The Williams Zoo Crew

Did you know?

2011-01-06T16:04:00.003-05:00

Did you know that if you are in an auto accident and it involves one of the vehicles making a U-turn from a stopped or parked position, that the vehicle which gets hit is the one responsible for the accident? Ouch! My poor, newly purchased minivan (Chrysler Town & Country) is in the repair shop at the dealer where we originally purchased it. I got into a car accident this past Monday morning just after dropping off the youngest two kids to school. I posted two pics showing most of the damage. I couldn't open up my driver's side front door at all! The vehicle itself was drivable, thank heavens. But, my front driver's door and driver's side sliding door panel will both have to be replaced. :( The accident was deemed my fault because I apparently pulled out into the path of the other vehicle. I did look before moving out from the shoulder of the road before making the U-turn at the front of my neighborhood, but apparently there must have been another car heading my way. She plowed into me...smack! No one was hurt thankfully. I had just finished dropping off Sierra at our neighborhood bus stop when this happened. I was making a U-turn to go back home and had been parked on the side of the road just before the incident. I was truly surprised that the other driver wasn't at least somehow deemed partially responsible, as I thought she must not have been paying attention and could have avoided the impact. But, Florida law doesn't apparently agree, nor does my auto insurance carrier...that was a shock to me! I miss my car, but fortunately our car insurance covers a rental vehicle for us while the repairs are being made and they replaced my car with a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan, which is almost identical to the Chrysler Town & Country minivan. Although the rental car has an upgraded feature...automatic sliding doors! That is definitely a nice feature that I wish we could have had in our van, but we were trying to get the best vehicle for the lowest price and pretty much had to choose the option we did, just to keep our car payments within the range we wanted to be in. Anyway, just figured I'd post a new blurb on here since I haven't written on this blog in many months.

From bad to worse...when things suddenly seem to conspire against you!

2010-07-01T06:41:00.008-04:00

Just decided to blog about what a crazy, frustrating chain of events we had happen the other day...it was almost comical, if it weren't for the fact that it involved $460 in car repairs!

Last Friday my minivan started to make a horribly loud sound whenever I would turn left or right and whenever I would accelerate the car. I knew it would need to have some sort of repair done on it ASAP. We made it through the weekend. But, by Monday morning, as I was backing out of the driveway while getting ready to take Sierra to summer day camp, the steering wheel became very hard to turn. I almost thought I wouldn't be able to drive it. I hurriedly dropped Sierra off and immediately found an auto parts store to buy some power steering fluid and some oil. I figured that the power steering system was going bad, but I was also hoping that it could be something as simple as needing to replenish the power steering fluid. I was all proud of myself for being able to look up the diagram in the vehicle owner's manual of the power steering fluid reservoir and how to check the level. After I came out of the auto parts store, I popped the hood (again secretly proud of the fact that I was doing this all by myself, but also a little nervous about semi-trucks and other various men in trucks passing by and possibly offering their assistance) and checked the steering fluid level...it was quite a bit below the minimum level. I was hopeful that replenishing the reservoir might really help. The oil level was completely bone dry. My vehicle typically burns through oil very quickly and has been doing so for the past 18-24 months. Since I had put two quarts of oil in it about 4 weeks ago, I was not thrilled about the fact that I had to put 4 quarts in it once again. Anyway, proud of my attempts to know what I'm doing and to try and diagnose and "treat" this newest of car troubles, I left the parking lot and drove straight home. I emailed Scott at work to let him know how dire it was now that we have the car evaluated and repaired for whatever might be causing the terrible rattling sound in the engine area (near the right side of vehicle) and the disconcerting loud whines whenever you turn the vehicle. He mentioned to me that when he left the house for work earlier in the morning (after I had already left to take Sierra to her summer camp), he noticed a large fluid leak stain in the driveway from my car, which was not oil. I went outside right away to see where this leak might be coming from. I got down onto the driveway concrete (feeling a little like a redneck just about to slide under an old clunker) and saw the fresh leak stains. I touched it and it felt like water. Hmm...then I looked up underneath the car directly above the stains to see where it might be leaking from. I saw a drip of something hanging off the edge of one area. I touched it and it looked and felt exactly like the new steering level fluid I had just put into the car just a little while before. Sure enough, when I popped the hood again to take a look, everything I had put into the power steering fluid reservoir was already gone!

Fast forward to Tuesday morning. I did not end up driving my car the rest of the evening on Monday while driving to and from work, I took Scott's instead. We dropped off the van first thing in the morning on Tuesday while I went on my way to work using Scott's car. Luckily, he was already planning on working from home this day due to the kids being out of school for the summer. I went to work and later found out from Scott that indeed, the shop called and said we'd need a new power steering pump, as well as two new serpentine belts since the leaking steering fluid had weakened the older ones. Also, we asked them to repair a hole in one of my tires that had caused me to have a flat tire a couple of weeks ago due to a nail in it. I've been driving with the full-size spare on the van ever since. Apparently, as our luck would have it, the nail is not what caused the flat after all. The steel belt inside the tire had shifted and pulled away, causing a separation from the tread. I needed a new tire, to the tune of $90 (however, they said they'd give me an extra 10% off the tire). Just one more thing to fix on this van...ugh! I finished my shift at work and was happy to know that by the end of my work day, I could go home and we'd then go pick up my repaired minivan. Well, I walked outside my office building and got into Scott's Ford Explorer, turned the key to crank the engine and...nothing! Absolutely nothing. The car didn't even make a sound to even seem like it was attempting to start up. I tried several times again, stunned in disbelief that for whatever reason, our only working vehicle seemed to be "deader than a doornail". I called Scott on my cell and asked if there was some special trick I should know to start his car, since I know that sometimes some of his electrical systems and wiring can be a little faulty...it's a 12-year old vehicle. He explained that I need to try and see if one of the battery cables had become knocked loose. I propped open his car hood (having to hold it up by myself since there's apparently no more metal rod for holding the hood up itself in the vehicle) and saw the cable that he was talking about that sometimes comes loose from the connection to the battery due to corrosion. I tried with all my might to fit it snugly back onto the battery and heard the car CD player start playing music. Success...or so I thought. I tried to crank up the engine thinking it would be smooth sailing from here, but nope! It didn't quite have enough umph to crank up. As I fiddled with this cable for the next 10 minutes or so, I could hear it trying to get some juice, but sounding like it just could not get the right fitting that it needed to work properly. I didn't think the battery was actually dead or anything. So, after many unsuccessful attempts, I resorted to calling Scott back on the phone and explaining that either he would need to come get me or I'd need to have his car towed...ugh! Of course, since my van was still at the repair shop, that meant someone from the shop would have to come and pick Scott up at our house in order to pick up the van, pay for the repair work and then have him come and get me. Just after I hung up the phone with him, I tried one more time to crank the engine, fully expecting that it would still be dead as it had been all along. Much to my surprise and amazement, it suddenly cranked up without any hesitation whatsoever! I couldn't believe it...there was really no reason to explain why all of a sudden it was working now. But, thank God for small miracles! I called Scott back and told him that it looked like he would not need to come and get me after all. I then went around to the hood and tried to shut it, but it would not latch. I retried and slammed it, retried and shut it ever-so-gently and then tried again using medium pressure. Nothing would make that thing latch! For the record, according to Scott, he never has any difficulties in getting the hood to latch shut. Even Scott attempted to shut it when I returned home and was unsuccessful. It seems that I have "tainted hands" or something of the sort.

Well, after coming home all greasy looking with black hands and of course sweaty since it's 95 degrees outside, Scott & I then went up to the repair shop to pick up my minivan. Finally, we were going to have our working cars back...albeit $460 later. After Scott paid the bill, we stepped outside and Scott was going to drop me off at the van...it was parked in an adjacent lot across the street. Of course, for him, his car's engine started magnificently with no problems. He was also able to magically get his hood to latch shut the proper way once I was gone and not standing nearby him. It seems that I was the only one with the "hands of death" when it comes to cars I guess. After I took off on my way home, feeling impressed by the sudden smoothness and quietness of the engine, now that the entire power steering system had been replaced with brand new parts, I stopped at the nearest traffic light in front of UCF, waiting to turn left. All of a sudden, I hear a strange sound in the near distance, almost like the warning signal of an approaching fire engine in an emergency. I looked around in my rear-view mirror and to my left and saw that Scott was in his car to the left of mine and he was shouting my name, trying to get my attention. I let the automatic driver's side window down to see what he wanted and he shouted, "Your smokin' all over the place in the back, honey!". I look and sure enough, there's a huge white cloud of smoke coming from the back of the car. WTH? I asked him, "Are you serious?". He told me to take the car immediately back to the repair shop and see why all of a sudden this new problem had occurred just after driving it off their lot. I could not believe the bad luck of it all! I mean, here I was thinking we'd FINALLY gotten everything taken care of once and for all and was holding out a bit of hope that maybe we'd still have more time and miles on this van before having to look at buying a newer car. I took the van back up there and they had the mechanic which had just done all of my power steering repairs come out to investigate it with me. He explained all the repair work they had done and showed me where this and that was located, etc. I asked him why he thought there had been the sudden white smoke coming out of the tailpipe and at first glance, he wasn't too sure. He explained how sometimes the steering fluid and even the degreasers they apply to the engine following such a repair can burn off in the engine and create a little bit of smoke. When I explained that the white cloud of smoke had been coming from the tailpipe, he appeared baffled and said that anything burning off the engine like that would not be seen coming out of the tailpipe. He then got into the van and proceeded to rev the gas pedal and told me to let him know if I saw the white smoke again. He was trying to recreate what I was explaining to him had just happened at the traffic light. Sure enough, another large amount of white smoke came out of the tailpipe! The look on his face said it all...I asked him what would cause that, since this was a new problem that we had never seen in the van happen before. He said that it can only be caused by the rings inside the pistons which are located inside the engine...that it's normally due to wear-and-tear on the engine. I'm thinking, ok, some O-rings or something...I can have those replaced if need be, right? Oh no! Apparently, these rings are not replaceable and basically this means that I would need to have either a new engine installed or perhaps, obtain an older one that is still good from a junk yard. He said this would certainly explain why my van has been literally burning through oil for the past 18 months or so at a rate probably similar to that of the most recent BP oil rig disaster! I probed him with all kinds of questions, wondering how much this type of thing might cost. He explained that at the very least, perhaps we could locate a used engine for approx. $1200 and maybe the installation might cost around $800. Of course, these were just ballpark figures and who knows how much in the end this kind of thing would end up really costing me. I could tell that he was trying to be reasonable and not overestimate what he was telling me. I think he was still trying to give me a bit of hope, in case I was planning on keeping the vehicle. Suffice it to say that after this assessment and newfound knowledge, I knew right away that this meant that it is definitely going to be time to retire the minivan once and for all. I can not justify putting another $2000 into this vehicle which has 145k miles on it and had a transmission completely rebuilt just 15 months ago for a total of $2300! Considering the fact that we just spent $440 about 2.5 months ago on a new starter for it, another $330 just one month ago for yet another starter and valve cover (since the seal around the oil valve had been leaking for over a year and was the newly determined culprit as to why my starters were getting saturated and basically shorting out), on top of today's repairs totaling $460, I think it is safe to say that this baby is on its official last legs and is more than just a sinking ship at this point. What's really disappointing is that I actually had left the repair shop earlier that afternoon with a smidge of hope that we might have some more time left in the vehicle. But, after this sudden, unexpected smoking tailpipe incident, the tides had just turned 180 degrees again and it looks like we are going to have to soon say goodbye to the Kia Sedona once and for all. I've been driving it for just shy of 9 years now and Lord knows I have put some serious miles on it to and fro since purchasing it brand new in 2001 when Chandler was just an infant and Sierra was only 2 years old. What's also a bit upsetting is that it's been such an astoundingly much more quiet ride since bringing it home Tuesday. The clanking and sputtering-type noises I've been hearing for the past few years coming from the right side of the engine compartment have now miracly disappeared! Apparently, all this time my power steering pump must have been slowly but surely wearing out and was causing the belts and pulley to wobble a bit and make an odd, loud noise. I swear it sounds like the car is almost back to brand new, it's so quiet inside now! I have not seen any more smoke coming from the tailpipe since showing it to the mechanic on Tuesday after we picked up the van. But, who knows how much time is left? It's a crapshoot I guess. What a day!

Chandler's Final Soccer Game in his First Season!

2010-05-22T01:06:00.009-04:00

Chandler has had a wonderful time playing soccer for his first time ever recently through a local YMCA! My good friend and co-worker, Su Sheridan, has a son the same age as Chandler, Noah. She's been asking me for the past few years to sign up Chandler for soccer so that he could join Noah and they could play on the same team. Funds were usually the main reason I wasn't able to sign him up in previous seasons, but this year I made it a specific point to make it happen for Chandler, since he's 9 years old now and has never played any sports on a team before and he has way too much physical talent in his little body. His coach said many times throughout the season that she could not believe that he has not played before because he's a "natural". I thought I would post some pics from his last game, which was on Saturday, May 15th, 2010...

GO CHAD!!!

One of my favorite moments after each game...seeing the teammates shake hands with the opposing teammembers as they say, "Good Game!!" It's heart-warming to see them all learn at such a young age to express good sportsmanship and respect towards others.

Looking at all the trophies set up on display for all the soccer teams!
All the boys can't wait for the trophy ceremony!
Chandler steps up to receive his trophy for playing a great spring soccer season!
Chandler and Noah...friends forever!

MY SON'S BIKE WAS STOLEN!!

2009-08-31T00:33:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to post this blog entry as an alert to those who may happen to stop by our blog. Chandler's bike was stolen today apparently from right out of our garage in broad daylight, between 5pm-7pm! We had saved up the money to buy him this special bike a couple of months ago and I am sickened that someone would actually take it from right out of our garage while Scott and the kids were home. I was running errands during the time it went missing. I had actually placed the bike on our front lawn to move it out of the driveway before leaving to run errands. At some point after that, Chandler and his friend put the bike back into the garage while they were playing with some other friends. Between the time he put it back in the garage and the time I came home, the bike was apparently stolen. It is a 20" Blue Mongoose 'Crush' model bike. We questioned the boys Chandler had been playing with earlier in the day and even spoke to their parents, who also looked in their garages to see if the bike somehow ended up there, but no luck so far. At least they know to be on the lookout for his bike. I am having difficulty believing that some random person just happened to come around and decide to walk right up to our garage and steal the bike in broad daylight while the kids were in and out throughout the day playing with their friends. However, in this day and age, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. If you happen to run across this bike or learn of someone acquiring a bike like this soon, please let us know. I am just sick over the principle of the whole thing, most of all! The fact that someone would stoop so low as to take a child's bike right out of their garage during the day on a Sunday afternoon just makes me sick!!

Midnight Mammograms!

2009-06-13T22:43:00.005-04:00

OK, now I think I have truly heard of just about everything! I had to visit my female doctor the other day and since I am 36 this year, I was the lucky recipient of a prescription for my first baseline mammogram...yippee!! Ha! Well, since I have known that one of these years soon I would have to have one for the first time, I wasn't at all surprised that my doctor went ahead and recommended it's time for me to start. Let's hope all goes well though!

Anyway, just when I thought I had heard of just about everything, I noticed some fancy ads on the walls at my doctor's office that said "Midnight Mammograms" in a fun cartoon-style. I looked a little bit closer, thinking maybe it was an ad for a play or something. It looked like one of those spoof-type broadway, musical-style plays. But, no, this was actually a program that has been set up at one of the nearby Radiology clinics and the ad says that you can sign up a group of 6 or more women for a "fun-filled and enjoyable evening of mammograms, food, and more"! What? Since when were mammograms considered fun? Well, anyway, the idea is that you get a group of your friends together and literally schedule a mammogram party late at night at their facility. You can bring food, dress for fun, have some entertainment and basically enjoy an evening of comaraderie with your female friends while you all get your annual mammograms. Hmmm...I wonder if this gimmick will work? The ad says that they are doing whatever it takes to get women to take part in their annual mammograms and if it takes making a party out of it, then do it! So, is there anyone out there 35 and older that wants to join me for a Midnight Mammogram? Haha!

Summertime Fun Activities...

2009-06-11T13:39:00.003-04:00

I thought it was time to at least write something on my blog since it's been a while. I figured I would write a list of some fun and fairly inexpensive or FREE activities to do with your kids this summer while you are trying to keep them busy...

1) Did you know that Boardwalk Bowling has a special summer promotion going on every summer where your kids can bowl one game for free each day between the hours of 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday? We've been doing this the past couple of years and it is still one of their favorite summer time activities! Usually, at the end of the school year, their school sends home fliers that you bring to the bowling alley to enroll in the program. But, if you go there early in the summer, you can also ask for some at the bowling check-in desk. They sometimes carry extras. You have to bring the fliers with you each time you want to bowl because someone has to initial it on the date your child has bowled. Anyway, it's a great way to beat the summer heat and of course, if you have any money to spend, you can make an afternoon of it by eating at their cafe and/or playing in their arcade. They've just updated their games in the arcade and have gone to a swipe card system (like Firken & Kegler's) where you simply add money to your card to play the games.

2) Downey Park on the corner of Dean Rd. and SR50 has their fun water splash park which costs $1 per person to enter, including adults. They run it for two sessions each day...10am-2pm and 3pm-7pm. They shut down the water park between 2pm-3pm every day, but you can also play on the playground nearby or visit the lake, too.

3) Regal Cinemas always has free kids movies during the summer on certain days of the week early in the morning...usually around 10:00am. This summer, I believe I heard someone say the free movies are on Tuesdays. Check your listings for the location, times, dates and movie titles playing!

Ten Thousand Villages...

2009-04-23T12:31:00.008-04:00

Just wanted to post something about one of my new favorite places...it's a little store called, "Ten Thousand Villages".

I first visited one while on Spring Break recently in Black Mountain, North Carolina. The location there is technically in Montreat, a very tiny town complete with its own college, too. There is also a location for "Ten Thousand Villages" here in Winter Park, Florida, located on Park Avenue. I visited that one, as well, recently after returning from Spring Break!

What I love about the store is the unique and one-of-a-kind gifts and hand-made treasures you find from literally all over the world. The concept behind the store is that they hire people from countries and villages all over to create their hand-made specialty items and price them at a very affordable price for the consumer. It gives the workers a fair wage for their hard work and creates some kind of income for those who may live in less fortunate areas of the world. The employees of the local stores are actually volunteers and do not get paid, as far as I know. It's simply a pleasure I suppose, knowing that you are helping out others who are less fortunate for their own livelihoods. Their items are just lovely and I feel almost as if I am visiting a marketplace while on vacation in some exotic destination or something when I look through all the unique finds. Many of the smaller items are reasonably priced so that you can own some very unique treasures without paying through the roof. I am including some pictures of some of my favorite items that I have purchased there so far and the prices I paid. When you have the time, check out their website and take a look at a broader sample of what they offer. I like the idea that I am helping others around the world who need income by purchasing their diligently crafted treasures!

www.tenthousandvillages.com

This little bracelet set is just darling for a gift for a little girl. It is only about $8 and contains brightly sparkling little bangle bracelets inside of a precious organza drawstring pouch. It was made in India.
This stretch bracelet is one of my personal favorites. I bought one for about $9 and it fits perfectly...not too tight or too loose on my wrist. It was made in India.
This lovely wooden bowl is technically listed as a salad bowl. But, it is quite small and would make a lovely centerpiece filled with your favorite decorative stones, potpourri or anything festive really. It is beautifully lacquered and only cost me $7! It was made in Nicaragua.
This little coin purse is my favorite! I don't know why, maybe it's because I love the color pink and brown, which this has on it. It is primarily made with sequins and small beadwork. It was only $8 and was made in India. It has a silk backside and really fits well in any size purse you have. It's good for keeping receipts or money, lipstick, etc.
This crocheted purse is my FAVORITE! It was made in Peru and cost $58. I treated myself to this as a present with some recent bonus $ I received at work. It has a drawstring closure and is lined on the inside. It also has brown suede along the outer edge, as well as a suede shoulder strap. What a unique little purse. I love the buckle strap, which allows me to adjust the length of the purse while on my shoulder.
This lovely fabric picture frame was made in Vietnam and cost $20. I love the brown color! They also have several other versions that are similar in style. In fact, one version has three cranberry-colored fabric frames lined up one above the other and connected by ribbon between each frame to give it that triptic, stylish look.
This chip and dip bowl priced at $54 and was made in Vietnam. I have not bought this yet, but I thought I would show it here just as a sample of some of the creative and beautiful pieces you can find to add to your home decor and for hosting future gatherings.
This date palm basket/tray was made in Bangladesh and I got it on clearance sale for only $12. I thought it made a lovely carrying tray for virtually anything, such as my card-making craft supplies. But, you could also use it decoratively on a table with candles displayed inside or a pretty handkerchief. It's very soft and flexible, which I personally love.
This last basket makes a wonderful decorative basket which could be used for any purpose. It has navy blue colored palm leaves mixed in with the natural look and has pretty ceramic handles. This one is currently on sale on their website for $8 and was made in Vietnam, too.

Spring Break in North Carolina...

2009-04-04T20:11:00.003-04:00

Sierra posing on a large boulder in Chimney Rock (Lake Lure, NC)...
Chandler posing too...
Amanda posing...
Amanda and I on the little creek at Chimney Rock...
Grandpa Randy, myself and the three kids at Chimney Rock...

Sierra showing off her Amethyst geode from Broad River Gems in Lake Lure, NC...

Romans 12:18...Peace

2009-03-25T23:07:00.006-04:00

I finally have something positive and worthwhile to blog about! It just came to me tonight! Let me fill you in a little bit about something that's been troubling me for the past few weeks. We have an Australian Shepherd named, Sydney, which we adopted last September from a family. He is just over one year old now. Sydney is a very loving dog and has been a fun, yet challenging at times, addition to our Williams Zoo Crew! One problem we have noticed with Sydney, however, is that he has developed a fear of most other dogs. It all started one day when we took him to a local dog park when he was 6 months old. He was friendly to all the other dogs in the dog park at first. But, within the first 20 minutes or so, a group of larger dogs started asserting their dominance over Sydney and were circling him and forced him under a picnic table out of his fear. Since then, he now barks aggressively and quite loudly whenever he sees any other dog, large or small. It's a defensive and protective mechanism he has developed. I can't say that I blame him. The old saying, "his bark is worse than his bite" holds true for Sydney...he actually doesn't even bite. But, the way he barks loudly and forcefully whenever he feels threatened sure would make someone who doesn't know him feel wary.

We have a next-door neighbor who recently brought a Yorkshire Terrier into their own home. They are very small dogs, but they sure do make up for it in their aggressive barking, as well! Anytime Sydney and the neighbor's dog happen to be out in their own backyards at the same time, inevitably one of them starts barking and gets the other one going, too! It drives Sydney crazy and he literally will push against our wood fence to try and get through into the neighbor's yard. Since our fence is 8 years old, it's very weather-worn and now some of the boards start breaking off loose when he rams the fence in one of his crazed episodes. He will poke his head through the opening if a board is knocked loose. This, of course, scares the neighbor if she happens to be out in her backyard when it happens. She's afraid he's gonna break through the whole fence and come attacking someday. I don't blame her for feeling a little scared, perhaps. But, we have told her that Sydney is not vicious and is not an attack-dog, by any means. He simply feels that he can ward off any potential bullies by barking loudly. She's met him before and she knows that he is not an attack-type of dog. We have 3 kids and would never own a dog like that anyway. He's actually a big baby. Scott is also sure to promptly nail back any loose boards whenever it has happened (it's only been about 3 times). Well, a few weeks ago, we got home late at night from LIFE group and after picking up the kids from my mother's house from babysitting and Scott let Sydney out back to go potty before bedtime. Unbeknownst to us, the neighbor must have let her little dog out in her backyard around the same time. Sure enough, Sydney starting going nuts when their dog started yipping. He pushed through one of the loose boards on the fence and it scared the neighbor as she was back there trying to get her dog to come back in the house. I heard her scream while I was coming out of the bathroom in our house. I didn't even know Scott had let Sydney out back at the time. I then heard our neighbor yell something like, "This is getting ridiculous! If you don't do something about that dog, I'm gonna call animal control!" Scott brought Sydney in right away and decided not to yell anything back over the fence since it was already after 11:00pm on a weeknight. He figured he'd let her "cool off" and try to smooth things over in the morning when he would go over and fix the loose board on the fence. Well, not 5 minutes later, the neighbor came over and rang our doorbell. I let him answer the door because it was late at night, I was already getting ready for bed and was not in the mood for any kind of confrontation so late at night. Things did not go well when Scott answered the door. Heated words were thrown around and in a matter of minutes, things went from sour to even worse! We had always tried to be friendly with our neighbor and had never gotten into an argument with her before. Apparently, she didn't like the fact that Scott was not letting her yell at him on our front doorstep late at night. She stomped off and ended up calling the police! Never before has a neighbor called the cops on us for any reason whatsoever! I was so steamed about the whole thing! Why would she overreact like that and call the police over a simple matter that could have simply been handled like two mature adults with some compromise and mutually respecting discussion? It was so unnecessary for her to call the police. After all, we hadn't even done anything wrong anyway. The police even acted like it was ridiculous that she called them out at 11:30pm at night for something as little as this...a dog that broke through part of our own fence and scared her. After they questioned both parties for their sides of the story, it was clear that no crime had been committed and that there was no really good reason for them to have been involved. It was also apparent to them that she had provoked the entire situation by yelling over the fence and then coming to our doorstep yelling late at night, escalating things way beyond what was necessary. They simply told Scott that next time she comes onto our doorstep late at night like that and starts yelling at him, we have the right to ask her to leave our property. That was it!

After that night, I was so steamed about the fact that she felt it was necessary to involve the police over almost nothing. I was also mad that she apparently had no qualms about turning our neighborly relationship sour so quickly, even to the point that our kids and her kids would no longer be able to play with each other as they have before, simply because of some silly argument that would now exist between us as neighbors. Truly, it seemed to me that she had gone way overboard and was not expressing any humility over the situation at all. Now, I must add that 99% of the time in matters where I find myself involved in some sort of conflict, I am usually the first to try and keep the peace. I can't stand conflict. It makes me really uncomfortable and through the years, I have noticed that I am much less inclined to hold grudges over things as I used to do when I was younger. Life is simply too short and you really spend so much energy trying to hold onto negative feelings towards others, that it is quite draining. I can name several instances in recent years where I have taken the high road and always been the one to initiate peace whenever a disagreement or conflict of some kind has reared its ugly head. But, for some reason, this particular incident just irked me to the point where I felt for the first time in a LONG time that I just didn't want to be the pursuer of peace anymore. This matter simply crossed the line to me. I had reached my limit of bending over backwards for someone else simply to keep the peace, even when I felt I had done nothing wrong. Since that night a few weeks ago, we had pretty much decided that we would not be speaking to our neighbor unless she happened to approach us first. We were hurt and angry over the situation and just felt that we didn't want to have to take the first step in order to reconcile our friendship. Yes, I know that pretty much goes against much of what Christ teaches us to do when it comes to others. We asked our LIFE group to pray about it last week, as it was something that still didn't sit well in our hearts.

Well, this morning several cars in our neighborhood, including both of ours, were broken into in the middle of the night while parked in our driveway. Luckily, for us, nothing was actually stolen (we don't keep things valuable & worth stealing in our vehicles) and no windows were broken. It was simply our faults for not locking our doors when we parked our vehicles last night. As God would have it, our neighbor came knocking on our door this evening to discuss the rash of car break-ins that took place overnight on our street. We hadn't spoken to her since the dog incident. Scott took the first step in seizing the opportunity to bring up the previous situation and apologized for anything he had done to make the situation worse. He also apologized that the dog scared her by breaking the loose board (which he has since fixed). Fortunately, it seemed that God has been working on her heart, as well, to humble her attitude towards the situation and she apologized, as well, for her part in overreacting over the whole scenario that evening. They briefly talked things through and I am actually sitting here tonight a bit amazed at how God has allowed a negative incident such as our cars getting broken into, to act as a catalyst for making peace with our neighbor. I am also thankful that, of course, we actually didn't have anything stolen from our cars or any broken windows and such. But, I am more thankful that indeed, God seemed to hear our prayers over the situation and for once, someone else initiated the first steps in pursuing peace. I'm sure the car break-in situation was the perfect excuse for our neighbor to come over and begin taking steps to make amends with us. I just wanted to share this story with my readers because I think it is an everyday example of how God can work good from a bad situation and at the same time, peace can be restored between people. There may still be some hope left yet in this crazy, fallen world!

Romans 12:18..."If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

1Peter 3:11..."He must run from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it."

Notice the word 'pursue' in reference to peace in 1Peter 3:11...the act of pursuing something means the act of almost chasing it down. It involves action and is not really a passive thing. So, to pursue peace means that we need to actively be looking for ways to seek it when the time and place calls for it...even when we don't want to...lol!!!

Author's side note: When Scott went over to repair the broken board after the last incident, he did make sure to put in very thick screws/nails across every single board on that side of the fence (tops and bottoms included). He also put in several 2x4's across the bottom to make the fence virtually indestructible. So now we have "Fort Knox" on that side of the fence, which should eliminate any chance of Sydney knocking loose any more boards. We're also trying to be more vigilent about when we let him outside now and if the neighbor's dog is out as well, we monitor Sydney to make sure he doesn't get all worked up and go crazy. We figure this will also help maintain peace and some sort of order. :o)

Pagers, cell phones, texting, etc...more signs of the times?

2009-02-25T11:01:00.005-05:00

Just a little blurb about my thoughts on how times sure have changed rapidly in recent years. I was watching TV the other night and noticed how many commercials were all about cell phone plans, texting plans, and pretty much all things technologically advanced. I thought, gosh, just 10-15 years ago, who cared so much about how many rollover minutes you have or is your phone the latest, fanciest gadget new on the market? I mean, seriously, why is the ability to twitter, blog, text, and communicate in a thousand different ways and forums so much of a top priority these days? I understand how convenient having a cell phone can be while you're out and about...I use one occasionally myself. But, as for texting, I have no desire at all to do that. I can just write an email or make a quick phone call if I want someone to know something or if I have a question. Do you ever notice how when you are out in public, many people seem to have their heads down paying close attention to their PDA's or their fingers busy playing or typing on their little phones and gadgets or are busy talking to what at first appears to be themselves with some silly headpiece out in the middle of public while you are walking by? Then you realize that they are actually conversing with someone else via a tiny cell phone earpiece and you are privy to half of the entire conversation. So weird to me! It's too much, quite frankly, in my opinion. I mean, I know we are creatures who were designed to be in close community with one another and with God, of course. But all this technology in nearly every function of our daily lives makes my head swim!

Here's an example of what prompted me to write this post...I went to Panera yesterday morning to grab a quick delicious breakfast sandwich, since I rarely go to Panera anymore. The one I go to has recently been remodeled and looks all nice and elegant. After ordering my breakfast sandwich "To Go", they hand me one of those large square pagers that you see when you are waiting at a restaurant for dinner where they call you when your table is ready. Then, the cashier asked me for my first name. She said that now I wouldn't have to wait in line at the pick-up area for my sandwich...that I could just sit down at a table and wait till my buzzer lights up. So, I did this. And about 5 minutes later, my hot, delicious breakfast sandwich was ready! They even called my name over the loudspeaker just to announce it was done. The buzzer went off loudly and lights were flashing urgently. I went up to the pick-up counter and got my breakfast and noticed that the receipt I had even had my name boldly printed on the top, which is obviously how they knew my name. I dropped the buzzing, light-flashing pager into the handy basket they have waiting for these at the pick-up counter. As I was walking out the door with my little carryout bag in hand, I just chuckled to myself at the idea of a silly little breakfast sandwich order requiring all this high-tech stuff and such a process just to get it made and delivered to me. It wasn't even crowded in the building at the time. There were no lines waiting for food orders. I just kept thinking, this is too much and really not that necessary! Is this another sign of the times?

Is this not the cutest thing you've seen in a while?

2009-02-05T13:09:00.005-05:00

Just get a look at these adorable photos! Are they not some of the cutest things you've seen? A high school friend of mine sent me these via email! They were taken in Australia. Apparently there has been a recent heat wave there and this little Koala Bear was seeking some rest from the heat and went onto someone's back porch. They put out some water for him and just look what he did! So cute!!! They were taken just a few days ago. Thanks, Kevin, for sending these!

Happy 10th Birthday, Sierra!

2009-01-13T23:21:00.005-05:00

Sierra ready to start the day on her monorail ride into the Magic Kingdom for her birthday! She got to sit in the cockpit with the engineer for the ride!

Sierra and mommy at one of our first Mommy & Me playgroups with friends...June 1999 (she was 6 months old). UPC members might also recognize the late Jan Ayson sitting next to me and her son, Travis, is the little one in green with his back towards the camera. At the time I knew her, Scott & I weren't members of UPC, so I had no idea we would one day share the same church home...small world!

Mommy & Sierra on Thanksgiving 2008! I can't believe it was a decade ago that I had her! Today we are celebrating her birthday at Disney World because anyone can go to any Disney theme park in 2009 for FREE on your birthday! No kidding!

My Junior High & High School Montage...

2008-12-01T09:08:00.002-05:00

I created this montage last night as a way to include lots of special pictures of memories from junior high and high school with my friends and fellow classmates that I have found on facebook. It is 9 minutes long, so when you have the time, sit down and take a look for fun!

Glenridge & WPHS Montage(1986-1991)

Friends...

2008-11-09T23:25:00.006-05:00

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about the true meaning of friends. It's a subject that has been on my mind and heart for a while now. Life hands us lots of ups and downs and it seems that people will come and go out of your life at various seasons or stages in your life. Reuniting online through Facebook lately with old acquaintances and friends from junior high school and high school has been such fun in recent months for me! It's as if 17 or more years having passed has seemingly erased a lot of the old grudges, feelings, intentions, and drama from those good ole' days...well, at least the negative feelings anyway! I love being able to reconnect to see where everybody has ended up so far and to be honest, there have been many pleasant surprises! God has certainly been working mightily in many of my old classmates' lives through the years and it is a true delight for me to catch a glimpse of who they are now, albeit online only.

This blog entry is just a way for me to express some of my thoughts about friends and friendships. There have been some situations lately with other people who I know and who I guess I had classified as friends. But, when I go through my mental checklist of what demonstrates true friendship to me, it seems that perhaps, some of these people aren't truly a friend to me. It has been hurtful for me to realize that although I may have considered some of them my friends, they apparently have not felt the same way about me. Or, at least their actions, or lack thereof, have conveyed that message to me. Life presents us all with many challenges, for sure. And I will be one of the first to admit that I am not the best at expressing my gratitude and love I have for the friends in my life on a frequent basis. When the world is made up of so many people with so many different types of personalities and coming from so many kinds of backgrounds and experiences in their own lives, it's easy to see why miscommunication and friendship styles can result in conflicts. But, I truly wish that it was easier for some people to be willing to give of themselves in friendships to others and to not be too afraid of being vulnerable by just being yourself to another person. It's risky, I know, to express your true feelings and thoughts to someone else. It also takes effort and work to create and maintain a friendship that goes beyond the typical, "Hello. How are you doing?" courtesy exchanges.

My LIFE group at church has been working on a study recently about Authentic Relationships. I think it is a great idea for people to discuss and think about creating more authentic relationships in their own lives. The key element I think is the fact that it really is something you have to do yourself. You can't expect a friendship to grow or flourish when only one party is making most, if not all, of the efforts. After all, think about the fact that God is the one who initially seeks us out in order to draw us into a relationship with Him! He initiates the act of establishing an authentic relationship, or a friendship with us. Can you imagine if God never took that first step in any of our lives? Where would we all be? Some of us may very well have ended up stumbling upon Him at some point, just out of curiosity. But, isn't it comforting to know that God is the one who took the first steps to begin a lifelong journey with us? We didn't have to do anything at first. In order for our walk with the Lord to even progress at all from that beginning, we had to step out in faith and make the effort to be vulnerable to Him...isn't that true? Fortunately, even when we seem to lose interest in keeping the lines of communication and relationship open with God, He still waits patiently for us. In fact, He will NEVER leave us! And thank Heaven He doesn't hold grudges, too! But, human friendships aren't quite so foolproof. When one party seemingly ceases to make any effort to keep the friendship going, the relationship can practically wither away and die. It's a sad truth that probably happens more often than we realize. So, I challenge you, my silent blogreaders (LOL), to examine your friendships in your own life currently. If you are feeling like some of your relationships aren't quite all that they could be or if you are wishing that you had more authentic, trusting and faithful relationships, why not step out in faith with a vulnerable heart and take that first step to creating and maintaining a true friendship? I think it's safe to assume that you won't be sorry! It's a win-win situation for everyone! The old saying, "To have a friend, you have to be a friend", comes to mind.

I voted...

2008-11-04T16:18:00.000-05:00

Did you?

Logan Henderson ("Sky Angel Cowboy")...wise beyond his years!

2008-11-02T23:14:00.004-05:00

My mom sent me this link in an email and after watching it, I thought it was worth sharing for anyone who happens to stop by my blog. It's a precious story of a 12-year-old boy named, Logan, who lives on a ranch in Nebraska. What a profound message he has! It's sweet to hear the story...

**Don't forget to scroll down to the bottom of my page and press pause on the music playlist first!

Need a good laugh today?

2008-10-16T11:58:00.003-04:00

OK, I am a big supporter of Sarah Palin and I will be voting Republican this election. But, someone I went to high school with sent out this link the other day and I think it's hilarious! Go to the website (sorry, I don't know how to make links work when I post a new blog entry)...www.PalinasPresident.com

It has all these funny things that happen whenever you click on the various items surrounding her in the "Oval Office". I couldn't stop laughing. Be sure to have your sound volume turned on, too. I am not posting this to be disrespectful in any way, so please don't be offended. I am not trying to mock any political agendas or candidates either. I just thought the website is pretty clever and cute and definitely funny!! I guess I just needed a good laugh late last night after our somewhat stressful day. All is good though.

I caved...

2008-10-13T14:36:00.006-04:00

Well, I caved today while shopping for a few things at Publix. I did not want to push around a large grocery cart since I only needed a few things. I made the mistake of thinking that I could actually just carry a few things I needed by hand up to the checkout counter. As usual whenever I make that silly decision, I ended up needing something to carry my stuff in, but had neglected to grab a carry-all basket near the store entrance upon arriving. So, what did I do? Well, I caved and decided to buy a few of those 99cent Publix fabric bags that are non-disposable. I have told myself for years now that I would NEVER spend money on one of those type of things if I had to spend more than $1 for one. After all, for some reason it always bugged me to spend money on a carryout bag. I am not typically a "green" person who is always making sound choices based on saving the environment. In fact, I guess I am what you might call a true American "consumer", in just about every sense of that word.

Anyway, the Publix fabric reusable shopping bags used to be priced at $1.99 a piece for a while. I was not going to spend $10 on five bags. But, today, I relented and decided to spend $4 on 4 bags at 99cents each (actually, that comes out to $3.96 total...LOL). So, I guess I am now one of those "green" people concerned about saving some trees and helping the environment in some small way. I actually bought some in different colors (tan, black and green). We'll see if I end up loving my choice in the future. For now, though, it is just one more thing I will have to keep stored conveniently in my overstuffed minivan. Since I am the type who never remembers to bring along store coupons after taking the time to cut them out, I am also likely to forget to bring these Publix reusable carryout bags to the grocery store, too. The only way this will work out to be a benefit to me is if I keep them constantly stored in the car. Thanks to Cathy Martin (www.cathy.likeafire.net) for the inspiration, by the way (she wrote a blog post about this weeks ago)! It helps knowing that you're not the only one making decisions to go "green"..LOL!

For the record, I am still voting Republican, by the way!! So, don't think I've changed my mind for presidential candidate this coming election...LOL!! And another thing...when are they gonna' add a cents key on the computer keyboards anyway? They have one for the $ symbol.

Things that make me uncomfortable (or in some cases, annoy me)...

2008-10-02T10:47:00.007-04:00

Just a random blog entry about things that make me uncomfortable in life...

1) ...sitting inside my car at the Jiffy Lube Express while getting the oil changed in my minivan. I always feel like a "sitting duck" as the men snoop around my engine and come up to my car window to tell me the list of things that should be replaced or repaired on my vehicle. I JUST WANT THE OIL CHANGED!! Please don't try to sell me on other things when all I can afford right now is the oil change. How do I know you're not just taking advantage of me because I'm a female and don't know a lot about cars?

2) ...when you're checking out in the grocery or other store checkout line and the person waiting in line behind you can't seem to stay in their own "body space", but rather they invade your "space" by creeping up right next to you, clearly within eyeshot of your PIN code while using your debit card. I don't like being made to feel like I must hurry up because you are a bit impatient and want to push me through the line in a hurry. There is a reason why the grocery store checkout lines have those separating little plastic bars you use on the conveyor belt. Don't start putting your stuff down on the conveyor when I have barely just begun putting my own items on there. If I have a grocery cart full of stuff, don't put your stuff down before I do. That's being too pushy.

3) ...realizing that 95% of your friends and former classmates on Facebook do not share the same support for presidential candidate as you do. Sometimes, I wish there was a better mix, rather than it seeming like I am the only one who will vote for my candidate this year.

4) ...people who circle the parking lot waiting for an open space and since there are none, instead decide to follow you in their car as you walk to yours when leaving the store. It feels like a stalker when you creep behind me at 1mph while I can hear your engine running right behind me.

5) ...people who don't return the favor, whatever it may be. When you've tried to be a good friend to them in the past in numerous ways, but they can't even reciprocate the kindness to you later on. Why is it so hard for us all to put others before ourselves?

OK, well I got some of those off my chest, so I guess I feel better for now...LOL!

Possessions...

2008-09-16T23:53:00.005-04:00

I was up late last night after getting off from work and had some thoughts running through my mind that I had thought about recently, but didn't focus much on before. For some reason, since they popped up in my mind again last night, I thought it might make a good post.

I'm writing about the topic of possessions...ya' know, those things we all hold dear and love to think about, purchase, hold onto, and even plan for in the future? A few weeks ago, my family and I was over at my late grandmother's condo trying to sort through her many belongings and decide which family member would inherit various items that had belonged to my grandmother. I remember saying to my mom that old adage, "When you die, you sure can't take these things with you". There were so many collectibles and items that my grandmother had accumulated over her 83 years of living on this earth! I actually didn't realize until a few weeks ago exactly how much my grandmother had an obvious passion for collecting interesting pieces of glass, crystal and china, among other collectibles. My cousins and I were all fortunate enough to have been able to inherit some wonderful pieces of antique furniture and jewelry from my grandmother, after my mom and aunt sorted through their respective inherited items. Since Scott & I clearly have not been able to purchase a larger home as we had hoped a few years ago, we've been trying to make room for some of these newly inherited items at our current home. My grandmother's condo was officially sold and the deal was closed just yesterday.

"Out with the old, in with the new", is a phrase that comes to mind. We've managed to make room for the new furniture and I am happy to see the positive changes that some rearranging and creativity have brought to our home since adding Nanny's furniture. I was going through a mental list in my mind the other day of some of the items that we ended up with and how, coincidentally...or maybe NOT so coincidentally, we've managed to inherit the very items we've had on our wish list for quite some time now. We've been needing a new toaster oven, since ours has been with us since the first year we were married (12 years ago) and was on the fritz...voila! We inherited Nanny's excellent toaster oven which was only a couple of years old since it was purchased brand new for her after having her condo remodeled due to damage from Hurricane Charley in 2004. I've been wanting a nice smooth-top oven range for several years since the one we bought with our house has the older style burners on it...voila! My mom gave us her smooth-top range that's in great shape since she recently purchased some new appliances for herself and no longer needed this particular oven. We've been wanting for quite some time to turn our living room into a cozier setting with some pieces of furniture and a coffee table that would create a more inviting atmosphere...voila! We inherited Nanny's beautiful Italian marble & wood coffee table, along with a great wingback chair that has a lazy-boy recliner in it! We also inherited a very comfortable brown, microfiber/suede-type fabric loveseat that was also a recent purchase of Nanny's to replace some damaged furniture in her condo after the hurricanes in 2004. The list goes on and on of the various items that I've been wanting for a while but have not had the money to justify making any new purchases of them. It is interesting to me that God has provided a way for us to acquire some of these items through my grandmother's passing away.

But, these are just things...possessions. I have always been the type of person who would rather have brand new items than something that's been passed down, mainly because I don't always share the same style or taste that someone else may have. Plus, I just love brand new and unused stuff. Since inherting some of these treasures, it has reminded me that these are all just things. They will not be traveling with me to Heaven in my final home with God. In fact, they can easily be destroyed by disasters and the elements down here on earth. Just think of the latest Hurricane Ike victims in Texas, parts of Louisiana, Ohio and Kentucky. I took a claim over the phone just last night from someone in Texas who literally lost everything in his home due to flooding. Sure, I love to shop for the newest trends and I have no problem spending money...after all, I am a female...LOL!! But, my point is that as humans, we spend so much of our time, thoughts, desires, and resources in pursuit of possessions! While they may seem temporarily gratifying to look at or to have, in the end, they really don't matter at all. I know that is something we already know in our minds. Things don't matter, but people and relationships matter. But, if you take an honest look at yourself, can you identify ways in which many of your everyday stresses, issues, goals and desires for your future revolve around possessions? It takes a lifetime to accumulate all the various, unique items and possessions one can leave to their loved ones once they have passed away. But, when the end of your life arrives and all is said and done, how much is too much? Will my life really be more fulfilled if I make that next bid and purchase on eBay or Craigslist? Sometimes, it is literally just stuff that fills up your house. Don't get me wrong, I love to look at pretty things and I am actually starting to enjoy the idea of acquiring my own collection of antique and vintage items that I find lovely and interesting. But, my heart is truly not at rest or satisfied unless I am pursuing the most precious possession of all...and that is a loving, trusting, peaceful relationship with the One who created me in the first place...my dear Lord, God! It seems that it takes many people an entire lifetime to realize that things don't ultimately satisfy. I admit that pursuing my relationship with God is not always the first priority on my list. But, I am continuing to strive to make it my top priority these days. Only in that will I find real peace and comfort in this ever-changing, unsecure world we live in right now.

Opposites, oxymorons, irony, and all of the above...

2008-09-10T09:26:00.006-04:00

I was reading today's devotional from InTouch online, with Charles Stanley. I was struck by the verse...John 12:24..."Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."
I have often noticed that so many of the simple, yet profound spiritual lessons throughout the Bible have one basic concept in common...much of God's ways are opposites! This is no earth shattering realization. Many of you probably have already noticed this trend, too, when reading and absorbing many of the spiritual lessons God has laid out for us. I have been wanting to write down a list of examples of the many ideas in the Bible where God's thinking on things is clearly a pattern of opposites from what you'd expect. But, today's devotional sparked me to finally write a blog entry about this phenomenon. At least, to me, it is very interesting!

You'd think that if a grain of wheat falls to the ground, that it would simply wither away and die, right? From a logical perspective, that's what I would think. But, apparently, today's Bible verse states the exact opposite...that a grain of wheat that falls to the ground bears much fruit! How is that possible? The devotional points out that this lesson deals with being broken by God. In other words, if we are to stand alone, upright, as a grain of wheat, we are actually by ourselves and not going to produce anything. But, it is in our brokenness, like a grain of wheat that is broken and falls to the ground, that God can actually produce much fruit. Think about that concept for a few minutes...a grain of wheat that is broken on the ground can produce a rich crop! I guess the concept behind that is the fact that its seeds would then scatter along the ground, which in turn produces more seeds or grains of wheat to grow in the future. That seems like such opposite thinking from what my mind could think of in that situation. But, alas, God is MUCH smarter and wiser than me! And His ways are definitely higher than my ways!

Another quick example that I am thinking of off the top of my head is the parable in the Bible (Luke 19:11-26) about the servants who were each given an equal share of money (10 minas) by their master before he went away. One servant invested his money and doubled the original share (another 10 minas)! You can bet this master was happy with how this servant managed his share of the money! His master was so happy, in fact, that he put him in charge of ten cities! Another servant told the master that he had earned another 5 minas in interest! So, he was put in charge of five cities. But, the most interesting concept in this parable was the lesson about the third servant who simply put his share of the money away in a cloth for safe-keeping. When I first read this story years ago, I thought, that's good. I'd probably do the same. At least he's not spending it! But, the parable goes on to say that the master was VERY angry with this servant and what he had done with his share of the money. Huh? Why would he be angry at all? It was at this point I was already confused! The parable then explains that the servant did not attempt to increase or multiply his share. Instead, he simply did nothing, produced nothing, and basically wasted a chance to multiply the resources he had been given by his master. Because of this, the master gave this man's 10 minas over to the first servant who already had 10 minas and had earned 10 more in interest! To me, this seemed almost like another lesson about opposite thinking. I would never have originally thought that the third servant would actually be in the most trouble with his master simply by putting his money away for safe-keeping. That's my logical thinking at work. But, God says the opposite! It's not enough to just keep the resources He gives us! We need to make an effort to multiply the resources and gain interest on them by putting them to good use. Hmmm...another story about opposite thinking.

There are so many other concepts in the Bible that seem to demonstrate opposites to me. I will continue to post more about this, but I don't want to take up too much space in one blog post. Otherwise, you may not want to read through it all...LOL!

Our Zoo Crew gets even bigger!

2008-09-05T18:22:00.003-04:00

Well, it's taken me a while to post this, but I just wanted to share with everyone the news of our newest member of the Williams Zoo Crew! We adopted a dog last week...an Australian Shepherd! We named him "Sydney" because he's Australian and that's a famous city in Australia.

So, how did this happen? Well, we've been debating and talking about getting a puppy or dog for a few years now. We weren't sure when the time would be right, so we thought we'd wait until the mood strikes us and we agree the timing for our family is good. We had seen an Australian Shepherd puppy at a local pet store about 10 months ago. He was adorable and the kids loved him. But, spending $500 was not what we needed to be doing at the time. Scott spent a lot of time researching about that particular breed and felt that he would be interested in this breed if we were to ever get a dog. We wanted a dog that was not small, but not too large either (like a German Shepherd or Labrador Retriever, etc.). I was surfing Craigslist last week and found the picture of Sydney. I showed it to Scott, because the ad said the family was giving him away for free! Scott contacted the owner and had some questions answered and we finally decided to surprise the kids last Friday afternoon by picking up the dog! Sydney was living with a family of five children, so he was used to being around kids and was good with kids...definitely a plus for us! The biggest plus was the fact that he was already housebroken and crate-trained, which means, he had been used to being in a crate if needed should the family need to leave the house. The previous owners said that he was approx. 6 months old and that they needed to find him a family that had a backyard for him to be able to run around in because they had just moved to a brand new home with absolutely no backyard at all for him! Scott went to pick him up on Friday, along with his crate and blanket and other items and he could definitely see that there was no appropriate yard for Sydney, so we felt good about being able to give him a new, loving home environment! I forgot to mention that we had also prayed with the kids during the week that if God wanted our family to be able to adopt him, then He would make it possible for us. Fortunately, it all worked out and we don't have to go through the tough stage of training him to go #1 and #2 outside. That's perhaps a very frustrating stage in raising new puppies. We used to own a small peke-a-poo years ago and I remember the difficulties in training him from the beginning. He also used to chew through all of my shoes! Luckily, Sydney doesn't appear to have these issues so far. We are delighted he has joined our family and I think he is beautiful! He is a tri-colored Aussie. He's mostly black and white, but he also has some areas of tan along his legs, which is what makes him the tri-color. The kids adore him, but our cat, Leo, is still adjusting...LOL!!!

Confessions of a pessimistic believer in Christ who still has trouble trusting God wholeheartedly at times...

2008-08-26T23:12:00.005-04:00

I was thinking about this on the way home from work today and thought it was relevant enough to post. It's more like a confession and a question for my blog readers. I often get so worried about what the future holds for me and my family that I have trouble completely trusting in God for all things in my life...the big things, the small details, and everything in between the two. I was reading through my In Touch daily devotion by Charles Stanley the other day and I found myself so anxious to see what the future holds, that I kept peeking and reading days ahead of the current date just to see if the message contained some kind of hint as to the days and weeks ahead for me and my life. I realized that I do that A LOT! It's not uncommon for some of the daily devotions to contain some message or spiritual lesson that applies directly to my life on that given day. So, I find it all too tempting to try to "see" what may lie ahead in the form of what types of upcoming devotional lessons await me in the coming month. It's really like a barometer test for me...to see if there are nasty storms still up ahead or if there are peaceful, calm and blissful times ahead for me and my family? It seems that most of the devotions I've been reading lately always have to do with how to trust God in the storms of life, or relying on God to provide for you even in the darkest of times, etc. The bottom line is that I dread thinking that the week ahead may have messages all revolving around getting through some tough times in my life. When I skip the current day's lesson and read what's up ahead in the next few days, I get even more discouraged if it's not something that seems like good times ahead for me. I find myself not wanting to go back and read the devotional anymore until I start to see some lessons that deal more with the lighter side of things in my spiritual walk. That, my friends, is an utter lack of trust in the Lord if I've ever heard one! So, why after all these years of being a Christian do I still struggle with trusting God COMPLETELY for the things in my life? So what if there are more storms in the near future waiting for me? With God as my provider, my comforter and guiding me along the path He has already chosen for me, what's really to worry about...right?

Here's my question folks...does anyone else do things like that? I'm sure it's safe to say that at least some of you still have some trouble trusting God completely on every level, but then again, maybe that's not such an issue for so many others. If you struggle in a similar fashion in your daily walk with God, Iet me hear a bit about your experiences and feelings on the issue! Thanks, friends!

What's In A Name?

2008-08-23T18:12:00.011-04:00

What's in a name? Well, my mother and I were at my late grandmother's condo yesterday sorting through her belongings, since my mom & her sister are getting ready to sell the condo to an interested buyer in the next few weeks. We came across this old trunk in one of the bedrooms and I started asking questions about my grandmother's mother and grandmother. As we were discussing things, she mentioned that my grandmother, Nanny, had left a very valuable textbook manuscript to my aunt as part of her will. I asked my mom what the book was about and she replied that it was about something "boring"...LOL! Although, she did know that it was an extremely valuable handwritten book. She went and located the book and brought it out to show me. It was entitled, "The Life of William Henry of Lancaster, Pennsylvania (1729-1786)", written by Francis Jordan, Jr. My mom wasn't sure how this book ended up in the family or how the last name of the author, Jordan, was connected to William Henry. My grandmother's maiden name was Jordan. As my mom carefully opened up this book, I was truly amazed at the handwriting of every single page! It was written in a brownish-colored ink in an extremely beautiful script...like something you would expect to see on a historic document such as The Declaration of Independence. There were even a few hand-drawn sketches of a steamboat boiler. Of course, without much technology back then, all books had to be written by hand. I was in awe of how perfect each sentence was written and how small the handwriting was, so that many sentences fit on each page. You can even see the small embossing/seal at the top corner of each page in the book just below.

Last night, I decided to do some more research to see if I could find out exactly who William Henry was and how my grandmother might be related to him. I was absolutely astonished at what I found out through Google! It turns out that William Henry is the great-great grandfather of Francis Jordan, Jr. (1843-1911). Who was William Henry? Apparently, he was the inventor of the steamboat and a military officer, among other things! He was a direct descendant of Patrick Henry, who is best known for the famous historical words, "Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death". I felt like I was in the movie, "National Treasure", having found some long, lost, extremely valuable, historical artifact!

Francis Jordan, Jr. is the great, great (and possibly even more greats) grandfather of my late grandmother, Nancy Jordan! Mr. Jordan was a member and Vice-President of the American Philosophical Society in the 1800's and once a member of the Union Artillery Company. He was apparently an author of a series of books. His last literary work was the biography of his great, great-grandfather, William Henry. The book that my grandmother has passed on to our family is the first and only original manuscript of that book! I even found an online version of the actual type-written text of this book, word for word!

The penmanship is remarkable and makes you feel as if you are standing among a room full of our forefathers. I am just fascinated by the whole discovery and to think that it is actually a part of our lineage makes it that much more special to me!

The last several pages of this original manuscript contain a family tree of William Henry's descendants that once lived and that were still alive at the time this book was written, in 1860. I know that you can easily research your own family's ancestors online these days and create your family tree based on all kinds of information dating back many years. I just thought that this kind of research was too tedious and time-consuming, so I never really got involved in anything of that nature. But, this whole discovery makes me so intrigued now! I can't help but wonder how many others in this country have yet to discover their own family trees from years ago and have yet to put together the pieces of the giant puzzle that encompasses our nation's earliest years? So, I'd like to invite anyone reading this post to do some research of your own online and share with us what you may find out about your own family's heritage and lineage! I am sure that in one way or another we are all connected in some way, when you date things back to those early days of the 1700's and 1800's! Let me hear your stories, if you know any!!! You might be more surprised than you think at what you may find out!

These are a few of my favorite things...

2008-08-20T11:24:00.005-04:00

I wanted to post some pics of some of my favorite things that we bought while on vacation in North Carolina recently. Since my sister-in-law is anxious to see, I am posting them now, instead of waiting a few more days...LOL!!

I found this vintage cup and saucer set in one of my favorite little country gift stores in Black Mountain, NC, called, "Ivy Corner". They had the entire set including the dishes, soup bowls, platter, sugar bowl & creamer, and more open stock pieces in this pattern. I love pink roses and one day wish to collect some nice complete china sets in patterns like this one. But, for now, I just started with two sets of the cup & saucer. I placed it on our kitchen dining room table as a centerpiece. I just LOVE the romantic look of it!

This is one of my favorites already, too! I found this antique candy dish downstairs in Ivy Corner. They have two stories...the bottom floor is filled with true antiques of almost everything you can imagine. Anyway, this pink candy dish is by Anchor Hocking and was made in the 1930's. I love pink depression glass and one day hope to collect a full set of pink glass dishware, too. For now, I thought this petite candy dish was just so cute and lovely and it is my first official piece to start my antique collection of pink glass.

I purchased this pink rose table runner to place on our kitchen table, as well. It goes with a set of placemats in the same fabric that I bought a couple of years ago from the same store. It also complements my pink rose antique cup & saucer set, which I love! This stuff is right up my alley!

OK, I found this adorable hand-made purse at the Sourwood Festival in Black Mountain while we were there. Once a year, the town hosts the festival full of all kinds of craft vendors! I have seen similar purses on eBay recently and one day hoped to buy one online, but this one was a steal at $20 and it's made with all the fabric patterns and colors I love...pink toile, brown & white gingham, and pink & brown polka dots! It's surprisingly filled with plenty of space inside and some side pockets, too. I also like the raggedy edge look where the seams are sewed along the outside.

OK, this funny wooden sign I found in a gift store in Chimney Rock, NC. I love all the country signs with cute sayings you can find in all the gift shops up there! This one made me laugh so much because we had such a huge pile of undone laundry sitting right outside our laundry room while we were on vacation. The saying, "Laundry Gathers Here" seems mighty appropriate, since we never seem to have all our laundry completely caught up anyway. Scott already hung it on the ceiling right in front of the laundry room door, as you can see in the picture. It looks like it's floating in mid-air.

Confessions of a Kindergarten Mom...Third Time Around

2008-08-18T09:59:00.003-04:00

Well, this morning marks another milestone in our household. My youngest child started her first day of kindergarten. I'm sitting here at home not quite knowing what to do with myself. Usually, when my older two kids were off at school, I at least had Amanda home with me to keep me company. Except for the few days she would attend Pre-K herself. Now, all three of my little ones have stepped up to the big school, which means only one drop off and pick-up location for me this year! That's great news...but, on the other hand, I'm feeling a little blue today about the whole thing. This morning started out fine. I got myself up early enough to fix everyone some pancakes before getting ready for school. All backpacks, school supplies, and lunchboxes were ready to go. Then, as the kids were happily eating their pancakes, Chandler accidentally spilled orange juice all over Amanda's pretty skirt, which was freshly washed just for the occasion of her first day at school. The tears streaming down Amanda's face when she realized that the orange juice was more than just a mere spot on her skirt, but rather almost the entire side of it, just made my heart sink. She is such a girly-girl and loves to wear her skirts and jewelry, and even a touch of lipstick. I rinsed the skirt out and promptly put it into the dryer, hoping there would be enough time for it to dry before we had to head off to school. I think my little girl was braver and more prepared for the day mentally than myself. I offered to let her wait for her skirt to dry and hoped she would feel encouraged knowing that she could still wear her lovely outfit to school. But, she boldly yet calmly replied, "No. I will wear a different skirt." No more tears, no pouting, no look of dismay on her little angelic face. She was just ready to move on with her day! I am delighted that she didn't let a little mishap spoil her mindset for her big day. But, in my heart, I had just wanted everything to run smoothly this morning with no hiccups. I was secretly sad inside a little bit knowing that the substitute outfit she picked out wasn't what I had wanted for her to wear on her first day.

We made it off to school and as I corraled all three of them after getting out of the car at the school parking lot, hoping to take a picture of the three of them on this big day, I couldn't ignore that frown on my oldest daughter's face. You know, that rolling of the eyes kind of look where you're 9-year-old is already showing her independence by not wanting to be seen taking pictures with her younger siblings right outside the front of the school for all her schoolmates and their parents to see. That's when my heart sunk a little bit lower today. I know it may be kid stuff and somewhat normal, but it serves as another reminder that all my kiddies are indeed growing up. Thankfully, Amanda was all too happy and proud to pose and smile for the occasion. Little Chandler in the middle just rolls along with the agenda not making waves about anything. We stopped off at Amanda's class first and all was well. Then, it was upstairs to Chandler's 2nd grade classroom. We waited for a few minutes outside the class in the hallway, as the teacher was not letting the students in yet. All the while, big sister Sierra reminding me we needed to go to her classroom, too. This is too much for one mom to conquer alone. Delivering three kids to three different classrooms on two separate floors of the school within a 15-minute window of time. So, I kissed Chandler goodbye and followed Sierra off to her class. She strutted right in along with her new classmates and barely looked at me as I reminded her that her papers I had filled out for her teacher were in her backpack. Such a big 4th grader now doesn't need to be reminded of such things, I suppose. At least, that's what she wants me to believe. As I saw that my presence was no longer needed, I felt a little more sad. So, what does this mom decide to do next? Why, it was off to Chandler's classroom once again! He was still sitting in the hallway with his peers when I approached. Why wasn't their teacher letting them into the room yet? After all, the bell was going to ring in the next 5 minutes. Finally, the classroom door opened and I was able to help Chandler get settled.

Then, off to the "Boo Hoo" Breakfast for parents of kindergarteners. Though I did not cry, my soul inside was still a little sad just knowing that this was it. The last time I would send a kindergartener off to their very first day of school. I wish I could say that since this is the third time I have sent a kindergartener off to school on their first day, that it gets easier. But, honestly, it doesn't get any easier. If anything, it is more difficult because this is my last baby out of the nest. Now, for the finale of today's events, I have found out since picking the kids up from school that Orange County Public Schools will be closed for the day tomorrow due to the impending tropical storm. In a way, that's actually good news for this mom! It means I get an extra day of "summer" with my three kiddos before sending them back to school. Thank goodness for small blessings that come in disguises...LOL!!

We're Back...

2008-08-15T12:29:00.005-04:00

Well, we are officially back from our vacation in the mountains! I was not ready to return, but all good things must come to an end I suppose. The kids start back at school this coming Monday, so our trip was a great break before another busy school year for everyone! Scott shared many more details on his own blog (Serotonin Drip) about the trip, so I won't reiterate the details, but I have included some of our more favorite pictures below. I'll be featuring some pictures of some of my most favorite things we bought on the trip in another day or so. I still need to take photos of the items I want to feature first. For now, just enjoy these pics below...

Randy and the kids enjoying a morning walk exploring the nearby woods and mountains.
Mom and the kids on their mountain exploration walk.
The girls modeling their matching tie-dye dresses we bought at the Sourwood Festival.

The kids being silly at a local park in Montreat, North Carolina (about 5 mins. from mom & Randy's home)! This is just down the road from where Billy Graham and his late wife, Ruth, live(d).
My favorite picture of the kids at the park!
Picture of a Lake Lure tourboat on Lake Lure, N.C. This is the same type of boat we went on that day as we toured Lake Lure. For your reference, this is also where the Chimney Rock monument is located.
A mountain home on Lake Lure (view from our own tour boat). Many famous movies have been filmed on this beautiful lake, such as Dirty Dancing (starring Jennifer Grey & Patrick Swayze) and Firestarter (Stephen King novel). The famous scene where Jennifer Gray & Patrick Swayze are practicing their dance & lift moves in the water was filmed on this lake in a location similar to this photo.

"Are We There Yet?"

2008-08-05T18:20:00.001-04:00

Hi, folks! Just wanted to let you know that if you've clicked onto my blog, I am out of town this week on vacation! We'll be enjoying some slightly cooler weather in the mountains of North Carolina! I'll be sure to post pics when we return! ~Becky

Virtual Garage Sale- Baby Items!!

2008-08-03T19:09:00.005-04:00

I am selling a couple of important must-haves for parents! I have two items that have been unused and stored in our garage for quite some time. It's time to do some spring/summer cleaning! If you or someone you know is in need of either of these items, please email me at becky@cfl.rr.com or give me a call! >>>(407) 207-2383<<< Both items come from a smoke-free home.

Graco Pack & Play with Bassinet & changing table attachments! >>> $35 <<<

~sage green in color
~comes w/handy storage compartment for all your baby toiletries which attaches to the side of the crib (can detach, as well)
~comes w/handy zip-up storage bag and has a handle for carrying
~changing table features a safety strap/buckle for infants while you change their diaper
~comes w/a pink & white gingham crib sheet (there are some brown spots on the mattress pad due to being stored over time in the heat of our garage)

Graco DuoGlider Double Stroller!! Sorry, this item has now already sold!! >>> $50 <<<

~nice denim-colored fabric with pattern on the seats
~both overhead canopies included which can detach if needed (in near perfect condition)
~great-sized storage compartment underneath for baby bags, other items
~folds up easily for storage and fits into virtually any trunk space
~handy parking brakes at the rear for keeping stroller parked in one place if needed
~both front & rear seats recline (rear one reclines completely if needed for baby to sleep)

Just some samples of cards I've made using Stampin' Up stamps and materials...

2008-07-27T22:53:00.014-04:00

I thought I'd display some samples of cards I have made over the years using Stampin' Up stamp sets and materials! I first posted some photos earlier which were more blurry and I later figured out (thanks to my hubby) that I had neglected to use the Macro setting when taking them. This normally allows you to take close-up shots in focus. Thankfully, I was able to retake all of the pictures and they turned out much clearer!

"Hello" card...perfect for any occasion to keep in touch with friends and family!

"You take the cake" birthday card featuring my two favorite colors together, pink & brown! This is one of my personal favorites!

"Thank You" card...because you can never have enough of these...perfect for any time of the year!

"French Script" vintage-style birthday card with vellum overlay...perfect for the men in your life...not too floral!

"Merry Christmas" card with light blue cardstock and featuring Dazzling Diamonds glitter snowflakes...perfect for a wintery touch to your holiday cards!

"Noel"...Christmas card in red and green using watercolor chalk rub-on technique!

"Basket Full of Warm Wishes"...birthday card using Crystal Effects lacquer over the flowers!

Golden Girl gone...

2008-07-24T00:03:00.002-04:00

It is the beginning of the end of an era. Estelle Getty, otherwise known as Sophia Petrillo on the 80's sitcom, Golden Girls, passed away yesterday. She was just a few days shy of her 85th birthday. She was perhaps, the funniest of the four characters on that show. I always loved that show and I still enjoy watching reruns which are still playing on TV today! I love their dry sense of humor and quick wit in those episodes which made the series so famous back then!

The other actresses, Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, and Betty White, are all still alive. However, two of them are older than Ms. Getty was. So I can only assume that it won't be long before the world says goodbye to the rest of that funny cast in due time. Such a shame. What an original cast and series that was!

Happy July 4th everyone!!!!

2008-07-04T00:40:00.004-04:00

Buried at PhotoCasket

Buried at PhotoCasket

Happy Birthday USA!!!!!!

My niece, Leighton's, 2nd Birthday Party!

2008-06-29T14:53:00.004-04:00

Here's a picture of my sweetie, Leighton, and me yesterday! My family celebrated my niece's 2nd birthday yesterday at my mom's house! It was a great day and all the cousin's and grandparents had fun!

The birthday girl posing with her daddy (my brother), Mark...

The kids playing party games outside...

Here's the special "Ooh-La-La" birthday cake!

Sisters-in-law are great!

2008-06-27T02:23:00.003-04:00

Having a sister-in-law has been a great blessing to me since my brother got married three years ago! Diana and I have a lot in common and I am proud to say that we get along great! I never had a sister growing up, so it's really cool now to benefit from a "sis" now that I am older. It's fun to share ideas and tastes!

I have to thank Diana especially for giving me the idea (and link, too) of a really neat website that I haven't seen before. It has really unique, adorable and FREE blog backgrounds. Thanks to Diana's inspiration on her own blog page, I was able to find the adorable pink and chocolate brown, polka-dot pattern now as my background for this blog! Visit the link at the top left corner of my page for "The Cutest Blog on the Block"! Maybe you, too, will be inspired to change things up a bit on your own blog front!

"If it comes in pink, I'll take it!"

2008-06-24T01:38:00.004-04:00

Just wanted to post a quick blog entry about this gorgeous pink Morganite and Tourmaline ring I saw the other day on QVC! I would LOVE to buy this ring! But, it's $289...OUCH!!!! I love all things pink and I figured at least posting a picture of it on my blog might brighten my day. If I can't buy one, at least I can look at it whenever I want...LOL!!! I guess I'm just in a "pink" mood right now!

Danger in east Orlando!

2008-06-13T00:59:00.005-04:00

I hate to write about something so negative and disturbing, but it's been on my mind the past few days and I just have to write down my thoughts. I just can't believe the area of town we live in has become so cruel and violent. I've grown up in Orlando and lived in east Orlando since I was 11 years old. The tragic story of the young UCF grad student named, Nicole Ganguzza, just makes my stomach turn in knots. I had called the Blanchard Park YMCA on Wednesday afternoon this week to inquire about signing up the kids for some more swimming lessons. They went there last summer and it was a success, so I figured that another year of refreshing swim lessons wouldn't hurt. As I was talking to the man on the phone at the YMCA, he briefly mentioned that Blanchard Park was closed down by the police due to an incident. I figured it might be something like a robbery or some other fairly minor occurrence. I didn't question him further about it and continued with my inquiry about the swim lessons. Well, while at work on Wednesday night, I went to the WFTV Channel 9 News website just to see what's been happening in town lately. The top story was that they had just found this 26-year-old's body that evening. She had gone missing from Blanchard Park just the night before. No wonder the YMCA had been shut down! The police were still in the process of searching for her in the park when I had first contacted the YMCA. Now, they had found her and the few details being released just make me sick to my stomach. She was working on her master's degree at UCF as a marriage and family therapist and was already working as a counselor. She was also married. The attack occurred some time between 6pm and 7pm on Tuesday night, which is in broad daylight because it does not get dark these days until after 8:30pm. She had been in touch with her family around 5:30pm just before going on her routine jog. After 7pm, they became concerned since she was not answering her cell phone. Their worst fears were confirmed when her body was found about 2 miles from Blanchard Park where her vehicle was parked. It was along a nature trail that runs adjacent to the Econ River. I am so sickened to think this happened in broad daylight in an area of town that I live in! There is no reason why this had to occur and it could have just as easily happened to myself or anyone I know and love. The investigators are beginning to suspect that there is a potential serial rapist living in the area. There have been two previous attempts at abduction and rape in the past two years which happened around the Dean Rd. area near Blanchard Park. Those incidents involved young women who were running in or near that trail. Those women were both fortunate enough to have escaped! Sadly, Nicole Ganguzza was not so lucky.

The latest update from the news website is stating that investigators are canvassing the area and questioning several nearby dwellings where homeless people are known to frequent. There is not much else I can say about this awful story, except to remind all women that if you must take a walk or go for some exercise by yourself outside, whether it's in your own neighborhood or at a local park, be sure to carry along a cell phone with you at ALL TIMES and perhaps some sort of weapon like a Swiss Army knife or something of that sort. These days, it doesn't even matter what time of day it is, whether it's daylight outside or not...be safe and be prepared to protect yourself!

Have you seen this man?

Krispy Kreme in east Orlando is gone!

2008-06-13T00:50:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it! The Krispy Kreme doughnuts location on University Blvd. has closed down! I tried to go there last weekend for breakfast and was shocked to see that the doors were locked, no one was there, and there was a sign on the glass door stating that they had closed! The only locations left in the Orlando area are in Winter Park, Mall at Millenia area, and somewhere else in Orlando (can't remember). I guess it must be due to the terrible economy. What in the world is east Orlando going to do without our beloved Krispy Kreme doughnuts? Somehow, buying a box at Publix or the nearby 7-11 store just doesn't sound nearly as good as the hot and fresh ones you can get at the Krispy Kreme business locations. And, let's face it...Dunkin' Donuts is just not the same taste either. I am truly bummed!

YouTube video of Maria Sue Chapman with her Daddy!

2008-05-27T23:11:00.002-04:00

I found this precious video clip while looking online for any updates on how the Chapman family is doing. It was on a blog site run by their manager friend, Jim Houser. It was filmed just about two months ago and it captures a cute and funny side of their little girl, Maria. I thought some of you might enjoy watching this...

Such a tragedy...

2008-05-23T01:20:00.007-04:00

I don't know if you've heard, but yesterday the daughter of my all-time favorite Christian musician/artist, Steven Curtis Chapman, was tragically killed in an unfortunate accident at their home. Her name was Maria and she was 5 years old, their youngest adopted daughter from China. Most recently, Steven had written a very popular song entitled, "Cinderella", with lyrics inspired by recent precious moments Steven had with his daughters. The Chapmans have three biological children (a daughter and two sons) and three younger daughters who were all adopted from China. Sadly, yesterday the Chapman family was also going to be hosting a high school graduation party at their home for their son Caleb. Apparently, their other son, Will, accidentally tried to back out of their driveway and did not see little Maria directly behind the SUV before running over her. I can't even begin to imagine the feelings the entire family must be going through at this moment, especially their son, Will, who was driving the vehicle. My prayers are with their entire family and I hope that no one I know EVER has to go through this kind of a tragic loss of a child. Thank goodness for the family's strong Christian faith and for the hope they have in Jesus that one day they will see Maria again in Heaven. Below is a video clip of Steven talking about his motivation for the new song, Cinderella. It's also the first song playing right now on my playlist (track 03). What a touching little video clip this is to see, especially in light of what's just happened in their family.

Chad the Wolf Scout!

2008-05-18T21:09:00.003-04:00

Following my husband's lead, I am posting a new blog about our son, Chandler, and his Cub Scouts graduation ceremony held at Fort Christmas Park, yesterday! I am a proud mama! "Chad" graduated from Tiger Cub Scout to Wolf Cub Scout! We had a wonderful time at the picnic and we even toured these old wooden houses at Fort Christmas that were built in the early 1900's, including the original Post Office for the town! I had never been to this park before, but I was very impressed with the unplanned field trip we experienced as we were taken back in time by walking through some old forts there, too! I felt like I was walking on the set of Little House on the Prairie. There were many posted signs around the entire park with lots of written history of the families who once lived in these old wooden houses there. The inside of the forts had all kinds of memorabilia from the 1800's-early 1900's, including rifles, loads and loads of various tools, wagon wheels, and lots of clothing and pictures in black and white of the many family members who once lived on the property. It was a fun history lesson and of course, there was also a section dedicated to the history of the Seminole Indians who used to inhabit that land. There were examples of their Indian clothing and shoes, as well as plenty of photos, too. If you are ever in the mood for a unique family outing that doesn't cost a dime, try driving out to Fort Christmas Historical Park & Museum! It's easy to get to and not very far at all from east Orlando...you just go down SR50 (east) and follow it as the road forks into SR520 and SR50...stay towards the left on SR50! A few miles down you will see the sign and Fort Christmas Rd. is on the left. It's right where the big Christmas tree is standing on the side of the road.

Big sister, Sierra

Here's Daddy officially placing the neckerchief around Chandler's neck at the ceremony...how cute!

The Ice Hotel...

2008-05-14T22:48:00.009-04:00

I have heard about this unique hotel over the past year just a handful of times...it's called the Ice Hotel! Tonight, I caught the last half-hour of a special on Discovery Channel that was all about the Ice Hotel, how its built, how long it lasts, and some stunning and unique views of the one-of-a-kind accomodations you will find in this hotel!! It's located in the village of Jukkasjarvi, which is 200km north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden. I did some more research online and found their website, where you can actually book accomodations online and even take a peek through one of their live webcams! This place looks totally COOL...pardon the pun! Seriously, the bar, the entrance hall, all the bedrooms, and the dining hall are made out of these uniquely carved and designed blocks of ice! Sculptors from all over the world participate each year in creating one-of-a-kind rooms and intricate details such as the large, ice chandelier which hangs from the ceiling in the entrance of the hotel. They have even put fiber optic lighting inside the chandelier to illuminate the interior of the hotel. The hotel also has an Ice Globe Theater for all your entertainment needs, including plays, dancers, singers, etc. And yes, the entire theater is made of ice, including the auditorium. But, don't worry, the hotel graciously accomodates each of its guests with special protective clothing to help keep guests "warm" (which in this case is a very relative term...LOL!) The ice is taken from the Torne River in Sweden, which is known for being one of the purest rivers in Europe.

This hotel actually has its own chapel made of ice, too! Apparently, they perform about 140 weddings there per season! The season lasts approximately 5 months beginning in mid-December until late April or so, when nature takes its course and things melt away. Amazingly, everything flows back into the Torne River from where it originally came. So, in that respect, nothing is really being used up, as the ice eventually melts back into water. Then, it's on to planning for the next season's accomodations by starting to harvest the ice ahead of time in freezers. What an interesting concept! You have to admit, it would be quite an adventure, if even for only one night's stay! Check out their drinking glasses in the picture below from the bar...pretty cool, huh?

I've been trying to do the converting from the Swedish Krona into US Dollars to figure out the exact price for one of their rooms per night, and it appears that the prices for a standard "snow room" start at around $400 per night. There are also "ice rooms", which include sculptured furniture made out of ice. These start at around $430 per night on Mon-Wed only and $580 on Thurs-Sun, during the month of December only. During the remaining months, the prices go up to about $600 per night on Mon-Wed and $800 on Thurs-Sun...OUCH! This does not include the cost of a dog sled ride from the nearest airport located in the town of Kiruna to the fantasy hotel! Let's face it though, right about now in Florida with the heat & humidity steadily climbing, any place cool like this sounds like a treat!

Check out www.icehotel.com

In honor of Nanny...July 28, 1924- April 22, 2008

2008-05-05T21:40:00.004-04:00

These pictures are of my grandmother, Nancy Anne Jordan Small Eshenaur. Yes, her maiden name was Jordan. She married my grandfather, Christopher Small. They had two daughters...my mother was the youngest. They later divorced and eventually Nanny remarried and her new last name became Eshenaur.

Wasn't she a "dish" back in the day? LOL!!!! I think she was pretty! As you can see, she was just a hair taller than my grandfather, Christopher. The youngest little girl in the photos above is my mother, Carolyn. Her older sister is my Aunt Jody. They were both born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since this blog page only lets you post 5 pictures in one entry, I have included 5 other photos in the post directly beneath this one. I tried to keep things in chronological order, so the most recent pictures of my Nanny are below.

Here are some brief facts about my grandmother which you may not know...

1) She was an only child.
2) She graduated from medical school at Temple University in Pennsylvania. Yes, that's right...medical school!
3) Nanny became one of the first female physicians to practice in the Orlando area many years ago!
4) Nanny used to be the student health physician at Rollins College and ran the entire practice herself in their Student Health Center on campus for 12 years!
5) My Nanny was an accomplished floutist. She earned a full scholarship to college by playing the flute! Oh, how she just loved music her entire life!!
6) Nanny was the person who faithfully taught me how to play the flute so that I could be in the band in Junior High School. She came to my house once a week for a few years to teach me everything I know about playing the flute! She was my private music teacher.
7) Nanny was probably one of the few elderly citizens who kept up with the times by owning and using her own Mac computer. She read and sent emails everyday and played games, as well as kept current with the times by writing frequently on her computer, thanks to my husband, Scott, who got her up and running in her late 70's. He taught her from the beginning how to use a computer and since that time, she never stopped using it daily! How many other women in their 80's can say that?
8) Nanny had a companion cockatiel [bird] named "Popeye" for 19 years after her late husband, Bob, passed away in 1981. After Popeye died, we found her another cockatiel bird who looked exactly the same. She named him, "Jimmy". You can see Jimmy sitting on Nanny's shoulders in the last picture below.

Honoring Dr. Nancy J. Small Eshenaur...my Nanny

2008-05-05T21:26:00.003-04:00

These are some more recent photos of Nanny towards the bottom. She was my last living grandparent and I will miss her terribly, but I know we will be reunited one day in Heaven!

Smash and Grab!!

2008-05-01T11:53:00.006-04:00

BEWARE MOTHERS...AND EVERYONE ELSE!!!!Have you heard of the "Smash and Grab" crimes that are happening more and more frequently these days? I just got home from taking Amanda to her preschool this morning and as I was coming out of the building and walking to my car, one of the other preschool moms came up to me frantically saying that someone had just broken her car window and stolen her purse out of her car! It all happened literally within a 5-minute window of time because I had just seen this woman walking with her little girl to the school as I was pulling up to park! By the time I came back out, the crime was already done and over with! These thieves are getting more and more brazen as they sit and literally wait and watch the moms as they leave their vehicles for only a few minutes while walking their child into school! I have heard of this before and my own stepmother had the same thing happen to her a few months ago while at a Country Club parking lot. Another mother I used to know in a Mom's Club group I used to attend also had this happen to her around 9:30am in the morning while taking her child to preschool. So, let this post serve as a reminder not to leave your purse or any money, valuables, etc. unattended in your vehicles (locked or not) for even a minute!!! Times are more and more desperate and thieves will do this in broad daylight! It's called, "Smash and Grab" and they are literally gone within minutes from the scene of the crime, before anyone has a chance to figure out what has happened or gotten a glimpse of the suspects. Today's incident involved several witnesses who were able to describe the car as a black Dodge Magnum with three males inside. They even were able to tell the police what direction the vehicle was headed out onto SR 436. But, without a license plate #, I am sure it will be difficult for the police to make any arrests. What really left me feeling shaken up is that I had almost parked right next to the lady's car this morning, but didn't because suddenly a closer parking space near the building had just become vacant. Her car was on the end in this grassy parking area. My purse was in my car and this definitely could have happened to me, too! This lady's entire front driver's side window was completely smashed and on the ground. There was nothing left of the window in the door.

What a pain in the butt for this mom now to have to not only have her minivan window replaced, but to have to contact all her credit card companies, banks, driver's license office, etc. just to prevent any potential for further loss.

Rest In Peace & Good Health, Nanny

2008-04-22T15:33:00.003-04:00

This is a short entry today, but I wanted to share the news that my grandmother passed away this afternoon in Orlando. She was 83 and although we all knew her time was quickly coming to an end, I am thankful we all as a family got to say our goodbyes and pay her lots of visits recently while she was in and out of hospitals and nursing homes and such. I will share a new entry in a few days with some highlights of things I am thankful for about my grandmother and how she impacted my life. I just wanted to post this latest news for those who happen to read my blog.

Her name was Nancy Jordan Eshenaur and she was my mom's mother.

Flashback to the 1980's...again!!

2008-04-14T23:50:00.007-04:00

I was watching the CMA's (Country Music Awards) tonight and I heard Sugarland perform the 1980's song, "Life in a Northern Town", on stage. I remember loving that song from the 80's, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out who sang it? My mind was drawing a complete blank! So, I looked it up later and found out it was The Dream Academy. How could I forget that? Well, while looking up the song to add onto my playlist, I found out a few other classic songs from the 80's that The Dream Academy also was responsible for that I never even knew! I guess you really do learn something new everyday! So, for now I am featuring a few of their 80's songs on my playlist on this page.

Can you guess the name of the movie that two of the songs on my playlist came from? LOL...

If you said that the first song playing is from the movie, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", then you guessed it! It's during that famous scene where Ferris and his friends are touring the art museum (see picture above). The third song on my playlist, "Edge of Forever", is also from that same movie! Let's hear it for the 80's !!!

Precious Moments...

2008-04-04T23:25:00.003-04:00

I just had to post this blurb about something so precious that I saw tonight! I had taken the kids out to eat dinner at Friendly's since Daddy was enjoying a night at his friend's house for the newest Battlestar Galactica episode. I was sitting in a booth next to Amanda and after we said our prayer before eating dinner, she said to me..."Mommy, I am going to also pray that God will help me be good and not get into trouble". As I sat there a little dumbfounded and caught off guard, she suddenly bowed her head by herself and closed her little eyes. Then I saw her whispering the words to herself while her hands were delicately folded in the praying position..."God, help me to be good and not get into trouble", or something to that effect. It was the most precious thing I think I have seen her do. And let me tell you that Amanda does so many adorable and precious things all the time! What surprised me the most was that out of all three of our kids, she is usually the best behaved one and is the last person to actually get into trouble. Truly, it's the older two children who typically end up getting scolded or punished. Amanda is rarely EVER a behavior problem for us. So, to hear her pray those precious words to the Lord just really touched my heart. Scott and I had told the kids before he left to go to his buddy's house to please behave for mommy. That must be why she felt the need to pray for help in being good while we were out to dinner. Like I said, it's not really like she even needs any help with behaving anyway. But, it was so touching to see her innocent little face and heart utter those sincere words in prayer to God. May we all be this child-like in our hearts when we pray to God!

New Year, New Look!

2008-03-12T12:39:00.006-04:00

I haven't been on in a few weeks because I've been busy celebrating my 35th birthday and my 12th anniversary with Scott all in the same week! I always love March because to me, it represents spring time and a new season of life emerging. That's also why I picked our wedding date back in 1996. I chose March 9th, which is less than a week after my birthday. But, it does make for an exciting and sometimes expensive month...mainly for Scott...LOL!!!! This past weekend we were lucky enough to be able to get away for two nights without the kids to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary! I can never thank my mom and Randy enough for being able to keep all three kids for us for the entire weekend so that we could escape! The only time we ever get to spend a weekend together alone is usually in January for the annual marriage retreat hosted by our church. But, this year the church didn't have anything scheduled until October. I couldn't wait that long, since this past year has been so stressful for us and sometimes I feel like I'm going to go crazy if I don't "get out of Dodge". Since we had to cancel our original plans of going to North Carolina right after Christmas due to lack of money (what's new?), this made me super depressed as 2007 came to a close. That's another reason why I just HAD to make a way for us to get away for our anniversary this year! We stayed at a local Wyndham hotel in Orlando, since Scott works for Wyndham Resorts and we thought we would give them a try. We were going to try out the Wyndham Riverwalk Resort in Jacksonville, but Scott found out just a few weeks ago that he was supposed to go out of town all of this week for a business trip to Jacksonville. So, obviously, he didn't want to come home from Jacksonville on Sunday only to turn around Monday morning and drive right back for another week. So, we decided to just stay in town. But, it was so nice to be able to just have a relaxing weekend without worrying about what to plan for dinner for the kids or having to get home by a certain time to relieve a babysitter...LOL!!

I also got my hair style and color redone earlier in the week as a birthday gift from my mom! I hadn't had a professional hair cut in over 2 1/2 years, mainly due to money! So this was very exciting for me! It's refreshing to have a different hairstyle and highlights like I used to have several years ago! Sierra says I now look 27 years old! Haha! I wonder what made her think of that particular age?

I came, I saw, IKEA'd

2008-02-19T11:53:00.005-05:00

Well, I finally caved. After all the hype over the past several months about the grand opening of the IKEA store in Orlando, I decided to go out there and see what all the hype has been about. Actually, Scott, the kids, and I all went out there yesterday since we all had the day off due to the President's Day holiday. I am not normally one to jump on bandwagons just for the sake of it, unless it is something that truly intrigues me. To be honest, I had already looked through their catalog when they first opened and I really thought I might not really like too much of their inventory since I don't typically gravitate towards the utilitarian style of decorating. But, I can definitely say that the catalog does not do the in-store experience any justice! Visting the IKEA store is something you should experience in person, first-hand! I was very impressed by all the choices and unique home items they have to choose from. I was more impressed by the awesome low prices on almost everything! I had heard that was one of the great benefits of the IKEA store...their low prices, and it's true! Some things were actually less expensive than you might find at your local Wal-Mart or Target store! The best part of our experience was signing the kids up for one hour of their in-store child care! They had a great time playing in their kids play center and it gave Scott and I a nice time alone together to browse and shop without the distraction of three young kids. Of course, we also had to go to their cafe area afterwards for some food and drinks, which the kids loved! I can't wait to go back for another hour of shopping while we let the kids play again there! It was a fun afternoon outing and a truly unique store to visit! I have not visited something quite like that before and it was a treat! I also ran into an old friend of mine that I haven't talked to in a year-and-a-half, and her two children while picking up our kids at the play area, so that was an added fun bonus! The most difficult thing about the whole experience was finding our way out of the store...LOL!! If you've been there, you know what I mean! We didn't realize you had to make your way upstairs through the entire maze of their departments just to find our way to the check-out aisles...pretty clever marketing strategy if you ask me!

Disclaimer...

2008-02-09T13:21:00.000-05:00

This is just a disclaimer to let you all know that my oldest daughter, Sierra, has now started her own blog. She's been bugging me for months and I have hesitated for many reasons. Finally, after much more nagging earlier this week, I decided to relent. Anyway, the one problem I am having is that on her blog page, whenever we type something in her "About Me" section, it automatically shows up on my own "Williams Zoo Crew" page in the same section, too. I have tried many times typing and retyping into each of the sections on both pages, but it just won't work. I guess I can't manage two different blogs from one account without the system automatically assuming the description should be the same for both....how dumb! Anyway, so for now, until I can figure out the best way to work around this problem, just realize whenever you are reading my Zoo Crew page, the About Me section (and possibly some others) may not seem to make much sense...LOL!!! It's really my daughter's description of herself.

Get your laugh on!

2008-02-05T23:48:00.002-05:00

I was looking through YouTube and found these hilarious clips of some great practical jokes! Get ready to have some good laughs!! Just scroll down to the very bottom of this page FIRST and press "pause" on the playlist before you start watching.

90 Minutes in Heaven...a true story of death and life

2008-01-29T23:34:00.000-05:00

During the recent Christmas break, I had a chance to read a great book! It's called, "90 Minutes in Heaven", by Don Piper. I actually stumbled upon this book while browsing some of the new releases in the Christian/Inspirational books section of Barnes and Noble. Initially, I saw the companion follow-up book to this one by the same author called, "Heaven Is Real". When I read the summary of the newer book, I was immediately intrigued by its precursor, "90 Minutes in Heaven". I also mistakenly thought that the author was John Piper, a Christian author whom I have heard nothing but great things about from friends in my LIFE group at church. So, naturally, I thought if this book was written by him, all the more reason to take a gamble and purchase the book to see how great he really must be as an author. Well, it turns out that I had the wrong name...Don Piper isn't John Piper, but Don Piper happens to be a Christian, as well! Boy, was I in for a treat! This book is amazing and truly one that will keep you looking forward to each new chapter! I don't read books from cover-to-cover that often, but I was able to finish this book in about 4-5 days, which for me is pretty fast! It is so exciting to read about someone's personal experience having actually died and been to Heaven, only to return to earth once again! I must say that is definitely something you don't read about every day! Mr. Piper actually describes in detail the circumstances which led to his death and the entire 90-minute experience he had while being temporarily taken to a completely new realm and dimension. I was surprised that much of what he explains to have experienced is quite similar to what a fellow believer in Christ and the Heavenly kingdom-to-come might expect it to be like! I have always been so curious about exactly what awaits us on the other side when we pass from this life to the next! Reading this book gives me such renewed hope in the future that awaits for all those who are believers in Christ and it is comforting to know that we will see our loved ones who have passed before us, once again, literally waiting for us at Heaven's gates! I am anxious to read Mr. Piper's newest book, "Heaven is Real", which is a follow-up to this one! If you have ever been curious about Heaven and what awaits (and I am sure we ALL are curious), then be sure to pick up a copy of this book to read!

Happy 9th Birthday, Sierra!

2008-01-14T09:21:00.001-05:00

Happy 9th Birthday to my daughter, Sierra! It was 9 years ago today, January 14th, that I became a mommy for the first time! Wow...time sure flies!

Introducing my new favorite artist...Colbie Caillat!!

2008-01-08T23:48:00.000-05:00

Welcome to 2008! It's been a while since I wrote on here. I have had a few ideas of some new blog entries to write about, but first, I would like to introduce everyone to my new favorite artist, Colbie Caillat (rhymes with "ballet")!! Some of you may have heard her first hit single called, "Bubbly" on the pop airwaves. I bought her debut album recently (my Christmas gift to myself) and it's titled, "Coco". I absolutely love almost every song on her new album! She has a fresh, breezy sound to her music. She even writes all of her own songs and plays the guitar!! I've put some samples from her new album on my playlist at the bottom of the page. You can hear them already playing randomly. Enjoy her music!! It just puts a smile on my face every time I listen to her sing!

It's That Time of Year!!

2007-11-27T22:00:00.001-05:00

I just love the Christmas season...and no Christmas season would be complete without the classic songs from one of my all-time favorites, Johnny Mathis! I changed my playlist at the bottom of this page just for this special season. Enjoy getting into the Christmas spirit a little bit! I won't tell anyone if you happen to stay on my page a bit just to listen to some of these classic Christmas favorites...LOL!!

;o)

It's a Boy!!!!

2007-11-24T14:06:00.000-05:00

I am so excited! We witnessed the birth of another Monarch butterfly this afternoon from our huge butterfly milkweed plant! We have actually been watching the green chrysalis for more than two weeks and to be honest, I was beginning to think that maybe it was a "dud". I don't remember seeing a chrysalis stay green for so long. Maybe it was sort of in hibernation due to the cold snaps in weather that we've had in recent weeks, but I thought our little cocoon wasn't going to make it. Then, yesterday Sierra came running in from outside and told me that the chrysalis was now black and she could see the Monarch butterfly inside of it! She was right! This morning, as we all left to go out for breakfast, we noticed that the chrysalis was very black and you could see through it at the same time. You could see the orange wings with the black lines. Upon returning from breakfast this morning and running an errand, the cocoon looked as if it were about to burst open. That's when we knew it was getting close to seeing the little butterfly hatch! So we clipped the branch off the plant and took it inside the house and placed in inside a mason jar. I was determined to actually watch the little butterfly hatch this time. Back in May, when we saw a chrysalis turn into a butterfly, we missed the actual process of seeing the butterfly come right out of the cocoon. It happened so fast and since we didn't know exactly what to look for or how long the whole process actually takes, we only got to see the butterfly right after it came out. But today, we sat and stared at that chrysalis for about 10 minutes while it was in the jar in our kitchen. Sure enough, we saw the chrysalis wiggle and then out popped the Monarch butterfly!! Yippee..we witnessed its official birth and the kids all got to see it, too! I was excited [and I still am] because it's such a unique process! This time, we were able to determine that our little butterfly is a BOY!!!! It has the thin black lines and the distinctive two little black marks or circles on the outside of its lower wings in the back. I had researched this after our last butterfly hatched. The previous one was a female with thick black lines and no distinctive small black circles on its outer wings. So, now I feel like we are experts on Monarch butterflies and we've now witnessed the birth of a girl and now a boy! They are truly one of God's many small works of art in this world!! They almost look like they are made of black velvet with their white dots painted ever-so-carefully along their black bodies and the tips of their wings.

P.S.- The picture above is NOT our butterfly. We don't have our digital camera at the moment (it's being borrowed), so we couldn't take photos of our little boy butterfly. But, the picture above is what a Monarch butterfly looks like.

Let's hear it for Chandler, the Tiger Cub Scout!

2007-11-13T18:06:00.000-05:00

Here's a special tribute to my son, Chandler, since I am such a proud momma of him and he looks so darn cute in his new Tiger Cub Scouts uniform! We've been waiting for weeks to save up enough money to buy him the uniform and all the little stuff that goes with it...the belt, the neck scarf, the scarf ring/holder, the socks, the hat, the shirt, the shorts, as well as his patches to be applied to the uniform. This past Saturday, his Tiger Cub Scout Den visited the Lake Underhill Fire Dept. for a field trip and the entire family was able to come! As you can see, Chandler and Amanda had fun at the end when they let everyone try spraying the big fireman's hose full of water.

A new chapter for us...

2007-10-30T23:41:00.000-04:00

Well, I have been waiting for the right time to blog about the newest development in the Williams household! Many of you who read my blog already know that Scott has recently taken a new position with a completely different company. But, for those of you who happen to stop by my blog that don't already know, Scott is starting a new chapter in his career. He has faithfully been employed with Nemours Children's Clinic for the past 10 years (almost to the day) as a Senior Web Developer. While it was a very good job for him and for us as a family in terms of all the benefits, it seems that God has opened a new door for Scott recently! He is now working for Wyndham Vacation Ownership...aka Wyndham Worldwide Resorts...aka Wyndham. You're probably already familiar with this particular resort hotel chain. What I didn't know before he took this new job was that the company is as huge as it really is. It includes many resorts such as Baymont Inns & Suites, Fairfield Resorts, and even Ramada. His new job title is User-Interface Software Engineer.

This unique job opportunity couldn't have come at a more perfect time in our lives! Scott's former boss at Nemours recently left to take a director's position at Wyndham. Just before he left Nemours, he called Scott out of the blue one day and told him that he wanted to bring Scott with him over to Wyndham. As a new director, his boss would have the authority to hire a whole new team of about 12 employees within the Wyndham IT department in Orlando! What a compliment it was to know that his former boss thought highly enough of Scott's skills that he would ask him to come over to Wyndham with him! Now, let me tell you that at first, we really didn't think that he would truly end up calling Scott back after he left Nemours. But, sure enough, after about 3 weeks of being gone from Nemours, his former boss called back and pitched the same offer to Scott. After several weeks of waiting and praying, and truly searching for God's desire in this matter, it became evident that God was opening this door wide for Scott to come over to Wyndham! In fact, the day the official job offer came to Scott over the phone, his former boss offered him even more in terms of salary than he had first discussed with Scott! We couldn't believe the blessing of it all! After several years of such dismal financial times for us, it is finally so refreshing to think that maybe...just maybe, we can begin to emerge from this deep, dark, hopeless hole we've been trapped in financially! Don't get me wrong, we're not out of the woods yet, but it certainly is nice to know that God is being faithful in terms of meeting our needs, albeit at the "11th hour"! I can't even begin to describe to you the constant struggles we've faced with always having negative balances in our checking account, the endless cycle of bank fees due to negative balances, and even the embarrassing cycle of bounced checks, and even MORE bank fees! It has literally become a way of life for us over the past 2 years and it has been "hell on earth" for us! No, I am NOT kidding. I have been so discouraged at how our attempts to adjust to a much different lifestyle and cutting back on everything possible have not even really been enough to keep our account balance with at least a zero balance consistently. It has been SO trying and hopeless! I had gotten past the point of giving up and throwing the towel in altogether over the whole mess. But, really, when you reach the end of your rope, where are you gonna' go from there? And, as anyone who knows what our family has been through in years past will tell you, suicide is NEVER the answer! There is nowhere else to go when all else fails you...except into the loving arms of Jesus! That's what I have learned and am still learning.

With that said, I am just so thankful to report that Scott had his first day at Wyndham on Monday this week and I am excited to see the possibilities that may await him in the future with his career there! Congratulations, honey, for being the hard-working provider that you are! I am really proud of you!!

Flashback to the 80's!!

2007-10-15T23:35:00.000-04:00

glitter-graphics.com

I get these types of questionnaires a lot on myspace and email, so I thought I would fill one out and use it as my next blog post entry! When you're done reading through it, copy and paste it and fill in your own answers for fun...then send it via email or post it on your own blog! Come on....you know you want to!!!!!! ;o)

Did you listen to New Kids on the Block?
-A little, but not too much

Did you ever own a slap bracelet?
-No, but what about jelly bracelets and friendship bracelets?

The Babysitter's Club or Sweet Valley High?
-Definitely "Sweet Valley High"

Salute Your Shorts or Hey Dude?
-Not sure what that is, but I'll vote for Hey Dude!

Kids Incorporated or The Mickey Mouse Club?
-Neither

Did you want Dylan to end up w/ Brenda or Kelly?
-Kelly

Who was ALF?
-An ALIEN

Do you remember the show Dinosaurs?
-YES... "Not the mama, not the mama!"

Do/did you know the words to the Fresh Prince theme song?
-only about half of it

Kimmie Gibler or Urkel?
-Eww...NEITHER!

Blossom or Clarissa Explains It All?
-Nope...neither!!!

Did you have a crush on JTT?
-Jonathan Taylor Thomas? No crush, wasn't he more like a 90's kid anyway?

Bobby Brown or Tevin Campbell?
-Still neither

Step By Step or Full House?
-Full House (but really, my first choice for favorite family show was, "Little House on the Prairie")

Did you listen to Milli Vanili?
-Barely

Mr. Rogers or Reading Rainbow?
-Mr. Rogers

Did you own a Glo Worm?
-No, but my daughter does

Paula Abdul: better now or then?
-THEN

Wild 'n' Crazy Kids or Double Dare?
-Neither

Remember Legends of the Hidden Temple?
-Nope

The Mighty Ducks or The Little Giants?
-Neither

Did you watch Saved By The Bell?
-Yes...gotta' love Zack!

Who was hotter: Zack or Slater?
-Definitely Zack...I love Mark Paul Gosselaer

Did you own a pair of Reebok Pumps?
-just Reeboks running shoes

Carebears or Smurfs?
-Smurfs...I love Smurfette!

Rainbow Brite or Strawberry Shortcake?
-Strawberry Shortcake

Did you watch Miami Vice?
-Who didn't?

Did you own a pair of Jelly Shoes?
-Yes, but must I admit it?

Did you own a Trapper Keeper?
-Oh yes, every school year!

Atari or Nintendo?
-Atari...I still love PacMan and Ms. PacMan

Out of the mouths of babes...

2007-10-07T22:59:00.001-04:00

This is funny! I just got this email tonight from Amanda's preschool teacher. It was in the form of a newsletter to the parents and she thought it would be cute to show the parents a glimpse of some of the conversations that these little 4 and 5-year-olds carry on throughout their days at preschool! You'll get a few good laughs too...

Conversations and observations from the first few months of school:
(in no particular order of time or occurrence or actually… meaning!)

Over heard in homeliving area:
Child is holding the pvc play phone to ear, looking out window and passionately holds
the following conversation: “ I cannot deal with this now. I am busy. I will be home in a while and we will discuss this. I just can’t deal with it now. I am on my way and we will discuss it”

Asked of myself by a child while working one on one: “Miss Geina, aren’t I pretty today?” my reply, “yes, you are”
child…”well, you know we are rich”. Me…”no, I did not know that” child…”oh yeah, we have so much money, it is all over”. Me…”really, wow, that’s nice”.
child…”my daddy works and works and we have just soooo much money”
Me…”well, what do you do with all that money?” child…” well, after my daddy pays some bills with some of the money he give the rest to my mama and she just shops and shops. She loves to shop cause we are rich”.
Me…” so mommy likes to shop?” child…”yeah,that is what she does…cause we are so rich.
Me…”well you do look pretty today” child…” yeah, I know”

Complaint from a child to me during center play:
Miss Geina, I can’t play with her if she won’t marry me”. Me…”well, sweetie, maybe she doesn’t want to get married. can’t you play nicely without getting married?” child…”well, I guess so, but I am already dressed (had a huge man’s coat on). Me…”did you ask her what she wants to play before you got dressed?” child… “I did ask her”. Me…”and..what did she say?” child…” she said no”. Me…well, sweetie, I guess she wants to do something else and not get married today”. child…”but I have the coat”. Me…”so take it off and play something else if you wish”. child calling off “wedding” enters conversation…”miss Geina, I told him I don’t want to get married”. Me…well, honey you don’t have to get married…you can just play in your center”. child left at alter,(so to speak)…” I thought you wanted to get married”.
Other child with hands on hips,”oh okay, I’ll marry you if first we can play in the sand center”. And they lived happily ever after………….

Child to me as we are getting ready to dance,” Miss Geina, you always say shake your booty”.
“that’s so funny. My mommy loves to shake her booty”

Child, after class being asked to sit crisscross applesauce on carpet for story time…”Miss Geina, I’ll just sit with you”. Me…”no sweetie, you need to sit with your friends”.
Child… “I can’t” Me…”well why not?” Child…”my mommy says I need to sit with you and hold the book”. (what could I say….i let the child sit there…one time!)

Child while working in small group with me,” I am sad Miss Geina”. Me…”oh honey, I am so sorry. What is wrong?” child…”my sister won’t play with me”. Me…”did you ask her to and she said no?” child, “uh-huh”. Me “well, perhaps if you ask her nicely again”. Child: “I did and she said NO, I don’t want to play with you!” Me:”that is sad” Child: “yeah, and she gets on my bed” Me: “you might ask her nicely,again”. child: “it won’t do any good, she say no and she won’t get off my bed” Me: “well what can you do about it?” Child:” I guess nothing. it’s a situation.” (I wish I could show you the hand gestures…they were a hoot!)

Overheard coming from homeliving: “ You need to be the cat now. it is your turn” “But I am not going to feed you!”

Lunch time is the mother lode of conversation and adventure into uncharted territories! Here is a post card version
of some of my favorites:

Child,(laughing so hard) “ look at this…my mommy packed me a sandwich for lunch! What was she thinking!”. =0)

I am used to their little tricky selves telling me “my mommy says to each my cookie first”. Sure she did! I don’t even say anything anymore. I just give the the “look” make my speech as follows……..

Miss Geina repeating daily speech,” don’t eat the goodie until you eat the good stuff” child: “miss Geina, I cannot eat this” Me: “what’s wrong with it honey?” Child” I just can’t eat it” Me” let me ck it, (after smelling it),
it seems okay, I think it is good”. This went back and forth for a couple of minutes. Finally the child said,
Miss Geina, I cannot eat this bologna”. Me: “why”. child: “this bologna smells just like my mother”. end of conversation…..i had no idea where to go with it!!! hehe.

Hopefully, you can tell our days are full and fun. Never a dull moment. The babies are so bright and the sunshine in my day. I simply adore each of them.

Time to close this book. I hope you enjoyed this bird’s eye view of our room. With time I will share more musings from my little flock………but not the names……..must continue to protect the innocent! Thank you for the honor and joy of sharing Christ and academia with these wee ones.

Loving the wee ones,

Miss Geina

Happy 5th Birthday, Amanda!

2007-10-02T23:06:00.000-04:00

Today is Amanda's 5th birthday! My baby of the family has now turned 5 years old! What a milestone...only the remainder of this year in preschool before she enters kindergarten! The last of my babies is growing too fast! Truthfully, it all seems like somewhat of a big blur to me. I remember the day she was born as I was sitting on the operating table in the operating room at the hospital, awaiting for the doctors to arrive to prep me for my C-section. I remember the moment as clear as today! It was freezing in that room and I couldn't wait for them to cover me with some hospital blankets or something. I also remember checking the clock on the wall. It was almost 1:00pm. Amanda Summer Williams was born officially at 1:40pm on October 2nd, 2002! Her middle name is so fitting for her personality...she is a definite ray of sunshine in our lives! From her white blond hair to her sunny, smily, bright little personality! Amanda was our surprise baby! And what a beautiful gift she has been to us...I truly never imagined what she would bring to our lives before she was born. But, I thank God daily for the gift of having her in my life! She is my "joy" to love...women from the UPC Women's Retreat this past weekend will know what I mean as I refer to her as my joy to love! ;o)

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY, AMANDA!!!

Meet "Leo" Williams

2007-09-27T12:24:00.000-04:00

1) Are you a male or a female?
~male

2) How old are you?
~2 1/2 years

3) Where were you born?
~in a little city called Endicott, New York (upstate New York)

4) How did you end up here in Florida?
~Well, my mommy searched long and hard over the internet for me when I was just a wee one! She said that she wanted to find a kitten that was brought up around young children in the home and that would easily adapt to its new home with the Williams family. After searching the internet, mommy found the Cafferty family that was selling my breed of kittens, which is known as himalayan. When I was 12 weeks old, I flew by air conditioned plane to Orlando all the way from the Newark, New Jersey airport! I was a little scared, but I had my little blankie that I had grown up with and that still had my mother's scent on it. This accompanied me inside my pet carrier on the plane ride to Orlando so that I would have a familiar smell to keep me calm while I flew to my new home!

5) What does the breed "himalayan" mean in cats?
~It's basically a Persian cat, with long-hair and distinctive blue eyes, except himalayans all have what are known as color points along several different "points" or areas of their body...the ears, the nose or "mask" area, the paws, and the tail. I am a "chocolate point" himalayan. This means that I have dark chocolate colorings on my "points" along with a fawn or cream-colored body. I also have pink pads on my paws, which distinguishes me from the more common "seal-point" himalayan. Seal point himmies have dark or chocolate colored paw pads and their body color is darker overall, rather than cream. There are also other more rare color points in himalayans, such as the "lilac point", the "flame point", the "tortie point", the "cream point", and the "blue point". You can also sometimes find combinations of them, such as the "blue-cream point". All true himalayans must have blue eyes. If you notice in my picture, my eyes are a beautiful ice blue color.

6) Are you good with kids?
~Most definitely! The himalayan breed is known for its docile temperament, which makes us the perfect kind of cat to bring into a family with children! We tend to be lap cats who love to be with our owners all the time, rather than aloof, like many other typical breeds of cats. My owners especially love how I act almost like a member of the family by tapping them on their ankles as they walk by me just so that they will pay attention to me! It's like I am saying, "Hey, you! Look at me down here! Let's play!" I love to play chase in the house with Sierra and Chandler!

7) What's your biggest "pet" peeve? LOL
~Probably when my mommy shuts the bedroom door and leaves me out. I know it's not intentional, but I can't stand being separated from mommy! I stand at the door and cry and whine when a door is closed. I also follow mommy into all the kids' rooms at night as she tucks each one into bed or reads them a story. If she accidentally shuts the door to one of their bedrooms, I just sit in the hallway and meow relentlessly until someone lets me in!

8) Do you have a girlfriend?
~No, but I sure wish I did! About two months ago, I became fully mature. So, now I like to move my paws back and forth on mom's lap in a making "bread dough" motion. It's my way of saying I wish I had a girlfriend! Mommy wishes she could find me a mate, but dad says no way! He has allergies and it wouldn't be a good thing to introduce another cat into the family. I am not fixed yet, so hopefully, soon mom will make an appointment at the vet's so that I can get neutered and put me out of my misery...er, on second thought, NEVERMIND!!!!!!!!

9) So, what's all this stuff we've recently read about you hunting down "Hammy" in the house?
~Well, I'm a cat, as you know. And the temptation of seeing that little hamster every dayis just too much sometimes to ignore! Ya' know, it's in my blood to want to chase and hunt that little guy down every chance I get! It's not fair that mommy always seems to intervene whenever my eyes get as big as saucers while looking at "Hammy". She scolds me and tells me "NO!", but one of these days, I just know I am going to get lucky and when that little guy taunts me and no one is looking, I will get him!! Ha-ha-ha-ha!!!!

10) How'd you get the name "Leo"?
~My mommy noticed that my father's name on the pedigree papers was Sir Michelangelo of Cafferty's Kitties. My mother's name was Miss Mocha Latte. Mom thought sticking with something like "Leo" (short for Leonardo) would be better than something like "Java Chip Frappucino", like my dad had suggested...thank goodness for that! LOL

Meet "Hammy" Williams

2007-09-20T11:26:00.000-04:00

I'd like to introduce you all to some of the other members of our Zoo Crew! I thought the best way to do that is through some interviews...

Meet "Hammy" Williams...aka Hammy "Houdini" Williams

1) Are you a male or female?
~male

2) What's your nickname?
~Hammy Houdini

3) How'd you get that nickname?
~Well, from the beginning, my owners have had many funny challenges trying to keep me inside my hamster cage. I am famous for finding ways to escape!

4) How old are you?
~Well, I was about 6 months old when they bought me from PetSmart, so I guess I am a little over 2 years old now! I think I was born some time in August of 2005.

5) What's your biggest "pet" peeve? LOL
~When my owners figure out where in the house I've escaped and they find me and pick me up and place me back into my hamster cage. I love my freedom!!

6) Do you have any favorite foods?
~Well, my most favorite food to eat is pancake batter! The kids and mom always let me lick their fingers with some pancake batter on it whenever they make pancakes for breakfast! It's especially yummy! I also like carrots, too! One time, I got lucky and found some cheetos inside the family room couch and I got to munch on those until my family caught me...darn it!!

7) Do you have any siblings?
~Well, if I do, I don't remember them. I live by myself, since hamsters prefer to be alone. Although, I do wish I had a mate! But, my mom and dad never seemed to give me a female roommate, so I am a lifelong bachelor, I guess you could say.

8) What's the craziest place you've ever escaped to?
~Well, once I managed to get up underneath the sink in dad's bathroom. I was behind the drywall through this little hole that I found that is where the baseboard, the wall, and the cabinet meet. I had fun because it was dark and no one could find me! I played tricks on my owners and made scratching noises that sounded like I was inside the wall...I laughed and laughed to myself! Then, I got bored and decided to come out and that's when they saw me and found me! There was another time that I thought I'd hide for the entire day underneath the oven in the kitchen inside the muffin tins drawer at the bottom! It was perfect...I stored up my treasures of various food particles and crums I'd found along the way and placed them all around inside the cookie tins and baking pans. Then, that darn housecat, Leo, heard me making noise and he kept meowing! My owners were tipped off to my whereabouts since the cat kept hovering around the stove and meowing. Sure enough, they opened the drawer, looked in and found me...darn it again! But, the craziest place is probably still the family room couch. Like I said before, I found cheetos inside there and dad had a hard time using a flashlight and his hand to reach down inside the fabric in the corner underneath the cushions and stuff to find me!!

The Way I See It...

2007-09-11T16:20:00.000-04:00

I was reading the side of my Starbucks coffee cup yesterday morning and I thought I would post the blurb here. I thought it was a very true observation and interesting quote...

The Way I See It #267

"Music can lift us out of depression or move us to tears - it is a remedy, a tonic, orange juice for the ear. But for many of my neurological patients, music is even more...it can provide access, even when no medication can, to movement, to speech, to life. For them, music is not a luxury, but a necessity."

~Oliver Sacks (neurologist and author of, "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" and "Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain")

This quote reminds me of how much I think we all as humans enjoy music in some form or fashion throughout our lives. It's like a way of communicating to our souls. I have read some passages before in some Christian inspirational books (can't remember titles or authors at this moment) about the idea of music and singing being a predominant form of communication, praise and honor in God's Heavenly kingdom some day. I do not know what being in God's presence will ultimately be like one day, but it is interesting to think about how if we are made in God's image, then there must be a reason we, as humans, are very respondent to music. The Bible talks about us singing songs of praises to our Lord, now and in Heaven. So, God must have created the idea of music and the innate desire for our souls to "sing a song" as part of our reflection of Him! What is it exactly about music that we are all drawn to? The words, the melodies and sounds, the feelings that music evokes in us when listening to it, the memories that are time-stamped for us in our minds by a particular song, etc? Hmmmm.....just something to think about...:o)

Williams Zoo Crew Montage...

2007-09-08T23:16:00.000-04:00

Last night I discovered this other awesome web site that allows you to make movies, slideshows, DVD's, etc. using your own pictures for free! You can also add music, as well as use different fonts, colors, backgrounds, etc. I went ahead and made a small montage of some of our best Williams Zoo Crew pictures. You can join the website and upgrade your membership for $3.99 a month, which will entitle you to all of their premium services, such as colorful backgrounds, fonts, designs, etc. But, I decided for right now to make my own version for free. So, it is pretty basic in its appearance, but still fun to watch! Enjoy our first family montage created by me! Check out their website too @ onetruemedia.com

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A little too much caffeine late at night and...

2007-08-31T18:48:00.000-04:00

OK, so there is this contest being hosted by Nick Lachey on his myspace page for fans. He asked that fans send him their favorite pics of him or him & Jessica and to tell why they like the pictures. If he likes them, he'll put you on his Top 40 Friends list on his myspace page (it's a myspace thing, so you may not quite understand the significance of this sort of thing). Well, as some of you already know, I am a huge Nick & Jess fan...yes, even though they are divorced. I still love all the old pics of them and their Newlywed series that used to air on TV! I also had too much caffeine late last night after getting home from work. So, I decided to play around with Photobucket and ended up creating a cool slideshow with some music. It's got some of my personal favorite pictures of Nick & Jess and I added some comments or titles to each one. Enjoy this hokey little project of mine for what it is...a cheesy attempt to be in the Top 40 Friends list on Nick's Music page for fans on myspace.

P.S.- I made it in the Top 16!!! LOL

No more working on weekends!!!

2007-08-27T11:21:00.000-04:00

Sorry it's been a few weeks since my last blog. I've been quite busy with getting three kids into their new "back-to-school" schedules recently. It's a lot to keep up with...three children who each have a different teacher, different school supply lists to hunt and gather for, umpteen forms and parent signature sheets to fill out once again for EACH child, even though nothing has changed from last year as far as details go (such as addresses, emergency contact names and phone #'s, doctor's names, insurance information, etc.)!!! Whew!! It seems that each year the amount of paperwork involved seems to increase!

Anyway, now that we are attempting to get everyone on somewhat of a decent school routine, I have a chance to sit down and write for a few minutes. There's not a whole lot that's new going on at the moment worth blogging about. I've had a lot on my mind recently, but I've been trying to refrain from writing about anything too negative. You really don't want to know what goes on in my mind sometimes...it's not always encouraging...and who wants to read about depressing stuff anyway???

Well, on a brighter note, I do have some GREAT news!!!! I just found out that for the first time in the 4 1/2 years I've been working for my employer, that I will finally be able to discontinue working weekends altogether!!! No more working Saturdays or Sundays!!!!! That is very exciting for me!!! You see, I was working Saturday nights up until the summer began. Then, after requesting to make a temporary schedule change over the summer in order to accommodate my kids being out of school and to eliminate any costs of child care for all three over the summer, I was asked to work Sunday nights for the past three months. I agreed to this, but only in exchange for no longer working Saturday nights. I did not want to work every night on the weekends. My employer agreed to this schedule for the summer. Then, recently, we were informed that our office building in Orlando will no longer be open on Sundays to take phone calls. I work in a call center. This means that another one of the sites in a different city in the country will now be open to take the calls on Sundays instead. Great news!!! Since I had originally intended to go back to my previous schedule of working on Saturdays once the school year started again for the kids, I had assumed that I would be no longer working Sundays, but rather Saturdays instead right about now. However, I was asked to submit my own schedule change request since the office is closing on Sundays. We were given the chance to make up our Sunday hours on any other day of the week if we chose to, or to just drop our Sunday hours altogether. Since we are required to work a minimum of 20 hours per week, I did have to select another day to work in exchange for having Sundays off now. I asked if I could simply work Thursday nights now, rather than going back to Saturday nights, as I had previously worked before the summer. It looks like this has now been approved!! Hurray!!! I don't have to work Saturdays or Sundays at all anymore!! This is awesome news!! It means I can take the time as needed for family trips on the weekends or whatever, without having to take vacation time from work, or worse yet, have to miss out on family trips over the weekends altogether if the weekend day is not available for me to take off from work anyway (as is often the case). I am thrilled and it seems as though I just got lucky! If I had been working Saturdays all along during the summer as before, then they would have never asked me to submit a schedule change because I would not have been affected by the office closing on Sundays right now. I guess you could call it being at the right place at the right time!

These are a few of my favorite things...

2007-08-11T00:49:00.000-04:00

I am SO excited! I stumbled on a wonderful website yesterday called "Beautifulshops.com". It is basically an online virtual mall for all things feminine, romantic, vintage, and roses! I found the website in a magazine I had picked up at Publix yesterday. I was SO charmed by the design and once I clicked onto some of their individual web sites, I was thrilled! I absolutely LOVE roses and romantic, shabby chic style! Our house is not decorated this way at all, but it got me dreaming all day yesterday and even today about what I would love to do in our master bedroom! Since I don't want to overindulge in fru-fru stuff for the sake of Scott, I was thinking at least maybe I could create a cozy corner of our room just for myself in this decor! I have been wanting to purchase a nice desk anyway for me in the bedroom to store and use all of my Stampin' Up products when I make hand-made cards and such. We haven't had the budget yet to make a desk purchase, but visiting tons of these sites yesterday sure inspired me! You can click onto some of the links located at the top of my sidebar to the right of this page entitled, "Some of my favorite links". The main one, Beautifulshops.com, is one way you can also get started. Once you're at that site, there are literally so many others you can visit. Most of these individual sellers have their own links and banners for many other similar sites listed on their pages. Check it out! If you love feminine, romantic, shabby chic style, you will LOVE these sites and the many vintage items you can buy! My favorite sites are the ones you see listed here with banners and their links are at the top of my sidebar to the right.

Pictures from Cape Canaveral near the jetty

2007-08-08T23:45:00.000-04:00

As I promised, here are some photos from our weekend at the beach! We had a blast and the weather was perfect the entire weekend! The kids spent each day swimming in the pools at the condo neighborhood where we stayed and we spent Saturday at the beach, as well! They are all swimming like little fishes now and their swimming lessons from the YMCA this summer certainly paid off! Of course, we didn't want to come home, but all good things must come to an end.

P.S.- Sierra created a sting ray as her sand art project which you can see. Daddy (Scott) created a porpoise/dolphin for his sand castle project in the photos.

We are off to the beach!

2007-08-01T21:23:00.000-04:00

Hurray! Scott and I are taking the kids to Cape Canaveral beginning Friday and will be there for the weekend! Thanks to Tim & Susan Maguire, members of UPC, we were fortunate enough to win a drawing to have a weekend getaway at their lovely two-bedroom condo on the beach. We had entered a drawing back in January at the annual UPC marriage retreat weekend. After praying and hoping, God answered our prayers and allowed our names to be picked as the winners! This is a huge blessing for us, since otherwise, we wouldn't be able to take a summer vacation this year. I will be sure to post pictures when we return!

Weeds...

2007-07-17T15:12:00.000-04:00

Summertime is here in full force...it's hot, it's muggy, and things are growing like wildfire. My all-time least favorite chore to do when I was a kid was to weed the garden or grassy areas of our front lawn. I still hate weeding, and more importantly, I HATE WEEDS!!! Why do I hate them so much? Because they have a way of completely taking over EVERYTHING in their path! Not to mention, they are just ugly to look at!

My husband, Scott, was mowing and edging our lawn yesterday, as it was in dire need of some trimming! It's been so hot here of late that the backyard had been neglected for quite some time. In fact, we hardly ever go out there anymore or even look out there. I was surprised to see that in some areas of the backyard, there were weeds as tall as a small tree! No, I'm not kidding! Our backyard looked like a jungle in the making. I did not envy Scott having to go out there and mow it, much less try to pull up all the miscellaneous brush and weeds! He spent hours out there in the hot sun taking care of what had been needing to be done a while ago. Everytime I think about yardwork, I can't help but think about how weeds parallel some things in our lives at times. When you think about it, weeds have really only one purpose...to choke the life out of something that was previously living in its path or place. Not to oversimplify here, but isn't that true for some areas of our lives? As God prunes us to become more like Christ and His image, inevitably, He must pull out all the destructive weeds, as well. Weeds in our lives can take many forms, I'm convinced. Speaking for myself, I know that I have always struggled with keeping my surroundings neat and organized. It's not uncommon for me to have clothes strewn everywhere in my bedroom that I must walk around in order to maneuver. It's kind of like weeds. The problem starts out small and if I nip it in the bud and keep it in check, nothing will get too out of balance and everything is o.k. But, if I get lazy and let those piles of clothes start mounting (as is usually the case), what happens? Slowly but surely, the piles turn into one huge mess that blocks my way of getting around or doing anything in my room. In fact, I often end up tripping over shoes or other items that fell by the wayside amongst the pile of clothes. It makes a simple chore like going to bed or putting other items away in my room that much more of a hassle. It affects my state of mind and I'm convinced, my emotional well-being, too.

I admit, it's a challenge to try and keep everything in our lives balanced and in check before "weeds" take over. As far as I know, that battle will never go away as long as I'm on this earth. Weeds are simply a fact of life. But, I sure hope that one day, in God's new heavenly kingdom, there won't be weeds to choke the life and enjoyment out of everything. Besides, didn't I mention earlier, they're just plain ugly to look at? I can't imagine that there would be weeds in Heaven...what do you think? ;o)

My niece, Leighton, is a photo contest winner!

2007-07-03T01:31:00.000-04:00

Check out my niece's cute picture featured as the photo contest winner for a local children's clothing boutique in Oviedo! Her picture was selected for the month of July winner! She was just a few months old at the time the picture was taken. You can click onto the direct link in the title bar above this post.

The website address is www.sosweetboutique.com

Leighton's photo is the sepia colored picture in the middle of the page as you scroll down a bit.

Yes, I am a proud aunt who is bragging!!! LOL...:)

My Niece, Leighton's, 1st Birthday Party!

2007-06-24T23:07:00.000-04:00

Enjoy these great photos of my niece, Leighton, at her 1st Birthday party this past weekend! She's beautiful! Don't ya' just love her tutu? There are also some pictures of our Zoo Crew kids having fun at the party in my brother and his wife's backyard with a plastic pool!

In Memory of Ruth Bell Graham

2007-06-17T00:45:00.000-04:00

In Memory of Ruth Bell Graham, wife of Rev. Billy Graham...she passed away at her home in Montreat, North Carolina on June 14th, 2007. She was surrounded by her husband and five children at her bedside. Please click on the title above for the link to Billy Graham's web site or go to my "Favorite Links" section to the right side of my web page. From there you can click directly to a wonderful tribute and online memoriam for Ruth, complete with pictures, comments and stories from her beloved family members and friends. There is a lot to learn about the strong woman Mrs. Graham was and the amazing example her life set for others...

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Wow...this is pretty amazing!

2007-06-06T14:37:00.000-04:00

Christian Glitter by www.christianglitter.com

I received the following message from a ministry "friend" of mine, "Dawn's Heartfelt Corner", on myspace earlier today. I thought that the message was truly powerful and very thorough! I know that not everyone reading this blog may come from the same faith perspective that I do, but nevertheless, I think the message is clearly about something we can ALL identify with...suffering...for one reason or another. When you have some free time, read through the following message and take some time to reflect on your own personal thoughts and experiences to see how God has been working in your own life over the years! Yes, I know this post is pretty lengthy, but I think it is WELL WORTH taking the time to read!

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Suffering Prepares Us to Be the Bride of Christ

Among the many reasons God allows us to suffer, this is my personal favorite: it prepares us to be the radiant bride of Christ. The Lord Jesus has a big job to do, changing His ragamuffin church into a glorious bride worthy of the Lamb. Ephesians 5:26-27 tells us He is making us holy by washing us with the Word--presenting us to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish. Suffering develops holiness in unholy people. But getting there is painful in the Lord's "laundry room." When you use bleach to get rid of stains, it's a harsh process. Getting rid of wrinkles is even more painful: ironing means a combination of heat plus pressure. Ouch! No wonder suffering hurts!
But developing holiness in us is a worthwhile, extremely important goal for the Holy One who is our divine Bridegroom. We learn in Hebrews 12:10 that we are enabled to share in His holiness through the discipline of enduring hardship. More ouch! Fortunately, the same book assures us that discipline is a sign of God's love (Heb. 12:6).
It's also important for all wives, but most especially the future wife of the Son of God, to have a submissive heart. Suffering makes us more determined to obey God; it teaches us to be submissive. The psalmist learned this lesson as he wrote in Psalm 119:67: "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees."
The Lord Jesus has His work cut out for Him in purifying us for Himself (Titus 2:14). Let's face it, left to ourselves we are a dirty, messy, fleshly people, and we desperately need to be made pure. As hurtful as it is, suffering can purify us if we submit to the One who has a loving plan for the pain.
Jesus wants not just a pure bride, but a mature one as well--and suffering produces growth and maturity in us. James 1:2-4 reminds us that trials produce perseverance, which makes us mature and complete. And Romans 5:3-4 tells us that we can actually rejoice in our sufferings, because, again, they produce perseverance, which produces character, which produces hope. The Lord is creating for Himself a bride with sterling character, but it's not much fun getting there.
We usually don't have much trouble understanding that our Divine Bridegroom loves us; but we can easily forget how much He longs for us to love Him back. Suffering scoops us out, making our hearts bigger so that we can hold more love for Him. It's all part of a well-planned courtship. He does know what He's doing . . . we just need to trust Him.

Suffering Allows Us to Minister Comfort to Others Who Suffer

One of the most rewarding reasons that suffering has value is experienced by those who can say with conviction, "I know how you feel. I've been in your shoes." Suffering prepares us to minister comfort to others who suffer.
Feeling isolated is one of the hardest parts of suffering. It can feel like you're all alone in your pain, and that makes it so much worse. The comfort of those who have known that same pain is inexpressible. It feels like a warm blanket being draped around your soul. But in order for someone to say those powerful words--"I know just how you feel because I've been there"--that person had to walk through the same difficult valley first.
Ray and I lost our first baby when she was born too prematurely to survive. It was the most horrible suffering we've ever known. But losing Becky has enabled me to weep with those who weep with the comforting tears of one who has experienced that deep and awful loss. It's a wound that--by God's grace--has never fully healed so that I can truly empathize with others out of the very real pain I still feel. Talking about my loss puts me in touch with the unhealed part of the grief and loss that will always hurt until I see my daughter again in heaven. One of the most incredibly comforting things we can ever experience is someone else's tears for us. So when I say to a mother or father who has also lost a child, "I hurt with you, because I've lost a precious one too," my tears bring warmth and comfort in a way that someone who has never known that pain cannot offer.
One of the most powerful words of comfort I received when we were grieving our baby's loss was from a friend who said, "Your pain may not be about just you. It may well be about other people, preparing you to minister comfort and hope to someone in your future who will need what you can give them because of what you're going through right now. And if you are faithful to cling to God now, I promise He will use you greatly to comfort others later." That perspective was like a sweet balm to my soul, because it showed me that my suffering was not pointless.
There's another aspect of bringing comfort to those in pain. Those who have suffered tend not to judge others experiencing similar suffering. Not being judged is a great comfort to those who hurt. When you're in pain, your world narrows down to mere survival, and it's easy for others to judge you for not "following the rules" that should only apply to those whose lives aren't being swallowed by the pain monster.

Suffering often develops compassion and mercy in us. Those who suffer tend to have tender hearts toward others who are in pain. We can comfort others with the comfort that we have received from God (2 Cor. 1:4) because we have experienced the reality of the Holy Spirit being there for us, walking alongside us in our pain. Then we can turn around and walk alongside others in their pain, showing the compassion that our own suffering has produced in us.

Suffering Develops Humble Dependence on God

Marine Corps recruiter Randy Norfleet survived the Oklahoma City bombing despite losing 40 percent of his blood and needing 250 stitches to close his wounds. He never lost consciousness in the ambulance because he was too busy praying prayers of thanksgiving for his survival. When doctors said he would probably lose the sight in his right eye, Mr. Norfleet said, "Losing an eye is a small thing. Whatever brings you closer to God is a blessing. Through all this I've been brought closer to God. I've become more dependent on Him and less on myself."{3}
Suffering is excellent at teaching us humble dependence on God, the only appropriate response to our Creator. Ever since the fall of Adam, we keep forgetting that God created us to depend on Him and not on ourselves. We keep wanting to go our own way, pretending that we are God. Suffering is powerfully able to get us back on track.
Sometimes we hurt so much we can't pray. We are forced to depend on the intercession of the Holy Spirit and the saints, needing them to go before the throne of God on our behalf. Instead of seeing that inability to pray as a personal failure, we can rejoice that our perception of being totally needy corresponds to the truth that we really are that needy. 2 Corinthians 1:9 tells us that hardships and sufferings happen "so that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."
Suffering brings a "one day at a time-ness" to our survival. We get to the point of saying, "Lord, I can only make it through today if You help me . . . if You take me through today . . . or the next hour . . . or the next few minutes." One of my dearest friends shared with me the prayer from a heart burning with emotional pain: "Papa, I know I can make it through the next fifteen minutes if You hold me and walk me through it." Suffering has taught my friend the lesson of total, humble dependence on God.
As painful as it is, suffering strips away the distractions of life. It forces us to face the fact that we are powerless to change other people and most situations. The fear that accompanies suffering drives us to the Father like a little kid burying his face in his daddy's leg. Recognizing our own powerlessness is actually the key to experience real power because we have to acknowledge our dependence on God before His power can flow from His heart into our lives.
The disciples experienced two different storms out on the lake. The Lord's purpose in both storms was to train them to stop relying on their physical eyes and use their spiritual eyes. He wanted them to grow in trust and dependence on the Father. He allows us to experience storms in our lives for the same purpose: to learn to depend on God.
I love this paraphrase of Romans 8:28: "The Lord may not have planned that this should overtake me, but He has most certainly permitted it. Therefore, though it were an attack of an enemy, by the time it reaches me, it has the Lord's permission, and therefore all is well. He will make it work together with all life's experiences for good."

Suffering Displays God's Strength Through Our Weakness

God never wastes suffering, not a scrap of it. He redeems all of it for His glory and our blessing. The classic Scripture for the concept that suffering displays God's strength through our weakness is found in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, where we learn that God's grace is sufficient for us, for His power is perfected in weakness. Paul said he delighted in weaknesses, hardships, and difficulties "for when I am weak, then I am strong."
Our culture disdains weakness, but our frailty is a sign of God's workmanship in us. It gets us closer to what we were created to be--completely dependent on God. Several years ago I realized that instead of despising the fact that polio had left me with a body that was weakened and compromised, susceptible to pain and fatigue, I could choose to rejoice in it. My weakness made me more like a fragile, easily broken window than a solid brick wall. But just as sunlight pours through a window but is blocked by a wall, I discovered that other people could see God's strength and beauty in me because of the window-like nature of my weakness! Consider how the Lord Jesus was the exact representation of the glory of the Father--I mean, He was all window and no walls! He was completely dependent on the Father, choosing to become weak so that God's strength could shine through Him. And He was the strongest person the world has ever seen. Not His own strength; He displayed the Father's strength because of that very weakness.
The reason His strength can shine through us is because we know God better through suffering. One wise man I heard said, "I got theology in seminary, but I learned reality through trials. I got facts in Sunday School, but I learned faith through trusting God in difficult circumstances. I got truth from studying, but I got to know the Savior through suffering."
Sometimes our suffering isn't a consequence of our actions or even someone else's. God is teaching other beings about Himself and His loved ones--us--as He did with Job. The point of Job's trials was to enable heavenly beings to see God glorified in Job. Sometimes He trusts us with great pain in order to make a point, whether the intended audience is believers, unbelievers, or the spirit realm. Joni Eareckson Tada, no stranger to great suffering, writes, "Whether a godly attitude shines from a brain-injured college student or from a lonely man relegated to a back bedroom, the response of patience and perseverance counts. God points to the peaceful attitude of suffering people to teach others about Himself. He not only teaches those we rub shoulders with every day, but He instructs the countless millions of angels and demons. The hosts in heaven stand amazed when they observe God sustain hurting people with His peace."{4}
I once heard Charles Stanley say that nothing attracts the unbeliever like a saint suffering successfully. Joni Tada said, "You were made for one purpose, and that is to make God real to those around you."{5} The reality of God's power, His love, and His character are made very, very real to a watching world when we trust Him in our pain.

-Taken from Probe Ministries

It's a Girl!!!!!

2007-05-25T18:58:00.001-04:00

I wanted to post these pictures of the life cycle of a butterfly! I am so excited because we have had this butterfly milkweed plant in front of our house for a couple of years now...Sierra received this little plant from school one year and every spring we seem to get caterpillars and some beautiful Monarch butterflies from that plant. Now it has grown into a very tall plant that has practically taken over the area it was originally planted in, right in front of the garage. This year, we actually saw three caterpillars...one very tiny one, one medium-sized one, and one super large one on the plant the same day. Then, a few days later, Chandler discovered a chrysalis that had already hatched hanging on one of the green bushes near our front door. Next to that one, we then were excited to find a green chrysalis still awaiting its final stages of growth! Scott decided to clip the tree branch that it was hanging from and he put it into a large glass mason jar so that we could observe it while inside our house. I have to say that this is the first time I have ever actually watched the entire process unfold in front of my very eyes. We found the chrysalis on Saturday. I wasn't sure exactly how long it may take for us to see if we really would hatch a butterfly successfully? Over the next 72 hours, we were excited and anticipated the arrival of our new Monarch butterfly! What caught my eye at first was the green chrysalis which had distinct gold dots placed ever so carefully along the outside of the chrysalis in a pattern. It truly looked like someone had hand-painted liquid gold onto this little thing!

You can see in the first photo what the chrysalis looked like on Sunday. The beginnings of the butterfly colors were starting to show through the green chrysalis. The second photo was taken two days later, on Tuesday. As you can clearly see, the chrysalis was no longer green and was now clear. You can see the entire butterfly through the membrane. It was as if it was just ready to pop out of there! Sure enough, within about 10 minutes of me taking those photos, the butterfly did emerge from his cocoon! It was truly amazing! I was so intrigued at the whole process that I stared at the butterfly while in the jar for about 30 minutes straight! I was so impressed with the intricate designs, the white dots, clear black lines, and beautiful shades of orange throughout its body and wings! How could anyone deny the existence of a God who is the creator of all things? This kind of detail on such a small insect in nature is not simply some fluke! Only God could be so concerned about creating such beautiful creatures with such intricate designs!

After Scott came home from work to see the butterfly, we took it out of the jar and got some great photos of it opening and closing its wings while sitting on the bush outside the front door. It didn't take long for the butterfly to figure out how to fly and eventually as the night went on, she did fly away. Upon doing some more research, I discovered that it must have been a female butterfly we had! I saw photos online of a male and female Monarch butterfly. Apparently, the males have two distinct black marks along the outside of their wings in the middle. Also, the males have much thinner black lines and markings on their wings. The females have very dark and thick black lines, as you can see in the picture above of our little butterfly. She also did not have the two distinctive black dots on the lower wings. I am just really surprised, excited, and amazed that God provided a homemade science lesson for the kids on what happened to be their very last day of school! He even waited until the late afternoon when the kids were home from school for the butterfly to emerge and we all got to watch! What a cool experience it was! Summer school at the Williams house is now officially in session...LOL!!

Tag...You're It!

2007-05-16T00:36:00.000-04:00

Well, it seems that I've been tagged by my LIFE group friend, Patricia. I'm supposed to fill out these questions below and then tag some more people to do the same. So, here goes...

Four jobs I’ve had:
1. Worked at Stein Mart dept. store for a few years back in high school and early college days.
2. Worked at TCBY...This Can't Be Yogurt...aka The Country's Best Yogurt!
3. Taught 2nd grade for 3.5 years in Orange County [Florida].
4. Claim Reporting/notice taker for Travelers Insurance (you may have recently been seeing some of their newest commercials lately featuring the red umbrella logo and some interesting scenes on risk taking...anyone recall the commercial of the Italian man who flew over the water with wings and crash-landed? That's us.)

Four places I have lived:
1. Orlando, Florida
2. Orlando, Florida
3. Orlando, Florida
4. Orlando, Florida...OK...this stinks! I need to get a new life...how boring...LOL!!!....Seriously, I have never lived anywhere else but here. I need an excuse to move, please!!!! ;o)

Four movies I watch over and over:
1. Bedazzled
2. While You Were Sleeping
3. How to Lose a Guy in 10 days
4. Father of the Bride, Part II

Four favorite foods:
1. Empanadas
2. Cookie Crisp cereal
3. Logan's Roadhouse steaks
4. chocolate cake

Four favorite TV shows:
1. According to Jim
2. Numb3rs
3. CSI
4. Run's House (MTV)

Four places I’d rather be right now:
1. Hawaii
2. New Zealand
3. Black Mountain, North Carolina
4. Alaska

Four things I wonder about:
1. What in the world are we all going to be doing all the time up in Heaven? Won't we get bored...and if not, how come? Why does it have to be such an abstract concept that we can barely even imagine or grasp down here?

2. Why won't we have the same relationships with our loved ones that we once had on Earth, once we are in Heaven? Or will we? (will I still know my mom as my "mom" up there?, etc.)

3. Why does there seem to be such a disparity between the fortunes of some people on Earth and the misfortunes of others?

4. Why won't God make Himself more visible and present in our lives down here? I know faith is a big part of the believer's relationship with our Creator, but why can't He sometimes come down here and sit with us and talk to us one-on-one...ya' know, sort of like a personalized counseling session (with no fee, of course!) It sure would help a lot sometimes! :o)

So now I’m going to tag:

1) Diana Heard (come on...you HAVE to do this sis'!)

2) Tammy Boyer (to see if you really read my Zoo Crew blog at all anymore?)

3) Pam Johnson (do you even have the time these days to fill out one of these things, ya' know, since you're a mom of three now? LOL)

Just a little shameless plug...

2007-05-13T01:51:00.000-04:00

I am posting a new movie trailer for my friend, Jessica Simpson. It's a YouTube video clip for her upcoming movie, "Blonde Ambition", and she sent this out to her friends on myspace and asked that we forward it on. Feel free to forward to your friends, as well, if you'd like. I am also posting a link on the sidebar to the right of my page (scroll down a little) entitled, "Some of my favorite links". I guess you can call this a shameless plug for my friend...LOL! You may also want to scroll down to the bottom of this page first and press pause on the music playlist that is already playing.

I'm absolutely appalled!

2007-05-02T11:06:00.000-04:00

Well, this will surely make an interesting little blog entry for today. I was just driving home from my weekly Panera breakfast and had enjoyed a nice morning cup of coffee, a cinnamon roll, and some time reading the newspaper and working my daily Soduko puzzle. I was relaxed and calm and looking forward to the rest of the day. Not five minutes after getting onto University Blvd. to head back home, I approached the traffic light at the intersection of Alafaya Trail. As soon as my car pulled up into the left-hand turning lane while awaiting a green arrow, I witnessed two men all of a sudden getting out of their vehicles and rolling onto the road in an all-out physical fight. It took me a few seconds to realize exactly what was going on, but the initiator of the whole fight was someone who was driving a white Honda a few cars in front of mine in the turn lane. He was totally attacking this poor Caucasian man who was a taxi driver sitting in the straight lane adjacent to our turning lane. The attacker was throwing full body punches to the taxi driver and they were rolling all around the ground. Suddenly, a bunch of witnesses got out from their cars and ran to assist the taxi cab driver. They managed to get the attacker off the man, but within a few more seconds, he was throwing more punches to the taxi driver. I couldn't believe my eyes! All this happened during the five-minute period while awaiting the green arrow signal to turn. At one moment, I thought I was going to have to pull out of my lane and go around so as not to miss the light. After all, I did not appreciate having to stand by and witness such a brutal attack for no apparent good reason. I have no idea what prompted the Honda driver to attack the taxi cab driver so relentlessly. Perhaps, it was some form of road rage? But, I am absolutely appalled that we all had to witness this from our own vehicles and that during those few moments, there was nothing I could do to stop any of it. Thank goodness the other witnesses were men who were able to jump out and fend off the attacker. Where are the police when you need them? What really upset me even more was that when the light finally turned green, the Honda proceeded through the intersection while the taxi also turned left, even though he was technically in a straight-ahead lane. As I followed not far behind, the taxi eventually got over into the left lane way up ahead of the Honda. But, mercilessly, the Honda sped up to follow the taxi once again. They both made a U-turn on Alafaya, as if to head back towards the intersection where it all started. It was clear to me that the Honda driver was simply being aggressive and antagonistic. I have no idea what would make someone pursue such blatant violence so relentlessly. I mean, if for some reason, the Honda driver was angry that the taxi driver may have cut him off earlier, or whatever, why not just ignore it and keep driving? But, to keep pummeling the taxi driver and then to chase him down once again in his vehicle after the incident was over, seemed absolutely unbelievable to me. It was truly insane and I felt like I was watching some scene out of a movie or something. I sure hope that the taxi cab driver was able to radio in for some help from the police or his taxi cab company or something. I am afraid of what may have happened after I drove on. My reason for blogging this is that I have honestly never witnessed something quite so ridiculous before. I mean, to get of your vehicle while waiting at a turn light and to pursue a physical altercation for an unending period of time is absolutely unnecessary! What has this world come to? It's ridiculous that we all have to live in such a violent and temperamental world these days. And I know, of course, things much worse than this go on all around the world every day. It makes me extremely fearful for my own children, my family, as well as for myself. After all, I never asked to live in a world set up this way. I know as a Christian, there is always hope in a brighter future to come one day, but in the mean time, I resent that I have to live in this filthy world filled with such hatred and blatant disregard for other humans. I am sure it disgusts God much more than it does me! Well, I just thought I would get this "off my chest" and write about what I just witnessed. It makes me sad to see the world around me disintegrating faster and faster as each day passes. :o(

Have you got 10 minutes to spare?

2007-04-29T23:00:00.000-04:00

I was visiting one of the pages of a myspace friend that I have and was in awe of this beautiful presentation on YouTube of a painting of Jesus. It's a live event in which the artist paints this really amazing picture of Jesus in a very unique way. You can view the video below. I have also placed a link at the top of my "Some of my favorite links" section to the right of my page. Be sure to watch the entire video...it takes about 10 minutes from start to finish.

Statement from gunman's family to the victims' families at VT

2007-04-21T01:21:00.000-04:00

I was looking at the CNN.com website today and ran across this statement which was released today by the family of the gunman, Seung-Hui Cho, who viciously murdered 32 people this week at Virginia Tech. The statement was read aloud today by the gunman's own sister. I had been wondering all week about what a tragedy this is for Mr. Cho's family, as well. I had read a few days ago in the newspaper that they were unreachable. I then read today in the paper that they have been put into protective custody by the Chinese ambassador or government or something like that. They are being moved around every single day so as to remain in hiding out of a genuine fear for their own safety. I can only begin to imagine the horror it must be to live with the knowledge, guilt and sorrow of learning your very own flesh-and-blood [child] is guilty of committing such an atrocity. I thought this statement was well-worded and I truly do feel sympathy for Seung-Hui Cho's family, as well, during this time of senseless loss for everyone involved. I do not know the type of relationship he had with his family or if there was any way they could have done something long ago to have prevented Monday's massacre. Nevertheless, I decided to post this letter for all of you to read, if you haven't already done so by now.

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The statement by Sun-Kyung Cho, sister of Seung-Hui Cho, on behalf of herself and her family:

On behalf of our family, we are so deeply sorry for the devastation my brother has caused. No words can express our sadness that 32 innocent people lost their lives this week in such a terrible, senseless tragedy. We are heartbroken.

We grieve alongside the families, the Virginia Tech community, our State of Virginia, and the rest of the nation. And, the world.

Every day since April 16, my father, mother and I pray for students Ross Abdallah Alameddine, Brian Roy Bluhm, Ryan Christopher Clark, Austin Michelle Cloyd, Matthew Gregory Gwaltney, Caitlin Millar Hammaren, Jeremy Michael Herbstritt, Rachael Elizabeth Hill, Emily Jane Hilscher, Jarrett Lee Lane, Matthew Joseph La Porte, Henry J. Lee, Partahi Mamora Halomoan Lumbantoruan, Lauren Ashley McCain, Daniel Patrick O'Neil, J. Ortiz-Ortiz, Minal Hiralal Panchal, Daniel Alejandro Perez, Erin Nicole Peterson, Michael Steven Pohle, Jr., Julia Kathleen Pryde, Mary Karen Read, Reema Joseph Samaha, Waleed Mohamed Shaalan, Leslie Geraldine Sherman, Maxine Shelly Turner, Nicole White, Instructor Christopher James Bishop, and Professors Jocelyne Couture-Nowak, Kevin P. Granata, Liviu Librescu and G.V. Loganathan.

We pray for their families and loved ones who are experiencing so much excruciating grief. And we pray for those who were injured and for those whose lives are changed forever because of what they witnessed and experienced.

Each of these people had so much love, talent and gifts to offer, and their lives were cut short by a horrible and senseless act.

We are humbled by this darkness. We feel hopeless, helpless and lost. This is someone that I grew up with and loved. Now I feel like I didn't know this person.

We have always been a close, peaceful and loving family. My brother was quiet and reserved, yet struggled to fit in. We never could have envisioned that he was capable of so much violence.

He has made the world weep. We are living a nightmare.

There is much justified anger and disbelief at what my brother did, and a lot of questions are left unanswered. Our family will continue to cooperate fully and do whatever we can to help authorities understand why these senseless acts happened. We have many unanswered questions as well.

Our family is so very sorry for my brother's unspeakable actions. It is a terrible tragedy for all of us.

Virginia Tech Tragedy...Where is God in all of this?

2007-04-19T00:19:00.000-04:00

Where is God is the midst of tragedy, including the most recent one which took place on the Virginia Tech campus this past Monday, April 16th? I have included a link to a webpage which helps to address some of the common questions many people have regarding things like this. The link is posted in the "Some of my favorite links" section to the right of my blog page. Feel free to share this with your own friends and/or family. It was sent to me by a fellow LIFE group member at my church. He and his wife are staff members with Campus Crusade for Christ. Sadly, there were 4 members of Campus Crusade for Christ who lost their lives in the Virginia Tech Tragedy...

To teach or not to teach...that is the question?

2007-04-16T16:50:00.000-04:00

Well, this is something that has been on my mind quite a bit these days...should I go back to teaching soon or not? I used to teach 2nd grade in Orange County for a few years before I had my oldest daughter 8 years ago. I have hesitated over the past several years to go back into that field simply because I know first-hand what an all-consuming career teaching is. It is rewarding, yes...but VERY, VERY energy draining, too. It was fine when I had no children. I ate, slept, and breathed my teaching career. I spent many weekends constantly thinking and planning and preparing the next week's lessons, not to mention grading papers galore. But, since having three children, it's all I can do to "hold down the fort", as they say. I haven't even wanted to think about trying to be organized enough to go back to teaching where I would once again be in charge of getting 20+ students from point A at the beginning of a school year to point B by the end of that same year. To teach five or more different subject areas (reading, writing, math, science, & social studies) to over 20 students who are coming into your class from all different levels of previous progress is a very overwhelming task! I have not wanted to take on that responsibility, in the least, over the past several years since becoming a mom.

But, desperate times call for desperate measures. Most of you already know my financial status over the past 18 months or so. It has not been a pleasant time in our lives concerning that area. So, I have been giving the issue quite a bit more thought lately. Is now the right time for me to go back into the teaching field? I know that if I did so, our family income would increase significantly compared to nowadays. In fact, it would help tremendously to ease the stress and burden of meeting all our financial obligations on a monthly basis without fail. Since we are living each week on cash only with absolutely no means of any credit whatsoever to back us up in a pinch, it is becoming increasingly hard to make all the ends meet. In fact, it never seems to happen. I am tired of the strain, the feelings of failure, and the restricted feeling of knowing that basically anything we do is considered to be overspending in our budget. I haven't had a professional haircut in at least 18 months. My husband had to cut it for me the last time himself. None of our kids are involved in any extra-curricular activities at all (soccer, dance lessons, swim lessons, etc.). We don't take family vacations and we don't even have any car payments. I no longer have a cell phone and the list goes on and on. While it does seem that God has been sparing us any major mishaps such as car repairs, or other major household repairs, I know that sooner or later, this "luck" will run out. I would like to have the feeling of being able to actually save and get ahead of the game for once.

This brings me back to my reason for this post. I went online yesterday to the Orange County Public Schools website to see their current list of vacancies for teaching positions. Actually, I have been doing so off and on for the past several weeks. There has virtually been nothing available in the grade level I am interested in, primarily because the school year is quickly coming to a close...summer is just around the corner. I have been telling myself that if I ever happen to notice a job posting for 2nd grade on my side of town, at a decent school in our area, then and only then, will I consider "throwing my hat into the ring". The other night, I just happened to notice that there was suddenly a new position posted for a 2nd grade teacher in the area. In fact, it just so happens to be at my own children's elementary school, which is just a mile up the road from our neighborhood! The school is only 2 years old. In fact, when they first opened, I strongly considered applying for some openings back then. But, I chickened out and decided I just didn't want to go back at that time in my life. The interesting thing is that I happen to know the Curriculum Resource Teacher there personally. She used to teach 5th grade back at the same time and at the same school that I once taught 2nd grade at. I also happen to already know one of the 3rd grade teachers there, too! She was my favorite teacher buddy who also taught 2nd grade on my team at the school I used to teach at! So, I definitely have some contacts already there.

My biggest dilemma right now is trying to decide whether or not take the leap of faith and apply for this particular position, while risking not getting the job. I can't stand rejection and after all we've been through in the past few years, I do not need another reason to feel like a failure right now. But, on the other hand, the idea of significantly increasing our family income and my utter frustration of always being over budget is pushing me more and more over the edge of that cliff where I may actually take that risk. I have no idea if I can handle going back to work full-time at this particular profession while my young children are still in school. Truthfully, I am scared at the thought of taking on so much responsibility. But, I don't know if it is in God's plan for me to teach at this time and I guess I need to be willing to give it a try, should God reveal to me that He wants me to go back to teaching right now. So, this is what is on my mind these days. I will continue to pray about it and to seek God's guidance. This trust thing is a hard concept for me to practice when it comes to my relationship with God, even for someone who has been a believer in Christ for almost 15 years! :o)

For all the unbelievers out there...LOL

2007-03-29T15:57:00.000-04:00

OK, I am going to try to pick up where I left off during a previous post I had earlier this month. I mentioned that I would write more on the topic of myspace later. So, here goes...how did this all get started? Well, basically I was really bored one day back in January. I decided to surf google for any websites about some celebs I am interested in for fun. I landed on an official webpage for Vanessa Minnillo. From there, she had a direct link to her new myspace page. Since I already had a myspace page that I had created last year, it was easy for me to log on. When I went to her page, I saw a comment from Ashlee Simpson congratulating her for her new line. I figured it must have something to do with clothing and I later found out she had just been signed as the new Bongo jeans girl. Anyway, I was curious as to why Ashlee Simpson would be talking to Vanessa? I thought, isn't that somewhat of a conflict of interest since Ashlee's sister, Jessica, is the ex-wife of Nick Lachey, Vanessa's boyfriend? I did some searching and came across what I believed to be a real myspace fan page for Jessica Simpson. By all accounts, it sure seemed like it was the REAL Jessica. It turns out I was right. There are many, many myspace pages for all kinds of celebrities who end up being what are known as "poser" sites, or run by people who are pretending to be someone famous. But, everything from the personal photos to the comments and blog postings, to the music clearly indicated to me this was the real Jess Simpson page. The best part of it was that it was run by Jessica herself, and not someone working for her! She had a few hundred fans. Right about the same time I became her "friend" on myspace, I noticed that she had added Nick Lachey as a friend. It turns out that this was his very first time ever creating a page on myspace before and since he and Jess are now talking to each other, despite their divorce last year, they became myspace "friends". As I visited his brand new page, again, personal photos, bio info, and most importantly, messages and comments left by him, clearly indicated this was not some hoax. I couldn't believe my luck! I mean, what are the chances that I would actually happen to find both of their real fan sites the very same week I happened to be surfing myspace? What really kept me intrigued was that both of them were each updating their pages on their own, without any outside help! They would post comments and old photos of each other on their pages. It became very obvious to myself and the other fans watching that this was NO JOKE! They really were communicating to each other and to their fans directly through this myspace thing. In fact, Nick even ended up getting his brother, Drew Lachey, and Drew's wife, Lea, to create their own myspace pages...something neither of them had ever done before. It was fun being on each of their friends lists and actually being able to communicate with all of them at various times. But, within one to two weeks, of course, there was a frenzy of fans who were just as excited as I was that these were the real Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey on their pages. Rumors began swarming and Nick had to completely shut down his page. He claimed he was getting rude messages and was fed up with the "posers". Not long after, Jessica did the same thing. It was disappointing, but I was grateful that Jessica gave me her new page URL on myspace and invited me to be her "friend" on her newest page. The intent was to only open up the new pages to a few friends and not the hundreds who had been on their original pages. This worked for a little while. But, by this time, it was evident to everyone that Nick was still in love with Jessica. They were reminiscing publicly on myspace about old times. For someone like myself, who never liked the idea of them splitting in the first place, it was mighty exciting to watch from an outsider's viewpoint!

Several weeks later, they both had to shut down their pages for a second time due to the relentless rude messages from some people. Nick and Jess have their opinions as to who was initiating a majority of the trouble behind the scenes. Without going into any private details, I will just say that this was how it all started...my communicating on myspace, with Jess and Nick. They actually do respond to e-mails when they have some down time to their fans. It's been fun getting a chance to talk to a celeb that I have always enjoyed watching in the news on this myspace thing! I know that I would never get the chance otherwise...and certainly, it beats sending fan mail the old-fashioned way, where you know no one will ever actually read it. I asked Nick last night on myspace for his permission to post the picture you see on my page now of the two of them. He was kind enough to allow me to post it and thanked me for asking him first. It is just one of many personal photos belonging to Nick that he has enjoyed placing on his own myspace page for the fans to see. I have some LIFE group friends who have recently heckled me about whether or not I have been e-mailing occasionally with THE real Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey. The only other proof I have is some copies of original e-mails from both, but I don't want to risk unintentionally violating some kind of privacy law or something. So, I don't think I will post them here. I also don't want to risk upsetting either of them in any way. If you are really curious or in doubt, ask me some time and I will share with you. Believe it or not, Jess and Nick really do get mad and even hurt when people try to pose as them on myspace. They've even resorted to compiling a list of all the poser sites they can find so that their true fans will know that they are real and not the posers!

For now, at least enjoy the personal photo I have posted that is one of Nick's favorites. Since you probably also have some questions at this point, I will attempt to address just a few based on what I have learned in my experience so far on myspace...

***************
FAQs-

1. I thought Jessica has been seen dating John Mayer in recent months. What's up with that?

~As far as I know, that is true. One thing I quickly learned as a true fan on myspace is that you still need to be respectful of a celebrity's private life. Even if a celeb actually takes the time to respond to your e-mail, keep in mind that most celebs still want to maintain a great deal of privacy about their personal lives. A true fan is going to respect that privacy and not push for details that might be considered "crossing the line", especially when it comes to relationships. If a celeb wants to share info with their fans [on myspace], usually they will do so by what's known as sending out a bulletin to all their fans. Or, sometimes they may only share with a few people they trust.

2. Why the interest in Jessica and Nick?

~I don't normally get too interested in celebrity couples and their relationships. Jessica and Nick happen to be the exception in my case. I don't know why I always enjoyed watching their reality show back when it first aired. I guess in some ways, it seemed like somewhat of a fairy tale relationship, if you can even call it that. It was fun to watch them as newlyweds and the chemistry and fun they seemed to have...mixed in with some of your typical newly-married conflicts.

3. Are Nick and Jess back together?

~I honestly can't answer that. At one point, it seemed things might be headed in that direction. But, as I have said in one other blog comment I posted on a few days ago, it's been like watching a live soap opera between the two of them over the past two months. The drama has become too much for me to keep up with at this point. The same goes for Nick's relationship with Vanessa Minnillo. I can not comment on that either. Only Nick and Vanessa know the current status of their relationship. If I told you that they broke up last week, things could totally change by this week. It's impossible to keep up with such Hollywood drama. I also have to remember that I have a life outside of myspace. I will only know the status of their relationship based on what I read and hear from the same sources as you at this point.

4. Do you talk to either of them on the phone?

~No. I have only exchanged a few emails and comments on their myspace pages. As I said earlier, a true fan is not going to invade a celebrity's privacy by asking for such things. Also, let it be known that both of them have asked that the fans refrain from asking for things such as concert tickets, autographs, etc. As Jessica once put it on her blog, "If I do it for one person, then I have to do it for everybody and that wouldn't be fair".

Well, that's enough about the whole myspace adventure. It's sure been an exciting ride!

Get out your walking shoes

2007-03-22T18:21:00.000-04:00

Today's blog entry is a simple one, but it's about something that I think is a good reminder for us all, no matter who or where you are in life. There are so many people from all different walks of life who will come in and out of your life the longer you are alive on this earth. This is just a simple reminder to all that it's really important not to judge others. That's easy to say, but much harder to do, I know. Of course, when meeting someone new, we all do our own version of "sizing them up" in our minds...we contemplate where they are coming from in life, what their possible motives might be, or even where they may be at on a spiritual level (whether they are believers in Christ or not). It's normal to think about all of these factors and even if we are not meeting someone new in our lives, I would venture to say it's still common that we do this with the people currently in our lives..those we've known even for a while or just a short while. What we all need to try to remember is that every single one of us is coming from a completely different angle in life. We are coming from broken backgrounds and others not-so-broken. We each carry memories of prior incidents in our own lives with us deep down in our hearts and this shapes how we handle today's situations in life. Some of us may currently be in close communion with our Lord, and others of us may not even have a relationship with the Lord. Still others of us may be somewhere in between...our walks with God may be moving at a slower pace with a few more bumps in the road at any given moment when compared to someone else. Please always remember not to judge another person by what WE think they should be doing in their lives or what WE think about their own personal walks with God. I think that it is awfully presumptuous to apply our own situations to another person's life and continually measure that person by how WE are currently walking with God or how WE once may have handled a particular trial in our own lives while walking with God.

I have titled today's entry "Get out your walking shoes" because I think it serves as somewhat of a reminder that it is nearly impossible to see things from someone's complete point of view or angle unless we have walked not only one mile, but 100 miles or more in THEIR shoes. Now, I am smart enough to know that will likely never happen. No one will ever live the exact same life and be affected by the exact same circumstances, people, and relationships as another. So in light of that well-known fact, please always remember that someone may be down in the trenches in their own life much deeper than you currently are or much deeper than you have ever experienced in your own life. I don't have the answers as to why some people in this life are granted a more enviable stack of cards as compared to another. It is not for me to say how God chooses to use certain trials and circumstances in one's own life to bring that person closer to Him. Knowing this, remember that your deck of cards may currently be much easier to deal with. Not everyone is able to fully communicate the impact that their own circumstances in life are currently affecting them in all areas. To some extent, it's not really necessary for anyone to have to express every single thing they are dealing with to everyone or how it's affecting them at any given time. Although, it certainly helps when others can understand where you are at in life. Keeping this in mind, remember that some people's struggles in life may be more difficult for them to overcome based on any number of factors. It is sometimes hard for me to understand why it is so easy for us to judge others in our lives. And certainly, even if you have your opinions (which we all do), that doesn't mean you have to let it affect how you treat another person to the extent that you may not be treating them in a loving and welcoming manner. Now, obviously, this can't necessarily apply to every single thing, such as condoning actions which are clearly something that does not honor God (abusive situations, etc). But, just remember to view others with the love of Christ in your heart and let God work out the rest in that person's life. Of course, you never know if God may also use your friendship to help another person, too!

Where, oh where, have I been?

2007-03-13T00:33:00.000-04:00

Ok, in case you've been wondering...I have been spending most of my online time on my other page during the past two months. I have become a traitor to my "williamszoocrew" blogpage. I joined the infamous "MySpace" community last year, and I have only now just become super-involved with decorating my MySpace page, adding cool glitter text and pictures, and oh, yeah, making new friends, too!

I know all about the bad reputation that MySpace has had over the past few years. But, my thought earlier this year was, why not use this not only as a creative outlet for myself, but also as a positive influence for God to the rest of the MySpace users out there? Especially, considering that many of the users pages on there tend to contain a variety of beliefs, photos, comments, and suggestive overtones (to say the least). What I did not expect to see were so many Christian pages on MySpace and many positive influences throughout the online community who are clearly acting as salt and light to the rest of the darkened world out there. I have been pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to connect with people from all around the world, including celebrities who, believe it or not, are actually real human beings, just like us (I bet you already knew that, didn't you?)! :o) I have discovered that many of the celebs are open and willing to share their ups and downs in their own lives with those they trust on this MySpace thing. But, be warned...there are also many people who like to pose as a celeb, too, so you have to be pretty discerning as to who is the real deal and who is not. I've also had the surprise of being contacted by a few of my old high school graduating classmates on MySpace! It's been fun so far and I just thought I'd let you know that's where I've been "hangin' out" in the cyberworld of late. More on this MySpace topic to come later...

Some of my favorite songs...

2007-02-13T16:51:00.000-05:00

I found this cool website that allows you to pick your own music and create your own playlist for your own webpage! Some of my favorite songs by Christopher Cross are already playing on the playlist at the bottom of my page. I also added another old favorite song..."The Year of the Cat", by Al Stewart. Enjoy!!

Reflections

2007-02-09T00:34:00.000-05:00

I thought I would write a simple blog entry about something that I keep getting reminded of a lot lately. Scott & I have been having some recent behavioral struggles with Sierra, our oldest daughter. She has always been a strong-willed child and tends to resist authority in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. She is the type who has to always push the envelope when it comes to being obedient. For the first time, Sierra came home from school the other day with a note written from her teacher explaining that she had to change her behavior card that day twice for two separate reasons. Now, on occasion Sierra may have to change her behavior card once during the day and I usually don't question her too much about it. I may just ask what happened and I trust that she is telling me the truth. What concerned me about this note from her teacher is that she mentioned that Sierra at one point during the day had wanted to play on the classroom computer and her teacher had instructed her to wait until after the class had finished a writing lesson she was going to teach. Apparently, a few moments later, when the teacher had turned around, Sierra had taken it upon herself to go and play on the computer, even though her teacher had specifically told her not to until after their writing lesson. Scott and I have certainly had our incidents with Sierra at home where she has gone around us and disobeyed our authority over various things. But, I am a little concerned that she would deliberately defy her teacher while in school, especially so blatantly.

It made me think about that nature inside all of us that often times we try to "tame". Speaking for myself, I know that I sometimes fight my own will in my mind over things I want to say or do, but can't because it's not the appropriate thing to do, or it's not what Christ would do, etc. Dealing with Sierra's constant challenges in the behavior department constantly has me looking back at myself in an effort to try and understand what makes her "tick" and why she does some of the things she does? I am often re-examining myself and some of the things I have discovered over recent years about my own personality. Take for instance, Sierra's bedroom and overall tendency to have messy surroundings. She is highly intelligent, but one thing we have always struggled with her about is the state of her bedroom. I know it is not uncommon for children to have cluttered rooms. But, Sierra always seems to have dresser drawers pulled out and papers and scattered everywhere (she is an artist who is always drawing and doodling), toys all over the place, etc. It reminds me of myself and how unorganized my own bedroom tends to be. I have ALWAYS struggled with this. I have certain things in my life which I am very disorganized about. I once told my mom as a teenager that the state of my room was a direct reflection of what was going on in my mind. If that is true, then I must have a very cluttered and chaotic mind. Could Sierra also have this, as well?

It also makes me think of how the Bible refers to us as being made in God's image. Trying to understand Sierra's personality traits, tendencies, and flaws makes me take a long, hard second look at myself. If I am God's child and am made in His image, then surely Sierra is my child and was made "in my image", figuratively speaking. There's nothing like being a parent to make you see yourself as if looking into a mirror. Reflections...it can sometimes be a scary thing. With all the recent situations involving Sierra's defiant attitude at times, it makes me wonder if I, too, am more resistant to God's authority in my own life in various ways than I originally thought? It seems that even though I like to think I have given my life over to Christ, I still must constantly squash that "flesh" side of myself which always tries to lead me away from God and His will for me. I must always be vigilent and be sure that I am taking every thought captive. Continually submitting to God's authority and fighting the "flesh" in every area of my life can be exhausting! Won't it be nice when one day we won't have to struggle so hard to keep our minds and wills in line with God's?

So far, 2007 is off to a great start!

2007-01-17T00:02:00.000-05:00

Well, I realized that I have not written anything on my blog page in quite a while, so this is more or less a "filler" until I have something really great to say...

I am happy to report that so far, it seems that 2007 is off to a great start for our family! I feel as if there is finally some sunshine in our lives with no clouds on the horizon...no chance of rain or storms in sight! It has been a LONG time since I have been able to honestly say that I feel like we are out of the dry desert and stormy period of our lives. Hey, does that even make sense? Sounds like an oxymoron...how can you be in a dry desert and a stormy period at the same time? Oh, well, you get the picture!

We took a relaxing and refreshing trip during the first week of January up to Black Mountain, North Carolina with the kids and stayed with my mother and step-father in their cozy little getaway there! Amazingly, we all had a great time and no one was stressed out! We did lots of fun things, of which, you can read about and see some great photos on Scott's blog page...just click onto the sidebar link to "Serotonin Drip" to see and read all about it.

I must confess, even though it seems as if we are entering a period of calm and hope and dare I say, perhaps a smidge of prosperity in our lives, I still find myself tip-toeing and looking over my shoulder wondering when the storm clouds and lightning will come crashing around me again? It's like that movie title, "Waiting to Exhale". I feel like I can begin to exhale and have true hope again for the future, but at the same time, I am quite a bit gun-shy about it. I have battle scars and all-too-painful, fresh memories of days without a glimpse of hope in sight to remind me that life, whether as a Christian or not, is not always rosy. I don't know when, how, or where the next storm or season of dryness will hit, and I do admit that I wish I had the certainty of knowing that these times would NEVER come (don't we all?), but, as I grow in my earthly years and in my enduring relationship with God, I am learning to "be content in whatever my circumstances", as Paul referred to in the Bible. My only real hope is knowing that this life is not all God has in store for me! Where would I be without that hope?

I have posted a picture with this blog entry of our three kids that was taken by a river in North Carolina while we were mining for gemstones a couple of weeks ago! It is one of my favorite pictures of them! Enjoy!

Scott's New Blog

2006-12-29T20:27:00.000-05:00

Hey all! It's Scott. Just thought I'd drop a post here to let everyone know I have a new blog... Serotonin Drip. If you have a chance swing on by and leave me a comment or two. I'd love to hear from you.

Why don't I post here? Well it could get confusing trying to figure out who posted what since Becky and I are wired very different. If I kept posting here some folks may think the owner of this blog is bipolar or something.

Plus this gives her a way to disclaim anything i might say... ;-)

Love you honey! <3

Alphanumerically,

Scott

"Starbucks" and Strange Coincidences...

2006-12-19T21:52:00.000-05:00

I just have to write this post about some interesting and coincidental things that I have experienced within the past month! There seems to be some interesting chain of events that have been happening recently (and for some reason, it all starts with my favorite "Starbucks" coffee joint)...there may be no direct connection at all. However, I keep thinking things over in my mind and I figured I might as well blog about them!

Last month I received a phone message a few weeks before Thanksgiving from an old, but very good friend of mine, from my high school days! Her name is Hannah. She now lives out of state with her husband and two children, but her family still lives in Orlando. I was once a maid-of-honor in her first wedding. She married once before right out of high school, but, unfortunately, things did not work out between the two of them. Anyway, the last time I spoke with her, it was about 4 years ago when she was visiting her parents here in town. She came to our house and met our children for the first time. Our youngest, Amanda, was a newborn at the time. As I said, in this message a few weeks ago, Hannah was calling to let me know she was going to be coming into town again for Thanksgiving weekend and she was wondering if we might be able to get together at some point? I was thoroughly surprised by her phone call, because we had not even spoken or exchanged Christmas cards, etc. during the previous 4-year period. Well, I called her back and we arranged to get together for coffee one morning just before Thanksgiving at a local Starbucks...my favorite spot! We spent nearly 2.5 hours catching up on everything that's been going on in our lives over the past several years. As we were chatting away in Starbucks, Hannah recognized another old high school friend of hers standing in the line awaiting her coffee. It turns out, this old friend was yet, another one of the former maids-of-honor in Hannah's first wedding, along with myself! What a funny coincidence for us both! Hannah and I later arranged to have our children and husbands meet together for an afternoon of fun a few days later at a local park. It made me feel that warm, nostalgic feeling you get as you get older and you remember things from your long ago past! After all, Thanksgiving time is a time for family and get-togethers with loved ones. My visits with Hannah during her stay in town were a refreshing and unexpected experience!

Now, here comes another strange and interesting coincidence involving Starbucks...Just last week I was sitting in the exact same Starbucks enjoying a brief mocha before heading off to my job, when someone came up to me and asked if the seat next to me was taken? I was sitting in one of those comfy, large chairs they have. As I looked up to respond, I immediately recognized this woman and we both said, "Hi" at the same moment! She recognized me, as well! She was my former best friend from high school named, Angela. I had not spoken to her since our high school days, which happened to be 15 years ago already! This was one of those fleeting moments where I really began to feel "old". What's so interesting about this particular encounter is that it seemed to be almost a "divine appointment". She immediately sat down in the chair next to me and started telling me how bizarre it was that we were meeting face to face like this. She said that she was just standing there in the Starbucks line when she saw another woman waiting for her coffee and she thought the woman reminded her of my mother. She pointed to this woman and asked if it was my mom? I said, "no". She then went on to explain that when she saw this other woman, it made her think of me, "Becky Heard" [that's my maiden name]. Not five minutes later, Angela was asking to sit in the chair next to me and what do ya' know? It was ME sitting there in that chair! We spent about 15 minutes or so sharing a synopsis of our lives since we had last spoken. I learned a lot about the last several years of her life that I never knew. At this point, you might be wondering why I had not even spoken to her at all in the 15 years since we had graduated from high school? I will briefly say, without going into too much detail, that things took an unexpected turn for the worse in our friendship after graduation. As we both went on to our separate colleges, I never kept in touch with her, or vice versa. In my mind, although I had forgiven her long ago, I knew if I ever did come in contact with her that I would probably just ignore her. The wounds were too deep and despite my being a Christian, I always figured that my pride and self-worth would keep me from ever really contacting her again. And, of course, since so many years have passed and so many things in my life have changed since my high school days, I just really put the issues way behind me...or so I thought.

The really amazing thing about this whole encounter last week is that while we were talking, I kept thinking to myself, "this is really weird that I don't feel strange telling her about all the things that I've been up to in my life". It was like there really were no barriers and almost as if nothing had ever happened negatively between us. She kept talking about some important turning points in her life over the last several years and how her faith and relationship with God had grown since then. I had always believed that Angela was a Christian, even when we were back in high school. I remember that she attended Orangewood Christian School in Maitland while growing up (isn't Orangewood Church the "mother church" where UPC began from?). But, back then, it wasn't really something that we spent a lot of time talking about with each other. I had not accepted Christ as my savior at that time in my life. As we sat there in Starbucks and she was telling me about the amazing things God has done in her life, she also commented that our "coincidental" meeting must have been from God Himself! It started to freak me out, a bit...but in a good way! I started thinking, why of all times, have these two young women from my high school days [Hannah and Angela] come suddenly back into my path during this holiday season? And, why does it all seem to be happening at this particular Starbucks? I surmised that even though I may not totally be privy to all of God's plans and timing of things, the Christmas season is certainly a reminder of the forgiveness Jesus came here to represent and later died for. Perhaps, for both Angela and I, God simply wanted to "tie up any loose ends" from the past by having us unexpectedly meet and share our stories with one another. It made me realize that if I ever was holding onto any negative feelings from the past in our friendship, that there's "no time like the present" to confirm that all is truly forgiven! We never really did discuss our falling out or any of the things that went sour in our relationship, but I suspect that for whatever reason, God had a plan for me, as well as for Angela, that particular day last week when we met up. I still can't quite figure out the connection to Starbucks, but, it must have to do with the fact that it was located in Winter Park and my former high school was Winter Park High School. Most of the people I went to high school with were from this area of town.

Oh, and on another interesting side-note, I will tell you that one of the things Angela shared with me is about her very own business that she owns. It's called, "Solarte" and she purchased the business from its original owners on Park Ave. in Winter Park several years ago. She gave me their website address and as I perused the website, I came across a very interesting article featuring an interview with Angela, the owner of Solarte. It gave me a glimpse into some of the things she had briefly talked about and eluded to last week when she told me of the biggest turning point in her life several years ago. I was amazed to see the connection and references to God in this interview and at the bottom of her website. It became clear to me that indeed, God has been up to some amazing things in her life in recent years! I am glad to know that she has found her way back to a faith-filled life and relationship with God! As I said earlier, I never really knew that side of her in our high school days. It is great to see the miracles and amazing things God can do in our lives and in the lives of people from our past! To God be the glory!!!

If you want to check out her website, it is www.solarte.com.

Rate Your Years...

2006-12-10T01:14:00.000-05:00

Well, I have been trying to decide what to blog about for a few weeks now. It seems that the things I want to blog about all seem very negative and so I am never brave enough to post any of the thoughts that often go on in my head. I don't want my blog or even my image to come off as someone who is a "downer" all the time...ya' know? On my way home tonight from work, the idea just came in my head to simply write a little entry about the past several years of my life and to rate them on a scale of 1-10, 1 being the worst year and 10 being a fabulous year in my life! As 2006 draws to a close, I must say that I am truly glad to see this year be over with! Let's see what I thought of previous years...

2006 - I rate this year a 1 for sure...yep, you read this right. I absolutely hated this past year and won't be sad to see it go! We declared bankruptcy this year and have been trying to dig ourselves out of a very deep and lonely pit financially all year. The only positive thing I can recall about 2006 is Scott and I and our family becoming official members of UPC! That was for sure a step in the right direction!

2005 - I rate this year a 2. It was better than 2004, but not by much. One of my close friends committed suicide unexpectedly. She was a young mother of two children and she played a key part in helping me develop friendships while I was a stay-at-home mother. She got me involved in a local MOMS club several years prior. Another reason this year wasn't so great was that Scott and I had our dream of building a new, larger home for our growing family shattered. A serious financial downfall caused us to have to back out of a contract we had signed on our "dream home". What a disappointing year!

2004 - This year goes into the negative ratings...I would rate 2004 a -5 (hey, it's my blog, so I can rate it this way if I want ~wink, wink). As most of you know, my step-father committed suicide three days before Easter during this year. To this day, it is still the absolute WORST, traumatic event I have EVER gone through.

2003 - This was a pretty good year for me. I would rate it a 7. I went back to work part-time after having been a stay-at-home mom for 4 years. It was a bold move for me, but a positive one that came at the right time for us.

2002 - I would rate this year an 8. We had our surprise baby #3, Amanda Summer, and she has truly been a delight to have in our family! Also, I went back to college this year to take a course in order to renew my teaching certificate. It was a positive achievement for me.

2001 - Well, this year has mixed emotions. The first half of 2001 was pretty great for us! We had our son, Chandler, and moved into a brand new home in the spring of 2001! But, of course, by the fall when the 9/11 attacks occurred, the entire nation changed and has never been the same since. I would rate this year an 8 on a personal level.

2000 - I would rate this year a 10! Scott and I sold our previous home and paid off a lot of debts. We were preparing to move into our newly built home the following year. Also, Scott was doing very well at his job and had a lucrative year with side-work projects and such. I don't remember this year being a very stressful year for us in most ways.

1999 - I would rate this year a 9. We had our first child, Sierra, in January. After two previous miscarriages, she was definitely an answer to our prayers! I enjoyed my first year as a new mother and loved staying at home with her! We joined a few different mom's and children's groups and began establishing a whole new circle of friends!

1998 - This year was probably an 8 for me. We got pregnant in April and after severeal sonograms, we were delighted to find out that our pregnancy was viable and healthy! I enjoyed the anticipation of the arrival of our first child during this year! It made teaching at my school more pleasant, somehow.

1997 - Well, this was yet, another sucky year. I rate this year a 1. Our dreams of starting a family were shattered twice during this unfortunate year. We miscarried in March right around the time of our 1-year anniversary. We also miscarried another time during August. Many doctor's visits and surgical procedures done during this year. Once we found out the cause of our miscarriages, I had corrective surgery to repair my uterus.

1996 - This year was a 10! Scott and I set out on our new life together as man and wife on March 9th! After graduating from college the semester prior to our wedding date, I also landed my first teaching job as a second grade school teacher. My life-long aspirations of becoming a teacher came true!

My New Year's toast will be, "To experiencing happier memories in 2007 and to seeing some light at the end of a long, dark, hopeless tunnel!"

Camping was a success!

2006-11-19T13:09:00.000-05:00

Well, we are back! Our first official camping trip as a family at Fort Wilderness was a great success! The weather was perfect and the kids had a blast! We arrived just before sunset on Friday evening and spent a few hours getting things set up! Scott was the "man of the day", of course, by getting our tent erected and all the accessories installed (yes, we brought our own mini-fridge), including outdoor lights and even some strands of Christmas tree lights for decoration.

On Saturday morning, we made scrambled eggs and bacon on the propane travel stove Scott brought. Then, we headed off to the nearby bus stop to catch a ride on a Disney bus to the Tri-Circle D Ranch, where they had pony rides for the kids to enjoy. Amanda was too scared to ride on one, but she walked with Scott & I as we each took Sierra and Chandler on their ponies around the walking area. After that, we headed over to a really great playground they had for the kids to slide on and swing. After some playground time, the nearby boat sounded its horn which will take you on a free ride either to the Magic Kingdom or the Wilderness Lodge. We hopped on a boat to Wilderness Lodge, and enjoyed browsing the humongous accommodations there! I have posted a picture of the kids sitting outside in front of the Wilderness Lodge which backs up against a picture-perfect waterfall with stones.

Later on Saturday night, we joined a small group for tacos for dinner and old-fashioned smores for dessert! This was a special treat for the kids! We then hopped on yet, another bus to a campground site where they show Disney movies outside in a stadium-like setting. You can order popcorn and drinks from their concession stand and even roast your own smores outside on their firepits as you watch the movie on a large outdoor screen! It was a great ending to a perfect day and the kids and Scott & I were very tired Saturday night after that!

Sunday morning we packed up and came home. We were all pretty tired but enjoyed the rest of Sunday at home after unpacking. I loved camping at Ford Wilderness because even though the surroundings make you feel as if you are totally away from urban society, pretty much anything you need is right there! They have bathroom and shower facilities within walking distance from your camp site, there is running water and a hose and spigot on each site, in addition to an electricity hook-up unit. You can enjoy eating at restaurants if you want simply by hopping on a bus! And, of course, while you are "roughing it", if you happen to forget something from home, such as food items or toiletries, you can purchase them from one of two trading post/sundry stores they have in the resort. I would definitely recommend this simple vacation away from home for anyone looking to spend only a small amount of money on a relaxing and fun adventure away from home!

Fort Wilderness, Here We Come!

2006-11-08T10:10:00.000-05:00

Well, I can't forget to post about our upcoming weekend at Fort Wilderness! We are taking the "Zoo Crew" camping at Disney's Fort Wilderness resort on Friday afternoon and will be there until Sunday! I truly am excited because we have never taken the kids camping before. We do have a tent with two rooms. I think the weather should be pretty favorable...let's hope there's no rain and no sudden cold front. But, right now, the weather is sunny and breezy for a wonderful November week! I am just glad to be "getting out of dodge", as they say. I need a mental break from our current life and a change of scenery for a few days will be very refreshing for me! I will post after we return and hopefully will have some great photos to share!

PMDD

2006-11-07T21:53:00.000-05:00

Well, since I haven't posted a new blog in about two weeks, the only thing I feel like posting right now is about a condition that I feel plagues me every month or so...PMDD. It stands for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. It's like a magnified version of the infamous PMS. The label PMDD has only recently been recognized as a real condition that effects some women right around that "time of the month". It's very cyclical for me and I notice the symptoms easily now that I have diagnosed myself with it. It is literally like one day I am fine and then the next I am in a mental slump that typically lasts 7-14 days. I am already on medication regularly to deal with symptoms of depression that come and go. But, for me, PMDD is markedly more intense in terms of the way it affects my mood. It truly does color my perception of the world and things in a much more negative light. Fortunately, my physician told me that it is perfectly o.k. to double my medication dosage during the week or so prior to my "time of the month" when the symptoms seem to be at their worst. This has definitely helped me the past few months. What I don't like is knowing the difference that the meds make in how I view things as opposed to how I view things if I skip a dose or forget to take it. What's also frustrating is seeing the physical symptoms that surface when I am experiencing PMDD symptoms. I literally feel tired, even if I have gotten a decent night's sleep. I feel totally glum and unmotivated to do anything. I feel as if I can't really think or remember things too clearly either. But, if I double my dose of meds, then it does relieve a majority of those symptoms. I hate that it appears that I function at my best with certain medications. But, I suppose that it is like any other ailment or health problem. Certain things need certain meds to function properly. At least we have science and technology in this day and age to come up with things that help those in need.

Well, that's all I wanted to say about that issue. I just have been in a mental slump for about a week and this, too, shall pass...as they say!

Are you a little bored with your life?

2006-10-23T22:16:00.000-04:00

I hate to admit this...but on the other hand, I think it's good to confess that sometimes I go through phases in my life where I feel bored. Is it actually possible to be so caught up in the mundane activities of life, the curve balls life throws at you, and all the ups and downs of daily living, that one can actually still feel BORED with their life? I mean, as a mother of three young children and a part-time working mom, you'd think I would not have time to actually be BORED with my own life. I feel selfish in even admitting it to myself, let alone God! I mean, after all, we live in perhaps, one of the most blessed and fortunate countries on this Earth. With all the modern-day conveniences that technology has brought our way, how could I ever even think of being bored with my life?

Well, that's where I found myself a few days ago...flat out, completely BORED! It's like I am still waiting for something exciting to happen! In fact, I feel like I have been waiting for while for something to come along and truly engage me in a positive way. So, the other night I actually did a Google search on the web by typing in the words, "Christians who are bored with life". I was surprised to actually see many links under this type of subject search! One really interesting website that I stumbled upon in my quest for adventure was the website, www.lifeswitch.org

As I clicked throughout this pretty cool, interactive website, I found that this is actually an organization you can sign up through and after filling out some information, they will match you up with a host family or person/s in some other country in the world based on your preferences for climate, region, and general landscape. To be honest, I actually thought it was just one of those web quizzes where you simply fill out a brief questionnaire and they will tell you what country and profession around the world you would most likely enjoy. I actually did fill out a simple survey and this website told me that I would be best suited for the country Bolivia. I know the name, but know nothing about this region of the world or exactly where it's located on the map. The interesting thing is that this web site appears to be for real! In other words, someone who for example, works as a stock broker in New York may actually take their questionnaire and find out that he/she is best suited to become a coffee bean farmer in Argentina! And it appears as though this organization will actually make your dream happen! I think it is some sort of Christian faith-based organization started in the U.K. In reading some of the testimonies, I was amazed to see that some people have actually had life-changing experiences through this concept! Now, considering that I was born and raised and am still living in Orlando, it is safe to assume that at some point in my life, I would like to live elsewhere, if for no other reason than for the sake of a change of scenery. But, to actually contemplate the idea of picking up and leaving my present life behind and starting fresh somewhere completely new is something that does scare me a bit. I guess if I ever really get THAT bored, I could truly give the idea more consideration. But, since I am married and have a family, obviously such a life change would not be so easy. It may not even be the best thing for me at this time.

But, I did think this website was worth mentioning and I thought I would pass the website on to anyone else who happens to be bored with life, too! Heck, even if you only visit the website and dream about a new way of life, give the website a visit! In the very least, it will give you something to think about for fun! Oh, and if you do happen to fill out their brief survey while visiting the site, let me know by posting to my blog here which country they say best suits your preferences? I'd love to see what others have for their results! Don't worry, to do this preliminary questionnaire, you don't have to fill out any names or addresses or anything personal about yourself.

www.lifeswitch.org

More Orange County Traffic Division stuff...

2006-10-16T20:25:00.000-04:00

Well, in the spirit of ranting about those annoying situations which sometimes arise concerning the Orange County Traffic Division...aka the Clerk of the Court, I decided to make today's entry a recap of my events for the day. Pam Johnson gave me the bright idea to write about my own circumstance simply by writing about her own personal experience recently. For those of you who don't know a little about my recent "run-ins" with the law, I was in a minor rear-end accident back in May. I was the rear-ender, so the accident was my fault. I was on my way to my son's preschool graduation, in fact, I was only a block down the road from his preschool where the ceremony was being held when traffic became bottle-necked and came to a sudden halt in the lane I was traveling in. I disregarded the number one rule of driving for a brief moment...I took my eyes off the road for a split second to look down into my purse for my watch, when before I knew it, I was looking at the rear end of the vehicle in front of me and "kaboom"! I rear-ended the little black SUV. No one was hurt, but I will never forgive myself for missing my son's preschool graduation. I was more upset about that than anything else. Since the accident was my fault, of course, I received a ticket. They only give you 30 days to pay the ticket, no matter whatever your present circumstances. So, of course, this $100+ ticket couldn't have come at a more difficult time for us financially. It was the end of the school year with summer camps to pay in advance for, not to mention all the year-end festivities and other expenses such as year-end gifts for teachers of each of my three children. Simply put, I knew I wouldn't have the money in 30 days. No problem, I thought! I will just pay the fee when it is convenient for my budget. After all, I was already out $250 for the deductible to cover the repairs to my vehicle. So, I paid the ticket about 2-3 weeks after the 30 days due date. The ticket voucher never indicated anywhere on the form what to do in case you can't pay the ticket within 30 days. Surely, I am not the only person who has ever encountered this predicament? As my long, hot, drought-like summer came to a close (and I am not talking about weather, here...I am referring to a severe lack of funds), I was unpleasantly surprised to open my mailbox one day in August to find a letter from Orange County warning me that my driver's license was about to be suspended! For what...I thought? After all, I DID pay that prior ticket. After a phone call to the Clerk of the Court, I was informed that it was due to an $18 late fee that had been tacked onto my ticket since it was paid after the 30 days due date. Of course, I was never informed that I had incurred this $18 late fee, much less that it was about to cause me a suspended license! I went down in person to the Clerk of Court on my next day off and paid the $18 fee, only to be told then that I would now need to stand in yet, another line right next to the one I had just gone through. This new line was for the DMV office and I needed to show proof that this payment had been received in order for them to NOT suspend my license. OK, so I did this. Problem solved!

Fast forward to today...I had elected on my original ticket to take the Driver Improvement/Traffic School course in order to prevent points being assessed on my license from that ticket. The deadline for taking this course and providing proof of completion of an approved course is Tuesday, Oct. 17th. Procrastination is my new middle name and so, I had put this off for many weeks. I finally signed up online last week to take an online version of this Traffic School course. I finally finished the last chapter last night and completed all quizzes and finally, passed the Final Exam, as well. I requested that the certificate of completion be e-mailed to me, so that I could print it out directly and take it down in person to the Clerk of the Court before Oct. 17th. I got home from work today and found out that the certificate had NOT been e-mailed to me as I had expected. So, I called the company and a helpful representative e-mailed me directly the certificate once again as we spoke over the phone. She was even nice enough to wait on the phone line with me to verify that I did receive it. I printed it out and raced down to the local Clerk of Court office in Winter Park at about 4:15pm, knowing that the office closes at 5pm. I still had one more day to get the certificate in the hands of the Clerk of the Court's office, but, I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if I didn't know for certain that I could successfully cross this errand off my list of duties for the day. Fortunately, as I walked into the building this afternoon, a friendly security office/police officer asked me what I needed. I simply told him that I was here to see the Clerk of Court and showed him my certificate. He asked me if the certificate was late and I promptly responded, "No...it is not due until tomorrow". He smiled and while looking at my three kids in tow, pleasantly told me that I didn't need to wait an hour in line and all I needed to do was to put my certificate in one of the labeled envelopes located on the outside of the entry door and to place it in the blue overnight drop-off box located right outside in the parking lot. It seemed too good to be true! He assured me that it was all I needed to do! So, I wrote a brief note on the form and carefully folded it and put it in one of the envelopes and dropped it into the drop box, just as he told me to do! It was nice to know that I can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that someone should process my certificate by tomorrow and hopefully, I can FINALLY put that annoying fender-bender and all the strings that came attached to that mishap behind me once and for all! Let's hope I don't get another unexpected letter in the mail soon informing me that my license is about to be suspended for them not having ever received my proof of completion of the driving course!

Scott's Syndrome: The Panic Clean

2006-10-11T10:17:00.000-04:00

As a father of 3 young children there is one constant struggle that I fear will never end... cleanliness. Cleanliness of them, their rooms, and sadly the house. Now I know there is always an expected level of clutter and mess associated with having a kid, but when it is exponentially multiplied by 300 it can get a tad unbearable at times. Finally culminating in the sad realization that you are outnumbered and the battle is all but lost. Just bury yourself in the last bastion of sanity.. the small closet containing the toilet, put your head in your hands and pray for serenity and a maid.

Then you snap back to reality by the phone ringing. It's Mom... oh Heavenly Father it's MOM. More specifically Mom-in-law. She wants to visit... in an hour! Your serenity will have to wait for another day.. for this day... you must PANIC CLEAN! T-minus 50 minutes and counting.

Now normally a panic clean is no big deal until you measure yourself against "Nana Clean". A level of clean rivaled only by the cleanliness of the level 5 containment room in the Centers for Disease Control... you know... where they keep the deadliest viruses in the world. Now that is close to "Nana Clean".

Well we got it all done and the next day I found this comic in the paper. God seems to have a really ironic sense of humor. I think He and I will get along fine.

Click to enlarge the comic to read it.

~ Scott

Our Birthday Bowling Princess!

2006-10-10T22:14:00.000-04:00

I just HAD to share some of these precious photos from our baby girl's 4th birthday party, this past Saturday! We held the party at Boardwalk Bowl...our kids LOVE to bowl now! It was SO much fun! Just a few friends and lots of relatives made for the perfect party with pizza, sodas, and of course, YUM-YUM birthday cake! Let's hear it for Princess Amanda...Hip, Hip, Hooray!!!

A Fungus Amongus

2006-10-09T15:35:00.000-04:00

Welcome to our new blog site template! I was getting tired of the Pepto Bismol pink look from the previous design, so I changed things up a bit. It was supposed to be a rose color and normally, I like rose, but somehow, it just didn't seem soothing to the eyes. So, I thought the green layout is more my style for now.

Today's entry is a bit strange. But, since so many others freely express their health issues from time to time, here goes...It's a Fungus Amongus, that is...a fungus among us. More accurately, it's a fungus among me. I had a revelation today while sitting at my desk at work. I was thinking about how for some reason, I just wasn't all that hungry today like I normally am. I had just gone down to the Nature's Table cafeteria to get some lunch and the only thing I seemed to want was a salad for lunch. That might not sound so odd, except for the fact that I rarely eat just a salad for a meal. Come to think of it, Saturday night, all I wanted for dinner was a salad. I didn't want any heavy, greasy, meat-filled dinner like I usually do. Yesterday, I craved green bean casserole, like the kind you make for Thanksgiving dinner! So, for Sunday dinner, I made green bean casserole with roast beef. What's with all the green vegetable cravings all of a sudden? I am not normally a big vegetable eater. In fact, quite the opposite! I prefer my sweets, carbs, and fats most of the time. I am a junk food junkie...it's no secret. Back to my original topic about a fungus. I was pondering the sudden interest in light meals and preference for vegetables and then it hit me! I have been taking an antifungal prescription medication for the past three days called Diflucan. It is to help cure a chronic yeast problem that I have been battling for over a year now. Actually, come to think of it, I have always had off-and-on yeast battles. I have also had frequent problems with Athlete's Foot that flares up from time to time. Athlete's Foot is also caused by a fungus..it's a variation of the Candida fungus. But, since I have been taking the Diflucan, it has miraculously cured all of those annoying symptoms associated with various yeast problems.

In the past, I have researched extensively about this little bugger on the internet. I have found out that Candida Albicans, the organism typically responsible for yeast infections, thrives on sugar in the body to survive. We all have a certain amount of yeast occurring naturally in the body, particularly women. However, when the ratio of normal levels gets out of whack due to things such as being on antibiotics for any reason, candida is likely to overgrow. Thus, a yeast infection develops. Yeast symptoms are not just associated with female problems. Yeast can cause serious upset in the digestive tract of anyone. Well, ever since I can remember, I have always had cravings for sweets. I am a "sweet-tooth" eater. It's a vicious cycle. You crave the sweets and consume the sugary foods, which in turn help keep the yeast alive and well in your body. This perpetuates the annoying yeast symptoms, such as the itching, burning, scaly skin associated with Athlete's Foot, etc. Diflucan is one of the only treatments that effectively and promptly treats my yeast problems (this sounds like a commercial, I know). The only problem is that since the typical course of treatment prescribed by most doctors is only one or two days, the symptoms almost always come back for me in due time.

Well, this time I have decided to take Diflucan for several days in a row, thereby extending the length of time overall that I am taking it. That must explain why I am noticing a sudden change in my eating habits. I mean, I truly am not craving the sugars quite as much as I normally do. My only hope is that somehow I can eradicate this little fungus from my system permanently. I know it will always be present in my body, but I am hoping to get it well under control and somehow keep it in check this time!