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Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Things I am thankful for...


I got this off a friends blog. You do yours and let me know on a comment.

1. Our awesome God
2. Jeremy...my amazing husband
3. Mariah...our super great daughter
4. My two great sisters, Danielle and Kate
5. My parents
6. Gummy Candy
7. A roof over my head
8. Pizza...only $8 at Walmart...very good buy, very good taste
9. My job
10. My bed
11. Brownies...making those in a few minutes...YUM
12. Pay Day
13. Eyes that work
14. Warm blankets
15. My favorite sweatshirt
16. Friends
17. The steakhouse burger at Burger King....wow...very good
18. Grandparents
19. My church family
20. Health

How about you?

Monday, November 17, 2008

New blog look...and other musings

I have a new look and name. I thought it was about time!! So, enjoy this for the winter....which around here will be half the year!!

I am realizing that I do not blog much anymore. Not sure what that is all about. I think maybe I was having fun for awhile and lost some interest. Either way, I will try to make it more regular.

So...how about a family update?!

Mariah is doing well. I can't believe she will be 4 in May. It seems like just yesterday she was born and now I have a almost 4 year old. My Mom always told me that this would happen but I think until it does...you don't really believe it. She is always doing something new...always testing the boundaries. I will admit that this is fun...most of the time. Sometimes I struggle with where to put a boundary and how to keep it without alot of argument but...well, I am learning new stuff too.

Jeremy is great! I have really fallen in love with him again over this last 2 years with all the surgeries and stuff I have gone through. He has been an amazing support. I would not have made it without him and Mariah to make me smile when it was tough. I love him with all my heart! Thanks hunny for being the amazing man and father that you are!! I can't wait for the rest of our life together!

I am doing good too! I am finally done with surgeries...for now I guess. My eyes are improving all the time and I am so thankful to God that I can see. It is a real gift to have eyes that work and I have really come to know that this year. I had 5 teeth (3 wisdom teeth and 2 bad molars) pulled this last month and that was really a great experience...well...as great as that can be. I had almost no pain and it healed very quickly.

We as a family are really looking forward to some great stuff this year. First, January 17 we are going on our first family vacation...at least first one where we are flying. We are headed to Florida for a whole week...with the rest of my family...for a fun time together! Can't wait!!

Also, we are going to be trying for baby #2 so hopefully that will happen this year. I am ready...beyond ready...to add more little people to this house. So...hopefully I will have fun news in a few months!!

Anyway, that is all for now! Hope and pray all of you are doing well! Thanks for stopping by.

Tricia :)

Monday, November 3, 2008

National Peanut Butter Lovers Month-November


I do so apologize...I am behind by a few days. Wow, November already!!

So, this month we celebrate the love of Peanut Butter. I must say that I have a love for peanut butter...especially when it is inside of chocolate! SO, enjoy the peanut butter lovlyness this month. Have yourself a daily pb & j or maybe a daily Reese! Anyway, enjoy and do tell of all the peanut butter fun on a comment!

Tricia :)

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Pumpkin Fun!!!

Mariah and I carved our pumpkins today. I did most of the work but she volunteered to do the messy part...guts and seeds!! Anyway, we had fun! I did not get any progressive pictures but below are the ones of the finished product.

Mariah and her doggy pumpkin


Mommy's silly face pumpkin

Halloween Fun!

Everyone WATCH OUT






There is a Ninja loose in the area







She is quite strong and scary






Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!














Mariah's New Toy

So, Mariah got a gift of money from her great grandma and so she picked out this lovely gift. She was very excited...she paid for it all by herself and was so proud of herself for picking out such a wonderful item.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Photo Challenge

Ok, so I am taking a challenge presented on a friends blog. You need to post the sixth picture from the sixth file in your picture file on your computer. That is it...so post away. Mine is below! Leave me a comment if you are going to do it and I will check yours out!

This is the closet where our washer and dryer are.
I took the photo before we moved in!



Tricia :)

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Ladies Retreat 2008

Last weekend we had a Ladies Retreat for our church that was loads of fun. We dealt with the subject of having a Mary heart in a Martha world...which basically means we need to put intimacy with the Lord above all the business in our lives. Great topic...much learning...much fun!! We were up until 4 am just talking on Friday night (breakfast was at 8:30). We were SO tired Saturday but it was a great experience!

Below are some pictures of the weekend. Enjoy!!

All the ladies

Gloria
*We have bible study at her house each Monday*

Ali
*I co-run the Kidz Zone in church with this lovely lady*

Gwen
*We laughed a lot on Friday night*


Darlene
*Pepsi got us all through to 4 am
*

Me
*I had fun...this was Saturday afternoon...do I look tired? I did not do my hair so instead I donned this lovely hat...doesn't it bring out my...total lack of style!?!?*


Tricia :)


My desires...becoming His

I have been spending my devotion time with the Lord learning how to pray. I have been going through "Becoming A Woman Of Prayer" by Cynthia Heald. Today I was learning about God's desires in relation to how I am praying to Him. This quote below really stuck out at me and I wanted to share it with you. I pray that it opens your eyes and hearts as much as it did mine!

Initially, I responded to His call to delight in Him to ensure the fulfillment of His promise to give me the desires of my heart. I had no idea that He would give me a new heart (Jer. 24:7). I didn't know that He would begin working in me to reproduce His own heart. When I turned to Him, I found that He Himself is my very great reward (Gen. 15:1). He is not, as I had supposed, the means to my end. He is the desire of my heart.

Jennifer Kennedy Dean



Tricia :)

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

National Popcorn Poppin' Month-October


It is that time again...when we celebrate a holiday for the month. There were so many choices to make but this one just popped off the page at me (get it...popped...popcorn...HAHAHAHA). Anyway, we celebrate National Popcorn Poppin' Month for October. So...go get some popcorn and pop it. Have fun, be creative. You could make popcorn balls for the Halloween guests. You could have movie night...every night!!! Whatever you choose, try to enjoy the kernel that is popcorn...and pop it!!!

Tricia :)

Monday, September 29, 2008

Watch before Voting!!


I don't usually do the "politics thing" but this video is a MUST SEE before voting in November. I really think we need to make a wise decision at the voting polls and this may just help you do that!

Tricia :)

Update: They tried to take this off the YouTube network for copyright reasons...didn't work!! Anyway, I updated the link just in case it was not working well!

Thursday, September 25, 2008

So cute


This has been on YouTube for a little while but I had to post it here. It is Mariah singing and my sister and brother-in-law's place. Doug taped it on his computer and posted on YouTube. Just go to the link on the word "this" and you can see it on Doug's YouTube Channel. Enjoy!!

Tricia :)

PS- This is my 80th post...just in case you care!!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Bad news...doing ok with it


Well, I went to an oral surgeon today to consult about some bad teeth. Looks like I will be having surgery (again) on October 24 to remove 5 (yes that is five) teeth from my mouth. I have 3 wisdom teeth that are becoming a problem and 2 teeth that had previous root canals and have fallen apart.

Well, I knew things were not good but I was not ready for this. Plus the out-of-pocket cost is very high and a bit scary. I have to say that I did not have a good reaction to this or what I was facing financially and physically (sorry Mom).

Things have changed tonight though. I had a few moments on the way to the bank and to pick up some rolls for dinner tomorrow. I was alone...just me and God. I didn't really say much to Him, I just kind of listened. I came to the conclusion that although this REALLY STINKS, I am going to choose to be ok with it and let Him work out the details.

Why am I telling you this? Because I need prayer. I really want to allow God to work through this...allow Him to have the control and just wait and listen to His plan. I can't change it...it has to be. So...like I had to do with all the other surgeries...I am choosing to be ok with it. I don't think I will ever like it, ever want it...but I WILL be ok with it.

I don't have a choice, really. I know that we all have the choice to be selfish and think "Why me" but as a follower of Christ, that is not an option for me.

So, please pray that will continue to be my outlook. It will be a daily thing but I know in His strength I can do it!

Thanks for listening (reading)!

Tricia :)

Update: I posted this last night just to ask for prayer and let you know what I wanted to do about it. Well, this morning God provided!! I got a call from someone and all the money we need to pay for the procedure is coming in the mail. The coolest things is that God had this money set aside before we even knew we needed it. Praise our amazing God for what He has done! I owe Him all the praise and thanks, and of course thank you to the special ones who God is using to help us! AMEN!!!!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Thoughts on God


Please go here and read this post. I found this blog through another blog I follow and read this post today. I was very inspired and thought you would like to be too. It is a profound look at how we view our God and life with Him. Good stuff!!

Tricia :)

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Can you survive???

I saw this on a friends blog and had to put it on mine. Enjoy ladies!!


THE NEXT SURVIVOR SERIES

Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and

3 kids each for six weeks.


Each kid will play

two sports

and either take music

or dance classes. They will also attend cubs, brownies, sea cadets or similar.

There is no fast food.


Each man must:

take care of his 3 children,

keep his assigned house clean,

correct all homework,

and complete science projects,

also, cook, do laundry,

and pay a list of 'pretend' bills

with not enough money.


In addition, each man

will have to budget in money

for groceries each week.

Each man

must remember the birthdays

of all their friends and relatives,

and send cards out

on time--no emailing.


Each man must also

take each child to a doctor's appointment,

a dentist appointment

and a haircut appointment.

He must make

one unscheduled and inconvenient

visit per child

to A & E

He must also

make gingerbread men or choc chip cakes

for a social function.

Each man will be responsible for

decorating his own assigned house,

planting flowers outside

and keeping it presentable

at all times.

The men will only

have access to television

when the kids are asleep

and all chores are done.

The men must

shave their legs,

wear makeup daily,

adorn themselves with jewelery,

wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes,

keep fingernails polished

and eyebrows groomed.

During
one of the six weeks,

the men will have to endure severe abdominal pain, persistent lower back aches,

and have extreme, unexplained mood swings, but never once complain or

slow down from other duties.

They must attend

weekly school meetings, concerts & plays, church, and find time

at least once a week, to spend the afternoon

in the park or a similar setting.

They will need to

read a book to the kids

each night and in the morning,

feed them, dress them,

brush their teeth and

comb their hair by 7:00 am.

A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information:

each child's birthday,

height, weight,

shoe size, clothes size, teachers name, best friends name and doctor's name.

Also the child's weight at birth,

time of birth,

and length of labor,

each child's favorite color,

middle name,

favorite snack,

favorite song,

favorite drink,

favorite toy,

biggest fear and

what they want to be when they grow up.

The kids vote them off the island

based on performance.

The last man wins only if...

he still has enough energy

to be intimate with his spouse

at a moment's notice.

If the last man does win,

he can play the game over and over

and over again for the next 18-25 years

eventually earning the right

To be called Mother!

Tricia :)

Monday, September 15, 2008

The Room

17-year-old Brian Moore had only a short time to write something for a class.. The subject was what Heaven was like. "I wowed 'em," he later told his father, Bruce. "It's a killer. It's the bomb. It's the best thing I ever wrote." It also was the last.

Brian's parents had forgotten about the essay when a cousin found it while cleaning out the teenager's locker at Teary Valley High School. Brian had been dead only hours, but his parents desperately wanted every piece of his life near them-notes from classmates and teachers, his homework. Only two months before, he had handwritten the essay about encountering Jesus in a file room full of cards detailing every moment of the teen's life. But it was only after Brian's death that Beth and Bruce Moore realized that their son had described his view of heaven. "It makes such an impact that people want to share it. You feel like you are there." Mr. Moore said.

Brian Moore died May 27, 1997, the day after Memorial Day. He was driving home from a friend's house when his car went off Bulen-Pierce Road in Pickaway County and struck a utility pole. He emerged from the wreck unharmed but stepped on a downed power line and was electrocuted. The Moores framed a copy of Brian's essay and hung it among the family portraits in the living room. "I think God used him to make a point. I think we were meant to find it and make something out of it," Mrs. Moore said of the essay. She and her husband want to share their son's vision of life after death. "I'm happy for Brian. I know he's in heaven.! I know I'll see him"

Brian's Essay: The Room...

In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either direction, had very different headings.

As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "Girls I have liked" I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching.

A file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I have betrayed." The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird "Books I Have Read," "Lies I Have Told," "Comfort I have Given," "Jokes I Have Laughed at." Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "Things I've yelled at my brothers." Others I couldn't laugh at: "Things I Have Done in My Anger", "Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents." I never ceased to be surprised by the contents.

Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my years to fill each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature. When I pulled out the file marked "TV Shows I have watched", I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of shows but more by the vast time I knew that file represented.

When I came to a file marked "Lustful Thoughts," I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded. An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!" In insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it.

Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh. And then I saw it.. The title bore "People I Have Shared the Gospel With." The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand. And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt. They started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key.

But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him. No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one? Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again.

He walked over and put His arm around me.. He could have said so many things. But He didn't say a word. He just cried with me. Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card. "No!" I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was "No, no," as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these cards.

But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood. He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished."

I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door.. There were still cards to be written.

Tricia :)


Thursday, September 11, 2008

New Job

Ok, so I started my new job yesterday evening. I went in expecting to learn and maybe have a hard time adjusting. Not really...on both accounts! I can't say I didn't learn anything but they were totally unprepared for me to come in. The front end manager had no idea I was coming in...that started the evening off just great. Then, I was moved around quite a bit. I can't say I really had any real training last night. I was scheduled to be on until 10 but they were short handed last night (due to bad planning by our friend the front end manager) so I was sent home at 8:00.

Oh well, all in all it is going to be a good thing. I enjoy the fact that I have some time outside of the house. I will miss my little sweetie while I am gone but it is a good thing to be out alone. For all those mommies out there who get how I am feeling, say Amen!!

Well, off for a fun afternoon before starting work at 5:00. Let's just hope things are in order this evening...if not, I will at least be learning flexability!

Tricia :)

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Parking for all

Mariah likes to "park" her bike with the cars. We all have our transportation lined up...Mommy's, Mariah's and Daddy's. Thought it was cute, shared it with you. Enjoy!!


Tricia :)

My two favorite people

I love these two! They are the light of my life. I was just outside watching them and thanking God for giving them to me. I appreciate every little thing and can't imagine my life without both of them in it. Can't wait to add more to the family and expand my love even more!


Tricia :)

Bug in a Rug

Here is Mariah getting "snug as a bug in a rug" in our new sleeping bag. We got it for my ladies retreat that our church is having this month but we also have other retreats throughout the year so it will get much use from both Jeremy and me. Anyway, thought she looked cute!

Tricia :)