Little Tiny Pieces...

Oh - Crazy story... On Saturday, we went up to Seattle to visit Kelly and Amy for Kelly's birthday. We were there for several hours and planned to eat and play games etc with them. It was very fun. About half way through, Finnegan was getting really fussy and so we planned to put him down for a nap in their bedroom (in his pack and play) while we chatted etc. We set up the pack and play and put him down. He cried for a bit and then quieted down. About 20 minutes into his nap time, Shawnta poked her head in and Finnegan was standing up in the P&P and just playing. About 10 minutes later, I heard this loud cry and as I did, someone else said, Finnegan's crying. I went into the room and it was dark, so I walked over to the P&P and tried to feel around in the bottom for his pacifier... I couldn't find it... But then I felt shards of something sharp. I had no idea what it was. I ran over and turned the lights on and there were papers all in the bottom of the pack and play and a ceramic figurine (like a tree stump and a little leprechaun) all shattered in the bottom of his pack and play. I automatically went into panic mode (i know, the worst thing to do). And I really don't remember much of what happened. Ken said that I pulled him close to me and didn't see any blood, so I was ok, until he was crying and I saw he had things in his mouth!! Ken said that I was holding Finn close not letting anyone get close to him, and yet I wasn't trying to remove whatever it was. Ken pulled out two little sea shells and no broken ceramic. After I calmed down, we decided to give him about 1/4 tsp of olive oil to help his stools pass (sorry TMI) a bit smoother just in case he'd eaten something. Oh, I was so terrified at first. I felt horrible that he'd broken something of hers. And that we hadn't thought that he likes to pull at stuff!! But at least he wasn't hurt!! I just kept saying that!

Purse Snatcher...

I am convinced that everyone has a hidden "fear". Some of us have more than one. That small thing that is pretty much off the wall and rare, but does happen to some people, and you just happen to think it will happen to you. Ok, that's a lot of "happens" but you get what I'm saying (hopefully). So here's an example. When I was in college, I had a friend who had a lemon of a car. It had a slow gas leak. She was convinced that when someone threw a cigarette out their window, it would land underneath her car and her car would explode. I thought it was pretty obscure and that it was very rare to happen (and Mythbusters just proved that it couldn't happen) but I know it's a real "fear" of people. I have another friend in SC who feared the same thing at one point.

So, what's mine?? Above all of the other things that give me anxiety, one of mine is being a victim of purse snatching or having my wallet stolen? Why? I have NO idea!! I've tried to "cure myself" of the fear by thinking through all the steps that I would do if my purse was ever stolen and a list of the credit cards I'd have to cancel etc. to try to help myself get over the fear/anxiety/silliness. But it doesn't seem to work.

Recently with Finnegan in the front of the shopping cart, I've gotten used to facing me, and putting my purse/diaper bag next to him. My diaper bag doesn't have a snap or a zipper, it's sort of just out there, open. If my wallet is on top in the bag, I am obsessive about folding over the top of the bag, or putting the bag in the basket a certian way so that I can tell if it's been tampered with. Many of time, I've been grocery shopping or strolling around "T" and found myself realzing that I've stepped farther away from my cart than a couple of feet and I MUST check my bag. Silly, I know! And my heart skips a beat if I don't find my wallet where I think I left it. Recently, I've gotten a new diaper bag/purse. It has a neat zipper part for my keys and wallet so that I'm not digging for them ALL the time. The bag is tall and skinny. Kind of like a hip book bag. I love it. Today, we were in Wal-mart and I'd put the bag in the shopping cart (or the buggy as some call it) behind where Finnegan was sitting, like in the big part for the groceries. We were in the children's section and we were looking at some clothes (which I did not purchase any, by the way). This man walked through the section about a row over from where we were and you know that feeling that you just get... I got it. I hadn't realized if he was close to me at all, but I was looking at clothes. So I bent over the shopping cart from the front, over Finnegan to look into the basket to see if my purse was there.... It all happened in a split second but the more I leaned the more I saw NO BAG in the basket. Then that last bit of lean, it was there, where I'd put it... stuffed, up underneath the seat where Finnegan was. I swear I had a heartattack in those 4 seconds!! Silliness, I tell you... From that moment on, I carried my bag through the store, as I tend to do. And no, it doesn't always cure the feeling. I still look at least once while shopping to make sure my wallet is still there. AGH!

So, what is your small obsession/fear/silliness that you know could happen but the likely hood of it happening is very small??

Budget on the Brain

So, with the Stock Market Crash this week and EVERYONE talking about budgeting and financial standings in the past several weeks, I've begun to think about it. I used to be VERY good at budgeting and keeping a running total of how much we'd spent and how much we'd saved etc. But when we moved into our home, I had no idea how to budget for a house and ALL the extra expenses that came with it. So, I stopped. And it's now been 2.5 years since I've budgeted and ITS TIME to start again!! Since we are basically debt free (no car payment, no credit card debt, no school loans... well, except for the small one we just inherited) we do fairly well for a one income family. We have a sum in our bank account for emergencies and then anything else we bring home above this amount, goes to our mortgage. We're hoping to have it paid off in a couple of years. Since I got so many years of good budgeting in, I can go to the store and purchase enough for 2 weeks without a problem and still be within the budget at the end of the month. My biggest problem is the small spending. After having Finnegan, and needing an outlet, I found a new love for my local "Target" store. It is especially close to our home and I would find myself saying, "oh, I need xyz. I'll just stop at Target on my way home and pick it up". But then, I'd stroll the store and find a cart full of things to purchase. Things we really don't need. Recently, I've found myself having a small case of "buyers remorse" and returning things after I've gotten home and evaluated what I've purchase and the real "need" for them.

In light of all the recent "talks" of budgeting, I really want to get back into it, but really find my old method time consuming and a bit more detailed than I need it to be. So, instead of jumping in with both feet and getting overwhelmed, I've decided to make a few small changes this month to the way that I spend money and then go from there. So, I'm starting with the big hitters (for me). The places that I spend money the MOST and spend the most "irresponsible" money.

• No Old Navy Shopping in the Month of October
• No "Gymboree" Shopping in the Month of October
• One Target trip per week (I have a habit of stopping 3-4 times a week and those trips add up).
• One trip to Starbucks each week. I love my coffee and instead of cutting myself off (like a dieter would of cake), I think it would be best to cut back and then cut off. :)

There you have it... The small ways I'm gonna improve this month. I'm also intregued about the weekly shopping trip using the weekly flier. I think I might try that too. We'll see. :) Thanks to all you faithful friends who are so good at the budgeting thing and such a good example to me and offer such a labor of love to your families.

No plan Tuesday...

Normally when I don't have a plan for the day, I end up either staying into my pj's all day and don't do ANYTHING, or I get really motivated and do a bunch of things.

Luckily, today was more of the latter and I was able to get a couple of projects accomplished. So here are the things that got done today...

1. All of the Smoke Detectors have new batteries (after a short trip to Target).
   
2. Ken's ironing is done.
3. Two dead shrubs have been removed from the landscaping... two of the reasons we got our irrigation system in the first place. They were dead when it was installed anyway.
4. New light bulb has been installed in the back hall.
   
5. Ken now has an appointment to the dentist and the eye doctor for next week.
6. Cleaned the shower, after taking one. :)
   
7. Dishes are done.
8. A box of clothes have been separated and folded for the consignment shop tomorrow.

Now, I'm a bit tired and am looking forward to the hubby coming home!!

What did you get done today??

Full Brain Sunday....

Today was a day full of brain activity. This morning was the start of Truth Project at church. We began to learn about "truth" and what is truth. Have you ever thought about that? What is Truth? Obviously we started talking about Relative Truth and Absolute truth. Oh, the next weeks will be filled with deep thoughts and long discussions. I'm looking forward to it, but also sort of dreading the "stretching". :)

Also, today I finished a book... Probably the fastest I've ever read a book in my life. I finished it in 3 days!! :) The book was "Louder than Words" by Jenny McCarthy. I know, she wouldn't normally be my first choice of an author, but I've seen her several times on TV talking about her son's battle with autism and her research, and I was very intrigued by her work. The book had many dimensions. She talked in detail about her son's progression and diagnosis of autism and how her life began to "fall apart". Her marriage deteriorated and she was literally a wreck all the time, as she wasn't sleeping, and researching all the time about her son's symptoms and potential "cures". The book is very inspiring on the front of autism as she was blessed with some break-throughs.

And after reading the book, I just really have a heart for her as a mother. I wish I knew her personally so I could introduce her to my friend Jesus :) In the book she explains about seeking EVERY religion and religious person that she knew to find healing for her son. She talks about calling out to God for help and then realizing that he'd answered her. It gave me chills to read some of the "coincidences" that she had, but knowing that God was orchestrating the whole thing, so that he could be revealed to her. But then after he'd answered her cries, she would then consult astrology cards. This made me very sad.

I've always been interested in the topic of autism. And since hearing about the "cure" that Jenny McCarthy's son has experienced I was very interested in reading her story. Her findings are very interesting to me and I believe that there needs to be much more research done and LOTS more awareness about autism... not just from a vaccine standpoint, but from a pre-disposition of autism (as 1% of non vaccinated children get it too). And I think because vaccines are involved, the government is afraid of what they might find. Just my opinion. Don't get me wrong, I've posted about this before, and feel that vaccines are vital to our society and are important medical break-throughs. However, there are too many red flags with them, and scary things associated with them... not just autism but allergies and diabetes.

Anywho, that was my sunday. Now, I've finished watching the Amazing Race (which started last week... who knew, and how did I miss it?) and now Desperate Housewives. :)

Have a happy monday, peeps!

Enjoying the journey...

Today was an exciting day. During our "Baby Signs" class at Gymboree, the "teaching moment" was for us mommies to remember to celebrate not only the moments when our children can communicate to us, but to celebrate the moments that our children understand a concept before they can communicate to us. Point in case... Each parent has that special moment with their child when they hear them say their first word. But how often, do we praise our children for understanding before they can speak? When they hear a command and follow directions. When they understand that this object goes inside another object, and repeats the motions. So that was our teachable moment, and I tried to take it and really apply it to our day. I was pleasantly surprised at the results that I got.

While playing today, I decided to introduce a new sign to Finnegan (one we haven't even gone over in class yet). It was the sign for "in". Finnegan enjoys the ball popper and we play with it frequently. I'll encourage him to pick up the balls and put them in the tube, and he never really understands. But today, I said, "Finnegan, pick up the balls and put them in the tube." While I did the sign. He watched me, picked up the ball and put it into the tube and it shot up into the air as the toy does. It was so exciting!! I praised him and clapped and cheered. And he had such pride on his face. He knew that he'd understood me, whether it was the sign that did it or just his comprehension of the situation, it was very exciting.

His signs are becoming more and more frequent. Although some signs still are not used at the right time (ie the sign for more, means that he wants to eat...) today she showed me a few signs. Which is exciting in and of itself. We were sitting down on the floor playing and he looked up at the ceiling fan and did the sign for "light". Oh, my heart was so happy. He knew that the light was on. What an exciting moment!! Now if we can only get the simple signs we've done from the beginning to be used on a daily basis, we won't have any more tears over "eat" and "drink" :)

Also, slightly smaller in comparison, but I taught Finnegan how to give me 5 today. It was great. He learned really fast and we did it the rest of the day. I then tried to teach him to "give me some love" and fist bump me, but he didn't get that as quickly. Perhaps tomorrow!! :)

In Rememberance of Mike Powers....

Mr. Michael D. Powers, age 33, of Grand Rapids, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday, September 27, 2008. Mike accepted Christ when he was a very young man and was led to the Lord through his Sunday school class at Algoma Baptist Church. Before graduating from Cedar Springs High School in 1993, Mike took part in several school plays. He attended Moody Bible College for one year and began attending Cornerstone College where he received his B.A. While there, Mike met Kelly; and after dating for six months, they were engaged. At Reeds Lake, Mike proposed by playing the guitar and singing an original song to Kelly. On May 13, 2000, Mike and Kelly were married in the presence of family and friends. They moved to Seattle where they both attended Mars Hill Graduate School and received their Masters in Counseling. Mike and Kelly returned to Grand Rapids where he worked as a counselor at Network 180 and served part time as a private therapist. Throughout his life, Mike was dedicated to serving his Lord and Savior by caring for others. Presently he and Kelly attended "The Branch" on 28th Street. Mike enjoyed all types of music and had a real tender heart for animals. Mike and Kelly loved being outdoors camping and kayaking. Kelly has many, many proud and memorable moments in the life that they shared together. Mike is survived by his loving wife, Kelly (nee Schleyer); parents, Michael and Debbie Powers; sister, Kelly and Gabe Griffin; brother, Adam and fiancé, Raquel Hsu; grandmother, Mrs. Marie Powers; and his very special niece and nephews, Michael, Luke, Drew, and Brei Griffin. His grandfather, George Powers and his maternal grandparents, Lester and Gladys Borrink preceded him in death. A service of remembrance and celebration for Mike and his eternal hope in Jesus Christ will be at Wabasis Park on Wabasis Ave. N.E., between 11 Mile Rd. and 12 Mile Rd. at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, October 3, 2008, with Pastor Matt Krick officiating. The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday and 11 to 1 p.m. on Friday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions for their special missionary friends, Chad and Marlana Smith. Please make checks payable to Blythefield Hills Baptist Church c/o Chad and Marlana Smith. The Pederson Funeral Home, Rockford www.pedersonfuneralhome.com
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Granted, I didn't know Mike that well, but I knew Kelly pretty well from Campus when she worked at Cornerstone. I was also friends with Mike's brother, Adam at CU (he was an original member of "RISEN".) Regardless of how well I knew them, please pray for Kelly and their families.