John World

John spends much of his time in a different universe. We affectionately call it "John World". I've never been to John world, but from what I can tell it is full of cowboys & indians, race cars, submarines & sharks, dinosaurs, wild animals to hunt, guns, bows and arrows, houses made of Lincoln Logs and robots made of Tinker Toys. There is only one problem with John World. When John is in John World communication with earth somewhat diminishes. In fact, if you didn't know that John World existed you might think that John had gone deaf. So this last week we've been working on an effective communication system between earth and John World. It seems to be working with only a little bit of static. All I know is that John World seems like a really cool place and I'd like to visit sometime.

I know it's true...Ashley told me

We have a breakfast bar in our house. According to John it is called a breakfast bar because there are "bars" on the "bar" stools that sit at the breakfast bar (the support bars at the bottom of the stools). We had a five minute "discussion" (aka argument) concerning it because of John's statement "I know it's true...Ashley told me." I'm not sure what it says of me as a mother that my son trusts his older sister, who happens to me 6 (okay, almost 7), more than me.

Happy New Year!

Yes, I am slightly late sending my New Year's greetings. My kids didn't go back to school until today, so my "real" 2009 didn't start until today. Until today I was still on 2008 Christmas vacation. I was going to end my 2008 Christmas vacation on Sunday, but then I got the stomach flu (courteous the Snow side via John). So I decided to delay the official start until I felt better which happened to be the same day the kids went back to school.

On New Year's Day as we were traveling back through the woods and over the river from Grandmother's house, Joe asked me what I had planned for 2009. I said what I normally say when Joe asks me such questions. "I have no idea." Joe is a verbal thinking. He talks while he thinks. I am a silent thinker. I don't talk while I think. And so while I haven't talked about it in the last 6 days (and I'm sure he is shocked that I even remember that he asked the question), I have thought about it. Maybe it would be good to set some "goals" for 2009. I would call them resolutions, but I'm more of a "goal" person than I am a "resolution" person. Strange as it may sound, I am more likely to accomplish it if I set a "goal" than I am if I make a "resolution". Now, in order to be encouraging to myself, I have learned to always set at least some goals that are very easy to attain. So, while you may chuckle to yourself about some of my goals, just remember that I am accomplishing something. Here are some that I thought I'd share with you:

• Read through the Bible in one year...I'm pretty sure that between college (OT & NT surveys) and years of reading my Bible that I've read all of it. But I would like to just once read it all in a year. I've already got a head start on this goal as I actually started reading through the Bible in December.
• Live healthier...okay, let's just be honest I'm going on a diet and I'm going to start exercising again. The goal is healthy living but I would be sorely disappointed if I didn't lose weight.
• Take the kids to see Yellowstone this summer...well, I guess I should say "take Joe" as well since he has never been either.
• Get my blog printed into book form...I found some software that will do this.
• Make my bed everyday...I don't think I've done this since I lived at home. I came to a realization last month that it probably is unreasonable for me to ask my kids to make their beds everyday if I don't make my bed everyday.
• Submit an article to be published..YIKES! I can't believe I put that into print so that someone can actually hold me accountable! I've wanted to do this for awhile and have some ideas.
• Get satellite TV...yea! This one will be easy since it is already ordered. We are just waiting for them to install it. We will go from a whopping 6 channels to over 40. Now we will have 40 channels to flip through before we determine that there is nothing on TV.
• Read some brain stretching material. Joe got me Paradise Lost for Christmas so I will start there. If I get through it, it will be one of the only books that I have read that Joe has not read.
• My last goal is pretty much out of my control, but I would trade in not accomplishing any of my other goals in order to see just this one accomplished. I want my neighbor to find Jesus and experience His love, forgiveness, and peace.

May this year bring you blessing upon blessing from our loving Heavenly Father.

Christmas at the Horns

Well, we have arrived home at this point. I've been trying to gather all my scrambled thoughts and so the blogging has taken a backseat. After we left the Snow Christmas celebration we headed south (not real far south, mind you) for the Horn Christmas celebration. I would share a few photos with you of our celebration, but in the New Year excitement I forgot my camera at the Horns (the Indiana Horns, that is). So, I'm afraid, you will have to use your imagination. It was days filled with food, movies, lots of wrapping paper, sharing in our nephew/cousin's first Christmas, skyping with the Uncle, Aunt, and neice/cousin overseas, lots of doing nothing and ringing in 2009. I almost made it this year--I stayed up until 11:30. I just couldn't do it the last 30 minutes--lame, I know.