How do you spell relief?

G-I-F-T.

Yep, I admit it. I am one of those I don't have a gift gals.
I prayed and asked and asked and prayed but never got a resolute answer.
I still to this day do NOT know what it is.

But I feel like I can get a message out through the mag. And through some conversation last nights..some batting it around...I further solidify the truth that GOD is in control and I need to worry less about what I put in and just PUT IT IN. Let God worry about the rest....

If He wants us in or out of being distributed through public school, it is up to Him.
It doesn't have to be because of what we put in that decides it. How lame that if we got kicked out because of some OTHER thing, that we neglected to put IN what we wanted out of FEAR of being kicked out.

So maybe that is my gift...I love to write...love the message of practical application of God in one's life and how it ACTUALLY WORKS.

So I RE-SURRENDER the magazine YET AGAIN, lol, and will do more of what my heart tells me is good, right and true.

So:
KEEP 'EM HOME!
PUT 'EM IN SKIRTS
DON'T LET 'EM DATE!
AND
SWITCH THEIR HEINIES! Yeah, that oughta do it alright.

In the rare case of sudden loss of cabin pressure...

Put YOUR mask on FIRST! (an analogy from Pastor Doug)

The idea to study yourself well approved is a good one...we MUST know God's Word..what it says, where it says it and how to apply it.

I got into some conversation about kids and discipline last night..(who, me?) and I realize I like talking about it less and less...I don't know how or even if we go about it differently than others but I always end up feeling like I am being judged...like others think I judge them so they judge me, etc. etc. etc.
Cycle, cycle, cycle. Enemy, enemy, enemy. You know the womanly drill. I am always in shock to hear the problems others have in that area and others are in shock that we don't and really, just DO NOT ask me about discipline any more because I just-don't-know.

But this morning I realized a BIG part of it may be because I had put my own mask on FIRST. Not because I knew to, but because I was suffocating in life until I did. I could not breathe without the Word and when I feel suffocated even now, I know that I have taken off my mask! And that analogy works well for me because at FIRST loss of cabin pressure, there is still a bit of air... you are still breathing...and it is easy to try to force the mask on your kids first...you know, WE WILL DO BIBLE STUDY...but just a few minutes later in life when you are sans oxygen (equals the very breath of Life, the WORD of God) you are SCRAMBLING and knocking over anyone who gets in your way to get that mask on your face and INHALE DEEPLY. And I lived my earlier Christian life that way so much that mask became a pretty regular fixture on my face. Lol LIFE is consistently in a state of loss of cabin pressure..at least for me, so I need to keep that mask on. So I think it is a natural progression when I am breathing deeply of the Word, my kids do too. I am calmly helping them with theirs and not forcing it on their little faces.

Now I know little about where stuff is in the bible and that is a point of weakness in me, but I study a lot- well, a lot can be relative but you get the picture...and we have somewhat inconsistently done practical application bible study pretty regularly. (yet another contradiction but yet again, you get the picture)

God is an authority BIGGER than a parent and when a parent recognizes God as the authority in the home, there is just no arguing with that. Doug was right when he said EVERY answer to life is in there.
Every time an ungodly thing is done or said around here, it is easy to lovingly bring correction with God's Word. Easy if you can say it, better if you can actually point to it but most importantly, effective if kids take God seriously because YOU do.

And maybe THAT is why it works around here for the most part. Not us, but HIM.

Put your own mask on first and you will better be able to help your kids...

SGO

Sunday's Goings On

Ok, let's just get the obvious right the heck out there....

Whoever created International Delights Marshmallow Mocha Coffee Creamer is a GENIUS.
It might as well be said.
A little sugar free Fr. Vanilla with a dash of MMC and woohoo...you gotcha self a cup of J-O-E.

But seriously folks....church was amazing...first I forgot what it was like to be FREE....perhaps it is a GOOD thing that women are more heavily burdened with the noble honor of being nurturers. Otherwise we might find the permanent escape hatch when tastes of freedom come our way. Kate went to NURSERY (see Maris? I said NURSERY, lol) And she had a pretty good time. Sloan went with her and I had a cup of coffee and was able to relax and get my heart right after a rough start at home earlier with the kiddos.
(A further plateful of freedom came later when I got to go out later with friends but I tell ya, as much fun as I had, that's about all the freedom I need. I was glad to get home!)

Of course, the sermon was on earning respect and when some things got listed from 1Tim 4:12: word, conduct, love, spirit, faithfulness and purity, we were to examine WHICH one of those we may be lacking. Ummmm, which? (me turning to my hypothetical neighbor and whispering, did he say WHICH and IF?) Lol Cuz, listen up my peeps, I was lacking in let's spell it out, A-L-L. Now, before condemnation set in, I realized that this was probably not true of ONLY me, so that set in to conviction which is Godly...but still. I mean, ALL? Yep, so I have my work cut out for me this week trying to surrender my poor choice of words, bad conduct, lack of love, faithless spirit and impure EVERYTHING. Lol

Come on now, of course I realize it is in Christ alone and through Christ alone that these things be done, and that through Him these things are actually possible but it is pretty shocking when you are reminded of the reality of the human condition. Saved yes...but sinning away nonetheless. Ouch.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the practical application of Calvary. Of course I am convicted when he says that he hopes one day we will be able to figure that part our on our own but I can't help but love the wrap up. I realize now that THAT is the reason I love CC. I am a practical application girl.

So, STRIKE A BLOW for the Lord and be an example in word, conduct, love, spirit, faithfulness and purity. If one of these sticks out like a sore thumb to you, you have your practical ap for today...if ALL of them stick out to you like they did me, you have your practical ap for a lifetime...

Stream of Thought

My Kodak program has finally crrrrashed! That means that all 11, 998 pics that I have never developed are somehow in there waiting for me. Ah, this would be SUCH an easy segway into lessons on procrastination and laziness but why when I can just complain? Lol (I wonder if I can get someone to come fix it for LESS that 95 bux an hour?)

My real immediate dilemma is that I have not been able to post a pic of Sloan holding her new license under the DMV sign (yes, she let me do that- albeit a little reluctantly and I also took one of her taking the test at the computer! Sheesh, Mom....) so now I just have to say..(last Monday) she got it!

and

cannot post a pic of what I can only call a hilarious and amazing depiction of Randy, Paula and Simon, replete with their table and coke cups...artisticly created with sculpey, the newest addition (and evidently most expensive) form of clay that I oh-so-lovingly got for easter baskets this year...hope they move on before I have to buy more! But they are SOOOOOO cute! Rach is going to take a one week sculpting class this summer which she is so excited about.

I can finally see a bit of light in life again...balance is returning...the old, happier life is dawning on the horizon and I can see that much like the first months of a new child in the home, it always ends up that you actually LOVE the thing when you finally get calmed down. Lol The stress finally culminated in a bad fever blister (every girl's worst nightmare, at least mine) and as vain as I am NOT, this is the kind of thing that can keep me home...growing pains ya' know. But yesterday I kind of felt like I got over the proverbial hump. (Dear M, I am coming back to you!)

May issue is proving to be a tremendous amount of fun to create as it is a big summer camp and summer activity issue...man, had I only not found the truths of the reformed life, I would have done great in children's church ministry. The mag has kind of ended up being that kind of an outlet in a way...I have been lovingly counseled that I am NOT a sell out, lol- but that I can plant seeds along the way of a mainstream world....ha. I hope so. When you get little glimpses that say, "That sounds like Steph", it probably is!

10 Tips for your camp kid is a good example...I added at the end the keep 'em home part. Lol
But May is a fun one and I love creating it while Jeff takes Sloan out driving, Rach reads and sculpts, Lauren climbs to even higher branches and Kate continues to color on every available surface known to mankind.

Life is....different!

Easter Pics

The goyles

Little L

Kate's first run

Need I say more?

Cool finds..

Finally a Bible I'm allowed to touch! I shall sit and study immediately.

Egg coloring. I buy. I set up. The rest? NOT my job. (equals: The BEST hubs in the world)

Decorating 20 month old style

Starting back at SGO!!!

(Sunday's Goings on)

Seems a long time since I've been able to post SGO. And though I didn't actually get to hear the message...and though Kate disrupted the ENTIRE nursery with her screaming (I wonder if even DOUG heard her from the pulpit) and though Quinn, who I think might be the best caregiver in the WORLD when it comes to children and whom I SURE secretly despises screamy, snotty nosed seemingly spoiled Kate...even through ALL of that, I was THRILLED to be back at church. Thrilled when I walked in 35 minutes late having dropped off Jeff, Sloan and Lauren, gone back home to get my forgotten phone since Rach was "not feeling well" and stayed home with Kate, packed Rach and Kate up and took them back to church with me after Rach's miraculous recovery (well it IS resurrection Sunday) and then dealt with all of Kate's shenanigans...yep, I was THRILLED. When I walked in and saw Doug up there, I got the warm fuzzies. When I saw Lisa over with her best friend Kris and SO MANY BABIES everywhere...all seemed right in the world. When I was INVITED in with Kate to hear the kids sing having been told, "come on in, it's an off day, lol (TOO FUNNY) and all the little kids: Emily, Madison, Ty, Ev and Hannah waved furiously and smiled those big, open faced smiles at me as if they had been waiting just for ME... my heart nearly overflowed. It was if in that moment, every child was comforting me, loving me, telling me WELCOME. And when I took Kate back to the nursey with me later and she was FINE and played and I sat, a few kids came up to me to show me "her shoes" or "how strong he was" or "her dress" and I realized...man, KIDS ARE GREAT. KIDS ARE GOD'S OWN. KIDS DESERVE THE ULTIMATE IN CARE AND LOVE and I was glad to be there to give 'em some. It was a God thing ya know and even though I really hadn't intended on sharing this, I am currently experiencing a third miscarriage having begun late last night. So how I packed it all up and got my badonkadonk to church was a DEFINITELY a God thing.
And now? Complete peace. Happy. Joyful.Veritably SNATCHED off my back and PLUNKED down on my feet again and ready to take on the world again tomorrow. Which is a good thing since Sloan goes for her restricted license, the second issue of Lake Family Magazine arrives (yes, we changed the name) AND I have a design meeting ALL before 12... So while I'm not sure how this exactly translates into an Easter message...somehow I just FEEL that it does, so
Praise God people and his tender mercies in every form they come! Today, for me, it was the children of CC. Woohoo! (and I mean that in a Calvary Chapel sorta way) ;) Happy Easter!

While we watch American Idol...the world goes on.

Dorothy Dixon ate what she could forage from the refrigerator upstairs, where housemates used her for target practice with BBs, burned her with a glue gun and doused her with scalding liquid that peeled away her skin.They torched what few clothes she had, so she walked around naked. They often pummeled her with an aluminum bat or metal handle.Dixon -- six months pregnant -- died after weeks of abuse. Police have charged two adults, three teenagers and a 12-year-old boy with murder in the case that has repulsed many in this Mississippi River town."This is heartbreaking," police Lt. David Hayes said. "It was almost as though they were making fun of the abuse they were administering. This woman was almost like living in a prison."Investigators put much of the blame on Michelle Riley, 35, who they said befriended Dixon but pocketed monthly Social Security checks she got because of her developmental delays.Dixon saw little, if any, of the money, Hayes said. For months she weathered the torment to keep a roof over her head and that of her year-old son, who weighed just 15 pounds when taken into state custody after his mom's death."I've never seen an almost conspiratorial effort by a group of people to continuously torture someone until she finally died, then not really show any remorse," Hayes said. "It was just a slow, torturous, tragic way to die. I highly doubt Dorothy Dixon even knew she was dying."Riley, 43-year-old Judy Woods and three teenagers, including Riley's 15-year-old daughter, LeShelle McBride, are charged with first-degree murder, aggravated and heinous battery, intentional homicide of an unborn child, and unlawful restraint. Riley's 12-year-old son is charged as a juvenile.Riley, her daughter, Woods and 16-year-old Benny Wilson have public defenders who did not immediately return messages for comment. An 18-year-old defendant, Michael Elliott, planned to get his own attorney, court records show.All remain in jail on $1 million bond.Messages left with a Chicago-area sister of Dixon went unreturned, but neighbors, Hayes and newspaper accounts offer a mosaic of the months leading to Dixon's demise inside the small, white, blue-shuttered house.Riley and Dixon, police said, had lived in Quincy, a Mississippi River town about 100 miles north of St. Louis, Mo. Quincy is where Riley worked as a coordinator for a regional center that helps the developmentally disabled with housing and other services. Dixon was a client.For years, an impoverished Riley struggled raising her children. Her use of methamphetamine and cocaine brought drug convictions in 2002 and 2004. But with treatment and housing help from the Quincy YWCA, Riley put her life in order -- so much that in February of last year, the Quincy Herald-Whig did a story on her comeback.Last summer, Dixon and Riley moved into the $800-a-month, three-bedroom rental in Alton about 15 miles north of St. Louis. From the start, neighbors Chad Hudson and Terri Brandt considered Riley trouble."Michelle was evil, vindictive. Manipulative," said Hudson, who is convinced the teenagers were Riley's powerless minions."She was angry, vicious," added Brandt.Riley considered Dixon her slave, making her rub Riley's feet until Riley fell asleep and forcing her to run naked around the house when she got in trouble, the neighbors said."Being in their house was like being in a prison day room," Hudson said. "They just sat around the kitchen table and fought."There was little question that Riley ruled the roost.While doing fix-ups on the home last fall, landlord Steve Atkins saw Riley "barking orders" at the children and everyone else. Atkins joked to her whether he needed to call the Army and see if they wanted their drill sergeant back."She didn't laugh about it at all," Atkins said. "Obviously, I hit a nerve."Atkins said Dixon generally kept to herself "but was always nice when she spoke to you." He saw no hints she'd been suffering or tortured."I would have never, ever suspected something like this," he said. "It's definitely shocking."Police said Dixon was allowed out of the house but didn't say under what conditions. Hayes didn't know who the father of Dixon's fetus is.Hayes said things apparently came to a head Jan. 30, when investigators believe that Woods, during a dispute, beat Dixon on the head with an object Hayes wouldn't identify. The next day Woods found her dead.Hayes watched the autopsy and found her injuries disturbing. X-rays revealed roughly 30 BBs lodged in her. Deep-tissue burns covered about one-third of her body -- her face, her chest, her arms and feet -- and left her severely dehydrated. Her face and body showed signs of prolonged abuse. Many of her wounds were infected.None of the injuries, Hayes said, proved singly fatal to Dixon. Her system already was taxed by her unborn baby."The autopsy sort of indicates her immune system just shut down," he said. "It was not capable of fending off any more."In the rental home's basement, Atkins said, he found spots of blood in a shower and tiny smears on the concrete floor, washer and dryer."It's disgraceful the way this girl died, as kind and as sweet as this girl was," he said. "She didn't deserve to die the way she did. It's just terrible, senseless. It's just a total shame."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-03-21 15:22:15

What an unsupervised child gets into...

Whacked thoughts from an overworked Mom

Well, I have hit the bottom of the boat. Yesterday I spent the morning in tears from all I had to do, off to a 2.5 hr sales meeting (which I sold by the way) and home in time to put Kate to bed, drug up my 104 fevered daughter and rush the kids to skate which I felt I had to be at since I organized it. You know, smile, smile, smile, talk talk talk knowing kid is sick and the piles of work actually multiply while I am away. Home to find the new printer cannot print the magazine in the current design program it is in panic, panic, panic, so back to our old printer for one more month before new design guy gets on board and all is well. Blah, Blah, Blah...
Skipping my networking meeting this morning where all SORTS of drama abounds. I forgot how immature adults can be in the world. Hmmm, something to this being set apart!
Drinking coffee
barely talking
headache
needing Jeff
I miss my scone making days and I don't dare take a stroll down blogging memory lane or I shall end up in a wet pile of muck.
I am getting a good feel of the OLD old days when I had to rush out to work getting three children to three different schools etc. etc. What whacko thought up Mom's working outside the home when their CHILDREN needed tending to? WHO lets someone else raise their children for eight hours a day? I am SO CONFUSED by the ways of the world and life. I am TIRED of thinking so much.
The difference being it is easier to work if your children are at school. It is MUCH more difficult to work when they are home needing to be schooled. It is difficult to school when there is so much work to do. AH, fun times, these.
SO then at the crux of all this, I call up my one-trusted friend who I know will give it to me straight....to find her 3 week old baby Naomi has been airlifted to a children's hospital with major seizures....no one could dx her until finally they found something and she went directly into Spinal Cord Surgery last night.
God sure doesn't let me feel sorry for myself for long.
Perspective is a mighty thing.
Please pray for Ryan and Sarah and little Naomi. They are a precious family to ours.
(This is the Sarah who I used to speak of who Marissa reminded me of)
I wonder what personal hell they are going through right now and how one survives such awesome circumstances.
I cannot even imagine.
The world is beginning it's final turn I think. Personal rights are being stripped.
HOW scary is the California Homeschooling ruling?????????????????????
Hope ya'll signed that petition. GO DO IT NOW.
Death, disease and sickness is rampant. Pain, abuse and misery abound.
No, I am not depressed. Just reflective and feeling so much lately moment to moment.
I am so thankful that the Lord loves his children...in sickness and in health. It is a comfort to know that no matter what happens to you or to me or to our kids, to our families or to our nation, that

God-is-sovereign.

Shalom brethren

Church at RC Sproul's

Reformed? Check!

Family Integrated? Check!

Soundproof nursing room? Check!

Going back to Calvary and really giving the nursery a fair try?

Double check.

Good teaching....there IS no substitute.

See ya'll next week, Lol.

Shalom

Stream of thought

Almost to print, thank GOODNESS.
It has been hard to gear the mag toward the largest readership, PUBLIC school, since I am a homeschooler. Hard in the sense that I don't really personally believe a lot of the stuff that is in there...

But then I remember just teaching the kids the difference between personal choice and biblical principle. And most of it in there is personal choice not biblical principle. (sending kids to camp, etc.)
So there I realize that I have an opportunity to make a soft influence with a different point of view here and there. You know, seed planting.
Can you see me coming in with skirts only, family integrated, discipline that bratty kid, don't you DARE ban children from anything, submit to your husband, everyone should homeschool perspective? Hmm, does magazine CRASH sound good? Lol
But it is hard not to feel like a sell-out sometimes!

Kate calls bugs BLUGS, how cute is that?

I am SO excited about skate Wed. But guess what? I ABHOR the skating rink. I mean, it falls second only to mini-golf, which I equally despise. BUT- this skating rink seems different. The people CARE about the kids, DISCIPLINE them (say what?) but mostly, I see that the scheduled events are going to be my connection with the group. Every other Wednesday I am going to see you all. Or whoever comes. That and the fellowship group and I should be good. I see everyone sewing skirts ahem, WITHOUT me, shame on ya'll. And I MISS it!!!!
What about a once a month skirt day at my house? Maybe just three others to keep it sane?...Tif, you HAVE to come since you are the one that knows how to do it. PLEASE? Email me privately guys if you want to do that.

Church: MAN do I miss church. A variety of things have happened but things really ARE evening out a bit and so it is good. We see that for us it is an impossible thing to be separated as a family for Sundays with me always staying home or Jeff or one of the kids. Let me encourage you to GO TO CHURCH every Sunday that you are able to breathe. (Don't take that as judgement, just a word of wisdom, TRUST me) If church is working for you and you are happy with where the kids are..just go! Not forsaking the assembly is really important.

So I am hoping that the new place works out for Calvary Lord willing! We are going to head up to RC Sproul's church on Sunday where they are reformed, family integrated AND have a crying room, lol, right behind the family section so we can all "be together". Let me tell you, I have not experienced the weirdness of not being in family unity on Sundays until we had no where to put Kate. To split the family up on a Sunday was too much for us! It just didn't feel right! What would one do with a new baby? Do they have to go to nursery? I mean, will the three new Mom's stay out or put them in nursery?
Anyway, I am going to HOPE that the new digs for Calvary end up with a spot to sit and listen with kids where we won't be a distraction. I was excited when we moved to the gym and thought I could sit outside the curtain. But when I did and Kate made a peep, it ECHOED like the Grand Canyon and after said usher came out to "see what all the ruckus was about" I skulked back out to where coffee and doughnuts worship. Lol I felt SOOO bad. Now that Kate is saying, Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo at the top of her lungs, I can see that we have some time left before she can sit quietly. Can you hear Doug? "Grace and Peace be with you!" (Nooooooooooooooooooooo) "Mercy triumphs over judgement." ) (Noooooooooooooooooo)
"Listen my children, to your father's wisdom" (Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo) Lol

Anyway, hope to see you all soon. I enjoyed catching up on your blogs. Don't forget about me guys! I'm here!

Benefits of a sick kid

Well I COULD do a whole if you give a kid a cookie thing...but since it involves getting SICK let me suffice to say that Rach is fine. Thanks for your prayers. She was good the next day and even better today. I think it was just something she ate.

BUT- the BENEFIT of having a kid get sick all over the carpet...(and let me tell you...I have the GREATEST hubs, he does ALL this kind of thing and never lets me touch it...but he WASN'T HERE so I had to deal!!!) Anyway, he came home in no short order, having just left...and rented a carpet cleaner...so now I have a steam cleaned back office AND no throw up smell from MY own lame efforts..lol

But this oh-so-cute video of Kate to boot! She LOVED the fan....(drying the carpet off)

Sure do miss you guys......

Prayer Request Please

Well, I was back to our old schedule this morning, prioritizing properly, getting ready for church (HOORAY! I am not the average Joe...I LOVE church!)
Personal Bible time makes a comeback, lol etc. etc. Going to take the day off...it is SUNDAY after all...

So Rach walks in and says Mom, my stomach hurts and suddenly yep, blaaaaaaaargh...all over EVERYTHING.

Jeff left yesterday (but is currently on his way home, thank goodness)
and I have to be in Altamonte this afternoon...

I just desperately need to find some balance or clone myself...about ten times.

As we are rarely a sick family, which I attribute to our not being overly involved with outside activities, it is a rare and scary occurrence here when someone here does not feel well.

Please pray that this is just an upset tummy and not a real sickness...and all will be over soon.

S

Stream of Thought

Hello ya'll wild women!

I just could NOT go to "work" this morning but instead just want to chat!
So here I am.

I am glad to go to an outing today where I might actually meet other human beings.

Jeff drug me out of work last night to give me a break and get me out to Thai but the restaurant was closed, boohoo! Imagine our relief when we got home and an hour later the tire was flat on the van. God is good!
I mean, who wants to change a tire in the pouring rain and dark outside a Thai restaurant?
He made me delish curry stir fry at home where I could finish up some work, watch Rach do her fashion show computer program and have a Bass ale!!!!!! (sorry legalists)

American Idol...ok, I am SO GLAD freaky gay guy is gone, politically correct or not, he needs a whippin'. Yuck.
BUT more to the point, how about that unbelievable show To Tell The Truth????
Who will confess to watching that? Lol
I turned it off immediately after spouting to the kids about the horrors of it, sent them up to bed and snuck up to my room to watch it. (careful with that measure people, lol)
Well I had to see if the girl answered yes or no to the question: "Do you have any secrets that could end your marriage?" (She said YES. I couldn't believe it!)
I couldn't put my finger on exactly why this show was so evil. I mean, everyone has secrets, skeletons, etc...and I don't believe there should be anything less than pure honesty in relationships even though we all have our dishonest moments...then I got it. Right. They are SELLING the secrets...for MONEY. (Shiver)
Can you imagine if your spouse answered YES to that question what it would be like in the HOME after that???? Ugh. I can't imagine the trouble it may cause in OTHER homes either, putting thoughts into the heads of married couples, questions, suspicions...so not glorifying!!!
During the commercial break a little logo of a sponsor came on that said "Lighthearted Entertainment" and Jeff was like...WHAT?????
Then Jeff said (hear his best, deep announcer voice) "Fox network in cooperation with SATAN brings you...To tell the truth!" ....CRACKED me up!
I totally confess it is hard not to watch....but it really disturbs my spirit so I am afraid it was a little bad toe-dip that I made but have to move on from.

Kate was doing her typical monkey hang off the back of a chair on the porch and yep, you guessed it, toppled backward...never letting go so she didn't bend and land on her bottom but instead flat on her back. Hit her head, chair landed on top of her and busted her lip and banged her DIRECTLY on the spot where she had been scraped.
We were all just sitting around the table having a nice chat and it happened so fast. Poor thing. She really could have been hurt and I am so thankful that the little monkey head just got a bump and a bruise. Man, I love that kid.

Loving my new computer and desk...though I cannot figure out the new Windows 07 Word program or Vista. Anyone an expert and want to come over and help?
Can't afford my computer guy as much anymore. Lol

Loving the trade options I have with the mag....I am being prudent and not going overboard. I actually don't have any at the moment but am considering someone to come in and do the deep cleaning once a week... I actually need to free up some more time to be with the kids.
So they can keep their regular chores but mine need taking over so that my extra time spent "working" can be restored to them. I never could do a cleaning lady though...when I was out of the house working I tried to have one but was always cleaning before she came...I think I may have to try it again though...

Anyway, lots of ways to get services...and I am grateful for that as we all know the multiple child thing combined with the entrepreneurial thing equals the I'm consistently broke thing. Lol

C-ya after we go to print!

Who dunnit?

Sorry guys,

The caricature is of course, done by the wonderful Heather Renaux! You can buy these wonderful sketches of your family or friends for only $50.00!

She sends them to you with a handful of Headers you choose (Happy Birthday, Thinking of you, etc.)
and they are yours to keep and print over and over.

What a deal!

Contact her at heatherrenaux@hotmail.com and tell her Steph sent you!

Clunn Family Caricature

And I THANK you!

Coming around to deadline again so I am going to be busy but I am happy to say things are going great and are really calming down already...I wanted to give a shout out to everyone who has had a kind word or thought and have stuck with me through this! You have made it an easier transition and left me feeling not so alone! Everyone who has commented, you have no idea what it has meant to me! I know that everyone is busy with their own life, trust me, I KNOW, especially after I got a new one of my own, Lol- but I thank you for taking the time to just say Go Get 'em or good job or I love you!
Special thanks to my wonderful SIL Crystal, (who has edited, commented, constructively criticized, been excited for, been the best encourager IN THE WORLD, rooted for me and who all together is everything a best friend should be) Tiffany (my greatest advisor), AnnMarie (yes...YOU. who doesn't even know whose words and excitement have made it feel like it was all well worth it) and Chewhi (Cheryl) whose help and friendship long in the coming, (wink, wink) has been a great blessing and a cherished thing to me! Not everyone stuck with me through this but my blogging buddies DID!
Your consistent encouragement, friendship and help in every form has made this a LOT easier.
Love you guys!

And: I have heard through the grapevine...that the mag has made some of you laugh (hooray!), many of you cry (love it!) and a few of you MAD! (intended!) Lol So that is the whole intent of the mag...to not be too fluffy, nor to heavy- but in the words of our favorite little baby bear...
"juuuuuuuust right". We are working toward that every month...so keep expecting great improvements! And for goodness sake, WRITE IN with your comments! OR tell me what you liked or didn't like privately. Your opinion COUNTS!

Love you guys! Happy Weekend!