Picture Time

I'm finally taking the time to post some pictures that I've been collecting. Enjoy!


Stokley and his buddy Rugby.


Joel likes my sugar cookies!


Olivia showing off how she can do "So Big."


Yummy fingers


It's fun playing in Luke's kennel!


The Schwuchow family


I like birthday cake!


Aunt Wendy taught me and Stokley how to take our grocery cart and go shopping in Nana's kitchen.

Slacking

I'm supposed to be leaving for Church in about 5 minutes. But instead I'm sitting here at my computer with wet hair and no makeup posting on blogger.

I miss mornings when I can just relax and take my time getting ready for the day. So I'm going to do that today. No one says that I really have to be at church at 10. Plus I'm supposed to be on vacation from work. Ok, I think I've convinced myself that it's ok if I show up a few minutes late.

It's been a while since I've posted so here is an update on my life:

*spending lots of time working on Kids Kamp stuff (we still need lots of workers!)
*traveled to Ohio last weekend for a friends wedding. We had a blast with some old college friends. It felt like being home hanging out with them. That's the best kind of friends to have.
*traveled to Indiana for Oliva's first birthday. (I'll post pictures later.) I really had a chance to bond with Miss Olivia. She even cried when I left (she's only ever cried when her Mom has left.) It broke my heart to leave her.
* Hung out a bit with my Gramma who lost her husband about one month ago. What an emotional roller coaster.
* Spent my 3rd Anniversary with Tricia sorting all the items that had been dropped of for the Mexico missions trip while our husbands lost at poker.

Ok, I really must go now. My guilt of being late is taking over!

Hooray!

All of Joel and my Mexico funds are in! God is awesome!

Being a Grown Up

Today was one of those days when I really knew I was a grown up.

I went to the doctor and chose to have three more shots in my foot to help get rid of the planters warts I've been carrying around since college. The doctor also gave me a cream prescription. I went to Walgreens to have it filled --- whoa, $40 after insurance. I check to see how much it was if I wouldn't have had insurance, $236. Boy am I glad that we have insurance, otherwise I'd be carrying around those little warts for a lot longer!

What's Up?

I started out this week with a blast! I spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday down in Indiana with my Mom, Jennifer and Olivia. We had a great time playing Olivia, teaching her to do SO BIG and other fun things. I found that Olivia and I share a common passion --- mashed potatoes! She actually loves them just as much as I do. We also both really love Stokley. Olivia was not afraid of him at all! She constantly would give him hugs and kisses and let him lick her face --- in fact she would stick her face in his to get some kisses. I also got to spend some time with my Gramma who just lost her husband. We went through his clothes, went out to brunch and did some shopping!

Once I got back to Michigan, I got into Kids Kamp mode --- which is only one month away (freak out!). Anyone want to help the week of June 18-23?

On Saturday, while Joel was at the church working on worship stuff, Tricia, Susan and I went garage saling. It's been a long time since I've done that, but we had a fun time -- even though it was raining!

Next time you see Joel, make sure you give him what my dad would call an "atta boy". He's been spending 3-6 hours a day studying for his actuary exam which is this Thursday. Today he took a practice exam (40 questions in 4 hours.) When he graded it, he got a score that would have been a passing score! Hopefully that will play out the same way on Thursday. If you think of him during the hours of 8am to 12, please pray for him!

Oh, by the way --- Happy Mother's Day!

Boredom leads to this

After reading Noel’s post, I decided to go to www.wikipedia.org myself and see what has happened on my birthday. Here’s what I found (just a few):

Events:
1735 - Mathematical calculations suggest it was on this day that Pluto moved from the ninth to the eighth most distant planet from the Sun for the last time before 1979.
1804 - Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr kills Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in a duel.
1914 - Babe Ruth debuts in Major league baseball.

Births:
1767 - John Quincy Adams, President of the United States (d. 1848)
1981 - Andre Johnson, NFL Wide Receiver
1975 - Lil' Kim, American rapper

Deaths:
1804 - Alexander Hamilton, United States Secretary of the Treasury (duel) (b. 1757)
1989 - Sir Laurence Olivier, English actor (b. 1907)
1959 - Charlie Parker, English cricketer (b. 1882

Sweet Dreams

This morning I woke up and realized that it was only about 7 am. Since it was Saturday and I did not have anything that needed to be done today, I went back to sleep. What a mistake! I had this dream where I was fixing a meal for Joel and I's extended family. I stopped cooking, to go to the bathroom and when I came back, all my dishes were gone. So I was frantically running around the house looking for my dishes, in tears, so upset , thinking that the family was going to be mad that their meal was late or not good. But none of them noticed me or would help me. So I just searched harder and cried harder. Finally, a phone call came. David Letterman stole my dishes as part of a joke for his show and the whole family was in on it. This made me even madder! (Guess this dream goes to show how much I like surprises.) I was so angry with the family members that they didn't try to console me or tell me to stop searching so frantically for the dishes.
Quite a dream, huh? Well the worst part was that when I woke up, I still had all that anger. I was really mad! I had planned on having a wonderful relaxing day, but I was just so angry inside. How is it that emotions from a dream can be so real and stick with me for so long? Needless to say, I ended up in tears this morning.
After I did some house work, I decided to go spend a gift certificate that I had won at work. I went and walked around the mall, but didn't find a single item to buy --- even more sadness!
Hopefully the day will get better! Stupid dream!!

Freedom is so close I can taste it!

Finals week is here! I just spent my last hour in the Math Learning Center at MSU, so just have to give the final exam tomorrow morning! Oh, but then I have to spend all day grading them.... oh well.. the end is in sight!

On Saturday Joel's mom, Karen, and his sister, Molly, and I went to a women's conference at Riverview. It was quite refreshing. They had five speakers speak on different topics relating to gardening--- our spiritual life that is. One theme that each had was that you have to view yourself as God views you and be excited with who you are. I think many women get caught up in the roles and images that they should when they really aren't that way. I really enjoyed the time. My neighbor Leah also came!

The rest of the weekend was spend hanging out with Joel's family and watching the NFL draft.

Well, I need to finish up a few things in my office. So I'll post more later!