The Sky is Blue

What a beautiful day. Gorgeous weather. Today our church held a beach baptism in Malibu. What a great way to get baptised. We had a nice size group of people there. We heard testimony, we prayed, and then we dunked in the cold... cold.... pacific ocean. I have yet to be baptised as an adult. I feel the call, I know I need to walk forward in obedience, but..... I am waiting for ABF to schedule a Hot Tub baptism. I am happy to host. It is just soooo cold in the ocean, even in August. It was a really nice day though. I came home and was completely toast. I slept for 2 hours. My incredible husband made dinner, baked brownies for his father / son bowling league, then he and Michael went off to kick butt at AMF . Now I am doing a little work in preparation for the week. I am trying to figure out my new laptop. It is a PC, and I haven't used anything but MAC for 10 years so I am a little rusty. It is so funny when a 10 year old has to explain why my window went all won...

I must apologize for not posting nearly as often as I should. Summer has been tough, time wise, and to be honest I haven't been very inspired by any particular topic. Fall is officially here. My oldest son just finished his first week of school. My second oldest just had his first high school football scrimmage today. So cool! I still have two at home, but my 5 th grader starts on Wednesday. Fall brings a ton of activity. It should be interesting to see how Jeffrey and I manage four boys, four schools, with him working (like crazy), and me working (part-time). It may take some strategy to make sure everyone gets where they need to be, and gets picked up on time. I am a little nervous about getting back in to the classroom. (I am facilitating in a corporate environment). I need to hit the books next week to make sure I know my content inside and out. To be honest, I am more concerned about wardrobe. Silly, right? I have lived in tank tops and yoga pants, with an assortm...

Fall is creeping up, and life will get very full very fast. I remember in the spring contemplating commitments for this fall. Now it is almost here, and while I didn't over commit in the Spring, I must admit, I am looking at a very busy Autumn. What is new right? The good news is, I feel like it is filling up with the right kind of things. It is easy to just be busy-- that is a state I do not enjoy. Busy, means stress. Busy means, harried. I want my life to be full, but not busy. I will volunteer at school in meaningful ways with controlled time commitments. I will not spend every minute on the campus's, sitting in dreadfully long meetings. I will volunteer at church in ways that will enrich my relationships, and allow me to use my gifts. I will not over commit , and allow myself to feel harried. I will seek out and work on professional projects that will help me to expand/update my marketable skills, and that provide a good return for the time invested. I will no...

It is starting to hit me that life is about to change. My youngest son is going off to kindergarten. He has been with me all day, everyday, since he was born. In fact, when I went on my trip to Seattle a few weeks ago, that was the first time we had ever been separated for more than like one night. He gets more independent with each passing day. He says things that sound so grown up. When my older guys were away this summer, I really missed them. Admittedly the quiet was nice for a day or two, but after that, it was no fun for me. You would think that after years and years in this crazy world of boys, that I would enjoy the break. It makes me a little concerned about how I am going to handle change over the next 10 years. I am facing two boys going off to college, or military, or whatever they chose, in the next few years. My baby Michael going off to Middle school in a year. I hope I can handle it. The good news is, I am back to work. I will start to rebuild my identit...

Is it wrong to force a child to do what you know is good for them? I have a child who doesn't like food. I generally go with the flow, he is not starving, and he easily drinks 1/2 gal of milk a day....but one meal a day, I monitor, and make sure he eats everything on his plate. He hates that. I have another guy who just isn't physical. He loves to swim, but outside of that, he doesn't move voluntarily. If I say, "Go outside and play!", I will find him laying in the grass playing some "make up a story game" with his friends/brothers. He needs to be pushed to play sports, dragged to the playground, it is sooooo frustrating. My oldest has had to be forced to do every single thing he loves in his life. Confusing I know. I'll explain. He didn't want to play football in high school. We gave him no choice, he had to try-out. Much to his dismay (and pride) he made the team. He started freshmen year at a new high school (not where his friends f...

It is strange how the perception others have of you is molded by a stitch in time. For example, my sons, they know me as Mom. I am the one who kisses boo boos, changes diapers, cooks, you know the drill. It is hard for them to imagine me in any other role. I am venturing back into the world of the working, and I was trying to explain the project I am working on to my son Jack. I am working with highly educated and experienced engineers (aerospace), to help them with leadership and communication skills. Jack looks at me completely confused and says..." So YOU are teaching Rocket Scientists???" like it was so beyond his comprehension that I could teach them anything. I quickly explained that yes, rocket science is out of my league....however, I do know a thing or two about how to communicate with people. It is hard for my kids to imagine me in any other role than Mom, the crafty lady, who helps at school, helps with their sports teams etc.... I am feeling like my going...

I am getting excited about the prospect of Fall sports if you can believe that. My big guy is heading into his second year of wrestling, he will be wrestling Varsity this year. With some hard work, and dedication he could be a city champion. Fortunately he has good friends who will push him to his limits. Jack is a freshman at Viewpoint this year, and he lives and breathes football. I am excited to watch him play, that kid is the nicest kid you'll ever meet in life, but he is MEAN on the field. Michael is undecided, so he'll likely play hockey this Fall, then wrestle in the winter. Our littlest guy, will play his first season of Roller Rookies (hockey), he is ready, believe me. This kid has been on hockey skates since he was like 18 months old, no kidding. So it should be a fun season. Who knew I'd end up the ultimate cheerleader??? All seasons, all sports, no time off for this gal. I am really proud of the boys. Hopefully their academic achievements this year w...

The countdown is on till my boys (three oldest) come home from their East Coast adventure. Who knew I would miss them soooo much. One week I was gone on business, that one went fast. This week is ticking by at the pace of a snail. My house is quiet, no chaos, groceries are lasting forever, it is sooooo strange. Who knew a gallon of milk could last for 4 days????? My youngest has watched "Hairspray" about a thousand times. "Good Morning Baltimore" is stuck in my head, having heard it 5000 times. It is no fun, having the older boys gone. They are enjoying good times with family, memories with Grandma & cousins, and Aunts & Uncles, but Nick, Jeff and I are truly missing them. My hope is that my in-laws are enjoying the time with all of them. It is a big undertaking having four boys, 24x7. My husband is a little worried about his Mom handling all of those boys. We feel blessed that she is willing and able to take on a grandson extravaganza like this. H...

Hey there friends. Hope your summer is going well. I see some of my friends have begun their countdown till school starts. My boys have been so busy this summer that I feel like summer has barely begun. Yet, in just two weeks, my oldest heads back to school. The rest are staggered. That happens when you have four children in four different schools, tee hee. I had a great trip to Seattle. I got back in the groove, and much to my pleasant surprise, it was like riding a bike. I think I will enjoy being back to work, and the pace, will work out well for me too. I am not giving up my jewelry business. In fact I may even do a few shows around the holidays, as it looks like my consulting schedule will be a little slow in December. Gods timing has proven itself perfect, once again, in my life. He has a much better handle on what is good for me and my family, than I do myself, that is for sure. Enjoy the rest of summer. I am counting down the days until my boys come home. They hav...