Well for all you who read my Christmas decorating blog entry (see
below) we have recovered nicely.  Things really haven't slowed
down much but at least the decorations are up and now I can enjoy
them.  The kids love looking at all the greenery and lights in the
house.  Do you think the house looks naked after Christmas? 
I do. 

The church middle school group had their last
“get together” here last night.  They ate downstairs, sat by the
campfire and did the middle school thing.  Some of those girls can
talk faster than I can think.  They left my head spinning. 
With only one other female in the family (18 months old) I've got a a
lot to look forward to.

But, anyway, onto the reason for my
blog today…I thought after all the hussle and bussle of decorating
Sparky lying underneath the tree reminded me of sitting at the feet of
Jesus.  Which is where I should be this time of year, basking in
the light of my Savior.  I must constantly remind myself of Mary
and Martha, remembering that busyness is not where I draw my
strength.  It is only in my desperateness that find my Savior.

“So let's all go lie underneath our trees and drink in Jesus.”  All the other stuff can wait.

Merry Christmas
Julie

TN3JCarter
is going to flip but yes, I changed my blog AGAIN.  I just can't
get a look that's really me.  Or maybe “me” is constantly changing
my look.  Either way, as I sit in my bed battling fever, body
aches and whetever else it is I caught from my sweet little ones I had
to do something.  My body hurts no matter what I do. And my eyes
hurt too bad to watch the junk on TV.  Advil isn't really helping
either.  I think this is one of those times I wish I had bat boots
so I could hang upside down.  My feet are the only thing that
don't hurt.

So many things call.  The Christmas
decorating, baking, taking care of the family.  And all I can do
is snuggle in the bed aching and popping Advil.  It's ironic on
the days I'm so busy being laid-up-sorry in the bed sounds
wonderful.  I think it's without all the body aches though.

Hope you have a great Friday.
Julie

7 Things To Do Before I Die

1.  See all my children accept Christ
2.  Experience God's healing power
3.  Go somewhere romantic with my husband for a week
4.  Meet one movie star
5.  Homeschool one of my kids through highschool
6.  Travel the country in an  RV for 6 months with my family
7.  Go sking in CO one more time with my hubby

7 Things I Cannot Do

1. Get organized in a way I'm really happy with

2. Crossstitch

3. Get my children to do all the housework while I sit around reading and eating bon-bons.

4. Begin reading Lord of the Rings.

5. Golf

6. Play mini golf ( I get so mad)

7. Keep all my kids well through one whole entire winter.

7 Things That Attract Me To My Husband

1. His love for Jesus.

2. His biceps.

3. His butt.

4. When he puts his tool belt on.

5. When he plays with our children, reads to them or gives me a night off

6. He's a great encourager!

7. He's not scared to be funny.

7 Things I Say Most Often

1.  “Be kind to each other.”

2. “Have I told you I love you today?”

3. “Sparky” (dog)

4. “Do you have your shoes on yet?”
5.  “I'm hot.”

6.  “What's wrong?”

7. “It's too expensive.”

7 Books or Series I Love

1. Bible

2. Codependent No More – Melanie Beattie

3. This Present Darkness – Frank Peretti

4. Piercing the Darkness – Frank Peretti

5. Victory over the Darkness – Neil Anderson

6. Dominion – Randy Alcorn

7. Deadline – Randy Alcorn

7 Movies I Watch Over and Over Again (or would watch over and over if I had the time)
1. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

2. Ms Doubtfire
3. The Hunt for Red October

4. The Titanic

5. The Little Drummer Boy

6. West Side Story
7. The Sound of Music

7 People I Want to Join In, Too

1.  NotQuiteJuneCleaver
2.  Lisalouhoo
3.  tn3jcarter
4.  funnyfarm
5.  sagerats
6.  thewestiecrew
7.  dandelionseeds

This Thanksgiving
weekend we did the normal Thanksgiving thing.  It was
wonderful.  Good food, good friends, and a wonderful family. 
Friday before we ate we spent some time in the back yard…

…trying to decide which tree needed chopping down.  (Photo above….men trying to decide upon tree)

A few days ago my oldest son and I chopped down a small tree with a
hatchet.  I was concerned about losing digits so I was afraid to
use the ax.  I was amazed at how good it felt to chop down a
tree.  I think the last time I did that it was with a chainsaw
SEVERAL years ago.  I could just see myself dressed Little House
on the Prairie style gathering wood for the morning fire.  I AM
WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR!!!

My son and I took turns chopping at the
tree.  My four year old even took a couple chops.  After a
few burning muscles, a little sweat and a few “ughs” we were rewarded
with the cracking sound of timber falling.  It's been a long time
since I heard that sound.  It was a very rewarding sound….,the
sound of hard work, of sweat. 

Or course we had to have
something creative to do with our newly chopped tree so we decided to
make a bridge over the creek that leads to the woods.

Son #1 on our bridge

Of
course one downed tree led to another.  My son and I didn't chop
down all of the trees.  My husband helped too.  Then Friday
our pastor got to experience the same thing as we added to the
bridge.  He was also amazed at how good it felt.  Something
about an ax, wood flying and something to show from it when you're done.

We
all got a lot of pleasure out of walking across our bridge once we'd
gotten a few trees in place.  Even Little Kitty (he's not so
little, huh?) got a chance to try out our new bridge. 

The
smartest one, baby girl, thought staying out of the way was a better
idea.  We had such a great time.  I found myself very
thankful for the strength to chop wood, and wonderful modern
conveniences like electricity, a warm house and boiling water on a
stove (not the Little House on the Prairie wood stove).

Middle son and Sparky

This was written April 2005.  It's a great story so I thought I'd share it with you guys……

You
must have at least a small sense of humor when raising children
otherwise you'll go nuts.  Between the constant questions,
repeated answers and “why moms” there are days I wonder how mothers who
have gone before me look in the least bit sane.  I find I also
gain a greater appreciation for my mother with each passing day.

This
is the week I decided to go and visit a friend who lives about 6 hours
away at the beach.  I had originally planned to go by myself with
our four children but my husband decided to come along at the last
minute.  How I thought I’d make the trip by myself is beyond me
but I guess if you’re going to dream it’s important to dream
big!! 

What prompted me to write today was an incident that happened even
before we left the house this morning.  I still chuckle thinking
about it.  But let me start at the beginning…

About 3 months ago when I realized my husband and I were probably
finished having children I decided I needed some other kind of baby so
I began looking at puppies.  We have three boys ages 6,5,3 and a
daughter who just turned 10 months old, 2 cats, and 1 fish.  We’ve
had as many as 10 fish but for some reason I kill all but one. 
God must know too much even when I don’t.

I remember
thinking that certainly a cute little puppy would fill that baby void I
was already beginning to feel.  Our daughter was already beginning
to crawl, cruise and utter words like, “Dada, Ma-Ma, Dis and
bye-bye”.  By the beginning of February when she had turned 8
months I was just searching for an excuse to buy a puppy.  I
stopped by our local pet store several times, talked myself out of a
dog and then left only to return again a few days later to see what
else had arrived. 

One evening as my husband left for a business trip I gathered the kids
in the car to “just go look” at the puppies at the pet store. 
Seriously!!  No more than an hour later we were the proud owners
of a Feist/long hair Chihuahua mix my 5 year old promptly named
Sparky.  My excuse – his birthday was only a few weeks away. 
Sparky has turned out to be a delightful little dog but I’m quickly
learning the disadvantages as well as the advantages of having a small
dog. 

 
This morning after packing for 4 children and myself I help my husband
load the car then get all four kids into their car seats. (No small
feat!) I then turn to look for Sparky.  She usually comes when I
call her although she isn't alway in a mood to cooperate and be
persuaded into the car or the house when she’d rather be outside. 
So this morning she was in one of her favorite places enjoying the
spring day underneath our gazebo.  It’s a great cool, dark place
that our cat used to inhabit before a little black and white 7-pound
dog took over his world.  I called for her several times and she
would peep her head out from underneath the gazebo totally content with
being in a spot where she thought herself completely
unobtainable.  So I grab the broom and whisk it around underneath
trying to convince her that coming out really was a good idea. 

 
Now my husband and four children are sitting in our van watching me and
I could only imagine what my husband was thinking….“ And she had to
have a dog!!” or “I wonder what dog tastes like on the
BBQ?”   After a few minutes of watching my antics with Sparky
my husband hops out of the car and marches inside the house.  I
was only half paying attention to him until I saw him walking across
the lawn towards me with a bottle rocket and a lighter in hand. 
Normally my husband’s barbarian ways only cause me to shake my head in
bewilderment but this particular morning he was more like my
savior.  Laughing at the mental picture that was forming in my
head I smiled and graciously stepped aside.   

After securing the bottle rocket into the ground so it wouldn’t
actually go under the gazebo, just blast off while staying in the
ground beside it, my husband stoops to light the thing.  By this
point most of our family is out of the van or watching from the car
window.  As we stand with fingers stuck in our ears the
unexpecting Sparky hears “BBLLAAMM” as sparks fly in random fashion
into the air and fall upon the ground.  She shot out from
underneath the gazebo like a greased watermelon in a pool on the 4^th
of July.  Scared but perfectly okay she sits in the backseat as we
pull out of the driveway.  And I chuckle as I think this time we
can certainly “Chalk one up for dad!!!!”

My first TWO piggie tails!!

I have to admit my ever increasing blogging slump!  UGH….

It's frustrating at best.  I've changed templates three times hoping it would inspire me.  NOTHING.

Where has my creativity gone?  I'm beginning to think it's missing just like TN3JCARTER
went missing a couple weeks ago. I'm so thankful her husband found
her!!  If anyone's seen a brain running around full of wonderful
ideas it belongs to me!!!  It may come when beckoned if you have a
fist full of chocolate.  Desperate measures may need to be taken
so have plenty!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Julie