Adventures of the Supersized 6

So have you heard the theory of how pets and their owners start to resemble one another? Or how adopted children will start to have some of the characteristics of their adopted parents, or even resemble them? I think that now that I have been in the family long enough I am starting to behave like Don. Yes my father in law. I am somehow inheriting one of his notorious traits....Not being able to say NO. Slowly I have been adding to my plate. Not in huge quantities, just a small project here and there. Ok. As of Sept. 20th I will be a full time student. I am also the "unofficial" Children's ministry leader at our church. I say that simply because I have been cooridinated most of the efforts in getting the ministry up and running. I enjoyed the research of finding the right curriculum, and I am glad that God blessed me with previous experience in various children's ministries. Although not in the leadership of an age group of this magnitude we are starting small and we will all learn together. But really the hardest part I feel is now behind us. The fun starts now! I received a phone call asking that although I expressed not being able to help in a teaching role at American Heritage girls, would I consider cooridinating the fall fundraiser. I have done my research. I now just have to wait until the week to purchase said 800 chocolate bars and get them in to the capable hands of our troops. I can only hope that every ounce of chocalatey goodness sells so that I only need to count money rather than figuring out what to do with a box of chocolate syrup, or what ever mess might be turned back in. Oh, it gets more interesting. I receive a phone call this week that informs me that I have previously expressed an offer of help with soccer. There are more girls for the U-7 (under 7 years old) girls team (Madison's bracket) then there are coaches. There needs to be two teams and they have only one coach. If they can't find anyone.....well Madie may not play her 3rd season. Not just her, but about 11 other girls might not as well. In a moment of weakness I couldn't see 12 girls with broken hearts not playing soccer. I know stamp "SUCKER" on my forehead. When people hear of my well ongoing temporary insanity lapses I either get sympathy, or criticism. I am sure I deserve the latter more. My hope is that since they all seem to slowly add on, rather than all at once I can get the bugs worked out of one responsibilty before then next starts to barrel at me. soccer practices start next week. Well I was going to have be at practice because Aaron works 2nd shift. The difference is that I am on the field instead of chatting with the other moms. Then school starts for the older 3. That should make things much easier with them occupied during the day. Then we kick off the children's program and a youth group meeting. Well I am there Sunday already. It will only be a little bit of prep time and I am hoping to get most of that done well in advance. So I feel really good there. Season starts the following week which I was going to have to be there anyhow, now I am yelling directions from the other side of the field. Where it is allowed. =) A few weeks after that school starts for me. My schedule may be full time, but I am really only feeling that I may have to buckle down on one class. But like you said Sheila, a C makes the grade. I can't be the super student while trying to live with 5 other people, 4 being my most important assignments. Which I love this job! Anyhow then as soccer is in it's last week as I get the wonka bars... er...chocolate bars for the fundraiser. I know it sounds like a lot, but really I feel pretty good about it all. I have lots of help, I have prayed and I feel like God is supplying me with a positive attitude. Which can't hurt. With all we have had going on this summer I have managed an A in my history class. A little confidence booster for the weeks ahead.
So if you think about it, say a prayer for me and my brood that we can have fun, grow, and get through what is shaping to be a very busy start to fall. If it is this crazy when they are in grade school I can only start to pray now for what will be the horrors of high school! They are all getting JOBS!!!


TLM

My three older kids are attending VBS at their grandparents former church that is just around the corner from our home. Yes, my little ones are VBS junkies, they love any children's program they can get in to. But they love this particular one because it is the same publishing company and format that they have done since they started attending VBS. Anyhow, one of the moms I know from soccer and school, she says to me, "Your little girl," I reply, "Which one?" "Oh the older one with glasses." "Madie?" "Yes, she looks just like Dakota Fanning! She is absolutely adorable." I giggled and thanked her. I guess I never really thought about it before. She looks like Madison Elizabeth to me. But then I remembered hearing similar things when I was younger. I was once told that I looked like the singer from the funk group DeLite. Yes groove is in the heart. But what I heard most was how I reminded people of a young Natalie Wood. This was primarily from those in my moms generation, no one I went to school with would know who Natalie Wood was. They would even ask me if I knew who Natalie Wood was, are you kidding me. Gypsy was one of my favorite musicals, along with to West Side Story and The Unsinkable Molly Brown. They don't make good musicals anymore do they? Any how and I loved Love with the proper stranger and she played crazy so well is spledor in the grass. Although I am flattered at the comparison I am no Natalie Wood. All the same I thought it was funny that some one would see some cutie pie Dakota Fanning in my Madie girl. Even though Madie has a ways to go in discovering her calling she is unique.

God made each of so different, yet we make comparisons all of the time. Maybe it part of human nature to do so. Lets face it, beauty sells. The entertainment industry thrives on who will be the next bombshell to sell out at the box office. We see someone who reminds us of someone else. The beauty industry makes untold millions on our insecurities, me included. I am guilty of dying my hair and buying the latest skin cream to help keep me 29 for at least another 5 years. My girlfriend told me that while at our class reunion she realized that I must be the only one left in our graduating class that hasn't had a breast augmentation. Something tells me that at our 20 year reunion I will still be the only one. I am humbled to just be me, simple Tina Louise, child of God. Trying to do her best and striving to serve God in anyway he calls. I realize that won't sell a movie ticket, but that is not the audience I am going for.

Who is your audience? How do others see you? Do they see you as a child of God?
I love a simple little sign that is hanging in our church and it makes you think. It reads:

If every member of our church was just like me, what kind of a church would our church be?

I pray that God will give me the guidance, wisdom, and encouragment to do what He wills me to do, at the time He calls me to do it.


TLM

Summer is chugging right along at a break neck speed it seems. My history class is almost complete. I took test #3 of 5. I got an A. I missed 3 of the 50 questions, many of us argued about one of the questions though. There were 2 answers that applied to the question, only 3 put one of the aplicable answers and the rest of us went with the one the text went into greater detail about and seemed the more obvious choice. I reasoned that the lesser obvious was attached to the obvious and that is why I marked it. Well the good Professor said "although that is a correct answer it is not the answer I was looking for." Hmm...well he is the Professor and can therefore do what he wants, I don't think it is fair, but whether my argument overturns my 94% to a 96% it is still an A either way. He then said that after review of the previous weeks test he was going to overturn our answers to #29 but not #4. When asked for justification for his answer being different than what is in the text he said he was leaving for lunch....Oy.

All other things on the home front are good. Kids are good, getting tan from being in the pool 70% of the day. Church is going good and we are looking for form a childrens education commitee of sorts. We are also seeing a need for a class for that in between age of 5th through high school. So I will be digging out all of my material from when I had a herd of Jr. Highers to teach. I love that age group. They are starting to think more indepedantly and they ask really good questions with such honesty at that age. They are really seeking and are more apt to absorb the knowledge and love of Christ. When high school comes there are so many things competing for thier attention.

Other news, we have decided to not go to Chicago this weekend. Yes I cried, but in all practicality there are other things that needed to be tended to above a weekend trip of fun and friends. Aaron needs to get his new glasses, his car needs to get new brakes, Jake will be needing sports glasses for soccer, school is fastly approaching so I need to get the kids stuff, plus my supplies started. Since we just got ourselves to a point financially where we need to be, I want to maintain that and going to Chicago is not really maintaining that in a responsible manner. For the time being. We are looking to October for a trip. We chose a weekend that will also allow us to see some of our Emmaus friends as well. I think it might work better. I love Northern Illinois in the fall!! An October trip would be georgous.

Well I hope that summer is as wonderful for you all as it has been for me, if only I could get it to slow down a bit....


TLM

We celebrated with joy our freedoms and idependance with family and friends. Family started to filter in on Friday and Saturday. I went to get my contribution to the party at my local shopping establishments while my kids played at mamaw's and papaw's. I arrived with Annika sleeping in the van. I left it running, air on while I unloaded my loot. Here is the funny part. I had to take some stuff to my house which was not for the party, and I wanted to change my clothes. So one of the Aunts (name withheld with Love) got Annika out of the van and left it running since I had meat in the van that was going home with me. The doors locked and were shut. So there my van ran, doors locked, purse in the van with my spare keys....And Aaron was golfing with his keys. Luckily one of the kids had left the middle window open. I had been thinking the entire morning of climbing back there and shutting it, but I never did (thankfully). So my skinny arms and a new boat oar later (picture that one!!) I managed to whack the button on the drivers door that unlocked the door. Fun stuff. By Saturday night we were enjoying the nice evening air and the sights of fireworks in the sky. Annika loved them which was great. The other three would cry when they were that age. Sunday brought more relatives and friends in to enjoy massive amounts of food and fellowship. It was hot so some sought the comfort of our pool along with us. Monday was school for me, test day. and the day of the great clean up. Some of the decorations from our hawaiian themed party found it's way to Madie and Annika's surf/Hawaiian room. It looks cute, girly cute. And Tuesday found us lounging around and watching movies while a storm brewed ruining our chances of a true 4th of July fireworks show. But it was a great weekend none the less.

It was odd to be celebrating our independance while my history class was deep in the chapters surrounded the Revolution. It brought it all into perspective and it had more meaning given the time of year. Very cool. Oh, and I managed to get an A on my 2nd test. I hope to keep the momentum going.

This weekend is all abuzz with Pirates. The kids are chomping at the bit to see the Pirates of the Caribbean dead mans chest. I think it may be a family outing with mamaw and papaw joining us. Papaw is really a kid in an AARP member's body. =) Then we will start to get things ready for our Chicago trip. Yes we are going back tot he windy city to see friends and convince ourselves that we love Ohio and don't want to be back there. No, things are great here and I know that this is where we are supposed to be. I just really loved living in Chicago too. It will be good to see our friends who are really like family. Fellowship with them, worship with them. I am looking forward to it!

Well, I am off to the pool. By far one of our most worthy investments here. Next to our home of course.

I hope everyone is having a great summer!!

TLM