I know, I know, I know......

Ok I realize when theres a bomb that's been dropped on you, that could have the potential of being rather devastating, people just don't know what to say. Kind of like when someone dies. Ok heres what not to say, and no offense if you've already said it to me. "Well it could be worse he could be shipped off to another country." Ok you are talking to the queen of "it could be worse." However, whether he's in another country or the same country, doesn't change the fact that he ain't here helping me deal with life. Sure he's safer here, but who knows there could be another hurricane heading where he is at this point you never know. Have you seen the crazy Crocidiles? To make things worse, they're sitting around waiting to be given something to do. Isn't there a system?? When a new unit comes in you go relieve another unit and keep rotating how hard can it be. But to sit around and do nothing, good Lord you can do that at home in the comfort of your air conditioned home. Oh and our husbands in "top secret" military mode....crazy. It's like they are always in character. Where are you going? "I can't tell you, you never tell military movements." Oh and then all shocked that it's on the news where they flew into. Um yeah, you aren't running and hiding from the bad guys, you are helping clean up a hurricane ravaged city. We can know where you are, seriously it's not top secret. It appears I've been commanded to answer some questions from Stacie.

5 things to do before I die:

1. Go on several mission trips.
2. Be able to read lots and lots of really good books from beginning to end.
3. Lose 100 lbs
4. See my kid graduate college
5. Travel to many foreign countries with my family

5 Things I can not do:

1. Swim well
2. Jump off a diving board
3. Go to the grocery and not buy something I don't really need
4. See without my glass's
5. Not believe God exists


5 Things that attract me to the opposite sex:

1. Good shoes, like cool shoes.
2. Nice hair (um my husband is bald)
3. nice eyes
4. Awesome sense of humor
5. Hears me when I speak


5 things I say most often:

1. Ahforreal....
2. Perry (usually it gets louder)
3. Turn off the TV
4. Come here
5. No


5 celebrity crushes:

1. Jon Foreman (lead singer of Switchfoot)
2. Dave Navarro
3. Danny from the real World New Orleans (ok so he's gay I can fix that!)
4. Chris Martin (lead singer of Coldplay)
5. Sidney Poitier


5 people I want to do this next:

1. Blog stalkers you know who you are.
2. Rochelle Stewart, don't even act like you ain't readin get to typin in the comments!
3. Leah
4. Teri Fode
5. Cyndi

Ah yes that was fun, made me think real hard. Thanks Stacie you're the best!

I'm Tough...really I am!

Well I do pride myself on being a tough women! I mean really I can handle things by myself. Plus I have friends who will help me if I ask. Yeah but theres the part I hate. Asking for help. Hate it, hate it, hate it. I'd rather let the grass grow to my knees than to ask someone to cut it for me, cause I sure ain't cutting it. Sounds like they will be part of the clean up. Melinda said it best, they sure as hell better not take them to New Orleans, and they sit around trying to figure out what the heck they need them to do. Cause if that's the case I'll find them some people to feed. The Army can do that too! How appropriate I took this picture last weekend who knew how very timely it would be?

This is what Military Chaos looks like. Ain't too pretty! 

One Phone Call......

Can change your plans rather quickly. It was Ron's job to decide on dinner this evening. It's friday, and I have to do it throughout the week for Perry and I, so a girl needs a break. So we head to Golden Corral, not my first choice as buffets can sometimes be icky to me. But I enjoy it nonetheless. Ron sits down to begin eating his bourbon chicken, and his phone vibrates. He answers as if the person on the other end can't hear him......"Hello.....what's that.....yeah...." imagine a resturant full of people and him yelling into the phone. This is a person who HATES to draw attention to himself, so it didn't last long. Quickly says lemme go outside and call you back. He gets up and says to me, looks like I'm heading to Louisianna.........and then he leaves. So I sit replaying all the weekend plans we have that I will now either not do, or go it alone. I am a tough women it definately takes more than my husband leaving for and extended period of time to rattle me. But now we head into the "military BS=chaos" bunch of idiot men trying to plan a road trip is what it boils down to. And doing it quickly. My computer room will look like a small army blew up, probably even after he leaves. And now when Perry is off the hook crazy hyper at home and at school. I'll be fine, really I'll be fine. It ain't like it'll be 6 months or some crazy nonsense like that. God kind of made me feel like one of us would be going, kind of had a feeling it wasn't me. Someday my day will come, but probably not until Perry is much older. I'll wait. Send up some words, that I don't lose my mind and Ron is safe from thugs, and disease. And that tragedy effects him in a way that's life changing in a positive way.

The Fathers Song!

Dang I love being an Alpha leader. What a freakin amazing ministry to be a part of. How lucky I am to have this experience. What an awesome ministry. Every single Alpha table I have, has at least one or two Catholics. What a great foundation to build on, but many of them are hurting, and feeling like they so missed something. And they have, they miss out on the personal relationship. To so many of them they learned nothing about a personal relationship with Jesus in all the religion class's they attended, or church services they went to. Why is that? Why in the Catholic faith is Jesus not personalized? How can a person experience grace if they don't know Jesus personally?

Something else we discovered tonight which is rather interesting and I never thought about it. Seperation of church and state even effects Catholic schools. I went to public school, and many at my table went to Catholic school. At know point did any of us learn in school about Jesus as a historical figure. Hello, he was a huge part of history. All of us didn't learn of him in history class until college.

Don't get me wrong, the ceremonies, and rituals can be very beautiful, but rarely does it reach your heart.

Wish this song could be heard but for now here's the lyrics. Love love love it......

I have heard so many songs
Listened to a thousand tongues
But there is one
That sounds above them all
The Father’s song
The Father’s love
You sung it over me and for eternity
It’s written on my heart
CHORUS:
Heaven’s perfect melody
The Creator’s symphony
You are singing over me
The Father’s song
Heaven’s perfect mystery
The king of love has sent for me
And now you’re singing over me
The Father’s song

God's always talking!

Couple interesting things:

2 weeks ago I was totally on a Chris Tomlin kick. So sunday, Robbie plays mostly Chris Tomlin songs, and all the songs I had been listening to, up until the switchfoot release. How does he do that? Totally a God thing. God knows when I am listening, which is usually when I am worshipping which heck now is all the freakin time. Considering I listen to music, often times worship music while I am working. Then in the car on the way home, and then sometimes on the computer when I am surfing. Considering I only sleep 4 hours a night....ok maybe 5, I almost listen to music 18 hours a day....is this possible? Ok wait take out a few hours for TV time, so it's not quite as much, but still quite a bit. I'd say more than 10.

Not changing the video for a while, gotta keep the love going for Switchfoot. If you are a regular blog reader but tired of the song if you hit the big red X in your tool bar it stops the video and the music, and you can continue to read without the song going. I totally understand and respect those who may not have the love for Switchfoot that I do, it may not be for everyone.

Perry cuteness.....saying prayers tonight with no prompts for help from me tonight:

"Dear God
Help us have a wonderful night,
Help the baby tiggie to go to sleep
Thank you for all your beautiful creations.
I love you very much....
Amen"

Now if he'd just stay in bed he'd remain cute.

So obsessed!

With switchfoot that is. Connie bought the CD off of me, so not to worry. Hopefully she loves it as much as I do. And I got the bonus media stuff with my download so all is good. Well Suzie got the boot! So sad, she didn't deserve to go, she delivered each and every week, it was rare for her to have an off week. Mig should have been the one to go. He just doesn't fit, he's too much of a pretty boy. I know JD's going to win, it's so freakin predictable and I absolutely hate it when shows are predictable. Survivor started tonight, they brought Steph and Bobby John back, poor Bobby John was sick and pukin the whole first episode. Man am I a TV junky or what?

Oh and the God job, wasn't given to someone else. That someone else apparently is just doing it temporarily till they fill the job. Who knows, still an option, but God will need to be all over it. Hopefully he is, because Life insurance does not get anymore entertaining, and I should be studying for LOMA....some idiotic test about life insurance. I've failed it twice now, because I don't even open the freakin book, why you ask???? CAUSE IT'S FREAKIN BORING PEOPLE. Why at my age do I want to allow my brain to absorb such literal nonsense, just so I can do a boring job better? Every ounce of my being rejects anything like that. There are people in corporate american who thrive on that crap, who do well in my line of work because they can place themselves in those situations, and enjoy it......ENJOY IT??? I don't see it, I can't make anything I do fun, theres no way to make it fun. It's flat out boring. Now the people I work with.....that's entertainment. Thank God for the folks I see everyday, who make it worth going in for. Now don't get me wrong I could be doing worse, I think......yeah I could be doing worse, I could be doing my husbands job. Now his work is at least not boring, it's the people he works with that are idiotic. LOL.....put our two jobs together you got one good job. Like take the people in my office and have them Go to Ron's work and do his job, and work in his enviroment, and the hours he has to work......OMG....all the sudden I love my job and my husband for the sacrafices he makes just so I can buy another pair of shoes. Thanks honey your the best!

Seriously am I STUPID?

In my desperation for instant gratification. The beloved Switchfoot was on itunes and I downloaded it. So essentially I spent like 25 dollars on Switchfoot in less than 24 hours, how does that happen? So now what do I try to take back the opened CD, maybe exchange it for Matt Redman or something? Do I send EMI and their protection laws hate mail? What would you do? I do like the CD to have and hold and smell, and I could give it do my hubby who has not embraced the ipod generation yet. Ok Ok....shut up I know I'm stupid. But I've spent too much money on worse. I just may have to sleep with Switchfoot tonight, now that they are on the ipod. Ahhh....geez people, I am a married women, and they probably are too, I ment fall asleep jammin out! Ok that video, is awesome, that song is awesome, Jon Foreman is awesome. Have I become completely obsessed? I think I might needed to be medicated.

I LOVE MY IPOD, AND SWITCHFOOT, WHY DO THEY NOT LOVE EACH OTHER?????

Today is Switchfoot release day. I stopped at Family Christian stores quickly on my way to my Alpha leader meeting. Chew'd open the package, to take a peek at the album art which is beautiful. As is lead singer Jon Foreman. But what the hell people, I can't upload the freakin CD to my ipod????????????? I am real mad about this, I listen to my ipod everyday, it's what makes my incredibly boring job bearable. And when I have anticipated a CD for MONTHS, I wanna listen to it on my ipod. I don't wanna dig out my big honking CD player, just to listen to 1 CD....I'd even be willing to download it from itunes, but then would they take my CD back?? Probably not, why cause it's open. And besides last night the CD wasn't on itunes, and because theres some sort of license Mac needs to get so we can have this new switchfoot on the ipod, it probably ain't there now. What a crappy joke. Ok that being said so far what I've heard the CD is off the shizzle! Meaning it's the bomb diggity. They out did themselves. So freakin deep their lyrics, the are genius! Ultimate favorite band of all time has officially be crowned SWITCHFOOT. The new Alpha coordinator was announced tonight, and her name was sadly not Jodi. But the person who did get the job, deserves it, a much more hospitable person than I. I don't plan on persuing the other fulltime position listed at VCC that I could be suited for, I'll wait and see if God has anything up his sleeve, not giving up on that "God" job, it just has to be right for me. I really don't think God intends for me to be in life insurance for much longer. He knows my heart, he'll hook me up, he always does when the time is right.

Rock Star Inxs, was slammin tonight, and I swear I am not fickle they are all just so dang good that I can't stick with just one and vote them all the way to the end. Tonight my vote with with Suzie. Tonight she was completely natural. I mean it just seemed natural her up there on stage!
She sang "What's going on?" By 4 Non Blondes, one of my all time favorite songs! And it was written by Linda Perry, who dropped out of sight after tha big hit, until she wrote party started for Pink who also dropped out of sight. Anyways it was my first time hearing Dirty Vegas, by JD. And I tell ya what, I seriously can't stand JD, he's way too full of himself, and arrogant. But that song is awesome. Almost better than Marty's Trees song, but I can't get Trees out of my head. Dirty Vegas I soon forgot, but stylistically it was great. So I think Mig should go next week. He's too theatrical, doesn't really seem like a rock star. I want them to keep Suzie now, my mind may change next week. Actually I guarentee you my mind will change since it has every week. Maybe they should keep Suzie, and she can sing Dirty Vegas, it could be their first single together. Yeah Yeah....theres a great idea. Now if they take that idea, I need to get a kick back. Oh gotta give a shout out to Dave Navarro, is he not the coolest guitarist ever?? Now to figure out away to get these freakin Switchfoot songs onto my ipod, anybody got any ideas? I am mad at you Jon for doing this to me!

REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!

It's all rather silly for me to get bent out of shape over not getting a design team position, I am human however. Then at church this morning the message was basically, What is your God given dream? Well it sure ain't to be on a design team somewhere on the world wide web. Not at all, sure that'd be fun, but I can't say that it is my dream. Certainly not my God given dream anyways. For some that is the case, they live and breath making layouts to showcase for the world to see, and to keep up with the trends so they can get published. Nope, not what I think about every given moment, so maybe it was a God thing I didn't make it so that someone who has that dream can have that. So what is it, that fuels my fire? What do I think about most often? What is my God given dream? Pretty much what my churches mission statement is. To love the city of Cincinnati, or Fairfield, into a relationship with Jesus Christ. That people is really who I am. So those of you who don't know me from some other state, country or hee hee planet, may think that means I'm some crazy Jesus freak, yellin at folks to "TURN OR BURN", not so at all. It's all about how you live and who you are. To represent God in a way that makes people question, "why is she so happy." or "why does she appear to have it all together?" Or why is she involved in Alpha? Or why is she always talking about NOT gossiping? Or why does she listen to that music? Or why is she buying me lunch, or giving me something she's made. Or spending time with me, or listening to me. It's just who I am, and it's what I was made for. So my God dream is to have a God job, whether I actually get paid for it is another story. Might just be volunteer. Or it may not be now but someday when I am a missionary in a foreign land. I keep praying....God knows my heart.

Verse of the week:
"I am like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever I do prospers." Psalm 1:3

It's September 11th...on the way home from church we saw a street lined with American flags in rememberance. We drove down, and I thought about that day, and all the lives that were lost. Seems like so much more could happen today to remember. Should be some sort of memorial type holiday.

Wow!

Just really took a good look at the lead singer of Coldplay (the video playing), and the lead singer is rather dreamy. Speaking of dreamy SWITCHFOOT'S NEW ALBUM COMES OUR TUESDAY.....I will own it that day or download it......how about a vote....do I download or own the actual CD....leave vote in comments. Look at that over it in a matter of minutes. Returning to my regularly scheduled life now!

Set up to be bummed out!

Ok so maybe I am trying for too much that is just not attainable for me? Maybe I am hangin out with the wrong scrappin peeps? I mean I feel like I got skills, maybe not HOF (hall of fame) skills, tried that way too many times at some point you gotta just say "You don't got it!" So thought I'd try for a design team gig, not a super big website, with super famous folks hangin out, but moderately popular, with varying skilled scrappers and the design team is great with varying styles as well. Thought it was attainable, for me to at least make 1 round. Ok so maybe I thought it was attainable out of 50 scrappers, but 150 entered....WHAT THE? Yeah my 8.5 x 11 tiny pages were completely lost in the sea of 12 x 12 scrappers. It was completely anonymous so it was fairly bias, but that doesn't mean the designers voting weren't all looking for the same thing. For the most part, people who make it through on these things are pretty trendy scrappers, and granted they need that cause that's what sells the stuff. So I guess I am glad, I didn't abandon my style to do trendy stuff to make it in. Nor would I ever, so therefor, guess I won't make it on any design team. Unless they are looking for an eclectic, artsy fartsy, occasionally trendy style. Oh and only 8.5 x 11, maybe sometimes smaller for a gift....or an art journal. Or maybe a mail art designer....anyone looking for that kind of designer? Ok whatever.....PMS....and not making an audition round....REALLY bad mix. Last week I would have been so over the whole thing in like 2 hours. It would just be really cool to be on just 1 design team, I'm not asking for a whole bunch, just one that I give a rip about. Not just someplace I'll show up and do a little chatter for the soul purpose of getting a hook up. Ok I'm done officially over that.....sorry if I offended anyone, but if you were coming here and expecting me to NOT be honest you came to the wrong blog!

In other news, I sent in my resume for a part-time job at VCC. Ron is saying no we can't afford it. I am saying if the pay is reasonable, and it's something that God wants me to do, well then God will hook me up. Part time as in not another job but my only job. May not be for me, but that's up to God to make perfectly clear, he's good at that. Sure I questioned it about a million times whether to even try, and everyone I spoke to for advice without even taking a breath or thinking they'd say GO FOR IT! I'll keep you posted. It may be Gods desire to have my brain sucked out through my ear, while processing policy changes for the rest of my life. But hey I'll be a witness for him in the corporate world. I've not given up completely on the God job thing though if this isn't the one, maybe something else. My goal is to get me a God job, or a scrap job. Scrap jobs at this point are very hard to get, very competitive, and I crumble under that kind of pressure. I think my pretty new pink flip flops may have taken away my design team debackle (is that a word) blues. Might be so over it tomorrow and able to get on with my life.

Praying for Change!

Ok so not much going on here except the P-man got his wig busted and he's been rather charming ever since. Also check out Heathers Blog, it's dang funny! So glad it's friday!

Change

I do not like change. Does anyone really. Theres the excitement of the unknown and new things, but comfort and routine are much more cozy. I feel a change coming on. I don't know what, or who is going to be doing the changing, I just feel it somewhere on the horizon. I need to be fullfilled, and I need to enjoy life more. I'd like to figure out how to make that happen. I'm not talking about the occasional shopping spree, or the occasional hook up with my peeps, or adventure with the fam. I am talking daily fullfillment, like a sense of purpose. Like when I wake up in the morning I want to feel like theres a purpose to my day.

Yeah that's just me, and me talking about me. Pretty much an ok thing to do. I am all filled up to emotional crap with the Hurricane craziness. Watching way too much Fox News, Folks talking, talking, talking. Just get those people out of their, they are endangering their lives the longer they stay there in the disease soup. Soldiers degotiating with folks, is nonsense, if they don't have the mental ability to understand.....you are going to die here, you'll just need to manhandle them. Take them to the empty military bases and help them rebuild their lives, done deal. Sounds like they didn't have much to begin with, what you give them will probably be more than they had. Just freakin do it, and quit talking about whether it is politically ok. If you don't get them out of there that's just more bodies the soldiers, (one of which could be my husband) has to clean up when the water is gone.

Book Page

jodi sexton's page
Originally uploaded by KristinaR.

Some Mail art I did for one of my mail art peeps. So fun! I must say it looks cooler than when I finished it, I didn't plan any of it, I just pulled out some stuff and winged it. Love doing that and it turns our cool.

Confessions and Observations from a Shopaholic

• Bridgewater shopping area is way way too close to my house.
• Old Navy having plus size clothing isn't necessarily a good thing
• Old Navy being that close to my house may not be a good thing either
• It's a possibility the entire family will be dressing sporty
• Clinton and Stacy from What not to Wear do eventually have an effect on you.
• Michaels coupon must be spent on something even if you don't NEED anything
• It's important to escape the house when your child is not on his ADHD medication.
• I do lose my patience, it happens believe me.
• My child DOES need to be medicated, for everyone's sanity and safety.
• He is still alive and not wounded in anyway.
• Target has cool new scrappin stuff. Which you may not be able to resist, so don't go.
• Target has the best jammies, those are easier to resist, they'll be there for weeks, and might go on clearance soon.
• Once the scrappin world finds out about the cool stuff at Target, it'll be gone in no time.
• I do still remember how to cook.
• Corn on the Cob is very good.
• So is Goetta.
• Both those in one weekend.....bad idea.
• Praying for a friend.
• Tradgedy really puts your life in perspective. Seems subconsciously my husband and I both realize this and fought less than ever before this weekend. And the kid was even unmedicated. Truly God working to make us grateful!

Yowza!

Ok so I leave for many, many hours shopping with Cyndi today. Major retail therapy, and wow White Castles has really good sweet tea, how come no one has told me this? Got to drive Ron's new car, he was rather reluctant to give it up. While I was gone, the man cleaned my car, like the thing is spotless, inside and out.....AHHHHHHHHHH.......I'll be expected to keep it this way. The stress is almost unbearable. We shopped so much my feet still hurt, but I got some much "needed" scrapbook supplies. Now in the event the city runs out of gas, and I can't leave my house, I am sufficently stocked up, and then some. All you shopaholics in the FF area....OLD NAVY IS NOW OPEN! So is chili's where I had dinner this evening and it was so yummy. And the staff was amazingly nice. My long weekend is off to a great start. And I got a new cute skirt too. Who ever invented the just below the knee A-line skirt, flattering to the full figure gal is a freakin genius, I'll post a pic if I take a decent one. Praying daily and wishing I could go help those in the gulf states. It all sucks real bad. I try not to think about it, my heart can only take on so much heart ache.