? 4 U

Question for you...would you consider me a bad mom if....

I hid from the kiddos while I wrote this post? Well, that's not the entire story. I am hiding from them as I cram an entire Hershey candy bar in my mouth. I took it out of the smores basket...I couldn't resist. The Hubby has been out of the country for a week and has been home for 24hrs.

He leaves again in the am for a week.
School is out in three days.
Jury duty in a week.
Family visits in two weeks.

I

MUST

HAVE

CHOCOLATE!!!!!

A Saudi Princess & Open Heart Surgery Patient

i-pod playlist ready..check. shoes double knotted..check. stretch the hamstrings..check.

My sis and bro-in-law are gearing up to run a mini back home in Indiana tomorrow.(those of you native to Indiana can belt out your best Jim Neighbors at this time). They have been training for some time now...how jealous am I of them. (The only ham I will be stretching will be the pieces of bacon that I fry up in grease) I did give it my best effort to try and train. i-pod was loading with Tobymac, my laces were triple knotted and I tried to squeeze my hips into a pair of shorts. For three weeks I "trained". When I failed to see any results, I quit. I know I should have stuck with it...it can be done. My blog friend Malisa just ran mini...I am proud of her. It is as if my body has reached middle age. If I don't condition it soon, I will have reached the point of no return. Really, if my jet lagged Saudi princess sis can do it along with my bro in law who is one year out from open heart surgery and gall bladder removal, who am I to say I can't because had my last child three years ago.

Run, run, run....I will be cheering you along as I recline with my Diet Coke and new issue of Traditional Home.

slow drivin'.....

Sometimes I think I could be a bounty hunter(at least I pretend to be on Wednesday night's on A&E). I try and picture myself driving around Hawaii with Duane Lee, Baby Lysa, Leland, Busty Beth and Dog in their big black Suburban. Rather, I am a stay-at-home momma who fights fires and tries each and every day to keep the peace among the natives. I do have a little bit of fight left in me when it comes to taking the bad guys down. This months group that I am fighting for are the kids of the cul-de-sac.

We live in a "older" community..ie one of retirement age. They are not used to kiddos and all the joys that come with them. The neighborhood went to pot when we moved in....it will never be the same. Truly, where can a you witness a half naked two year old dodge the "oldies" in their golf carts having an early bird cocktail? Remember my post about the "new neighbors"? Well, they moved in last Fall and couldn't be any nicer. They brought with them two little boys which has brought even more excitement to the cul-de-sac. The problem with all these children is that the "oldies" aren't used to having to stop for a bus or maintain a sensible speed throughout the streets. I have spent countless hours yelling at passing cars as they whisked by while chatting on their phones. I had seen enough!

All it took was two phone calls. One to the county police to start a morning patrol in the neighborhood in order to catch the "school bus scooters" and one to the township road department to get a new shiny "child at play" sign. The fruit of my labors paid off! Sorry Dog, I won't be saying "aloha" to your team, I have my own bad guys to capture here in Ohio!

...Happy Mother's Day

You're up all night with a screaming baby
You run all day at the speed of life
And every day you feel a little bit less
Like the beautiful woman you are

So you fall into bed when you run out of hours
And you wonder if anything worth doing got done
Oh, maybe you just don't know
Or maybe you've forgotten

You, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time
Making history with every touch and every smile
Oh, you, you may not see it now
But I believe that time will tell
How you, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time

With every "I know you can do it"
Every tear that you kiss away
So many little things that seem to go unnoticed
They're just like the drops of rain over time
They become a river

And you, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time
Making history with every touch and every smile
Oh, you, you may not see it now
But I believe that time will tell
How you, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time

You're beautiful
You're beautiful
How you're changing the world
You're changing the world

You, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time
Making history with every touch and every smile
Oh, you, you may not see it now
But I believe that time will tell
How you, you are changing the world
Oh, I believe that you
You are changing the world
One little heartbeat
At a time

And you're changing the world
-Steven Curtis Chapman

Thanks A Lot Appliance Fairy

Dear Appliance Fairy,
Remember me?? I sent you a letter a year ago(read here)asking for a little special gift well, I know you had the best of intentions to finally grant my wish without it appearing to be my Mother's Day gift, but I am a little grumpy. While I appreciate the effort, I am somewhat baffled. You see, a week ago I decided to put my Financial Peace skills to the test and go buy my fridge. I had enough of Friday night runs to the local gas station to pick up my bag of ice(p.s. I don't believe for one second that it is purer than filtered water)and I was armed and ready. Research completed, reviews read, nothing stood between me and "The Godfather" of refrigerators. I walked in and I do believe I heard angels singing...little cherubs flew around the ice dispenser as the control panel glowed in such a beautiful hue of the color blue. It was the Jetson's fridge on steroids. I approached the appliance department to find myself all alone. No sales associates in sight, I pushed "the red button" for assistance. The lady called for help and I set off with "Chris" to show him the fridge I wanted to purchase. Just as I was taking my final measurements, these two male Hill residents came out of nowhere(let me just say I do not have a problem with Hill residents; as in hillbillies). They approached and said,"this here is our fridge; we was here first". Appliance Fairy, I am not exaggerating when I am using incorrect grammar to quote them..they really did sound like this. I then went into "wimp" mode and let them bully me into letting Chris talk to them first. I then went into "don't mess with me momma" mode and made my complaint know to the manager. She was quite nice as she found the same model at another store. A week later and many minutes and logged phone calls, the beauty was to be delivered this afternoon.

The delivery men said they would be here at 2, so I hastily cleaned it out putting all the items into totes. I think I even threw out condiments galore! I didn't want to spoil the new fridge with old stuff. They took the doors off the old fridge and were in the process of taking it out when they stopped in their tracks. "Ummm...Mrs. Perry, I think we had better measure the space". I had measured it, Appliance Fairy!! I had measured it a gazillion times and it was "just" going to fit. The problem wasn't the space in which it fits, but rather getting it into the kitchen between the counter and the island. IT WAS A NO GO!!!!! Defeated, I watched as they rolled the beauty back onto the truck and hooked up the veteran again. You probably heard me sob, Appliance Fairy. You know it's not nice to mess with Crazy Momma's emotions. The in-laws pulled up right at that moment for a weekend visit.(if they didn't think The Hubby was married to a nut job, they certainly do now).

As I sit here typing this post, the food is still sitting in tubs...the condiments on the counter. I don't care if it spoils, Appliance Fairy. You know not to mess with "The Godfather" and a crazy stay-at-home momma and her appliances. Hopefully we can somehow mend this relationship and move forward from here. I hope we can once again work together in our collaborated effort in making kitchens happy everywhere.
Love,
Eden

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday...alarm goes off, coffee pot on, kids on bus, bible study, meetings, pay bills, make dinner, kids bed, read, lights out....seven hours later, start it all over again. Do you ever feel like you could get lost in the monotony of everyday life? I certainly do. I remember feeling such anxiety and panic when the kids were newborns because every single day was the same. I felt as if I never would be able to get off the "hamster wheel" of life. It even continues today...searching for something to break up the routine. Yet, when that event occurs, we often hide once again in our cocoon praying that the comfort of routine would return.

The same could be said for my faith. I was raised in a Christian home, attending church four times a week. I could tell you the books of the Bible when I was the same age of Sis Margaret and could map out Paul's journey if given the chance. I prayed to receive Christ when I was 15 and was baptized. I had the spark but as most of us know when we approach new chapters in our lives, we tend to push the most important thing to the bottom of the list. Fast forward fifteen years later and I was right in the middle of such personal turmoil, I didn't know up from down. I wasn't receptive to anyone, being selfish with myself and pushing all of those I loved and loved me away. Many close to me didn't and still don't know any of this was occurring. I talk of this time in my life very carefully. Returning there can take my emotions on a wild ride. I have worked so hard to put those things aside that now looking back, it is as if I am watching someone elses life happen. Often I wake and ask myself if days like that really occurred. They did occur and looking back I know they happened for a reason.

I sat at the intersection of the local highway and my neighborhood entrance literally pounding the steering wheel screaming to God to "do something"....anything. I had tried to be in control of my life and I was going nowhere but down. It was at that moment that I turned it all over to God. I finally realized that I didn't have to carry all of this baggage around anymore. I had given it to God. The fire inside had been sparked....the Holy Spirit began working in my life. I am now "on fire" for God. Many people question or inquire about the change...the answer is simple...GOD. He saved me, my relationships, my home, my spirituality, my life.

I say all of this because I would bet that there are many out there reading this post who are "going through the motions" when it comes to your faith. You go to church, maybe you pray, hmmmm sing a few hymns to your kiddos. That is all fine and dandy, but let me tell you that when you open your heart and actually welcome Christ into your life to have a personal relationship, your entire life will change. I never want to go back to "going through the motions". My Lord and Savior deserves so much more than that. I will praise Him all the days of my life.

This might hurt, it's not safe
But I know that I've gotta make a change
I don't care if I break,
At least I'll be feeling something
'Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"

No regrets, not this time
I'm gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your love make me whole
I think I'm finally feeling something
'Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of this life

'Cause I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"

take me all the way (take me all the way)
take me all the way ('cause I don't wanna go through the motions)
take me all the way (I know I'm finally feeling something real)
take me all the way

I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"

I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"

take me all the way (take me all the way)
take me all the way (I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go)
take me all the way (through the motions)
take me all the way

I don't wanna go through the motions
-Matthew West "Motions"