A Sad Goodbye...

Today, we had to put Zeke down. He has been an incredible blessing to our family, and has protected us on many occasions. He was a companion to Brian, running with him everyday. We are very sad. Brian and Abbie especially. It was a tough call to make, but he was in so much pain that we had to do it. Praising God for the wonderful 8 years that we had with this sweet dog...

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First Words Isaac...

What a goof. Today, among his first words were:

Isaac: Mommy---Alerica is not for everyone! (pronounced a-lyric-a---don't really know how it is spelled.
Me: hmmm...(Still asleep and trying to figure out what Alerica was)
Isaac: It is for illness...but not all of them.
Me: Good Thinking Isaac.
Isaac: I didn't think that. The tv said it. ( And with that, he ran off.)

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St Patty's Day

St Patty's Day is a fun day in the Shaw house. We celebrate Ireland every March. It is also a great day to teach about the men and women who lived before us, and preached about God. PLUS---> is just a fun way to break up the blahs of a non-holiday month. lol.

A really cool thing about Brian being off from work, is that he helps with homeschooling. He helped the kids make their own paper for their Leprechaun hats.

And HE even took this picture!!!!

Since Brian went to school on St Patty's day, we went with him. Last minute whim, we decided to go downtown. It was BUZZING and filled with excitement. She was my Indy.

There were protesters! Funny, they were holding signs that said, "We want Good News!"

And Magician type men. He was all tied up. Starting to get free.

And now...Free.

There stands Miss Indiana---both of them. Did you know that Miss Indiana's real name is Victory. She looks to the south to look over the fallen battlefields.

Ooops.

Christ Church Cathedral.

And...our ever favorite self portrait...always have to have one of those!

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The 2009 Song...

So, I am a weird person. Everyone has always know that about me. No big surprise. I name shoes, vehicles, and purses. I attach something tangible to every emotion in my life. Or...I attach something emotional to every something tangible (all in the way you view it, eh?) Another quirky "fact" about me...I have a theme song for every year. I don't go looking for them, they just seem to find me.

The Year 2000 was "This Kiss" (the year Bri and I got married) or...if I was with Sara, it would have been "Cause Earl Had to Die" lol.
The Year 2005 was "Held" (the year that we had Isaac, but it was the year that followed 2003 & 2004---which were riddled with miscarriages. In this year, I learned of God's amazing power to Hold me.)
The Year 2007 and start of 2008 was "You Had a Bad Day" (It was an amazingly hard year. And for some reason, this secular song made me smile. Weird)
The Year 2008 was "Bring the Rain" (I am still in awe of how God used this song in my life. I love rain...And these words watered my soul. And reminded me to GROW!!!!)

And...The song for 2009 has been put in place in my heart. It is "I Will Lift My Eyes".

Story behind it...On Sunday, I was struggling emotionally (Again...I know, when am I ever going to get a grip on these emotions?? ) I was singing in worship service, and was sick over the thought of leaving Faith (again.). Most of you probably think this is ridiculous. I mean...it's JUST a church! lol. I can find a church in every city of the grand USA! Right??? But, for Brian and I, this church has been our little oasis. A greenhouse so to say. Yes...that is the right word. A Greenhouse. We have grown in so many ways over this past year, and we kinda like it. And we kinda don't want to leave it. And we kinda are going to haveta. And I just realized that my spell checker is not on...when it didn't pick up haveta. lol... (sorry... ADD mind there)

So, here we are...in worship service. Both of us a little emotional. And I found myself listening to the first little notes of "I Will Lift My Eyes". The words came up on the screen. And that beautiful WAVE crashed into my soul. The words "I will lift my eyes, to the Calmer, of the oceans raging wild." It echoed...over and over again. Fix my eyes on the Calmer. HE is the one that is creating these waves in me. He will calm them...as only He can. He is the one that has designed the next mountain for me to climb...and He will hold my hand as I climb it.

This little plant grew some in 2008. And is ready for the Maker to take her hand, and walk me up the mountain. And guess what will be at the top??? A beautiful sight...and possibly some sweet rain???

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With a Sweet Sigh...

My heart sighed quite sweetly tonight, as I shared a darling night with my hubby and my 2 littles.

First, Brian and I watched a movie together...and it was fun.

Second, Abbie, Isaac, and I all watched "The Duggars" for the remaining of the evening. I adore the fact that my kids can relate to such cleanliness, and do not think it strange. I loved watching the look on Abs face when they were talking about having a Christian Marriage. And I loved how she watched intensely as Josh and Anna had their first kiss. And how she turned to me and said, "Mom, I am going to marry a good man like him. I will marry a Christian...a good one." lol. And how Isaac got a little nervous at the thought of moving away from home. He said, "Mom, I will always love you forever even if you or me go far away." These are testaments to parenthood. My children love their life, but yet they desire that which is the good thing in the future. I am sitting here with the feeling of goodness, contentment, and peace. No matter what happens, my children love their God and their mommy. That is what a sweet sigh is all about!

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Yummy Good Meal...

So, we had this really really yummy meal today. And...you wanna know the "bottom line price"? It was .09 ...yes you read that right...an awesome meal for FREE!

Here it is:

Take 1 lb of Boneless Turkey Tenderloins and braise them in some Evoo in a skillet. 4 minutes on either side.

Mix 1 can of cream of mushroom, 1/2 ts of Thyme, 1/2 c of shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup of onion in a bowl.

Prepare Stove top stuffing according to box directions.

Put Turkey in a glass baking dish, top with your yummy mix, then top with stuffing.

Bake for 25 min at 350!

So...here is how I got it FREE:

Turkey Breast: Sale- 5.26 Used 5.00 coupon .26
Cheese: Sale-1.66 Used 2.00 coupon Free-no overage
Mush soup: Sale- .50 No coupon .50
Onion: Sale- .75 Used 1.00 coupon Free
Stove Top: Sale 10/10 11th free Used 1.00 coupon Was Paid .10 per box
Green Beans: " " " Used 1.00 coupon Was Paid .10 per bag
Juice: Sale 1.44 Used 2.00 coupon Was Paid .56 overage

That is pure SWEETNESS!!!!! And try the recipe...it really was good!

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What my kids think of me...

Ok...I "borrowed" this from my friend Kelly, who "borrowed" it from Kate! lol. Thanks Kelly and Kate for a fun way to archive thoughts!!!

1. What is something mom always says to you?
A: PLEASE do your homework.
I: Go to your room

2. What makes mom happy?
A: When Daddy gets you flowers and helps you make dinner
I: When I pick up the trash

3. What makes mom sad?
A: When we break your Christmas ornaments
I: When the kittens ears fell off
(Yes...the cat we adopted had frostbite, and part of it's ears fell off!!!! YUCK!)


4. How does your mom make you laugh?
A: When you say weird things to me
I: By tickling me

5. What was your mom like as a child?
A: You were called Annie Banannie
I: You looked like you do now, but you weren't big.


6. How old is your mom?
A: 30
I: 40

7. How tall is your mom?
A: 133 ft
I: Tall enough to touch the ceiling. (I am 5'2")

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
A: Playing in bed in the morning with me
I: Work on the Computer


9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
A: Go to retreats (ummmm...I have been to like 2!)
I: I don't know cause I'm not here.

10.If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
A: For Doing Coupons because you go to coupon shows. ????
I: For Cooking

11. What is your mom really good at?
A: Do the computer work
I: Doing the computer... maybe I spend too much time on the computer?

12. What is your mom not good at?
A: Not doing her work
I: I don't know. Your good at everything.

13. What does your mom do for a job?
A: Take care of us
I: Clean our clothes and do school

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
A: Rolls
I: Broccoli

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
A: Because she is nicer than Daddy
I: Because you do nice things for me

16. If your mom were a Super Hero, who would she be?
A: Superwoman
I: Supermom

17. What do you and your mom do together?
A: I go shopping with her
I: Go to the park

18. How are you and your mom the same?
A: We both have brown hair
I: Cause you have short hair and I have short hair...you have the same hair.

19. How are you and your mom different?
A: You have glasses and I don't
I: Your nose is bigger than mine ..... lovely

20. What does your mom like most about your dad?
A: He married you
I: You get to do work for him everyday

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
A: Disney World
I: Olive Garden

How funny...It is lovely to see what your kids think of you. And it really made Brian laugh! :P

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ISTEP

Indiana
Statewide
Testing for
Educational
Progress

Every wonder how you would fair at the ISTEP test, at your current age? Lol. I think of silly things like this all the time. Would I be in the 50% or like 25%? Would I even be able to sit still while I finished the crazy thing?

I have been praying for all those teachers that are administering the ISTEP for the second time in one school year. Testing can be a frustrating time. VERY trying. And as uncomfortable as it is to the test administrator, I think it even more uncomfortable for the testee.

So, why do we do it? To see where we need to improve. Plain and simple. I don't know about you, but I don't want to stay in the same place mentally...the rest of my life! How boring and childlike that thinking is!

Why am I talking about testing and Istep...and all of this mumbojumbo? Because, Brian and I are going through our own ISTEP. Brian just found out on Monday that he has been laid off. Yup...we are unemployed. Weird to actually write it out. BUT, we felt it coming. Remember the post a couple of weeks ago about the rain? About how we are in the March of our lives? About how God will use this to bring us to a beautiful summer? God provided grace and mercy for us to know that something was a stirring, so we were not entirely surprised.

Will you join us in praying that this rain shower is short lived, and that Brian will have a new job soon? Can't wait to see the rainbow at the end of this storm...but while I am in it, I will yet praise Him!

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Awesomeness....

I really like that word. And of course, every word is better with a ness on the end of it!

Check out Isaac's new look for the Spring.

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Tip of the Day...

Did you know that you can go to the KROGER WEBSITE and find the Indy/Lafayette ad early, by typing in This Zipcode: 49091 ????

Now you do!

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Wisdom....

A wise woman would not have so much pride, that she can not admit when someone else does it better than her!

There are 2 great websites/blogs that do Monday Matchups for our area. One of them was mentioned by my friend Jamie... So, I am going to give up Monday Matchups for a few weeks, and start writing more about some other deals that I am doing and such. Try these girls for some diversity. And let me know if you have some others that you like!

Cincinnati Cents

Bargain Briana

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Bring It On...

Sadness: the emotion I discovered that was in my heart about 20 minutes into our Sunday School lesson.

Peace: the emotion I discovered that was in my heart about 20 minutes into worship service.

Explanation: Today, Pastor Doug---our Pastor Doug---informed us in Sunday School that he would be resigning from his position in July. He is moving on to be a Senior Pastor, and while I am excited for him, I am so sad for us. I have come to really respect and honor this man. He has become a shepherd to us, a man that I can trust. Brian and I both truly love him. He has assisted us in a transition time in our life. We will be forever grateful to him. So, this news really hit us. Saddened us. And made me realize that my time at my beloved church, was probably short lived as well. I will be saying good bye at some time in the future as well. It took my breath away to think of that day. The thought of change made me anxious and cry like a ninny, which is a sin...and I repented.

So...repented... I was sitting in worship service, trying to gather myself. And just like one of those screens that flash messages across them...The words flew on, "Bring me anything that brings You glory. Jesus bring the rain." And like that, my heart was flooded. With Peace. As long as I veiw my next journey as a walk in His refreshing rain, I can walk in Peace. I long to please God...to bring Him glory, and while the next step in life may not be easy, it will be His step. And thus it will be beautiful.

As for Pastor Doug, he too is stepping into a beautiful path. As he put it, he is in the "July" of life. He is in the excellent summer, and we are happy for him. And while I so desperatly want to be out of this "March" (you know, the month that it is not really winter, not really spring...just kinda "What is it going to be like today" month), I so love being here too. After all... March, April, and May are our rain months. They produce growth. So....here is to growth. And to a great teacher.

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