Roger and Ashley have both called me in the past 30 minutes to let me know they’re all loaded up and heading this way. Roger opted to get the bigger UHaul trailer (the 6×12 rather than the 5×8), and he said it was a good thing he did. They filled up the trailer and the back of the Suburban with all of Jacob and Ashley’s belongings.
Jacob’s mom and step-dad were there to meet Roger. After the trailer and Suburban were loaded up they all went out to lunch together. Lynette (Jacob’s mom) made sandwiches to send with them for the trip ~ the “kids” got peanut butter and jelly; Roger got ham and cheese. LOL
Ashley sounds exhausted. She got sick while she was here 2 weeks ago, and whatever the virus is, it has hung on this long. I think between being pregnant, the stress of moving, working 2 jobs, and simply not being able to get enough rest, she’s just about worn her poor little body out. Good thing for her she’s coming to Mom’s house ~ Mom will take care of her with plenty of hot peppermint tea and lots of sleep.
Patrick and Ariel were on spring break this past week. Patrick went and picked up Ariel on Wednesday. They’ve spent their time watching movies, doing homework, going bowling, and playing games with Sawyer. (Patrick plays games with Sawyer, anyway. They’re getting pretty good at Halo.) I will drive Patrick and Ariel back to school tomorrow and get home just in time to greet Roger, Ashley and Jacob when they arrive.
Today has been wet and chilly. Not a good day for me fibro-wise. It’s nice to have older kids who can take care of themselves, and even take care of me when necessary. I haven’t done much today. As a matter of fact, I think I’ll go back to sitting on the couch and reading a book. 
Mama Archer’s Blog has been added to the Fruit of the Spirit blogroll. Stop by and say hello to Kristine!
I finished my first no-sew fleece blanket today. The front is the side with the flowers, and the back is the side with the rainbow stripes. For a first effort I think it turned out pretty well.
My next fleece blanket will be Classic Winnie the Pooh on one side and plain apple green on the other. I also have a pink and white big granny square blanket in the works.
Attison is certainly going to have enough blankets!
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingBetrayedTyndale House Publishers (February 6, 2008)byJeanette Windle
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
As the child of missionary parents, award-winning author and journalist Jeanette Windle grew up in the rural villages, jungles, and mountains of Colombia, now guerrilla hot zones. Her detailed research and writing is so realistic that it has prompted government agencies to question her to determine if she has received classified information. Currently based in Lancaster, PA, Jeanette has lived in six countries and traveled in more than twenty. She has more than a dozen books in print, including political/suspense best-seller CrossFire and the Parker Twins series.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Fires smolder endlessly below the dangerous surface of Guatemala City’s municipal dump.
Deadlier fires seethe beneath the tenuous calm of a nation recovering from brutal civil war. Anthropologist Vicki Andrews is researching Guatemala’s “garbage people” when she stumbles across a human body. Curiosity turns to horror as she uncovers no stranger, but an American environmentalist—Vicki’s only sister, Holly.
With authorities dismissing the death as another street crime, Vicki begins tracing Holly’s last steps, a pilgrimage leading from slum squalor to the breathtaking and endangered cloud forests of the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere. But every unraveled thread raises more questions. What betrayal connects Holly’s murder, the recent massacre of a Mayan village, and the long-ago deaths of Vicki’s own parents?
Nor is Vicki the only one demanding answers. Before her search reaches its startling end, the conflagration has spilled across international borders to threaten an American administration and the current war on terror. With no one turning out to be who they’d seemed, who can Vicki trust and who should she fear?
A politically relevant tale of international intrigue and God’s redemptive beauty and hope.
I received this in an email ~ the author is unknown (but obviously, the author was a man!). I’m posting it because….well, because it made me laugh. And to be honest, it’s mostly true!
9 WORDS (OR PHRASES) WOMEN USE
1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.
(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.
(3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine (refer to #1).
(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don’t Do It!
(5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.)
6) That’s Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That’s okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.
(7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you’re welcome. (I want to add in a clause here – This is true, unless she says ‘Thanks a lot’ – that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say ‘you’re welcome’ … that will bring on a ‘whatever’).
(8) Whatever: This is a woman’s way of saying Yeah, ok you imbecile ~ I’m tired of dealing with you. It’s usually preceeded or followed by a loud sigh. (Refer to #5)
(9) Don’t worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement,meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking ‘What’s wrong?’ For the woman’s response refer to # 3.
* Send this to the men you know, to warn them about arguments they can avoid if they remember the terminology. Consider taping to the refrigerator! *
* Send this to all the women you know to give them a good laugh, because they know it’s true. *
I’m getting to this a little late in the day, but I wanted to tell you about a new book coming out in April ~ you still have several hours to participate in the “book bomb” for Alex and Brett Harris’s Do Hard Things. Click here to learn about the book bomb.
Amazon.com has a long description/review of Do Hard Things. If you’ve never heard of Alex and Brett Harris, click here to see their site, The Rebelution.
A while ago I posted a review of Death of a Six-Foot Teddy Bear by Sharon Dunn on my book review blog. I enjoyed the book ~ it’s what my friend De’Etta calls a “cosy mystery.” Fun to read, not too deep, but the characters are intelligent and easily likable.
Well, with that said, I do believe I owe Multnomah Press and Sharon Dunn an apology. As I was moving my book cases and books around today, I discovered I have a second, brand new, unread copy of Death of a Six Foot Teddy Bear. Oh dear ~ I think I was supposed to have a giveaway when this book came up for review. And there I dropped the ball.
So, I’m going to have that giveaway now. If you would like a copy of this charming book, just send me an email. I’ll draw a winner from all of the emails I receive on Tuesday, April 1st. No foolin‘!
(Due to rising postage costs, this giveaway is limited to the lower 48 states.)
As you can tell, I’m feeling a little better today. Not well enough to do housework, mind you, but well enough to sit at my computer and type up a few thoughts. 
By this time next week my daughter and her fiance’ will be living with us. I’m excited about it, but I’m also a little scared. I didn’t raise Ashley, so obviously I don’t really know exactly what to expect as far as living with her goes. When we made the decision to move them down here, and to give them a place to live until they can get back on their feet, we set out a few initial “rules” or guidelines. They are:
- Jacob must actively look for a job; not the first $10/hr. job that comes along, either. He must look for a job that will pay enough for him to support his family. They won’t live like royalty by any means, but at least Ashley will be able to stay home with Attison.
- They must help with the housework. That means Ashley’s going to learn how to cook and clean, and so is Jacob. I understand that not every man does housework, but in my home they do. Roger has always helped with housework, and we’ve taught our sons to do the same. It will be no different for Jacob. And since Ashley was never taught the art of homemaking, she will be doing a boat load of learning. After Attison’s born Ashley hopes to be able to stay home with her and be a stay-at-home-mommy and wife. Homemaking will be her career, just the same as if she were working outside of her home somewhere.
- Ashley will not work outside of the home or seek a job while living with us. I can’t teach her the art of homemaking if she’s running off to a “job” all the time. Besides, she’s 6 months pregnant ~ the chances of her finding good employment at this stage in her pregnancy are pretty slim. Since Roger will be paying all of the bills, putting a roof over their heads and food on the table, I see no need for Ashley to do anything but learn how to be a stay-at-home wife and mommy. This is not an easy task by any means ~ it takes instruction, time and practice. She’ll get that here during the last few months of her pregnancy.
My friends have all been so dear and so supportive ~ up to this point. Since we decided to move Ashley and Jacob to Arkansas, a few friends have questioned our motives, and a few have warned us not to get in over our heads. They are, after all, only 19 and 20 years old; they’re having their first child together; they’re not married yet; and they’re going to be a long, long way from the place where they grew up, and where the majority of their families live. We’ve talked about these issues ~ over, and over, and over ~ and for now I’m satisfied (dare I say confident?) that we’re doing the right thing.
Having Ashley and Jacob living in our home will give us a chance to witness to them without shoving our beliefs down their throats. All we have to do is be who we are ~ live our life as a family the way we always do ~ and let the Holy Spirit do His work in their hearts. Who knows? Maybe by the time they’re living in their own place they’ll understand the difference between no god and knowing God, and between religion and living as a believer and follower of Christ. I pray it will be so.
I have fallen so far behind in my upkeep of the Fruit of the Spirit blogroll! I’ve decided, at least for now, it will be easier for me to announce new member blogs as they’re added rather than keeping them all until Friday. So, in an effort to simplify things, I want to tell you about 2 new members to the Fruit of the Spirit blogroll.
SweetCharity @ Sweet Charity
Charlotte @ Honour and Love Your Husband
Please stop by and say hello to these lovely ladies!
Family Squeeze by Phil Callaway
You’re in the “Middle Ages”–sandwiched between the “greatest generation” and the “gimme” generations, busily juggling both with no relief in sight. Children are driving, and parents are not. Money is tight and so are your favorite jeans. And things that never ached before are beginning to give you trouble! For every baby boomer who wonders if it’s possible to navigate the Middle Ages with grace and style, Phil Callaway offers plenty of hope and a little hilarity, too. Because there’s nothing like a smile to make wrinkles less noticeable.
Described as “Dave Barry with a message,” author, speaker, and television host Phil Callaway has written twenty books, many of them bestsellers and is a popular speaker at conferences, camps and marriage retreats, coaxing laughter and tears from audiences worldwide. Of his personal accomplishments he rates the following highest: shutting off the TV to listen to his children’s questions (twice), taking out the garbage without being told (once), and convincing his high school sweetheart Ramona to marry him (once).
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Trish’s Take
Phil Callaway has written a gem titled Family Squeeze. He relates stories from his own life, and answers questions other people have asked him, with a funny yet honest point of view.
I’m in those “Middle Ages” ~ sandwiched between aging parents who need care while raising teenagers and expecting my first grandchild from my grown daughter. Phil writes about situations that, if you have older parents and children who are still at home, you’ve probably experienced. He’s able to find the humor in life’s situations ~ and we all know laughter is good.
Family Squeeze won’t tell you how to solve all of your problems, or how to invest so you’ll have millions of dollars when you retire, or how to get your teenagers to listen to you. What it will do is help you to see the different situations in your life in a new light. You’ll find yourself chuckling ~ maybe even laughing ~ as you read what Phil has written about his own life, and compare them to experiences in your own life. You may even find the grace to not only laugh at an event that previously perturbed you, but to also forgive and move on. I love the way Phil constantly and consistently looks to God and His Word, and refers his readers to both.
Family Squeeze is a book worth reading. And on that note ~ I have a copy of Family Squeeze to give away! If you would like to be entered in the drawing for a free copy of Family Squeeze, just send me an email. I’ll draw a winner on Monday, March 30.
Due to rising postage costs (and the fact that I pay to send out a lot of these free books myself), this drawing is open to people in the lower 48 states of the US.
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Fires smolder endlessly below the dangerous surface of Guatemala City’s municipal dump.
