Sweet Life in the City

It was quite a weekend! The kids and I went to Target after school on Friday and when we pulled out of the parking lot we saw a huge cloud of black smoke in the direction on our house. There were firetrucks and ambulances blocking off the road and it was a little scary. We were able to turn down our road because it was not blocked off but we were still unsure of where the fire was but we were sure that whatever was on fire it was bad. We came home and turned the TV on and saw that a strip mall was on fire just down the road from us. The furniture store where we bought our living room furniture was one of the stores that was completely destroyed. The kids were glued to the TV and thought it was crazy that we could see the news chopper from our apartment. There were several stores that were destroyed and the whole thing just made me really sad to think about all the people it was affecting. The kids were so sweet and kept praying for the firefighters as they fought the fire. On Saturda...

Last time I blogged I was not feeling so well. I felt better on Monday but by Tuesday my throat started hurting so bad and I knew that I was going to need some medicine. Well, I know I am not supposed to do this, but I found some unfinished antibiotic from the last time I had strep and I started to take it to see if it helped. By Wednesday afternoon I felt so much better! We finished up the week and got ready for the weekend. Emma had a friend from our school last year over on Saturday for a play date. This is actually the first time we have had the kids friends over to play. I guess I am so hesitant about my kids playing at their friends house that I assume most parents have the same hesitancy. We actually invited the whole family to stay if they wanted to and they did :) Their family is from Thailand and they have very broken English, but it was nice to visit with them and get to know them a little bit better. We found out that they own and run a Thai restaurant right by our school, ...

We have had a good week. Tuesday nights we have Bible study at our house. We had a teacher friend and her husband Tuesday night for the study. We have been studying the book of Samuel and Tuesday night we were reading about the jealously that overtook Saul concerning David. Saul's jealously doomed him and turned him into an insecure, vindictive person for the rest of his life. It made me take a closer look at the jealousy that over takes me some times and is something I need to work on every day. This has really been an issue with me concerning our house situation. It is easy to look around and hear about other people buying houses or looking at what they have and become very jealous. We are currently house hunting but it has not been very successful and it has been a little discouraging. We looked at a condo on Wednesday night and it was pretty rough. We were supposed to look at a house Friday night but it turned out that the house needed a lot of work. The kitchen has been comple...

Wow! Parenting is hard! Okay, I know that is a well known fact, but it seems the older my kids get the harder it gets. I also know that many of my seasoned parents will only tell me it only gets harder, but I guess I already know that too. The kids are at this age that they fight all the time! They could all be sitting down watching TV and I walk out of the room and they are yelling and fighting as soon as I leave. The other night I left the dining room table to clean up the kitchen and I hear, "Fight, Fight, Fight!" coming from the dining room. I just let it play out and did not even go back on the room to see why and who was fighting. It really is frustrating and I am praying that they learn to get along (SIGH). We are also trying to figure out that fine line of what they used to "get away with" and what is expected of them now that they are older. I know I am to blame for some of Samuel's problems. I know I do too much for him and need to start making him t...

We usually eat out or order in once a week. Every once in a while we ask the kids where they would like to eat. They think it is neat to pick the place, but I started noticing that we usually ask the kid that we have the best chance of them saying the place that we are wanting to go. The other night I was going to order pizza and I was wanting just a plain pepperoni pizza, so I asked Emma what kind of pizza we should have tonight knowing that she would say pepperoni. She was excited when I asked but her response took me by surprise when she said, "ham and pineapple." Well, of course that is not what I wanted her to say so I was kinda like "um, I don't know, how about something else." Her next response, "chicken and bacon then." Once again, not the answer I was expecting. So after a few more minutes of trying to change her mind I finally said, "Let's get pepperoni." Here response, " Mom, why did you even ask me in the first place?...

I guess you have noticed I took a major break from blogging. To be honest I probably could of done the best blogging of my life this past month, but I did not trust my feelings. The struggles with the kids and my own personal health and struggles were a little overwhelming and I had to sort through a lot of things. I do appreciate your prayers and the phone calls we received and I tried to hit the highlights on FB :) I am happy to report that Chloe is doing so much better at school. The teacher finally put a discipline chart in the classroom and her behavior has completely turned around. We still see her moments of her strong-will, but doing much better. Emma continues to do great at school. She is making lots of friends and learning so much. Samuel is now 9 years old and is also doing good. He has made some friends and seems to be adjusting to the new school. He is actually going to a friend's birthday party on Saturday. This Saturday Samuel finishes up his soccer season and alrea...

9" But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9 We had a pretty good day today. The kids slept great last night and woke up ready for a new week. I actually slept terrible, but once I had my coffee this morning I was ready to get the day started. The weather here today is my favorite kind of weather, pants and a long sleeve shirt! I was also super excited that the pants I put on this morning I had not worn since April or May and they were actually a little loose :) We dropped the kids off at school and then headed to our school. Traffic was terrible because the city of Chicago decided to repave every road from our house to school and had one lane close. We were at a green light and we knew traffic was slow, but this cop turns in front of us and obviously is sticking out a little in the intersection, bu...

Well, it has been a busy few weeks and blogging has not made it on my list of things to do :). I have sat down a few times to write a post but then would be called away to do something else. We went to TN over Labor Day weekend and had a wonderful time. I was trying to surprise my PV friends and family and come by the school for a visit, but it just didn't work out :( My sister and her family from OK came and my brother and my two nephews. I had not seen "the boys" (AKA Kaleb and Kraig) since December and it just did my heart good to spend a few days with them. They are grown now, but they are still my boys! We had Labor Day off and then started back to our regular routine. The kids have been enjoying their new school and I have been trying not to be worried sick all day. The past two weeks and I have started to get in a routine of getting things accomplished and trying to get take some time for myself. I have been struggling so much because despite the fact that I was no...

I know it has been a few weeks since I have blogged, but our end of the summer became very busy! We were at my parents house for a week and then we had an amazing time in Wisconsin Dells. It was such a great getaway for our family! The kids LOVED the water park, but I decided that my body might be a little too old for water parks! By the second day I was so sore and felt like I had been beaten up :) ! We came home on a Wednesday and on Thursday morning I went in for a root canal. It was not a pleasant time, but thankfully the tooth is feeling better. Jeremy had to report back to school the next week so we went in a few days to help him get his room set up. Last Friday I went into school for the PreK meet and greet and it was really good for me. I have been struggling with being upset because my paper work has been sitting at the IL Department of Education for weeks and has not even moved closer to getting my IL license. I was just feeling a little bitter to tell the truth. Last Friday ...

It has been another busy week around our house. We have been getting things packed and ready for all us to be gone this coming week. Jeremy and Sam are heading to Camp Hope tomorrow and the girls and I are staying with my parents and I will be doing some work for my dad, so I have been trying to get every one packed and ready to go. We have also been  dealing with a pest infestation that someone passed onto us :) Yes, all three kids have had lice this week. To protect the the other party I will not give names :) , but I was given a heads up that their child has lice so I started checking the kids daily. I think I caught it in time so it was not too bad, but I have had to make several trips to the laundry mat to get every thing washed. My kids were troopers and I think we got everyone cleared up. On Thursday I finally took Lucy to a vet in Chicago to get her shots and a check-up. We have been back and forth with whether we were going to keep her. It is just a little too much with ev...

In the 13 years we have been married the idea of moving to Chicago had been at the forefront of our minds and hearts. There were many times we found ourselves at a fork in the road of life and we desperately wanted to take the road that led to Chicago, but each time we knew the timing was not quite right. With so many discussions of moving to Chicago it is still hard to believe that we finally are living here and it is harder to believe that today marks 1 year since we moved from TN. One year ago we loaded down our Envoy with every thing we would need for at least a month (since we would not be moving into our apartment right away), three kids, our dog, and a cat locked up in a carrier and we headed North. We left our comfort zone of the past 8 years and headed into a new way of life. Those that follow us know that our first few months were pretty rough on us and it was hard not to start questioning why in the world we moved here! Just like always, God was faithful and provided beyond ...

A few weeks ago I was browsing on FB and I noticed that a page I follow was advertising for a book that was now on sale for $5.00. The title of the book caught my attention because without even knowing what the book was about I knew just by the title that I needed to read it because I knew the feeling all too well. The name of the book is Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst. Unglued is the perfect way to describe how I feel sometimes and something that I need to work on. The real danger is that my undoing is 98% time taken out on the 4 people that mean the most to me. I come unglued when my kids are fighting over the silliest thing in the car. I see the sadness in their face when I completely lose it and shout to them to "BE QUIET, NOW!!!! And I can feel the heat of rage on my face. Every time we go to Target my kids start fighting and I lean into Chloe's ear and with my teeth clinched warning her to get it together and I am fighting hard not to come unglued right there in the store. ...

We are enjoying some cool weather here in Chicago. It seems from other posts on FB many of us are experiencing Fall like weather. It has been nice to keep the windows open and enjoy a nice cool breeze. We enjoyed our visit to the zoo on Wednesday afternoon. Thursday the kids and I made another trip to the laundry mat to wash some blankets, sheets, and some rugs. Friday we just stayed home and I tried to get some things organized. I have determined that the kids have a "three stop" limit when it comes to running errands. They do really well the first few stops but by stop three they are fighting and driving me crazy! I have also been having a trying time with Chloe this past week. I am not sure if she is bored, but she has been reverting back to some of her old ways. One of our neighbors gave us a bag of popcorn and she took it off the table, opened it, and ate almost the entire bag. If you sit a drink down and walk away for a minute and walk back it will be empty of almost em...

" Keep walking with Me along the path I have chosen for you. Your desire to live close to Me is a delight to My heart. I could instantly grant you the spiritual riches you desire, but that is not My way for you. Together we will forge a pathway up the high mountain. The journey is arduous at times, and you are weak. Someday you will dance light-footed on the high peaks; but for now, your walk is often plodding and heavy. All I require of you is to take the next step clinging to My hand for strength and direction. Though the path is difficult and the scenery dull at the moment, there are sparkling surprises just around the bend. Stay on the path I have selected for you. It is truly the path of Life. "  Jesus Calling- July 14 This was not the scheduled devotion I was reading today, but I had to go back to it for encouragement. I have found myself still trying to take control of my situation and still trying to change course. I have been talking with some friends lately and ...

" I call you to lead the life that I have assigned to you, and be content. Beware of comparing your situation with that of someone else - and feeling dissatisfied because of the comparison. It is also harmful to compare your circumstances with what they used to be or with fantasies that bear little resemblance to reality. Instead, make every effort to accept as your calling the life I have assigned to you. This perspective helps take the sting out of even the harshest circumstances. If I have called you to a situation, I will give you everything you need to endure it - and even find Joy in the midst of it."  Jesus Today Wow! What a great reminder for me today (well, every day for that matter). These past few days have been a little rough for me. My heart has been heavy with an unspoken request and physically I am still recovering from Sunday and I think it has been the perfect storm for some old struggles to resurface. Today I was at school and the assistant principal was ...