Random Thoughts...

I know its been a while (before yesterday) since I've posted anything. There are a lot of things rolling around in my mind, its just that none of them are developed enough to write and entire blog about. So I've decided to just make them into my random list of thoughts:) Here you go....

1. Should we really send Isabella to pre-school this year, even if I am involved tremendously in the program? Is she ready? Is it truly necessary? To answer my own question, no, I don't believe it is necessary, but there are days when I think it may help to save my sanity...

Will it only add to our busyness, or will it be beneficial enough to make up for that?

I change my mind from day to day, sometimes minute to minute. A few days ago, I was ready to fill out the forms, and now I'm really hesitating. I'll have to talk to Scott and pray about this one!


2. We need a schedule! I've been reading some other blogs (See my list on the side), and I think that a schedule would be very beneficial for us. Bella might eat better, there would be less television, nap/quiet times (praise the Lord!), and more intentional activities throughout the day and week. I think I'll start working on this soon.

3. Summer is almost over... Could it be?! Well, around here, school starts August 13th!! I think this is ridiculous, just as I thought the same when we started around the 20th when I was in school. We waste money on air conditioning at the beginning of the year, and then the kids get out of school in May or early June, when it is sometimes so cool that we haven't even pulled out our summer clothes yet!

Anyhow, summer according to the school schedule is almost over, which means normalcy in our lives again. For our family, with Scott being in youth ministry, summers are crazy, and schedules change week to week. We are never sure when Daddy will be home or if he'll be joining us for dinner.


4. What is healthy for my family in this world? In the book I've been reading and research I've been doing, I'm discovering that not everything we think of as 'safe' is really as 'safe' as we think it is. So now we're trying to determine just what risks we are willing to take, and what we need to change in our lives. Currently, cleaning solutions are being changed out for natural cleaning solutions that I can make myself. I'm also turning over thoughts on baking my own bread......


5. What is my dream job? I'm still trying to determine this. I know it has something to do with creating things. Currently, I'm working on setting up my craft room, and getting some sewing lessons under my belt. I have always wanted to make quilts, baby blankets, and burp cloths. I'm also interested in bags and purses. I'm still dreaming, but I'm working on changing that!


6. We love ice cream around our house!! We buy it by the bucket, and I'm amazed at how quickly it disappears. That may be due to the fact that we eat it about 3-4 times per week:) Last night, I gave Bella her bowl, and then continued to fix my own. I came out of the kitchen, and this was the sight.....

Big sister always makes sure that little sister does not miss out on the good stuff! I think she is trying to undermine my efforts to make sure that little sister is a better eater than what big sis has turned out to be!

Please ignore the big white spot. We recently had a leaking pipe, and haven't gotten that spot painted yet:)

7. Our kitty really needs a new home. I am pretty sure that my recently developed allergies are due to our little Lucy. I have had swollen, itchy eyes for about 3 weeks now, except for the short times that we are away from home, and the stay in the hotel in OK City and drive home. We spent one night at a friend's home in OK City, and she had AC with 2 kitties, and I still experienced allergies, so that rules out seasonal allergies, but the kitties were still present. (did that all make sense?....)

8. Who is reading this? I know my faithful three, because they are always leaving comments, which I love! But my tracker tells me there are more... so lurkers, lurkers, whoever you are, leave me a message please:)

Grandpa Snowbarger

This post is in honor of a great man in the family into which I married. Willis Snowbarger, also affectionately known as Grandpa Snowbarger, is a great man of God. He has had so many experiences in life, and has built a wonderful legacy that I am proud to pass on to my children.
A few months ago, Grandpa had surgery which was supposed to be pretty routine, but he contracted a blood infection, which was recently discovered. After difficulty recovering from this, he was placed in the hospital. We have not been able to see Grandpa since Homecoming at Olivet, in November, when Bianca was just 10 days old; so we wanted to take the girls to see him once again. We made an impromptu trip to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma this weekend. Impromptu, as in we decided on Wednesday to go at about 4 pm, and left by 9 pm. It was a little hectic, but I'm so glad that we were able to see him once more. We were also able to see many extended family, as they were returning home from a family reunion the previous weekend that we were unable to attend.

Grandpa Snowbarger pictured holding Bianca, 10 days old.

Memaw (Delia Snowbarger Pittman) with Isabella

Great, Great Aunt Wilma Snowbarger with Bianca

Isabella, Scott, Bianca, Great Great Aunt and Uncle Kathy (Snowbarger) and Buddy Emmert

Memaw with Isabella

Sister Bella was enjoying some M&Ms, and wanted to share with little sis, Bianca. She chose blue to share!

Great, Great Uncle and Aunt Marion and Wilma Snowbarger

Mommy and Bella at Sonic (this one was a sit down one, right next to their headquarters) in Bricktown.

Scott at Sonic

Memaw and Bianca Ruth

Daddy and Bella sitting next to Grandpa's bed.

This picture says it all! We returned at 12:45 am on Sunday morning. We were all exhausted after making the drive in 13 hours!

We were able to get pictures with Grandpa and able to talk to him, and see that he enjoyed seeing the girls. He is not doing well, and we may be soon celebrating his joining his Heavenly Father soon. I would like to be selfish and hope that he would wait a while so that my girls can be old enough to remember and appreciate what a wonderful Great Grandfather they have, but I also know that Grandpa is most likely so eager to enjoy the treasures he has stored up in heaven throughout his life, and to praise his King continually!

Air conditioning... want or need?

We are doing without an air conditioner currently. It went out the first time we used if AFTER we put $500 into it. Its old, and has to be replaced, but its not an emergency, and really isn't in our budget currently. So we're doing without.

Many lessons can be learned through this so-called 'hardship.' So I thought I would share....

1. ITs amazing what you can learn about your neighbors just by leaving the windows open! One neighbor is never home. Well, either that or he only gets up at night! Another neighbor only comes out when she has friends over, or to play with her dogs. One other neighbor has a pool on their deck (very small one), but I have never been aware of the kids using it, yet there are always towels hanging up to dry....I'm not trying to spy or anything, you just notice these things much more when your windows are open!
And one neighbor must send her kids outside everytime she needs to work in the kitchen. At least, it corresponds with my eating schedule, it seems!

2. The evening breeze is so refreshing! I love to sit by the window after the sun goes down and enjoy it! Sometimes, if there isn't laundry to fold, I'll even get out to the deck or the hammock....

3. Having the windows open causes one to change their habits. I'm trying to get all my hard work out of the way in the morning, so I can rest and relax during the heat of the day. Also, its best to get the dryer and washer run in the morning or at night, so they don't heat up the house.

4. Having the windows open causes the outdoors to call my name. I have found that we are spending more time outside. Its cooler sometimes, and sometimes, if I'm going to be hot, I may as well be outside!

5. I appreciate the freezer cooking SO much more! I can pull something out of the freezer in the morning and cook it, and then its ready to be slightly re-heated for dinner. The oven is used in the cool of the morning, and we get a warm, delicious meal!

6. Less laundry!! Babies don't have to wear clothing, right? Diapers do just fine, and they stay cooler that way:o) However, Bella is making up for that... she likes to change clothes at least once a day....

Pictures

While we were enjoying days by the pool at the farm, we took some time to get the grandkids photographed all together. It was interesting trying to get 3 kids under 3 to have their picture taken together, but the photographer was very patient, and got some awesome pictures!! Check them out at Tonya Vansant Photography! Click here, click on proofing, and then type in the password, annette. I can't wait to get some prints!

At the farm

Since Daddy is with the teens on the Indy District Mission Trip to Pasagoula, Mississippi, Mommy and the girls have been enjoying a long weekend at Nina and Papa's house. Here are some pictures of what we've been doing....

Playing with the dogs... Uncle Reed just got a new puppy this morning(Left picture). Ty Carter is a mini Australian Shepherd. Bianca is the perfect size to ride Sierra, the eldest dog. She is about 12 or 13 years old. And then theres "Puppy Blaize" who got a bad haircut about a month ago, and is still recovering. Poor dog!

We've also been logging many hours in the pool!! Bella and Bianca love the water! Bianca wants to take off and swim:) Bella got brave for a few minutes and took her arm floats off, but she prefers to use them....
PICS: Bianca and Aunt Rae-Rae on the raft, and Bella trying it out also! Bianca and cousin, Jackson, are napping in the strollers on the deck in the shade. And Nina and Jackson are enjoying the evening.

Aunt Kait and friend/future roommate Danielle wanted to get in on the camera action also.....

And Mommy was able to get away and enjoy a haircut from a friend she graduated with...

We're enjoying a relaxing break from the speed of life, but miss Daddy a lot!! We'll be glad to have us all back together again!

Through the eyes of the little one...

Last night we had to go to Walmart to get some things, and discovered that their back to school items are on sale!! The teacher in me cannot resist a back to school sale, so of course we had to roam the aisles, and ended up getting Bella some new art supplies. She was so excited to get colored pencils, markers, crayons, a ruler, scissors, glue sticks, flashcards, construction paper, and a preschool workbook!! When we got home, she was ripping the boxes open (literally) before I even had everything inside! She got straight to work using them too....
First, I find the flashcards strewn across the floor, and her using scissors on one of them. That's why we bought them, right?! So we have a little talk about how we only use scissors on the construction paper that Mommy gives her. I think she understood that well enough.
So we headed into the kitchen to do her artwork at the table. I carried almost everything in for her and put it on the table. I turned around to find Bella applying glue stick to her lips like lip balm (the girl LOVES her lip gloss!). I think I kind of scared or embarrassed her, because she got that look.
I never thought about what she might do with these items, considering that she has never used them! I just assumed that she would know when I said glue stick, that it went on paper! Oh the lessons of motherhood, from small to large! I realized that this whole 'school supplies' thing was only exciting to her (well, aside from the new coloring things) because it was so exciting to me. She had no idea what to do with these things, and she set out to figure them out. Let's see, I got new cards, and scissors, so I'll use them together. And this thing, it looks like lip gloss/chap stick, so it must go on my lips. If she had been left to her own devices, she would have had hair glued to her lips!
Sometimes I think this must be what we look like to God. We get excited because its something that is good, but we don't stop to think and ask what God has planned for these things, or what their proper use is, and we find ourselves in a big mess, embarrassed and scared. We assume that we know what to do with them, and sometimes what we plan is good, but what if God had something bigger and better planned for them? What if we stopped to ask God what He wants to do with our days, hours, minutes, talents, etc?
Are you taking time to stop and listen to the direction from God?

Life before cell phones?

What in the world did we ever do before we had cell phones? This is what I found myself wondering as I searched for friends in a crowded festival last night with two little girls in a stroller made for one...
Scott and I decided to view the local fireworks this year, since we had not seen them since moving here 3 years ago. We went to the festival first, planning to get some carnival food. I had corndog, curly fries and elephant ears on my mind, so I forgot to pack my cell phone as I was gathering diapers, jackets, blankets, and toys for entertaining when the fireworks failed to hold attention. When we got to the fest, it was packed!! There were no curly fries to be found, and the lines looked to be a good 15 minute wait. We decided Culvers sounded better, so we started heading that direction, when we ran into a friend who said his family was all set up to view fireworks at the other end of the carnival, opposite of our car. We discuss this, and decide that I should take the girls and find them while Scott hops in the car to get food and meet us at agreed spot.
Apparently I was completely clueless as to where said spot was to be found, because when I reached the location of where I thought I was supposed to be, friends were no where to be found! I have one little girl crying because her sister is forcing her to sit up, and the other crying because she wants to walk, not ride. I am starting to panic, because I have no idea where I am supposed to be, and have no way of contacting Scott to let him know this. So I started walking towards Culvers, thinking I could possibly (A) run into someone I know who would have a phone; (B) find Scott; or (C) ask in my most polite voice if I may please borrow a stranger's cell phone, in hopes that Scott answers, even though he usually doesn't if he doesn't recognize the number. I chose option C, so I find the most decent looking family I could find, whom I could also see was wearing/carrying cell phones, and explain that I have lost my hubby, and left my phone at home, could I please borrow yours. They were very kind and gracious to allow me not 1, but 2 phone calls to Scott. First, I talked to him about exactly where I was supposed to be. Once that was figured out, I start talking to said family, and they say, that's at least a mile the other direction, and you probably shouldn't go that alone, as you'll have to walk on Franklin Road (Its nearing 9:45 pm). SO, I call Scott a second time to say I am not walking there alone, I'm coming to find you, so look for me!
For those of you who know our area, I was behind the finance center along 56th street, in the middle of the soccer fields. I started hightailing it towards Culvers, and almost make it there when I realize that the car that is honking an annoying number of times behind me is, in fact, my hero of a husband, who managed to turn down the correct aisle to find me in the humongous parking lot filled with thousands of people setting off their own fireworks like crazy! I was so glad to see that it was him!! So we called off the plans of meeting our friends and found the closest empty parking spot to pull into, where we enjoyed feeding our babies and keeping Bella from running into the cars.
When the fireworks finally began, the car near us had a cheap alarm system, which was apparently scared of the boomers, as it started throwing a fit each time one went off loud enough to echo! That was entertaining. As for the fireworks, they were good, but Bella preferred to play catch, and Bianca liked watching her. I think we could have skipped them this year, put the girls to bed early, and enjoyed an evening in our backyard seeing what fireworks could be seen from the hammock!
So I tell this immensely long story to say, what did we ever do before cell phones? how would I have ever found my hubby and had delicious food and a hot chauffeur to take me home? I've never been so mad that I forgot my phone, nor so thankful for the invention before!! It will be a long time before I forget my phone again:)