For the last several years, it has become a tradition for us to spend the weekend before school starts with T, Dash, N and C-man. So as this summer has wound down (seems like it had barely begun) we took a road trip to Indiana to spend some wonderful, fun, and relaxing time with them.
Despite the heat, we made a wonderful dinner Friday night and I think the kids were filled enough to last until morning. During the rest of the weekend, we kept them filled with the traditional summertime treats of fresh watermelon and cantaloupe, as well as freezer pops and lemonade.
As we were pulling onto the country highway, N noticed an A&W sign, so I just HAD to stop and get a gallon of fountain rootbeer! (we don't have A&W in the St. Louis area) Besides a yummy afternoon rootbeer float, the best was sitting and chatting with my best friend over glasses of iced tea...there is nothing SWEETER! :)
Love you all! Look forward to doing it again next year!
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Sunday, July 08, 2007
My Turn Now
Current mood: excited
Category: Jobs, Work, Careers
Just to update everyone....
This last week, I started my new job that is a permanent position with the company where I was contracting. I am an Admininstrative Assistant to one of the Lead HR directors. I am glad to still be in the HR department and looking forward to pursuing my master's degree in HR and becoming and HR Generalist within the company.
It is finally time to reward my family with clear TV channels! Yes, for the last 7 years, we have lived with snowy, local channels only...except PBS is ALWAYS clear! Soooooo, yesterday, I had satellite TV installed!
The boys are so excited and wanted to "help" the installer...and asked constant questions, which he was very patient to explain. I think they almost had more fun with that part than when they actually watched the Disney channel...lol!
We had a fun time watching some family shows last evening! It was a real treat for all of us!
Category: Jobs, Work, Careers
Just to update everyone....
This last week, I started my new job that is a permanent position with the company where I was contracting. I am an Admininstrative Assistant to one of the Lead HR directors. I am glad to still be in the HR department and looking forward to pursuing my master's degree in HR and becoming and HR Generalist within the company.
It is finally time to reward my family with clear TV channels! Yes, for the last 7 years, we have lived with snowy, local channels only...except PBS is ALWAYS clear! Soooooo, yesterday, I had satellite TV installed!
The boys are so excited and wanted to "help" the installer...and asked constant questions, which he was very patient to explain. I think they almost had more fun with that part than when they actually watched the Disney channel...lol!
We had a fun time watching some family shows last evening! It was a real treat for all of us!
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Fight the Good Fight!
Current mood: determined
Category: Life
Don't give up!!! Never, ever!!! Don't quit fighting for what is right!!!
It has taken 7 years to get to the point I finally had a break-through last Wednesday night.
For THREE years, he fought me in court to have one little phrase added into our paperwork. "...father shall have sole custody over healthcare issues, including therapy, if therapy is needed." Now that is A LOT of CONTROL for something that I was told "wasn't a real concern". Hmmmm...
So for the last 4 years, I have been unable to get my kids counseling for dealing with the divorce. How do I explain to them about their dad choosing his friends, parties, and drugs OVER seeing them...for only 4 nights/month? I dont. I take care of my responsibilities as a mother and love them and raise them to know what's right and wrong. They KNOW who shows them love.
Eventually, their grades slipped and anger outbursts had the school officials asking us to get them counseling. Still my hands are tied. God, of course, had a way through their dad's work to get some free sessions. During one of these limited sessions, my son told the counselor he wished his dad would come with him to counseling. Amazingly, he said yes he would go along. Now the counselor had already told me that she felt my son needed some longer term sessions and would give us a referral. However, unless their dad agreed...then I am still stuck.
Miracles, of all miracles, last Wednesday night, he actually sat there and verbally agreed with the counselor in seeking longer term counseling for the boys. He even offered to give me his insurance information so I could make the calls and arrange some sessions.
I walked out of the office, smiling upward! It took 7 years, but God's promise to make a way for me to get help for the boys...is here now, today, to encourage those around me!!!
This is also my staying power in fighting the battle of what is right, where my long-distance family is concerned!
Category: Life
Don't give up!!! Never, ever!!! Don't quit fighting for what is right!!!
It has taken 7 years to get to the point I finally had a break-through last Wednesday night.
For THREE years, he fought me in court to have one little phrase added into our paperwork. "...father shall have sole custody over healthcare issues, including therapy, if therapy is needed." Now that is A LOT of CONTROL for something that I was told "wasn't a real concern". Hmmmm...
So for the last 4 years, I have been unable to get my kids counseling for dealing with the divorce. How do I explain to them about their dad choosing his friends, parties, and drugs OVER seeing them...for only 4 nights/month? I dont. I take care of my responsibilities as a mother and love them and raise them to know what's right and wrong. They KNOW who shows them love.
Eventually, their grades slipped and anger outbursts had the school officials asking us to get them counseling. Still my hands are tied. God, of course, had a way through their dad's work to get some free sessions. During one of these limited sessions, my son told the counselor he wished his dad would come with him to counseling. Amazingly, he said yes he would go along. Now the counselor had already told me that she felt my son needed some longer term sessions and would give us a referral. However, unless their dad agreed...then I am still stuck.
Miracles, of all miracles, last Wednesday night, he actually sat there and verbally agreed with the counselor in seeking longer term counseling for the boys. He even offered to give me his insurance information so I could make the calls and arrange some sessions.
I walked out of the office, smiling upward! It took 7 years, but God's promise to make a way for me to get help for the boys...is here now, today, to encourage those around me!!!
This is also my staying power in fighting the battle of what is right, where my long-distance family is concerned!
Monday, April 30, 2007
an excerpt from "The Prodigal Family"
As I was trying to think of a title for my blog today...I kept drawing a blank. I went from "Help, My Family is CRAZY!" to "Take it to the Mattresses"...lol!
Well, I have been doing pretty well today to be able to focus on what my current tasks are: Work, Kids, House. Thankfully, my boys are doing their share of the chores without complaining, thus giving me time to actually cook their favorite meal. Spaghetti. (Don't ask my why they think mine is best, but they refuse to eat spaghetti at any restaurant!)
As I was watching them enjoying their dinner, I thought about if the tables were turned and my child was the one cutting me off from communication. How would I react? What would I do? What would I think? Suddenly, it was a very clear picture that flashed across my mind. (Don' you just love how God does that?!)
All I saw was the immature boy (aka. The Prodigal Son) running away from his troubles. He thought he knew so much more than his father. Sure, he had the time of his life for awhile...thinking that he really showed his father what was what. Not until, he found himself at rock bottom...eating with the swine, that he realized if he even just looked up for a bit..it was far better than the point he was then.
Ah, do I remember the day I hit rock bottom! But I am able to look back on that day and realize JUST how MUCH I have GROWN since that point! I think it takes us getting to that point, before we can fully understand the true meaning of God's unconditional love and grace! He gave us the story of the Prodigal Son, just to show us that no matter how dirty we get into denial, He will have His arms open wide for us! He REJOICES to have us home as a part of the family!
This being said, it is clear for me what my next steps are regarding my family. God has already enabled me to take that first step with my brother. Below is the most recent conversation with him through MySpace:
Date: Apr 28, 2007 11:26 PM
i know you think that i deleted you...but all i did was click the block user from communicating...and i guess it wont keep your profile ...when i unblocked you...it was gone....
i do not understand why you have taken such a poor and disrespectful attitude with me...i love my family very much and i absolutely hate it when people run away from truth...but i know that is what we were shown growing up...and run from one church to another and to cut off family when there is a disagreement...
however, it is not how i am raising my boys...so i have learned to pray/think before speaking, but when i speak...to speak truth...
i am sending you another friends request...i hope you will respond favorably...
Love,
Your Sis,
Joy
Date: Apr 29, 2007 9:15 AM
well, if you call responding favorably being that it is in my best interest and yours, that i "respectfully" deny the request. please do not contact me or any of my friends in the future.
thank you.
Well, I have been doing pretty well today to be able to focus on what my current tasks are: Work, Kids, House. Thankfully, my boys are doing their share of the chores without complaining, thus giving me time to actually cook their favorite meal. Spaghetti. (Don't ask my why they think mine is best, but they refuse to eat spaghetti at any restaurant!)
As I was watching them enjoying their dinner, I thought about if the tables were turned and my child was the one cutting me off from communication. How would I react? What would I do? What would I think? Suddenly, it was a very clear picture that flashed across my mind. (Don' you just love how God does that?!)
All I saw was the immature boy (aka. The Prodigal Son) running away from his troubles. He thought he knew so much more than his father. Sure, he had the time of his life for awhile...thinking that he really showed his father what was what. Not until, he found himself at rock bottom...eating with the swine, that he realized if he even just looked up for a bit..it was far better than the point he was then.
Ah, do I remember the day I hit rock bottom! But I am able to look back on that day and realize JUST how MUCH I have GROWN since that point! I think it takes us getting to that point, before we can fully understand the true meaning of God's unconditional love and grace! He gave us the story of the Prodigal Son, just to show us that no matter how dirty we get into denial, He will have His arms open wide for us! He REJOICES to have us home as a part of the family!
This being said, it is clear for me what my next steps are regarding my family. God has already enabled me to take that first step with my brother. Below is the most recent conversation with him through MySpace:
Date: Apr 28, 2007 11:26 PM
i know you think that i deleted you...but all i did was click the block user from communicating...and i guess it wont keep your profile ...when i unblocked you...it was gone....
i do not understand why you have taken such a poor and disrespectful attitude with me...i love my family very much and i absolutely hate it when people run away from truth...but i know that is what we were shown growing up...and run from one church to another and to cut off family when there is a disagreement...
however, it is not how i am raising my boys...so i have learned to pray/think before speaking, but when i speak...to speak truth...
i am sending you another friends request...i hope you will respond favorably...
Love,
Your Sis,
Joy
Date: Apr 29, 2007 9:15 AM
well, if you call responding favorably being that it is in my best interest and yours, that i "respectfully" deny the request. please do not contact me or any of my friends in the future.
thank you.
Date: Apr 29, 2007 11:00 AM
Well, i cant believe you are making that kind of extreme action as your choice....but i cant make any promises to never contact my family again. I love my family very much and will always be looking out for the best for each of you. However, I will say that I do not deserve to be treated with the verbal abuse and insults that you last spoke to me on the phone. NO ONE deserves that kind of treatment. I do pray that the cycle can be broken before you take it into a marriage....since its very clear that I married into the same kind of chaos that was demonstrated to me from our own parents, and deb also married a controlling man...ALL of this behavior is NOT normal and NOT healthy!
Date: Apr 29, 2007 10:29 PM
lol i dont have anything else to say to you. seek help. i am so very normal and so far from being anything like your husband that you chose to marry against the GOOD advice and wisdom from your parents that its not funny. i am a man. i will be who i am. i will be successful. i love God. i will love my wife (whoever she maybe) with all of my heart and treat her like the queen that she will be. thats why i have waited so long to get married. I WILL NOT SETTLE. i'm sorry for everything that you have gone through and are going through currently. i am serious about this one thing. this is my last message to you. i will not respond to any others. you have chosen your life and path as twisted as it may be.
Date: Apr 30, 2007 6:39 PM
How interesting...I am not exactly sure what you mean by "currently going through"...because I AM the stable one in life...and have no "issues" that I am dealing with...
Oh, unless you are referring to the fact that you are running away from situations that you don't have guts to talk about???? And that you want to take the cop-out way of communicating with YOUR FAMILY by "cutting yourself OFF from them"...hmmm!
And, tell me...exactly how is my life "twisted"? How can living for God and raising two boys to also love God, be "twisted"?
I would love to hear a counselor's view on your statements and philosophy in life!
I will also be serious about something with you. YOU ARE my BROTHER...and ALWAYS be! I will ALWAYS LOVE YOU...unconditionally! That is what God expects of me as His Child. So no matter what hurtful things you choose to say or do, I am much stronger than you may think. God is my Strength...and I walk through life with His Guidance and Wisdom.
I pray that you will also come to experience His Unconditional Love and Grace and will be able to live it as an example to those around you, beginning with your family, parents & siblings, just as I have learned to do!
Friday, April 27, 2007
Friday Night Lights
Current mood: lonely
It's Friday! TGIF! Working for the Weekend! Whatever your catch phrase is.
There are Friday night lights at the football stadium. There are Friday night lights on the highway driving on a road trip. There are Friday night lights at a hip dance club. There are Friday night lights at the local grocery store.
Which Friday night lights, do you think I am seeing tonight?
Of course! The grocery store!!!! What kind of people go the GROCERY STORE on a Friday night????
Those of us without a date... Or without our kids... Or without family...
I remember as a kid that our family would go out to dinner for fish at Skipper's Restaraunt, then go to Price Saver's and Costco to grocery shop in bulk. It was quite the family bonding event. We could easily spend hours as my father and brother would scout out all the free samples! LOL
Then when I was married, we would go get groceries together as our little "date night"...then come home and put in a bag of hot wings and curl up to a movie...until I was too pregnant to eat hot wings!
So yes, I am the kind of person that ends up at the grocery store on a Friday night. How sad and pathetic...lol!
It's Friday! TGIF! Working for the Weekend! Whatever your catch phrase is.
There are Friday night lights at the football stadium. There are Friday night lights on the highway driving on a road trip. There are Friday night lights at a hip dance club. There are Friday night lights at the local grocery store.
Which Friday night lights, do you think I am seeing tonight?
Of course! The grocery store!!!! What kind of people go the GROCERY STORE on a Friday night????
Those of us without a date... Or without our kids... Or without family...
I remember as a kid that our family would go out to dinner for fish at Skipper's Restaraunt, then go to Price Saver's and Costco to grocery shop in bulk. It was quite the family bonding event. We could easily spend hours as my father and brother would scout out all the free samples! LOL
Then when I was married, we would go get groceries together as our little "date night"...then come home and put in a bag of hot wings and curl up to a movie...until I was too pregnant to eat hot wings!
So yes, I am the kind of person that ends up at the grocery store on a Friday night. How sad and pathetic...lol!
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