Friday, September 30, 2005

Celebrate

Just a quick update, JONAH GOT 100% ON HIS SPELLING TEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, September 29, 2005

I stole this from Christina's blog. I'm such a sucker for these things...sorry to subject you to more useless information about myself!



What I was doing 5 years ago : We were living up north in Mancelona, I was very pregnant with Molli and Jonah was 1 1/2
What I was doing one year ago : Living with my mom and dad, sending Jonah to school for the first time
What I did yesterday (Wed) : Took the kids to school, fought with Molli to take a nap, cleaned house, made dinner, taught at AllStars
Five songs I know all the words too :
1. Any Steven Curtis Chapman song
2. All of our allstar songs
3. All of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals
4. Summer of 69 by Bryan Adams
5.All of the songs from the new show Go Diego Go

Five snacks I enjoy
1.candy
2.Pepsi
3.Chocolate
4.Doritos with mild cheddar dip
5.My aunt Carol's taco dip

Five things I would do with 100 million dollars
1.Tithe
2.Pay off my parent's mortgages
3.Pay for my kids to go to college
4.Buy a Honda Odyssey
5.Give random money away to people I love

Five places I would run away too
1.Mackinaw Island
2.Paris
3.any place in Hawiaii
4.Alaska
5. Disneyworld

Five things I would never wear
1. a bikini (AMEN!)
2. a thong
3. any shirt that shows my belly
4. Any shirt where my bra straps show
5. a nose ring

Five favorite tv shows
1.House
2.Extreme Home Makeover home edition
3. Ellen
4.Amercian Idol
5. Judging Amy

Five great joys
1.My kids
2.Family night where we play cards
3.Waking up all warm and snuggly under covers
4.Kid's bedtime
5.Watching others have joy

Five favorite toys
1.My computer
2. DSL
3. All my Pampered Chef stuff
4. my cell phone
5. My hubby :)

Five currnet reads
1. An Echo in the Darkness
2. Harry Potter (I'm re-reading them)
3. The Mitford books, (I'm re-reading them as well)
4. the bible :)
5. Our Foundations book for Sunday nights

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Breakthrough

This morning it happened. A break through. I've been praying and praying for this day. And it finally arrived.

As we were headed out the door this morning for school, I grabbed Jonah's spelling list to work with him on the way to school. Last week, he failed it. He still just isn't getting it. So this past week we have been spending time every night on his letters and his spelling words. Back to this morning, I decided to ask him how to spell my. He looked at me and said, "m...y". My heart leapt.
"Ok," I said, trying to keep calm. "How do you spell can?" Again the brief pause..."C.....a.....n". Now I was ecstatic. He spelled all 5 words correctly. Then I started to worry. Just because he can spell them orally doesn't mean he knows what letters to write down. So I asked him to use his finger to write the letters as he spelled them. HE DID IT ALL RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you Lord for this awesome thing that you did. Maybe he will learn to read at some point!!!!

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Today

Well the remainder of my Sunday went very well. Matt got home and I went and worked out. I took out all the frustration of the day on myself working out. I felt so much better after that. And evening church was awesome. Once again, the fear thing has dissapated, very weird.

I feel so accomplished. Yesterday, I went to the store, rearranged and cleaned the girls room, did 12 loads of laundry (dry and out away), cleaned the kitchen, cleaned my bedroom, made dinner, did homework with Jonah, and exercised again. A very busy but successful day. Now I'm sitting here thinking I should indulge myself in a movie or something else frivolous. Probably not though, guess I should clean the rest of the house. It never ends :)

Sunday, September 25, 2005

Fear and Sundays

How to begin? Last night I was up late. Matt had to get up at 1:30 so he was in bed by 8 as were the children. So I spent some time on the computer chatting and then watched a movie. It wasn't a scary movie, actually it was a really cheesy ABC Family movie. It was 11:30 when I headed to bed. I don't know what happened. As I was lying there, I was drenched with sweat while this fear overtook me. I was convinced that if I looked at the doorway of my bedroom there would be someone standing there waiting to hurt us. I haven't felt this way since we lived in Nebraska. I felt that almost every night there. But since we moved into this house, I have slept soundly every night, except when I am catching barf that it. But last night it consumed me. I woke Matt up and we prayed. Yet it lingered. Could there have been evil lurking? There's an empty house one down from us and it always gives me the creeps. So I did not sleep well. Then Matt left in the middle of the night and it was even worse. Satan really had my number last night. So I was dead tired when I woke up this morning.

Why do Sundays seem to be the most hectic, chaotic days??? You'd think on a day when you are going to worship our awesome God it would just be an awesome experience. Well I was super tired this morning, we got a late start and Matt wasn't home. When Matt works on Sundays, it always increases my stress level. With minimal stress, I got everyone showered dressed and out the door in 45 minutes. Then we had to run to the store. Stress level increasing as children are clamoring for things. Then we got to church and I was setting up Kafe Koinonia (coffee and doughnuts) and Sydney dumps strawberry milk all over the carpet. Stress level mounting. Then Emma dumps all her sprinkles from her donut all over the carpet. Stress level climbing. Then Sydney pulls over a plant and the water and foamy green stuff go everywhere. I lost it. Once I found my sanity, it was time to go into the sanctuary for worship team practice. The children were running/screaming through the sanctuary. AHHHHHHHHHHH! So my Sunday morning was stressful and not very worshipful at all. Ugh.

*deep breath* I am however going to relax this afternoon and prepare my heart for this evening and we'll try it again :)

Friday, September 23, 2005

Roses will bloom again

We survived the funeral. I wasn't sure I could even go with Emma and Sydney (3 and 1 respectively), but we sat in the balcony and they did great. They didn't even start getting fussy until 1 1/2 hours into the service. It was a 2 1/2 hour serivce. It was beautiful. The flowers were respelndent.

This morning as Emma was taking a shower and getting ready, I remembered something. This lady had always told me that she wanted Emma's curls. So I pulled out my scissors and cut Emma's hair. I had been planning on it anyway. I took the fallen curls and put them in a little bag. As we entered the church, I sought out her husband. "These are for her, " I said with tears welling up. He looked at me and replied, "She always wanted them." He hugged me and went up to the coffin and tucked them into her hands. It was perfect.

I quick ran home and got Molli off the bus and we headed back to the church. Then we went to the cemetery. Thus began the questions, "Mom, where is Mrs. Del? "Why is she in that box?" "THEY'RE GOING TO PUT HER IN THE GROUND?!?!?!?" Why, Mom?" "Why did she die?" So MAtt and I spent the good part of the graveside service answering Molli's questions. Of course nothing seemed right in her four year old mind.

It was a beautiful day and I know she was smiling and singing.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Moving on

I've learned that, despite grieving, life moves on. Last night we were at worship team practice and it was as if nothing had happened. Dad said, "Mandi, time can't come to a stand still. We miss her and it's sad. But there's a time for mourning and and time for dancing." So we danced. Friday we will grieve once more as we say good-bye. but life moves on.

Ok is there ANYONE who blogs on here who is not pregnant?????I swear if it's catching through the comment boxes, I'm outta here.

Not too much else going on. I'm puzzled on today the first day of fall as to why it's still 85! I'm ready for jeans and sweat shirts!! Of course that means socks and shoes which I loathe. But I am ready.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Tears

She died last night......

And now my emotions are so divided. I'm heartbroken for her family and for those of us who will never hear her laugh again. She used to be a singer, a good one at that. Then she had this surgery and it damaged her vocal chords. She could sing no more. But you know what? Today, she is singing in heaven with Jesus. How can that be a sad thing???? We sang on Sunday... "You give and take away." His decision to take her home. "Though there's pain in the offering, blessed be Your name..." I can just see her walking with Jesus, using her Puerto Rican accent. No more pain....

Monday, September 19, 2005

Deep saddness

As I sit here typing, I'm trying to gather my thoughts. Trying to sort out my feelings...

I just got a phone call. A lady from our church is dying......

I'm remembering when we first moved here. She is the sweetest little woman. She's Puerto Rican and has the most darling little accent. She's not old....about 55. She got sick.....they weren't sure why. Come to find out that it was a reaction to the gastric bypass surgery she had had. So they reversed the surgery. She went home only to be readmitted later that week. She hasn't left the hospital since. Now we (our church) are on the brink of something big. One of our very own dying......

Will people be angry? Why would God let this happen to her and her family? I'm so saddened and I've only known her for a year. I can't imagine how the rest of the people feel who have known her since she was young.

Death is never easy. She's a believer so I know where she's headed. Somehow that doesn't make it any easier right now. God could do a miracle, He could heal her. Will He?

Sorry for the heavy entry. that's just how I'm feeling right this second.

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Weekend Stuff

Well Molli survived her first day at school. She LOVED it, or at least she told me that about one hundred times! When I went to get her up for school on Friday morning, she complained, "I don't wanna go to school!" I quickly informed her that pre-school was optional and I would pull her out if she continued to fight me on it. Well, that did the trick! She had an equally good time the second day. My only complaints are these:I drop Jonah off at school at 8AM. Molli is in a different school. Her door doesn't open until 8:30AM. So we drop Jonah off and sit in the parking lot of her school for about 20 minutes. Big pain! My next complaint is that we have to park in kingdom come and hike all the way through the school to drop her off. Me, with all my little quails in a row behind me. Dodging the bigger kids as they run to get to class. HUGE pain. Other than that, I think school is great.

This morning I woke up feeling very queasy. The first thing that came to my mind? "OH NO!!! I'M PREGNANT!!" No, I'm really not. But that was the first thing I thought. Actually I believe it is the bug that has been plaguing our family this week. I, however, will NOT vomit. I would rather give birth 8 times in a row than get sick to my stomach. So basically, I'm just miserable. I'm praying it passes soon. Well time to get kiddies cleaned up for bed!

Thursday, September 15, 2005


Nice hair kid Posted by Picasa

I meant to get a shot BEFORE she left for school...her hair looked SOO cute! Ah well. Here she is getting off the bus and she must have had fun if her hair is any indication! No tears or anything. Holy cow, I have two kids in school!!!!


A typical Molli pose, she loves the nametag. can you tell????
My littlev Molli Posted by Picasa

Yep, still

Matt kissed me at 3:30 AM as he was leaving for work. "By the way, honey, Jonah just threw up on his floor. Have a good day!" NNOOOOOOOOOO! So yet again I climbed out of bed in the middle of the night, scrubbed carpet and caught more puke. We better be done with this.

Molli went to school this morning, pics and stories to follow!

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Again

Here we are again. A morning with no sleep. The reason? More puke. Molli came downstairs at 3 AM telling me that she couldnt' sleep. Immediately I knew why. Matt was just leaving for work so she snuggled in next to me. She told me she still couldn't sleep. So I put in Sleeping Beauty thinking that would help her fall asleep, all the while waiting for her to tell me that her stomach hurts. I got up and got a towel, just in case. In my head I'm thinking, "Great, another day of washing puke towels." Then, a light bulb goes off. My brother Noah gets all these "chucks" for medical reasons (he has CP). For those of you who don't know what they are, they're the things in the hospital that they put under you when you are having a baby, they absorb everything. Anyway, my mom had just given me a bunch for random uses. So I grabbed one of those instead of a towel. Brillant. They worked like a charm. Moments later Molli tells me she doesn't want to get sick and then proceeds to anyway. And all I had to do is throw it away. So we are DONE with towels! Bring on the chucks, appropriate name by the way :)

So here's my dilemma.... Molli is supposed to start school tomorrow. She has waited sinch March for this day. She asked me every day this summer if it was fall yet. And all week she has been crossing each day off on her little calendar. This is a quick bug. She hasn't gotten sick since 4 AM. Should I still send her to school tomorrow?? What do you guys think??

Monday, September 12, 2005

Gross

It's official. We have christened our new home. Matt was sick on Friday night, officially christening our bathroom. Last night, at every hour on the hour, Emma christened her bed, my bed, the couch and every towel in the house. At 5:30 AM, Sydney decided to help by christening her crib as well.

Can I just say for the record that I hate vomit. It's so nasty. I have been doing laundry ALL day, and nothing but what was used last night! UGH! It doesn't help that Matt is a sympathetic puker so he has to stay far away from the smell and appearance. So guess who gets to do all the cleaning up? Yep, me. So now I'm functioning on about 1 hour total sleep. The girls seem to feel better and are playing wonderfully. I am praying fiercely that Jonah and Molli stay puke free. I'm not sure I could take another night of this.

Well I better keep moving or I will fall asleep typing.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz........

Sunday, September 11, 2005

Frustration

Why is it that christians get under my skin more than unbelievers? Probably because I have very little exposure to unbeleivers. MOst of the time the people I hang out with and am around are church people. I have very little patience for people who think they are all that.

Lately I've been struggling with an individual. I used to really look up to this person. I sought advice, bounced ideas off of them, and just shared things. Then some things changed. This person changed. Now I really am having a hard time being around this person. It's so awkward. And it just flat out sucks. Why do things change us? Why does power change us?

Is it me that has changed? I have asked myself this question over the last few weeks. And the answer I've come to is no. It truly is this other person. I am deeply saddened to lose this person. And I haven't really lost them. But I cannot stand to have this person around. Ugh.

I guess it all goes back to what my dad said this morning in his sermon.......relationships are messy. No one's life is tidy and neat. And when we get involved in relationship with people, it's bound to get messy. My problem? I hate cleaning.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Waiting for WIC

Ok, so we get WIC. Do you all know what that is? It has been a HUGE blessing to my family. However, there are a few kinks in the system.

At our last appointment, we were scheduled an appointment time of 4:30 PM. So we arrived and the palce was packed. Thank the Lord that Matt was with me. We didn't leave the office until 7:30 PM. Do the math. That is a heck of a long time to be in an office. I figured out the secret. They give you a time to come in, but they don't go by that. When you arrive, you get a number. So even if you have an appointment, if there are 50 people in front of you, too bad for you.

So today was another big appointment time. By that I mean that they have to weigh and measure the girls, prick their little fingers and do enough paperwork to sink the already sunk Titanic. Thank goodness we only have to do these big appointments every 6 months! Anyway, I was scheduled for 12:30. I got there at 10. Unfourtantely, they had a training seminar and were closed from 10-12. So I came back, at 11:55. I was the first one in the door. "Whew," I thought. "This is going to be fast." I got home at 1:35. Another almost two hour trip. Sydney had a meltdown near the end, she spent the last 20 minutes screaming hysterically while I am trying to listen to the lady explain the girls' growth patterns and how I need to feed them better. Ugh, ugh and double ugh.

Again, WIC is such a blessing to us. But, man, there's got to be an easier way!!!

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

101?!?!?!

Nothing new to post, life continues on. Jonah is back in school after a VERY long 4 day weekend. He is so excited about the school's first skate night tomorrow night. I must say, I'm looking for ward to it myself.

I;m going to try and do this 101 things about yourself thing. I have no idea if there are that many thing about myself...

1. My real name is Amanda. But NOONE calls me that except my Grandma.
2. I was born in New York.
3. I lived in Pittsburgh.
4. I've touched a whale (at Sea World)
5. And a dolphin, in the wild, it was awesome!
6. I have three brothers and one sister
7. My baby brother is 17 years younger than me
8. I had a baby under water
9. It was the most awesome experience ever
10. I had an epiduarl with my last baby
11. It was the most awesome experience ever
12. All of my children's middle names are family names
13. I ran away when I was 17
14. I too came back
15. I got pregnant before I got married
16. But God is so good, He used it all for His glory
17. I've seen an enormous feedlot, thousands and thousands of cows
18. It stinks
19. I secretly like teeny bopper movies ie. Ice Princess, What a girl wants, etc.
20. I wore a size 5 jean in college
21. Holy cow, I was skinny
22. I collect manatee stuff
23. I adore manatees
24. I love to bake really yummy stuff
25. I love Pampered Chef
26. My favorite part of the day is the evenings when the kids are in bed and the house is quiet
27. I love shoes
28. I would rather buy things for other people than for myself
29. I am never going to make it to 101
30. Both sets of my grandparents are still living
31. My kids adore them
32. I love to swim
33. I fell on top of Kevin Max (of DC Talk)
34. It was at Icthus, a Christian concert weekend thing
35. I was running , and boom!
36. There I was on top of him
37. He was really nice about the whole thing
38. I went to Cornerstone College (now university) in Grand Rapids
39. Matt and I waited until we were engaged to kiss
40. Granted, that was only two weeks, but still
41. I play the game Zuma every day
42. I talk to my friend Mindy every day at least once
43. How awesome to have a friend to do that with!
44. Thank you Lord!
45. I lead music for our children's Wednesday night program
46. I have four children, yes four
47. they are 6, 4, 3, and 18 months
48. We are talking about having another baby
49. Well I'm talking, Matt is ignoring :)
50. I'm only on 50?????
51. I'm on our church's worship team
52. I love to sing, especially worship.....just awesome
53. I like the word awesome
54. I am a P.K. (preacher's kid)
55. I had braces for four years
56. I used to think french kissing was evil
57. Used to think the same thing about tampons
58. I used to pull out my eyelashes and save them
59. Ok maybe that was too weird to share :)
60. My brother is in the Army
61. He jumps out of airplanes
62. They are stationed in Alaska
63. They have four kids too
64. Almost the same ages as mine
65. My maiden name is McGlynn
66. I have blood relatives in Ireland
67. My great grandma and grandpa came here from Ireland
68. I have never swam in an ocean
69. Too afraid of sharks
70. I cannot watch horror movies
71. Sometimes even the previews are too much
72. I love Christmas
73. My sister is going to college to be a police woman oh, excuse me police officer
74. My brother is going to college to be a photographer
75. He takes fabulous pictures
76. In my mind the two of them are still 8 and 9 as opposed to 18 and 19
77. I was a cheerleader (puke)
78. I played Lucy in the musical, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown
79. I also played a young Mary in the play, "Mary a Mother's Story"
80. I was in the play "The Best Christmas Pagent Ever" twice. Once as the mother and once as Beth
81. I also directed it, at a different time
82. I have a dramatic family :)
83. My parents both majored in theatre
84. Now my dad is a pastor
85. I worked at the front desk of a huge resort for a year
86.Now I'm a janitor of our church :0
87. I hate doing dishes
88. We have a pet rat
89. I like him
90. Never thought I'd see the day
91. I wish we could have a dog again
92. I miss Casper
93. She was our dog in Nebraska
94. We had to leave her there :(
95. Lisa Zinn is one of my favorite musical artists
96. I can knit
97. Almost there......
98. We used to have farm animals
99. I got to watch baby lambs being born
100. I had my own horse
101. Her name was Blondie


I DID IT! Ok now that you are vowing to never read my blog again.......

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Baseball

Today was a good day. Church was good, worship was rich. Then we went to a baseball game.

I can't remember the last time I went to a baseball game. Now, granted, the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays (triple A team with the New York Yankees) are not too sepcial. Nevertheless, it was a good time. Matt stayed home with the youngest two and I took Jonah and Molli. It was so cool to see them be so excited about everything. Getting their very own ticket, meeting the mascot (an eagle mascot for the DevilRays??!!), finding our seats, and of course (my favorite part) getting snacks! They got to go out on the field and do the chicken dance. At the end of the game they got to run the bases. It was just a super fun experience. Everytime someone on the other team struck out, they would play the song "Hit the Road Jack". Jonah got really good at singing it!

Now tomorrow is Labor Day. Matt has to work but then we get to play a little. I hope all of your holiday weekends were restful and fun!

Friday, September 02, 2005

No school

HOw glorious to be sitting at the computer at 8:30 this morning still in my pajamas!!!! What a great feeling. And thanks for all the awesome encouragement on my exercise/weight loss. You guys are good for my self confidence!

I've decided that I cannot watch too much CNN, I just can't handle it. It was one thing when the disaster and people affected were on the other side of the world. This is here....on our turf. These are our family and friends. This will create ripple affects all throughout our country. I mean, what about their mail??? Where will it go? And those people, those people with nothing. No food, no clothes, no homes.....I cannot imagine. Sure puts things into perspective. Plus Molli is hysterical about water coming into our house. Everytime someone turns on the sink she starts screaming....

And oy vey, the cost of gas. Of course if we lived in Europe it would have been like this forever! But still, $60 to fill my van. Ugh.

Thursday, September 01, 2005

Nothingness

Not too much to blog about.....

I'm still exercising three times a week. So far I've lost 6 pounds, not much to brag about. I wish I could wake up tomorrow and be thin....*sigh* Since that is not going to happen, I'll continue to sweat like crazy and drink water till I move into the bathroom to prevent running every five seconds.

Jonah continues to dread school. I got him out of the house this morning by telling him that he didn't have school tomorrow or Monday. I'm not above bribery.

I am counting the days till Molli goes to school....

That's all the excitement from here!