Because I don't work

I'll Miss You Next Year....

2012-01-07T09:54:00.000-06:00

Our kids write a letter to Santa every year to leave with the milk and cookies. Sometimes they write a corporate letter-some years they write individual little notes. Santa always writes back, thanking them for the treats and for being SOOOO good this year. :) (Santa is never very good at disguising his handwriting, so they usually know it was Daddy!)

Another tradition our family does on Christmas is the kids always sleep together on Christmas Eve. My brothers and I used to do this, and we've continued the tradition in our own family. They decide whose room they will sleep in, then proceed to bring every pillow, blanket and stuffed animal they own into that room. We sometimes track Santa and we always read a book called "Alabaster's Song" (a cute book about a little boy who can't sleep so he talks to the angel on top of the tree. ) Once the kids have written their note to Santa, put out milk and cookies and read the book, they settle in to sleep. That's when Santa's job begins....

Mike and I, before we "play Santa" usually end up dozing off, only to wake up panicked at around 2 am. So then Mike has to choke down the cookies and milk (although I admit there's been times he's just poured it down the sink...even Santa has his limits.) We get all the presents organized and then we read the letter and get ready to respond. This year, the kids wrote individual notes. Landon asked about the reindeer, thanked Santa for the presents and wished him a nice trip. Jenna wished Santa a safe trip and said hello to Mrs. Claus, along with saying Thank You. Kayla said "Merry Christmas Santa, I'll miss you next year. Love you."
That's when Santa's jolly laughter turned to sobs.

Kayla's getting married this year. This was our "last" Christmas, just the 5 of us. Don't get us wrong, we are so excited for her and we couldn't be prouder to have Miles as a son-in-law. Mike and I look back on our first Christmas as a married couple and how special that was; and we wish that and more for them. But thinking of this being our "last" Christmas really got to both of us. This has been our normal for 22 years. All of our children together, snuggled in, waiting for Santa. So although it was late (early?) we snuck into the kids room and just watched them sleep. We savored it for one last time. We'll miss you next year, too....

Let Me Rediscover You

2011-10-08T21:44:00.000-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O0BfTOkGK8&feature=related

I have played this song so many times over the last few days. It just really struck a chord with me. I feel like I know God, but then I realize what I know is so small. I love the scenes in the background of the girl who gives her heart to God, leaves Him for a while, then returns to Him. Beautiful message of a forgiving God who wants us back, no matter what.

We are blessed....right?

2011-09-19T10:31:00.001-05:00

Mike and his 11 "brothers" just returned from a mission trip to Haiti. I was excited, nervous, worried for them. And a little jealous. It was an amazing opportunity and I thought I would feel "left out" and struggle to "get it" when they shared all they saw, heard and felt during the week. I have to say, for me, that hasn't been the case. The excitement, love and respect they felt for the Haitian people has been contagious. The men shared pictures, videos and stories from their trip and it's starting to look familiar. I picked up a passport application last night at a concert, and I'm hoping to get it so I'll be ready to go if God would give me the opportunity.

The resounding theme as the men shared was "as Americans, we have been blessed." I totally agree, the freedoms we have in our country are second to none. I am thankful that I was born in America. But, as I got a glimpse of the Haitian Christians and their worship, my heart was overwhelmed. They worship with abandon, no inhibitions, fully relying on God. They have nothing and yet they are thankful. They rely on God for everything! I'd like to think that I do, too; but surrounded with my stuff like I am, I don't know that I've ever had to FULLY rely on God. It's almost like, in the back of my mind, I'm thinking "If God doesn't come through on this, I'll take care of it myself."

So my thought is... are we blessed? Do we measure our blessings by what we have? Or should we measure them by how much we rely on God? Because I was born in America, surrounded by all the material goods I could ever really need, am I more blessed than my Haitian brothers and sisters? Or do they understand a characteristic about God that I may only ever read about? Jehovah-Jireh--God who provides.

Don't get me wrong--I am thankful for my "stuff". It is not wrong to be wealthy (which I would not consider myself by American standards, but by Haitian standards..) I believe I can STILL worship God and be thankful to Him for everything I have. But I'm saying I think it's harder to see that it's God who provides my every need when I'm pretty darn good at taking care of myself .

One of my LEAST favorite lines from any song is "Tonight, thank God it's them, instead of you". ("Do They Know It's Christmas?" Band-Aid) I wish, for just one day,I could trade places with my Haitian Christian sisters and brothers .That I could give up my things and see God through the eyes of Christians around the world who have not been born with my blessings. To completely trust God for everything. To worship Him with no inhibitions. To be able to raise my hands to Him, not worrying or caring what others think about me; only seeking to honor Him.

Disclaimer: I am only talking about "material" possessions. The Haitian people face danger every day. From the impurity of their water to violence in the streets. I would not want to trade a day of that, as unfair and double-standard as that may seem. But I am committed to praying for them, I hope you will, too

Mike's Trip to Haiti--September 2011

2011-09-16T13:49:00.001-05:00

Carried Away

2011-06-08T13:17:00.001-05:00

I have started a tradition. When we have an important trip or event, I buy a new scent. Usually from Bath and Body Works. I can't smell "Moonlight Path" without immediately remembering our trip to Panama City Beach for our 20th anniversary. "Sun-Riped Raspberry" reminds me of church camp. One whiff of "Lavender Vanilla" takes me back to the special days before and after Landon's birth. My scent for our recent trip to Florida was "Carried Away", a "whimsical blend of lush raspberries, white jasmine and whipped vanilla inspired by the way love sweeps you off your feet." Smells beachy and soft. Turns out the name was an omen for our trip...

The first full day at the beach is always so exciting. We packed all our stuff and trekked down to the beach. We had two chairs as part of our rental, so that was home for us for the week. We played and built sandcastles. We relished the way the waves hit you and then the sand shifts beneath your feet. Although I'm not a big fan of getting in the ocean, I usually do to be with the others. We went out several times and rode the waves back in on boogie boards. It was wonderful!!! After lunch, Landon and I went out a very short distance and just enjoyed the waves. It was so fun to have him to myself and hear his thoughts on all he was experiencing. After about 10 minutes, I noticed the current had taken us farther out, not too far but farther than I intended to go. I tried to put my feet down and realized I couldn't touch, especially with the almost constant waves lifting me. I admit, I PANICKED!!! I tried and tried to remember all I'd JUST read about how to get out of a strong undertow...the only thing I could remember was DON'T PANIC...I was getting tired so I tried floating on my back, but the waves kept coming. I looked out and saw the girls were on their way out to us, and said "Girls! Get Dad!" Jenna took Landon and was able to get back. Mike came out and got me and Kayla. It probably wasn't as bad as it felt, but being CARRIED AWAY is not nearly as relaxing as it sounds.

Landon was more than a little upset about "The Incident" as we took to calling it, so he was content to play in the waves very close to shore. He talked to me quite a bit about it, and most times would tear up again. We had a great time in spite of the dramatic rescue of the first day. But I, being the "deep thinker" that I am (:)), have thought about this nearly tragic event alot. When Jenna got to the shore with Landon, she was met with two different responses. One lady asked her "Do I need to call for help? The undercurrent is strong and this happened earlier." The other response was laughter. A group laughing at our struggles. I was mad!! But then, later, I asked Mike "Is that us? Is that how we react to those around us who are struggling?" It's EASIER not to get involved, it's EASIER to say it's someone else's problem. As Christians, (and I am speaking for myself as much or more than others) we are called to help RESCUE people. To lead them to safety. But I find myself ridiculing people for their struggles, judging them, making up a million excuses of why it's Their Own Fault. My experience was My Own Fault. I didn't pay attention to my surroundings, I didn't take the advice of others, I trusted my own judgement. That didn't change the fact that I needed to be Rescued. As much as I HATE that this happened and put a cloud over our otherwise perfect vacation, I am sure God intends to use it in my life for the rest of my life. I pray that I, when I see someone unaware that they've drifted too far, will say "Can I help you? You've wondered off course." Or if I see someone flailing and shouting and screaming for help, I won't turn and say, "Is anybody going to get her? Not my problem." I pray that I have the courage to stand with someone for strength and drag them back in, if necessary. 2 Peter 3:17-18 tells us "Dear friends, be on your guard so that you may not be CARRIED AWAY by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen."

The Writing's on The Wall

2010-04-21T10:08:00.000-05:00

My husband, Mike, is quite the handyman. I did not know this when I married him; it's just one more thing he does and does very well. We bought our house in 1993 and it was a DUMP!! We have completely remodeled it. Everything we changed, with the exception of finishing the dry wall and laying carpet, Mike did himself. Our house is really nice (if I do say so myself) and everywhere I look, there is evidence of what a great handyman/carpenter/all-around-do-it-yourself guy I married. But, as much as I love finishing a project, the project itself is not my favorite part. My favorite part is what happens after the project is completed. Mike takes his paint brush and writes me love notes--on the wall leading to the basement and on the garage wall. He doesn't have to--I know he loves me. But he does and it's so sweet. It's a great reminder when I'm going downstairs to do laundry or jumping in the van to run an errand--my husband loves me. He took extra time to make sure I know.

God is quite the handyman as well. He gives us air to breathe, food to eat and clothes to wear.
That would be quite enough. But not for God. He goes the extra mile and writes his love everywhere we can see it. "The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge."
Everything is so beautiful and new this time of year; I have really appreciated the beautiful colors this spring more than any other. God could have made everything gray; we wouldn't have known the difference. But He made all the colors of the world so vibrant and pleasing. He did it because He loves us. In case we forget, all we have to do is look around. What a great reminder when we are heading to work, to run errands or to just sit and relax--God loves us. He has written a reminder of His love everywhere! But my favorite thing that God has ever written was not a reminder for us, but a reminder to Himself---"I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands!"

God's Name in Cursive

2010-03-01T08:59:00.000-06:00

When Kayla and Jenna were little, we had a little sign on the refrigerator of the Ten Commandments. We discussed them occasionally, and they learned them in Sunday school. The 3rd commandment is "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain." I told the girls that meant not to say "oh my God" in anger or excitement , because that was not the proper use for His Name. Kayla came home from school one day (she was probably kindergarten or first grade), and said "Mom I'm not going to be friends with so-and-so anymore." I said "Why not?" And she said, "Because she said God's name in cursive!" We still tease her about that to this day; it was the cutest thing!

I have since thought about this phrase quite a bit--taking "God's Name in vain". And while I still believe that we should NOT say "oh my God" in anger, I also believe there is a much deeper meaning. I am in NO WAY a theologian, so I'm sure there's some out there that could correct me; who would be able to say 'Well, actually, in the original text, this word meant this, not this.' I completely understand that I could be off-base, but at the same time, God has used this verse to change my way of thinking in many areas, so how could that be a bad thing?!?!? :)

When Mike and I got married, several things changed in my life. I moved to a new home, (trailer-but it was our little love nest); I had a new family; I had a new ring to put beside my engagement ring; and most noticeably, I had a new name. I was no longer Alicia Wilks, I was now known as Alicia Millikin. I have to admit, I didn't think about it much at the time, other than to change it on some documents. And of course, I practiced writing it millions of times, while dreaming of marrying my own prince charming!! But what an amazing, humbling gift to receive from someone--the honor of carrying their name. Mike trusted me that day, and everyday since, to carry his name like I mean it. If I had taken his name with absolutely no intention of living like a married woman, with no intention of giving up my single life, then I had wasted my time and his. I would have taken his name in vain.

When I was 16, I accepted an offer from God. To believe in his Son, to enter into a relationship with Him. To be adopted by Him and receive His Name. I now went by the title "Christian", like Christ. God shared His Name with me. If I had taken His Name that day, but had no intention of turning from my former life, had continued living in a life to please myself and not Him, then it would have been in vain. God is very protective of His Name; the Bible lists several passages where God does great works to uphold His Name. For His Name's sake. That He would share His Name with us is an unspeakable honor.

I hope over the last (almost) 22 years, I haven't given Mike or the Millikin family reason to regret that I share their name. I pray that, although I have followed my own paths and will many times over the last 24 years, that I have not brought dishonor to God's Name; that I have not taken his name in vain. "He guides me in paths of righteousness for HIS Name's sake". Psalm 23:3

Landon Goes to The Hospital!

2009-08-21T09:52:00.006-05:00

Landon has had tonsillitis three times this year! He often told me that his throat felt like a "piece of garbage"! After three confirmed cases, a dr. will normally refer you to an ENT, which is what happened to us in July! Our first visit with Dr. Dejti was July 22nd. Dr. Dejti was very good with Landon, very funny and comforting concerning the procedure. He scheduled the tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for August 5th. The dr. asked if Landon snores and I said "no he never does." And Landon said, "yeah mom remember that time you recorded me snoring and I sounded like this {loud snore noise inserted here!}" He is so funny!

About a week before the surgery, Landon started running a fever and had a sore throat! Another case of tonsillitis! He had to start on an antibiotic so he could even HAVE the surgery on schedule! This particular antibiotic he had never been on, and of course, he got the diarrhea side effect! Poor guy!!

On August 5th, we reported to Marshall Browning a little before 7am. We bought Landon a Lego Batman shirt especially for this "occasion" and his excitement to wear it made the morning a little better! He was so brave: he hopped right up in the hospital bed and listened to all the nurse and anesthesiologist had to say. The nurse gave him his gown and we went to the bathroom to put it on. Only then did he admit to being scared. When he put his arms in the gown, he said "I think I'm a little too scared for this." That, of course, broke my heart, but I kept my "brave mom" face on. (Which was good practice for taking Kayla to SEMO a couple of weeks later!)
.
We got to sit with him for a little while and watch tv. (His room had an awesome tv that swiveled any way he needed it to be comfortable and he could put it as close to his face as he wanted!!) When the nurse came and said it was time for him to go, we kissed him goodbye and they wheeled him away. It was the saddest thing!

About an hour and a half later, the nurse (Kathy) came to the w aiting room and said he was all done! She said he did very well, but he had vomited once, which is normal. The sweet, happy little boy who was wheeled away was replaced by a sad, sleepy little boy who felt horrible! But he was still watching his TV :) and drinking ice water! I didn't feel very well watching him be so sick, and when the dr. came to talk to me, I said "I'm not feeling so good." He called for the nurse to bring him a bed because he had a mom passing out! Oh my gosh, I was so embarrassed!! I could feel myself passing out, although I never did. No, I was awake enough to be humiliated! The nurse and dr. who were SUPPOSED to be taking care of Landon were now standing beside MY bed, taking my pulse and bringing me juice and toast. Oh Lord, just let me disappear!! So after a reasonable "rest" I hopped back up and resumed caring for the REAL patient! (By the way, I attribute my fainting spell to exhaustion and worry, I am not usually that weak!!)

Over the next several hours, Landon continued to vomit on a regular basis. The nurses had provided him with a liquid diet of jello, soda, juice and popsicles; but, he just couldn't keep anything down. They gave him a suppository for nausea two different times, but they didn't really help. He was moved back to just ice chips so he could rest his stomach. At one point, while vomiting, he looked over at Mike and I and said "Why are you both wearing stripes?" I told you, he is the funniest little boy!!! (We were both wearing striped polos, but it wasn't planned!!) One cute thing that happened--the anesthesiologist (who I thought was the janitor when we walked in!! OOPS!) was a very nice "grandpa" type! When Landon woke up from surgery, he had a dollar bill taped to his foot! Such a cute idea and gave the patient something to be excited about!!!
He had a pretty slow recovery, I believe mostly due to the diarrhea that he had before the surgery combined with the vomiting (he vomited approximately 15 times that day, and again 2 or 3 times the next day). I am glad someone told me beforehand what his throat would look like for several days, or there may have been a repeat of my fainting!! It is extremely gross!! He was put on extremely soft foods for at least a week. Landon has NEVER liked ice cream, so we grew pretty weary of the well-meaning people congratulating him on a week full of ice cream!! I got tired of telling them he doesn't like ice cream, milkshakes, popsicles...so I started just nodding and smiling!! The first thing he asked for was a bologna sandwich!! And he couldn't wait to eat chicken mcnuggets!! He tried to eat a cheeseburger at one week post-op (recommended by the dr.) but he just couldn't do it!!

It has been a little over two weeks since his surgery and he is back to his normal self!! He is eating everything in sight, I'm sure catching up for those weeks he couldn't!! (I also am eating everything in sight...not sure why...moral support maybe?!?!) I am so proud of him, he was an excellent patient! Now hopefully he will never suffer with sore throats again (and would it be too much to hope that this will clear up his ear problem too?)

Send To Phone

Prom, Agape and Running!!!

2009-05-04T08:44:00.005-05:00

It's been a while since I've posted, but this weekend is definitely worth mentioning! It was filled with lots of fun, tears and good memories!

Friday--Prom! Kayla and Miles were crowned king and queen of their high school prom last May. It was time to end their reign and crown the new king and queen. The day was spent trying to get ready in between feedings and naps (I had to babysit from 7:30am to 6:00pm--not a good day to have to work overtime but that's another story....) Kayla looked beautiful and Miles looked handsome! They held hands as they walked in to be introduced and they seemed so grown-up and carefree. I was so very proud of them, they are EXCEPTIONALLY good young adults!!

Saturday morning--I ran in my first ever 5K. This was a goal I set for myself in February. I have been walking and running mostly to lose weight, but I needed a little extra motivation. A 5K was advertised in our area that was sponsored by a church and was for a good cause, so I signed up. (Extra early so I wouldn't try to talk myself out of it!!) I had timed myself running twice (which is exactly how many times I ran the 3.1 miles before the race!!) The first time it took me 40 minutes and the second time, my time was around 38 minutes. Not that great, but I was happy with it!! The day of the race I was a bundle of nerves!! I hadn't felt good for about two days before, so I was not very optimistic on the outcome. My cousin Tara was part of the organizational committe and by far my biggest fan. She gave me lots of encouragement before and after the race. She kept saying "I know you'll win!"Hee Hee, I KNEW I wouldn't win, but the only goal I set for myself was to finish it! So when they said "Go!" (or whatever they said, I was too nervous!) I went with everyone else. It didn't take long to figure out that I needed to set my own pace or pass out on the side of the road. I got shaky, dizzy and felt like I was going to throw up! I thought to myself, "Just keep running on out that front gate. You can call someone later and come pick up the van. No one will ever know!!" So I stopped to walk to get myself calmed down. I walked for about 30-45 seconds which was just enough time to gather myself together. I finished the race with a respectable time of 34:44. The time wasn't so important (although I was personally THRILLED with my time), but that I'd finished it! A good friend of mine from high school, David, came and ran the last little bit with me. I know they probably do that for all the first-timers, but it meant alot to me!! Looking back, it was more fun than I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be pure torture, but once I set my pace, I just enjoyed the scenery! I am sure most runners would faint dead away at the thought of not sprinting or measuring each mile, but I seriously just enjoyed myself!!

I was going to write about Agape too, but I think I'll save that for another post!! Have a great Memorial Day weekend!!

An old blog but one I wanted to add...

2009-02-28T18:53:00.001-06:00

Landon turned 4 yesterday, January 8th! I can hardly believe it!! He is so sweet and smart and sometimes rotten! He has a great imagination and a great (sometimes too good) memory!! He loves cars and tractors, right now his obsession is Herbie the Love Bug!! We got a Wii for Christmas and he loves his Hot Wheels game and his Mater National game!! I thought I would take a minute and put down the wonderful story of Landon!!!
Mike and I had been married 5 years when we had our last daughter, Jenna. Kayla was 2 1/2 when Jenna was born and we were convinced we were done. We had "permanent sterilization" and our family was complete! We didn't spend any time regretting our decision; we were just busy raising the two beautiful daughters God had entrusted to us!
Fast forward about 9 1/2 years and one day I said to Mike, "We should've had another one!" I felt perfectly safe saying that because it was not possible!! He SHOCKED me by saying "Yeah we should have. I wish we would have." I was shocked because I always teased him by saying I had to talk him into having a second child! We didn't really discuss it any more at that time but the idea had taken root! We talked about adoption, but its so expensive and with two growing daughters, we just couldn't swing it. We started discussing the possibility of a sterilization reversal.
I called a dr. in St. Louis who does that type of surgery and it was 10,000 dollars!!! Ok so we definitely took that as a NO! But thanks to the internet I found a dr. in the Chicago area who does the surgery as a ministry an it was only 1700!! Quite a big difference, but still alot of money, as anyone raising a family knows!!! (And we were kinda wanting a pool....)
The VERY NEXT DAY, Mike called from work and said "you are not going to believe this, but we were just told we could opt out of a small retirement plan that we'd tried out and I have (drum roll) 1700 dollars in my account!!!" We had our YES!!
We called and made the appt., the surgery was performed Dec. 12 and we started the roller coaster ride!!!
In March, our church hosted a Red Cross blood drive. I was talking the nurse and telling her that although I didn't think I was pregnant, we had been trying and would that be a problem for me giving blood? We got to talking and I told her a little of our story. She said "Oh, my daughter and her husband had that surgery and she is now 6 months pregnant!" I didn't know that nurse or her daughter, but that gave me hope!! There were many times over the next couple of months that I remembered that story when I was down!!
The beginning of May we took our youth group to a weekend-long concert. On the way home, we passed a sign that said "It's a Boy! Landon Michael!"
I called Mike ( we were traveling together, just in separate cars) and said "Do you think that was a sign from God that I'm pregnant, we're going to have a boy and name him Landon Michael?" (A name we had ALREADY picked out if God should bless us with a son!!)
Turns out I WAS pregnant as I found out a few days later in the bathroom of Taco Bell in Sparta!! I bought a cheap pregnancy test (and when I say cheap, think plastic dish, rubber glove and test stick!!) It was POSITIVE!! I went and got in line to order and I was BAWLING!! The people were probably thinking give this crazy lady whatever she wants!!!
We found out on August 27, 2003 (our 15th anniversary!!!)that we were having a boy! The pregnancy was pretty uneventful I LOVED being pregnant! I never thought I would have another child so I TREASURED every minute (ok well the peeing my pants part I could've skipped...)
January 8th, 2004 I went into labor around 1 am. Turns out it was EARLY labor so that made for a long day! Over the course of the day, I got to know my nurse, Ellen. We started comparing notes ( we were the same age, both Christians, both had 3 kids-two girls one boy!) So I told her about our reversal surgery and she said "Oh my gosh! My husband and I did that too and our youngest daughter is 6 months old now!!!" I said "You just never know who God will put in your path to give you hope!" and I told her about the nurse from the Red Cross blood drive and how that kept my spirits up through the months of trying to have a baby. Ellen said "You are kidding! My mom is a nurse with the Red Cross! " So she ran out to the hall and called her mom and said "Do you remember talking to a girl in Pinckneyville who was trying to have a baby? Well she's in here now!!!!" It was just so amazing! I know people will say "Wow, small world" but I know it's more than that! God had his hand in it all!!!
So I know that was really long, but I love to tell our story because it reminds me of just how GOOD God is! I love Landon so much, we all do! And I want him to have the desires of his heart (as you would know if you could see the pile of birthday presents he got!!) So how much more God, who is our heavenly Father, wishes to give us above and beyond what we could think or imagine!?!?! Landon is a blessing to us and worth every penny we spent on the roller coaster ride to have him!! And guess what? We also got our pool....

Jenna Waye? No Jenna WAYE!!!

2009-02-28T17:42:00.008-06:00

My baby girl turned 16 last week! It's so hard to believe! It seems like she was just that little girl who used to say her name was Jenna Waye. We would ask"Jenna Waye?" and she would say "No! Jenna WAYE"!! It's actually Jenna Raye but she thought she was saying it right! She got her license a week ago and she's doing great. It was so sad that first day to see her drive off. It really is the beginning of when they don't need you anymore. Oh, I know, children always need their mother. And I am not putting myself out of a job just yet! But definitely after a child gets her license, she has more freedom and more ability to care for herself than ever before. Jenna no longer counts on me to be her chauffeur, and that is sad, because that's one of the titles I have held for, well, for all of her life. So a little bit about Jenna. She is a cutie as you can see from the pictures. She has beautiful red hair, but she doesn't really have the complexion of a red haired person. She has a beautiful smile and when she laughs, tears run down her face because she really means it. But she's not all beauty and no brains. She is also very smart. Jenna always said she's not a reader. And yet, she has one of the highest grades in Accelerated Reading in all of PCHS. She also said she's not very smart. And yet, Jenna is number 8 out of 124 students in her grade. Jenna was also nominated to be on the WYSE team (Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering). Last week, Jenna was told by her math teacher that she recommends she takes College Level Math next year, one of only 3 in her class that received that recommendation. Pretty good huh? I though I would take this opportunity to brag Jenna up a little. Hope you don't mind. Her 16th birthday only comes once in her life and it's a little hard on this momma. Mike and I are extremely proud of her and we love her so much. Kayla and Landon do too!

Send To Phone

Kayla Dawn

2008-12-11T08:22:00.004-06:00

Kayla is finishing her first semester of college today. How is that even possible? I feel like she should still be a pre-schooler! She had a full load this semester and I know she is ready for Christmas break. Kayla received the high achiever scholarship so she is going to Rend Lake for FREE!! Even books are paid for. She will graduate with her Associate's on May 15, 2009. Mike and I are so proud of her!!

She also works about 24 hours a week at the Dairy Queen. That's good for her but bad for us because we always think we have to eat there so we can see her!!!

She bought a car this summer and it is so cute! It's not new but it's very nice. Unfortunately it died on her about a month ago! All it needed was a tune-up but it cost 544.00 :( Mike and I said we would help her pay for it, as in pay for most of it, but she said No it was her car and her responsibility. So she paid for well over half of the bill! It is a bittersweet moment when you see your child making adult decisions. When they are small, you think "I can't wait until they are old enough to do for themselves." Then they CAN and it's hard because you get this sense that they don't really "need" you as much as they used to. It was hard for me not to step in and say "No kayla you are just a baby and you can't possibly pay for this mean old broken car out of your own cute little money." (you really have to imagine me saying that in baby talk to get the full effect). Kayla went to the bank and she told my mom (who is a bank teller) that after depositing her paycheck, writing out her tithe check and paying her car payment, she had $30.00 left!! But she will make that stretch because luckily she inherited my frugal gene!! Did I mention we are proud of her!?!?!?

We shopped til we dropped

2008-12-11T08:00:00.004-06:00

Mike and i took our annual Christmas shopping trip yesterday. Overall, it was a very successful trip. We always have the best time and we laugh so much. I am thankful for Mike and the fact that we still have so much fun together after 21 years!! I was cracking up yesterday before we left because as I was making sure I had our Christmas cash and coupons, I was also making sure I had tums and Advil! We know we are getting older and can't make it shopping without being drugged!!

I had completed about 75% of our shopping online already (YAY for Amazon and their free shipping) so the list I had was very short and specific. I am always torn this time of year because we ALWAYS say we are going to cut back this year, but I LOVE to buy for family and friends. I simply CANNOT stop buying for the kids. And Mike is WORSE than I am. Our kids don't need anything at all, but I love to give to them and see the look on their faces when it's exactly what they wanted. And now we have Miles in the family and we feel the same way about him! My parents say every year not to get them anything, but I love to try to remember things they've said they wanted and surprise them with it. Mike's mom is a little harder to buy for and I really stress about it. So at the end of the day, I would say we are 95% finished with Christmas shopping. I still have to take Jenna to shop for her friends, so by Saturday, I will be done.

I would like to end with a verse that I thought of several times yesterday!!

Matthew 7:9-12 (New Living Translation)

9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

Fireproof

2008-11-17T08:24:00.000-06:00

Mike and I went to see the movie "Fireproof" on Friday night. It is trapping season, so anyone who knows Mike knows that he doesn't go anywhere during trapping season!!! But I told him I'd heard it was really good, and it was on the five buck club list!!! I fixed supper at home so I promised him it would be a cheap date. So we "hired" Jenna to babysit Landon (I don't know why I put hired in quotations, we DID pay her!!!) and we took off! I am one who simply CANNOT watch a movie at the theater without popcorn, so while I made a pitstop at the bathroom, Mike was in charge of getting a SMALL popcorn andSMALL soda for us to share!! When I came out of the bathroom I noticed Mike standing to the side of the concessions with no popcorn or soda. There was no line, so I couldn't figure out what he was waiting for. It didn't take me long to find out!! He fell for the "For only a quarter more, you can get the jumbo size everything!!" So we ended up with 14.50 worth of popcorn and soda!! So much for a cheap date!!

The movie was amazing! I hate to admit, but I am sometimes afraid to go see movies that are touted as being "Christian". I fear that they will come across as cheesy and simply unrealistic. I didn't feel this was true at all about this one!! I already was familiar with "Facing The Giants", a movie put out by the same church group. They do a wonderful job; God has really blessed them with a vision for reaching people! I cried like a baby (but to be truthful, I cried just as hard at the National Guard commercial before the movie...) But Fireproof really made me think about my marriage and the role I play in making it a happy one. I think we tend to blame our spouse when things aren't going well, without taking any responsibility of our own. This movie really deals with that subject. Mike and I have a very happy marriage, I am pleased to say, but no marriage, or any relationship for that matter, is without room for improvement. I came out of the theater with a real desire to be a better wife to Mike. To be the kind of wife that GOD wants me to be.

2008-11-12T09:36:00.000-06:00

I wanted to come up with a "couthy" title for my blog (couthy is Kayla's favorite "word")!! It seems like it fit since I'm a stay-at-h0me mom!!! I hope to update it at least once a week, because so many changes will be happening in my family in the next 6 months to a year. Kayla will go away to college after graduating from Rend Lake College in May; Jenna will get her driver's license in February; Landon will go to kindergarten next fall!! So I decided I want to have all of my emotions and concerns in writing for my own memories. Hope you enjoy hearing the roller-coaster of my life and I'm always open to helpful hints!!!

Alicia