Chicks and tiggers

The ticks are awful this year. We have picked countless numbers of them off the dogs. Even with the stuff between their shoulder blades they are still covered up in them. Yuck. I think each of us humans has had at least one on us too. Yuck. The mosquitoes don't bother me much. R had a bunch of mosquito bites and T is bothered by them too. The thing that loves to bite me is chiggers. I HATE those little buggers. Although, there is something mildly uphoric about scratching a chigger bite. I have two on the back of my right knee plus some others. But two in the same spot? They kind of blend into one big bite. Sigh... The "Chicks and tiggers" title comes from talking about the little buggers one day and someone switched the beginning letters around. We've called them chicks and tiggers ever since. A romantic night around here involves a tick check, or in the spirit of the title-a chick teck. Isn't there a country song about that?

Medika mamba

Please go to the Livesay's blog and look at the pics of Renald and then consider what you can give towards Tara's marathon for Medika Mamba. http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com Thanks.

T is finally home from his business trip. Yay! A got her driver's license this week. Zoiks!! My dad cut his ankle trying to help move tin for the church roof. Boo! But he got up early this morning and didn't let it stop him. Yay! This post is starting to remind me of the book "That's Good, That's Bad".

Well, we are on our way to a home Bible study. Don't forget to check out the Livesay blog.

Looks can be deceiving

Awww, look at her all cuddled up in the laundry. Isn't she cute?

She's so sweet and snuggly.
Don't be deceived. The little heathen brought a dead mouse in the house yesterday. We usually label this particular cat for not being the brightest crayon in the box. But, she is the only one of the three who can let herself out and back in through the screen door. They all let themselves out if it's just the screen door but Sanomae has figured out how to let herself back in by snagging the door and pulling it open. She went out, found a mouse that someone else had killed and decided to bring it into the house. She dropped it when I came unglued. I had to scoop it up in the dustpan and take it back outside. She then spent the next few minutes looking for it in the house, thus standing by her "not the brightest crayon in the box" label.

Confirmed

Well, I finally got a hold of the O director and our file did in fact make it to passport printing. There are still 50 things that could go wrong so please keep praying. Our son signed his "new" name (he's actually had it for over 2 years now, sigh...) for his passport. Then we still have to get DHS approval and visa medical and a visa. It was nice to know that it did actually go to passport printing. Now if they can NOT run out of passport booklets, keep the stamps from breaking, have plenty of ink, keep the printer from breaking, etc. maybe we can actually get a passport. And yes, those are all things that have kept people from getting passports. Like I said, keep praying.

Worship

I struggle with feeling a lot more "called" than "qualified" as a worship leader. Keep in mind it's a real small church but it's still a lot of responsibility. I would never want it to become a performance or anything else it shouldn't be. Sometimes it's hard to be in that place. It's hard to find the balance in wanting things to go well and go smoothly and not feel like a performance. You do have to practice but it's so much more about the heart.

Sometimes things go awry. More than once I have picked up my guitar and in the process got the cord stuck on the guitar stand and unplugged it. I did that last week. It was so not how I had pictured that time of transition. Oh well. I've dropped music off of the stand, lost a water bottle off the side of a stand, hit some weird thing on the keyboard and somehow started one of the demo songs in the middle of a worship song, started things in the wrong key, and the list goes on.

Sometimes things get crazy in a practice time, like this morning. We did "This Is My Father's World" and if you don't want me to ruin this song for you, stop reading. Okay, those who kept on reading here it comes. You know the line in that song "In the rustling grass I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere"? For some reason I stumbled on the word grass. Y'all, I could not recover when I looked at the very next words. Yes, it came out, "In the rustling gas I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere." We all lost it. I mean lost it. T said we were going to have to pick another song. I had tears rolling down my cheeks. Thankfully it was during the practice time and we did not tell a soul and we managed to make it through the song in the service but I fear it will be a long time before we do that one again.

I think that the stumbles, unplugged cords, and dropping papers happen as a reminder that we are just humans, deserving of nothing at all. We are saved by grace, through faith...lest anyone boast. If we boast about anything, we should boast in the Lord. He alone is worthy of worship.

On that note I think I should do a thankful list. Let's see. I'm thankful for a hubby who seeks after God. I'm thankful for my children. I'm thankful for the warmth and sunshine today. I'm thankful for our niece, T, who got married yesterday and for another niece, B, who graduated from high school yesterday. I'm thankful for laughter.

Oh my achy back, arms, legs, neck again...

I worked all day Monday and then the kids and I drove to Mrs. H's in the Atlanta area. On Tuesday we went to 6 Flags. The weather was ok for most of the day but it did shut the rides down for about 45 minutes to an hour. The last time I was at 6 flags I didn't get to ride the Superman ride because the only person willing to ride it with me was too short. This time we walked up to it 3 different times and it closed for "technical difficulties" twice and for the "inclement weather" the other time. By the third time we tried and failed I pretty much decided that we were not supposed to ride it. We loved the Goliath coaster though. If you ever get there, go on the Goliath. A refused to go on it the first time but she tried it the second time. She screamed and closed her eyes and flipped her hands everywhere the whole way through. When we got off I mentioned the fact that she screamed the whole time, but did she like the ride? She said she liked it and we went around and got right back on two more times after that. R and her bf decided to try to kiss for the camera. They managed it on the 4th try. The lines were minimal so we had a blast. However, when I rolled out of bed yesterday morning I was thinking I might be too old to ride coasters with the kids all day. Oh my achy back, arms, legs and neck. But it was worth it and I'd do it again. But first I must go to the chiropractor.

Oh, my aching back, legs, arms, hands...

Yesterday I transplanted about half of my vincas from beside my house to the front yard where no grass will grow. R's bf transplanted some to that area last year and they really seem to like it there and they fill in really well. I have fibromyalgia so any kind of repetitive motion kills me. Everything hurts. R was massaging my hand during Sunday school so I could play the keyboard during church.

Our plan today was to go to our last home Bible study meeting (last one for this book) which also turned into a picnic lunch and then come home and sit. Men make plans and God laughs. Apparently my brother had been trying to get a hold of us because a tree fell and hit the corner of his house. Thankfully it was just the corner of the roof over an attic space in the bonus room. It did mash a chair, several flowers and bushes, and their canopy. He said he heard it go crack...crack...crack and then a huge crash and he watched it fall on the house. Zoiks! We're not sure what made it go but they knew it was dying and not in the best shape. He had decided to wait to have it taken down until after his daughter's grad party next week. See? Men make plans and God laughs. So we went over to help clean up. The kids and I came home but T is still over there.

Speaking of T, he got the metal attached to the front of the camper. He still needs to do the sides but it's looking pretty good. I'll post a pic when it's done. And when our crazy computer is fixed.

We still haven't gotten confirmation about the adoption file. Since it has neither been confirmed nor denied, you might as well know what's supposedly happening with it. It's believed to have finally gone to passport printing. Now you know how to pray more specifically. There are still a hundred things that could go wrong so please keep praying. Thanks.

Oh, T just got home. Good.

This is SOOO going on the blog

Once in a while something happens that makes you think, this is so going on the blog. We had one of those tonight.

Remember that the front of the camper is wrecked. T has been working on patching it up and it's coming along well. We ordered a piece of metal to go on the front to cover up the patches. It came in today and we made arrangements to pick it up after work this evening. T got a cargo type trailer hooked up to Big Momma and off we went to pick up the metal.

We met the guy we were buying it from and he was helping T carry it over to the trailer and they were just about to it when I asked where the key was to unlock the trailer door. T said it was in the console so I got the key and tried it but it wouldn't fit. R's bf, J, tried but he couldn't get it either. About that time it dawns on T that he had actually locked the key inside the trailer. Yeah, but it gets better.

So they decide to strap this piece of metal to the top of Big Momma. That's when I hear the hissing sound from one of the trailer tires. J looked at it and decides it's a faulty valve stem and the tire is quickly going flat. Guess what? The spare for the trailer is also locked inside of it. So we get the metal strapped down and take off to try and find an air pump. As soon as we got on the road, the metal started flapping and sliding so T and J reach out their windows to hold the metal on top of Big Momma. Can you say "redneck"?

So here we are going down the road, holding the metal on top of the vehicle, pulling a trailer with a flat tire. We got to an auto parts place and got a tool to cut the smaller lock on the side door and sure enough, just inside the back door is the key. The spare tire is also flat. The guys put the metal in the trailer while I bought some fix a flat. Then we went to a gas station and got some air in the tires.

We did finally make it home and we laughed all the way. Some things you just have to laugh at. And some things just have to go on the blog.

Still nothing

I still haven't been able to confirm about our adoption file. I tried calling the O director several times today and couldn't get through. Well, one time I heard her say hello but then got nothing after that. Keep praying.

Sunday

I got to talk to J today. The computer is acting strange so it cut off during our conversation. He asked when I was coming and to send him something. He wouldn't tell me what to send so I suggested a coloring book and he said yes to that. I asked him if he wanted Spiderman or something else this time and he said Spiderman...and some crayons. It is our custom to talk a little bit and then sing songs to each other. I play guitar for him and I think he likes it that his mom plays guitar. He gets a smile on his face and the other kids crowd around. Too funny.

My friend lost her dog this weekend. They finally found it, well actually one of their other dogs found her, so we are all happy about that.

We got to see Mrs. H this weekend so that was great. She came for a wedding and it stopped raining just long enough to have the outdoor wedding. It was beautiful even if it was a little wet. Okay, a lot wet. But that was okay.

I haven't gotten confirmation on the adopiton news yet so keep praying. I'll let you know as soon as I know for sure.

I'll leave you with a funny pic of Misty. She was chillaxin'.