Birthdays

Today is Steven's 3rd birthday. Because Frankie's b'day is on Monday, we had a kid party--a first for me. It was successful, thank goodness. (I was a little nervous, having no one to invite but friends we've made here--man, where are good 'ol AL family and friends when you really need them?!) I kept it small on purpose so as not to be too overwhelming or out of control, and we did a CARS theme. It gave me a good chance to get to know the family of one of Frankie's classmates. It was actually a lot of fun! They just played for awhile and then we did pizza, presents, and of course, cake and ice cream. It's strange to think that this time next year, we will most likely be at home celebrating with family and friends, and our time here will feel like it was a dream. But Frankie and Steven are making friends here that they will miss when we go back home. E'en so, I'm ready to see everyone soon! Also hard to believe that one more semester and Frank will be done. So, see you in six months!

Flowering Herbs is Back

Yey. I am pleasantly surprised. Went to Bath and Body Works to pick up my yearly supply of lotion. They run such a good sale after Christmas every year, that I get enough to last a year, usually about 4-5 bottles. When I was in high school, Flowering Herbs was my favorite scent: kind of a clean, flower smell. Anyway, when I was pregnant with Steven 3 years ago, they had phased it out and I had to find a new scent in order to take advantage of the in-store sale. (I know I could'ave ordered straight from the company, but you have to pay full price for that, ugh.) I decided on Sheer Freesia and have been using that for the past 3 years--it is also very good. Well, went into the store couple of nights ago, and could not find any hints of Sheer Freesia--but...guess what was back! yey! Made my day. I know you all wanted to share in my joy. thanks. :o)

The hurryer I go, the behinder I get...

Just quoting a guy I work with...Goodness! Has everyone back home been as busy as us here?! My head's spinning; I've got so much going on: Choir concerts, church get-togethers, Kid Christmas parties, Adult Christmas parties, house cleaning for the holidays, gift wrappings, shopping (ugh. which I hate), and the list goes on. Oh yeah, did I mention work? We get a whopping 11 day vacation (paid--yippeee!!!) from Biola, so this last week of work everyone is scurrying, trying to get all the work details wrapped up before we leave for break. Don't know if I'd shared this earlier, but one of my jobs is to monitor/process all incoming and outgoing wires for the school; and everyone wants to get their payments made before we leave. Needless to say it has been interesting trying to get it all done. Told my boss I needed an 11-day vacation; and he was happy to oblige.

Also: today is our 8th wedding anniversary! How is it possible in one moment to feel like time has flown and in the next moment wonder how we ever got this far? I do know that I love my husband more and more every day, and literally could not live without him. He keeps my head on straight for me! Love you Babe!

New Hobby

A friend of mine here in CA just graduated from Biola with an art degree. She taught me how to make jewelry--it is so much fun. As you can see, I was busy over Thanksgiving, and I've just posted several of my pieces on ebay!!! Here's a preview of some of my work:





Check out my auctions at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120058929545&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebay.com%3A80%2Fsearch%2Fsearch.dll%3Ffrom%3DR40%26satitle%3D120058929545%2509%26fvi%3D1
and let me know what you think!

Welcome to LA traffic

This is what you go through if you try to get on the freeway at almost anytime of the day in LA:


Ugh. why are there so many people here? no elbow room or anything. Guess I'm just a country girl who grew up with a forest for a playground. When we were living in our apartment next to the interchange of the 5 and 91 freeways, we would look out the window about midnight and see nothing but brake lights.
Frank and I also had a conversation yesterday, that from Beach Blvd. and La Mirada Blvd. (a major intersection close to our house) down to Huntington Beach, which is about 20 miles down Beach; there are approximately 10 million people living between those 2 points. 10 million!! And did you know that there are only 4.5 million people living in the entire state of Alabama? I don't know if it's the bright lights of Hollywood, or the mild, sunny weather, or access to everything under the sun...but you can see why it is the smog pollution of the world. The freeways here are like streets back home. It is common to take up to 4 or 5 freeways to get from one place to another, and you may have driven less than 20 miles! So different from home, sigh. One thing I won't miss...

Onomatopoeia

Last night Frank was reading a bedtime story to the boys: "The Berenstein Bears tell a Lie". When they got to the part where Brother and Sister Bear blamed it on the bird, the bird flew away with a 'screech' (we always add in a screeching sound for special effect). At this point in the story, Frankie stops Frank and excitedly exclaims, "Daddy! I know what 'screech' is--that's onomatopoeia!--and so is 'crunch, crunch, munch, munch'!

Oh yeah. That's my boy. What are they teaching in kindergarten these days anyway? I mean will there be anything left to learn in high school?


Oh well, thought you might get a kick out of that.

about 5 hours later...

Just had a quick thought. I love all my friends and family. (Can you tell I'm missing home?) I wish all my CA friends could meet all my AL friends/family, who could get together with the friends and family I have in CO; and the church friends totally would love the work friends; who would really dig the friday night/chattanooga friends; oh yeah, and the Southeastern Bible College folks, and the ones who live in Georgia. Lest I forget the cool folks I met in Austria, and what about the friends I have who are serving on the mission field?...I could go on all night. I am such a girl (relational, emotional, etc...but proud to be what God made me.) At least I can take comfort in the fact that we all have a common bond: Christ, and that you all will get to know each other in Heaven. You're gonna love each other--I can't wait.

Thinking out loud

Soooo missing home right now. Probably because I know we will be moving home in approximately 7 &1/2 months, 32 weeks, 228 days (if we make til May 31st, which is when our lease is up). But, we are choosing not to come home for Christmas since we'll BE home another 5 months after that. But now that we're sure we're coming back, 228 days seems like forever!!
We'd been going back and forth for a little while between several different options:
1. Stay in CA and Frank immediately apply for a Phd program to anywhere and wait for a response.
2. Stay in CA and both of us work for a while
3. Move home and get jobs; pay off student debt already accumulated; put Phd pursual on hold for a little while.

So, yeah, when it's in print--why did we even waffle? Our rent now is $2,050 a month. We do have 2 guys living with us in the 3rd bedroom to offset the cost, so net cost is $1300. But still. Having to share a 1500 sq. ft. house with 2 more adults is rather challenging, honestly. Kim Hill, I am totally understanding the whole house parent thing. But you might've had it a little bit worse than me. But only a little bit. I have grown to like California....here are some of the good things about it:
1. The weather. 70 degrees year round. It does vary slightly, but no terrible cold.
2. Convenience of everything no more than 5 or 10 minutes away, i.e. grocery store, church, Biola. As long as you don't get on the freeway.
3. The house we live in. It is so cute. and the room plan is good.
4. The church we are attending: Grace Evangelical Free. We have met and made friends with some great people.
5. My job at Biola. My co-workers are great and I have medical insurance. I like medical insurance.
6. Let's see, can I think of anything else? oh yeah, we splurge on one thing: Disneyland. It's so fun. Even though I am a grownup, I will always have a soft spot for Disney.

Now, benefits to coming home.
1. Save couple grand a month on rent.
2. Family.
3. Lower cost of living in general. 30 cents less a gallon for gas.
4. Friends.
5. Did I say family and friends? I really miss y'all.
6. The absence of the phrase "you guys". I caught myself the other day. I was chagrinned to hear it come out of my mouth. Agghh. I have been here too long already.
7. Seasons. though don't think I will ever have a soft spot for 100% humidity in August.
8. Don't have to work as much (I won't anyway.) We've talked about my having a part time job to help pay the bills--but no more rat race, thank goodness. Sometimes I feel that between Frank in school, me working f/t, Frankie going to K5 and Steven just hanging out, I will never catch up. But I plan to use Christmas vacation as sorting/throwing out time before we come home.

Ok, if I think of anymore, I'll let you know.

Kids' Kitchen Terms

BOIL: The point a parent reaches upon hearing the automatic "Yuck" before a food is even tasted.

CASSEROLE: Combination of favorite foods that go uneaten because they are mixed together.

DESSERT: The reason for eating a meal.

EVAPORATE: Magic trick performed by children when it comes time to clear the table or wash dishes.

FRUIT: A natural sweet not to be confused with dessert.

REFRIGERATOR: A very expensive and inefficient room air conditioner when not being used as an art gallery.

SODA POP: Shake 'N Spray.

TABLE LEG: Percussion instrument.

Back in the swing of things...

Hey you all. I am finally back into the groove. So much has been going on (good things) that haven't had a chance to share. Wanted to show some pics of Europe:

The first one is the palace that was our base in Austria. We stayed in the small town of Eisenstadt--where Josef Hadyn worked for the royal family of Esterhazy. The color is called Imperial yellow, and the palace was converted from a castle/fortress look with moat (early 1800's) to the more Victorian look pictured here. This place was so cool! Since we were the performers, all rehearsals were held here and we had access to more of the rooms.
The second picture is Hadyn's church and his final burial place (he was moved at some point from Vienna to Eisenstadt). Our hotel (a converted monastery--very neat!) was literally next door to the church. Our last concert took place here. A couple of interesting things about Hadyn's church: it is completely round inside except for one large painting on the wall above the pulpit. Consequently, the reverb was terrific!! to the point of being rather mushy...our director would have us sing a 3 or 4 beat phrase and cut off after beat 2 because the sound just kept going and going--and it would sound as if we held the phrase for 10 seconds!
But it was a neat experience to sing there, as the reverb made us sound soooo good.
Ok, teaser...I will share more later as I get time...

World Traveler Has Returned

Yey!

I know you are all overjoyed that I arrived home safely, despite the dangers of traveling internationally. In this post, I want to share my airline experiences: all of the airlines listed below I have flown on recently, and I feel obligated to share my experiences in hopes that it will help you make an informed decision about the airline you choose the next time you fly:

Now that I've spent 3 weeks being a world traveler, I took a moment to jot down a few ideas about airlines, based on my experiences with these companies. I hope you find the information interesting and insightful. They are listed in order of best to worst:

American Airlines
Pros: Good snacks--long flights get good meals
nice flight attendants
tv's in every seat
nice, up-to-date magazines
clean, modern cabins
assigned seats
Cons: no leg room
noted for losing luggage

British Airways
same as Amercian Airlines--very nice to fly. only gripe--no leg room

Southwest
Pros: snacks not as great as AA, but good--peanuts, pretzels--long flights get cookies/wheat thins
nice leather seats
nice flight attendants
clean modern cabins
pretty good magazines
Cons: no tv's
no assigned seats
limited travel destinations (they don't fly to a lot places on the East coast, including Atlanta)

Continental
Pros: huge amount of leg room--almost feels like first class
assigned seats
clean, nice, up-to-date cabin
Cons: not great snacks, again pretzels
mean flight attendants
no tv

US Airways
Pros: nice flight attendants
assigned seats
Cons: not up-to-date cabin/planes; looked very old
no good snacks--one small bag pretzels, even on long trips
no leg room
old, out of date magazines
definitely no tv's--these planes are too old


Bottom line: I would choose American if I could get a cheap enough flight, (generally they run more expensive). Also I would choose Southwest (if they have a flight where I'm going) --or Continental for the leg room --which was GREAT on long flights!

Ok, more later on how the trip went-- I will also have pics soon.

Remodel's done

Yey! I know you are all cheering and applauding for me now that the remodel's done at work. We've been cooped up in a small computer lab. My co-workers and I've been joking that we feel as if we've been sharing a bedroom with 15 other siblings. lol! So, since we don't have internet at home, and I have no privacy at work, I haven't posted in awhile. I do my posts on break, (of course), but even then, it's awfully hard to keep folks from reading over your shoulder when your desk is right next to the printers that 16 people use every day. Thankfully, we'll be moving back to our new office on Tuesday, so you should see more posts from me.

Except....that I'm leaving for Europe on Tuesday night!!! yippee!! I am so excited to go on this tour and sing Mozart on his 250th! The music is glorious, and our tour is primarily in Austria, so we'll be singing in Mozart's home, too. I will try to post from Europe since my mom is bringing her laptop. If we find a good wireless signal. I will try to get some good pics too.

Sooooo.....more later! :o)

bothersome

Hey Folks. Sorry this is gonna be a really short post. I do want to share all the great things that are going on right now, but don't have the time. Just wanted to leave you with a couple of random, albeit bothersome, thoughts that've been circling in my brain for the last couple of weeks:

Why do hot dog makers load the package with 10 hotdogs, and hot dog bun makers load the package with only 8 buns?

Why do garbage pickup companies make black garbage cans for the garbage that gets stored for the week and picked up only once in that week? I notice this only after walking to work on garbage pick-up days, in the heat, in very crowded neighborhoods. Ew. Don't most folks know that dark colors absorb heat and light colors reflect it? All I'm saying is: we need some white plastic garbage cans around here...

ok. I feel better. I'm sure you feel my pain--thanks for letting me vent.

Moving again?!

Agh! I think I am officially going crazy. I work in a building at Biola that is being renovated. I'm in accounting, and the entire department is being moved on Wednesday of next week, and we were officially notified today to get 40 people moved, packed--not to mention that year end is at the end of June and audit happens at the end of August!!! What are these folks thinking?! So, it may be a while before you see another post from me...but please pray that I keep my sanity...


oh, but here's some great news:

Justin is home!!!! whoopee!! The army let him come home for the birth of his child. He is in Colorado right now and the plan is to head to B'ham on Thursday nite. Pray that Junior stays just a little longer so daddy can make it for his birth. Thanks to everyone for praying for Justin, Tracy and baby...

Walmart Woes

This is for all of you suffering from a love/hate relationship with Walmart--I don't know if it's true, but it's almost too bizarre NOT to be!! Enjoy:

"Dear Mrs. Obanion,

Over the past six months, your husband, Mr. Shannon Obanion has been causing quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this type of behavior and have considered banning the entire family from shopping in any of our stores.

We have documented all incidents on our video surveillance equipment.
Three of our clerks are attending counseling from the trouble your husband has caused. All complaints against Mr. Obanion have been compiled and are listed below.

Claremore Super Wal-Mart Complaint Department
--------------------------------------------------------
MEMO - Re: Mr. Shannon Obanion - Complaints -

15 Things that Mr. Shannon Obanion has done while his spouse is shopping:


1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts when they weren't looking.


2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.


3. July 7: Made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the rest rooms.


4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official tone, 'Code3' in housewares..... and watched what happened.


5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and asked to put a bag of M&M's on layaway.


6. September 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to the Depends undergarments area.


7. September 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told othe shoppers he'd invite them in if they'll bring pillows from the bedding department.


8. September 23: When a clerk asks if they can help him, he begins to cry and asks, "Why can't you people just leave me alone?"


9. October 4: Looked right into the security camera; used it as a mirror, and picked his nose.


10. November 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, asked the clerk if he knows where the antidepressants are.


11. December 3: Darted around the store suspiciously loudly humming the "Mission Impossible" theme.


12. December 6: In the auto department, practiced his "Madonna look" using different size funnels.


13. December 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browse through, yelled "PICK ME!" "PICK ME!"


14. December 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumes the fetal position and screams "NO! NO It's those voices again!!!!"

(And, last, but not least!)



15. December 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door and waited a while; then, yelled, very loudly, "There is no toilet paper in here!"

Our New House

So, it's been a little while. I forgot to warn you that we were moving and I might not be able to post for a few days. We decided not to keep our cable hookup for internet, so we use only the internet access at the school. Kind of inconvenient, but it saves us a hundred bucks a month.

Here are some random thoughts about my new house:

It's really nice! About 40 years old, but fairly well taken care of. I think the decor in the kitchen is original, but now that it's forty years later, it looks retro, and I think it's pretty cool.

We have a fire place and a big living room. The house is not THAT big by most standards (about 1400 sq. ft), but it's so much bigger than the 1,000 sq ft we were living in before. It feels like there is elbow room and space to move around.

There's a fenced back yard and a patio. Six girls (all Biola students) lived in the house, and planted about 10 rose bushes--and they are all in full bloom--beautiful!! I am so excited to have the beautiful landscaping, without the work! Of course, I will try to maintain with watering and weeding, but the hard part is already done.

We have a washer and dryer--whoopee!! No more trotting up and down the stairs to the laundry room. And if I want to start a load before going to bed and finish it in the morning, so be it. No more scrambling for the washer and washing at odd times in order to get one.

Such a huge blessing too: the girls who lived there before us left us a LOT of stuff: the washer and dryer--gave it to us!! An old set, but works great. And, I think they'd gone to SAM's or Costco, b/c when I walked into the laundry room there was: a big box 3/4 full of Tide, a full bottle of Downy, 2 industrial size boxes of Glad cling wrap, 3 boxes of Ziploc freezer bags, 1 box of regular Ziploc sandwich bags, a gallon bottle of Palmolive, and various other half-used cleaning supplies: 409, CLR, etc. I am so excited!! We walked into the bathroom and there was a card welcoming us, and they included pertinent info about trash and street-sweeping days, AND they organized all the house keys and left them for us. To top it off, they left us a vase filled with roses from the back yard--how sweet is that?! We knew 3 of them from church, and they were all nice. And most importantly, the place was pretty spotless--what you'd expect, but always nice to walk into. And from talking to the girls, we found out that they stayed up til the day before we moved in, so I know they were busy.

We had to move in the middle of the week, as that's when the first of the month hit. So amid moving boxes, I had to get ready for work on Thursday, and let someone else do all the actual moving. Thankfully, Frank got 3 of his friends from class to help move the big stuff and we were in the new house by Thursday nite--amid a HUGE mess. Ugh. Then I still had to go work on Friday--but Biola goes to half Fridays during the summer, so I got to come home early. God Bless my husband. While I was at work on Friday and then on Saturday I had to go to an out of town wedding; he singlehandedly unpacked and/or organized every box in our new place! So when I got home at 5 on Saturday, it looked like a house!!! Yahoo! and I didn't have to do that much. What's bad, is then I conked on the couch for about an hour out of exhaustion. Poor Frank, like the Energizer Bunny--just kept going and going...

The only sad thing is, we only get the house for a year...and rent is so expensive that we are looking to sublet the 3rd bedroom to 2 philosophy majors--so that we can afford to live there, and Frank can have some "philosophical interaction". So far we've had interest from 3 guys--so hopefully we can get renters quick, as rent is: (*drumroll please), a whopping $2050/month!! Aghhh!! I guess it's a good thing we finish in a year...just hope I don't get too attached to the new house. I already know that I'll miss it terribly. Oh well, I'll enjoy it while I'm here--makes our stay here much more pleasant.

But, our house looks wonderful! And I walked to work this morning!--about 3/4 of a mile; got there in 15 minutes--what I normally would've spent driving. I will post pics as soon as I get them loaded to the computer.

So that was my week...how 'bout yours?

:o)

God Bless America

And God bless our armed forces.

The one I want to spend some time on now is the father of my almost-here nephew, and my brother-in-law, Justin. Justin and Tracy were married on Labor Day weekend last year, and now she is expecting their first baby. And he is serving in Iraq. Please stop and say a prayer for him:

for his safety,
for his sanity,
for his testimony,
for his Christian witness,
for his wife,
for his child,
for his protection,
and for God to bless him.

I heard "God Bless America" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" today at the Angels Baseball game, and was struck with the thought that I am able to go to a baseball game b/c my brother-in-law and his compatriots are keeping us safe and free.

Justin, we love and miss you! Come home soon and know that we are praying for you and Trace. love, Amber

God Bless America.

Memorial Day

Well, since today is Memorial Day, I would like to remember my Grandfather. A year ago this month, we buried my granddad on my Dad's side. He was 80 years old. His name was Ellis Vance Ewing, Sr. (Funny that when I married, my last name became Ellis:o) Here are some things I remember about his life:

He loved to fish.

He had a fishing buddy named George, who, when I was little, I used to call "Grammaw". (George was the first person I remember seeing as a kid who had grey hair, and I thought if you had grey hair, you were supposed to be a grandma)

Grandad also loved his t.v. By the time I got to know him, he was older and had slowed down considerably. His favorite things to watch were college football, old westerns, and the game show network. He was a master with that remote. He could change those channels almost faster than lightning!

"Is your daddy a glassmaker?" I probably heard him say those words more than everything else he told me put together. Granddad had a funny sarcastic side and if you got in the way of the t.v., he would grunt that phrase; which meant, "get out of the way--I'm can't see the t.v." And if he didn't say it fast enough, someone else would jump in and say it.

We always saw them--Nanny and Granddad on Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. If not to eat, then at least to drop in and say "hey". The holidays always centered around food, t.v., and Christmas gifts. And of course, catching up on what cousins were up to in the last year since we'd seen them all. I think it is a shame that we don't get together more often than once a year--and I am as much to blame as anyone. I really do have a great family. Always tell myself that we're too busy, but living so far away has changed me. I don't take things for granted anymore.

Granddad fought in WWII. Since he didn't like to talk about his war experiences, mostly we heard the stories from my dad. One story that we tell and re-tell is the story of Granddad's sword that he brought back from Japan. The hilt of the sword is a dragon's head, with rubies for eyes. Rumor has it that it belonged to an old Japanese warlord, and every time we tell the story, the sword grows about 2 inches and gets 100 years older. It is very cool. There are also stories of buddies he lost and sadness in the Japanese wilderness. We didn't really talk about those too much. Granddad wasn't really keen on remembering who he'd lost, and I can't say that I blame him.

Granddad hung sheetrock for a living. All or most of his brothers did, and most if not all of his nephews and sons do too. The Ewings are like the Drywall Dynasty in the south. Everyone knows Pidd, Podd, Calvin, Junebug, Hoochie, Mike, Steve, and all the rest who I don't even remember their names. They were (and are) known for being FAST and skilled at their jobs.
One thing I really admire about Granddad is that he worked up til 3 weeks before he died (at 80). Even at 65, he never did really retire. I think he went bored and stir-crazy. His life just revolved around work, so he kept at it. Usually worked 3 days a week. When he finally got sick, it was colon cancer, and it just up and hit him one day. One day he got up and went to work, and the next day he was laid up in the hospital sick. By then, the cancer was too far gone, and the doctors told him it didn't look good. I remember about a week later, I saw him and knew that this time it was for real. He'd lived through 2 heart attacks and a bypass, but this was it. Thankfully, he wasn't sick for very long, and did not suffer. He just sat down in his favorite chair, fought it for a few moments and then went to sleep. And most of the family got to be there with him when he passed.

He left so many of us. 4 kids, 15 grandkids, and 5 greats. Oh and Nanny, who just keeps going too. Nanny still works at the day care, but she has struggled with her health--she had an eye cancer a while back, which dr's were able to help; but now she is struggling with heart disease. She is great too--no matter how many grands and greats we produced, somehow Nan and Granddad were able to get EVERYONE a little something for Christmas! I never understood how they did it, but they did. It's like their labor of love for the family, and I appreciate their generosity. I also appreciate knowing that they would always be there for every Christmas, and we could go and "catch up". As an adult, I realize that life won't always be like that. But I am going to call Nanny today and catch up. The older I get, the fewer things I take for granted.

*If you are a family member and/or friend who knew Granddad, please leave a comment and tell me what you remember about him. Love y'all!!

LOL!!!

My boss sent these to me and I can't quit laughing. I don't know if it's just because it's Friday at 3 p.m.--I'm still at work and I need the laugh, or what?! Anyway, thought I'd post real quick and share the fun. Please leave a comment and let me know which was your favorite:

Bumper Stickers

Back Up My Hard Drive? How do I Put it in Reverse?

Everyone has a photographic memory. Some don't have film.

When the chips are down, the buffalo is empty.

Seen it all, done it all, can't remember most of it.

Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.

I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe.

He's not dead, He's electroencephalographically challenged.

She's always late. Her ancestors arrived on the June Flower.

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you.

I wonder how much deeper would the ocean be without sponges.

Honk if you love peace and quiet.

Pardon my driving, I am reloading.

Nothing is fool-proof to a sufficiently talented fool.

A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.

Save the whales. Collect the whole set.

Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

On the other hand, you have different fingers.

Change is inevitable. Except from a vending machine.

"Out of my mind.  Back in five minutes."

"I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian."

"When there's a will, I want to be in it."

"Okay, who stopped the payment on my reality check?"

Thoughts on Homeschool

I've been thinking more and more of homeschooling lately. All this time, I've been completely opposed to it: no social interaction, I don't want to quit work, I don't think I'm capable of doing it, etc.

First, you need a little background. Prepare yourself for an extremely long post. If you have something pressing, like, going to the bathroom or getting supper started; I suggest you do that and come back later. :o)

Yesterday, the boys and I went to Legoland by ourselves. With no one else but us. And for the first time I can remember, I had the boys with me, just us, and we'd gone somewhere far away to have fun. I came upon a small epiphany. Nothing as big as say, discovering Jesus' redemptive work or anything; but still an epiphany to me. I realized that I am, for the first time in 6 years, comfortable with being a mother and taking care of my own children all by myself. I've finally understood that for 6 years I've been hiding behind my mother, my husband, my best friend, my work, other friends, school, etc, etc. So that I wouldn't have to take care of them alone. Because I was afraid. What if I am a bad mother? What if I can't take care of them? Anxiety and Insecurity are the Burdens on my back. And yesterday changed it all. I think the change has been coming for quite some time though: a year in fact.

See, a year is how long it's been since I moved away from most of my comfort zones. And God has been slowly dragging me out of my shell and developing my independence in the world, and my dependence on Him. Remember my post about going to the library alone? It was happening then and I didn't know it. Then last Sunday, I desperately needed to go the the store (called the market out here) and for the first time, I couldn't leave the boys at home with Frank--he was just too tired from studying and completely zonked. The whole time I've had my children, I've always looked for ways to leave them at home when I ran errands--it's just too hard to take them with me; takes too much time, energy, effort, blah, blah. Looking back, I think deep down it was that anxiety/insecurity issue again. ("how can I be old enough to be the mother? what if we are in a terrible accident and they get killed?" "I don't have the confidence to do it." As I write these thoughts, it occurs to me that this feels a lot like the post- partum depression I went thru. Maybe I've carried a tiny part of it with me and just didn't know it.)

Anyway, we went to Sam's and Walmart and did fine. Then, Thursday nite, I needed to run to the store for some stuff for work on Friday, meaning it couldn't wait til the weekend. Since Frank is studying for finals, and Sunday went well; I decided to take the boys with me on Thursday nite. That is HUGE for me--usually after work, I am tired and don't feel like going to the store, much less dragging 2 boys with me. Well, it went fine--AND we went to 3 different stores! I was more tired than normal when we got home, but we made it.

So, every day this week, Steven asks if we can go to Disneyland again. Everyday we've been putting him off b/c of busyness: work and school. I was beginning to feel differently however. We can't go to disney b/c our passes are only good on certain dates, but the passes to Legoland are good anytime. So that's what we did. Me and the boys made the hour and 15 minute drive down to Carlsbad and we did just fine. In fact, we had a blast!! including me!! As we were driving home, I thought to myself: 'Wow, my children really are quite enjoyable, I want to do this again sometime soon. I wish I didn't have to work. If we homeschooled, we could do this all the time.' and so on.

Hence the title of this post: Thoughts on Homeschooling.

I don't know if we will do it. I had a conversation with Frank last nite when we got home that pretty much consisted of all of the above. He was glad to see how much I've grown, but that doesn't mean he's ready to jump into a whole new way of life. Plus, it's a difficult way of life: lesson plans, schoolwork, being COMPLETELY responsible for the education of your children. And we depend on my income right now. So, it will have to wait a little while. We have at least a year to think and pray. Please pray for us that we will make the right decision. I don't want it to be for selfish reasons: I don't want to work, I want my children with me, I want that emotional satisfaction, I want to shelter my children (i.o.w. hide them from real life), I want complete control of my children's education. All of these reasons boil down to: pride, selfishness, laziness, etc. But right reasons would include: Being able to spend time with my children, being able to teach them a Christian worldview, giving them more extra-curricular activities without piling that onto an already full school day, having the flexibility to pick up and go when needed. If you think of any more, let me know. (*Crissy, call me. I know you've probably got some good advice, enough to fill another post!)

Mother's Day

So I have something terrible to confess:

I forgot to call my mother on Mother's Day.

I woke up Monday morning with a strange sinking feeling of "there is something really important that I forgot to do yesterday, but I can't remember what it is..."

Oops. But, problem is, and I know this should be no excuse, I was so busy this past weekend! This is what I got done:

-packed several more boxes to move
-got the house clean
-excercised
-performed 2 concerts with the chorale--one in Pasadena (which is far away)
-took the boys swimming
-did the grocery shopping
-cooked all meals
-washed 3 loads of clothes
-baked brownies
and on and on and on.

Excuses, excuses. Unfortunately, I didn't get the one thing done that was the most important thing:
To call MY mother and wish her a happy Mother's Day. So, Mom, if you read this, just know that I love you very much, and now that I know what it's like to BE a mom, I'll never take you for granted ever again. Happy Mother's Day!! (belated of course.)(*Note: I called her Monday morning, and after holding out for a while, she finally forgave me for being so forgetful.:o)

I received this through a forwarded email and it's opinions on mothers as expressed by select 2nd graders:

Why God made Moms
Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.


How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He jused bigger parts.


What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use
string, I think.


Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty
bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.


What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to
chores?


Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.


Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3 . I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.


What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home & dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.


What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.


What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of
plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.


If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my brother who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of
her head.



Happy Mother's Day!

I am the grownup

Do you ever feel like you are a kid in an adult's body, and that you should still call your mom to ask permission to take the car out? Sometimes I feel like that. The other day I was on my way to the library to pick up something to read, and I was alone in the car--and I had the strangest feeling of: I need to let someone know what I'm doing--feel like I should ask permission! Or, when I'm taking the boys to the park, and it's just me and them; it feels surreal, like: I am not old enough to be taking them to the park by myself! *laugh*

I know that I am 27 years old and have been "of age" for quite some time now, but I still get that feeling of: I can't believe this is my life! I can't believe I am old enough to be married for 7 1/2 years and have 2 children; one of whom is already 5 years old, going on 6!! I mean, I just got married yesterday! Or did I?...

Some of the time, I look back and think: Wow, we've done so much in our married life; lived so many different places, made lots of friends, etc. But most of the time, it's the opposite--I think: Wow, it feels like just yesterday was my wedding day, the births of Frankie and Steven, etc. It's like a time warp--time is really creeping AND flying by all at once! I think part of it too is that I live so far away from everything I've ever known. It is COMPLETELY surreal to me that I am driving to the library in Fullerton, California! of all places to be! Growing up, I would never have thought that the path of my life could've brought me this far from home. But it is such an interesting journey.

On that note, I do have to admit that my horizons have been broadened since moving here. And, after living here 11 months, I must also admit that I am finally getting used to being here. I'd been warned to give it at least a year for the homesickness to subside--and they were right--I am getting more used to it.

I've also found that I am much more patient than I used to be, and more independent. Always been a homebody, but it's kind of hard to maintain the homebodiness when you're 2,000 miles away from home, heehee. I used to not like to go public places by myself; i.e. amusement parks, regular parks, even the grocery store. But heck, I go to the library by myself (I've come a long way). I know that seems kind of silly, but I was just never very independent. I can see now that God has been pushing me out of my comfort zone for a while, and I've grown by leaps and bounds. Let's see what He'll do in the next 12 months...

Trader Joe's

One thing that I love about California is a store called Trader Joe's. It's fashioned after trading posts in the 1800's, and they have a little of everything. Some produce/dairy/meat, but also organic stuff and vitamins. You can't do all your grocery shopping there, but you can get a lot of it, at very good prices. They buy whole sale from manufacturers, and all their food is very good for you--organic, no preservatives, etc. That's one thing I hate about buying organic/no hormones/antibiotics, etc; is that those things cost twice as much as the regular stuff. So you have to make a decision: 1. be extra healthy and spend a lot more $$ buying all natural/organic, or 2. be as healthy as you can and take the cheaper alternatives; like Tyson's hormone-laden chicken or Barber's antibiotic-laced milk. Granted, I still buy a lot of my stuff from a regular grocery store (I should buy stock in Tyson's); but today at Trader Joe's, I picked up organic baby spinach for $1.79/bag, with a good date and cheaper than the Fresh Express Variety at the grocery store. I also got several all natural frozen meals--like stouffers or lean cuisine family dinners for less than $5 apiece. My favorite is box mac 'n cheese--all organic cheese and pasta, for 79 cents a box. It's so cool to be able to eat more healthy for the same price, or in some cases, cheaper. If you're interested, check out their website at www.traderjoes.com

Now if they'll just open up one back home, I'll be good. I think I'll email the company and suggest it.

Europe

So I need to update you about my music opportunities. After dropping out of the music program at Biola, I was sad, and decided to do a search on the internet to find community choirs in and around my town. I wanted to find a group that would challenge me musically without being too hard. I found a choir through a college called "Chorale Bel Canto".

They mostly do classical music, and I had to audition with an aria--from opera or oratorio. Since at the time, I knew from their website that the next concert was featuring Bach, I decided to do the Bach aria I'd done at my recital. (Less work on my part! didn't have to learn anything new.) Well, the director was very kind, and I like him--he invited me to sit in on the rehearsal to see if I liked it, then I could sing for him. Everything went well, and I joined the choir that night. We had our first concert at the end of March, and it focused on Baroque music--hard! Kicked my butt, in a good way. Now we are working on Mozart's Mass in C Minor, which is very beautiful music, and even more challenging than the Bach. But I am loving it.

Oh, and I keep forgetting to tell you that I got to sing on Easter Sunday. The choir participates in a sunrise service at Rose Hills Cemetary here in CA(it's the biggest cemetary I've ever seen, miles and miles), and I was asked to sing the solo: the spiritual "Were you there?" at the very beginning of the service. It was cool-- dark, so I couldn't see all the people, but they told us later that there were about 1500 people there. Cool!! I wasn't really nervous b/c I couldn't SEE anyone, heehee. The service was beautiful; reverent and sacred. Hard to explain, but there's something about celebrating the resurrection of Christ around the same time of day as the disciples and women first saw Him.

Ok, now I get to the reason for this post. The choir is going to Europe this summer and I get to go too!!!!!! I am elated! Never gotten to do anything like this before in my life. The price is very good, and we are touring Austria and Hungary, singing the Mozart music. Didn't want to mention anything sooner, as there were a lot of variables: had to get permission from work and make sure we had the $$. (Tax returns and earned income credit are great!) I'm also thankful my husband is willing to live without me for 16 days (8/1-8/16). That'll be the hard part--being separated from my boys. But it is the opportunity of a lifetime. Now onto passport and electric outlet converters, whoohoo! :o)

LA/Dodgers Stadium

Dodgers Stadium as seen from our seats up high


LA skyline


Shot of LA from a different angle


The Hollywood sign as seen from the stadium

The Dodgers Game

Yesterday we went to a Dodgers game. Los Angeles has 2 major league baseball teams: The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (of California, and so on...little bit of a joke); (and the ones we have the season tix for); and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Why then, you ask, did we go to a Dodgers game? Well, Frankie is in the Buena Park Little League, and their team, the Cardinals, got a chance to parade around Dodgers stadium right before the game. Something about National League vs. American League. His team was affiliated with the Dodgers instead of the Angels.

And, it was also autograph day for kids under 14. So, while Frank was getting Frankie to the parade, Steven and I took a brand new MLB baseball (used for autographs) and stood in a line 1/4 length of the stadium, in hopes of getting an autograph from one of the Dodgers. After standing in line for about an hour--it wasn't too bad, the weather was sunny but not hot, and the view was great; Hollywood is on one side and LA is kind of at a right angle--so we did ok. But just as we made it up to the autograph tent, they called all the players out so they could go warm up for the game. Darn. But, they left the veteran players, so we got autographs from Bobby Costillo and Rudy Law. (Like I know who they are. Someone famous, and I wouldn't even know it :o) It was a good game too--the Dodgers won, and Steven took a nap. YES!

Last but not least, we did get to see a couple of famous folks and we actually knew who they were: Harrison Ford was there with his girl, Calista Flockhart. Of course, they had a private box, and we only saw them because they got put on the big screen. But it was still neat to think that we were probably only about 100 yards from Indiana Jones. (He's actually looking kind of old; sporting a full beard that's mostly white.) Also saw some NFL player, Warren Moon; again, wouldn't know him if I saw him on the street, but Frank knew who he was. Once they pointed him out, we looked down and saw him in the stands live, so Frank took this picture. He's the one with the mint green shirt. Cool, huh? Course, we're in the nosebleed section at the tip top of the stadium, so Warren's features are a little indistinguishable, but trust me, it's him.

This is Frankie and Steven at a visit to a couple's house in our small group: Jesse and Ginny Grotholson. Jesse is an actor--a serious one. It was so interesting to talk with him and find out what it's like to make movies. He has an MFA (Master of Fine Arts) and they moved here from Chicago last July for him to pursue a professional career in acting. He is working on what's called a "reel"--basically a film strip of several examples of his work to present to agents. He hopes to have it finished by the end of the year so that he can have an agent and be auditioning for TV/Film. I loved learning about all that, and it was great to interact with a Christian in the "Industry" who is spiritually well-grounded. Oh well, at least I'll be able to say "I knew him when..." :o)

Been a little while...

Hey Folks!

Sorry it's been a while. I've been missing all of you alot. We are still doing ok out here. About a month ago, my sister came out and we had so much fun. We went to Disneyland for a day--got there when it opened at 9 am and left when it closed at 11 pm. It was a blast! Sarah had a free ticket, so we wanted to get our money's worth since a one day park hopper (Disney has 2 parks) is $79. Thankfully, Frank was able to take the boys home in the middle of the day for a nap.

Unfortunately, Sarah and I picked up sickness while we were there. Part of the reason I haven't posted in a while--been sick with food poisoning. We think it was the hamburger...sigh...I am just now getting over it, 3 weeks later. Finally went to the doctor, who is running lab tests to find out what it is. Funny thing is, I waited 2 1/2 weeks to go to the doctor, and they are running tests, but now I think I'm getting better. Oh well, least I'll find out what it was. Fyi, if you ever think you have food poisoning, there are several different kinds. Some you can treat with antibiotics; some go away on their own; and some you can treat with antibiotics, and they go away, but then mutate and come back worse than before. So, we are postponing any kind of treatment until we figure out what it is. I'll keep you posted.

Frank started a blog: www.apologique.blogspot.com
Check it out when you get a chance. It's pretty good if I do say so myself. (Course I am a little biased) :o)

I have spring fever so bad! California doesn't have normal seasons. Instead, it's: Summer, Indian summer (with desert winds warm fronts), and Rainy season. We just came out Rainy season--which was basically kind of cold and drizzly with highs around 60 every day. Not too bad, but to Californians it's "Winter/Storm Front"!! Their Evening News cracks me up! One day when it was drizzling lightly and the wind was blowing about 10 mph, the anchor persons were on the news decked out in full rain gear and commentating in very serious tones about how the wind was making the rain blow sideways and that looked really bad. LOL!! Give me a break. Maybe I should call'em up and talk about Tornado warnings in the South--now those are some serious storms. One problem we do run into here is that since they don't get rain very often, when they DO get it, flooding tends to occur. Esp. at LAX (the airport). Esp. when you need to go pick someone up from the airport...in the rain...and the dark. and you get lost in downtown LA. Sigh...sometimes I miss AL and Malfunction Junction. heehee.

We are moving at the end of May to a house with a yard. We've been living in an apartment, and now we're going to live in a house within walking distance of Biola. YES! Good thing too, since gas is predicted to go up to $4/gallon here by the middle of summer! Sheesh! It's already up to $3/gallon right now. How is it back home? Another thing that I find interesting about here is that folks depend a lot more on transportation other than cars. They will walk, ride a bike, or use the bus. I have to be a lot more careful driving here, you have to watch for pedestrians and cyclists constantly. Darn! lowers the point values too.

Ok, more later. Talk soon!

Sarah onstage!!

Random things I need to tell you

Well, yesterday was my birthday. It was quite uneventful, actually--which was nice. We went to church and then small group. I made a birthday cookie and the boys and I ate it. When you're the mother, sometimes you have to take care of your own birthday cake, heehee. But it's all good--I would rather have a birthday cookie that I made myself than a store-bought cake that's way too sugary.

A huge thank you to all of you who remembered! You made me feel special. But, it's also ok if you are reading this and didn't know it was my birthday, or forgot. I don't mind. One time Crissy and I were talking about all the stuff we have on our plates--that life is almost like a cup. There's only so much you can put in it, and when you start trying to put too much in it, it overflows and you lose some details, and some important things you were trying to remember--like folks' birthdays. So, I completely understand.

I got so many calls yesterday, in fact, that it made me really homesick and I cried last nite. Just from sheer missing everyone that I love in the whole world, and the actual places too. It is a physical hurt in my gut sometimes--how can a person miss something so much? I know I do. For the first couple of months we were here, we were getting busy settling in, and then after that, the sadness hit. Then the next few months, I started grieving and cried about once or twice a week. Now it's down to once a month or around special holidays that the sadness hits. Thank the Lord for the internet--what did they do 150 years ago when folks left on the wagon train to never return to the East, and all they had was the Pony Express--WORSE than Snail Mail. :o) Anyway, we have Email, Blogs, and Instant Messenger, for Pete's Sake! So, I know it could be a lot worse. And we are learning so much out here.

Speaking of missing home, Sarah, my sister is coming out here!!!! yey!!!!! I am so excited. This is her first visit to CA, so she will get the grand tour. She is staying for 10 days, so there will be time to do and see everything. Sarah just finished up Madama Butterfly with Opera Birmingham.


I'm very proud of her: she teaches voice lessons and also does opera and sing for 2 choirs: East Lake United Methodist Choir, and Colla Voce of Birmingham. She is so busy! I am glad that she is able to get some time off to come out here. I like the thought of introducing my sister, and one of my closest friends to my new life out here.

Well, I guess that's enough for now. Goodness! Don't know what got into me, getting all nostalgic all of a sudden. Oh well, more later. Miss you all and love you!!

Ad for Boudreaux's

I was reading Crissy's post from the other day, about her kids coming up with "Alternative uses for Everyday Foods". I thought the month old milk in the sippy cup was esp. true; and really found the $6 bottle of virgin olive oil quite painful. I even laughed my socks off at the ice cream sandwich paint, while thinking to myself: "thank God my kids haven't done anything that crazy, cuz I would sure be ticked off...oh well, happened to Crissy, heehee."

Well that thought has seriously come to bite me in the butt. almost literally. Ok, let me just say 'boudreaux's butt paste'. !!!! :oO uh oh.

Wellllllll, let me share--this is how it happened: Night before last, kids were REALLY cranky, and so were we (poor kids), so we decided to put them to bed early--YIPEE!! Bad move. 1 hour later, Frank walks down the hall to check on them cuz everything had gotten really quiet...come to find out, they'd gotten into the hall cabinet and opened the butt paste and smeared it all over everything. The ENTIRE 16 oz. cannister. Oops. Now, for those of you who don't know what butt paste is, it has the consistency of car wax. and that was the only way we got it off--half a roll of paper towels, with the classic "wax on, wax off". Shoot, I think it took me 30 minutes just to get the goop off the cabinets, and shelves; and I still haven't got it out of the carpet. The stuff is great on chapped bottoms cuz it's so oily--if any of you readers happen to know how to get it out of carpet, please let me know.
I guess it'll teach me not to laugh at my dear friend's misfortune...

I should've taken pics to prove how bad it was. And just moments ago, I discovered boudreaux hand prints all over the closet walls. Beautiful. *note to self* I love my life. :o)

My silly, wonderful kids...

These are my boys at their finest...they're the sweetest, most exasperating, crankiest, loving, funny, silly, hilarious kids in the whole world and I wouldn't trade them for anything. This is a couple of days ago while they were just being kids. One day about a month ago, Steven was quoting Monsters Inc and I realized how smart he was, so I started working with them to memorize some Scripture. We are working on Psalm 8 right now, because it has lots of word pics in it: "fish of the sea, birds of the air, children and babies", etc. In four weeks, they've memorized the first 2 verses. I am glad to get the opportunity to teach them early...I remember all the Scripture I memorized as a kid, but now that I'm an adult, it is SO hard to memorize stuff! But what I do have memorized from my childhood is never going away. Thank the Lord I have some Scripture committed to memory--but not enough! "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." (Deut. 11:18-19)

Tracy's having a boy!!!

I am very excited...my sister-in-law, and one of my closest friends, Tracy, is having a baby boy!! She is due June 23rd. Isn't she cute? Please pray for Justin, her husband--he is fighting in Iraq. Pray for God's protection and also that Justin will be able to come home for the birth of his son.

Bummer!

Well, I'm kinda bummed...

I won't be able to take classes at Biola after all. Allow me to elaborate on this drama:

First of all, applying was a headache. So many hoops to jump thru when you apply for school...references, transcripts, statement of faith (for a Christian school). Shooooot....the application itself is about like writing an autobiographical thesis! Ugh! I can't believe I'd forgotten what a pain it is...about like the pain of childbirth...you know how you forget? And, because I am also an employee, had to check several times to make sure I was getting that tuition discount--very important!

Well, finally got accepted--on to registration! Now for the nightmare. Registration is not easy at Biola. I think they make it as difficult as possible to test your faith. Either that, or it's oppression. It is absolutely THE definition of "getting the runaround". I felt like I was wading thru knee deep mud the whole time. When I got in line, (I got to be first because of the employee status), they put me thru to the computer registration line. Biola has electronic registration for everyone except first timers--but what no one explained to me is that the first timers still register online, they just get the permission for the classes from their specific dept. before going thru registration. So...the music dept gave me this archaic little yellow card with my 2 classes listed on it, and told me to take it with me on reg day and the reg folks would know what to do with it...well, come to find out, after 3 times of trying to register--going thru the line ALL three times!--I had to have an "electronic" signature...so had to call the Music dept AGAIN, and get them to submit my classes electronically...sigh.

So, finally got registered, but then could never get the voice teacher to set up a lesson time. Emailed her twice, who said just "sign up". Then called the music office (twice!) to find out how to sign up, and they said "email your voice teacher" aggghhhhh!!!!

My frustration really went thru the roof Monday morning: got an email from my voice teacher: "Everyone signed up for voice lessons except for you...maybe you can get in after voice workshop". Basically saying: maybe I can work you in since you didn't get to the signup in time....
It's irritating, b/c I checked her door twice last week (following what the music office told me to do) in order to sign up; but never saw a sheet. Also, had emailed the head accompanist (per the music office's instructions), to see if she could get in touch with my voice teacher to set up lessons. Anyway, called the music office one more time: who said to contact my voice teacher via email, and see if I could get this all straightened out....While I had the music office on the phone, I asked about voice workshop. The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Hey, can you also explain to me what voice workshop is?"
MO (Music Office) pause. "Ooooohhhhhhh.... No one ever told you about voice workshop requirment, did they?"
Me: "No.... can you tell me what it is?"
MO: "Well, voice workshop is a requirement as a member of the music program in the Conservatory...you have to show up on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30. It's required for all voice students."
Me: panic at this point

See, I'd signed up for 3 units: 1 hour of voice lesson a week and a 2 hour Music history class, = a total of 3 hours out of the office...right? WRONG! Come to find out, I was required to be have 3 hours of class time for the one unit of voice and 3 hours of class time for the 2 unit history class--on top of labs and homework on my own time! Not to mention, (but I'll mention it anyway:o), Concert Music Requirement: a non credit requirement for graduation--basically attendance to about 20 or so concerts throughout the semester at different locations; mainly Biola, other area colleges, and a couple of big productions in downtown LA--to be completed every semester.

So.....this was looking more and more daunting for someone who only wanted a couple of classes. And the sinking feeling in my stomach was only getting more sinking. So after a few tears of total frustration, I went to talk to my boss, and we agreed it was just TOO much work when we added all up. Hence, I am no longer a student of Biola University. Yeah, I was extremely disappointed...I kept asking myself why is God not letting me have fulfillment from what I truly love? But, He keeps reminding me that it's not about me, and maybe I'm trying to find my identity in something else aside from Him...He sustains me--and keeps trying to remind me that anything can become an idol, even something He created. And, He has something better for me--in fact, He has my best in mind--even if it's not another degree. I was getting so wrapped up in getting more education that it was taking away from my personal life--and that is much more important. So, I'll be all right. God is still in control, and I can take comfort in that.

I finally have a chance to sit down and post on California Dreaming. Welcome, and my apologies for waiting so long to post. We have just been so busy...I almost don't know where to start. I'll just do a few bullet points to fill you in on the past couple of months, and hopefully I won't forget anything. Here they are in a somewhat chronological order:

--I got a job at Biola University. I am very blessed: I was able to land a job in the accounting department, as a clerk. I find that I am actually pretty good with numbers, (gasp!) and I very much enjoy working with my fellow employees. It's great to be able to work in a Christian environment. I have several different responsibilities; including, but not limited to: all wires, incoming and outgoing; cashflow and several other related reports, and clerical support for other staff members. This is also the only job I've ever had where I've been told I need to "talk and socialize more"...Hahaha...Because we work in accounting, the department wants us to be friendly and socialize with each other, so we won't be so wrapped up in numbers...it is probably the easiest part of my job...heehee; I just can't believe they WANT me to talk more!!

--Tracy and Justin spent Thanksgiving with us. It was so much fun. We took them down to Legoland (Justin really likes legos) and we did the cooking thing; turkey, dressing, and all the bells and whistles. It was great to hang out with them, and we got to see family for the holidays.

--We went home to AL for Christmas....yey!!!!!! It was wonderful to see everyone again. We love you all so much, and it makes life out here easier since we were able to see so many of you. (For those we didn't get to see, I am sorry...and miss you too!!!) Frankie and Steven really had fun hanging out with cousins, and we got to see the latest member of our family: Ashlyn Ewing, my brother Jacob's little girl. She is so special and we were glad to get to know her! I also got to spend a lot of time with my best friend, Crissy and all our other sister chicks. It was neat to go to the New Year's Eve Party and see all the Community Pres gang...I got there and it felt as if I had never left. Love that feeling of being able to pick up where I left off!! Many thanks to Crissy and Kim for throwing a great party! We also had a blast celebrating the boys' birthdays: Steven on 12/30 and Frankie on 01/01. So....holidays were full....

--Got back to CA and routine, and then got a fun call from Justin and Tracy: Tracy's having a baby!!!!! Yey...more cousins...:0) She's due late June, so we are looking to come back to AL for a visit then. Please pray for Justin and Tracy: he's in Iraq, and it would be great if he can come back to the States early for the birth of his child. Thankfully, Tracy is back in AL and close to lots of friends and family, so she has a lot support.

--I applied to the Conservatory of Music at Biola U and got accepted! Because I work at Biola, I get a huge tuition break, and I'm allowed to take up to 6 credits/semester...so...I'm looking at working on a music ed degree while we're here in CA.

--Frank is having the time of his life in a Philosophy class with William Lane Craig. I am so proud of him; he got the required reading done for his class: 1800 pages! He is determined to do his best; we are of a mindset of get as much out of school as we can while we're here. I think although the work is hard, Frank is content to be pushing toward a goal and thankful to be learning so much.

--Frankie and Steven also have "jobs"--kid jobs of course. Frankie goes to school every day, and loves it. He told me the other day that he doesn't miss any of us when he goes to school--he likes school too much! Steven goes to Melinda's house (a neighbor) while Frank is in class. He does fairly well, although he is a mama/daddy's boy; he would rather stay with us. But, he lets us know that he want to go to school with Frankie--he doesn't realize that he's not old enough.

So, that's life right now...kind of busy, but God is good. Let us know how it goes with you...