Happy New Year!!!!

I remember the days when I used to be upset if I didn't have New Year's plans a month before the date. Now I wonder what I might do the day of and likely won't do much more than stay home and sleep through the celebration.  Am I boring?  Possibly.

Tonight I contemplated buying fireworks and then decided to watch a movie in my jammies and cuddle with my hubby.  My kids are exhausted from the last three days of crazy activities with Grandma Patti and will be going to bed early.  My husband cleaned and organized our back patio in case we decided to have a last minute party.  We did not.

I ate dinner, am considering having a bit of exercise on the elliptical, a warm shower, and a movie.  I might be up when the fireworks go off around the city's outskirts, but likely I will be dreaming about it instead.  Last year I was in Santa Fe having Chinese take-out on this very same day.    I truly enjoy having a quiet evening doing family stuff for New Year's Eve.  Tomorrow will be 2013 and we have much to be thankful for as we change to a new year.  First and most notably, we did not perish in the Mayan End of World prediction, second we got a real farm and lastly we have a whole new year to do all the things we didn't do last year.  Of course, I haven't had a new year's resolution since, well, EVER.

Maybe this year I will have a new year's resolution.  Hmmmmmm.  Maybe not.  I hope 2013 holds all the dreams and hopes you've ever imagined.  For me, I hope 2013 is a year of more adventures and fun!!  Be safe and have a wonderful night!!  I am thankful for a new year(Day 35).  Goodnight Friends.

The Crazy Family

I watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding tonight and was reminded about the craziness of families.  I come from a completely normal and boring family with no baggage and no drama.  Yeah, RIGHT!!  I often tell my husband, "I did something really good to get you, but you must've done something bad and awful to get me!"  My family is very similar to the wooden roller coaster, The Rattler, currently being removed from Six Flags Fiesta Texas.  The roller coaster, besides the obvious ups and downs is also wooden and therefore unstable and will burn quickly in a fire.  Wow!!  Sounds a whole lot like my family.

Is this your crazy family?

Some people are married and have initial family grumblings.  Some people have excellent in laws and total disasters in their own family.  Some people have perfect harmony.  I like to think of ours more like a cacophony, but musical for certain.

The holidays are the perfect time to go to war with your family and also the best time to make amends.  Where will you celebrate the holidays?  Who will you see?  Who won't you see?  Who will call?  Who won't call?  Who will text?  Who won't text?  Does it really matter?  Does it matter what any one else is doing?  As we each marry and have our own families, we are in charge of creating traditions and making the holidays meaningful and memorable.  I don't think it really matters who is not there as much as it matters who is there.  I also have come to understand I may not make it to every occasion, but it doesn't make the occasion less meaningful or important.

Life is too short to care about who didn't call, text, or visit and instead focus on who did call, text, and visit.  Invest in the present and be present in your life.  Be the family you want your family to be.  Do not misunderstand me by discarding the people who aren't always present in your lives.  Life has cycles and relationships also have cycles.  Allow them to cycle and love your family for who they are and where they are(emotionally and physically).

If given the opportunity, I wouldn't trade any one in my family.  They have shaped me; the good and the bad.  I hope you have the chance to spend quality time with your family during the holidays even if it's good, bad and ugly!  I am thankful for my crazy family for which I lead the pack of wild kittens(Day 34).  Goodnight Friends.

Mr. Right

Today I stayed home all day.  There was a lot of cleaning, washing, and cooking to do.  I'm turning left over meats in to soups and making delicious food concoctions for the chickens.  Thadd is furiously wielding the vacuum as if it were a light saber.  If it doesn't move out of the way, it gets sucked up by the vacuum.  I'm NOT kidding.  The cat narrowly escaped being sucked in to oblivion.

While we cleaned, Buster sat on the couch with a very sad face.  Buster is my five year old Schnoodle. You might recall that I adopted a cute little toy Schnauzer about three months ago.  I have been trying to train the dog to be a good member of the Stricker family.  He has peed on everything.  I have thrown away more pillows than I'd like to admit.  I also discovered that he was the culprit behind the chicken with the broken leg and wing.  I've witnessed him chasing the chickens and the chickens react very differently to him than to Buster.  Sadly after much work and even more frustration, I returned him to the adoption agency.  The agency is actually run by a group of women who love dogs and work hard to find them good homes.  Unfortunately I was unable to help the dog be a productive member of the Stricker household.  I admit defeat.  After many phone calls to the agency for training tips, the very kind woman agreed that our home was not the best home for him.  Sadly, Buster is the one who suffers the most.  His first best friend was Kitty Fluff who died unexpectedly two months ago.   His other friend Scratchy the kitten now lives outside.  The final blow is the loss of his friend and daytime companion Tuxedo.

I've realized I am unable to add another dog to my mix.  The small Chihuahua mix that my brother in law brought me about four years ago had to be relocated to a ranch where he could be a macho pup and roam wherever his heart desired.  Tuxedo also did not make the cut.  I think the biggest problem is actually Buster.  Buster is the best dog in the entire world and there is no dog that measures up to his goodness, obedience and companionship.  Although he is very obviously my dog, he plays with the kids, sleeps in Brett's bed with him every night, befriends every new animal regardless of its species, does NOT mark his territory or my furniture, and always comes when I call.  A quick snap of the finger and he is by my side.  A leash is not necessary as he stays by my side regardless of the distraction.  I do not think there will ever be a dog who fills my heart like Buster.  I also think there will never be another dog adoption in my life.  I will stick to cats, chickens, ponies, and reptiles, and BUSTER.

Buster was actually an adoption of sorts.  Driving home one day I found him on the side of the road.  He was weak and matted beyond recognition.  We got him home and shaved the matted hair off of him and realized he was very sick.  We immediately took him to the veterinarian where they diagnosed him as having Parvo.  The prognosis was not good.  They encouraged us to leave him there and began treatment immediately.  With every passing day he began to get better and better.  Seven days later he was alive and well.  He was about 18 months old and a sweet dog.  They also identified him as being a boy and a Schnoodle.  We had him fixed after he fully recovered and now I wish I had bred him once.  He has the most beautiful silver hair that feels like velvet.  Buster is Mr. Right.  He is truly the perfect dog and all this from a cat person!!

I am sad I failed to be a good mother to a dog in need of a home.  I am glad I realized this dog needed a home where he could be happy and didn't have to live up to the expectations of being Buster.  I am thankful for the many organizations that care for animals and seek to find them the best possible home. (Day 33).  Goodnight Friends.

Pastor Stephen....ROCK STAR FOR JESUS

Tonight I want to write a special "Thank You" to a man who changed the face of church for every child who walked through the doors of The Church of the Crossroads in Laredo, Texas.  He seemed like a normal person from the the outside.   He dressed normal, combed his hair in a normal style, wore normal clothes, very much like Clark Kent in his normal everyday clothes looking "normal", BUT when children's church started he turned in to a ROCK STAR SUPER HERO!

He had the best games, the best stories, the Bible came to life in his classroom.  Kids of all ages were included in the fun and he didn't try and make God seem cool, we all understood through his teaching, God IS COOL!  I know the children's department didn't have the biggest budget, but somehow we had the best prizes and the best puppets and the best EVERYTHING.  Mr. and Mrs. Wallace (Pastors Stephen and Donya) made our church experience so memorable. I remember turned thirteen and having to attend the big church and  being extremely sad.  When I invited friends to church they kept wanting to come back to go to children's church.  For so many years he kept making it better and better and better.  This last year he continued to make it awesome while he suffered through the cancer that ravaged his body.  He joyfully welcomed students to his classroom Sunday after Sunday sharing the word of God and praising Him in the midst of his storm.  On December 21, 2012, the day projected to be the end of the world, he went to be in the arms of his Heavenly Father.  Many people were living in fear of the end of the world and he was living in joy of having just one more day.  Tomorrow a memorial service is being held to remember him and to celebrate his beautiful life.

If you knew him or ever attended children's church at The Church of the Crossroads and remember Pastor Stephen, please write a message.  Share with all of us your memories and how he impacted your life.  Thank you Stephen and Donya Wallace for investing in the lives of us as children and our children.  We are forever changed!

Click here to go to the link or see it below.

Pastor Stephen Michael Wallace

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Published: Friday, December 28, 2012 8:42 AM CST

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Pastor Stephen Michael Wallace, 54, went to be the his Lord on Friday, Dec. 21, 2012.

Pastor Wallace was the children’s Pastor at Church of the Crossroads for 25 years. He is survived by his loving wife of 29 years of marriage, Donya Wallace; children, Nicolas (Anne) Krebs, John Isaac (Stephanie Ibarra) Wallace, Shiloh (Jesus) Gonzalez and Stephen (Alyssa) Wallace, Jr.; grandson, Gavin Lee Krebs; mother, Mary Wallace; two sisters and two brothers.

A memorial service to honor the life of Pastor Wallace will be Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012, at 2 p.m. at Church of the Crossroads, 1301 International Blvd., Pastor Norman Howell will be officiating.

Funeral service arrangements by Fred Dickey Funeral and Cremation Services, 4502 Thomas Ave., Laredo, TX 78041.

For more information, please call 723-3611.

Condolences may be expressed to the family online atwww.freddickey.com.

South Texas Fun

More shooting

Today we were invited to visit a ranch out in South Texas.  We drove about 2 hours southeast of Boerne to a beautiful ranch with all sorts of animals.  The ranch has both native and exotic species to admire and a lovely lake outside the ranch house door.  It was a little slice of South Texas heaven.

Brett still managed to feel well enough
to shoot stuff while Chloe tried not to watch.

The trip to the ranch was anything but uneventful.  We stopped to have lunch and then headed out a long country road that seemed to stretch on forever.  During the drive, Brett talked about having stomach pain and Thadd and I assured him he was fine.  He was fine up until he started throwing up in the car.  Thadd, trying to figure out what to do, kept driving.  Brett kept throwing up.  I ordered Thadd to pull over.  Brett got out of the car and dropped himself on to a grassy pile and continued to empty out his insides.  Thadd turns and says to me, "Be careful, we pulled in to the grass and it smells like it might be burning."  I inhale and agree.

I turn to Brett, who looks like death warmed over, in time to hear him announce he must also empty his bowels.  Wearing his camouflage overalls seems like a bad combination for having a pottyfest on the side of the road.  Thadd helps steady him away from soiling anything else.  It still smells like something is burning.  We manage to get back in the car removing all of the nastiness.  As we get in the car we avoid setting the grass on fire.  I think if we had stayed any longer the muffler would've ignited a nice cozy fire.  We drive three miles to arrive at the ranch house. Brett stumbles out of the car and plops down on the floor.  Thadd picks him up and carries him inside where he rests for a while.

The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing and recovering from the ten minutes of drama.  We did some shooting and some ranch driving and lots of visiting.  We even found time to make cake pops out of brownie mix.  We didn't follow the directions so they were only good for the first three minutes out of the cake pop maker.  Brett was NOT permitted to eat any.  As we drive home from the ranch I flinch every time Brett coughs or breathes oddly.  He now has a bag in his hand in case he decides to empty his belly again on our return trip.  I can't wait to have a shower and get in my nice warm bed.

Sunset over the lake at the ranch.

I am thankful for the beautiful South Texas landscape that stands as an example of God's awe-inspiring creation and for friends who share those landscapes so hospitably(Day 32).  Goodnight Friends.

YOU Are WRONG!!

I braved the stores today with everyone else in San Antonio.  I made exchanges and purchases and walked around watching people frantically filling their baskets with 50% off items.  I avoided allowing the sale to lure me in except for the purchase of a beautiful black dress cape for Chloe.  After the craziness of the stores at The Rim, we drove thru Chick-Fil-A where a long line always greets its customers.  The line moves quickly, but there is still a wait while twenty cars file through.  I am patiently waiting my turn with five people behind me and I am about to enter the line when a woman in a black Tahoe pulls in the break in the line.  The break was intended for cross traffic to avoid a complete traffic jam.  

I did a quick honk to get her attention and pointed to the long line behind me.  She made no face.  It was almost as if she had no idea what I was talking about.  I whined and moaned about how rude it was for her to pull in front of a long line of cars who were patiently waiting their turn.  Chloe was in the back seat getting fired up and agreeing with me.  At one point she wanted to jump out of the cars and knock on the lady's window.  I continued to comment, "I just don't understand why this lady thinks it is ok to cut in front of five other people?"  My mother said, "Maybe she was raised differently.  You never know."  I reply, "Yeah, raised by wolves."  My mother told me to get over it and to calm down as I was setting a bad example for my daughter.  She was right, but whining felt so good!  I was two cars behind her by the time I arrived to the window.  The girl at the window asked about my order to make sure she was handing me the correct items.  I acknowledged the order was correct and she said, "The lady two cars ahead of you said not to sweat the small stuff and paid for your order."

I was unsure what to think or say.  I thanked the girl at the window and drove away.  My mom said, "I'm so embarrassed!!"  "Why?" I responded.  "I didn't tell her anything bad I just pointed at the long line of waiting cars."  Part of me was frustrated and the other part of me was sad.  Frustrated because she should have paid for all five of the cars she cut off and sad because I was sweating the small stuff.  I am a believer in justice, but God is clear about not judging.

Matthew 7:1-5

New International Version (NIV)

Judging Others

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

This scripture is so great and it paints a lovely picture of our(MY) hypocrisy.  His speck of sawdust and my plank.  Ha!  So true.  My mom was right on target to reprimand me for being a brat.  I was a very bad example of God's love to my child.  I have to admit, it is never fun to go to your child and admit wrongdoing.  I should have been the adult to begin with and teach her a lesson in love instead of judgement.  Oh well, live and learn.  You will be happy to know I was not struck by lightning physically, unfortunately the strike to my heart was far worse.  So, I offer two lessons for you today: 1)  Don't sweat the small stuff and 2) Don't judge, lest you be judged.

I hope you got some great deals today and I also hope you didn't have to apologize to your child for being a brat.  I am thankful for a mother who is wise in the things of the Lord and often helps me avoid the pitfalls(of which I usually don't avoid) (Day32).  Goodnight Friends!

Hoarding

photo from TLC-Hoarding:Buried Alive

I don't consider myself a hoarder, but I think I'm one large emotional event from hoarding.  Today since  my husband likes to do big cleaning day after the presents are opened every Christmas, we cleaned niches and vacuumed and  scrubbed and all the stuff you do when you clean.  He cleaned my desk off in record time.  Partly because of his lack of emotional attachment to every shred of paper on the desk, he is able to organize a pile of papers in record time.  I also think he possesses a "throw away" gene.  It must be genetic.  I, on the other hand, fret over whether or not I will need said paper.  If I wait about six months, all of the papers are null and void and I can easily throw them away.

I watch those hoarding shows and can't understand how these people end up living in so much stuff, then I pause and realize I, too, might be living in a ton of stuff if it were not for my very neat husband.  As I've grown up and become a mom I am hyper aware of messes.  Cleaning is not something I enjoy and I find NO pleasure in it other than a clean house.  My children do not understand the work involved in making the house clean and therefore leave their messes all over the house.  I remind(nag) them to pick up their stuff and to clean their rooms and all of those good things.

Brett is more neat and organized and attempts to make his bed every morning in hopes we will allow him to play Minecraft in exchange for the time it took him to make his bed.  We usually encourage more than one chore to give him Minecraft minutes.  Chloe is a different story.  I believe it causes her physical pain to clean up after herself.  I am going to encourage her to marry a man like her father who enjoys a clean house otherwise she might become a hoarder.  She finds value in every shred of paper.  Cleaning her room fills multiple trash cans and she never even realizes I did a clean sweep.  Truth be told, my husband "cleans" my stuff out too.  I never realize the stuff is gone but if asked to part with it, I likely frown.  He now understands it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission specifically when it pertains to cleaning out my stuff.

Christmas is actually the best time to clean house.  We need to clean, not only our physical living space, but also all the junk we've accumulated in our hearts all year long.  The quarrels and the frustrations need to find their way to the garbage.  Actually, everything destructive needs to head to the emotional baggage dump.  Some people like to do it at the new year, but I think Christmas time is a better time for cleaning out your closets and your life.  As we celebrate the birth of our Savior we can also lay all of the junk on the altar and cleanse our lives of the toxic stuff we've hoarded all year long.

The truth is, it doesn't matter how clean your house, closets, or drawers are if your heart is a wreck.  I am thankful for time with my family today(Day 31).  Goodnight Friends and Merry Christmas.

The Christmas Story

To celebrate Christmas, I am including the best retelling of the Christmas Story I've ever seen!  I hope the wonder and awe of the birth of our Savior fills your hearts and homes.

Click here to view The story of Christmas as told by the children of St Paul's Church, Auckland, New Zealand. Anyone is welcome to show this film publicly, but not change it in any way, publish/broadcast it, nor make money out of it.

I am thankful for the gift of Jesus.  (Day 30).  Goodnight Friends!

Do Not Read If You Think I'm Perfect

WARNING:  I will be transparent this evening and if you want to believe that I am perfect, stop reading now.

This weekend I spoke to a friend and at the thought of attending another service to hear the Christmas story for the millionth time in my life, I was less than enthusiastic.  I told her that I'd love to see the Christmas story in the form of a ballet.  I'm sure it has been done, somewhere.  After the words left my mouth I realized the stupidity I had just uttered.  I get that Jesus was born of a virgin mother and lived a perfect life and then died for our sins.  I have become so un-amazed by what He has done for us and so I suggest you all stand clear of me or risk being struck down by lightning.  I am sad that the day arrived where I would speak with my lips such boredom of the Christmas story asking instead for it to be choreographed or more exciting.  I'm certain the whole virgin birth has only happened once in all of eternity and will never happen again.

Standing in church today during praise and worship I began weeping.  Weeping for my loss of yearning.  Weeping for forgiveness of a heart hardened by luxury and jaded by the world of convenience and entertainment.  As I stood and the tears rolled off my cheeks I knew God had heard my silent prayer of forgiveness and my heart softened to His voice.  The message Chris preached on was that of families at Christmastime.  His message expressed the idea of celebration instead of envy.  Someone always has something better around us and the grass always seems greener, but celebrate with those people and don't allow the enemy to fill you with jealousy.

Although God loves every one of us, much of our lives is dictated by choice.   Go to college, get a good job, work hard, have a family, make good money, have nice things.  It can also look like this: have sex when you are fifteen, get pregnant, struggle, finish school, work a minimum wage job for the rest of your life.  It could even look like this:  get pregnant at fifteen, finish school, go to college while working and being a single mom, get an excellent job, have a family, and be successful.  God is with you the whole time.  We can sometimes make bad choices and yet still find success and happiness, by the GRACE of God.  The problem is, much like I believed to be bored with the miracle of the Christmas story, we become believers in self.  Hard work does get you places, but the favor and grace of God gets you EVERYTHING.  The day you begin to believe you are anything apart from Him, let me know so I can stand about six feet away to avoid the lightning strike.

Today I apologize, not only to each one of you, but to my Heavenly Father for my loss of awe in the story of Jesus being born of a virgin mother in the worst possible location in town.   Lord, let me not forget your amazing story of why I am saved.  Tomorrow night before bed as I sit and read the Christmas story to my children I will likely cry.  Tears for my thankfulness and tears for gladness of a God who forgives me when I start to get bored of His GREATNESS.

Tonight as I put the chickens in their coop, Brett sang Silent Night to quiet the coop.  Surprisingly, it worked.  Sing Silent Night for yourself and remember the miracle of the birth of Christ.  I am thankful for His forgiveness (Day29).  Goodnight Friends.

Update:  Should I be offended that at least 20 of you think I'm not perfect??  Ha!

Beware: Assembled By Amateurs

It started out as a normal day.  I attempted to sleep in and therefore got out of bed at 7:42am.  I made breakfast, screamed at the children for having messes throughout the house and secretly(except now it appears on the blog)imagined not buying ANY Christmas gifts for my over indulged children who do not put any of their things away.  I'm confident NONE of you have ever felt this way.  I even mentioned the idea to my husband who gave me a frown face and laughed, annoyed at the mere thought of such foolishness.  I got dressed and my mom and I hit the stores along with the 3 million people who live in San Antonio.

I drove thru a Starbucks and then un-drove thru due to too many people.  Later I arrived at a less busy Starbucks where a woman, whose face looked to be forty but her body looked like that of a prepubescent sixteen year old, was stretching her leg near the side of her head with, something along the lines of, volleyball shorts on.  I was a little jealous and a little confused.  She was moving around to keep her heart rate up while she ordered a Starbucks.  I'm certain you can't run and drink Starbucks at the same time.  Wait, do they offer IV drinks now?  I ordered a Mocha with whip.  Oh how delicious it was and oh how guilty I felt.  I rarely drink coffee and when I do, I order a non-fat mocha.  I'm getting coal for Christmas anyway, so it doesn't really matter how naughty I am.

While driving from place to place I was shocked at the number of smokers I encountered.  Young and old, they were lighting up as they arrived at their cars as if the stress of the crowded shopping was too much.  They lit up and inhaled extra long before blowing the smoke out.  I think I might've been staring.  Knowing the risks, I'm shocked ANYONE smokes.  Then again, knowing the risks of eating, I'm shocked anyway does that either!!  I think I've done a great job of surrounding myself with people who don't smoke and if they do, they don't smoke in my presence.  In my world, smoking had seemingly disappeared, until today.  One time, after I had graduated from college, I lit up a cigarette in my first and last attempt.  I wanted to see why my friends liked it so much.  Over-rated.

We purchased all the things we needed to purchase and made our way back to the house where the dreaded playhouse assembly stood waiting for my return.  Thadd and the kids had unloaded and separated over 1000 lbs of parts one by one.  I think their job was way worse than my shopping adventures.  We measured and hammered and measured and hammered and visited Home Depot and measured and hammered and measured and hammered some more.  There is now a floor frame.  We aren't idiots, but we also aren't builders.  I think I might post a warning to all who enter the playhouse:  Beware:  Assembled By Amateurs.  While this might not seem so terrible, under that I will attach the photo of Thadd and I from this year's Christmas card.  That should scare 'em!

The sun had started slipping out of the sky which means time to feed the farm animals and lock the chicken coop.  I walked to the chicken coop where I found a very fluffy, slow-moving chicken.  I grabbed her and flipped her over to do a quick examination.  I will spare you the details of the discharge and such.  She seemed weak and had slightly labored breathing.  With the chicken securely cradled in my arm I head to the computer to figure out her problem.  While I'm sitting at the computer she sleeps cradled in my arm like an infant, an egg plops out and cracks open spilling on the floor. She falls asleep again.   I continue surfing the web to find an answer I like and a yolk falls out of her egg laying end and splats inches from my foot.  She falls asleep again.  I don't find any good explanation for what is happening to her, but I do find suggestions to give her a saline bath.  I ponder the thought for about two seconds and decide she will probably feel much better now that she's plopped out all of the residual eggs stuck in her little egg bank.  I walk her back to the coop and do a quick headcount.  Everyone is accounted for so I start walking back to the house.

I hear rustling in the bushes and think it might be a mountain lion due to the size of the animal I hear in the brush.  The bush moves aside and a pony emerges from the brush.  I jump on his back instead of walking to the barn and give him a little kick.  He stops at the gate to the barn and I jump off and feed him his dinner.  As I'm turning off the barn lights Chloe yells down to me.  "MOM, DAD WANTS TO KNOW IF HE NEEDS TO GET THE AX?"  Puzzled I yell back, "WHAT??"  She repeats her question.  I yell back, "WHY?"  Without hesitation she screams, "FOR THE CHICKEN!!"  Unamused I yell, "YEAH!  TELL DAD HE CAN SLEEP WITH THE AX BY HIS BEDSIDE ON THE HAMMOCK TONIGHT TO WARD OFF PREDATORS!"

I walk back in the dark hoping the chicken feels better in the morning.  A sick chicken= a sad mommy. Now it is time for this mommy to wrap gifts.  Shopping was started and finished today.  I was hoping to see more of my friends out in the streets, but I imagine they got their shopping done sooner because they are WAY smarter than I am.  Maybe I won't wrap tonight.  Maybe I will go to sleep instead.  My mom came inside the house looking for her keys to run to Walgreens. We did a mad key search and found NO KEYS.  I wonder if we wrapped the keys.  Uh oh.  Ok, time to go unwrap some gifts.  Luckily she called me, from the guest house 50 steps away, to inform me that she found her keys.  They were sitting next to the ribbon she misplaced.


I am thankful for a husband who, even though he wanted the playhouse pre-assembled, is willing to assemble a playhouse(Day 28 or 29).  Goodnight Friends.  Two shopping days till Christmas.

S'moretastic

Every year we partner with a family who opens their home for a Christmas party and I volunteer to do food and help with clean up.  It is a party that includes friends from school and gives us all a chance to unwind after the Fall semester and bring in the holiday with good cheer.  The favorite dessert is s'mores and I usually make chili while my friend's husband grills sausages and warms tortillas.  He also supplies part of the meat for the chili via his annual hunt.  Some years it is axis meat and this year it was elk meat.  The chili gets rave reviews but the secret is really in the delicious meat he provides for the dish.  It is a whole family effort with children setting up lights and crafts and moms cooking and cleaning and dads helping the kids hang lights, clean, and grill.  This year was the 5th year and each year we get better and better at doing the party.  By the time our kids graduate we will be so good at doing the party we won't even need the kids anymore!!

Last night's Christmas Presentation was a hit!  Brett dressed in "fancy clothes" and required that we take him to "fancy dinner."  We went to a fancy restaurant for our small town and enjoyed delicious Thai food.  Shrimp is a family favorite and so Thai food is easy to love.  We all got to bed quite late which made wake up time this morning a bit volatile.  Brett begged to stay in bed and Chloe relocated herself to my bed where she returned to sleep.  I wandered around the house and took the dogs out and did all sorts of things until I realized one hour had passed since I awoke and had better kick it in to gear if I wanted to get anyone to school on time.  We actually arrived on time and attended our parties and another morning Christmas event with merry songs and the Christmas Story.  It is such a great reminder of the reason we celebrate the season.  Twice in twelve hours makes it ever the more a strong focus.  While we run around and have parties and all sorts of events and obligations we forget how very fortunate we are to be here, be alive and oh wait, we survived the END OF THE WORLD!!  If nothing else, surviving the end of the Mayan calendar is a HUGE accomplishment.  You might even consider including it on your next resume.

Be blessed as you celebrate the birth of Christ and the gift He freely gives of eternal life.  I am so very thankful for all of the craziness and fun of the past week and what lies ahead as it means I am alive.(Day 27) .  I hope you are happy to be ALIVE, too!  Goodnight Friends.  BTW you have three shopping days left till Christmas.  I guess that means I should get started.

Scared of Heights

Today started out like every other day.  I hit snooze on my alarm and got out of bed exactly thirty minutes before I had to leave the house.  I got dressed and hurried out in the cold front that decided to blow in sometime last night.  A loud BOOM! coming from the chick coop sends Scratchy the not-so-kitten running for his life.  I ponder the sound and figure it will make an appearance when I arrive at the coop.  It did.  The metal roof had come loose from the sub-roof and was flapping in the crazy wind.  About the time the roof flaps, I look down and see a patient hen waiting for her turn in a nesting box squawk loudly and jump.  As I looked closely I realized the sound had scared an EGG right out of her body!!  She ran away squawking loudly announcing her egg laying.  I laughed, but made a mental note to fix the roof to avoid more random egg dropping.  As I continue in to the coop I realize the plastic sheeting has come down from the strong wind.  I have lots of work to do tonight when I return from school.

I feed the goats and pony without event and rush to the house to pick up the kids.  Neither of them grabs their jackets.  Oh well.  I drop them off at school and return home.  Dressed is black slacks, black heeled boots and a black turtleneck sweater with a full length coat, I grab a ladder and climb on the roof of the garage.  As I pull myself to a standing position on the roof I realize I am scared of heights and the wind in my jacket is not helping the situation.  I quickly realize that the roof on the coop will have to wait.  I return to the ground. I plug in the electric staple gun and reattach the plastic to the walls of the coop while a cockatiel lands on my head.  I return to school stopping first at the grocery store to get lunches for the kids.

I arrive at school in time for lunch with the kids and then pack my stuff up to go to the house to complete my work before the Christmas Presentation at school tonight.  I imagine it will be a retelling of the story of the birth of Christ, yet every year no matter knowing the story, I cry.  They always seems to put the songs in just the right order and everything comes together just right to make tears roll down my face.  I think the best and essential part of the Christmas Presentation is its remarkably short length.  You get the Christmas Story, tears and photos all in one and a half hours.  Perfect.

I get home and change in to work clothes.  I reposition the ladder and climb up again remembering, this time, I am afraid of heights.  I grab the hammer from my back pocket and lean over the roof to try and hammer some nails in to the coop that falls below the level of the garage roof.  I try to hammer the nails and realize I need a new plan as the nails weren't even making a dent.  I see a big rock and drag it to the roof.  I carefully position myself close enough to throw the rock to the correct spot without putting a hole in the roof.  I heave the rock and it lands perfectly on the flapping roof.  I return to the ladder and slide my foot back quickly, thinking I've now reached professional ladder climber status, and my foot hits the ladder sending it away from the roof!!  In my head I am telling myself very bad things, but out loud I say, "NO!!!!!!!!!!!"  I roll down the roof and throw my arm out closing my eyes and hoping to catch the ladder without continuing to roll and finding the ground ten feet or more below.  My hand makes contact.

I carefully touch my foot to the ladder and begin my descent.  On the ground I put the ladder away and pull the extension cord out of my pocket as I walk toward the pony/goats to plug in a warming light.  I slide my hand across the wrapper holding the cord together and my hand slips with my finger catching the staple and slicing a jagged line across my middle finger.  I laugh and wipe the blood on my jeans.  Luckily it was only a staple and I didn't just roll off the roof!  WAY WORSE SCENARIO!!

I get the warming light plugged in and the goat tries to eat.  I hope she doesn't try that later on in the day or it will burn her lips off.  I return to the house stopping at all the faucets to properly drip them in preparation for tonight's big temperature drop.  How I wish tomorrow was a Saturday.  Oh well, we will be up early and the whole routine will start again.  This time I hope it does not include a staple gun, a ladder, or a roof.

I am thankful I survived the ladder episode (Day 26).  Have a lovely night and hopefully you will have the opportunity to hear the Christmas Story again this holiday.

Some of This and That

I know all of you are done shopping for Christmas gifts.  I, however, haven't quite started.  Chloe is getting her playhouse and so Christmas is no mystery for her.  Brett, on the other hand, is a slippery slope.  My children believe in Santa Claus and if we look at Santa's rules then good gets presents and naughty gets coal.  According to Santa's plan, Brett's homework hiding and discipline infractions at school should result in coal.  Right?  He can get gifts from Mom and Dad because their gifts come from the heart, but Santa will be giving coal.  My mom, Grandma, thinks I am insanely cruel.  Your thoughts?  ALTHOUGH, while I was pretending not to shop today I found something that I considered buying for Brett until I saw that one of its features is glass breaking.  He wouldn't want to just know it does that, he would want to actually put it into practice.

Tonight was the Miss Universe Pageant.  I am a fan of pageants or at least a fan of viewing pageants.   Brett was sad when I sent him to the shower during the swimsuit competition, but Chloe announced that she would like to do pageants!  I think NOT!  I think the sparkly dresses and stage lights got her excited.  When she heard the cost of each dress she had second thoughts.   It was a nice ending with Miss USA being crowned Miss Universe 2013.

A quick update for you on Kiki the impaled cat.  She is fine and has become an indoor cat.  It has been one week and two days since she stabbed herself jumping out of a cedar tree and she is doing great.  Thadd says she probably keeps wondering why she didn't do this sooner as she is getting the royal treatment and gets to sleep in our bed.

Today I wore boots, leggings and a sweater.  Can someone please tell me where the cold front went?  It surely didn't come here and so I was standing in the carpool line waiting for my kids, sweating.  Is it really December?  Every morning I look at my bedside weather station and yet it seems to be lying to me today as it previously predicted freezing weather and rain.  Oh well.

Wherever you are, have a wonderful night.  I am thankful for the beautiful springlike weather even when I dress for winter (Day 25).  Goodnight Friends.

Christmas Giving

Stricker Christmas Card 2011

Stricker Christmas Card 2012

Last Christmas I came up with the brilliant idea to send a Christmas card dedicated to a cause.   My brilliant idea is joined by many people who have gone before me to find a way to use their family holiday mailing to do more than greet.  Last year we sent a card with the two kids on the front.  Chloe at her lemonade stand selling her brother for $5 while he sat to one side completely clueless to the marketing.  Inside it encouraged people to support International Justice Mission.  They are an organization who helps free people from the bondage of human trafficking.  Click Here to read more about this incredible organization.


This Christmas, since we are beginning to learn the art of keeping, raising, and breeding animals, we thought it would be a great idea to find an organization with a similar heart.  Heifer International is an organization aimed at helping teach people how to learn something that can eventually pull them out of poverty and starvation to give them work and a future.  It teaches a vocation along with gifting the animals or seeds. Maybe this year you will consider giving to (Click Here)Heifer International or International Justice Mission or another organization close to home.

Photography for both photos was graciously done by Todd Stricker of Todd Stricker Photography.  I am thankful for the ability to buy food at the grocery store to feed my family and I am not completely dependent on the weather and my animals to  grow crop to sustain us.(Day 25)  Although, it does sound like a GREAT plan, sustainable living seems like more work to me at this particular point in time.  I'll get there, eventually.  I might become a vegetarian, though. Goodnight Friends.

Braided

challah bread

Sitting on my kitchen counter, against my husband's wishes, I sat opening a stack of Christmas cards.  For some reason I am exceptionally tired today and yet I cannot pull myself from the envelope opening extravaganza.  My husband tells me to hurry up and write my blog as I open beautiful card after beautiful card.  Some have familiar faces, some share new faces, and others still are wishful greetings with artwork instead of photographs.

I smile as I open each one and think about how much the kids have grown or the new addition or even the new home.  Relationships are such a huge part of what makes my heart happy.  Knowing people and knowing their stories and having life braid together to make the most beautiful challah bread you've ever seen makes this life that much more amazing.  Today as I scrolled through my Facebook updates and read the stories of sadness and triumph, the mundane and the exhilarating, and the photos of 26 faces I've never met, I found myself filled with deep grief and yet equal parts of joy.  The grief was for the loss and the tragedy.  As a parent I cannot imagine how one moves forward after the loss of their child.  The joy comes from seeing how our entire world has found a reason to come together.  This does not happen only with this sort of tragedy, but with the earthquakes, the war, and the acts of terror.

Unity creates a braid far stronger than each of us standing alone.  Unity brings us support in times of great sorrow and strength in times of weakness.  We recently faced an election that brought a crippling chasm between people and even friends.  We continue to talk about the fiscal cliff and for a few days I was glad to not hear a word about the fiscal cliff, unfortunately it was quieted only by something far worse.  As we send our children to school our hugs are slightly longer and our gaze follows them slightly farther down the path.  In a few months we will return to a quick hug and less supportive draw to our community.  We will re-engage in our own busy lives forgetting the event that took 26 precious lives.  Some of us won't.  Some of us will cry harder when we see Grace's favorite purple sweater or Noah's backpack with his water bottle still filled with the water from that fateful day.

Today I ask you to commit to remember how this tragedy made you feel.  Unite with those around you who need support.  Intertwine your life with others and invest in building people up.  Stop bullying.  Mind your words.  Love your neighbor.  Forgive your brother.  Come together.  Most importantly, turn to God.

3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your^[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.^[b] 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ¹¹ Here there is no Gentile or Jew,circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossian 3.  biblegateway.com

Let us truly be One Nation, Under God, Indivisible.


I am thankful for the gift of life for one more day. (Day 24).  Goodnight Friends.

Chocolate Ice Cream

Today I decided to have chocolate ice cream for dinner.  Chloe made brownies, but I didn't want any of that, just ice cream.   Am I setting a bad example?  Likely.  Considering people are being murdered for no apparent reason and the Mayan calendar is signaling the end of the world. Why not have chocolate ice cream for dinner?

My children had tamales and brownies for dinner as we discussed the base 10 counting system.  Chloe accepts it and her friend refuses to accept the reasoning behind base 10.  I tried to show her countless references for base 10 and she still decided it is not acceptable and she refuses to accept it.  I imagine she will either be wildly successful because she refuses to accept the acceptable or she will be wildly loathed for her lack of acceptance.  Either way it made for an interesting dinner conversation.

We went to Home Depot today to pick up Chloe's playhouse(the smaller version) and they told me they only had one left and my name was NOT on it.   I assured them that was entirely okay and I would expect delivery of the already assembled model they had in their parking lot on Wednesday afternoon.  I smiled and the lady looked at me, perplexed.  Five minutes later a man walked out of the back and announced they had found my package in the WAY back.  DARN!!  I was looking forward to having the house delivered to my door.  We picked up the parts for Chloe's playhouse and when we arrived home I turned to Thadd and said, "This Christmas the cause of any marital strife will be due to our playhouse assembly."  He replied, "Who said you were going to have anything to do with the assembly process?"  So begins the marital strife.

I'm sure there will be an entire blog or multiple blogs written on the fun and exciting times of playhouse assembly.  It will be similar to our driving trip to Florida where we disagree about how to drive from point A to point B an everything in-between.  I also recall reading all of the Chick Fil A comments on Facebook which prompted my husband to stop at every, yes EVERY Chick Fil A between San Antonio and Destin, Florida.  It was the longest return trip EVER!!  Luckily, they have good food and clean restrooms.

Tonight, Brett had to finish his many sheets of homework he hid from me during the week and so, painfully, he completed all of them.  Tomorrow when he turns in his homework from last week it will be tear stained and in some cases, tear torn from all of the tears shed.  It can be exhausting to do homework with Brett as he is so dramatic.  A trait he clearly gets from his father's side of the family.  I am thankful for a child who has the ability to do his homework even if it is drama filled. (Day 23)  Goodnight Friends.

NOTE:  Yesterday's blog post was meant to be a call to Christ, not a judgement.  We have removed God from so much of what we do, but it is imperative to keep Him in our homes and lives to comfort us in times of grief, sorrow, and joy.  He longs to be the center of all things and if we can do that, we can survive the horrors faced by this world.  Some survive and some die, but they are not lost or forgotten. For those who know Him, they will be carried to eternity.  It is not about where you go to school, no one is immune to the tragedies we face daily.  It is only about God and His ability to save us from the things of this world.

Dear God,

Today a friend of mine sent me a photo of a shirt.  I have seen this statement on the internet many times and yet today it seems so fitting.  I will not preach today and I will not talk about the sadness I feel about the loss of life.  He is no longer welcome in our schools, but make Him welcome in your home and lives.  Today will only be a photograph. I am thankful for the luxury of sending my children to a school where God is allowed. (Day 22).  It doesn't make the tragedy less real, but it makes the pain endurable when you know there is something more than this life.  Hope.  What a wonderful time to be reminded of the birth of Christ.  Goodnight Friends.

Note:  Unfortunately, no place is safe from the horrors experienced in Connecticut this week. THis blog post was meant to be a call to Christ, not a judgement.  We have removed God from so much of what we do, but it is imperative to keep Him in our homes and lives to comfort us in times of grief, sorrow, and joy.  He longs to be the center of all things and if we can do that, we can survive the horrors faced by this world.  Some survive and some die, but they are not lost or forgotten. For those who know Him, they will be carried to eternity.  It is not about where you go to school, no one is immune to the tragedies we face daily.  It is only about God and His ability to save us from the things of this world.

Lost Boy and Shrieking Girls

I went to the movies this evening with a group of girls.  The girls were an especially lively bunch.  Luckily the movie was deep and engaging, well to everyone except Brett.  The Life of Pi credits begin to roll and Brett announces in his outside voice, "That was the WORST story EVER!"  The rest of us disagree with Brett, but he felt it was very important to announce his feelings to the ENTIRE auditorium.

Following the movie, we moved to an eatery for burgers and cake.  I decided it was a good thing that I'm a high school teacher and not an elementary school teacher.  The younger children bounce instead of walk and twirl instead of hurry.  It is truly a lesson in patience.  Whenever you get a group of girls together they do lots of giggling and silliness and shrieking and all that stuff I never remember doing but I know I did.  We arrived home to a quiet house and as I write this blog I am thinking about the soft comfy bed in the next room.

Last night as I got ready for bed, I realized Brett was moaning in his bed.  I went to check on him and he had a fever.  He stayed home from school today with a sore throat and a fever, but NO other symptoms.  He was still his usual self; playful and busy.  While I issued my semester exam he made a bed for himself under the table.  At one point he started to feel warm and I sent him alone, MISTAKE, to the nurse to get medicine as he unsuccessfully attempted the pill form.  After a gag session and too much drama I called the nurse and sent him on his way.  Shortly, I went to see where he had gone and found the head of the school on a walkie talkie trying to identify why a child dressed in full camouflage was roaming the campus unaccompanied.    When they realized to whom the child belonged I think it made more sense, but it didn't calm their anxiety.  Brett was STILL loose on campus.  I locate him and ask him why they were making a fuss about him roaming the campus and he says, "I might've crossed the street."  Let me clarify, the street is the carpool line on the campus, but it is still a street.  Lesson learned.  Now I understand why they always send children places in pairs.  One of them is bound to have better judgement.  Maybe?

My students worked furiously on their semester exam and Brett returned to his comfortable hideaway under the table.  This semester exam, Christmas Gala, Christmas parties, cookie exchanges, basketball practices and games, and sick child stuff is making my bed look better and better every night.  I remember back in the day when I struggled to get good sleep.  Now I touch the pillow and am asleep.  It may not be the best sleep, but it does not require ANY sleep aids.  Ear plugs go in and I hear nothing until morning!  Speaking of ear plugs, they are calling to me as is my cozy, fluffy bed.  I am thankful for extra soft sheets that make sleeping dreamy. (Day 21).  Goodnight Friends and SWEET DREAMS!

UPDATE:  The next morning I asked Brett what he didn't like about the movie.  He said, "I really liked the movie.  I was just kidding when I said I didn't like it!"  Oh, I guess I didn't catch his sarcasm.

I'm Sorry, AGAIN

The bustle of the holidays seems to fill the days.  I have all the things in my head that need to be done, a list a mile long to do, and only a limited number of hours in which to do them.  Today I was reminded that those things are actually called privileges.  Some people have no list, no job, no ability to do, buy or go.  Ever so clearly my busyness became thankfulness.

I was also reminded of something that struck a chord in my heart.  When my son is disobedient and he apologizes for his disobedience I often says to him, "Do not apologize if you plan to do it again.  If you do it again the apology is worthless.  You apologize for something hoping to be forgiven and yet you do the exact thing again and require forgiveness for the SAME THING!!  Be thoughtful about your apologies and make them worthwhile."  As I read the passage below I was convicted of doing the same thing to God in my own life.  Luckily, He is much more merciful in his approach and instead of shaking His finger in my face He forgives me AGAIN!!

Listening and Doing  James 1:19-26

¹⁹ Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. ²⁰ Human anger^[g] does not produce the righteousness^[h] God desires. ²¹ So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

²² But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. ²³ For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.²⁴ You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. ²⁵ But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

²⁶ If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. ²⁷ Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

I think one of the things I struggle with the very most is controlling my tongue.  I know none of you have this problem, so allow me the opportunity to share with you the horror of it all.  Something as simple as what I say to the cars around me, who can't hear me.  I learned how to do this terrible car talking when I moved to Connecticut.  I felt like a true New Englander as I told the cars around me how stupid they were for pulling out in front of me!!  The problem now is my kids hear me telling the cars, "I do not approve of your foolish driving!!"  It seems harmless, but my children hear my words and think it okay to call other people foolish.

I also use the words love and hate, often.  I am an extreme personality and often use words for effect and not actually use words effectively.  My children become accustomed to hearing me love and hate things and they think it is perfectly normal to HATE THE DOG for peeing on every chair leg.  Words are very powerful.  Use them wisely, if not for your own sake, for the sake of your children who are learning from you every moment of every day.  It is not a question of "where they got that from?", but rather "why did you give it to them?"  Guard your tongue.

On a completely unrelated topic, we celebrated Chloe's birthday today and while at dinner ran into some people I've known my whole life.  It was wonderful to see them and to be able to share my children with them.  Oddly, one of the women has been the subject of my prayers for years.  My prayer was always for her to see the beauty that God put inside of her heart and to share it with those around her.  Tonight as I looked in to her eyes she seemed different.  I believe she finally found the value in herself that has been there all the while.  I am often so blessed to see the work God does in the hearts of people.  He has and continues to do a work inside of me.  I learn how to be better everyday and to truly understand the precious gift of life.  Sometimes I take steps backwards, but His MERCY saves me.  I am thankful for a Heavenly Father who forgives me over and over again(Day 21).  Goodnight Friends.