Book Club and Laundry Detergent

We had an enjoyable evening at our first book club meeting. We don’t really have a name for our “group” so I guess we are just the “Book Club”. Ian wanted to know why Jennifer was going to the “Club” last night! How funny.
Our next book is “The Secret Life of Bees”. If you are reading this, then you might want to join us for our next meeting on February 23rd. On another note- I had such as great time with the young girls last night. I always enjoy being around younger women- it gives me hope for the future! I am also excited that Mary is doing so well and was able to host the book club. We had good food and great fun talking, laughing, and enjoying some girl time. We started discussing saving money, and our conversation got around to the Duggar family and how they make their own laundry detergent. So today I got online and read up on making your own laundry detergent- it is not hard at all and it makes the cost of a load of laundry to be about a penny. Comparison studies likens the cleaning power to Tide. I am going to see if I can find the ingredients- the only thing hard to find is Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda) according to the online information. I thought if some of us wanted to, we might use the church kitchen one night and have a laundry detergent making session. Anyone interested?

Happy Early Birthday, Levi!

I know it is a day early, but I am home at the computer so I thought I would send Levi my birthday wishes while I had a minute.

Where do I start- Levi is my only grandson. He is beautiful, smart, energized, and one of a kind. His birth, following Addi's, was such a calm event and I can hardly believe that it has been 4 years. I can't wait to see what the future holds for Levi. I feel honored that he thinks I can save him from getting spankings and in trouble! While I certainly know that he can be a bit "challenging" at times, I also know that sweet side that gets excited when he hasn't seen someone in a couple of hours, the arms that come running to be picked up (yes, and he is getting heavy) when he sees you, the knock down hugs he bestows on special cousin Hannah at church, the way he loves his Mommy and Daddy, Addi and especially cares for Lila in such a sweet way, and his joy when Sponge Bob is on and he can get on Granna's bed. Levi, you are such a special part of my heart and I love you!

Lazy Blogger

I am not certain why I have been a Lazy Blogger, but I have. Let's see if I can catch up a little. Hey, wait- I will bullet!

• I signed up for Scale Back Alabama with my team members David, Kim, and Paul. We had to come up with a name and it is kind of dumb- The Power Losers. I hope I can be a power loser because my power losing has been pretty pitiful lately. Surely I can lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks. I don't want to let my team down.
• We went to see Celine on Thursday night. It was freezing outside and about 90 in the Civic Center. People were fanning like crazy. I do not know how in the world they could get a place that big that hot. It was miserable. Celine was outstanding but the opening act was trash.
• We are still trying to get the office and the "man cave" moved. It is slow progress. Josh put up new ceiling fans for us and they look really good. It is amazing at how out of date 10 year old ceiling fans can be. I still need 2 sets of drapes/curtains to complete the windows. We could use some touch-up paint in the living room, as well.
• We are going to the lectureship from Sunday night until Wednesday. We did not get to go last year so we are looking forward to going.
• I am excited about Levi's birthday because we bought him a train table. I think he is going to really enjoy it.
• We do not officially have inauguration day off- we have to go clock in and then we can leave. Would we have been given that option had the election been won by a republican? I think not!

Okay- not much meat to the post but at least it is something. Hey, I kind of enjoy being boring because when I have something exciting to post it usually means something has happened, and that is not always good!

A New Year is Here

Happy New Year to one and all. Wow, it is hard to believe the holidays are officially over and that school starts anew tomorrow. Given life and breath, the holidays will be back in about 10 months! I have truly enjoyed the season, although our family saw a lot of sickness which made things seem rather out of the ordinary.
We enjoyed going with the teens to Exposure. This is just a great opportunity. It is called a "camp" but it is not a "camp" in the way that we think of "camp". First, the accomodations are great- the Embasy Suites! Also, the kids spend the majority of the day in Bible classes and assemblies with a variety of teachers and speakers. The entire day is spent going from one class to another and at night they have a period where they meet as teams for another devotional and then to play games or get to know the people in their groups. On one afternoon they have about 3 hours of free time to go to the mall or just "chill out". What a great way to end a year and to start the new year.
I am so thankful for the blessings of this year. Mary's transplant has to be one of the highlights, for certain. We are so thankful that she is feeling better and that her energy seems to be returning every day. On the other side of life, we saw sadness with the loss of Josh and Katie's unborn baby and we still think of this little soul and the broken hearts that he left behind. As with all things, we know that while we do not always understand the workings of life, we know that God does, and He holds us in His hands. That is a comforting thought at times when our hearts are hurting.
Again, may 2009 find health, happiness, and contentment for all of my friends and family. I love you all!