Adam's cool weekend:

This weekend will be pretty cool for Adam. Friday night is a sleepover with a bunch of friends for a birthday party. They're going to stay up most of the night playing video games. They'll be leaving for their own homes mid-Saturday.

Sunday, Adam will be at church, as usual.

Sunday night, the church where Adam attends his Bible Study (and played sports) is hosting an all-niter at Amazing Jakes from 11pm to 6am. (Yes, there's church chaperones and his friends are all going and the doors get locked so no strangers get in. Only church-invited people can attend.) They get video games, a pizza buffet, go-kart racing, laser tag, bowling, rock climbing wall, karaoke, bumper cars and snacks! Oh, to be 14 with so little responsibilities again!

But to do the right thing, Adam did both Friday's and Monday's schoolwork early so that he can sleep in Monday and not get behind on his classes. A motto in our house is "We do what we HAVE to do before we do what we WANT to do."

The Adam Fan Club

How funny is this? Jordan and her friends started an Adam Fan Club and so Jordan set up a blog where his members can keep up with what's going on in his life, see pictures of him, and learn more about him.

Maybe it'll be a good experience for him to learn to model good behavior, and be a good example because people are watching his every move. It could be an important lesson if he's going into law or politics.

The website is www.adamtowerfanclub.blogspot.com

Logan & Adam's Birthday songs

Make a free ecard - it's easy!

Logan turned 12 on Friday the 8th. Adam turns 14 on Sunday the 10th.

Adam goes to Washington?

Well, not exactly...but he IS spending this week in downtown Phoenix learning how government works. He's part of a group that does one week a year together, called Teen Pact. Christian, homeschooled students get together to learn how to write bills, how they're turned into laws, Parliamentary etiquette (rules used in government, like you see on C-Span), etc. They deal with issues that are important to the values they hold, as well as funny ones. He's learning a lot and spending all week with highly intelligent people who plan to make a difference and change this country for the better. They are the leaders of tomorrow, and I'm really proud of him.

Who said life was fair?

Last night I mentioned to Tim that I'd like a cookies n' cream shake from Chick-Fil-A next to our house. As soon as I said it, he was out the door to get one for me, himself and Adam, since he stays up with us later than the other two.

In the morning, I come downstairs and I'm greeted by Logan & Jordan. Not by "Good morning!", but by "so, did you 'eat more chicken' (Chick-Fil-A's slogan) or did you drink more shakes? We found the containers in the trash."

Okay, so where do we get the idea as kids that life is always fair? It never is. There's lots of times when good stuff happens to bad people and bad stuff happens to good people. Many times the people that stay home collecting checks have nicer lifestyles than those who work hard at 2 jobs. The short lines take longer than the long lines at the grocery store. The snobby kid gets all the recognition. The spoiled kid keeps getting more and more. The poor kids struggle day after day, grateful for what little they have, and can't seem to get ahead. So where does this idea of fairness come from?

Maybe it goes beyond this world...When you get good things in this world, but aren't a good person, you lived selfishly for yourself and not for others, you never needed to be "saved" since you didn't seem anything you did was wrong, than what you get here on earth is ALL you get.

When you lived your life for others, but still made mistakes, still lost your temper, still made some bad choices, but you understand that, you realize you need someone to save you from the bad things you've done, and you trust Jesus, you may not always get a lot here on earth. Here's where the fairness comes in - you get eternity without tears, pain, mourning, death, problems - forever! So maybe the fairness thing is instilled in all of us before we're born, and we spend our time trying to figure out what's fair and what isn't.

Free Rice while Learning

I got this link from a friend. Play for free, no sign in required, build your vocabulary, and the advertisers donate money to buy rice for the hungry. Please Play, then bookmark it to play often.

http://www.freerice.com/index.php

It's been a good week for Adam.

In the last 4 days, Adam got a wii, got to use his Subway giftcard for their "sub of the day", got a Starbucks Strawberry Frappaccino with another gift card, bought Metroid Prime 3, and pre-ordered Brawl that comes out, oddly enough, on his birthday in 3 weeks.

For Tim, it's a time of him changing jobs soon, so we're not sure how his schedule will look. Fortunately, we have activities to a minimum, so whatever it turns out to be, it shouldn't be too hard to adjust to.

For me, this week is a time to focus on praying for my ladies' bible study friends. Our group has grown to almost 30 women, so praying for each of their requests is pretty time-consuming. Our latest study is laid out with every other week off from homework. That gives us all plenty of time to pray for a few friends per day, at least every other week.

For Logan, it's been a tough week. He's been in an arguing mood all week. He argues over everything, no matter how little or stupid. Not like he wants to be confused with the facts or anything!

And then there's Jordan. The smallest in a house of all Type-A personalities with attitudes and stress. She spends a lot of time doing girly things in her room...makeup, hairstyling, playing with Barbies, re-decorating her 8 X 10 room...just trying to stay away from everyone til the air gets a little more breathable.

Next week's goal: To get outside more, walk, take in more sun and fresh air, bringing the kids with me. I bet it'd do us a world of good - but the wii's still new, so the kids stayed in all week.

Adam got a Wii - finally!!!

Today was a great day for Adam. He worked outside, in 100+ degree days in the middle of summer, outworking the adults. He earned hundreds of dollars. He spent the next 5 months debating if he really really wanted a Wii or not. After much deliberation, he decided he wanted one, and as you probably know, it was sold out EVERYWHERE !!!

Enter my childhood best friend, Michelle. She lives in Massachusetts. I told her how frustrated Adam was at not finding one, so she decided she'd find him one back east, even if she "had to go to China to get it!" Her relative had one he never used beyond the first week he bought it, so she got it from him, boxed it up and sent it to Adam, paying for the shipping herself.

We never told Adam it was on the way. (Michelle and I love fun surprises for other people!) The box came in today. I said to Adam, "Could you unpack this box for me while I do something?" His reaction was just as expected...he kept saying "OMG! It's a Wii !!! I can't believe it!" I've never seen him so happy.

I'm also beaming from ear to ear, not because I got to help make him happy, but because now I don't have to hear how frustrated he is every single day about not having one, stupid Japanese marketing, and artificial supply and demand. Yes, he really talks like that.

So today was a very good day.

Boys and Weapons

You teach them right, you tell them to appreciate peace, and by the time they're 4, they bite their toast into the shape of a gun! My boys aren't the type to enjoy jumping in mud puddles, skateboarding on guardrails, or wrestling each other. They ARE the type who:

- raced down a huge hill from the barn to the driveway on anything with 2 wheels while dragging their feet, putting new holes in the toe of new shoes every few weeks
- took off at 2 years old during a party to drive a tractor away from the house into the center of Papa's yard while all the men looked on and the women were busy in the kitchen
- while the adults were giving supervised horse rides around the arena, one boy took off on his own horse to the other end, a good 200 feet away!
- went out for a day with Papa at the horse farm and came back with blood all over his chin and shirt because he wanted to "swing on the electrical tape"
- now in their teen and pre-teen years, they still play with toys - like a blowdart gun and air soft rifles

And that's just the way they were made - I wouldn't have it any other way - Ahhh, fond memories.

Say it isn't true!

Is the football season really almost over? That's so sad. I wait all year to watch football on Sundays (and Mondays, and Saturdays...), then it's gone so quickly! All in all, it's been a good year. The Cardinals did better than most people expected. Before the pre-season got started, I called that they'd end about half wins/half losses. I was pretty happy. I also still like the Patriots. I figure if I had to live through 30 years of them being so awful - I can live out of New England and still share in their victories. But my favorite team of all - the Indianapolis Colts - did great this year! #2! Thier coach Tony Dungy is great. I was thrilled when Payton Manning finally got his superbowl win last year. The guy next door roots for Dallas (I can't stand their coach, therefore, I don't like them). Last year he told me they were going all the way and I told him it'd be the Colts. This was about 2 weeks into the season...I was right! Woo-hoo!

I've loved watching football as long as I can remember. I think it's because it reminds me of happy times. My family never watched football. I used to watch with my friend Sue's family when they'd gather for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's and the SuperBowl. We even followed Boston College when Doug Flutie was their quarterback! As I got older, my best friend Michelle and I used to watch football together too. She liked the Steelers and either the NY Jets or the NY Giants. I like the coming together for a common cause, I guess. It never was about the cute little pants they wear like some girls. It's all about the game.

Now in my house, I watch my 3 favorite teams and whoever else may be on (except Dallas). The rest of the family isn't into it like I am, they just "tolerate it" I guess. I'm the only one yelling at the TV and coming unglued over bad calls made against "my" team. And now, it's almost over.

What am I going to do on Sunday afternoons for the next 6 months?

I love winter in Arizona

I spent a good 2 hours or more today talking on the phone with my best friend from my childhood/teen years and my little sister. Both live in Massachusetts, where I was born and raised. The greater Boston area got over 44 inches of snow in just the month of December!!! They're both pretty happy people normally, but I can tell they're both sick of the cold, gray weather and driving in mounds of snow. One's moving here, one's moving to Florida next fall.

I hated all but about 8 weeks of the year in New England and spent most of my life asking, "Why do we still live here?" The year we left (2003), it actually snowed in 8 months of the year! Our first snow was in October and our last storm, which dropped about a foot, fell on May 3rd! I'm so thankful I'm here year-round, but ESPECIALLY in the winter! I wish I could tell them it'll all be okay when next Christmas they're eating outdoors staring at Palm trees.

Every day I see another beautiful, amazing site here and wonder how many thousands of people drive by the same thing and are blind to it...a gorgeous sunset, pink and purple clouds, a rainbow that touches the ground, sun rays blazing from a hole in a cloud, the blue water of the Salt River contrasting the green and gray desert on either bank, the purple hues of the Superstition Mountains, the view of Phoenix lights from the McDowell mountains, a cotton field in full bloom (kinda looks like snow, right?)...I could go on and on...

I guess my message for today is to take the time to look around and enjoy the beauty all around.

Amazing Grace movie

If you haven't seen the movie Amazing Grace, it's about William Wilberforce, the great abolitionist of the European slave trade. Based on the true story, it's a reminder of how we need to stand for what's right, even against great opposition. If good men do nothing, then who's making all the decisions?

Also, a quick reminder to register to vote, do your homework: find out how each candidate has voted or where they really stand on issues. So often, I hear people say they're voting for a particular candidate, just to next say they agree or disagree on something that contradicts that candidate's stand.

Value the freedom we have in America. Be thankful we aren't under the rule of an evil king, dictator or other ruler, like so many of our ancestors were. Veterans were willing to die for us to have freedoms and choices. Be smart. Be pro-active. Vote intelligently.

I love to take walks.

This morning I decided to take a walk with Logan & Jordan. (Adam's not into walks I guess.) We live in a very unique place. Our complex is located right next to a nice, safe neighborhood with million dollar homes. They all have manicured lawns, no trash to be seen, fountains, bridges, stained glass, rose bushes trimming the edge of the lawn, you get the idea. I love walking through that neighborhood. It's peaceful, with very few (if any) cars on the roads. I always feel safe walking there.
I feel good that I did something good for myself. I feel renewed, my mind is cleared, the wind on my face, the sun shining on me, it's the best way I know to spend 40 minutes with my kids.
If you live in a place too cold for a walk, maybe walking in a mall is for you; or curling up in a cozy chair under a blanket, sipping hot cocoa, reading a good book for 40 minutes. If you're stressed, maybe it's a 40 minute soak in a hot bubble bath - you're never too old for that.
As much as my resolutions have to do with others - we all need time to recharge and renew. Find a way to enjoy some time for yourself today.

"Amateur Night"

Hello Everyone,

Happy "Amateur Night"! That's what Tim calls New Year's Eve. It's the night when people drink more than usual, and those that usually don't drink and drive, do. It's the night we choose to stay home, and stay safe. The scariest thing we have to worry about is someone in our complex hitting a carport pole.

I plan on being asleep before midnight, but I'll see the Tempe Town Lake fireworks from our window at 10pm (to coincide with New York's midnight celebration in Times Square). I plan on welcoming 2008 with anticipation, hope and joy for all I know God's going to do in our lives this year.

A tradition here is to watch Rudolph's Shiny New Year with popcorn. We did that last night. Now the year's complete.

May you all be safe, healthy and blessed.

2008 Resolutions

Every year I write resolutions, and by mid-June, I've forgotten what they are and where I put them. Sometime around September I come across them, and see which ones I still have time to complete. I never lose the extra weight I'd like to, I always read enough books to hit my goal, I may finish 1 or 2 things that were undone when I made the list, but for the most part - I don't get much done (on the list, anyway).

This year, I'm going to work on less tangible things. Instead of focusing on tasks, I'm going to work on relationships.

This isn't my final list, but it's a start of putting ideas in writing:

1. I'm going to find someone who needs a friend and choose to make the first move to befriend her.

2. I'm going to be a better listener. I don't need to be thinking of what I'll say when it's my turn, if it's important, it'll come to me. I'm going to look in their eyes and really listen.

3. I'm going to anonymously bless someone in need in a way they'd never expect.

4. I'm going to make or create something for a friend to let them know how special they are to me.

5. I'm going to spend more time playing with my kids instead of everything being task-focused. I'm going to play football and soccer with my boys, color with my daughter, play board games that THEY pick, and I may even be willing to learn how to play one of their multi-button chaotic video games.

6. I'm going to really watch what I say to Tim. I'm always working on self-improvement, so I tend to offer tips on improvement on the right way to do things. I married Tim because he was so smart, so when did I start thinking I was smarter anyway? I don't harp, insult, make fun of, or disrespect him - but I could do better to NOT complain over stupid little stuff. I give him plenty of reasons to criticize, yet somehow, he just never does - really - never.

7. I hate the phone. Maybe it comes from years as a telemarketer? I prefer emails and text messages. They're short, to the point, and I don't have to endure a long, drawn-out story for the tenth time. One of my resolutions is to use the phone more. People have just as much to say as I do and I could learn a lot if I just give them their chance.

8. I'm going to become more involved in my community. I've been here almost 5 years now, and if I want my city to be a better place, it's time to stop waiting for someone else to fix it. I was given certain gifts, talents and abilities. How dare I not use them to help others.

Well, that's a good start. See what I mean by not being task-focused? So what are your resolutions going to do for your life?



7.

Getting Back to Normal

The tree is down and put away, along with the lights, ornaments, and knick-knacks. The Christmas Dinner leftovers are just about gone. The relatives have gone back home. The Christmas cards are down, the photos from friends and family are in a pile to be scrapbooked.

I eagerly await the first of the new year - every year. I set goals for what to accomplish, how many books I'll read, you know how it is. And this year, I look forward to bringing in the new year full of hope, plans of changes for us.

Tim and I are praying and hoping we'll be in a position to buy a home we want, for half the asking price. In it, the kids get their own room, we'd have a grassy back yard, walled for privacy and safety, and a floor plan condusive to teaching not only my kids, but tutoring others as well. I'll be able to help single Moms who wish they could have their kids homeschooled. I'll be able to help families that homeschooled but Mom needs to work now. I'll be able to help teach students who's parents don't have the confidence, time or ability to teach a high schooler. It's a win-win situation.

We also will be continuing our study of Spiritual Gifts with our small group friends, "Urban Tribe".

Tim wants to change jobs but until the house thing is either a yes or a no, we can't really do anything. Not sure what he wants to do, but he's exploring all types of avenues.

I'll be starting a new Bible Study on Tuesday mornings. We'll be studying Stepping Up by Beth Moore. I'll also be supporting my boys in drama and running my daughter to soccer practices and games.

Adam will be starting up his second session with his Small Group Bible Study. He meets with other teen boys his age and a mentor who facilitates the study. He also will be in The Music Man this spring. They perform the weekend of April 24th.

Logan also will be in The Music Man, hoping for a lead. I wonder if he remembers he can't sing well yet?

Jordan is done dance until she qualifies for the next level at age 12. She's switching to sports rather than repeat level 1 or 2 dance classes for the next few years. She'll try soccer in March.
We've been cooking a lot together lately. She has a scrapbook cookbook we started on her last birthday. She cooks something, and we take 2 pictures. One of the finished product, and one of her cooking it. We include the recipe. When she's older and on her own, she'll have a book full of memories as well as a cookbook full of recipes she's already tried to make.

Our cat is still fat and lazy. When we move, she'll be an outdoor cat once again. Maybe that'll help?