My Heart Aches

About a month ago I shared about the death of a dear friend and what an impact their family has had on our family. Truly amazing people. I have always joked that I want to grow up to be like Sue Riddering and always secretly wondered if it was "too late" and I am not cool enough now to ever grow into something as beautiful as her. Sue took care of her husband through his 12 year battle with Lou Gehrigs disease. She raised four amazing children. Raised them to know and proclaim Christ. She homeschooled them, full-time mom, and was the most amazing, and an honest hostess through it all. She hosted an amazing funeral (sounds weird to say) and reception. She thanked us all for coming and helped us to mourn and laugh. she, her children, her grandchildren and her extended family all went to a cabin to celebrate the holidays together. They spent some great times of fellowship together. My dear friend went in one morning to wake her mom and she didnt wake.

She made sure that I had a baby shower for my fifth baby when two of her children were having their FIRST babies. She hosted the shower so she could attend while caring for her hsuband. I didnt need a shower. I hadnt expected a shower. I was a little uncomforatbel with the whole thing :) She fixed it all. She fixed so many hurts and social situations without ever raising her voice or pointing out that people were being dumb. She just somehow fixed it and made us all the better for it. She made me feel so loved and special and deserving.

I have been crying and crying. I feel like a child who loses their parent in the grocery store. You KNOW that feeling. Frantic. Cant go on or do anything without finding that parent first. I wasnt THAT close to Sue on a daily basis. How do I go to church without Sue? How do we go on? I feel so silly and so selfish when I think of her family and the HUGE loss they are feeling. Practically. Emotionally.

My one Comfort is the assurance of her salvation and that of her husband. They are together. With Christ. I also cry when I think of the grandchildren that were miscarried in this world and now celebrate with there. Together in Him.

Christmas Card Display?

Does anyone out there in the blogosphere have suggestions for how to display Christmas cards?

I bought a little black wire wreath to display them...we outgrew that. I have sticky tact them to our entry wall....Can't find the sticky tact.....

I have seen people display them on old shutters....don't have anywhere to put those though...

www.wearethatfamily.blogspot.com took it one step further and attached little cup hooks to her old shutters.....

I remember reading somewhere about someone punching holes in their cards and stringing them onto a pretty ribbon....I am liking that but cant find my ribbon or actually picture it.....

HELP???

I am soo excited

Well. Our van is inoperable. Will be a big expense. My husband is working on Christmas day. (I should have defrosted a turkey to cook for him on Christmas Eve) Christmas presents are not bought or wrapped (hard to do with no vehicle)......Am I busy working on these things? NO. Am I stressed out about them? NO. All I can think about is cloth diapers!! Timing is very off, I know...

Then, this morning I got a package from Miracle Diapers:




They are much nicer than I expected....very nice. I paid $25.00 shipping (that is to get them here and then back when I am done with this size, and that is for two children) The idea is just to get me started and then I slowly build up my stash.....

My little one is LOOOOVING his first Christmas tree :)

Christmas! Ready or not!

I don't know what is going on this year. It has to be me. *Normally* I get VERY into the season. Tree and decorations up day after Thanksgiving, cards out, Christmas music playing 24/7....lots of coffee in Christmas mugs. Christmas dishes, Chrismas sweaters, Christmas clothes for all. Snowmen EVERYWHERE.

This year....I didnt even unpack the Snowmen stuff. Tree was done last night-the 17th....

But we are catching up-WITH A VENGEANCE!!!

8 year old daughter was in a Christmas paegant.

That day we were given a tree!!! By the cleanest best decorated people we know. God is so good!! I coudln't figure out the money for a tree...then I priced artficial and couldn't figure out what was a good one and the idea of a used hagard dusty tree wasnt very festive. Our decorating budget was also $0.00. I tried to tell myself that a tree wasn't necessary. BUT it is this little guy's first Christmas!!!

Doesn't he DESERVE and just HAVE to have a wonderful wonderful tree?!







We have very little living space and it took a while to figure this out...it took a while to put the tree up and then move out furniture and move around furniture and clean some more and then all the older kids took a nap. I drank coffee.


Then I tried to put lights up. That was a joke. Somehow I have never put the lights on myself. go figure.

I read about making Christmas ornaments in the crockpot and got really excited. Our new tree is 7 1/2 feet--we arent really prepared for that much decoration. For days I tried to get those ornaments made. Somehow though time doesnt stop for Christmas. There are still meals to be shopped for planned, made, eated and clenaed up after. Feelings to storke and attitudes to discipline and laundry so so much laundry. Could not get to those ornaments. I yelled at everyone to get their chores done so we could make ornaments. My 10 year old son mumbled that he ddnt even want to make ornaments. Chores got done. He wandered away and 8 year old daughter and I came up with these.

I had a cherry Kool Aid packet left over from my great idea to make play dough for 2 year old son. Two year old son ate play dougha nd didn't play at all so I thought we could use the kool Aid to color these red. That is why they are pink :)



10 year old son got frustrated that I didnt decorate the tree properly and he fixed it. Seriuosly. I DIDNT do it right and he DID fix it. No argument here. I put the smaller tree in my dear daughter's room and got pink lights.


And we delivered cookies to our friends:




And a dear friend of ours was given a basket of food and gifts from her church. This church took it one step further and asked if she had someone she'd like to give a basket too. Being the great friend that she is she immediately wanted to bless us and did.

Fiesta Ware Giveaway

How cool would it be to win 4 place settings of Fiesta ware in my choice of colors!?!Merry Christmas to me!!!



I could. I really could.
You could too...go on over to http://ravingsofamadhousewife.blogspot.com/

And have a looksie :)

Mommy!!

My two year old wasnt talking a few months ago.

It is getting way too close to dinner time for me to be on the computer....He just came to me, hugged me and then pointing to the kitchen said, "Mommy, unch?" Now, I know it's not technically *lunch* time but he made his point :)

Two year olds and mushrooms

I was able to go to a lady's Bible Study today while my husband was home with my 10 year old and 2 year old sons.

Apparently we have mushrooms growing under a bush in our backyard. Our two year old picked one, tore off a piece and brought it to my husband and said "CHEESE." He also put his fingers in his mouth.

They are at the ER now. We did call poison control who described the poisonous mushrooms of our area and it DID sound like it. When figuring out who should take Luke, my husband said he would because he would be wondering. I complied and am now the one here wondering:) I'm thinking they will force him to vomit and then wait...right?

We went to a funeral yesterday. Our dear friend Mark Riddering went to be with the Lord surrounded by his family on Thanksgiving day. I don't say that lightly. There are very few times when you REALLY know if someone knows Christ or not. He did. No question. I cried because he was such an amazing testimony to God. I cried because his family is so amazing. I cried because this amazing family comforted us and thanked us for being there. I cried because they are so amazing and i feel so lacking. I cried because I feel so blessed to be able to know them. I cried because he was in pain for so long. I cried because of the amazing way that he used his pain for His glory. I cried because I do not. I cried because where Mark is there is no more pain. No more tears. Today...I feel congested and hung over...a lot like I cried for five hours :)

http://www.santamariatimes.com/articles/2008/12/03/news/featurednews/news01.txt
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28023751/
great job on this news story too:
http://www.santamariatimes.com/articles/2008/12/03/news/featurednews/news01.txt


Now I wait for news on Luke. Would you come before God with some requests for me? would you ask that we know quickly, that Luke recover well, that there not be any snags with insurance or anyone questioning how our child got a hold of poison....for my peace too....


My husband just called. They waited almost an hour and a half to be seen. Luke was given activated charcoal mixed with chocolate milk. He drank it quickly and asked for more. They want to keep him for another hour and possibly draw blood.