I'm so excited to share with you that I have been invited to be part of the team at If It's Groovy! This is such a fun and inspirational blog, and I hope you will all go check it out tomorrow when the team and the new monthly challenges are announced (Deborah assures us they will go up close to midnight so maybe even sneak a peek tonight!) There has already been lots of fun stuff going on so you can head on over right now and see but don't forget to check for all the new news April 1.

If It's Groovy

You Are a Hybrid

You're the type of person who worries about doing the right thing. You're very conscientious. You care about the world and the effect you have on it. You consider your actions carefully. Doing the right thing makes you feel good. It's who you are, not what you have, that makes you happy. You make rational decisions and think about all aspects of your actions. You don't act rashly.

What Type of Car Are You?

I wanted to elaborate a bit on my story about Lillian yesterday because I forgot one adorable thing! We were discussing how nobody is perfect, everyone sins. She knew right away that she sins. Though her initial reaction was that I don't sin it didn't take but a second for her to come to her senses. (The kid spends a lot of time with me, what can I say?) But when it came to Daddy...

Me: Does Daddy sin?
Lil: Noooooo (there is a certain tone she says it in that is sort of a family "thing" but I have no idea how to translate it into spelling.)
Me: Yes, he does. Daddy's not perfect.
Lil: He's perfect for me!!

Now tell me, how cute is that!?!?

Okay, tonight we went to see the school play at Julia's high school. As an advanced drama student she had a small part in it (she prefers the backstage end of things and also worked on sets, etc.) They did "Alice in Auburn" based on the classic "Alice in Wonderland" but written by some of the students and set in the town where the school is. It was soooo cute and so well-done! I'd tell you locals to go catch it but tonight was the last night so if you missed it...sorry!

Also, I've decided that Yeah, I may be carrying an extra 10-15 pounds still but you know what? I'm a middle-aged mother-of-five and I think I've earned those pounds. I just wish that all 15 of them weren't right around my middle making me look nine months pregnant. So anyway, I've decided that what I need is not a diet, it is just higher-waisted pants. Who's with me?

You Are The Brain

You're the type of person who's always on, always churning. You are alert and quick to react. You like to stay busy. You are responsible but also demanding. You take up a lot of energy. You are someone of deep mystery. There's a lot below the surface that's hard to figure out.

What Internal Organ Are You?

I am soooo understanding what Jesus said when he said that we should come to Him like a little child. I know, I know, I could tell Lillian the moon was made of cheese and she might believe me because I am her mom, but that isn't the point. As adults we are so jaded and so influenced by what the world tells us is true or right or cool that we have trouble accepting things at face value, even when they make sense. It becomes so hard to separate reality from what we have become convinced is reality.

Anyway, this post is brought on because tonight Lillian, out of the blue, asked me when she was going to have Jesus in her heart. (Well, tonight was Awana night so maybe not totally out of the blue, but what I mean is she remembered whatever it was they might have talked about and initiated a conversation with me about it.) We talked and I think she is still a little fuzzy on a couple points but that she is understanding as much as she does and wanting to know more is amazing to me!

I probably shouldn't be surprised. For whatever reason she seems to be the most spiritually "tuned in" of any of us. She will spontaneously pray to thank God for something or, more often, to ask His help for an injury someone in the house has received...almost on a daily basis it seems. And before any of the rest of us, yes, even the adults, have thought to do so. Tonight as she said her bedtime prayers she thanked God for being with her at Cubbies. She's been going through a stage the last few weeks where she doesn't want her daddy to leave her (we encourage her to stay anyway because after the fact she has always had a wonderful time)so tonight when he left for a bit to run to the library, I guess that is where she got her courage to see her through, and not only that she remembered to thank Him later!

I am a happy Mama tonight.

Okay, after a little bit of research, the restaurant is Harvey's Grill and Bar. Check it out!

You Are Facebook

You are social, outgoing, and excited to connect to your friends. You are interested in your friends' lives, and you enjoy adding your opinion to the mix. While you enjoy sharing online, you don't want everyone to know your business. You value your privacy. Your life is an open book to those you know but not to strangers.

Are You Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter?

Also, I wanted to say that Arnel and I went out to dinner last night and it was wonderful but I don't remember the name of the restaurant! For you locals, it is the one where Fazoli's used to be. The prices were reasonable, service was outstanding, food was delicious (thanks, I believe, to the use of copious amounts of butter,) and best of all the menu consisted of DIFFERENT things. I get so tired of going into restaurants where the menus are practically interchangeable. Blah. For dessert I had key lime pie that I literally did not have to chew it was so melt-in-your-mouth.

Woo hoo, my laptop is back!

You Are an Acai Berry

You are an intense, fascinating person with a very strong personality. You don't shy away from controversy, and you're incredibly independent. You are cultured, knowledgeable, and worldly. You have a deep understanding of things. You are lively and healthy. You believe your body is a temple, and you treat it as such.

What Tropical Fruit Are You?

To all my scrappy friends...if you haven't already seen this "groovy" website, go check it out!


If It's Groovy

If you want fun inspiration this is the place to be; I have been following along since the beginning and am impressed at how quickly it has grown. More exciting news on this soon...

You Are Rain Boots

You are a very playful and fun loving person. Nothing can slow you down. You are dreamy, and you can find the romance in anything. The littlest things make you smile. You are outgoing and friendly. You always find yourself talking to strangers. You are optimistic about the world. Even when it's raining out, the sun is shining in your heart.

What Kind of Boots Are You?

You Are Spirit

You are resilient, hopeful, and inspiring. You have a lot of emotional, physical, and mental energy. You nurture and nourish yourself. You know that you need fulfillment and downtime if you want to be your best. You stay present in every moment. You don't allow yourself to be distracted or flustered. You appreciate the life you have been given. You embrace all that is beautiful in the world.

Are You Mind, Body, or Spirit?

You Should Light a Lavender Candle

You are sensitive yet resilient. You are spiritual and emotional, but you aren't fragile. In your group of friends, you are the intuitive one. You understand and empathize with others. You're the type of person who appreciates beauty. You see can see hope and potential. You genuinely kind and nurturing. You don't like conflict or chaos. You only want peace.

What Scent Candle Should You Light?

You Are a Carrot Cake Cupcake

You are a complex person. You have many interesting layers to your personality, though others might not know it. You are drawn to a cross section of people. You friends play different roles in your life. You are like a cupcake because you are are deceptively simple. There's actually a lot to you! There are many ingredients in your life, and you only want them in proper amounts. Being you is a delicate art.

What Flavor Cupcake Are You?

Okay, okay, I've been told I'm a bad blogger again. But I don't have my laptop with all my passwords and stuff and well, I guess I've just been too lazy to do this without that push! But alas, you are all missing out on such amazing stuff around here that I just have to share! ~wink~

Okay, you will have to settle for the abridged version, sorry. Let me know if you want any more info on any of this and I will do my best to flesh it out!

February 23 I tried to sign up for an online digital photography class but it filled up very fast and I missed it. I'm on the mailing list to find out when the next session starts and will be there first thing. I really want to learn how to take full advantage of my camera.

February 27-28 Arnel and I led the youth group in the 30-Hour Famine again. It is a great cause to help World Vision. and we as a group raised enough money to feed a child for a year. I think everyone had fun and we are glad to partner with this organization.

March 14 we attended
Winter Jam '09. Amazing show by Toby Mac and I must say that Hawk Nelson redeemed themselves as live performers as well. (Some of you may remember that I was underwhelmed after seeing them at last year's Big Ticket Festival but I thought they were great here.)

Other miscellanea:

I seem to be officially in menopause. Should be interesting.

Now let's just gloss over that quickly and say that yesterday we ate delicious GREEN pudding in honor of St. Patrick's day.

Lillian has, as always, kept us on our toes, this time by sleepwalking. Last week she got out of bed saying something about 'getting the other one', walked downstairs and into the living room, where Arnel corralled her and brought her back to bed. And yes, she was most definitely sound asleep. I have no idea if things like this can be a one-time occurrence but we will be keeping our eyes open. If it is a regular thing we may have to do some 'babyproofing' at a whole different level!

A couple nights after that she had another weird sleep thing. She said something like 'look at this guys' and proceeded to start laughing. Softly at first...that sort of sound where you aren't sure if it will be a laugh or cry since sleep sounds are harder to discern. But soon it was full-out belly-laughing, guffawing I might even say. So loud that Arnel heard her downstairs. It finally wound down, just to start up again a few seconds later. And again. And again. Soon I was cracking up from listening to her and this went on for a good five minutes. And again, most definitely sound asleep the whole time.

Future news:

We signed up for a half-share of a CSA (community-supported agriculture) this summer with Garden Gate Farm. We participated in one in CO and it was a great experience. I am looking forward to seeing what this experience brings!

We are soooo excited that our good friends the Hamptons may be able to come see us this June! They were very dear friends of ours in CA and we have missed seeing them on a regular basis. We were very briefly able to touch bases with Lonna here last fall and it will be wonderful if the whole family is able to come!

We have made our annual reservations for Rose Hills Resort. This year we are going twice, one with our family and once we are renting all three cabins and going with two other families. It is such a nice, simple, get-away-from-it-all time!

At the end of the month I'm excited to be going with my dear friend Tricia to a scrapbooking crop! It is a Friday night and all day and night Saturday event (but nearby so I can come home Friday night) and they feed us, have prizes available...can't wait!

I'm also looking forward to the youth group kids performing their "Everything" skit on Palm Sunday. You may remember they performed this as a part of their Christmas show last year. Julia will play the lead girl in black and Laura is the 'party girl.'



It is so powerful and I am excited that all their hard work will be put to use for a larger audience.

And as spring break approaches I realize that the end of the school year is right on it's heels! This is a particularly big one for us as Julia will graduate from high school. She got straight As on her last marking period (one A- but in my day an A was an A!) and we couldn't be more proud of her! A girl never having attended public school before, she started her freshman year and has excelled every step of the way, not just academically but as a person. And...just as she graduates and completes this chapter, both she and Laura will begin new ones, Julia as a college student and Laura as our newest public school freshman.

Okay, winding up here but Laura says I should share about how she caught taco shells on fire last week. Just heating them up on a cookie sheet as per package directions but WHOOSH! Not just scorched, we are talking literal flames. For the record she is normally quite a good little cook.

Last thing (though I know I'll think of bunches I forgot later) is that I need to put a plug in for Gabe's blog, Gabe's Randomness. If nothing else, you must see the "Living on a Prayer" series. And you must be sure to watch it in the order it was posted, which would be the reverse order that you find it in on the blog. So first go to his March 4th post and click the link. Next, watch the videos he's embedded in his March 6th post. And finally, check out the video in the March 10th post. Trust me, it is worth your time.

Leave me a comment and let me know you are here!