What about you?

Everyone in this neck of the woods is swamped with getting ready for our Wild Game Dinner this coming Saturday. During the day yesterday I drove up to Lansing to get some items we needed, and ended up working out some details for our Extravaganza in August, too, so that was exciting. Then I spent the evening grocery shopping with a friend (Hi, Mary!) to get all the stuff that turns all that "game" into a dinner. So I'm going to need a little help from you this morning to finish out my blogpost for the week. I've had questions rattling around in my head for you to answer. Give your answers in the comments. My answers will be in the comments too, providing I can get my comments to register -- I've been having issues. Here we go!

1.  What's the "wildest" type of meat that you've ever eaten?

2.   When you're at the grocery store, do you grab the first thing on the shelf, or do you always make sure you reach behind the first or top item to get the one behind it?

3.   On a scale of 1 to 10, how picky are you about how your towels are folded?

4.   Do you let your clothes dryer run while you're not at home or do you consider that a fire hazard?

5.   Do you sleep with your bedroom door open or closed?

6.   What's in the trunk of your car right now?

7.   What time do you normally get up in the morning?

8.   What's the last thing you ate?

9.   Who is the last person you texted?

10.  What chapter will you/have you read in your Bible today?

Oohhh, slipped that last one in, didn't I?! Hey, a little accountability never hurts! Have a great day!

Motivational Monday

Monday is one of those days that you either love or love to hate. Monday's for me typically aren't too bad. However, I'm already feeling like it is going to be one of "those" kind of days. It is a rather busy day for me as we are leading up to our church's Wild Game Dinner this coming weekend. With every church event comes a lot of planning, prepping, time and energy. In addition to all of the event work there is still family duties, house work, and everyday jobs that also have to get done.

Monday's can be tough. Like me, some of you may say there just aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done that I need to. Something I forget often is that God doesn't give us more than we can handle. Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

You may have something going on today or even this week. It could be that you have an appointment, a test, an interview or a big church event. You may be sick or have something personal that you're going through, what ever the case may be it's nice to be encouraged.

Whenever I need a pick me up, I listen to this song. 

Leave a comment with a verse, quote, a song, or simply your own words of encouragement to help each other get through the week. 

Never a Dull Moment

This is my oldest. She is 3 going on 30. She'll be 4 next month, but when you ask her how old she'll be next, she says "four then five". I get the impression she would skip four if she could. She absolutely loves to help. In this picture she was helping me make spaghetti and set the table. She is our debate child... As in there has to be a debate about everything she has been told. She has recently started to pick up her baby sister, who is a little big for her to pick up, and she like to "help" the baby get on the couch. The same couch that the baby likes to fall off of, so that's always fun. However, when she's asked to keep an eye on the baby, and then she's specifically told not to pick up the baby, she is "the best baby watcher"  as she calls herself.

This is our middle child. He is two. He loves dinosaurs  truck, and building things. He will play with those waffle blocks or legos for ever if he's left alone. He is our cuddler. He loves to sit with one of us and he randomly stops and says "I love you so much" to either me or his dad. We've recently hit hardcore potty training, and just yesterday when he kept dry underwear and went in the toilet he told me "mom, say 'I am so proud of you'." which I did, because I was. 

This is our baby. She's 10 months old,and has been walking for a month now. She's on the floor because... Well, either because the floor is cool to lay on or she just can't go on.. I don't really know. 

Well, there you you have it. Our life is never boring

A Time to Keep Silent and A Time to Speak

Most of y'all may know that my husband is an NRA certified concealed carry instructor. I just recently finished the training to get my own concealed carry permit, and when my husband gave me my certificate, he started to tell me where I needed to take it in order to apply for my permit. Then he said to just wait and he'd go with me in the next day or two.

In two other states that we've lived I've had a concealed carry permit, so I wasn't sure why I might need help here, but I didn't mind waiting. And then my husband gifted me with a Ruger .22 pistol that he bought. It's a great little gun and something I would be comfortable carrying in my purse. I was tickled pink, and since he bought it in February, I kind of considered it my Valentine's Day present. Yeah, we're romantic like that.

Here in Michigan you have to register your guns (we can get into gun rights in another blog post, k?) so in addition to going to the courthouse downtown to get my concealed carry permit, we also had to go to the county sheriff's office to register my pistol. Fortunately those two places are right next door to each other. At the sheriff's office, the clerk checked our forms and then asked a few questions. Each time my husband spoke up before I could give the answer. Since I didn't have my concealed carry permit number yet for the forms, the clerk suggested running a quick background check on me to satisfy the requirements. Once again my husband spoke up and gave permission before I could speak. I would have agreed anyway, but I was getting a little irritated at not being able to speak for myself.

I filled out the background check form and she ran it right there. The room was quiet as she scrolled
through the computer. Without looking away from the screen, she said, "Well everything looks pretty good. I see you've only killed one person."

Her comment caught everyone by surprise, including the two officers sitting at desks behind her. Finally able to speak for myself, I answered, "Well good because, believe me, I've been tempted a lot more than once." One of the cops grinned at my husband and said, "I guess it's a good thing you're still here."

When my gun was registered (and I hadn't been arrested for murder) we headed next door to the courthouse. We passed through the metal detector without a problem, but then were told they don't allow cellphones in the building. I handed my phone to my husband and told him to give me the papers and I'd wait for him while he ran our phones back to the truck. The security guard directed me around the corner to the department I needed, and as I walked in that direction I heard my husband ask the guard if he thought I could handle this myself.

Seriously? Since when did I become an idiot?! I headed on to Vital Records and asked for a concealed carry application. As I filled in the answers, my annoyance grew. The questions were things like, was I mentally impaired, was I a felon, was I a citizen, etc. Why did I need help filling this out? By the time my husband arrived, all out of breath from hurrying, I had finished applying, and was handing my debit card over to pay the fee. All done. All by myself.

We had to head back to the sheriff's office for me to be fingerprinted as the final step in my application. Who knew in the ten minutes between visits that I would once again be tempted to kill someone?

A Scary-o Scenario

With a title like that, one might think I was talking about my hair back like in this picture but I'm not.

It all started when I was around the age of 7 or 8. My sister and I had a sleepover at my aunt's house. It was very exciting, until dinner time arrived. I had high hopes that it would be something delicious, because she is a great cook. She prepared for us a nice warm bowl of Spaghetti O's. I immediately thought to myself I must have done something wrong. My fun evening took a quick turn for the worst. I had never had spaghetti O's and after one look at that bowl, I wasn't about to start.

My family wasn't the type to make something different just because I didn't like it or because I simply refused to eat it. I either ate what was made or I went without until the next meal. Then I hoped that the next meal that was made would be better than the one before. Only this time it was not as I just described.

I sat there for a long time with my aunt and uncle trying to pursuade me to eat these scary round objects. After, about 2 hours of sitting there the meal (if you call it that) was cold. I chose not to eat my food so my aunt told me it was ok and she let me get up from the table, i understood I wouldn't get anything else that night but was happy just to get up from the table.

My parents came early to get us the next day and I was relieved that I was going to get some food I liked! However, my aunt sent the Spaghetti O's home with us! I was tramautized by the fact that this experience wasnt over and the nasty O's were going to follow me home. 

Thankfully, my mom did not make me eat them and to this day, I still haven't eaten spaghetti O's. 

Did you have to eat your dinner if you didn't like it or did you  get something different? Have of you had a bad experience with food?

The Things They Say

It's always been said that if you want the truth, you should ask a child. My children are no exception. Especially my oldest. They are just full of "truth", and you never know what they will say. I've been keeping things written down lately.

• When telling me about a show. "Mom, there was a unicorn. His name was unicorn, and he had a unicor..... a.... a.... well, a corn on his head."

• "Mom, he doesn't need that toy because he has a MINILLINION!!" (That's million if you didn't catch it. 

• "Mom, your belly is squishy. Do you got another baby in there?"  Thanks a lot, kid.

• A visiting pastor asked my oldest "Are you a Diva?".  "No, that's not my name." He then told her, "I like your bracelet. You look like a million bucks."  She looked at him confused and said, "I'm not money." He replied, "but that's a compliment." She was almost hurt now and said, "I'm not a compliment, either." 

• In learning a new language I occasionally try to talk with the kids and share the words we know. My son told me the other day, " Mom, stop. You don't know howa speak Pochageeze". They're just so brutally honest. 

• The other day, one of my kids said, "I need a shower because I smell like poop". I asked why and they said "because I played with my poop".  Oh....dear.... 

• We were making chocolate milk one morning and I was asked, "Mom, where did you put the cow sugar?" speaking of the chocolate powder.

• My daughter had a tape measuring and was measuring my son's height. She looked at the tape measure and said, "wow, you are worth 20 reais!" . That's only like $5 after the exchange rate. 

And for your morning cuteness. 

They actually asked to match that day. 

so, what is the strangest thing you've heard this week??

It's My Turn for An Announcement!

Wow! Thanks to all of you who wished Kylee a happy birthday this week, either here on the blog or on the blog link on facebook. Kylee, Stephanie and I have talked before about the fact that birthday and anniversary posts seem to get a lot more traffic.

We've also noticed that people tend to click on the links more when Stephanie or Kylee happen to post a picture of their adorable children.

And really, who could blame them?

My kids don't have the same adorable cuteness, but we noticed that a certain percentage of the female population tends to click on the links more when I post pictures of my boys.

But I think we get the most responses when we have big announcements ... like ... additions to the family. Both Kylee and Stephanie have posted announcements before (maybe more than one. Those girls seem to have babies all the time!) but until now I've never been able to. So here goes--

We are so excited to announce the newest member of the Boyd family joining us in August of this year! This will be Paul and Shelby's first baby, and everyone is already lining up and choosing sides as to whether it's a boy or a girl. (We're currently 8-10).

Congratulations, Paul and Shelby! We're so happy for y'all! Comment with your vote below. Which do you think it will be, boy or girl?

Me, Myself, & I

It's my birthday week!  Yes I said week because when you're an adult you can make your birthday stretch as long as you want it too!

My birthday is actually Valentine's Day and because it's on the 14th, I'm going to share 14 random facts about me. I would have done my age but do you really want to know that much about me?

1. I get to share my birthday with my brother-in-law. Pretty cool, right? (Happy Birthday, Luke) 

2. When we started this blog my husband told me that I needed to take English classes because my grammar was so bad. 

3. I am allergic to peanuts and peanut butter!

4.  I have a serious love for shoes!

5. I never ate hamburgers until after I had my 3rd child.

6. One of my favorite colors is black.

7. I snort when I laugh.

8. My favorite number is 22.

9. I think about things and then I overthink them. 

10. I have never broken a bone. 

11. I have a a heart shaped freckle. 

12. My middle name is Ann.

13. I do not like cooking!

14. I love being a mommy!

 Aren't you glad I stopped there? 

Your turn, tell me something about yourself!

Have a Little Faith

Lately, in my devotion time, the topic of faith has popped out at me quite a bit.  I've been reading through Matthew, and there are so many times when people came to Jesus to be healed. His response was similar in many of those cases...

In Matthew 8, the Centurion came to Jesus to have his servant healed. He asked that Jesus heal his servant without even going to the centurion's house. He believed that if Jesus just spoke the words, that the servant would be healed. Jesus said in verse 10: "...I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." and then in verse 12: "... Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee."

In Matthew 9, the woman with the issue of blood believed that if she could just touch the hem of his garment, then she would be healed. Jesus said to her in verse 22: "...thy faith hath made thee whole.".

Then in the same chapter, two blind men came to him wanting to be healed. Jesus asked them in verse 28, "..Believe ye that I am able to do this?". When they answered yes, He told them in verse 29, "...According to your faith be it unto you.". 

In Matthew 15, a Canaanite woman asked Jesus to heal her daughter who was possessed with a devil. She was not an Israelite, and the Lord told her as much. She told the Lord that even the dogs (such as her a Canaanite)  eat the crumbs which fall from the master's table. In verse 28 Jesus said to her, "...O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt.". 

Also, throughout the book of Matthew, Jesus rebukes his disciples with "O ye of little faith" and "wherefore didst thou doubt?". In chapter 17, He says "...If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." 

A lot of times, we pray and ask for things, but do we really expect an answer? Do we really expect God to handle the situation or provide for the need?  I was reading in a devotional book, Delight Thyself Also in the Lord from Delight Thyself Ministries, about this very topic; and the author made a simple statement that hit me hard. "God will meet you at your expectation." 

So, where is your expectation??

What Planet Are You From?

 Ever heard the statement that men are from Mars and women are from Venus? Well I'm a Venutian sentenced to life on Mars. At first I didn't think it would be so bad. I worked hard at learning the language so that I would be able to communicate. Unfortunately, Martians only communicate with a series of grunts. They all sound alike, and I'm still having trouble distinguishing the difference between them all.

Martians also act strange. They're very touchy. There's a lot of slaps and punches and kicks. The most confusing thing, though, is that all this physical contact seems to happen whether they're happy or angry. And they usually end up headed to the emergency room either way.

I've noticed that Martians' senses are different. Take their sense of sight. They can spot a deer a thousand yards away in a stand of trees, but they can't see clutter in the living room, even when they literally have to crawl over it to get to the bathroom.

Their sense of smell is very different too. They can produce some pretty unique smells. In fact, I think this is where the phrase "toxic masculinity" came from. But they don't seem to be able to smell the stench that they produce. However, if I'm painting my nails or coloring my hair, they can smell it while they're still in the driveway.

The hearing of Martians is fine-tuned to certain pitches. For instance, they cannot hear when a spouse or mother asks them to take out the garbage. Repeatedly. They can hear if a female is in danger, and they will come running for that. However, they know if a scream is from true danger or from seeing a spider. They will not necessarily run to help if the scream is caused by a spider.

I was warned before traveling to Mars that Martians do not have moods, but I have found this to be untrue. They do tend to get a little moody although it's not always easy to see why. Sometimes it might be a the failure of a favorite sports team or the personal failure of a goal or quest. Whatever the reason for the mood, there is one rule on Mars that is followed above all others:  We do not discuss feelings. To even hint at breaking this rule will get you banished from Mars forever.

It has been rumored that each Martian only has one pair of shoes, but this is also untrue. They have seventeen pairs of sneakers and athletic shoes. There's the running shoes and the weightlifting shoes and the old black ones and the new black ones and ... well, you get the idea. There's also the hunting boots and the winter boots and the cold weather boots (yes, those are two separate things!) and the duck hunting boots and the fishing boots ... I think the one pair of shoes rumor comes because they have one pair of shoes that they wear whenever the situation is such that they can't wear athletic shoes or boots. Also, all shoes must be stored either in the living room, or in a huge pile just inside the door.

I'm trying to use my time on Mars wisely. Because Martians do occasionally run into Venutians, I try to help them understand how to communicate between cultures. It's an uphill battle, especially since Venus mostly runs on feelings while Mars avoids them at all costs. But I keep trying.

At any rate, I'm surviving and even thriving during my time on Mars. But I sure could use a day trip to Venus. At least long enough to do my nails and color my hair.

And maybe have a discussion about my feelings.

A Lesson in Krav Maga

How often do you avoid trying something new?

Do you avoid it because you're scared or because you just don't want to and it's out of your comfort zone?

For those of you who don't know, the men of my husband's family teach Krav Maga. It was about two months or so ago when I knew that they were going to be starting it back up again for the new year. I was asked to start advertising for it and while we were on the subject my husband told me that he would like me to start taking the class. I did not want to! We left it at that and I was hoping that he would forget if we just didn't talk about it. The day of the class had arrived and the morning of, my husband asked me, "You're planning on taking the class tonight, right?" I told him that I wasn't planning on it. He encouraged me to go and he explained why. I saw where he was coming from but I still didn't want to go!

I'm no stranger to sports, however, Krav Maga is in a different category of sports. It is something that I have never done before but if I'm being honest, it's not something I had a "desire" to do either. I had different thoughts running through my mind of why I couldn't shouldn't do it. I was afraid of looking silly, I had a baby and surgery just two months ago, and was I even going to be able to keep up and do everything that they were going to do?

I had a sour attitude about it but my husband told me to be determined that I was going to have a good time. I fixed my attitude and got to class.

Guess what?

I enjoyed it. WHAT? Yes, I know my husband was right! ...but don't tell him I said that or any of the males in the family! I'm positive I look silly now, and I'm still not super comfortable at doing it but if I am ever put in a situation I WILL be able to defend myself and my children and that is what's important. 

So I guess the moral of my story is don't let your fear get in the way of trying something new, because you may miss out on something great!

P.s. I'm not the only new Krav student.

Have you been wanting to try something new? What are you waiting for?

You CAN do it!

Free Fun Filled Family Festivities!

Yes, I know, that title is dorky, but once I got started I couldn't stop!

Since our language classes have started, we are constantly on the go and sometimes I worry that our kids feel left out. When we're home the day is cleaning, cooking, laundry, homework, and stopping amidst all of that to take care of the kids. Then on the days we have class we whisk them off to the babysitter's (who is wonderful and tries to make sure they have fun and are tired when I get back), and then rush off to class and come back half brain dead from trying to wrap our heads around this new language.

 The kids have been craving some special mommy daddy time. So, we've been trying to do special things with them, and I'm learning that to a child, special doesn't have to be huge. Their absolute favorite thing is when one of them gets to go with dad to run errands. It's just "dad and me" time. Last time was our son's turn and our daughter has been reminding him ever since that she gets to go next! 

They also love movie nights. Last week, I made popcorn (on the stove, the way it should be made!), and we watched a movie that they picked. It ended up being Monsters University, not my personal favorite, but they loved every second of the time. We cuddled, ate way too much popcorn, and they considered it special mommy daddy time.

Another thing they like to do... well, they say they like to do, is take walks. Usually, I take the older two on a walk and daddy stays home with the baby. They love it when I say "let's take a walk", but after about 5 minutes they start asking to ride my shoulders and one of them tells me his legs are broken and he just can't walk anymore.

This was after one of our recent walks. Doesn't he look thrilled. I told him his legs weren't broken and that he had to walk the rest of the way home. Broke his little heart. 

We also do the occasional front yard picnic. 

Our most recent family activity was washing the car and scrubbing out the garage. What??? We made our kids work as an activity?? The horror! Guess what.. they loved it. They got to spray the hose at each other, at us, and even at the baby who was not happy about it. They got to play in a bucket of soapy water and slosh it wherever they wanted without getting in trouble. Hubby and I did most of the actual washing of course, but they had a blast, and they were quite wore out afterwards. Which is always a plus right before nap time! 

That's what we've been up to lately, and most of it hasn't cost a dime. What are some things you and your family do together?