Facebook Lone Ranger

I did it. Wow. I can't believe it. I actually did it. I DEACTIVATED my Facebook account. It still makes me a tiny bit panicky, even though its been 10 days now. I've been contemplating it now for a little over a year. I even took a little hiatus a time (or maybe even two) last year. But it had to be cold turkey for me. Of course I worry that I will be left out of the loop on things. Most of my invites to parties, get-togethers, and play dates are all done via Facebook now. And all the drama? Well, I won't miss that part. I also do business quite frequently through Facebook. People find out my name from a friend who has a platter, and they look me up and message me. Giving it up is risky, I tell ya. Am I gonna be the Lone Ranger? Facebook seems to be the way people connect and communicate in this day and age, and I've just cut myself off.

There are several reasons for taking my face off that book. Here's a little bit about my "why"

1. It sucked way too much time out of my day. I wasn't good at controlling or limiting my time on Facebook. And with having 519 of my closest friends staring at me all day long, with something to say, it took awhile to scroll through my home page and read all of their exciting (or not so much) news.
For the first time I realize I'm truly addicted to something. Actually it's the second time. I use to be addicted to The Young and the Restless. Ha! Now that just makes me laugh, but that's another blog for another day. I realized I was addicted when I thought maybe I was spending an hour or so a day (thinking that was too much), but then when I stopped and really added up the time in the morning (while drinking my hot tea and waking up... every tired Momma needs wake-up time, right?!?!). And throughout the morning in between breakfast, dishes, and teaching school I might have jumped on for a little bit. Of course in the afternoon while the kids are playing outside or while waiting on them at dance, soccer, etc., I would find a quite minute to scroll. In the evening while cooking dinner, if I had even just a few minutes while waiting for water to boil or bread to finish baking, I might be found sitting on the floor next to the oven seeing what my friends had to say. Ugh... pathetic. In the evenings when Alan and I would sit down to relax and watch TV I would be sitting on one end of the couch, Facebooking, and Alan would be on the other end, laptop in hand, doing his thing (usually playing poker). Good relationship building time, huh? Not really. And, last but not least... before bed I would go plug my Ipad into the charger, and often have just a little more quick responding, posting, or scrolling to do while Alan is waiting for me to turn off the lights. Addicted? I think so.
Add it up, and I bet it totals between 2-3 hours. A day. Yet... I can't find time to get projects done, can't find time to spend praying or reading the Bible, can't find time to exercise or do the laundry. Hmmmm.
Many friends suggested I trim my list to a few favorite friends and/or family. Some suggested only having a business page, or only logging on at morning and night. But I know myself. That wouldn't really work. It's all or nothing, baby. At least for awhile.

2. Another major reason I don't like Facebook... I don't like what it is doing for relationships. I don't like that people rarely TALK anymore, and rather just assume they know what is going on or how you might be doing. I believe Facebook causes people to "feel" connected, but in reality, the relationships that should be more substantial are probably much less "connected" or real. Now I will be the first to quickly admit I have a hard time with change. I've blogged about that before, more than once. So I will admit that it's possible that I am just having a hard time adjusting to this monumental change is society and in communication. That being said, no matter what is going on in the world, I believe in following my heart and listening to my gut. Facebook is one of those "gut feelings" I've been sorting through and trying to figure out, and this is my conclusion, I guess you could say.
In my own experience over the past year or so, I can definitely say that some of the important relationships in my life and in the life of my family have changed because of lack of talking. In my opinion it's all to easy to read posts or upload pictures, and get the feel of "Oh! Yay for her!" or maybe it might be "bummer... I need to be praying for them" or whatever the case might be. I do think facebook is great for keeping up with the casual relationships in town or across the miles. But for family relationships and close friends, I think those warrant real talking. And real listening. And with facebook, I bet there has been 90% less real talking on the phone or in person. And that.... I truly believe, cheapens those all too important relationships.
Perhaps If it weren't for my "addiction" issues I'm overcoming, maybe I would work harder to enjoy the best of both worlds? I could make an effort to make phone calls AND enjoy posts and pictures and updates. But I don't know... It's still all too easy to get the fix and fill by simply scrolling.
I kind-of fear for the future of society a little bit. What will happen after years of communicating this way? Is this what people said long ago when phones were invented? Or the internet? Hmmmm. I don't know. But for now... for me... It hasn't felt right in my heart and mind. So I've made the monumental leap to give it up. It's gonna require more time to call my brothers, sisters-in-law, cousins, and friends to stay connected. But for me, I think those relationships will be so much better and more real, like the days of the near past. And technically I should have a little more time in my day now, right?

I have to say that 10 days in, I have LOVED my break. Emotionally, spiritually, relationally, and even time-wise! It has been great. And while I still have little moments of "what am I missing out on???" I can honestly say that it feels like a brick has been lifted off my shoulders. Weird. Yeah, I sometimes I am weird. I admit.
Also, it feels good to have broken an addiction.



((deep sigh of relief))

I *LOVE* Our Lil Family

I love this picture of us! It was taken while waiting in line at Universal Studios, at the Toy Story Ride. We all voted that it was our favorite ride of the whole trip. Fun, bright colors, loud laughter, spinning and shooting guns, it was so fun it was almost dreamy!

Waking up to LOVE from my Sweet Baby Girl.

This morning I woke up to a little bit of sweet LOVE in the air... From my Baby Girl.
Last night she wasn't falling asleep. She kept yelling down the stairs, asking what time it was, or when we would be going to bed, etc. Finally, as we were about to go to bed she came down and told us what was up... HER!!! She confessed that she was waiting for us to go to bed, and she asked if we would shut our bedroom door because she had some " things she wanted to do for us for Valentines Day, and there wouldn't be time to get it done in the morning before we got up." So, we let her! She tucked us in bed, and we closed our door, and I laid there thinking "wahhhh, she is growing up! Will she turn the lights out before she goes to bed? What if she pours us cereal for breakfast and has it waiting all night long for us until we wake up? Have I ever explained about food and milk needing to keep cold? What if she gets scared? How late will she stay up? Hopefully she won't turn the TV on this late at night." After a few minutes of worrying and wondering, I felt at peace, knowing that she is quite the responsible 8 year old. Instead, I laid there for a few more minutes listening to a little bit of clanking and moving around, shutting of doors and shuffling feet across the floor. I think I had actually just barely fallen asleep when she came in to tell me she was going to bed. Really, that was so neat of her to do that. And it felt good to trust her and look forward to the morning surprise!
Happy Valetines Day! I woke up to my fuzzy house slippers laying beside me, and a note that said...


And in each room was another note. So sweet! I had to take pics of the notes.



So while we were sleeping, our little blonde-headed, blue-eyed cupid was spreading love notes around the house for us to wake up to. I loved it! So sweet!

Sackin' Up Some Lunch

Well being snowed in for over a week makes a bunch of antsy kids. And antsy Mommas. But at the same time, being snowed in makes us realize how lucky we are to be warm. And protected. And full. And happy. Then you start to think about the people out there in this cold and snow who aren't so lucky or blessed. Those who have fallen on hard times, and even those who have made their own bad choices that have landed them there: homeless. And hungry.
So a few of us got together with our kids and made up sack lunches to give to John 3:16 Mission in Tulsa. We filled 200 brown paper sacks with a pbj, an orange, a swiss roll, a granola bar, and a bottle of water. Traci's kitchen table was full of kids making the sandwiches, and at the counter others of us were packing the sacks. Bryce was taking the sacks to the garage as we filled them.
Traci's husband said the people at the shelter were forever grateful on that cold day that he delivered a truck full of lunches. It was a great day of service. And a great day of lessons in thankfulness, blessings, and serving others.
ps. and I'll never tell whether or not I saw some of the kids licking their fingers. :)

SNOWMAGEDDON - 2011

Owasso Oklahoma got 21 inches of snowfall today, with reports of snow drifts over 6 feet tall! A for-really-and-truly- all out- reminds me of South Dakota- BLIZZARD. Wow!
Oklahoma's state Governor, Mary Fallin, is calling our town, "Snowasso, the End of the [snow] trail". Isn't that funny!?!?!
Us Okies aren't use to this kind of snow. Most restaurants and stores are closed. The roads and parking lots are completely covered and packed full of snow. The Owasso 6th Grade Center was on National News, showing the there was snow nearly up to the top of the building. It's crazy.
The kids were out the door before I even got out of bed this morning. Well, they had just gone outside as I walked out of the bedroom. Alan stayed home today so he bundled everyone up tight. It amazes me how kids can tough it out and play in that cold stuff! The girls lasted about 10 minutes, but Bryson wanted to stay out longer. A few minutes later he poked his head in and said "Dad! There's a fire truck stuck in the ditch!" Sure enough, it had slid off the road and was stuck. Alan bundled up and went out to help. He was out there for 30 minutes or so, trying to help them. They had an SUV that was trying to pull, while the guys got behind and pushed. But to no avail. They had to go get a bigger truck, so Alan came in to warm up. Eventually they got it out.

An hour or so later, the kids were all back outside again. This time Alan went with them. They ran around, played tackle, and then played a game of broom ball using a soccer ball and a few kid-sized brooms. It was hilarious. Needless to say, they were about FROZEN when they came in. Seriously. I had them strip down and get in a warm shower. They had a blast though!

I spent the morning in the kitchen. Cleaning, cooking, you know, doing what I love to do. I made soft chicken tacos and queso for lunch. We spent the afternoon playing games, doing some school work, and watching some "shows" the girls performed for us.

Now, off to make pot-stickers and Chinese food for dinner. Thank goodness we are staying warm and full. however, I can't hardly wait to be in our house, and to get a fireplace back! Soon.. very soon...






Wow Baby! It's COLD outside!!!!!



Charis didn't stay out too long... she came right back in a got her cute self dressed back up. Of course!

Jimmy-Time with, Jimmayyyyyyy!

Well, 4 days locked in the house during "Snowmageddon" will force a kid to get creative with playtime. Selah came up with her own show, called "Jimmy-Time With, Jimmayyyyyyy!" It was hilarious. Her and Charis, I mean, Johnny, would work on their show skits, and then perform for Mommy and Daddy. They made us laugh, and the choreography to their skits was purty darn good! They kept us entertained, fo sho!


Meet Johnny too...


And a one-time special guest star, Jilly...


And the remaining cast members, the stufties...

Miss Cheerful!

Charis wants to cheer! Her and her friend Jalyn did their first cheer clinic together a few days ago, and they both LOVED it! I think cheerleading would be so right up Charis' alley, and fitting for her personality. This summer she is going to try out some cheer and tumbling classes and see what she thinks, but for now, her and Jalyn had fun and looked adorable out there on the court!

Even though this photo is blurry, I love it because it shows how excited and bouncy they were!

House Blessing

"By wisdom a house is built. By understanding it is established. Through knowledge, it's rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." Proverbs 24:3-4
This is the verse that Jim and Gwen Schnorrenberg (the Family Ministers from our church) wrote on the header piece of wood above our fireplace. It is a blessing for our family.
One of my good friends, Jen, had this really neat idea to " bless" our new home. Before the walls go on, before the flooring gets laid, when it's just the foundation and the bones of the house, the idea is to go in with sharpies and write all over the place, "blessing" the house and our family with scriptures, prayers, and personal blessings. I loved the idea. So we invited a few faithful friends and family, and we all got together this morning to bless our new home.

Alan, the kids, and I, arrived a little earlier than everyone else. We wanted just a little bit of time to let the kids do some " blessing" so we could savor the moments. Knowing when everyone else arrived, we might miss out on the kids. And I'm soooo glad we did! It was really neat. Right off the bat the girls went upstairs to their rooms.

Selah wrote on her floor some of the lyrics to one of her favorite songs:
"Come, and go with me, to my Father's house. Come, and go with me, to my Father's house. It's a big big house, with lots and lots of rooms. It's a big big table, with lots and lots of food. There's a big big yard, where we can play football. It's a big big house... It's my Father's house."

I liked that lot. She has her heart set already on the end goal in life. Being in heaven with God. Pleasure in worshipping and fellowshipping in heaven. And she wants those who are friends and family to go with her. It's evangelistic. I think its neat that those words and that song came to her heart and mind when thinking of blessing her room. Of blessing herself, and her friends and family that will spend time in her room with her during her years growing up. Awesome.


I walked downstairs and had to step around Bryson to make it all the way down. He was sitting at the bottom of the steps, writing on the third step going up.

As I looked over his shoulders, he was busy writing these words, also lyrics to one of his favorite songs:
"When I get down, He lifts me up"
That made my heart skip a beat. How profound are those words! And that he picked just those 8 words out from a song he really likes. It's a fun song with really fun actions that they sing in kids church. But that he understands tthe impact those few words can have on his life. And ours. Amazing.
I told him that I will forever remember that he wrote those words on that step. I wish I didn't have to cover them up. But they are there, and they are in my mind and heart. And for as long as we live in this house, when I go through times of feeling "down" or when we go through times of "defeat" or "hardships," I will remind myself and my family of those words that 7 year old Bryson blessed our home with. That God lifts us up.

I walked back upstairs and found Charis and Alan on the floor of her room. Charis was writing a note to God. It said:
"Keep everyone safe" with a big heart drawn underneath her note to God. Yes! That is one of the prayers I also pray frequently. I pray for safety, protection, and for His hand to be on these people that I so dearly love and care for. That was a good prayer and request to God. That He keeps us safe. Thank you Charis, for praying that prayer for us!

Soon after, everyone else arrived. We all spread out to whatever room we wanted and wrote various scriptures on the walls. The kids enjoyed writing on the walls alongside their good friends, the Lyness'. Jodie wrote a scripture the week before when she was here visiting, and Alan's mom sent 2 poems God laid on her heart to bless our home with.

After we were done writing our scriptures and words of blessings, we split up into various rooms and prayed over the house and our family. James and Lydia wanted to go upstairs to pray for the kids (awesome).

Jennifer and Kevin and their kids wanted to pray in the school room, for our years of education and learning (perfect).

Jim and Gwen went to the master bedroom to pray for Alan and I and our marriage. They said we should expect lots of good "blessings" now after their prayers (Ha! Ha! Ha!). The Lyness family prayed in the dining room (awwww).

And I wanted the kitchen . That's my spot. My heart. They say the kitchen is the heart of the house. Feeding my family is the heart of my life. Not only the joy of cooking for them, and from sitting and dining together as a family, but also feeding them the Word of the Lord. Feeding them knowledge and wisdom for life. I love being in the kitchen.


Alan, Bryson, and I prayed earnestly for our family. For the love that comes from being together. We prayed for connectedness and communication and our relationships. We prayed that God would use this kitchen to not only bless us, but for the opportunity to use this kitchen to bless others and be a witness to others in the same way.

NOT So Much the Apple of My Eye

Well, my eyes are changing. First I have some grey hairs, then I find wrinkles and laugh lines, and now, I know I need glasses!?!? Aaaaahhhh!
So I didn't realize it until this last week. I got Alan and Apple TV 2nd Generation for Christmas. That allows us to link up the computer, the iPad (an iPhone if we had one) to our TV. It is really cool! Through the Apple TV we can streamline movies and things from the Internet. The kids an play Webkinz or other Internet games. I can facebook, e-mail, and blog. Alan can surf or do business stuff, using a wireless keyboard, or the iPad. It's nice not to have to have your face in a laptop or iPad so much now.
However, I can't see the words on the TV screen! From my couch that is 8 feet away!!! I had no idea!!! The first night I decided to blog using the TV as my computer screen, I asked Alan why it was all blurry. He said it wasn't. I said it was! He went and got me a pair of glasses from the bedroom and I put them on and then all at once, not blurry.
((deep sigh))
And now, it seems I all of a sudden can tell even in other everyday activities. My eyes need help.
I'm going to go make an appointment now. Glasses or contacts?
Not really happy about this.

Conversation Between Sisters

In the van, Selah says to Charis "what do you want to do when you grow up?"

Charis- "ummmm, I want to do hair and make-up for people"

Selah- " I want to be a baker at Sprinkes On Top, which will be the name of my own bakery."

Charis- " actually, I want to be a stay-home Mom, and make lunch and stuff!"

Selah- "what about you, Bryce?"

Bryce- silence. (Head buried in his DS game)

Selah- "well, I want Mommy and Daddy to build me a shed with an apartment in it for when I grow up. I'm never getting married or moving away from Mommy. And Daddy is gonna help me make do-nuts in the middle of the night, and Mommy can help me bake during the day."

Charis- "I am getting married. And I'm gonna buy a house just a little bit down from Mommy and Daddy so I can be close, but at my own house with my husband."

Mommy- "that ALL sounds great to me!" (then under my breath... "if only.")