A DAUGHTER'S LOVE

I am heading out early in the morning to go to San Diego for three days. No, it's not a spontaneous romantic get away for Jon and I. My work is sending me to a conference. Unfortunately I will have very little free time :(

All the kids are in bed, and I found this card Sarah left out for me. This just cracks me up, so I thought I would share it with you. She's very worried about me flying on an airplane.

Maybe if I have time I will take pictures of my "executive suite" at the Hilton just to gloat. And maybe I will walk around in my Egyptian cotton bathrobe and eat my breakfast out on the balcony :) Or maybe even go for a run on the beach.

But trust me, if I had the choice to stay home this weekend in my pajamas with my kids, and not go anywhere, I would take that choice in a heartbeat. I would rather be home then anywhere else.

BEING A FINISHER

Blog Party Homework Is Done!Ok, ok, if I can finish a half marathon, then I guess I should finish my "homework" for this little Blog Party. I am only doing this so I won't be turned away at the door tonight. And for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, all the women who read each other's blogs are meeting tonight for a "Blog Party". But everyone had to post their answers to these questions before the party. So staying true to form, with just a few hours left, I finished the task!

What is your Motto?
Matthew 6:25-33
"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."


What superhuman power would you most want to have?
Like the old "I Dream of Genie" show when she would just cross her arms and blink her eyes and it was done. I would love to blink my eyes and have the dishes be done or a beautiful dinner made, the floors cleaned, etc.


What makes you laugh?
Hmmm....Honestly I don't laugh very easily, I don't cry easily either. I am a very non-emotional type A personality. I'm logical, competitive, and practical. Do you still like me? If anything makes me laugh, it would be my husband. We have kind of merged our senses of humor together over the years. He knows how to make me laugh.


Cats or dogs?
Neither.
Do you like me at all anymore?

Would you rather be a little smarter or sexier?
Tough one, it's almost a toss up, but I have to go with smarter.


What's the one thing you'll never understand
Professional athletes and celebrities. The amount of money they make is insane, and dare I say, undeserving. While the rest of the world is living in poverty and dying of hunger, they're buying their 6th mansion....it's not right.



My life would be simpler if?
I didn't have to work



The big decision I'm currently wrestling with is...
Cash or credit.
I have always wrestled with this. To be perfectly honest, after all the bills are payed and groceries are in the fridge there is very little, if any, left over for anything else. There are so many things I want to buy for our home, so many things for the kids, so many things for ME, new handbags, new shoes, new clothes, and the list goes on and on. This time of year is particularly hard for me...I love Christmas. I love giving gifts, and I so badly want to buy everything from the Pottery Barn catalog, especially the matching stockings with our names embroidered on them, along with a matching tree skirt. But I don't, and I won't. This is where my motto comes in handy :)

A WEEKEND TO REMEMBER

I can not put into words how wonderful these last two days were. My friend Mindy and I arrived in Seattle at 11:00 am on Saturday, stopped by the Westin and got all our event packets and everything we needed for the race. Then it was off to enjoy downtown Seattle for the day, one of my all-time favorite places. It was an absolutely beautiful, clear day and downtown was all decked out for Christmas. We went out for lunch, ate fattening lobster bisque soup, but we were running 13 miles the next day so it was justified. Went from store to store to store, and found some good bargains. Stopped in at a doughnut shop, once again perfectly justified. Then after much more shopping finished the day off with a delicious Italian dinner and creme brulee for dessert...yep we justified it. Downtown at night was beautiful, all lit up with Christmas lights, bands were playing music, and tons of people out shopping. We had so much fun on Saturday I kept forgetting the real reason we were in Seattle: To run a half marathon...yikes! Mindy is such a great friend, she's so funny and easy-going. We really had wonderful time together. Well, Sunday morning we woke up at 5:00 am to get ready for our race. You can't run 13 miles without mascara and lip gloss you know. at 6:45 we left our hotel and stepped outside to freezing temperatures and the moon shining brightly above the Space Needle. As we were walking down the street in the dark, we started seeing people from all directions, decked out in their running gear, heading in the same direction as us...that was an amazing sight. As we were standing at the starting line waiting for the blow horn to start the race, I was so nervous. Can I really do this? Before I had time to change my mind, we were off. We started right under the Space Needle and ran all the way down 5th street through downtown Seattle, the street was lined with spectators, and it was so amazing to see runners, shoulder to shoulder, as far as you could see. I was feeling good all the way up to mile 6, and then I really started feeling weak and couldn't keep up with Mindy's pace. Being the rock star that she is, she surged ahead of me and I just kind of settled into my granny pace and started talking to myself, "You're good Liz, you can do this, you feel strong, you're not even tired, you can keep running for another hour......". And then it happened, right at mile 7, there was this ginormous steep hill that actually went on for a long time, over half a mile. And I couldn't do it, I had to walk about half way through it. I was disappointed in myself at first, but now I think it was a good decision. When I saw the mile 8 sign, I knew I was going to make it, all I had to do was run 5 more miles, and I do that all the time. It was a beautiful run, we ran down by the water, and then through a wooded park, the sun was shining, the air was cool, spectators were cheering you on...It was awesome! Seeing the 10 mile sign was incredible. I couldn't believe I had ran 10 miles, the longest I've ever ran in my life, and I only had 3 to go! I tried to pick up the pace for the last two miles, but my poorly trained body was physically incapable. It took every ounce of will power to keep my legs moving on the last mile, and there were quite a few hills at the end. As I started getting closer to the finish line, the street was lined with tons of spectators cheering you on. I felt like I was back in one of my high school track meets running the last 100 meters of my 1500 meter race. I sprinted as hard as I could across the finish line, and when I stopped I seriously almost cried...I did it! What an amazing feeling that was. And I even finished with a better time then I was expecting. As I am typing this, my whole body aches, and it's going to hurt when I have to get up and walk to bed, but I am so glad I did this. And Mindy and I decided to make it an annual tradition! It really was a perfect weekend.

BEFORE:AFTER:

Another great part of this trip was that I got to see my little brother Ben, who lives in Seattle!

See You On The Other Side...

...of the finish line that is

Tomorrow morning my good friend and I are heading up to Seattle. Why? Oh, to do some shopping on Saturday, go out for dinner, stay the night in a hotel, wake up the next morning and....run a 1/2 marathon. WHAT?!!! I know I'm crazy, I can't believe I'm doing this. Back in August it sounded like a good idea. Oh sure we had plenty of time to train and get ready. I had it all scheduled out, how many miles I would run each week, it was a perfect plan. Then life happened. And I haven't been able to run near as much as I needed to. So 13 miles should be loads of fun! My goal now is to just finish without stopping. So wish me luck! And to all you blog party girls, I promise I will post my homework Sunday night when I get back....IF I make it back!

A Happy Ending

Last night was wonderful. After eight straight days of sickness, we had one lovely day without vomiting. We were all healthy....almost. Daniel and Jon were still feeling a little under the weather. But Jon and I attacked the dirty house with amazing energy, doing load after load of laundry, washing dishes, cleaning bathrooms, and Jon so sweetly cleaned the toilets. He REALLY wanted to take a picture of the dirty toilets for the blog, he thought it would be the perfect post....yuk! He excitedly called us all into the bathroom to look at it before he cleaned it. I tell you, our husbands are just little boys in big grown-up bodies.

Well as of now, I still work Sunday and Monday nights at Newport Bay. I know, crazy. Well, I had to leave for work at 5:00, so I was rushing around trying to get dinner ready and the house clean before I left. I started to get in my "stressed out mode" realizing I had only an hour left to shower and get myself ready, and then like manna from heaven, the phone rang. A sweet girl from work called and wanted to know if she could work for me because she was needing to make some extra money. Hallelujah! Of course I said yes. And so after a long, tiring week we all sat down to a wonderful meal together as a family: my famous rolls and home-made chicken noodle soup for our fragile tummies, with sparkling cider to celebrate! It was completely wonderful, a perfect ending to a long, exhausting week. God is good!

Just Call Me Super Mom

I have to apologize to my dear blog-friends out there (and the grandparents, aunts and uncles...you count too). I have been away from blog world for over a week now! I feel so out of touch, and I am looking forward to catching up and reading all of your blogs.

Where have I been? Disneyland? The beach? A week filled with too much fun to blog? Well, let's just say it's been a week I hope to never repeat. It all started last Saturday when Sarah woke me up in the middle of the night, and I rushed her to the bathroom. I held back her hair and rubbed her back, and told her she was going to be ok. When she finished throwing up, I promptly gave her a glass of water, and gently wiped her face. This repeated about seven times before morning. Sarah was sick for about three days. Then it was Olivia's turn. I stayed up all through the night with her Tuesday night. Trying to catch the puke in a bowl, washing sheets, washing it out of her hair, washing her face and comforting her until she would stop crying and fall back asleep. I didn't even need to set the alarm, by the time 6:00 am rolled in I had already been up for hours. It was off to work. Jon took care of Olivia during the day,and when I got home he headed off to work. Well, Thursday (Olivia's still sick) about 3:00 pm, it hit ME like a rumbling tornado. I ran to the bathroom and took my turn driving the porcelain bus. But I didn't even have time to recuperate, as the kids needed to be picked up at 3:30 from school. When we got home, I was back in the bathroom driving the bus. I can't remember the last time I was so sick. As this continued all through the night, I began to feel sorry for myself. Oh how I wished there was someone there to feel sorry for me, to hold my hair back for me, or get me a glass of water, or even a towel to wipe my face. But no, a mom has to take care of herself. The next morning my husband came stumbling through the door saying he had to come home from work early because he was so sick. As he laid in bed repeating what I had just gone through the night before, I painfully got the kids ready for school and in the car. I tried not to resent Jon as he laid in bed all day Friday, and even though I was still very sick, I took care of Olivia, picked the kids up from school, did the dishes, washed dirty sheets, and made dinner. And so I bestow upon myself the well-deserved title of Super Mom. As I type this, Jon is still in bed sick and Daniel has thrown up nine times today. I will sleep in a sleeping bag on Daniel's floor, so when he wakes up I will be there to make sure he makes it to the bathroom, I will rub his back, and tell him he's doing good, I will get him a drink of water, and yes...I will gently wipe his face with a clean towel like only a Super Mom can.

A Promise Made

November 8th, 1997

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

~Ephesians 3:20,21

We put this verse on our wedding program. It feels even more relevant to us today then it was ten years ago. God has truly done immeasurably more then we could have ever asked for or even imagined. He has blessed our marriage and our family so greatly since the day we were married. He has walked right along side us, as hand in hand, Jon and I have walked through some deep valleys together, and have partied on the mountain tops. To Him be the glory throughout all generations, through OUR generations, our grandchildren and great grandchildren. May God be glorified through their lives, as they live lives dedicated to serving Him. One of the many special things I remember about our wedding was our vows. I thought I would share them with you, just as a reminder to all of us of the promises we have made:

I Elizabeth take you Jon to be my wedded husband. With deepest joy I receive you into my life that together we may be one. With confidence I submit myself to your headship as unto the Lord, and I promise you my deepest my love and my unselfish devotion. Because God has prepared me for you, I will ever help, comfort and encourage you. Therefore Jon, I pledge to you my life as a loving and faithful wife to share with you in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health. To forgive and strengthen you, and to join with you so that together we may serve God and others as long as we both shall live.

I need to remember that every day, through the dishes, the laundry, the hectic schedules, and raising our kids, I made a vow, a vow to God and to my husband. I vowed to be unselfish and encouraging. I vowed to be loving and faithful. I vowed to forgive, strengthen and to serve. Every day, I need to be living out these promises. But one thing I've learned over the last ten years, I can only do it through God's strength!

Happy marriages to all of you today!

Sweet Princesses

This last Saturday, my sister-n-law Carey and I took Olivia and Sarah to Disney's Princesses on Ice. We had such a fun girls day! And all four of us girls loved the show.From one mom to another, the picture below is an example of what not to attempt! The effects of the sugar alone was a disaster. One funny sidenote: When we were walking to our car and Olivia dropped her cup and the melted snow cone made a puddle on the pavement, Olivia said, "oh, it's potty now"Olivia was so sweet. She sat on the edge of her seat, and clapped with excitement as each new princess came out.
And what trip to The Rose Garden is complete without a trip to Red Robin? Olivia loves to ham it up for her Auntie. And Sarah made good use of her Red Robin balloon. Good Times!

A Tradition of Giving

Six years ago, Jon's grandmother, Fern, lived at a retirement home. We took our two little kids all dressed up to go see her on Halloween. Well, when we got there all the residents came out of the woodwork to see the kids and try to get some free hugs. Jon's grandma was grinning ear to ear as she enjoyed the attention and everyone telling her how adorable her great-grandchildren were. Well, Jon and I both saw how lonely these wonderful elderly people were, and how much joy a smiling child can bring into their lives. So the next year we went back, but this time armed with gift bags! We made crafts and cards. We bought bookmarks, tracts, sugar free candy and hot cocoa packets. And the kids went around handing the bags out to the "old people" (as the kids call them). Sadly, Fern passed away in January of 2005. But we still go back every year, although it's not the same without her there, and we miss her very much. Well, this was our fifth year doing this, and we had a blast! Most of them remember us from previous years. The kids go through the dining room handing out gift bags. I feel so overwhelmed with joy as I stand back and watch them. They are so excited to hand out the bags, and they really do want to bless the people there. They were such troopers too! Tonight, an old man asked if he could give Sarah a kiss (yikes!), and she sweetly said, "how about a hug?" And Daniel ended up getting a big kiss on the cheek from a sweet old lady!

After dinner, Daniel and Sarah played piano for a very appreciative audience.

And we all enjoyed hanging out for a while and visiting with the residents. And Olivia was happy to give away as many hugs as she could!
 

 

After the retirement home, there was one last tradition to uphold, which is mine and Jon's favorite: Dinner at The Roadhouse! The kids love it because they can show off their costumes, be noisy and throw peanuts on the floor. Jon and I love it because we love steak and prime rib!

Then, with our tummy's full, it was off to visit with relatives.Finally, it was time to head for home. And with chocolate still on our faces, we said goodnight!