i {heart} you...

how cute is that?

2011-08-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

table 8

2011-07-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

The Gombos cousins.

In the far corner. By an exit.

Not by the rest of our family, the 'adults' -- because, you know, we're 12 years old, who got to sit near the head table.

...Maybe because they thought it would be nice for us to be close to "the door" to the veranda.

...Maybe because they thought, 'Hey, it'll be closer to the dance floor...they like to dance, right?"

Yeah, that's it.

But more likely than not, it was probably because they figured we're ill behaved when we get together. {Can you hear the mischievous laughter?} =)

But let me back up to before the reception. Let's back up all the way to the wedding ceremony.

The wedding and reception site was at the most prestigious Country Club in Portland, The Waverly. As you drove to the Club from the main road, on your right were the golf courses that look like nothing I've ever seen and on your left were houses that look like nothing I've ever seen. Both the courses and houses were stunning; beautiful landscaping (and the homes are not just homes--these are serious old-money mansions), large, old, almost haunting-like trees, flowers abounding everywhere - all overlooking the river. And then when you finally get to the Club, you are taken by the Southern-like feel of the buildings. Ohhh...dreamy.

And Aunt Gail, being the decorator she is, had everything looking and flowing perfectly. It was incredible!!!

Being at the Waverly, you can imagine this event to be perfectly polished. So keep this in mind as you follow our night.

We, being family, got to sit in the first four left-side rows during the wedding ceremony. The first dedicated to parents and grandparents of the {GORGEOUS} bride, our cousin Alixandria. The second, aunties and uncles and then the third and fourth was for us, the cousins. Jim & I were sitting in the 3rd row with Nicoletta and JohnJohn to the right of us and Caleb & Jessica to the left. Directly behind us were the Newfield boys (which, come to find out, should not have been allowed to sit next to each other...during a formal ceremony at least.) Let's just say that it was by God's divine wisdom that, being seated in front of the Newf Boys, we were in the middle of the row - this giving us a 'pad' of people to shield us from the rest of the 360-odd people that were behind us when we were slipping down in our seats, our bodies shaking almost violently, trying with all of our might not to laugh out loud. Wise cracks every 30 seconds from behind us had us tortured half the ceremony. At one point I had to turn around to tell Jake to 'shut-up' (with a huuuuuge grin on my face) before we made a scene and got in trouble! With a sigh of relief, the ceremony ended...we were relieved for no other reason than that we could no longer take holding in our laughter. But Jason had to finish it off with a solid, loud, "NIIIIIIIICE" when the pastor told the guests there were cocktails being served before the reception. I think that must have sealed our fate that night. From that point on, there were few moments when we weren't trying to catch our breath from laughter.

*Remember. Perfectly polished.

After cocktails, we found on a table in the foyer with the rest of the place cards, a card that had written on it:

Mr. & Mrs. James Zervis

Table Eight

OK. Table eight. And off we went to find our table.

Looking...

"Jim, Beena!!! Over here!", Jake called to us.

We got to the table and sat down...Caleb & Jess, Josh & Crystal, Jeremy & Vanessa, Jacob & Julie, and us. 10 of us 'older' cousins together - sweet! ...But Jason wasn't there. Hmm.

At each place setting, there was a large party popper, the ones with small novelty toys inside...and each one had a red tissue-paper crown in it too! Super fun! So we put the crowns on and start blowing our whistles and goofing off...laughing hysterically every 10 seconds or so.

Someone asked where Jason was.

And then we got to hear it.

The story to top it all.

Jase had apparently been seated at a table next to ours with a group of kids--early to mid twenties it seemed--none of whom he knew. But the worst of it was the seat he had and the one next to him (which was occupied by a darling, SINGLE girl) had green crowns in the poppers...not red but green...remember I told you everyone had a red crown? Well, not Jason and this single girl. They had green. The only two people. Green. Well, as soon as he realized this he was up out of his seat walking around (that's why we didn't see him) and eventually took an empty seat at the table caddy-corner to ours, next to a couple of our younger cousins who were sitting with more random people our family didn't know.

This was terrible! Poor Jason. Being set-up by Aunt Gail. Being put on the spot. Seated at a table with people 15-20 years younger than him, all by himself. Jee-ma-nee! And with a green crown! Ba-ha-ha!

Now, his brothers Jacob and Jeremy, being the compassionate, sympathetic brothers they are, were at our table making jokes of Jason's situation; laughing at him. Saying things like, "Since there's no room at our table, we could sit him out on the veranda in front of the window and every once in a while we'll throw a bread roll out there for him so he doesn't get too hungry."-- this with gestures of their hands held up and a sad, mopey face like a beggar looking in through a window from the cold outside. And then there was us, being the sweet, loving cousins we are, rolling in continual laughter at Jason's expense.

In the picture below, you can actually see Jason behind me to the right, left of the white column.

BAAA-HAAAA-HAAAA-HAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!

While the waiters were serving the salad, I popped over, grabbed Jason's plate, glass and silverware and we all made room for him at our table. He was gone when we did this so when he came back, he started laughing.......and we started laughing at him.

Poor Jason.

Through out the night, Jeremy or Jacob would randomly put their fists up to their eyes and pretend as if they were crying, rubbing their eyes............and then burst out in laughter...and then all of us following suit, laughing.

TABLE EIGHT

(with Taylor visiting)

See the quick-exit door?

That was juuuust for us, the perfectly well-behaved cousins.

Between the salad and the main course, we decided to have a little fun... We hopped over to the photo booth...

The Ladies of Table Eight

From left to right, top to bottom:

Julie, me, Jessica, Vanessa, Crystal

The Men of Table Eight

From left to right, top to bottom:

Jim, Caleb, Jeremy, Josh, Jason, Jacob

(And making fun of Jase.)

Table Eight + Justin

A second before the camera started to shoot, Justin showed up and we all started hollering, "Justin!!! Come on!!! Get in here with us!!!"

And he did. =)

This photo booth was a blast! They provided the dress-up hats, glasses, etc. and then within a minute after the pictures were taken, they had prints ready for each member of the group to take with them and then one to put in a memory book for Alix and David that was there to sign. The company had two ginormous TV screens on each side of the dance floor that streamed the pictures in a slideshow through out the whole night. It was so cool!!!

After dinner they had the ordered dances - Dad with daughter, etc. Once this was over, we were led out to the green for, get this, a firework show. Now, I'm not talking sparklers and poppers. I'm talking' fireworks in the sky...big ones. And a solid 20 minutes long. It was beautiful. But of course through out even this, we were rolling on the floor to jokes like:

"I think we had candles at our wedding...."

and

"Jake, at your wedding, we can light rolls of toilet paper and throw them up in the sky...won't that be pretty?"

Back to the dance floor and it was time to party. We danced forever to a live band with 10ish members...it was awesome and they were phenomenal. The family danced in a big group a lot of the time, one by one showin' off their moves in the middle of the circle. HAAAA-larious!

And we were dripping with sweat.

The night ended around 12 when all the guests lit 3-foot sparklers, lined the walk way from the Club to the antique Bentley awaiting David and Alix. And still, we were howling from laughter.

a little field trip

2011-07-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

You know those kits that come with a collapsable butterfly netted tube-y thing where you send away for the eggs??? And once you get them back, you put the eggs into the netted house and patiently watch the cycle of the butterfly, finally getting to see the butterfly emerge from the chrysalis???

Or the see-thru plastic "ant hill" where, again, you send away for the ants and then pour them into the "hill" and watch them do their thing in dirt???

Well, the company that makes the kits and sends out the critters is Insect Lore, located about 20 minutes from our house. Sooooo, we took a little field trip out there to poke around the Bug-seum/store they have there. It's filled with inter-active buggy learning things, collections of butterflies and moths and spiders and..., and windows to watch the workers pick through fluff (and whatever else they use) to find and store insect eggs. All so very cool!

From there, we hopped over to Jim's office, scooped him up and went to lunch with him. --best part of the day!

celebrating independence

2011-07-05T11:54:00.000-07:00

We love 4th of July around here. We love the reason for it. We love the patriotic colors. We love the fireworks. We love the family and friends it brings together. We love the food. It's the nostalgic, iconic feeling of that 1950's 4th of July BBQ where everyone brings something to share, where the kids run the block in anticipation of the night's festivities, that the 4th brings.

This year, we started our celebration early and headed out to Shafter on the 3rd to sit on the grass field by the high school and watch the big fireworks show. Small town, big family - 1950's again. We met some family friends out there and even hooked up with the Otharts for a while.

It was bllllllaaaaaaazing hot without absolutely no breeze at all. We were literally dripping sweat. But even still, we had a blast.

The celebrations continued at our house the following evening....

Let the games begin!!!!!!!

a fishing trip

2011-07-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

just a little fun

2011-06-30T16:09:00.000-07:00

Playing a game, Colors, where the person out of the pool calls out colors with their back to the pool. While she/he does this, the people in the pool dart from one side to the other when their color is called out. As soon as the person out of the pool hears any movement, they turn and jump in the pool, aiming to tag someone trying to get to the other side.

And then, this is Helena being a goof, just because.

jim is 36!

2011-06-27T19:19:00.000-07:00

4 months of planning.
wow. tiring.

sneaking.
shhhhh!

hiding.
don't tell!

lying.
ummm...

more lying.
welllllll...

a few more lies.
uhhhh...yeah. that's it.

And when it was all said and done...
He was left driving home...A.L.O.N.E. So, he sees all the cars parked. And suspects something. Score for Caleb and Josh. And me --- I forgot to tell them which way to go.

He walks into the backyard (and not through the front door like MY BROTHERS were supposed to make sure of) and sees the tables decorated, balloons, twinkly lights on...

Realizing what was going on, he finally makes his way (back) to the front door with a huge grin on his face. One look at him and I know he knows...so I say, "Oh, just get back there! You know they're there waiting for you!" So with laughs and giggles, he opens the curtains and walks outside.

And then his Mom, who made a special trip from Washington, popped out from the mob of people. This was the one thing he was truly surprise about.

Chocolate Fountain and Dippers

Beer

Water & Iced Tea

Margaritas

(best ever by the way)

Street Tacos

...yummy, yummy street tacos.

yummy.

Cupcakes

Music

Dancing

But best of all...

FAMILY & FRIENDS

seattle, here he comes!

2011-06-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

BY. HIMSELF.

{!!!!!!}

That's right.

He flew on a plane to Seattle without me. Without Jim. Without another family member. All by his lonesome.

He said he a a bit nervous as we were waiting for him to board his plane...but very excited. I told him he could always change his mind and stay with me...forever. =) He looked at me with a smile and his arm around my shoulders and said, "Mom, I must go."

Ohhh.

{Can you hear my heart tighten?}

I suppose that was the first of many of actually hearing my heart tighten, having to let go of my Little Bear.

After watching his plane leave the ground and praying for his protection as I watched it fly out of sight, the girls and I walked back to our truck. As soon as I got into my seat, I broke down in tears.

Yes, I know I'm a cry-baby...

He arrived at SeaTac in one piece, unscathed. Thank God. =)

The day of his arrival, after settling in at Grandma and Grandpa's, Marcia took Basil to Theo Chocolate Factory for a tour around their factory (and tastings of course).

Lots of texting back and forth. Phone calls every day.

He had such a great time alone with his grandparents.

Hi,

Dinner at the Space Needle was fun - and delicious! The Basils had seafood fettucini. They have now settled in for another "championship" game of Sorry. I think Basil's time at work with Bill today was fine. He got to drive the fork lift. He called me about an hour after I dropped him off because he left a Power Bar in the car. He survived without it and with the help of clam chowder for lunch.

We might go to a movie tomorrow. Which of the following are OK? Which ones hasn't he seen?

Cars 2 - opens tomorrow

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Pirates of the Carribean 4 / 3D - I might get sick!!

Green Lantern 3D - ???

IMAX Super 8

XMen First Class - ????

Love,

Mom

Dessert at the Space Needle...'Lava' something or another...

HUGE HIT!

As the sunsets...

At the Science Center Exhibit, Science of Fear:

Hi,

We had fun at the Mariner's game last night. They won as the "visiting" team Marlins couldn't play at home due to U2 concert conflict Saw the roof close.

Basil and I saw Cars 2 yesterday and did some shopping at Bel Square. Three new t-shirt from Penny's - not sure about the design on them??? Also bought a hat to replace the one he left on the plane. The hat has a "used" look - go figure!

No fishing today. All communication was left to last night. The boat guy called after we left for the stadium.

Dad's going to a car show. Basil prefers to hang with me so we're off to the Issaquah Farmers Market, etc. We've started some packing and found the apple/celery/peanut butter. Save the peanut butter for future use.

We'll head to the airport between 5:00-5:30. I don't think we will have long lines on a Saturday night; the cruise ship people come/go in the morning and afternoon.

I'll keep you posted.

Love,

Mom

Basil loved being up there, alone with Grandma and Grandpa. It was a very special time for him. I was glad, too. =)

just because...sort of.

2011-06-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

The 3rd grade at our school does what's called 'Apple Valley Days' where they learn about the Pioneers. It goes on for a couple of weeks and during this time the kids earn points for dressing up, bringing their books in tied up with a belt, their lunch in a bucket or pail, etc. The kiddos have a blast while learning, really learning, about our history.

This is why we took the pics because J was dressed up for this. But Basil and Helena wanted to get in the business so...

gross.

2011-06-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

5th grade.

Not high school.

5th grade.

Fetal pig dissection. (I don't remember doing this so young!)

The students had to earn an 80% or higher in their science grade for the 4th quarter to qualify for the dissection...and Basil was one out of 15.
At first Basil and Brian were hemming & hawing about how nasty it was and who was going to do the 'slicing' but after the initial shock of it, they actually had a ...'good' is probably not the word I would use but 'cause I'm tired that's what I'm going with...a good time.

a wknd at the beach

2011-06-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day weekend we went to the beach.

Chilly.
Sunny.
Kids.
Hubby.
Perfect.

a morning out

2011-06-23T21:14:00.000-07:00

Jim & I got a little time to ourselves. The night before we went out to dinner and then saw a movie but one of the things we love to do together is go out for breakfast...which happens maybe 4 times a year. =)

My love, who absolutely does not like pictures taken of him.
"STOP!"

i don't have strange kids!

2011-06-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

cousins

2011-06-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

We have had the very special treat of Abby & Lilly, my first cousins - the chick's 2nd cousins, here with us the first half of this summer. They spent nights here, came over for playdates, went to a movie with us, visited C.A.L.M. with us...it was sooooo nice for the kids to spend so much time with them, some of our family who live in Kenya. Here is a smidgen of what they did together:

j turns 9

2011-06-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

So, this is our 9 year old Julia:

silly-string

super thoughtful - especially with her brother and sister

organizer

cook

silly-string

baker

selfless

cleaner

silly-string

hiker

artist

photographer

outdoors-anything-girl

And she's a little silly. Uhhhh...maybe a lot.

She is very much that 9 year old who laughs totally goofy...on purpose. Long arms and legs that still don't fit her body yet...or visa-versa. Stinkin' delicious doll with glasses.

As you probably have realized, this is our thing to do on a birthday...bring the cake...or ice cream...or donuts to the birthday chickie in bed. They get to open a few gifts AND eat their cake too! (LOL!!! Do I crack you up like I crack myself up?) We've been doin' it forever and it's always super fun.

And then on to the PAAARTAAAY. As I told you before, J likes to bake. For her birthday, she designed and decorated the cupcakes for her party. I think she did a fantastic job!

A special treat for the party this year, we had some family from the PNW (Pacific North West) down for a joint wedding shower the day before...a lot of them were able to come to Julia's party! It was a great time having them!

The kids luuuuuuuuved playing on the swingset...
ehhh-emmm.

honor roll

2011-05-28T15:12:00.000-07:00

Yay for Basil! Another year of Honor Roll!

st. sophia of ainos

2011-04-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

St. Sophia of Ainos is my patron Saint. I found her 'story' one day before becoming Orthodox over 12 years ago and was completely drawn to her; her love, care, selflessness and deep devotion to others through her devotion to God is what struck me (probably because I am such a selfish person...argh!)
Her life is celebrated every year on June 4th.

Her story cited below was taken from the book The Lives of the Spiritual Mothers translated and compiled from the Greek of The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church.

Most certainly, a mother to imitate.

♰ ♰ ♰

Our Holy Mother was the daughter of pious and distinguished parents from the ancient province of Ainos. As a comely and well-educated maiden, her parents arranged her marriage when she came of age. With her lawful husband, Sophia gave birth to six children. Though she dwelt in the midst of secular concerns and commotion, she was not a lover of the cosmos seeking the external world. Her conduct of life revealed that daily concerns do not have to restrict one's desire to please the Lord. One may still fulfill the commandments and practice actions and virtues beloved of God. She never ceased gathering virtues like a bee from the divine meadows. The blessed woman was never absent from church services and her home was her sanctuary where she would keep nightly prayerful vigils.

At length, all her children and husband died when a plague struck. Conspicuous for her love, a resilient Sophia, combined ascetic and civic virtue. She became the mother of orphans and eagerly assisted widows. Her once empty home became a haven for the underprivileged and homeless whom she abundantly served. Within twenty year, she would adopt over one hundred children whom she would raise in the love and admonition of the Lord.

Preferring to give rather than receive, she distributed her abundance among the poor and needy. Her unstinted almsgiving was always done cheerfully and generously. The thrice-blessed one counted it more blessed to deprive herself than to let the poor leave her home empty-handed.

Her rigorous manner of life was ascetical. Tears always filled her eyes. The Psalms of David were ever on her lips, and she never left off or was negligent in saying her prayers. Her food consisted of dry bread and plain drinking water. In her measureless humility and modest spirit, she considered herself the least of all in worth.

On account of her God-pleasing life, Sophia was deemed worthy of the following paradoxical miracle. The holy woman, specially marked by the grace of hospitality, had a full jug of wine which she would serve to the poor. No matter how much wine Sophia poured out among the needy, the jug remained full. The venerable Sophia did not share this mystery with anyone. However, one day, she desired to proclaim this exceptional miracle of God, and disclosed the secret to her relative. Upon leaking the mystery of the ever-flowing wine jug, she found that it no longer remained full, but would diminish with use until it was empty. This consequence saddened Sophia with all her heart. She reasoned within herself that she was counted unworthy of God's gift. Nevertheless, an irrepressible Sophia did not sulk; instead, she devised new tests of endurance by increasing her ascetic labors. However, after mortifying the flesh by her strict discipline and regimen, she developed difficulties in breathing.

Tenacious and resourceful to the end, Sophia continued to strive amid her other responsibilities, never allowing earthly distractions to lead her off the path of virtue. Her years of austere and humanitarian labors for the Lord, extolled throughout the empire, numbered thirty-four. A year prior to her godly repose in the Lord, at the age of fifty-three, Sophia was tonsured a nun. Though our holy Mother Sophia left behind a memory that flourished among all those she helped, and it is inextinguishable among the choirs of the saints, it suffices to profit those who wish to learn by her example.

easter

2011-04-28T17:28:00.000-07:00

Easter (or Pascha in the Orthodox world) service for us, starts at 11:00pm and goes into the morning until 2:30ish. The kiddos go to bed early in the evening to get as much rest before the service as they can; when they were younger, we would get them to church either half-alsleep or sleeping and they would pretty much sleep through the whole service. But now, they are awake during the service and I love it because now they can really experience the joy of the Resurrection.

Anyways, when we get home from the Pascha Service, we have a delicious meal...at 3:00am-ish! This is a tradition here and the kids start on the menu a couple of weeks before. After the food is devoured and the Pascha presents are opened, we go to bed (yay)...but do we sleep in? Ya'd think so, right?---after an almost sleepless night. But no. Not around here. Our chicks are up and rearing to go around 6:30am. Lovely.

Dang early birds. =)

At noon that day, our church has its annual Pascha Picnic. We absolutely luuuuuv this time with our church family. It's when we hang and eat and drink and eat more and play games and eat more. It's a pure celebration of Easter!

Between some of us good friends, we always give our kiddos Easter gifts. Here is what Jenny made for our kids this year:

And the games.

Races.

Tug-o-War.

Egg Toss.

Major competition.

Here, the girls are on their second try to win the Tug-O-War against the boys. And this time, they have a secret weapon---GUNTER! Yes, Gunter hid amidst the girls and helped them secure their victory! Smart thinking girls!

This year was special.

JIM & I.

WON.

THE.

EGG TOSS.

Mind you, this is the biggest competition of the day. The winners not only get to claim VICTORY but get (or have--matter of opinion) to take home the trophy. And the trophy is no small trophy; it is 2.5 feet tall and 2 wide and has been the pride and joy of the St. George Egg Toss winners since 1963. Buuuut...you have to store this ginormous trophy somewhere in your house until the next year when you bring it back for someone else, or maybe you again, to win.

Notice the egg on top.

HA!

a first for helena

2011-04-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

Lena had been waiting all winter for this trip. The snow finally melted low enough for them to take off for a night. Jim scheduled their trip for the previous weekend but had to push it back a week due to weather. So when the time finally came to pack up, she was beyond ready and excited.

They drove to the lower Sierras, then hiked in about 1.5 miles to the campsite. Jim purposefully chose an easy, short hike & stayed only one night, not knowing how Len would do; he later told me she could've hiked another couple miles easy and stayed another night. =) He now knows she can handle a solid hiking weekend!

Here are the long awaited pics. Enjoy!

Getting a good start.

Packs on and ready to go!

The trail they hiked in on the right of the river.

This is a small beach where they fished at on the way in.

Break time!!!

So, this is before Helena had fun sliding down a big rock...

...during...

...and after. Nice.

We all collect heart shaped rocks so when Len found this heart shaped piece of wood, she thought of me. Unfortunately, it broke before they came home. =(

A view from near their campsite. Incredible, huh?

SWEETNESS. LOVE. DELICIOUSNESS. GIMME! GIMME! GIMME!

Buggy thought this was the most super-cool-secrect-cave. =)

Dinner time. And no, that's not the can it came in. ...I asked also.

Something found.

Starbucks, as always. Love those Cafe Viva packets.

Seriously. How dang cute is that!!!

Heading out...

Check out her shoes!!! Stinkin' HILARIOUS!!!

That is so Helena.

blerg. i mean, serious blerg. ...and then happy yays.

2011-04-25T17:59:00.000-07:00

Before:

Our chicks are on our playset all. the. time. It's {many times} where they eat lunches {when at home} when the weather is nice, {many times} do homework, have plum wars, hide for hide-and-seek (when you think about it, not a very good place when you hide there often)... this 'fort' is our kid's favorite pastime.

After:

This is what we came home to after a weekend of camping. Nice, huh? Well, after a long Sunday afternoon of listening to the roaring scream of a chainsaw, we and some friends had this dang tree off our beloved playset. As you can see, the front right section of the fort was still standing and along with a small part of the right end of the swings. But if you could see what we saw of what was really left of the playset, you'd realize that these two small sections were all that was left standing. The rest of it is smashed to smitherines. Mere splinters. FAAAN-tastic.

Wellllllllllllllllllllll.....
Many calls and about a month and a half later, we got our insurance claim $ to replace the playset. A couple upgrades on the new set (thanks to Mom Z.): instead of 6 feet of head room in the gazebo, there is now 7 feet---hey, we've got some tall kids. ...not 7 feet tall. A 'bumpy' slide instead of the straight one. And the swings changed a bit: instead of 3, we now have 4 and as you can see, we got rid of that ball thing and replaced it with a trapeze bar. And we added the skateboard swing, as a surprise for 2 out of 3 of the chicks...which I think that will be used by all 3. =)

So here it is. The new playset. YAY!

oh, my heart.

2011-04-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

This week in our Church is an incredible week. It is when we walk through the life of our Savior as He prepared for his crucifixion and death. It is often referred to as a week of bright sadness. Sorrowful time because of all that Christ endured. For us. But bright because of the glorious day of Resurrection that awaits after a long, dark, trek. I could really go into depth about this beautiful week but I wanted to write about something that happened to me last night during the service.

From before the moment I entered the service, I was fuming mad. I could have spit fire. It doesn't really matter what I was mad about. But it does matter that I could barely function because of it. My heart and mind were absolutely consumed by it. Throughout the entire service, I couldn't focus. I couldn't do my cross. I couldn't sing. I couldn't say the prayers. But I made myself do my cross. And sing. And say the prayers. Although none of what I did was sincere. And I found myself silently screaming, "I DON'T WANT TO DO MY CROSS! I DON'T WANT TO SING!! I DON'T WANT TO SAY ANY OF THESE STINKIN' PRAYERS!!! help!" Even in the nano second that I called out that 'help', I was only half-way sincere. But it wasn't in that moment that all of the world finally made sense and was again peaceful. Nope. I was still in that place of pure anger.

{Now, usually when I get upset, I can talk myself down from that (very) high Plateau of Frustration or Mad-ness (or what I like to call Plateau of Selfishness & Pride - PSP)- I can reason with myself pretty good. But this time was different. I was stuck there with both feet in cement blocks.}

So long story a bit shorter: towards the very end of the service, something happened. After the distribution of the Sacrament, there was a change of tide in my heart. And I felt it. It was overwhelming. It was like a tsunami of love and peace that took me over.
I didn't feel all luvvy-duvvy; it wasn't like that. But there was a calmness that wasn't there before. And I thought back to what our Priest said earlier in the service--if you just humble yourself a little bit to God, then He will heal all of your infirmities, even the ones you don't even know about. (obvious paraphrasing) Well, at least that what I heard and I guess that's all I needed to hear because I did just that. I knew I needed help, even though I didn't feel like I wanted it. But I called out to Him, the Great Physician. And He came to me. He made me wait a little bit. But He undoubtably came. He covered me with his grace and great, great, great mercy. And He took from me what I couldn't take from myself.

On my way home, I was thinking about this.
Yes, in our Christian life, He commands obedience from us. He commands our hearts from us. Our minds. Our lives. And the rubrics of that all is essential. It's essential because if we relied on when we felt like doing our prayers or our cross or dragging our butts to services or......then we would be strangers in the presence of God. Of course there are times when we 'feel' closer to God than others but for me, my roller coaster has a lot of ups and downs. And the rubrics of Orthodox Church Life are what keep me alive. I need the Church.

But also--and equally--is that God doesn't just command these things of us. He wants them. He longs for them. He gave His Son for them. To be in relationship with us. He yearns for conversation with us. He yearns for us know Him in an intimate way, beyond anything earthly we have and will ever know. He yearns for our mind, our heart, and our lives. Not just part of them or the times in 'church' but at every moment.

So when I find myself up on that Plateau of Selfishness & Pride (because that's the root of all anger---selfishness and pride) I just need to look at Him, even if it's for a split nano-second and He will come to me. He loves me that much. He certainly doesn't force Himself on me but He sits and waits for me every moment I am away from Him. Patiently. Tearfully. And then He pours forth His grace and Mercy when I call out to Him.

My heart strays.
My heart climbs to the top of PSP all too often.
I am so selfish.
I am so prideful.
And I hurt Him.
I make Him cry.
It was me who drove those nails into His hands.
--The hands that are held out to grasp mine.
It was me who drove those nails into His feet.
--The feet that are ready to walk that narrow road for me.
It was me who mercilessly shoved that crown of thorns onto His head.
--The head that wears the eternal crown of Glory.

My heart still forgets, all too easily, that He sits and waits for me to return. After all of the torture I have and do put Him through, He still waits for me to return. Because He wants me. Because He wants to spend eternity with me.

Because He loves me.

i'm here! i'm here!

2011-04-16T08:31:00.000-07:00

Seriously waaaaay too long. I mean, waaaay too long. But you know when life throws you into a black hole of sick-i-ness, your mind can't think straight...at least mine can't. And when I can't think straight, I can't even process a stinkin' movie or a good read, let alone try to blog. And so, weeks and weeks later....here I am...finally.
I have missed posting about so many things that have gone on around here, regardless of me dealing with mono. Yeah, mono. The kissing thing. As {one of} my bestest girlfriend, Kelly said to me, "I TOLD you to keep your lips to yourself!" Yeah, yeah. For all you out there that don't know HOW hard Kel and I joke with each other....well, OF COURSE that was a joke. We like to joke and tease and mess around...a lot. The only lips I like to kiss around this joint are Big Daddy's...and my chick's...and my niece's and nephew's...along with their cheekys! Yum.
But even though I am still dealing with this dang virus, I am feeling a little bit more like myself. I think I am ready to start posting again....and with all the back-posting I will have to do...well, bear with me. I have to get all of the pics up for my annual blog book you know!
Looking forward to it. Glad to be back.

Love to you all!!!

helena turns 7!

2011-03-26T16:21:00.000-07:00

Helena, you have such a spice for life that spills forth in all you do. You bless me and our family in so many ways with your energetic, funky, sweet, compassionate, put-your-heart-into-it way of living. Bug, you keep Dad & I laughing, a lot of the times out of unbelief from the things you say or come up with, but nevertheless laughing. =) You continually remind me to pay attention to the little things in my days. And your compassion towards animals is very special and I am looking forward to seeing how God uses that in you life as you get older.

I thank Christ our God for the laughs, love, & happiness you bring to our family and all those that are blessed to have you as a friend, granddaughter, & niece.

I love you, darling,

--Mama

Birthday Morning

Birthday Breakfast

at Peddle Car Cafe

Later on that day...

Daddy brought you flowers...

...you got a new hat...

...had brownies for dessert...

...posed for pics...

...boogied...

...and laughed...

...alot.

Birthday Party

a life goal for helena

2011-03-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago, Helena came to me with this, "Mom, when I get older and I have my own house, I'm gunna get a cat."

If you know anything about Lena, this was a serious thing. She l.o.v.e.s. animals. If she could, she would house every stray and lonely animal. She wants to be a vet when she 'grows up'. Her heart is so soft towards animals. And it has always been that way. So when she said what she said, I talked with Jim and we just knew she'd be getting a cat for her birthday.

A week before her big day, I started to look around for a kitten. I looked and talked with every rescue shelter I could find. Nothing. The next day, I continued my search. Still nothing. At least for a little one. There were older cats that were very sweet but Jim & I were hoping for a kitten that Lena could grow up with. After a long morning out, sitting in my desk chair, I finally came to the end of my rope. But then a thought came to me to try the PetSmart I had no luck with the day before. So I called and much to my surprise they had two kittens, 3 months of age. A bit older than what we were hoping for. But the gal I spoke with said one was super sweet. My heart skipped a beat. And in the same moment, I suppressed my excitement, not wanting to be disappointed if it didn't work out like the rest of the morning. But I called Nicole and told her I'd pick her up in 5 minutes to drag her with me to see this kitten. Well, let's just say, when I picked up the kitten to hold him, he immediately started purring and I knew he was our boy. =) I then made the arrangements to adopt him and set the appointment to pick him up with Lena in tow. =) (I love surprises!)

When we arrived at the store later that day, the gal I was to meet wasn't there yet so we just putted around, looking at the huge array of animals they had: birds, lizards, mice, etc. When we came to the cat house, Helena stopped. She stared and goo-gooed at the sight of the two kittens they had there. And then...argh...one the store's employees comes up to her and asks Helena if she's ready to take home her kitten. I looked at the girl like 'thanks!' She felt so bad spoiling the surprise. So with that comment, Helena looked at me and asked, "What is she talking about, Mom?" "Mom??" "Mom???" After a looooong pause, I said, "Wellllllllll, see that all-black kitty over there (pointing)? Welllllllllll, that's your kitten." "Happy Birthday, sweetie!!!" And this is what she did...

She was so overwhelmed she had tears in her eyes. Yes, she stared to cry. It was one of the sweetest things I have ever seen.

When we walked out of the store, his name was Licorice. On the way home, Helena called Lukia and discussed names for the kitten. There were a million names thrown around but what stuck was 'Arthur'. And so Arthur is was.

game night...

2011-03-04T09:35:00.000-08:00

...which happens to be many of the nights around here. We luuuuv board games. Specifically strategy board games, like Catan and Carcassone and Chess, but every once in a while we'll pull out the ol' Monopoly, just for pure competitive fun. We start out the game on our own teams but by the half-way point there ALWAYS ends up some merger which usually starts the ruthless

'I'm gunna take you down'

spirit of the game...which usually leads to a total slaughter of the other players.
Lol.
Sort of.
I mean, if I am really honest, I am still trying to live what I preach about playing for the fun of the game but...let's face it...I. Am. Competitive.

As the years have gone by, I have learned to mask those intense feelings that arise in me when playing a game; I have learned to play the Mom role pretty well. But I said mask. I didn't say moved beyond or conquered. No. I said mask. And that's because when I play games, I still want to kick your butt!!! =) Of course, it's not all the time that I want to destroy my opponents {wink, wink with a big ol' smile} but it does still have its place in my twisted life sometimes. Which makes it fun. I have learned to not take life so seriously, not to get in arguments with my brothers {big mischievous smile} over a stupid game or be totally upset over losing...I guess that's the whole grown-up thing. But, come on! You know when there's a competitiveness in the game, it makes it that much more fun. ...or maybe that's just me. =) Either way, that's how it is around this joint. And we love it.

chicken in the morning, chicken at night...

2011-03-03T11:27:00.000-08:00

Well, this time it was chicken(s) in the morning. Not for breakfast but as our backyard view. Someone (ehhh-umm, Basil) forgot to close the chicken house door the day before and we woke up to this:

i {heart} you day

2011-03-03T11:17:00.000-08:00

A peek into our super luuuuv filled day! Hope you had a great day too! Happy Valentine's day!

he's 11!

2011-03-03T11:03:00.000-08:00

Basil has changed so much this last year. And to be very honest, it's been challenging in some ways. He has become very responsible in so many ways and in others, well, not so much (those dang hormones!!!). =)

Basil has grown physically (by leaps and bounds--he will most definitely pass me in height within two years!),
mentally (he has always been a critical thinker but I feel that this attribute has become more acute this year which means more discussions & more in depth explanations, I mean waaaaaay more--so great!),
and spiritually (he's understanding the Faith more and applying the Faith to his daily life in beautiful ways).

It is such a blessing to be able to see him grow, catch glimpses of the man he will someday be (by God's grace), and loving and thoroughly enjoying the boy/young man he is today. Jim & I thank God for Basil. He brings so much to our lives, teaches us to be better people in God's eyes...he is a great blessing to us.

We love you so much Bubba!!!
Happy Birthday!!!

Birthday Morning

Rootbeer float for his special birthday wake-up.

The books are gifts that the girls bought (with their own money) for Basil.

And of course, a birthday wouldn't be the same around here without going to out to breakfast on your special day!

The Party (a couple of days earlier)

My friend, Jenny, made this cake, per Basil's request.

LAKERS

The only NBA team, according to this family (and Basil).

We served Nachos - the good kind, ya' know, with the disgustingly yummy nachos cheese - with homemade chili, jalepenos, onions...yikes! Deeeelisshh!

Basil and his closest friends: George, Brian, {Basil}, Jimmy, & Elias

Eli is into giving a 'whatever' look. OMGsh! So dang cute!

Basil & Jenny (she's the one who made the cake!)

MAMA LOVE!

Jeemanee.

adult time

2011-03-03T08:32:00.000-08:00

As our kids have grown, we have felt more freedom to 'go play' with our friends. It's been so much fun getting together with them! And although our recent gatherings have been centered around UFC Fights, we still love it. MMA is not our favorite sport and quite honestly, we don't really keep up on it (too much). The only time we know what's going on is when we are with our friends, gathered for a fight, maybe once every 1.5 months. Our motivation for going to 'the fight' is {almost} purely social. Don't get me wrong, we get into the fights when we are watching but that's the extent of it. And thats alright. Because we have a blast! Here's a picture of our last gathering:

get to the point!

2011-03-02T19:39:00.000-08:00

The last few posts are plain ol' hysterical simply because this is the typical YiaYia; straightforward, no reservations at all.

And quite frankly, it's refreshing. Too many times communication games are played. You know that with any true Greek woman, you will always know where you stand. No guessing games. Awesome.

And being Greek makes the last few posts that much funnier...and kinda troublesome. I mean, I am a Greek gal (partially)...this is possibly my future. (Is that sooooo bad?) I have noticed since I have moved up years, the stops are loosening. I am finding that I speak my mind more without care a tad more than I used to.

Its too time consuming to 'beat around the bush'. Good grief! Just get to the point!

yiayia on relationships

2011-03-02T19:09:00.001-08:00

yiayia on fashion

2011-03-02T19:09:00.000-08:00

yiayia on parenting

2011-03-02T19:07:00.002-08:00

monkey with a gun

2011-02-26T10:55:00.000-08:00

It's a good kinda crazy. It's a good kinda chaos. But it's still crazy. And it's definitely chaotic.

And I ❤ it.

And wouldn't change it for a million dollars.......uhhhhhh. =)

9 kids in one house on a Friday afternoon after a long week at school:

Boys playing video games...which means low, rumbling roars (and every so often, that high pitched turnin'-into-a-man crack in their voice) and hollaring orders like military sergeants.

Girls playing board games--like 50 of 'em--and then after they've had their fill on those, running around the house and {finally} outside singing & sqwealing at the top of their lungs.

Can you hear the noise?

Oh yeah, probably not----'cause it's deafening.

Sometimes, I wonder what I have gotten myself into. I mean, when I look around the house as the kids are at the peak of their games and the mess they are creating, I wonder if I have totally lost it. But that whole line of thought comes not from a regretful girl but a happy girl. One who is...
...shaking her head (knowing the disaster she has to tackle)...
...with a grin on her face (these dang kids are so stinkin' cute)...
...and a happy heart (because she loves every last one of 'em).

And when you're around this...

You have to duck sometimes.

You have to have feet that dance sometimes.

You have to hide sometimes.

You have to laugh sometimes.

And out of unbelief sometimes.

You have to scream 'Dang it!' sometimes.

...kinda like when you're around a monkey with a gun.

yay buggy!

2011-02-25T09:24:00.000-08:00

Helena received the Student of the month award for February! This is what her teacher, Mrs. Given, had to say about her:

Helena is being honored this month for all of her hard work. Helena is a very good student. She is a kind and caring girl. She is a good friend and is always willing to go out of her way to make sure everyone is treated fairly. She works hard at following the classroom rules as well as the school rules.

Her best friend, Lukia, received Student of the Month in her class as well. When Lukia was called, Helena stood up and clapped as hard as she could while jumping up and down. It was darling how excited she was for Kia. =)

We are so proud of you little Bug! Congratulations!!!

a modern day miracle, a blessing for all

2011-02-01T11:31:00.000-08:00

They are all around us. The birth of a baby. The growth of a flower. The rising of the sun. The setting of the sun. The love of an enemy. I think it would be safe to say that all Christians, whether Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox recognize these all to be miracles.

The Orthodox Church is steadfast in recognizing miracles that others might see as strange or simply dismiss. I know. I've been there. I've thought thoughts of, "those things are weird or strange or just wrong."...especially ones that involved an icon. But I didn't understand it. Any of it. I thought I did. I was sure I did. But I was the one who was wrong. Who was I to say that miracles like 'that' didn't occur? ...of little faith.

Where I came from, an icon and veneration of it was considered idol worship. But that is the farthest thing from the truth. Icons are windows into heaven. They give us a glimpse of the life that awaits us if we are faithful. And when an icon is venerated, we are not worshipping it. The Church is crystal clear on that. Worship is reserved for God alone.

When an icon is venerated (bowed before, kissed, and asked the person depicted in the icon their prayers), it is an expression of love for the person(s) depicted in that painting. (In fact, when an icon is being made, it is not called 'painting an icon', it is called 'writing an icon' because it is telling the story of that person's Christian life. And bowing, back in the day, was a common greeting of love, it was not reserved for only royalty or the likes.) So, we are expressing our love for whoever is depicted in that icon.
Just like I know you have seen (or even done this yourself)...a person kissing a photo of one whom they love, of someone they miss. You don't think to yourself, "Boy, they really love Kodak paper!" You think, "They must really love (or miss) that person." Well, isn't what they are doing an expression of their love? Of course it is! And that is what we, Orthodox Christians, are doing when we venerate an icon.

Your thoughts might now lead to the issue of venerating someone who is dead. Well, the Orthodox's God is the Triune God of the living, not the dead. Yes, that person's body is no longer alive...but their soul is. And just because the soul in no longer here on Earth and if it resides in Heaven with God, that does not mean communication ceases. This is the Church's teaching. So when we venerate, we also ask for their intercession to God. And why not ask for their prayers?!?! ...they are prostrated before God in heaven constantly praying to Him! Ask them to pray for us, to intercede to Christ our God for us who are still in this transient life!

And one more thing. God chose Mary to physically dwell in her and then for her to care for the Christ Child while on this Earth. He chose her not because she was perfect but because she was humble and so filled with love for God. The Virgin Mary, the Theotokos (Mother of God) found favor in God's eyes. She found favor in His eyes. We should and need to recognize this. This should not be dismissed...ever. Theotokos is in heaven, praying for us. And because she has favor in God's eyes, we should run to her, after God, for intercession and help.

Myrrh-Streaming. What does that mean? It means that myrrh, holy, fragrant oil, for a lack of better terms, seeps out from the entire icon itself...and even from the case the icon is in. This is the miracle. That myrrh streams from the icon.

And so getting back to the miracle. The Orthodox Church has officially recognized this icon to be miraculous. The Church has a long history of miraculous icons that have been considered signs from heaven to strengthen the faithful, especially in difficult times. (This icon began streaming myrrh in 2007, around the time of the financial crisis.) The myrrh-streaming icon the Virgin Mary of Hawaii is a smaller copy of the ancient original housed for a millenium at the Iveron Monastry, located on Mount Athos in Greece. Tradition teaches that the prototype was painted by St. Luke the Apostle and Evangelist in the first century. Other copies have been produced in Moscow and Montreal and some of them, too, stream myrrh, the sweet smelling oil mentioned in the New Testament and was one of the three gifts presented to the baby Jesus by the Magi.

For several years now, both clergy and laity have witnessed many miracles associated with the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary of Hawaii and the myrrh miraculously flowing from it. Numerous healings from cancer, blindness, organ failure, and other ailments have been documented. And we, our Parish, had the unworthy honor and most wonderful blessing of hosting this miracle for the weekend. The purpose of our parish offering this event was open to anyone wanting to witness this miracle and was for the glory of God and the edification of the faithful in these difficult times.

To read more about this icon, follow this link to the website of the parish in Hawaii.

I tried many times over the weekend to get a picture showing the myrrh that was streaming down the icon and the inside of the glass that encased the icon. I just couldn't seem to get a shot that showed what everyone could see in person. You can see on the bottom left corner of the wooden case, near the icon, some of the myrrh...on the outside of the case! This was how much the icon was flowing while at our parish: the myrrh had soaked the cloth under the the wooden case, it had permeated the icon stand...and even on parts that were not in direct contact with the case or below where the natural order of gravity would have it flow down, it was permeating out of the back of the stand that was not at all in contact with the icon or case. It was incredible.

And I can't begin to describe the fragrance that comes from something like this of the Theotokos. It is the sweetest smelling scent of roses that I or anyone has ever smelled. It really is indescribable. ...It is...heavenly.

Just before the icon left on late Sunday afternoon, reader Nektarios who takes care of the icon, opened the case for a few of us there still at the church. We got to see the icon out of the case, just brimming with myrrh. He held it up and myrrh was slowly dripping down his fingers. The inside of the case, even above where the icon sits and not in direct contact with the icon itself, was absolutely covered and soaked in myrrh. I still am in awe that I got to see that...I must really have need it! (And still do!)

Glory to God for all things!!!

piano

2011-01-26T11:56:00.000-08:00

Year number two for piano recitals. At least for Basil and Juls. It was Lena's first. And if you can't tell from the first picture, she was nervous. Like, super nervous. But she did great. And so did Julia and Basil, although Basil told me that night that he couldn't believe how he did. He said, "I play those songs a million times at home perfectly and then at the recital...{shaking his head}...ohhhh...that was terrible." Giggle. It wasn't his best performance but...the more he performs the easier it'll become.

Julia is an absolute riot to watch playing the piano. As she is counting her measures, she bobs her head to each count while rocking back and forth every two beats. DANG IT! It is so cute! She really is quite good. And those long fingers of hers make awfully easy to get from note to note...=)

short but sweet

2011-01-26T11:39:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, Bill and Marcia vacationed in Santa Barbara. That same Saturday, Basil had his chess tournament. But that evening after the tournament, we made a quick trip to that gorgeous town to see Dad & Mom. We were only able to stay one night but it was a sweet time.

a sleepover

2011-01-25T21:39:00.000-08:00

The boys were here and the girls were there. Pizza. Hot wings. The boys played video games all night. Really. A.L.L. N.I.G.H.T. I think they went to bed around 3?

=)

in love

2011-01-25T21:34:00.000-08:00

She's in love.

We have been so blessed to have Jessie and the kids 'living' in town recently. We have all grown soooooo close. It has been such a special time for us but a very special time, I have observed, for Helena. She has grown in her love for babies since Eli and Nay have been here. Buggy has enjoyed little ones in the past. But she has never goo-goo-gah-gahed over them until now. She has fallen in love with her cousins and it is priceless. What a sweet growth in her to witness.

tournament

2011-01-25T14:54:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. You're thinking soccer or hockey or tennis, right?

I'm sure the first thing that came to your mind was NOT chess...am I right? ...Well, that's what it was for us that day.

I love our school for so many reasons. And one of those reasons is that they offer after-school activities for our kids. After-school meaning they stay on campus right after school for the activity...which is key for me. This means I don't have to run from place to place for a sport or other activity, like chess club...I just pick them up after it's over. No pickin' up from school, driving to wherever, sitting there for 2 hours and then driving home in traffic. (YUCK!) The things offered after school are easy on the schedule and make it easy for kids to be involved but yet not monopolize the whole afternoon and evening...nice.

ANYWAYS, it was Basil's first tournament and he did very well. He got third in his age group and our school got 2nd in the County.

updates

2011-01-21T09:02:00.000-08:00

A couple of updates for all of you out there...

About a month ago I set a goal to grab the Le Creuset 4 .5 qt dutch oven and trivet while on sale at the beloved Williams Sonoma...and guess what? I made it! I picked up those delicious pieces yesterday!!! $75 saved because of the sale. SCORE!

And {another} guess what! For our 12th anniversary we stopped at the Le Creuset outlet and picked up the 13.25 qt oven...at 40% off the outlet price! DOUBLE SCORE!! (happy anniversary to us! happy anniversary to us!...) We got the red (which is beautiful but the colbalt...ohhhh the colbalt) simply because the outlet doesn't carry the 13.25 qt in colbalt...our chioces were red or black...and for a 40% savings (off the outlet price)...well we just couldn't justify paying full price at Williams just to get the cobalt. So, I guess when you think about it, we saved about 55% off this piece since the outlet prices tend to be about 15% savings off of Williams Sonoma prices. TRIPLE SCORE!!!

And yes, we've used these pieces already. The first time I used the 13.25 qt. oven was to make turkey, rice & lentil soup. I got 5 ginormous dinners (4 to freeze) and 1 lunch out of the ONE pot...luuu-huuu-huuuv that. Brought the 4.5 qt. home yesterday and made shepherd's pie in it. Can you see the smile on my face??? And now that we've used them, I can honestly say that these are the best things ever made! I love how versatile they are, the ease of cleaning, the even cooking,...blah, blah, blah. And if you don't have any of these pieces, may I say to you...go get one! It is so worth the money. It'll last you forever...I mean come on...it is cast iron. And with the porcelain enamel inside, you won't spend forever cleaning it.

So here are the new additions to our quaint little kitchen:

Second update:

Thumbs are important. And yes, they are. It's been almost 4 weeks since I sliced my thumb. The Dr. at the Urgent Care did a wonderful job stitching it up...it's healed beautifully, even though some the skin is still working it's way back to normal. Yeah, but you know what's not normal? The feeling. I obviously severed the nerves because my thumb is almost numb...still. Almost because I can't feel anything from the slice to the tip but almost not because it feels like it's getting shocked when touched in a certain way. And almost not because it's waaaay tender too...all at the same time of being numb...whatever {roll eyes}. The bummer thing is though, is that I am having to learn to write differently, that I keep dropping things when I try to hold something with that hand using that thumb because I can't feel if I'm grasping tight enough...and most of the time I'm not, so I drop whatever I am holding. Watch out toes!...Let's not hurt you too!

So there. Just to let you know. =)

who i am

2011-01-07T09:58:00.000-08:00

Our family (extended) has been a bit busy with physical ailments the past couple of weeks; my YiaYia and Papou have been quite sick, my Grandma broke her femur and since she's been in the hospital after her surgery has been hit with a respiratory & heart issue--she's ok-- Jim broke his toe, kids sick, etc., etc., etc.

While some of these things may be small in comparison, they still require a lot of time from family members. My grandparents need help with food and Dr's appointments. My Grandma needs someone in the hospital to deal with the Doctors. And the people who do these things need 'back-up'. This stuff takes a good chunk out of their daily routines & work schedules, and they put their lives on hold to help those who are sick or in the hospital. But when they do this, a lot of their daily lives fall by the wayside. And this, by God's mercy and grace, is where I come in.

My mom reminded me of this fact last night. She told me, "You are a rock for me. You're always there." This floored me. I have just been doing what I am supposed to be doing....because it's who I am. But let me back up for you to give you a little insight into my life.

I know many of you may have spotted your God-given gifts along time ago but for me it really happened only about 3 years ago. You see, I struggled for a long time with feeling like I had little to offer people. All I did was cook and clean and wipe kid's butts. (I know, crass but true). I struggled with seeing people in careers or using their 'talents', them knowing what they were good at...not that I wanted a career outside the home but I wanted that 'know' of what God gave me to share with others...and really I'm not talking about "careers" because anyone can have a career if they try hard enough but I talking about God-given gifts--something you can't work to attain, but a gift--Priesthood, Teacher, Service, Exhortation, Leadership, Words of Wisdom, etc.

I tried the Sunday School Directorship offered to me but that proved to be a disaster. Maybe not for the Sunday School, but for me. I was unhappy and frustrated. It took a couple of years but I finally resigned last year. PHEW!

But in the midst of these feelings and thoughts intensifying, it was in a conversation with my best friend that I realized what God gave to me to share with others...my God-given gift. I was telling her how hard it was for me to see her doing all her nursing stuff (even though she hadn't worked in 8 years) because in that, her gift of knowledge was being used and people saw and came to know the love of God in that. And then me sitting there with (what felt like) nothing, no special talents, no tricks, nothin'. (I know, cry your eyes out, right? Sheeesh!)
I will never forget the look on her face--it was as if I had just said, and truly believing it, that I could turn water into wine--as though I had completely lost my mind. She stared at me, saying absolutely nothing. And those few moments of silence felt like an eternity. I honestly thought for a sec that she was getting mad. But she looked over at me and said, "Sarah,...............you are a servant. (!)"

And it was in that moment that my world made sense. I am a Servant.

No wonder I wasn't at peace (or even happy) when I was the Sunday School Director. I am not a Leader. I am a Servant.

No wonder I am most at peace (and even happy) when I am cooking a meal for my family or others in need of a warm meal. I am a Servant.

No wonder I am most at peace (and even happy) when I am doing mountains of laundry. I am a Servant.

No wonder I am most at peace (and even happy) when I am scrubbing toilets soiled from sick kids. I am a Servant.

No wonder I am most at peace (and even happy) when I am wiping little tushies. I am a Servant.

I am a Servant.

This is who I am. God gave me a heart to serve.

I am most at peace when I am serving others. Because when I serve others, I am serving God.

When we use our God-given gifts in a way that brings Him glory, then we will be at peace. And we will find that we are even happy (most of the time).

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-...

2011-01-02T21:25:00.000-08:00

Games.
Food.
Yakity-yak.
More games.
More food.
More yakity-yak.

All with our best friends:
Steve & Nicole. Vago & Kelly. James & Jenny. Matt & Chrissy.

We. Had. A. Blast.

What else can I say?

Oh, uh...
So long good and fullfilled 2010!
WELCOME 2011!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Matt & Chrissy Jennings

Matt & Jenny; brother and sister

James & Jenny Saunders

Vago & Kelly Demestihas

"Do I have something in my teeth?"

This, or should I say -Kelly- became the joke of the evening.

Mischieveous. Thaaaaat's our Kelly.

We're not tired! We're not! {yawn, yawn}

As soon as James walked in the door, the kids named him 'The Big Green Monster'.

But my favorite was 'Shrek'. LOL!!!

Little Patrick, our God-son. LOVE.

George-y, Vago & Kelly's oldest boy.

my coin purse

2011-01-02T17:38:00.000-08:00

For the longest time we have talked about cast iron cookware. We love the simplicity of them. We love the practicality of them. And after checking out different brands, we love the Le Creuset line. They've been around forever and have an unsurpassable reputation. So, we have finally decided to phase these incredible pieces into our kitchen. And after talking with some people at Williams Sonoma, we have decided on the Cobalt Blue because 1. we luuuuv that beeeaauutiful color and 2. it's one of the classic colors they've had around forever. The newer colors that are out are gorgeous but haven't been selling very well so those gals were unsure if the new colors would be around in the future...and we don't want to be stuck with a line of pots and pans that someday we can't add to (as far as matching colors) because it's discontinued in that color. And we really don't want another array of colors since our kitchen is already so colorful.

We have decided to start with our small pot as our first phase-in. Back and forth between the 4 1/2 qt. and the 5 1/2 qt., the 4 1/2 qt finally won out. As of now, we are using a Calphalon 3 1/2 qt. pot and it is serving us well but let's face it, the kids are getting bigger and the 3 1/2 qt. is pushing it's limits already...and will render itself useless soon. =( We need for our small pot something bigger, but not too big. Thus the 4 1/2 qt. So here she is:

OMGsh.
Can't wait.

And if I can make my goal before the end of this month, we can get this AND the matching trivet on sale at Williams Sonoma---for less than the original price of the dutch oven alone! WHOO-HOO!!!

So, a few more weeks and hopefully I'll have these two babies!

I think I can! I think I can! I think I can!

thumbs are important

2010-12-30T16:49:00.000-08:00

I learned these things in school. I read about it in journals. Even heard and seen it on TV. But it's not 'till one of 'ems outta commission that I realized how important thumbs really are.

Yes, one of mine is out of commission. On Monday while cleaning, not slicing or chopping but cleaning my knife I sliced my right one...good.

Got stitches.
ugh.

Swollen thumb.
grrr.

Still can't feel it too much...actually, it feels like a million needles poking it everytime it's touched, and yet is still numb. {roll eyes}
ohhhhh.

Total inconvenience.
blerg.

And now I am realizing how much I use my thumb...now that I can't use it.

Try opening raw eggs with one thumb. Not easy. Or folding laundry. Or buttoning shirts. Or putting a ponytail in your daughter's hair. Or even navigating the mouse precisely. All not easy.

But I'm surviving. (drama, drama I know.) =)