed a snack then toured through the displays of Jewish history.  Did you know that along with financing Columbus in 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella also marked history by expelling all Jews from Spain?  Or that in 1881, Jewish people from Europe began immigrating to America.  Between 1881-1924 about 2.5 million Jews came to America seeking a better life. 

Along with history we learned about Jewish holidays, clothing, celebrations, persecution and some of the contributions Jewish people have made in science, music, art, medicine, and more.

It was a GREAT day!  What a wonderful way to begin the year!

See the Metal Blinds?  Or the Whisks?

Climbing through the Rope Tunnels

See the Purse?  Or the Thread?

This was a popular stripe on the first day of school

Welcome!

The Dream is Becoming Reality

Last year in our homeschool studies, we've learned about Colonial America beginning with the Vikings up through the Revolutionary War.  It was my dream to take the kids to see history come to life by visiting the East Coast and the places we learned about. 

In order to make this dream happen, momma needed to raise some $$.  So how does a full-time wife, mom and homeschooler raise money to take five people to tour the East Coast.  Remember the ebay venture I wrote about earlier?  Well, it's going well and we've raised a good portion of the money.  I'll blog on some of the best sales later.  I definitely feel blessed!

Tonight was a BIG night!!  I was a bit nervous, but with the help of my hub we nailed down dates and booked our flight to Washington D.C.!  Whew!!  How wonderful!  Now we'll need to begin planning our agenda. 

I've been told we can catch trains from D.C. to just about anywhere on our list.  I'm so excited!

Back to the research...we'll keep you posted!

Besties!

Many people throw around the "BFF", "Best Friends", and "Love" words like its no big deal.  To me these are SERIOUS words.  I rarely use them because to me they carry so much weight and commitment they are not to be wasted or thrown around haphazardly. 

It is my observation that we all want a best friend.  Someone to call our own and know that that person(s) has your back no matter what. 

I recently did a non-scientific survey.  I polled Facebook "friends" asking how many weddings they have participated in in their lifetime.  By participate I'm referring to being in the wedding party to some capacity.  I was amazed to know some of my acquaintances have been in 7-8 or more wedding parties.  To be quite honest, I've measured likability or depth of friendships to weddings one has been a part of.  I've only been asked to be in one wedding.  Because of this (and I know some of you are going to roll your eyes), I've really questioned the depth of my friendships.  There is NO question that I know a lot of people, but I desire the super-close, be-in-my-wedding-party kind of friendship.

I think we all desire to have this type of relationship with friends.  I've had best friends while growing up and realize some have come and gone and some will stick with you through a lifetime.

This past weekend I attended my 25-year high school reunion and I can definitely say some of these friends are besties for life!  After all these years we pick up where we left off, non-stop conversation, uproarious laughter, and uncontrollable tears.  I watched hilarious scenes of best friends hanging out, making jokes, talking about tough times and praying for each other.  I watched our classmates band together in prayer for a fellow classmate struggling with an unknown illness.  I watched friends cry over years lost with former best friends over some unmentioned dispute.  I sat up until the wee hours of the night (and those who know me know that I am NOT a middle of the night girlie) talking with my high school best friend just because we didn't want to waste any time sleeping because we knew our time together was so limited.

I so loved my reunion weekend!!  I know I have some of the best once-in-a-lifetime friends a girlie could ask for!!  Thank you my beautiful, committed, lifelong friends for being such a blessing in my life!!

So Glad I Married "Glass 1/2 Full"

You know the common expression "Glass half empty or half full?"  Wikipedia defines it as "a common expression, used rhetorically to indicate that a particular situation could be a cause for optimism (half full) or pessimism (half empty); or as a general litmus test to simply determine if an individual is an optimist or a pessimist."

In general I would describe myself as a "half full" kind of person, but I think that only applies to the little/easy things of life and it seems to be the Right Answer when someone asks.  When referring to the bigger things of life, like safety and our kids, financial burdens working out, people I care for making the right decisions, etc., I'm becoming more aware that I'm totally a "half empty" kind of person.  I'm filled with doubt, my trust wanes, and let's just say, I'm a big downer!

If something has a 10-25% chance of happening I will lay awake at night worrying of this something bad happening.  On the other hand, for most of those occurrences, my sweetheart will say, there is a 75-90% chance that it WON'T happen.  Now get some sleep.

The Bible has over 160 entries of Trust, Trusted, Trustfully, Trusting, Trusts...(I do not trust my vision to give you an accurate count, but know there are MANY references to Trusting).  So apparently God knows there may be a few people like me that need to read OVER AND OVER again that I need to put my Trust in Him and not give into the worry that plagues and can cause so much anxiety.

So today, I'm thankful for the Wonderful Husband I married who SO balances my thinking and reminds me that the Glass is 1/2 Full.

Where Are You Going? ~God

Genesis 16:8

"And he (the Angel of the Lord) said, 'Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?'"

Great question. I ask myself that often. A lot of people these days ask me the same thing. Where am I going?

I know where I came from, literally and figuratively. But I'm unsure where I will literally be going, as far as location, next move, etc. Figuratively, I know where I've been and have a pretty good idea where I want to be, and I know what I don't want to go back to.

Hagar, maidservant of Sarai, was "given" to Sarai's husband, Abram, when Sarai was unable to conceive. She wanted a baby/heir, plain and simple, and wanted the baby NOW. So, as was the custom of the day, she took her maidservant and offered her as a surrogate to Abram.

Hagar got pregnant and then the tension between the two women set in. Sarai mistreated Hagar and Hagar just wanted to escape her circumstances and fled. I can only imagine the drama that must have been involved in that situation. I read Hagar didn't want to see Sarai's face. (We as humans haven't changed much have we?)

What happened next is what I love.

Hagar alone, pregnant, without a home, without a place in life, decided to go back to what she knew before life in the Abram clan. What she knew before was life in Egypt. Life serving other idols.

While sitting at a spring The Angel of the Lord appears to her. He asks her where she has come from and where she is going. Wow! Can you even imagine? She saw The ONE, the LORD. (Many commentaries state this may have been a preincarnate manifestation of Christ as God's Messanger-Servant.) He asked her what kind of plan she thought SHE was making. She probably didn't know where she was going, but responded, "I'm running away from my mistress."

She was running away. How often do we just want to flee what was undesireable, but don't have the next destination figured out?

I'm currently reading Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers and the main character of the book has a similar life story. Rather than see what God has in store for her, she keeps wanting to flee back to what is familiar. It's not what is better for her, it's just predictable.

In Hagar's encounter with the Angel of the LORD she calls God, El Roi, "The One who sees me" or, "The Living One who sees me." Does it get any better than that?? The ONE who sees me knows my circumstances and knows my heart. He knows what lies ahead and what is in the past. He knows the answers to the questions I have asked and even the answers to the questions I'm afraid to ask. He's got the plan for today and the plan for tomorrow. I just need to trust in His Goodness and be patient.

So, if you're wondering, "Where is she going?" My response is...I'm going where God wants me to go. I'm trusting Him to provide the destination.

Things I've Learned Living in the OC #4- Warm Climate vs. Cold Climate

Yesterday on my facebook page I posted an article published by the Seattle Times about Seattle's Dis-Ease or the Seattle Freeze on developing deep friendships or relationships. I was surprised at the MANY comments I received back on the post. I didn't post the article to slam Pacific Northwesterners, but to bring attention to the lifestyle and to better articulate some of the differences I've noticed in cultures, so to speak, from the PNW to life in Orange County.

Some have mentioned the differences are due to warm climate versus cold climate. Some mention the difference are due to the original settlers of the respective areas. I'm not sure what it is, but simply put, what I do notice is I REALLY like getting together and hanging out with friends and we seem to be doing more of that here in Orange County.

If you know me you know I'm an extrovert. I love my time alone, but I LOVE hanging out with friends too. I love spending time visiting with friends and family, sharing an afternoon, making a meal together, sitting at a sports event talking, going for walks, etc. Being with friends and family fills me up!

Before moving to Orange County, my home responsibilities were many and I know I felt if I took an afternoon off from my "work" I'd fall further and further behind. That is a stressful place to be. I wanted to spend time playing, but also felt guilty and overwhelmed if I took the time off. I did make time to go for runs, weather permitting, and take the kids to the parks, but we would usually do those things alone.

I know in many ways I've changed by moving to the OC. I'm more relaxed, less stressed, happier, family life is better, free-er, and friend time is more plentiful. I want all this to continue regardless of where we live. So how do I make that happen if I live in the OC or in the PNW or the midwest for that matter? Good question.

How would we go back to life in the PNW, but not go back to the isolation. Dear friends, don't get defensive, I love you, that's why I WANT to spend MORE time with you. How do I break the "Cold Climate" mode and live the WARM climate life in a cold climate??

Holding Everything Together

Most people who know me well, know I've struggled with anxiety. After having our daughter I went through quite a long bout of anxiety, panic attacks and post-partum depression. As a result, I made substantial changes to my lifestyle to alleviate the stresses that bring on more anxiety.

Since moving to California, I've felt so rested, relaxed, and peaceful. That is until a couple weeks ago.

Due to the culmination of varying circumstances the monster of anxiety was awakened. I really do hate it! Breathing deeply got me through many a day. The fight or flight response was leaving me shaky and I could just feel my adrenals getting an unnecessary workout.

The last week I've begun to feel more settled. Routine was returning and I was catching up on some of my responsibilities around the house.

{You may wonder what may cause a girlie to become overwhelmed. For me, I'm a routine girl. I like getting up in the morning, having a cup of coffee, reading 10 pages of a book, checking my email/facebook/ebay, getting ready for the day, schooling the kids, working out, cooking, and cleaning the house, putting the kids to bed, enjoying a little tv or reading, a bowl of fruit and a cup of tea and the day is good. Then in the pockets of the day add kid activities, friends, church and I'm pretty good. But when that routine gets whacked and I fall behind...stress starts in at me.}

This is what happened...I began to lose the control of the routine. My housework got behind. I wasn't working out. I wasn't eating in a disciplined way. The kids weren't getting schooled. The rope began to unravel...

Add some financial stress of houses that will be losing their tenants. (The same houses have virtually lost about 25% of their value so we can't sell them). I'm the one hanging on the rope, as it unravels...I'm watching each fiber pull away and break and there's nothing I can do to pull it back together.

I know I have control issues, and God has allowed life circumstances so that I'd deal with this, but obviously I like having some sort of control.

Then this past weekend, we learn the teaching pastor we LOVE at our church that has be such a blessing to us here in California will be leaving in June.

I sat in church yesterday listening to our lead pastor and teaching pastor explain how God is leading our teaching pastor to "something else." What? I imagine he has an idea, but didn't let on to anyone. So...I sat in church yesterday, arms folded, trying to "hold" it together wondering what God has in store. This teaching pastor has been a God send. My sweetheart and I have grown so much and learned so much about God under his teaching. I know God will bring forth someone else, but we REALLY like THIS GUY!!

So all this leads to a song we ended up singing yesterday. I REALLY don't understand God's ways much of the time. I just try to have the faith that His ways are best. And I KNOW He WILL hold EVERYTHING together.

Christ, be the center of our lives
Be the place we fix our eyes
Be the center of our lives

You hold EVERYTHING together
You hold EVERYTHING together

So I'm counting on God holding it together...I'm not so good at that and need to depend on someone more Dependable and Trustworthy!

Love the Little League

We're knee deep in Little League at our house. The boys are both playing this spring. Their practices are usually on different days, two days a week and they play one or two games each week. So, needless to say, most of our weekday evenings and weekends are filled with Little League.

Before each game the teams line up, do the flag salute and recite the Little League pledge. I usually miss those first few minutes and can't decipher what they're saying when I'm there.

But today in the car the boys recited it for me and I can now say I LOVE LITTLE LEAGUE!!

The pledge is awesome and I'm so proud there's an organization that has kids memorize and say it along with the flag salute!!

I trust in God

I love my country

I'll respect its laws

I'll play fair

I'll strive to win,

but win or lose

I'll always do my best

WAY TO GO LITTLE LEAGUE!!!

Hero Photos

At Michael Steele's booksigning


Newt is such a nice guy!


After meeting Sean

Enjoying seeing Sean face-to-face

High-fives with Sean Hannity

Photo Op with Sean...silly girlie!

Trying to make the most of our seconds with Sean

Sean had to take this text. Yay for us! We had more time with him.

Sean watching the kids and asking them questions.

Sean

Jason Sehorn and Bruce Jenner

Sean and Meg Whitman (former CEO of Ebay- now running for governor of CA)

SUCH A GREAT DAY!!

California- Land of Opportunity

I love living in California. It's sunny. It's warm. There are palm trees and year round flowers. And Conservative political figures and talk show hosts visit often! What more could a girlie ask for?
Since moving here we've visited Reagan Museum & Library twice. The first time we saw Michael Steele-Chairman of the Republican Party and yesterday we saw Sean Hannity.
I've also attended a small business summit where Newt Gingrich was the guest speaker. These guys are some of my favorite people!
I must admit yesterday was one of the highlights of my life. We attended a live taping of the Hannity show and then stood in line for Sean's latest booksigning. We were #539 (out of about 1500) and we weren't promised much time with Sean. There were no personalizations allowed, but candid shots were permitted. As we approached our time in line, Sean received a text message and he needed to respond. I made the most of those seconds. I tried to capture some pics of the two of us together (not that he realized he was in the pic). I also tried to get some photos of the kids with Sean.
After his texting, he took the time to ask the kids their names, ages, what sports they play and then high-fived them all. Priceless!!! He then asked me if I was their momma. Yes, I quickly replied. He shook my hand and I was so thrilled!
After these wonderful, brief seconds we were herded back out.
I had just met a Rock Star! I was shaking. I was so excited after meeting Michael and Newt too!! Now I can add meeting Sean to my list of great life events.
After driving the hour and a half home, I was still on cloud nine. I ended up staying up until midnight, reflecting on this great day and the great opportunities we've had here in California.

Disneyland Photos

Ready for Captain EO

At California Adventure

Beautiful Group with Minnie

Love These Kids

These kids are BRAVE!

Mr. Incredible!  I love the Incredibles!

The Ugandan Kids LOVE High School Musical

Disneyland Blessing

Our little girlie was on a soccer team last fall. One dad of a teammate works for Disney and offered us his five complimentary employee passes to take the kids to Disneyland. We are once again grateful for the generosity of a new-found friend.

We accepted this gift and I took the kids to Disneyland along with another host-mom and two of her choir girls.

We spent most of our day at California Adventure. The kids are CRAZY about High School Musical so we wanted to see the HSM 3 performance. The kids ended up wanting to see it a second time. Two of the kids with us were selected to dance with the the HSM performers. Woo Hoo!

We also went to the stage performance of Aladdin. One boy liked it so much I took him for a second show.

The rest of our day we hit the rides...Most of the kids did California Screamin', Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, and the re-opened Captain EO 3-D movie.

We had a GREAT day and made the most of our time there.

Blessings



Kalim



Sitting in the waiting room next to Kalim. He's very nervous to be back in the dentist office. The cavity he had filled is still causing him quite a bit of pain and he now needs a root canal. He sits with his head in his hands, drumming his forehead with his fingertips. I wish I could do something, but it's in his best interest to get his tooth repaired.

These were the events of our Monday morning. The rest of the kids were at our house doing schoolwork with the Ugandan Aunties.

He had his appointment and had his tooth further repaired. We then went home and went about our day.

That evening as I was preparing to pray with the kids, I asked Kalim what was the best part of his day. I wasn't expecting he'd mention the dentist, but he said the best part of his day that he was most thankful for was his trip to the dentist. He told me, "Mum, I am thankful. He take my pain away."

What a HUGE blessing! I'm so thankful for a caring, generous dentist who provided amazing dental care to children who don't have the luxury of preventative dentistry.

Photos from Chuck Cheese

Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment

Edward

Recap Yesterday Then Off To Disneyland

I was going to post last night, but just couldn't find any energy to barely keep my eyes open, let alone focus on the computer.

Wednesdays are our mom's group at church days. I'm a Mentor Mom at a table of younger moms. I've been completely blessed with this mentorship opportunity and I may be a bit biased, but I think I have AMAZING women at our table. They are strong, energetic, godly women. I will post a photo of them soon.

Anyway, at this group, I was asked to be on a discussion panel. We were asked questions about parenting, being a wife, and caring for ourselves. I really had a great time and pray that God will use this time for His glory.

Afterward we went to another host home for lunch. The other two boys from the boys are there and I think they were all happy to see each other. They had some quality Wii, trampoline, and basketball time. I wish I had more time to get to know the other kids better too.

I was so tired yesterday afternoon, but needed to dig deep to prepare for the momentous night out at Chuck E. Cheese. For whatever reason this hotspot was top of the boys list of want-to-dos. They enjoyed the arcade, and accumulated tickets for prizes.

Funny thing though...we ordered two large pizzas thinking 2 adults, 6 kids...turns out two of the boys don't eat pizza. Oh well, lunch for another day.

Right now I'm listening to a cd I made for the boys. I went onto iTunes and let them pick their favorite songs. Disney music is a big hit with them. So we have Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and lots of High School Musical music filling the house. It cracks me up how much they love the High School Musical thing. Just like the girls we hosted from a previous choir.

Well, I'm off...need to be out of the house in 20 minutes.

New Game for Our New Friends

We've shared our love of the "Slug Bug" game with our Ugandan friends. It was a learning process today as they didn't even know what a bug was. Now they have their eyes peeled on all streets and it's getting to be quite the competitive game with six people each scanning for slug bugs. They're identifying regular modern slug bugs, slug bug olds, slug bug old vans, and slug bug convertibles. And along with that shouting out the color of the car. It's all quite fun until a bug is called at the same time. Next lesson...ties.
Oh, how I love my job!!

Relaxing Day...But I'll Pay For It

The [Ugandan] boys are settling in very well. Today we saw many more smiles, out-loud laughter and a lot more conversation. Their teeth are feeling much better after yesterday's visit to the dentist. I'm so grateful.

This morning the kids just relaxed playing the Wii and playing outside, while I caught up on laundry and cleaning around the house. After lunch we headed out to Newport/Balboa Peninsula. I was told there were some fun arcade type spots there. It was a Beautiful day! Since it's basically the off-season, there was no problem finding parking so we picked a spot close to our destination. There was a sign in front of the van that read, "NO PARKING BETWEEN 6AM-8AM." Cool. It was the afternoon. We unloaded. I counted all 6 kids and we were off. We walked along a boardwalk. We heard and saw seals barking out in the water. Most of the attractions were closed, but we did find one arcade open. I got the kids $10 worth of tokens and they scouted out more under machines, in coin drops, etc. This arcade awarded tickets after the kids played. After a little while of playing, they turned in their tickets, bought their prizes and we headed out.

We then went to the pier. We walked down the pier a bit, but the kiddos got a little chilly with the wind.

Next stop, play time. Swings. Climbing structure. Much fun!

Then we decided time to head home for a late lunch. On our way back to the car a car pulled up behind us and who was in it??? Surprise! God orchestrated a meeting! It was the Ugandan chaperons! It was so good to see them. The kids were excited. I was excited! Perfect!

Back to the car.

We loaded in and as I put the keys in the ignition and noticed something on the windshield. I wondered out loud, "Did I get a ticket?" I glanced back up at the sign. Hmm... I grabbed the ticket and it read that I didn't pay the meter. I glanced behind the car...Oops!

In the busyness of 6 kids, unfamiliar location, and parking, I overlooked the meter. HUGE Bummer!!! I received a $53 ticket!! So sad.

The kids were bummed too. The Ugandan kids saw the look on my face. Their response, "Sorry Mum."

If I hadn't had such a wonderful day, I would have probably cried. But it's been too good!

Sometimes life just happens.

Dental Visit

Edward is not very excited about this adventure