Snow....

More snow....ugh! I even checked flight prices to get the heck out of ND, but, alas, the price is too high. They were all from $480 and up. I was hoping for one of those cheap Allegiant Air flights of $29 one way to Phoenix and then booking two seats, one for me and another for Michelle. I guess I'll be putting up with the snow. Pooh.

Slow down!

Woah!!! Finally to Sunday night. The last week was so busy with concerts, work, Christmas parties, weddings, etc. that I am really hoping that this week is a chance to slow down a bit for some relaxation.

The wedding of Carissa and Jake was very nice this weekend. A big congrats to them!!! They seem very happy and are so cute together. It was great to see some Kansas friends and just to visit with Shauna and Telli again. I miss my friends so much sometimes!!!

Now, off to the new week. Work, work, then off for a couple of days....then Christmas!!! : ) Yippee! I'm excited for the weekend's activities.

I'm here again!

Can you believe I have written so many days in a row? Wow!

Hannah's concert was cute tonight. I'm gearing up for a crazy, busy week to follow. Hopefully our Saturday night will be relaxing as we go to a friend's wedding and hang out at a hotel in Fargo. It'll be fun to go away again.

Happy Monday night all!

Mmm good!

I finally did a wee bit of baking for the season. First off I mixed up the sugar cookie dough, which is refrigerating as I write. Then I made a pumpking roll, part of which we have already eaten! Now I have to motivate myself to get off my chair to roll out those sugar cookies and bake them. I think my energy is waning. I need to finish some sewing and do my week's lesson plans too. So...I don't think I'll get everything done, but I'd best be off and away.

I hope everyone's weekend was great. Christmas concert tomorrow! Yippee for the season! Hannah's practicing right beside me, so I've got a sneak preview of the big event. Kids get so excited for their concerts that it's just motivating. She also gets to wear a new dress that her Grandma Johnson and aunt Lisa bought for her. We haven't seen it yet, but she's excited to get something fancy and new. : )

Weekend

Hannah made her teacher ornaments and dipped spoons. I hope these are decent enough gifts for everyone. It almost seems a bit cheap, but I got coffee mugs for all the teachers and had Hannah make a homemade ornament and dip a spoon in chocolate to include with the mug for coffee. I may have to buy some Starbucks Via packets to include with them. I'm not sure yet. Hmmm....

I'd like to tackle cookie making tomorrow. I just don't like that the little girls want to help and end up making my job even messier and longer. I know, I know. It's how they learn. But...I need more patience! : ) I would really like to have some spritz cookies and soft sugar cookies though, so I'll have to get busy.

Decorations

It's finally looking like Christmas at my house! The tree has been decorated and other little decorating touches have been placed around the house. The girls have opened their yearly Christmas ornament and poem, and the tree is looking beautiful. I do believe this is the best tree we've had ever. It's beautiful...and I'm not a decorator. I did it without Lisa! : )

The pictures do not do justice. Really. It does look good, I promise!

Potty trained!

WE ARE DONE WITH DIAPERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is so incredibly awesome to be able to say! I worried (and I'm not really a worrier usually!) that Sierra just would not do this, but WE ARE THERE!!! All people in my household now wear panties (or underwear if they're men). Yippee!!

Man, does time fly! I haven't even looked at my site since August. Now that's bad!!!

Just some thought loosening tonight. Am I wrong to expect more out of teenagers than really bad language and secret lives? I'm really disappointed in someone right now. I guess I expected a lot better behavior from a Christian teen. Just not sure what to do. So many young girls use language, post pictures, and watch things that are so out of their league. Should parents be told? Should we ignore this, and it'll go away? Just not sure...

Another job!

Unbelievably, I have yet another job!!! I just started my first day back at teaching English yesterday. I am at Goodrich Public School part-time, and so far everything is going so well. The kids are so nice!!! Honestly, I keep waiting for someone to act up, but it's just not happening. Praise the Lord! : )

I was afraid to take this job, but it really is a God thing in the way it answers some financial needs prayers. I am very thankful for this opportunity.

I best get back to the other million things I do! By the way, the wedding in July was super! All went well, and all else was beautiful. I now hope to get a 40th wedding anniversary party planned for my parents and a Reimche family reunion as well, hopefully for sometime in November.

Toodles!

Working...

I'm sticking to it!!!!...well, for the third day in a row anyway. I am trying to lose the 50 pounds I've wanted to lose for the last...well, forever. I am going to go with Denise Austin's advice for walking 12 miles a week and also doing her workouts (12-minute sessions). So far I've done them, and I am actually stiff muscled so it must be doing something! : ) Today was tough! I biked 3 miles and the 1-1/2 miles back against the wind was NOT FUN.

I'm trying to stick to my tithing too! That also is not going to be easy because this is a tough pay period once again. We've got way more expenses than money...always!!! What is with that???

The work in my house is so sickening! When, oh when, will the girls stop dropping EVERYTHING on the floor!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot stand a mess anymore. I want so much to be able do the deeper down cleaning like wall washing, windows, and cupboard washing, but I am just constantly sweeping and picking up toys. Ugh!

So...work is my theme today. Not much else of interest in my head right now. Sorry! Until next time....get to work!!! : )

Convictions

Praise the Lord, He's still talking to me! They say if your conscience does not bother you, be very worried! Well, I do have to say thank you to Pastor Mike for the Sunday before last's sermon on tithing. I have been so bugged lately that we have not been giving as we should since it seems we are continually short of money. HOWEVER, I was very convicted by the verse that has spoken to me so many times throughout my life.

Malachi 3:10 "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."

Glory! I have fears, of course, but I AM going to "test" God in this. We must. It is obedience. This verse is the only time in the Bible God says to test Him. Other places say do not put the Lord your God to the test. Very interesting. It certainly shows how serious God is about our money...excuse me, HIS money. Everything is His in the first place. I just need to bring Him back what was His already.

My other conviction is through my Bible study about the Biblically beautiful woman. Arg!!! This week's lesson was on the Irritating Woman. Sadly, I have been that woman at times. Thank you God for continuing to work on me in this area. I have so many things to change.

Whew! So much to chew on! : )

Aw shucks!

It was a near win! Larry put a bid in on a GMC Yukon Denali (2004) for $12,300. I nearly died when I heard he did that, except I know that they book out at around $22,000+, so I let him live long enough to ride out the bidding war! : ) No miracle for us, however. The vehicle sold for $12,600, I believe. SO CLOSE!!!!! So, the prayers continue for a better vehicle or money to fix our current problems. Sigh... Better luck next time...

Valentine treats

I have had a really good Valentine's weekend! To start it off, Joel and Destiny came over and made supper for everyone. That is the best thing EVER!!!! To have someone do the cooking and dishes was so super! I have wanted that for a very long time. Thanks guys!! The meal was awesome and so was the conversation.

Saturday I rode along beside a snowmobile run. (I didn't have a snowmobile so I had to be in a pickup.) The weather was absolutely horrible, but everyone on the run seemed to have a lot of fun, and in the end I really did have a good time. It was nice to get out of my house and just socialize. I think I really needed that!

Tonight Larry and I are going to a Valentine supper of prime rib at our church. I don't what the "entertainment" portion is, but I'm sure it will be a nice little getaway as well.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I have given my girly sweethearts a tumbler with candy in it, and they love it! I don't think the candy will last through the day...as usual! Sweets for the sweet!

New things

It is a new year, and I'm trying to accomplish things. I have typically tried something new every year for the last decade (or so) and need to come up with something once again! I have done anything from getting my CDL driver's license to hot air ballooning to having a baby. This year I think my goal for the year will be to sell garden produce this summer at a farmer's market or maybe even sell a quilted project at a craft fair. I'm still in the consideration phase...

My other new plan, but not so new since I've been trying for about 25 years, is to lose weight. I am failing miserably, I must say. My plan has been to lose 5 pounds per month for the last three. I have successfully lost/gained...ZERO. I guess at least I am not gaining, right? My metabolism just plain stinks. I have been very faithful about going to the gym for at least 20 minutes a day, and NOTHING! Ugh.

My third new thing is that I finally finished my January quilted wall hanging. Phew! Now I need to buy the fabrics to get started on a February runner from that same pattern book. I should have that done by February 2011... : )

The next new thing is that Destiny is living in the area again! Shocking! Hopefully she likes her new job. It should be exciting being in the salon atmosphere and being a part of all of the dolling up that women do each day. I am sure she is sorely disgusted with me since I am so NOT that type of woman. I'd really like to be prettier, but all that work on appearance just does not interest me. Maybe that can be another "new" thing for me...try to be more appearance conscious.

Let's see...more newbies...Well, I'm still waiting on Sierra and Maci to be potty trained. That's another miserable failure. It seems to be taking forever. I absolutely cannot wait for the days of no diapers! Speaking of which, Sierra is just standing by me asking for her to be changed. Sigh...

Goodbye all. Have a great day, and go and start something NEW today! : )