Seven Random Facts

Well, I started this awhile ago, but haven't really been in a writing mood, so thought today I should really stop procrastinating and get this list done.

I've been tagged by Heidi and Korinne http://www.nothingbutbluesky.blogspot.com andhttp://www.mercyfulmusings.blogspot.com
(how did you guys get just the name to click on? i couldn't figure out how to do it.)
Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person’s blog who tagged you.

2. Post these rules on your blog.

3. List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself

4. Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog.

Fact One:
I do not have a middle name. I'm not really sure why my parents only chose to give me a first name. Only one of my sisters has a middle name; it's Marie, but the rest of us all got shafted.

Fact Two:

I love chips. I would pick chips over chocolate or sweet things anyday. Give me a book and a bag of chips and I am in heaven.

Fact Three:
I am also a people pleaser. I hate having people upset at me. I want everyone to like me. I, like you Heidi, will stress out over having people over to dinner. The house has to be perfectly clean and I have to have the perfect meal. Right now I'm trying not to stress out over Joshua's birthday party.


Fact Four:
I am very competitive. Most people are surprised when they find this out, as I guess I come across as a "nice" girl (if only they knew). When I was a child we would have family game and treat night. One of the games we often played was called happy families. Well that game was only happy if I got the wriggly (gum) family and won of course. If I didn't, well would I get mad. Oh, I also remember making a friend upset, because I got mad at her because she was beating me at Sorry. And, I hate playing games with my husband because he almost always wins, so no fun. Then when it comes to sports, I can be very aggressive, which also really surprises people. I have gotten better over the years, but I still don't like losing.

Fact Five:
When I was younger ( I don't think I'm so bad now) I was very stubborn and independent. I never got homesick and for me going a way to camp was a big adventure and I felt very grown up. so that's the independent part. This story exemplifies my stubborn streak. One day after school, my Dad showed up to pick us up from school out of the blue. You would think I would be pleased about this, after all who would want to take the bus when you can go in a car. I was not! I refused to go home in the car. I was going on the bus, thank you very much. So, my Dad gave in and let me go home on the bus. Yes, strange child I know.

Fact Six:
I didn't get my eyebrows done until I was in my 20's. They were very nice and bushy before that. I think it's because I never really cared much about my appearance. I don't know why exactly. I don't think I really clued in to the importance of appearance ( i still don't really think about it too much). I always thought personality was more important (yeah, not so smart)

Fact Seven:
wow, this is harder than I thought it would be. I'm getting a little stuck here. what else...hmmm I guess that I grew up in New Zealand and I also lived in England for a while, but I think most people know that. oh, i know the next place I'd love to go is Israel.


now, i'm supposed to tag someone, but i don't really have anyone to tag, as Heidi and Korinne are the only people i know who do blogs ( the other blogs i have links to are missionaries blogs). So, can I tag anyone out there who reads this, that i don't know does, and you can let me know and then I can go read yours.

Glad that's over

Well, I haven't been able to post for a while, so thought I'd do a couple just to catch up. We had quite the event over the weekend.
I had mentioned in a previous post that Joshua had a bad cold. Well, that cold just got worse. His cough went from a dry cough to a wet cough and he was coughing so hard that he was puking up food. He refused to eat solids and the one time we did get some down him, he vomited it up. He then also developed a fever. So, we thought okay we'll ride this out, it will get better in a few days and then Saturday night he woke up and he was so hot and he was breathing really fast and coughing like anything, so we called the nurses line and she suggested we take him into emergency (this was close to 12). Fine, so we got up, changed, and drove down to emergency (which thankfully is only a few minutes away). Checked in and I thought that because he was a baby we'd get in pretty fast to see a doctor. Nope! We were there for 3 hours waiting. We did get some entertainment, as there was a lady screaming, I'm dying...get me some orange juice..if you don't get me some orange juice, I'm going to die..Obviously a little high on something.....oh there was also some classic very kid friendly tv on (not)! Pretty much it was a porn show masquerading as a reality show--puke ( i think it was called a shot of love).
Anyway, they eventually called us and the doctor eventually showed up and said I think he might have pneumonia. Not good! So we had to go and get chest xrays done. Also not good! Joshua seemed fine at first, he was even waving at the x-ray tech and then he started eyeing the machine and seemed to realize something was going on because he started crying even before Ken sat him on the box. It was horrible. He was screaming and saying ni ni ni ni (which I think is his no), waving his arms around and pleading with tears streaming down his cheeks for me to pick him up, but i couldn't, yet i so wanted to. Boy was I glad when that was done. The x-rays came back clear, so we were sent home and he's fine now thank goodness. Although being out from 12ish to 4 in the morning didn't do wonders for his sleep schedule (sigh).. All that work to get him to sleep until 5ish and now it's out the window, back to the 11ish wake up (sigh)! Oh, well, I'm just thankful he is okay and now almost over that nasty cold.

A year ago yesterday....

a baby was born.....

8lb30z of baby to love
Perfect in everyway (he didn't even have a misshapen head)
Though there were times in the beginning I thought it would be nice if the hospital had a return policy :) I now can't imagine my life without him. Hmmm... what did I do with all my free time???
















Now no longer a baby. Look how he's grown!!!

this n that

Well I guess I'll start with the news that Joshua has his first bad cold. His cough sounds terrible and I feel so bad. I'm not sure where he got it. He's not sleeping very well either and won't eat solids, so all together not fun for the "little fella" (that's what my brother-in-law calls him). I'm finding it rather exhausting as well.

Another cute story. I realized the other day that Joshua understands what bathtime means. A few days ago, when I said to him that it was bathtime, he stopped what he was doing and went to the bathroom and stood by the door waiting for me--very cute. Our bathroom door has to be closed or we'll find Joshua splashing around in the toilet bowl.

And one more.. he said Hi very clearly a couple of days ago. He was in the bath and Ken came home and came into the bathroom to say Hi and Joshua looked up and said Hi (really clear) and something that started with a D and sounded like Dad, but it wasn't really clear. Then preceeded to try to jump out of the tub for a hug from his Daddy. I couldn't believe my ears, but then he said it again later on that night, so I guess it wasn't just my imagination.

It's exciting to see him change and grow and amazing to think that a year ago he wasn't even born and now he's walking and communicating (of sorts). I look at him and just think, wow, how miraculous he is. How amazing God is!

pictures of Joshua

joshua is the messiest eater ever. The best is when he gets food on his hands and then rubs his hands in his hair. Needless to say we have a bib that covers all of him
Almost always needs to walk with something in his hands. And he loves water bottles for some reason.

Is Jesus all I need?

I've been listening to focus on the family and family life today all this week, because they have been doing a series on adoption and it's really interesting to hear people's stories. Focus on the Family had this lady speaking (i can't remember her name) about her life as an orphan and it was horrible the things she had to go through. The first time she was ever hugged was when she was 19. The family she lived with after the age of 12 would only let her take a bath once a month and it was supervised by the mom. Yet, in spite of all of this, she clung to Jesus who she had met through a lady who came to the orphanage she was in. She had nothing, no love, hardly any food (they only gave her scraps), nowhere safe and warm to go, yet she had Jesus and she clung to him and he gave her the strength not only to endure, but also to have a peace and joy in the midst of it all. It was a very powerful and moving account. It made me think of how much I have, even though I often feel like i need more--more friends, clothes, money etc---and because of all I have, really how little I feel that Jesus is all I need. I feel that I need all of these things in order to be happy and content. But really Jesus tells us that he is all we need. So my prayer is that I will come to that state, because I really, really want to be able to say sincerely that Jesus is all I need. Because I really do in my heart believe that it is true. Nothing else can really satisfy me the way he can, yet I keep trying to get all these other things to satisfy me. Why do I do that?? I just don't know. And I wish and pray that I wouldn't, because I want Jesus to be enough. Because I know that the times when I actually do cling to this I feel a peace and joy and happiness that I just don't get from anything else. And when I turn to books or food or people to make myself feel better, it often does the opposite. I feel good for a little while, but it doesn't last and I don't feel that absolute contentedness that comes from going to Jesus. I think to live, to really live, I need to be constantly in this state, but I'm not and to tell you the truth I think because of this I don't feel really alive. I feel like I'm going through the motions, but the meaning the purpose the makes living worthwhile just isn't there and I think it is because Jesus is not all I need. So I am going to try to do something about it. I'll let you know how it goes.

So, how's that for a confession???

0h, funnily enough just after I posted my last post about Joshua's sleep habits, wouldn't you know it, he woke up (sigh). But he did sleep till five in the morning after that, so still seeing some improvement.

The miracle of sleep

I mentioned in another blog that my son Joshua does not sleep through the night. Well, miracle of miracles, and honestly it is a miracle, He is now almost there. Last night he woke up at 4 and went back to sleep till 6:30 and the night before he woke up at 3, so maybe tonight it will be 5 or even better 6:30 (his usual wake up time). Anyway, I am estatic, but not to much, just in case this is a fluke. I should also give some credit to the baby whisperer website, as I think the implementation of some of their ideas have helped to bring this about. Although, mostly I think it is due to the extra praying of late, as I had previously tried their ideas and they hadn't really worked. So praise God for answered prayer. Now, hopefully this tiny, niggling feeling that this won't last won't come to pass. I'll let you know if it continues or not.

so cute

I just had to share this. Joshua did the cutest thing today. When I was doing laundry today, he started taking clothes out of the laundry basket and handing them to me. It was so adorable, made my heart melt:) Of course it only lasted so long, but it was great, not even one and already doing chores ---ohh the possibilities!!!

Not a shopaholic

I don't know how many people have read the Shopaholic books (I've read them all, and loved them all), but I am so completly not like the central character and I was thinking today that if anything I am like her long lost sister. I am no fashionista (don't know if that's a word, but I liked the way it sounded). This sad, but true, fact about myself was driven home yet once again this weekend. You see, my sister Leanne, celebrated her birthday this week and being a good sister I went shopping to get her a present. Now my sister Leanne is much more like the main character (can't remember her name right now) in the Shopaholic books. She is very well dressed, loves shopping, and has a great sense of style. So, knowing this and knowing that I lack in this department, I thought I would be smart and go shopping with her for my other sister's birthday (Karla) and see what outfits she really liked. So that was good; I figured out what she wanted and thought, okay, I'll get it later at the mall by my place.
Not a good idea!!!
So, I went on my merry way, happy to have the birthday present dilemma solved. Monday comes along and I take myself of to the mall, with Joshua in tow, to grab the present. I walk into the store, camly browse the racks for the top she wanted and find out low and behold it is not there!!! I search high and low in vain and I can't even get help, because I don't know how to describe it. It's one of those, I'll know it when I see it things. Then Joshua starts getting grumpy, because I really should be home by now, putting him down for a nap and I still can't find that stupid top. So, I leave disgusted and panicking, because I don't have a gift and I don't know what else she wants.
Later that night, I sit down and think and think to myself ok I can do this; I 'll just go to the mall tommorrow and find something else, piece of cake. NOT!!! I spend hours and hours (okay maybe a bit of an exaggeration) trying on clothes and deliberating, would she like this, hmmm, or maybe this. Finally, in a fit of exasperation, I grab a shirt, take a deep breath, walk up to the counter and pay for it.
Then comes Sunday, day of the Birthday lunch. We go out for lunch, eat yada, yada, yada. Then the presents come out. I hold my breath. what will the verdict be.... Leanne opens the bag! Pulls out the shirt! Looks at it!! SILENCE!!! Hmmm, i know what that means......ah well, next time, note to self do not try buying clothes alone!!!!

The Vaccum Monster

I've been staring at the carpet the past few days, wanting so badly to vaccum, but alas I can't unless Ken is home, and I only remember when he is gone. Why does Ken have to be around, you may be asking?? Good Question! That is because Joshua is literally terrified of the vaccum cleaner and he can't be anywhere around it when I'm vaccumming, so Ken has to take him out for a walk.
I have tried over the past months to see if his terror has subsided at all, but no, everytime I turn that durn thing on he starts shrieking like the end of the world is at hand. Alas, the dust bunnies and I are becoming good friends. Now, if only I can remember that when Ken comes home today, that I need to vaccum, all will be right with the world once again.