Spring Break (Easter Break)

Easter break always refreshes my soul, attitude, body, and God allows me to take a new look at what Christ did on my behalf on the cross. My precious Savior died the most horrific and painful death and took the full wrath of God for me, ME, my sins. Hallelujah what a Savior!

People ask me, "So, are you going anywhere on break" and the response I love saying, "Thankfully, I am just staying home and getting some things done and spending time with my family. Love Easter break!"

The week has flown on by and thankfully I have been able to accomplish a few things on my "to do list". My pool is looking incredible, the weeds are all almost pulled (weeds never end though), the ground is tilled and amended, and the summer vegetables are bought and awaiting to be planted. Cleaning my bedroom closet remains on the list to be done. Next vacation.

The end of my break has been spent with my family. All 3 of my "loves" are at Nana and Papa's house. Jen and Amy surprised Nana and took to her have the grand kids pictures taken.

Baby Eric is figuring out his smile (and oh is he a charmer) and can mimic your tongue movements.

Trinity and Joey are so adorable and love to play with their Aunties. Trin Trin and I would have been bossom buddies if we grew up together. She has collected all the slugs and rollie pollies in Nana's yard, she loves being outdoors and running around and she scored many goals with me playing goalie. Joe Joe is a love bug and is so funny. He loves running around outside and playing football.

Love these kiddos. Praying they will one day understand all that Christ did on the cross and that God will break their heart with His love and that they would call Him Savior.

My Loves

Here are my cutie pies! The picture is about a month old and baby Eric has changed so much already. There might be a new picture taken this weekend as we all will be together. I think I will bring my camera this time. Love these blessings that God has given me.
Eric 3 months, Trinity almost 5 1/2 years, Joey almost 3 years.

Waiting to See the Doctor

Yesterday I needed to go to the doctor to see if they could help me figure out what is going on with not feeling well for several days with a fever for 5 days. I don't want to discuss my health in this post but the wait to see the doctor in the exam room.

There are so many posters and fact sheets all over the walls of the exam room. I am determined they make you sit on the cold exam table until you have had enough time to read everything on walls. You have to leave more informed or more confused. Here are a few glimpses what passed from my eyes to my brain.

• if I used an inhaler, it is much better to use an extender chamber
• saw the differences between a cold that is bacterial vs. viral (my case could be either)
• figured my current BMI
  
• the hospital offers many classes for people with diabetes
• and that if you have diabetes, you should have your shoes and socks off for the visit with the doctor
  
• from now, age 42, until age 100, I know what appointments I should making (not looking forward to a few of the future screenings)
• if I found myself in an emergency the sign by the phone told me how to call the nurse's station
• what a fetus (little human being) looks like at 9 weeks past conception. I am always awe struck at the incredible complexity of the development of a human. Truly an amazing work of God
  

Pop of Color

Happy Spring! My yard is filled with incredible displays of God's painting pallet. Boy I needed a pop of color today. I am home ill today because my strep throat has either lingered or has decided to re-visit my throat.




You seriously can't go wrong with planting bulbs in the fall that are going to brighten your yard in the spring. Costco sells bulbs in bulk, 100 in a bag. I bought a tool a few years ago that I attach to my cordless drill and it bores my bulb holes just like that.

The sad thing, that in about 2 weeks the bulb color will be gone and the stems will be drying up for their appearance next year. But I will enjoy it now while I can.

Let's Do It Again!

This year, my San Francisco Giants, start out as World Champions! I don't think I will ever tire of celebrating what happened in 2010 with the Giants! I would love the orange and black to kiss the world championship trophy again this year. Tomorrow my boys are back at it and I am ready with my chant, "BEAT LA, BEAT LA".

GO GIANTS!!!


(image taken from Google images)

Picker Upper

Sometimes after work, I need a picker upper, a Peet's coffee drink. Today was one of those days. First real day of warmth for 2011 (what a contrast from the gloomy last several weeks of rain, rain, rain). So, I stopped off at "Peete Boys" and got an iced half calf coffee, a less expensive drink. The barista handed me my drink on the counter right next to the tip container and then handed me my nickle change. Clunk, splash. "Did you see what I just did?" "You put your nickle in your coffee drink, didn't you?" "Ahh, I thought I dropped it in your tip jar".

Guess I really needed a pick me upper to think correctly.

Notes From Far Away

Over the last several weeks, I have received an email and a hand written card from dear friends, one from San Diego and one from Canada. God ordains those notes to get to my mailbox right when I need them. There is something special when you hear from precious kindred spirits who I don't get to see very often at all. Thank you Jesus for the encouragement (they may not have even planned to be encouraging but even just sharing what is going on in their lives and what God is doing) you send through dear people.

I love this song too and it nothing to do with the notes my friends send except for the Savior that has saved us and has bonded our hearts together. To listen click here.

Jesus, Thank You by Pat Sczehel

The mystery of the cross I cannot comprehend
The agonies of Calvary
You the perfect Holy One, crushed Your Son
Who drank the bitter cup reserved for me

Your blood has washed away my sin
Jesus, thank You
The Father’s wrath completely satisfied
Jesus, thank You
Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table
Jesus, thank You

By Your perfect sacrifice I’ve been brought near
Your enemy You’ve made Your friend
Pouring out the riches of Your glorious grace
Your mercy and Your kindness know no end

Lover of my soul
I want to live for You

The Desire is There but Energy is Not

I'm not one of those bloggers that blog every day, every week, or even every month. My blog is not the whirling of theological discussion but just what is going on in my life and what God is doing in my heart. To be honest, a thought of something to post comes into my mind every day but to sit and actually post does not happen (as you are well aware of).

The LORD has been refining me greatly with my new job. There are several refining rods He is using with this job but the one I will mention today is sickness. From September to a few weeks into January seemed like I was with a cold or recovering from a cold and this cycle seemed to repeat itself constantly. New job, new germs. Guess the saying could go, "what is yours will be mine". Last week the season of better health came to a halt with a positive test for strep throat. Thankfully, today I am past the feeling of swallowing dry gravel.

The last 2 days I have been laying it pretty low key. In times like this I have to fight the feeling that I am being lazy. Thankfully, I don't have children and a husband to take care of. So, I am thankful that in this round of sickness, I had the desire to spend more time with God. Yesterday I read a fiction book based on the life of Tamar. Today I read several chapters in Genesis to see how the author came up with her thoughts of Tamar's life. I was then able to spend some time preparing for tomorrow's sermon from John chapter 5 and to pray to my Father in Heaven.

Regardless of what goes on in this life, God will never leave or let you down. He is ever faithfully working out His plan. He is good. Need to wait upon the LORD!

Here is a song we sang last week in church. If you would like to listen click here.


Everlasting God
Chris Tomlin

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord (repeat)

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer

You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint You won't grow weary

You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

My Home's New Look

My parents and my grandma decided that I needed a serious update of my sofas. The old sofas served their purpose and I got 8 1/2 good years out of them and that was 8 1/2 years longer after my sister had them for a time and her college roommate had them before that. The pictures don't really put the new look in the best light, I took them early this morning before I went to church. They are so beautiful and completely change the look of my great room. I am so very blessed. Thank you Mom, Dad and Grandma, I love them!

Baby F!

Wow, can't believe that Baby Eric Walter will be 2 weeks old tomorrow. Poor Amy had a hard delivery, 39 hours. Thankfully, she only had to push for 18 minutes. Baby Eric (I might end up calling him Ric Ric love- like Trin Trin love and Joe Joe love) is named after his daddy and Walter is after my grandfather on my mom's side. His name is real special for me. So, here are the details: Eric Walter, 6 pounds 6 ounces, 19 1/2" long, full head of dark handsome hair and so cute. What a honor to be present for the delivery. I don't think Amy even knows this, one of the items on my bucket list was to be in the delivery room for the birth of a baby of my family. Thanks Amy- check. I praise the LORD for the blessing of being an auntie again. My prayer is that I will be able to share the love of Jesus with him.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

"For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them. " Psalm 139:13-16


Baby F is due in about 5 weeks. In December I was able to go to a few appointments with her. His little heart beat sounds like a horse trotting. The ultrasound images were incredible. I clearly was able to see all of his fingers, toes, spine, eyes, the 4 chambers of his heart beating and squeezing, the division between his right and left side of his brain, his femur bone and so many other incredible features.

Trin Trin and Joe Joe are up at Nana and Papa's for some time after Christmas. What is so adorable is to see them come up to Amy and give her tummy a big hug and how they talk to baby F. They even picked out some baby toys for him for Christmas.

I am so reminded of the text above when I think of what a miracle God performs each and every time a life is formed in a mother's womb. Soon and very soon we will be able to meet Baby F and find out his name that has been picked out for him.

I'm Around-Just Busy

Posting has once again taken a back seat to my busy life and lack of energy to do so. Would love to say that posting has stopped because of the Giant championship that came to San Francisco that I mentioned on my last post but it truly has been busy. The blog will not go silent, it will resume soon. When I have trouble getting my clean laundry folded and put away and not spending as much time reading my Bible and praying, that is when I know I have no time for blogging.

My "loves" are in town this week and my time is spent playing, pushing swings, pretending I am the puppy vet, reading books, and so much more, all good fun!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends celebrating the birth of Christ, the Savior!

Here are a few family holiday photos.

The San Francisco Giants are the World Champions!!!

Yes, yes, yes! The (my) San Francisco Giants have won the world series! History has now been made. First championship ever for San Fran in baseball history. There was some serious hooting and hollering inside and outside of my house when the game was over.





Call me crazy or call me loyal, but today is the big parade and I am going! Thanks to some hard earned bank days at work and the awesome feat of the Giants to win it all. The crowds are expected to be big today. Last time I was around this many people it was for the New Year's celebration going into 2000 in San Francisco, that was crazy crowded night.
Images taken from knbr.com

The Excitement is Growing- Magic Number-1

Yaaaaahooo! Giants are up 3-1 in the series. There is great eager optimism growing. Tonight I found myself saying several times, "The Giants might (the might is with emphasis) win the World Series!" Tomorrow night might be a very sweet night. I want to dream already of going out and banging pots and pans when the final out is recorded but I know better to not to go there yet. Wow!

Please don't think my whole life is all about baseball right now because life has continued on. I am going to work each day, I went to church today, helped my mom out with some projects, even got the laundry done and folded! Giants baseball has been real exciting and this has been a great year.

In my excitement trying to find good graphics, I have neglected to give credit to the graphics. All the Giants images have come from Google images.

GO GIANTS!!!

Half Way There

Wow, what a series so far for the San Francisco Giants. Let's GO GIANTS!!! 2 down and 2 to go.

Thursday evenings my community group gathers (a Bible study) and this week we had a fellowship meal. K & J were so thoughtful, they had their Ipad set up so D and I could follow the updates every 15 seconds. I was not able to let loose the excitement completely but some hoots, claps and jumping up and down did occur. Thanks K & J- love you.

This week at school, instead of warm up exercises, I've had the students do the chicken dance and shared with them how the dance has to do with the San Francisco Giants. Back in the Barry Bonds era, opposing teams would intentionally walk the home run king and the stadium would play the chicken dance on the jumbo tron screen and 40,000 people would be dancing the little jig. Here is an example of one of those walks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou7tqQ6EVZE.

Fun times.

GO GIANTS!!!

Wow! One Down 3 to Go

What a fun and incredible ride this has been. Great win tonight for my San Francisco Giants in game 1 of the World Series. Would love if God's favor was towards the Giants this year. Incredible offense but we've gotta work on the defense a wee bit. Tonight I had a great time watching the game at a friend's home. She saw how pumped up I can get.

The kids at work have done some cute things over the last several days regarding the Giants. They've got the "fever" too! Last week Mrs. B's 2nd grade class did the morning announcements, a day when the principal was gone. At the end of their scripted announcements they cheered out, "Go Giants!" In another class last week, Mrs. A class had thought out ahead of time a way cheer the Giants on for me. After doing their 20 jumping jacks, they yelled out, "GO GIANTS!" They said they did this for me because I love the Giants so much. Today, 3 of us teachers had on Giants t-shirts. I started a chant with some of my students as we walked to the classroom and to lunch, "Let's Go Giants!" clap, clap, clap, clap, clap. Two of the 1st grade classes after recess chanted out in their line up lines (room 20)- "GO" (room 19) "Giants". That cheer was heard around the school. Today I gave out one of the SF Giant's pencils I picked up the last time I was at a ball game. The students were playing a game that involved putting on a orange or blue pennie to identify who was on each team. One girl refused to put on the blue pennie because she said it was not orange like the Giants. Every day, she shares her excitement of the Giants and how they are winning. After class I gave her a SF Giant's pencil that I had picked up the last time I was at the ball park. She loved it. I guess she shared that I gave it to her to another student. That student came up and asked if I had any more pencils and that he was a Giant's fan. I asked him if he was "a die hard fan" and he said he was. I asked, "for this whole season you have been a Giant's fan?" "Yes". I said, "who is the Giant's 1st baseman?" He could not answer so he did not get a pencil. I have one more pencil to give out and I know who it will be for tomorrow- a boy who runs up to me every day to give me a high 5 about the Giant's winning the game the night before.

I'm loving these fun days with the Giants! I told my students today that if the Giants win tonight, tomorrow night, Saturday and Sunday, sweep the series, that I will not be at school on Monday or whatever day they have the parade, that I will be in the city taking part in the fun celebration. They all want to come too. Not sure how I am going to work a field trip for all 500 out them.

World Series Mania

The World Series starts today. Just 4 wins until a team is crowned the champions, my hope is that it is the San Francisco Giants (and the hope of at least hundreds of thousands too). I'll post more later as I have to go to work, wish I was going to the game though.

LET'S GO GIANTS!!!

Giants Are Going To The Series

Orange October will continue for at least 4 more games! Yeah Hey for the Giants, they won the National League Pennant and are going to the World Series!!! This has been a great year for my Giants. One of my lifetime dreams (on my bucket list) is to see the San Francisco Giants win the World Series. Another item on my bucket list is to go to a World Series game with the Giants playing. Not sure, maybe this year?

On a side note, I am really tired of the media bias against the Giants. There have been several times I have had to mute the TV to silence the announcers and how they are talking about the Giants or talking the whole time about the Phillies (or the Yankees, Braves or almost any other east coast team). There is local announcer that should be taken off of the Giants radio broadcast station, KMBR 680, and his news sportcast. He has always been so anti-Giant, that I am sickened. Personally, I would like to stick with Duane, Mike, Dave and Jon and wish they could announce the series on the TV.

Orange October

Orange October. Wow, so much orange in October. Orange has become my favorite color especially this October. Nothing better than an Orange October.

Every morning as I drive to work the east sky is a painter's canvas (God is the Painter!) with all the incredible hues and shades of orange. When I am running a little late, the sun has popped into the scene and is an enormous orange ball. Many of these mornings I am pleading with God to give me wisdom, insight, strength and love for my new job. Seeing the glory of the morning, the majesty and goodness of the LORD, my restless heart is reminded that He is with me, that He is faithful, He is working and that He is for me.

Every Friday I wear a orange shirt for two reasons. The first reason, it is spirit day at school and school colors are orange and black. The second reason, every Friday this baseball season is Orange Fridays, to cheer on the Giants.

There has been much more orange going on in October. Back in September, I had my toe nails painted orange to help push my Giants into the playoffs. The Giants won the National League West on October 3rd to go to the National League Division Playoffs (I will share about this game in another post- it was one of the most incredible games I have been to- EVER). The Giants won the NLDS and today start the National League Championship Series. GO GIANTS!!! There is a little baseball superstition in me, (isn't there a little in every true baseball fan?) not changing the toe nail color. I need a pedicure bad but have not been able to fit it in to get my nails done orange again. Every day the Giants win or the day after they have clinched, I am wearing orange. Last week, I had a whole load of orange laundry. Sure hope I can keep wearing orange until the end of the month (if need be, a few days into November!).

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Man of Sorrows! what a name
For the Son of God, Who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
"Full atonement!" can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;
"It is finished!" was His cry;
Now in heav'n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we'll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Last week at church, we sang one of my all time favorite hymns, Hallelujah! What a Savior! by Philip P. Bliss written in 1875. The Bible that is still "lost" had this song written among the songs I would like sung at my funeral. So in life and in death this will always be one of my favorites, sung here desiring to see my Savior face to face and sung seeing Him in full glory!