Orphan Sunday, 11/6/11.

Orphan Sunday from DTJ on Vimeo.

I stole this from my friend jena's blog.
orphan sunday is 11/6/11.
folks, let's talk turkey.
we live in houses too big for us,
crammed with too much crap we don't need.
kids are dying
and hungry
and homeless.
stop. don't buy that coffee.
don't go out for that meal.
give to a charity like hopechest.
i am speaking to myself here.
shoe buying freak that i am.
or maybe...
its time to make room in your home... for one more bed.

Dear Daughter...

Don't freak out, that is not some weird way of announcing that I am in a state of knockedupedness again. I have just been looking at our three little boys, whom I have been entrusted with screwing up raising up. It is humbling to think I have a future husband, father, employee, coach, etc. in my charge. As I realized how quickly almost 9 years have passed with Lincoln, I began to think of the future and the Lord really laid it on my heart to begin a more regular and specific time of prayer for their wives; my future daughters in law. These three are all so very different in temperament, habits, inclinations, and personality. I realized, a general, "Lord, help them marry someone nice" was just not going to cut it.

 Lincoln, he is a giver. He can't have someone demanding, or he'll just give in to her all the time. He is also very empathetic and thoughtful, so he would be a good husband to a girl who needs reassurance, and to be shown kindness she may have missed growing up. He will pamper her in word and deed.

 Emerson, he is... stubborn. He needs someone who will keep him on his toes, and know when to give in and when to dig her heels in. He is also a jokester, so he would be a good husband to someone who likes to laugh. Since he gets his feelings hurt easily, I think he would be sensitive to a girl who is like that as well. He would know when to stop the joking and when to give that sweet girl compliments. He will also be fiercely loyal.

 Alden, he is so sweet. I mean, really sweet. He will be a good match for a girl who likes to be treated with kind words, and lots of hugs. He also knows when to turn on that charming smile, so his gal will need to be smart on her toes, and know when to give him the what for, and when to allow that sweet grin to melt her heart and anger.

So you see, since they are all so different, the prayers for their future spouses need to be too. I want to pray, not only for them to be good, godly men, but for specific character strengths. I also want to pray for these future daughters... for  their character, their disposition, and above all else, that they love Jesus with a fierce heart. Christ first, my son, second.

All three boys know, and have this drilled in their heads regularly...
We don't care where she is from, if she is tall or short, what color her skin is, or if she is rich or poor. Our only absolute, is that she loves Jesus. So, in all this thinking and praying, and of course sobbing over the lightning speed with which these children are growing, I decided to write each of these sweet girls some letters.
 I will keep them, and when they boys have their betrothed, those precious girls will receive the letters. My plan is to write them periodically, over the next however many years. I want the girls to hear funny stories, and how their soon to be husband accomplished things, struggled, and grew. I also want them to hear how I was, as the boys' mom, and gain understanding of my heart. I know, I do scrapbook some of these things, but since I won't be giving those away until I DIE, I want to give them something tangible.

So... sweet, future daughters, until we meet...

So long HGTV, sniff...

Tis true, tis true. Back in March we made the final step in guaranteeing our children's future therapy needs by cancelling our satellite dish service. It is funny to me that people ask if it was a Jesus inspired decision. Well, yes and no. I did not spend a lot of time praying about it in the traditional sense, "Dear Lord, do you want us to upgrade to the gold channel package? Is this covered under the umbrella of Psalm 84:11?" We simply looked at what it cost us, what we got, and if we needed it.
It was soon realized that we would be saving $90 + a month, and the only thing we would be missing was the channel switch dash. The channel switch dash? What is that you ask? It is that lovely sport, wherein you are watching say, a cartoon, and all of the sudden there is an advertisement for erectile dysfunction cream. Seriously? Is this necessary? I am not even going to ask if its appropriate... at 1030 am...  on a Saturday morning...  to viewers of Batman.
And apparently, if you are in the fan base of anything on the history channel, your tampon needs are of utmost importance, as is a body wash that requires you to bathe in a forest, moan, and watch soap suds slide off your own buttocks.
There were other reasons we cancelled the satellite, aka child lazifier. Yes, another reason was the comatose stare and dazed, glassy eyed looks that came over my children, their lack of gumption to get up and throw a tissue in the trash lest they miss another hydroxi-cut commercial, and their inability to play. Inability to play? Really? Yes. Really.
When all your interaction with your siblings involves staring and sitting, you lose the ability to converse, cooperate, and even play. Am I really saying that too much TV made my children unable to play? Yes. Yes I am. I think it was stealing their imagination one couch potato day at a time.  Whenever it was turned off we were met with confused looks, and questions of "What do we do now? " I realized we needed to cut the head of the beast right off when we pointed them to the mudroom toy shelves and they asked, 

"What are these called again? " TOYS. 
"What do we with them? "  PLAY.  
"Is there a show about this we could watch first to see how its done, this 'play' thing? "  WHAT?!!?

Yes, I exaggerate a bit, but we really felt like we were letting the TV take over our time and our kid's little minds too much. Note, that operative word there... WE. As in, Micah and myself. We allowed the habit to start, and for own selves, we needed to just get rid of it. It was too easy to find something to watch on HGTV, and hello??? How can I not watch Tabitha's Salon Takeover? It is practically like continuing ed for me. Right? Eh, right???
So, yes...
*guilty of "not having time to get the laundry done" because I was too busy watching Kat Von Dee tat people.
*guilty of not being able to go to bed because I had to see what the chefs would do with that octopus and caramel in the dessert round on Chopped.
*guilty of yelling angry comments at parents on Toddlers and Tiaras...  you get the picture.

The boys and ME, we had issues.

We did keep netflix instant streaming, and after over a week of a total no electronics of any kind fast, we loaded up some Super Mario Brothers (yes, the one from the 80s. it makes my heart happy. we are indeed "hooked on the brothers") Pink Panther, and Diego, we are good to go. We now give the kiddos 30-45 min a day of TV or wii or ipod time. Yep, they gotta choose between the three. We will allow a bit more on a rainy Saturday or when a babysitter is here. If you can manage the TV better, please understand, I am not judging you. I salute you. I am too weak... too house hunting, sister wives, and Lifetime made for TV movie weak.

It is amazing to watch things like legos, puzzles, pillow forts, and drawing happening again in our home. I mean, its not perfect, these are three boys. They wrestle over the crayons, and a fist fight can escalate over a game of rummy, but its still better. A lot better. 

As for me, I am okay... until football season.

It's a List.

1. When your 3 yr old takes a massive dookey, comprised of lots of small turds, and declares with a cute grin, "That was a family! They want to go to the party!" you realize, that $1750 you just spent to fix your septic tank was worth it. This is a lie. I am still bitter that I spent as much to hear about the "Dookey Family"as my new camera would've cost. I'll think bitter thoughts every time I look at that part of the yard; the $1750 hole in the ground. Did I mention it cost $1750 and that I am bitter about it... oh, I guess I did.

2. I started reading The Book Thief. I am worried that I am too stupid for this book. *eta: I am now well into the book and am happy to announce, I love it, and get it. 

3. I love moments like this:

4. Amazon Prime has changed my world. I mean that. Sort of.  I had to add the "sort of"  because otherwise someone will send me an e-mail about how Jesus should change my world, and how someone could take this to mean I find all my happiness in Amazon prime. I guess sarcasm is a dead language for some. Not me.
(fyi : Jesus is first, always, then My Micah, then... well, I hate to say it, but that two day shipping is edging out the boys a little in ranking. Again, kidding. Sort of.)

5. Alden learned to climb a large tree in our yard. He has no fear, and likes only the thinnest branches of course. I will let you know where to send the get well gifts when he breaks his arm.

6. As if I didn't dislike MarieClaire enough, they went and put Miley Cyrus on the cover. Deal Sealed.

7.I just realized my first item was a whole paragraph... about poop and bitterness. Oh, and the $1750 dollars our crapper cost us... you know, in case you missed that.

8. I don't understand why self tanners can't smell better? Isn't there some sweet smelling chemical that change the color of my skin??? Sheeesh.

9. I ordered a groupon for some new pizza place, where you order the pizza but then you bring it home to bake. I am totally counting that as "cooking" dinner.

10. We no longer have any form of cable, satellite, antenna, etc. Guess what? I can still sleep at night without knowing who got voted off American Idol. (more on the no tv schtick later...)

That is all. Happy Tuesday.

Pen + Paper = Lost Art Form

A couple of weeks ago, I opened my mail box and found an envelope. Inside was a piece of paper with lots, no, make that TONS of writing... huh?
 Do you know what it was? A letter. That is where you write words on a piece of paper, with a pen or writing utensil of choice, and then put it in an envelope, and...wait for it...

MAIL IT TO SOMEONE! 

I know, crazy. It had been so long since I received an actual, honest to goodness letter, that at first, I wasn't sure what it was. What was my dear friend from Alabama mailing me? Too small to be a book, too big to be a card of some sort... what could it be??? I opened it to find... an actual letter. A whole page, front and back in her beautiful handwriting. I was delighted. Yes, DE-LIGHT-ED. I went in the house, and sat down in a comfy chair and read the wonderful words. I laughed at some points, nodded knowingly at others, and when it was done all I could think was "Wow, that made my day."

So, I returned the favor to her. I took a piece of copy paper, because hello? Who owns stationery anymore? I folded it in half, thinking I would never be able to write a whole page's worth. Um, yeah... FYI: if you are a chatty cathy in real life, you are a chatty cathy in the written realm as well. I filled up all four halves, and could have done more. My hand started cramping, and if hands could talk, mine was having flashbacks to last minute papers written in high school. (yes, we used to write our papers. shut your mouths you babes of the computer age.)

Anyhoo... my point is this... This week, grab a pen, some paper, and take a few minutes to write someone a letter. Not a note, not a card, but a real, honest to goodness letter. I believe there is even some Biblical precedent/example here, in that the New Testament contains "epsitles', aka letters to the churches. I just think we need a lot more hand cramping and a lot less, "Didn't you know?  I posted it on my facebook" in the world.