Open Letter to the Neighbors

Dear Neighbors,

We are sorry that we still have leaves on our lawn. We know that we often wait too long between mows. We know that the leaves fall every autumn and, yet, it is always a surprise to us and we often take too much time to rake them up. You see, we do a good job of keeping the inside of our house clean because it is Mrs. Nurse Boy's domain. We do a poor job of keeping the outside of our house clean because it is Mr. Nurse Boy's domain. Mr. Nurse Boy hates to do yard work. It is not so bad once he gets started, but it is hard to get him started.

How does Mr. Nurse Boy know that it irritates you, poor neighbors?

Because when you rake, you rake a perfect line at the property line. I couldn't draw such a straight line on paper with a ruler. I think you use a laser line or something. When I do the leaves, I rake the bulky stuff, then mulch the rest with my mower. I tend to stray over the property line a few feet.

Not you.

Perfect line.

Oh, and those times when a stick from our tree falls in your yard, thanks for throwing it back in my yard. I've seen that a couple of times. Maybe I should try to charge you for the energy saving you get from my tree from the shade in the summer. Oh, I digress.

Maybe it is the stubbornness in me, but it makes me want to wait until we have had a day of high winds blowing in your direction before I will mow again. Today I was planning on raking/mowing, but there is a rain snow mix going on out there, so I figured I would blog instead.

As long as I am apologizing, I would like to apologize to the neighbors across the street. I am sorry that we annoy you by saying hello and waving every now and then. I know that it is annoying to see people try to be friendly. Please, keep ignoring us when we display such terrible behavior.

To the neighbors behind us, I am sorry that my kids play with balls. You see they are boys, and balls are fascinating to them. I am sorry that when a ball goes over the fence they climb the fence to retrieve it. We have instructed them to let the ball lay if it goes over the fence, but sometimes they really want to continue with their game and they try to sneak over the fence to get it. Please, keep reminding them they annoy you by banging on the kitchen window and screaming when they do it. That is very helpful. It makes us want to encourage our boys to mow your yard when you get too old to do so. I don't think that will be long. It will probably happen right when they are prime mowing ages.

To the neighbors on the other side, I am sorry that my roof damaged your tree when it blew over on it. Thank you for not offering to do anything when this happened. Thank you for telling us how you make a lot of money. It may not have been good timing to mention this during the same conversation that you told us your insurance company said you legally were not liable for anything. I am sorry for feeling like maybe you should have been concerned. It was a nice touch though when you came over to ask the name of our roofer, when you needed to get some roof work done. Well played.

Mrs. Nurse Boy and I have mentioned this before, but if every one of your neighbors are weird, does that make you the weird one? We seem to function well in society, but that is a matter of opinion, I suppose.

Our Video

We have been practicing this dance for months, and we are finally ready to go public. Our dance is better than our internet skills, so please click on the following link.

http://getyourvideo.jibjab.com/wpl/ywx/hqh/grs/cfs/3op/gbr/e4q.mpg

Friday Fare!

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

Time for another Friday Fare! After you finish all of your holiday shopping on this fine Black Friday and are sick and tired of leftover turkey, you just might want to try my next easy recipe.

Honey Drumsticks
1/2 cup honey
1/2 ketchup
1 Tbs. soy sauce
2 tsp. ginger (I do not use fresh. C'mon, I have three kids. Who has time?!)
10 chicken drumsticks (I like to also use thighs to mix it up a little.)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking pan with foil or nonstick spray. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss chicken to coat. Place on pan and bake 30 minutes.

This stuff is great and is a hit in my home! It is also FABULOUS on the grill.

Enjoy!

We are heading out to the movies later on. I'll let you all have the bargains today. I am choosing my sanity!

Happy Thanksgiving!

(Because we are all going to be just a little busy tomorrow and a lot full, we will post this one day early.)

We just want to wish everyone a
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
We are thankful for so much this year. But, let us simplify our list:

We are so blessed!

Here's hoping you take time to count all of your blessings! And, that they are too numerous to count!

Now, let's eat some turkey...

Blessings,

Mr. and Mrs. Nurse Boy

Martha Will NOT Be Coming to Dinner

Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. I'm telling you in advance, so don't act surprised. Since Ms. Stewart won't be coming, I've made a few small changes:

Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries. After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect.

The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy china or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match and everyone will get a fork. Since this IS Thanksgiving, we will refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins from last Christmas.

Our centerpiece will not be the tower of fresh fruit and flowers that I promised. Instead we will be displaying a hedgehog-like decoration that has been hand-crafted from the finest construction paper. The artist assures me it's a turkey.

We will be dining fashionably late. The children will entertain you while you wait. I'm sure they will be happy to share every choice comment I have made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims and the turkey hotline. Please remember that most of these comments were made at 5:00 a.m. upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds.

As accompaniment to the children's recital, I will play a recording of tribal drumming. If the children should mention that I don't own a recording of tribal drumming or that the tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them. They are lying.

We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce the start of our feast. In the end, we chose to keep our traditional method. We've also decided against a formal seating arrangement. When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you like. In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to sit at a separate table. In a separate room. Next door.

Now I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers. This will not be happening at our dinner. For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in a private ceremony. I stress "private" meaning this: Do not, under any circumstances enter the kitchen to laugh at me. Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my progress. I have an electric knife. The turkey is unarmed. It stands to reason that I will eventually win. When I do, we will eat.

Oh before I forget, there is one last change. Instead of offering a choice between 12 different scrumptious desserts, we will be serving the traditional pumpkin pie. Garnished with whipped cream and small fingerprints. You will have a choice. Take it or leave it.

Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. Come to think of it, she probably won't make it next year either. I am thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving!

OK, so you may have already seen this going around. Isn't it GREAT?! Sometimes we need a good laugh as we enter this crazy season. Fun, but crazy, season!

Monday's Random Musings

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

Here is my first edition of Monday's Random Musings. On Mondays I struggle to put together coherent thoughts. I think it is because the house is a mess and the laundry is always piled high from the weekend. So, I thought it would be a great excuse to put together something random every Monday. It was either that or not blog. Come on, you know you wanted me to blog, right? Don't answer that.

This Monday I actually have a theme to my randomness. Or, is it a method to my madness? Whatever it is, stay with me.

We have three birthdays in November. Yes, THREE. Then add Thanksgiving. We are broke every year before we even hit December. This weekend we celebrated both Dimples and Bruiser's birthdays with the family. Here are some random thoughts regarding the celebration:

** Every year the boys request a certain type of cake to be made by their beloved Bubby. Nurse Boy and I always try to get the boys to request something next to impossible for her to make. We like to watch her sweat. She prides herself in her state of the art cakes for her grandchildren. Truth be told, it has created wonderful memories. Not to mention, it has freed up a lot of my time. This year they asked for an Indianapolis Colts cake. They LOVED the end result! Next year, Nurse Boy and I think they should ask for a Millennium Falcon cake! (Think Star Wars, for those of you not in the "know.") That should make her sweat...

** Dimples ended up with lots of Star Wars stuff. That George Lucas is a genius. He has managed to make fans out of yet another generation. I remember my brother playing with the very same stuff. It seems like only yesterday he was Luke Skywalker defending himself against the dark side. Oh, wait... that WAS yesterday. Dimples had to pry the toys out of his uncle's hands repeatedly this weekend.

** Bruiser ended up with Batman toys. I have spent the last 48 hours listening to imaginary sounds of bombs, punching, flying, and evil, bad guy voices coming from my 6 year old. I can't wait for My Little Pony and Barbies! Are girls really that noisy? Maybe it is just the lack of violence that makes them seem more quiet while they brush hair and pretend to keep house.

** We don't have anymore room for toys, so I am trying to convince the boys that they don't need any Christmas presents. It isn't working.

** Sweet Pea got so overwhelmed while the boys unwrapped one boy toy after another that she started setting up a tea party in the middle of the bat winged/dark side festivities.

** Lastly, I am not sure if I will ever get the blue icing off of anything it touched this weekend. Thanks, Bubby! I think Sweet Pea still has blue highlights in her hair. We won't even discuss my laundry...

Happy Birthday, Dimples and Bruiser!! You are both a gift from God and a blessing to all of us! You bring joy to my life each and every day!!!

Friday Fare!

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

So, here it is! My first Friday Fare. I really do hope this helps someone, anyone, who might be stuck in a rut. I've been there. What am I talking about? I don't even know what we are having for dinner TONIGHT. I am there!

Let me start off by saying that I will be sharing our favorite chicken recipes each Friday. These are recipes that I have made MILLIONS of times (or so it seems). However, these are not necessarily items that are requested by anyone under the age of 10 in our home. They do eat it. Most of the time. And, sometimes, without tears or gaging.

The thing most requested around here is to eat OUT. Aren't they sweet? I love them. I really do. Just not at mealtime.

My children think a chicken nugget is heaven on a plate. I do not. However, I DO have a chicken tender recipe that is much healthier than the ones that are deep fried and served via drive thru. They have decided they can stomach that recipe, but nothing compares to the golden arches. Grrr...

So, today I will start off with a staple recipe here in the Nurse Boy family. It is simple, easy, tasty, and something that can be adapted to your family's preferences. I should also say that we are all wimps when it comes to hot and spicy. We are a mild kind of family. You can add all the kick you want, you just won't find it in my recipes.

Chicken Soft Tacos

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 cup thick-n-chunky salsa (I use mild.)
1 pkg (1 1/4 oz.) taco seasoning mix
2 cups minute rice, uncooked (I use brown rice)
flour tortillas (I use 6 to 8 inch)
**optional: I add a can of rinsed black beans at the very end. (Beans are like sponges when it comes to cholesterol, so we try to put them in as much stuff as we can. We have found black beans to be our favorite.)

1. Heat chicken in a skillet until lightly browned. (Use a little oil, if you like. I like to sprinkle some chili powder or taco seasoning mix on the chicken while it is cooking to give it flavor.)
2. Add 2 cups water, salsa, and seasoning mix; stir. Bring to a boil.
3. Stir in rice, cover. Cook on low heat 5 minutes (a little longer for brown rice). (I add the black beans after this step.)

All finished! Place mixture in tortillas. Top with cheese and sour cream! I have even been known to freeze the left over mixture and use it again later on in the month. I reheat it on the stove top and add a little more salsa to it.

This recipe is ranked edible by all in our house. And, that is saying something!

I hope it is a hit at your house. If not, just LOOK AWAY while they gag.

My Girl

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

We have spent numerous Sunday nights taking our kiddos to church to practice for the annual Christmas program. As most of you know, this church is new to us. Rumor has it this program is something to behold. It is very organized and the kids have to practice at home every week.

The boys are having the time of their lives and they can't wait to get on the stage. They know their parts and eagerly practice each week.

Sweet Pea is another story all together.

She is only two and a half, but she has me a little worried. Yes, she does "practice" her song in class every Sunday night. We have been instructed to have them dressed in their Sunday best on the day of the production. Since she is our only girl, you can bet that I will have her in glitter from head to toe. Hey, a girl has to shine! And, I have had my fair share of ties. Handsome... yes. Show stopping...NO.

I digress. I am just a little excited about the holiday dresses.

The other day we were "practicing" her song. She sang NOT ONE WORD. She smiled. She picked her nose. She lifted her dress. She did a little dance, without rhythm of any kind. (She takes after her dad... with her rhythm, I mean.)

It frightens me.

I am afraid that this year it is going to be MY child on the stage that everyone says, "I feel sorry for HER mom. Thank goodness that isn't my child up there."

At least she will look cute, right?!

Bitter Over the Cold

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

The other day when we were out in the cold running errands, Bruiser asked me a question. With a very serious face and tone of voice he says,

"Mom, did Satan make cold weather?"

Hmmm....

Why, yes, come to think of it, I think he did. He enjoys it when we experience what it is like to be a piece of meat left in the freezer, spend countless hours hunting down matching pairs of mittens and gloves, and waste our money on winter boots that no one wants to wear. He loves to see us wrap up our little ones in layer after layer of clothing only to hear the dreaded words, "I have to go to the bathroom!" And, how about all the time we spend in the bitter cold scraping our windows and warming up our cars?

I am with Bruiser. I hate the cold. It must have been invented by Satan himself.

I am holding out that Nurse Boy is going to afford us a winter home in Florida in the near future.

I like to dream BIG...

Cluck, Cluck!

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

One of Nurse Boy's favorite movies is Forrest Gump. It is a classic. Besides the whole, "Life is like a box of chocolates...," my favorite scene was when they were talking about all of the different ways shrimp can be prepared. Don't remember the scene? Well, the man just rambles on and on forever naming shrimp dishes.

What is my point? I can do that with chicken.

We eat chicken most nights. My kids hate ground beef and are willing to tolerate chicken. Chicken is good for us, versatile, and affordable. I try to prepare it various ways, in hopes that noone will tire of it. I have come to the realization that my list of chicken recipes goes on and on and on and on. Most nights the kids will ask what's for dinner. I always answer chicken. Not missing a beat, they demand, "What kind of chicken?'

I still have a point.


Starting this Friday, I will begin hosting Friday Fare. I will share one chicken recipe each Friday. Hopefully, I can put some chicken on your table too!

Starting next week I will also share a special post each Monday entitled Monday's Random Musings. Not as catchy, I know.

You may have noticed that I have taken over Nurse Boy's blog. He has promised he will be back when school and work are seemingly light. He will join me when he can, but for now I will just make myself at home.

The Question

Nurse Boy here. I know, two posts in a row! I am procrastinating on my assignment that I should be working on...

Most of you probably think it is a good idea to have your kid read the Bible. Filling your kid with the word of God is usually a good thing. Well, Dimples has been reading the Bible on his own for the last couple of weeks. He has finished Genesis. He noticed something that he was unfamiliar with so he asked his Bible teacher in school.

What is sexual relations?

His bible teacher told him that was a very important question, and that he should ask his mom and dad. So, as soon as he got in the car with Mrs. NB that afternoon he asks, "What is sexual relations?" I am not sure what her exact words were, but it created doubt in Dimples that the Mrs. even knew what it was. She did tell him that I would talk to him about about it.

Mrs. NB gave me a heads up, so as soon as I got home from work I had Dimples, who is turning nine on Saturday, come up to my room with me while I changed my clothes. I am not quite as shy about the subject as Mrs. NB. In fact she was trying to coach me to not say too much. I had been looking forward to this subject for a while, so she was trying to curb my enthusiasm. I started out basic, but he was having none of it. There were a lot of hows, and whys, and uncomfortable smiling, and some expressions of horror. We laughed, he cried, and then asked, "So you and mom have had sexual relations three times then?"

No.

How many times?

More than three... You see it doesn't always take the first time, and besides husband and wives like to have sexual relations.

Do you still?

Yes.

Is that why you had your thing cut?

Yes.

I explained that he will think of it as a good thing eventually. We went into a lot of specifics and he was satisfied.

I feel proud and sad at the same time. There is a whole lot of innocence that is gone now. The beautiful thing is that my eight year old just learned the facts of life by reading the Bible and asking the right people questions. That is how it is supposed to be. There is no shame and minimal discomfort surrounding the topic. He knows it is not a topic to talk to just anyone about, but knows he can come to me and ask any question that he has. He did tonight while typing this post. He asked, "So how do you know you are going to do it, does God just make your parts ready and then bam, you have to do it?" I apparently wasn't clear about getting to the point where he will want to when he is older. I don't know if it is the nurse in me, or just being the sexual relations enthusiast that I am, but I loved this conversation.

Mrs. NB is still in the fetal position and has not been able to make eye contact with Dimples for the last couple of days. She will need to get over it in time for Sweet Pea. That's six years of prep. I don't think she will be ready.

The Princess!

And I don't mean my daughter. I have often joked about how Sweet Pea is always going to have the best of the best and my two older boys will get whatever is left. Well, it is no longer a joke. It has become a reality. My wife grew up with the dream of becoming a princess. She handed that tiara over to Sweet Pea as soon as she found out she was a girl. I have always joked that we are going to buy a cheap, used, moderately reliable car for the boys when they start to drive. Sweet Pea gets a new Beamer.

I thought I was joking.

Today we took possession of a bedroom set that we recently purchased. It is the nicest furniture that we own. Did it go to the master for Mrs. NB whose birthday is tomorrow? No! Did it go to the boys who both are celebrating a birthday this month? No! We spent all of our money on Sweet Pea, who does not have a birthday until April. We went to "look" at bedroom sets last week. We went looking many times. I don't know why the combination of my grown princess and my little princess is so powerful, but it is. They are like Jedi (I think Jedi is its own plural). Anyway, my little princess is sleeping on and among the nicest furniture in this house and she knows she has me where she wants me. I feel sorry for her future husband.

I Have Become My Mother

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

It is inevitable. We all eventually become our mothers. It isn't necessarily a bad thing. My mother is a fabulous woman who sacrificed for her kids and is now a terrific grandmother. Why is it that we can only focus on our mother's bad, or undesirable, traits that we slowly develop over time? Why can't we focus on those traits that we are happy we inherited? For example, I can make a mean pan of ziti. Where did I learn how to just throw those ingredients into the pan until perfection is obtained? My Italian mother, of course. However, I tend to not give her credit for that. My lack of patience, on the other hand, is ALL her fault. (OK, not really.)

Growing up, my mother had three traits that DROVE ME CRAZY. I am not even airing my dirty laundry here. She knew these things drove me crazy. I think I complained about them on a daily basis.

What were they? Well...

1. She ALWAYS drove the car until the little pointer thing (hey, I spend my days with a two year old) was PAST the "E", for empty, on the gas gauge. ALWAYS. This was before they had lights and alarms to warn you that you are at 1/8 of a tank or less. And, yes, we did run out of gas at least once. My mom claims it was only once. I think it was twice, maybe three times. I spent my entire childhood checking the gas gauge each time I got into the car and made comments about how much, or how little gas we had. (To this day, I HAVE to fill up as soon as the red light comes on. My husband tries to convince me it is not quite the emergency I make it out to be, but I just can't risk it.)

2. EVERY TIME we left the warmth of the indoors to go outside during cold weather, my mother would have to turn around and go back in to go to the bathroom. EVERY TIME. (I am going to pay for this one!)

3. My mother could NEVER find her keys whenever we were out and about. Never, ever could she find her keys. Every time we would leave a store, she would be convinced that she had lost her keys. Forever. She did this almost daily. She always found them at the bottom of her purse, after she emptied the contents of her purse while standing in the middle of some strange public place. By the time I was ten or so, I just stood there waiting for the, "Oh, here they are, at the very bottom of my purse. Imagine that."

Guess what? I can never find my keys now.

I used to think it was just my mom. I now think it is moms everywhere. (If this does not include you, humor me. K?) Us moms have to have diapers, pull ups, wipes, extra clothes, snacks, sippy cups, and so much more swimming around the inside of our purse. I always told my mom that she needed to carry a smaller purse so she could find her keys. How could she? She had to be prepared for any and every emergency.

I get it now. I live it now. My keys are always at the bottom of my purse. Hidden amongst all of the items I am sure we will need. If I don't have them on me, we will definitely need them. How can I risk it?

Someday Sweet Pea will have a list of things that I did during her childhood that drove her crazy. I am pretty sure that my issue with my keys will be number one. She'll learn...

A Romantic Getaway?

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

This year I have finally decided to get involved in a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. It has been enjoyable. Each week they "spotlight" a mom in the group. This basically means they ask you a few questions about yourself and post them in the newsletter in hopes of learning more about one another.

This past week I was the spotlight mom. One of the questions frightened me. Something about my favorite thing about myself. How do you answer that? I went with the whole, "I am a loyal wife and friend." True statement. And, a trait I deeply desire in all of the people I surround myself with. It just felt like a weird question.

One of the other questions brought back some funny memories. They asked me how I would spend a day if I did not have any responsibilities or obligations. I said that I would steal away for 24 hours at a bed and breakfast with my Nurse Boy. We do try to get away once or twice a year for a mere 24 hours. It does wonders for us to reconnect, eat a few meals in peace, and SLEEP IN. We return better parents and spouses.

Last year, my parents gifted us a night at a bed and breakfast in a quaint town on the outskirts of the city. Once we checked in, we knew right away that this may not have been the romantic getaway we were looking for. The owner was an older, single lady. Friendly enough, but think lonely, old cat lady. Only, she had a yappy, little dog that was her pride and joy. We soon discovered that this house was not quite the "mansion" she had advertised. It was her childhood home that she just couldn't part with, yet needed to turn it into a business in order to pay the mortgage.

It was a little creepy walking through that house. She had kind of made it into a museum or memorial to several generations of her family. Each room was decorated, I mean saturated, with very random items from her parents, aunts, uncles, etc. Many of the items were not necessarily items you would normally put out on display and dust around. One bedroom, thankfully not the one we stayed in, had her mother's numerous purses hanging on several of the walls for display. Purses. Not even very exciting purses. Although, I don't really find purses to be very exciting unless they are on some one's shoulder and are worthy of carrying all my crap...I mean stuff. She also had hairbrushes and combs carefully on display on an antique dresser. OK, that is just creepy. Some dead woman's comb and brush with some leftover hair. When I die, I hope my family will pitch my comb and brush. But, not my Chi. I love that thing. Maybe they should keep that out on display.

She had stuff EVERY WHERE in this not-so-big-house. Antique fur coats were even hanging on hooks as part of the decorations. I don't even remember our room's decor. I think I blocked it out of my mind. We felt like we were staying at grandma's house and she and her dog could walk into the room at any given moment with some homemade cookies and fresh milk. It wasn't quite what we were looking for. We had three kids and a cat at home. We were looking for a quiet, relaxing evening. Prior to our checking in, she also boasted about our private, luxurious bathroom. Apparently, private means down a very long, very public hallway. Luxurious just meant no kids or cats, but maybe a small yappy dog.

Even this little town was filled with antiques (which were beautiful) stuffed in small locally owned stores. We did have fun doing a little shopping and eating at a local Italian restaurant. However, everywhere we turned, we found ourselves in small, tight spaces. When we returned to our "home" for the night, Nurse Boy had just about had it. He said he was beginning to feel like a giant. He felt like he couldn't stretch out his arms, or he just might break something. I am pretty sure he was right. I WAS certain he was going to break something everywhere we went that night. (And, I wonder where my boys get it from...)

We tried to make the best of the situation and spent most of the evening laughing about where we were. It wasn't romantic, but it WAS memorable! When we went to bed, we suddenly noticed that the heat was turned up to around 85. 85! I felt like I was in a sauna. Nurse Boy tried to open the windows. They were locked in a way that I've never seen before. There was NO opening those things. Grandma and her dog had been sound asleep for several hours by now. I kind felt like we might be the next morning's breakfast.

The next morning I couldn't wait to return to my home. The organized chaos was a blessing to come home to.

A night at a bed and breakfast? $100. A romantic dinner out? $50. Memories to last a lifetime? Priceless.

Need Some Ideas for Christmas?

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

I have attached a button on my site that will take you to wearethatfamily.com. She will be sharing Christmas ideas on Tuesdays. Sounds like something I might be able to put to use...only, I am not that crafty, nor patient. We shall see...

Our Journey

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

A few weeks ago I discussed our difficult decision to find a new church home for our family. God is calling us somewhere else. It has been a time of growth and reflection for all of us. Today I want to share what God has done for our family while we have floundered outside of our comfort zone.

Nurse Boy and I have rediscovered our passion for marriage ministry. We believe we have a calling on our lives to serve in this area at some point in our marriage. Hey, we know it could be many years from now, but we need some tools and mentoring in the mean time. We have always joked that it may just be licking envelopes for Gary Smalley, but we are hoping for more than that. It has been such a blessing to experience God re-sparking that passion in us. I'm not sure where it had gone, but I am so thankful it was not lost. ( Of course, I am speaking about our passion for the marriage MINISTRY. We have always made our OWN marriage a priority.)

God has shown us that this is also a time of growth for our family. Oh no, I DO NOT mean any more babies. Been there, done that, have a house full of kids. I mean spiritual growth. We are taking this opportunity to show, discuss, and share what we are trusting God to do for our family with the kids. We are believing that God has a plan and a new church for our family. Sharing with the kids our prayers, our desires, and our faith in God to provide for us is a wonderful opportunity. It is important for the kids to understand that it is difficult for ALL of us. We ALL want to learn, grow, and make new friends.

It is just like God to take a difficult experience and make it a blessing. So often we don't share the challenging things life throws at us with the kids. When we are facing something stressful, we often protect the kids. However, it is good to share some of those things that we are trusting God to provide. They will get to share in the testimony when we get to the other side of this journey.

We have jumped outside of our comfort zone. Do you know how scary that is?! Do you know how much it is rebuilding our faith?! All we can do is trust Him. It is so hard and such a blessing all at the same time.

Thank you, Lord, for this journey. We will continue to seek you in all we do!

Random Thoughts...That's All I Got Today

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

*Yesterday, Nurse Boy and I purchased a bedroom set fit for our Princess. I CAN'T WAIT to decorate her room! She has spent the past 2 1/2 years in Bruiser's old room. Bears and all. It is time for pink, pink, and more pink. I wonder if I can hot glue lace to the ceiling? Just a thought...

*Sweet Pea woke up with a stomach virus today. She needed her daddy. Mommy isn't the nurse in this house. I tried my best.

*It is official. My boys have turned into slobs, as is evident by their room and the playroom. I hope they come home from school ready for some marathon cleaning!

*Nurse Boy and I are going to a Gary Smalley Marriage Conference this weekend (provided everyone is healthy). I can't wait to spend time with Nurse Boy and just focus on our marriage.

*I think I may see some gray hairs on my head. Shh...don't tell me if you have noticed. I am making a hair appointment as soon as I sign off of here.

*Why must my 2 year old stick her finger up her nose EVERY TIME someone in public shows her some attention?! So embarrassing!

*I REALLY want to simplify Christmas this year and keep the focus on Jesus. I pledge to do this every year. I think I fail at this every year.

*I also pledge to not eat too much during the holiday season...need I say more? Man, I LOVED it when I was pregnant during the holiday season. It just didn't seem to matter when it looked like you already had a turkey in your "oven." Those were the days. Except for all the morning sickness, sleepless nights...never mind. I'll just watch what I eat.

*Soccer season is officially over. Honestly, I am sad. I love watching my little men run around the field while their Dad hollers at (I mean encourages) them.

*I have really enjoyed talking politics with Dimples. I have been able to stay positive and remind him that our government is not our savior and that the Bible tells us to pray for our leaders. It has kept everything in the proper prospective for me.

*Man, my kids keep me humble. I love that! Who can get too full of themselves when you have someone vomiting on you? Not I!

Time to call the hairdresser...I don't want to be too humble.

Multitasking?

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

I am a multitasker. I believe most women are. Nurse Boy is not. Well, not at home. He is incapable of watching TV AND having a conversation. Oh, he tries sometimes, but he does not fool me. He also struggles to read the Saturday paper while feeding the kids breakfast. It is funny to watch as the kids sit with a bowl full of cereal while they are missing milk or a spoon, or both. I have learned to only ask ONE thing of him at a time. That is the difference between men and women, at least in my world. My intelligent nine year old son can only take one direction at a time, while my two year old daughter can do three things in one fail swoop.

However, all of my multitasking is not always as efficient as I would like to think. I can pay the bills on the phone while cooking dinner, loading the dishwasher, and helping the boys with their homework. Sometimes this saves time. Sometimes it burns a dinner, breaks a plate, or even makes for a very cranky mom later on.

Tonight I was dealing with a bill, picking up the playroom, and reading blogs when I realized Sweet Pea probably needed to take a restroom break. I had to quickly pull her out of the fort she and Bruiser made and set her on the potty while talking to a service representative. After I placed her on the potty, I started unloading the dishes. Next, I hear her precious voice call out from the bathroom, "I did it!"

Then I hear, "My UNDERWEAR! My UNDERWEAR!"

When I placed her on the potty, I forgot to pull her underwear down. She didn't seem to notice, until it was too late. Poor thing. She was so upset.

But, on a positive note, at that very unfortunate moment I was talking to a company that will probably be providing us with DVR! Do I get an amen? Last week I posted about this. I was resisting, but my bloggy friends all seemed to agree that DVR=Marriage Enrichment. Hey, you learn something new everyday. Today I learned that it will cost us $5 a month. All I have to do is give up one of my three Starbucks trips each month. Since I drink decaf, we aren't even dealing with an addiction. Well, other than the addiction to Survivor and maybe Dancing With the Stars. I think it will be $5 well spent.

You'll also be happy to know that we are putting a cable hookup in the basement in hopes of getting the dust off of the treadmill. I had been taping shows to play on our portable VCR player, but it was becoming a bit of a nightmare. Now, we won't have any excuses. Not yet, anyway. I am sure we will think of something.

Here is hoping your treadmill isn't dusty, your DVR is working, and your underwear is dry!