ONE great movie

I saw this movie tonight...wow. I heard about The Girl in the Cafe on Sunday because it won a bunch of Emmys...but WOW. Really, it makes such a great statement through such a beautiful film.

After you've watched it go to ONE, and let your voice be heard.

They don't want your money, they want your voice.

Every three seconds a child dies from extreme poverty...it's time for our generation to stand up for this cause and finally DO something great!

Family Time

We took our first official "All-Family Bike Ride" today up to our favorite dive - "Beer & Salsa". Even Mommy and Daddy had their bikes!

I think we've reached a whole new level of freedom...it's nice.

I call it the "Elementary Era"...and it's fabulous!

Sex Church

So this is hilarious! We actually decided to go to church this morning. We have a neighbor who is a Pastor and we've been meaning to get to his church for over two years now. So we took the opportunity to visit this morning. They are with Calvary Chapel that has this thing of preaching straight through the New Testament. So today of all sundays happened to be I Corinthians 7:1-5 which is all about sex. I think the sermon title was "loving your Love Life". Well, we failed to realize this at first. We tried to drop Beefy and Sofa off at kid's church, but they just FREAKED! (My kids HATE church.) So we decided to "worship together as a family" except there wasn't too much "parenting in the pew" once we found out what the subject was.

Anyway, they had food in the back so our kids nibbled on a muffin while the pastor spoke in "code" about the "Marriage Bed".

It really was a great church with a GREAT community of people. Really warm and inviting...however I feel we won't make our home there just because I can't get back into the whole "church planting vortex"...I think we are jsut too raw for that right now.

I want to be annonomous.

Steeplechase continues...

Update: Pizza Church

So the other day I sent an email to the Children's Ministry Assistant at "Pizza Church" and asked them to remove us from their database. We got another annomated message this week and I just didn't want to be harrassed every week.

So this morning I got a call from an actual person to confirm my request. It's amazing what you have to do to get a person to call you. HA! No, it's ok. But it makes you think twice about filling out that visitor card!

Jesus has a Big...

(Set of family Jewels)...Just ask Beefy.

It was a conversation I overheard the other day with the three boys. Very funny...probably sacraligious...but so hilarious to see how their minds (as little boys) work!

Ahhh...motherhood!

It's a wild ride and you never know what's coming next. (Or what you'll overhear!)

From the Mouthes of Babes

I overheard this conversation today in the car:

C: Mom, do we EVER have to go back to church again?

By the time I heard the question and came up with an answer, I heard...

T: We don't HAVE to go to church to Worship God!

I laughed. And smiled.

ME: You are right, buddy...(long pause)...but mommy & daddy still aren't sure WHAT we are gonna do.

Looks like I am raising little "Revolutionaries"...Barna would be so proud!

Wah-Wah-Wah

Don't you hate it when people complain about their lives and how tough they have it. And then you realize what they are "suffering" with and just laugh?

Happy Birthday, Baby!

(This is why we are "suffering" in California!)

Surprising Sunday

Well, we answered the question today by prolonging the Steeplechase. We chose to not subject our kids to the torture of dropping them off at yet another children's church program and decided instead to have a family day at the beach.



It was so good. We went up to Sycamore Cove up past the county line. It was so beautiful and so quaint and quite. Not over crowded. Great Sand. Fun waves and just an unbelievable day. We got happy meals for lunch and came home later in the day to a catered dinner from Buca. (So I didin't have to cook all day! What a treat!) We had a great dinner together and then baths and showers to rid us of the sand. (Can I just say my kids got three baths this week...that's a personal record. I think they had gone three weeks without having had one before this week.)

What can I say...it was so good to just BE as our family.

BE together

BE happy

BE funny

BE loud

BE sweet

Just BE.

I know one of these days we'll want to venture back into a church and begin to build community again...but for the past couple months it's been so good to be away.

Today was good. It was just nice to have a good day.

To rest.

To relax.

And just let my kids BE kids.

What joy...now that is worship.

Can I just say...

Kevin Federline makes me want to barf...

I was watching the Teen Choice Awards while I was blogging...

"Trailer Trash" has an all new dimension...

I am dumbfounded.

Damaged Goods

I've been doing a lot of thinking this weekend. I drive by places that make me remember how my life was a few months ago. I'm trying to put the past four years of my life in order. I can't do much right now beyond continuing to stuff it all down and pull my life togehter enough to create a sense of "normal" for my kids...but I know the time is coming when it will all come crashing down on me and I will crumble...and have to face it all.

It's overwhelming.

It's too much to handle.

Here I am again...alone.

I've been here before.

I've triumphed...but it SUCKS.

I overheard some woman today talking on the phone at Target...she was clearly Christian and talking about some church thing to the person on the other line using her "Christianese" and talking about some sort of "in depth study"...I just started to cringe.

Here I am again Saturday night and the dillema is upon me once again...where to go to church...or if to go at all...I just don't know...I still don't want to put my kids through all that again. I'm afraid of the church. I'm afraid of getting sucked in. I'm afraid of getting hurt.

These are just a bunch of random late night ramblings.

...but I'm just afraid I've been ruined.

What's next?

Automated Message Church

Oh MY GOSH! Can I just say there is a new level of disgust I just entered today for Evangelical Cookie-Cutter churches!

I was talking to my dad this morning on my patio and the phone rang. I ran inside to answer it since we were expecting out school teacher to arrive in an hour and I thought she might need directions. SO I picked up the phone. As I did I looked at the caller ID and it said "Pizza Church" (not really, that's just code). I thought why would anyone be calling from "Pizza Church"? My brain rattled off a host of reasons all in the 3.5 seconds that the phone rang for a third time. Who do I know at Pizza Church? Maybe they are calling Jay about that resume? Maybe they got out number when we visited? Maybe it's someone calling us to invite us back. Fear gripped me as I pushed the connect button. My finger wasn't working in step with my brain. My brain said, "What are you doing? Don't you remember that time you were trapped on the phone with that Elder from that bible-Belt church in backwoods Virginia from that church you visited that one time? Why did you click the button? I don't want to talk to a live person about church! You should've let the machine get it. Then I call back on MY terms! Why did you..."

Just then I answered, "Hello?"

What happened next sent a boiling sensation through my veins. I was dumbfounded and pissed off! It was an Automated Message inviting me to some children's ministry event. I don't even know what it was because I was SO BLOWN AWAY that a church would resort to tactics of telemarketers adn politicians. HOW IMPERSONAL!

I found myself wanting to deffend them..."It's a big church, I understand...they've got a lot of people to call." NO FREAKING WAY!!!! If you are that big of a church and have that many calls to make, then you recruit THAT MANY VOLUNTEERS!

What it communicates to me is I'm just a number and that church doesn't really give a CRAP about me as a person and they just want to push my kids through the dough press of the Chrsitian Cookie-Cutter Cut Out. Uhhh!!!

That's what makes me so disgusted with the "Big Box Evangelical Churches in America."

Needless to say I let Jay listen to part of the message. Then I hung up on it. We'll never go back there...

The Steeplechase continues....

Hell in a Halloween Basket

This is how you know the world (or should I say America) is going to Hell in a hand basket. A Halloween Advent Calendar. Because counting down the days till the Christ Child's birth is not enough...we must count down the days to our new favorite consumeristic holiday.

Pretty soon we'll be getting a whole week's vacation around the end of October to properly be able to celebrate the holiday by American standards.

Uh!!! Makes me want to Barf! I guess this is the "new nativity".

I am so serious about wanting to get out of this country and go live SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!!!

Theft Update

For those inquiring minds that want to know...I got a call from the cops. They found the van. It was in The City of Industry (downtown L.A.) The theives had sold the van to a lady on the street. She appently went to the DMV to register the van and got nabbed there. The van was impounded and the poor woman was out her cash and her van.

Way to go L.A.P.D.!

The van was still in great shape, but we'd already signed the title over to Progressive, and had gotten the check.
...But after it's been stolen, I don't think I'd want it back.

Thank God for insurance!

current book quiz - Me version

1. One book that changed your life: The Cost of Discipleship, Bonhoeffer
2. One book that you’ve read more than once: The Way of the Heart, Nouwen
3. One book you’d want on a desert island: Bible (so cliche, I know, but it's been awhile since it's just been me and my Bible...I'd like that very much these days.)
4. One book that made you laugh: The Silly Book, Stoo Hample (Boodleheimer, Boodleheimer, clap, clap, clap)
5. One book that made you cry:Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (I'm a sap, I know)
6. One book you wish had been written: You never leave Junior High
7. One book you wish had never been written:The Left Behind Series - I don't know which -you pick one.
8. One book you’re currently reading:Revolution, Barna (yes, I'm still reading it.)
9. One book you’ve been meaning to read:Exclusion & Embrace, Volf

current book quiz - Mommy version

1. One book that changed your life:Everybody Poops!
2. One book that you’ve read more than once: Good Night Moon
3. One book you’d want on a desert island: What! I get to be on a desert Island? Any book without pictures, that doesn't rhyme!!!
4. One book that made you laugh:Mad Libs (Using bathroom words!)
5. One book that made you cry: You Are My I Love You!
6. One book you wish had been written: How to endure WHINNING without going insane!
7. One book you wish had never been written:Once Upon a Potty- Boy (I hate that book it creeps me out!)
8. One book you’re currently reading:The Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring (to the kids)
9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: Anything that doesn't have "poop" or "potty" in the title...something grownup.

I'm back

I've been on a bit of a blog hiatus. Just too much going on to go over it all. So here are the highlights of the past two weeks:

VBS week has come and gone. (Hallelujah!)
I transformed my VBS shirt into something fashionable (with spaghetti straps for summer and to uphold my "image" HA!)
I had a checkout clerk at Target try to pick me up while I was wearing my newly redesigned VBS shirt.
He said to tell my husband "he is a smart and lucky man."
Had a good time at VBS.
Loved the kids.
Weird being back at church.
Got over it.
Had a good week.
Glad it ended though.
So tired!
Got our 2000 Toyota Sienna Van stolen right out of our driveway Thursday night after VBS.
Woke up Friday AM and just couldn't believe it.
Got over it.
Took my neice and sister-in-law to American Girl Place with Sofa.
Had a fun time.
So girly!
Got hot and tired.
Couldn't believe the van was stolen!
Went to VBS Fiesta BBQ.
Good to see old friends.
Felt like I spent ALL DAY Saturday online researching vehicles to buy.
Except for:
Hitting The Boulevard for signing the Insurance Papers
Taking Beefin to Build-a-bear to make a Superman Dog
And having a Superman Party for my Beefy who turned 5!
It was a sweet moment when he realized the Superman bike WAS for him and not J&N's baby. (long story)
Did more shopping for vehicles online.
Research. Research. Research.
Realized this is a good but crappy place to be in.
Stuck at home since our car isn't big enough for the whole family.
Felt a Terrible Cold Comin' On...
Sunday AM when to the church of the Good Housekeeper.
Spent more time online.
Had G&G come watch the kids.
Definitely feeling sick.
Took some medicine.
Went out to buy a car.
Checked out the vans.
Checked out the one SUV we thought might work.
Checked out more vans.
Decided we really Liked the SUV.
Went to more dealerships.
Knew what we wanted from Consumer Reports.
Narrowed it down.
Haggled. Haggled. Haggled.
Bought a 2004 Toyota Sequoia.
SAH-WEET!
Freaked out over our new car!!!!
Went home and died of sickness.
Mustered up enough strength to take the kids to Icecream in the new truck.
(They L-O-V-E it!!!)
Came home and crashed HARD!
Spent the next week, resting, recouperating and recovering from VBS and the whole van fiasco.
Began getting ready for Homeschooling.
Started a few lessons just to get a "taste" for it.
Feeling OVERWHELMED!!!!
Wondering why I am spending so much time in preparation.
Feeling like I should just wait and wing it.
Feeling OVERWHELMED!
Trying Pilates.
Can't figure out my schedule at the YMCA.
Putting the kids to bed at 8PM so they can see daddy.
They get to sleep after 9:30 or 10:00PM.
They get out of their rooms a BAZILLION times to ask questions or get water, or tattle-tell.
DRIVE ME CRAZY after the 15th time of trying to be PATIENT.
Finally blow my top.
Feel like a bad mom.
Hope they don't hate me.
Spend the night in front of the TV bc that's ALL I have the strength for at the end of these days with the kids.
Realize the bedtime routine needs to change.
Looking forward to a potential vacation in September with the fam.
Loving my life.
Love being a mom.
LOVE seeing my husband happy again. (even if he's tired.)
Loving spending more time with my kids.
LOVE seeing my kids happy again.
Uncertain if I want them to be PKs for life.
Praying I haven't already ruined them.
Enjoying the simple things.
Resting in HIS future.
Not worried about it.
Just enjoying each day as it comes.
Wondering where to go to church tomorrow
Or if we should go...

VBS Week

...and that's why I don't have time to blog. But I've got a great story of a Target Employee trying to pick me up, and a fashion remake of the VBS tee and so many other things...

One of these days.

For now, I'm tired.