At random

Last week Cutzi posted her random thoughts and I liked that idea so much I decided to post my own. This is a good catch-all for all the myriad of things going on that don't warrant a post of their own.

1. I began my 2007 Christmas (and seasonal birthday) list today. Isaac's birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks and from then on, we have several birthdays between both sides of our family and group of friends, all the way up until Christmas.

2. Our hummingbird feeder is still hanging on our front porch and I really ought to take that down since it's been several months since we've seen a hummingbird. And that bright red empty feeder is just not serving any purpose right now other than to remind me that it needs to come down.

3. Last week our patio table completely shattered. I spent a good portion of one afternoon sweeping up shards of glass from our patio and picking them from the lawn nearby. I have yet to call the store and find out what they're going to do about that event. I think because I'm afraid they'll make us haul it all back to the store- glassless table, six chairs, and umbrella- and I don't welcome that trip. But I do have my receipt.

4. I'm completely floundering under mounds of laundry. The whole "do a load a day" system has not really panned out for us. What happens is that I remember to put a load IN, but then forget about it for a day or two. Sigh. But I AM newly inspired about *organizing* our clothes like Amy has just done at their house. And if she had a blog and posted about it I could link you there right now. But she doesn't have a blog.

5. But I think she *should* have one. And for the record, I asked her the other day if she missed blogging and she said yes.

6. I'm itching to get something on my knitting needles. I just checked out some Debbie Bliss books at the library (because Kendra recommended her to me) and I'm perusing them for a new project. For the past couple of years all I've been knitting are scarves, slippers and shawls, and I'm ready to move on. What I'm moving on TO I'm not yet sure.

7. My sister-in-law just found out she has breast cancer.

8. The kids have their first cold of the season. Isaac always gets it first, then Ella, and it always skims right over Isaias. And it usually lingers with Ella. She has had a pretty bad cough that has been keeping her (and us) up at night.

9. Ella and Isaac had their yearly doctor's appointments yesterday. When I made their appointments I was clearly insane because I made them for 8:30 and 9:00. In the morning. WHAT was I thinking?!?! It is hard for us to be somewhere by 10:00, let alone 8:30. I had to wake the kids up and we skipped breakfast to get there. Also, we love our doctor but we are always quizzed when it comes up that we homeschool: "So does [Ella] do okay around other children?" Or, "Is she involved with groups of children throughout the week?" (Because I guess her brothers don't count.) That aside, they're healthy and great and growing a ton.

10. Flannel pajama pants. It's the one thing I forgot to list in my Autumn post of things I love about this season.

11. Did you read this post? I loved it. [Make sure to follow the link, too. You'll laugh.]

12. Isaias has this new habit of repeating everything we say. I'm not exaggerating. Every sentence, he repeats. Just to give you a little idea of what this might be like, here's an example. If I say, "Buddy, you need to finish your chicken before you can have any more bread", he says, "I need to finish my chicken before I can have any more bread?" And then if I smartly reply, "Yep, that's what I said", he says, "That's what you said?" Multiply that by about a hundred and you can see why I'm slightly annoyed with this new habit.

13. Amy and I switched our weekly playdates from Wednesday mornings (which we've been doing for years) to Tuesday afternoons. So now we don't do lunch together anymore, but we do get to do "snacks", which is fun. This week she made a delicious pumpkin roll (think pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting rolled inside of it). So tasty. Last time we were there she made rice crispy treats, which is my all-time favorite treat. She knows this, and that's why she made them. *And* every time I come she has a latte (iced vanilla) waiting for me on the counter. This is just one small reason Amy is my best friend.

14. I have been having some serious insomnia lately. Nearly twice a week I'll wake up between 3 and 4 and NOT be able to fall back to sleep. Usually I lay there for an hour or so, trying, and then I get up to go have a quiet time and then after that I crawl back into bed and maybe right before the alarm goes off I might doze for 10 minutes. It's crazy, because I am *so* tired. But once my mind gets whirring I can't really settle it down. And our bedtime hour has been around midnight, lately. So I'm exhausted.

15. I'm reading a really good book right now. I'll post about it when I'm done.

16. Isaac says things like, "This is so delicious I can barely stand it. What does 'barely stand it' mean?" Or this, from our front porch: "I'm wearing my boots because it's a nice..." (he pauses, looking around, and then:) --"Is it Fall today?"-- (I answer in the affirmative, and he continues, triumphantly) "...Fall day!"

17. I wish Michelle lived here. I like her far too much for her to live all the way in Indiana.

18. I love my husband. He never complains. And I do mean "never". He works tirelessly during the day and comes home to serve wherever he can around here. And he puts up with me. He will be getting some extra kind words from God when he gets to heaven for that fact alone, I assure you.

19. I recently discovered Sara Groves.  I love her voice and lyrics.

20. I like having backyard chickens. I've decided they're the perfect pets. They give us four eggs a day. They require very little from us. And when we forget to let them out of their little house until 1:30 in the afternoon, as was the case yesterday, they are just fine. When I peeked in, I found them all sitting up on their roost. They must have decided it was simply still nighttime. And when I opened their little door they just clucked happily and came outside and then I collected the eggs they'd left and that was that.

18 comments:

  1. Stacy,
    I liked hearing about your odds and ends. A great idea to do that. It's like "catching up".

    I love Sara Groves, too. :)

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  2. Hi Stacy :) What a fun thing to do! These little snippets are very like a girlfriends chat over coffee - how lovely!

    I will be praying for your s-i-l (and am so sorry to hear that), and also for your sweeties as they get over their colds. Love, Q

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  3. I love it! Random thoughts are a good thing!

    Try not to get too annoyed about #12 I do the same thing **blush** If I hear something, I often can't remember it. If I repeat it, I can :-D It drove my mom nuts too though. And me, when my son did it ;-) (We called him "Jeopardy boy", because he repeated everything back in the form of a question)

    I'll be praying that your insomnia lets up!

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  4. Oops! Forgot to mention that I'll be praying for your sister-in-law as well!

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  5. I just love this post! Thank you Stacy!

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  6. I really enjoyed this as well, my love. I think I ought to start asking you for twenty random thoughts every night before we go to sleep ... just so I can hear what's going on in your pretty little head. (Or better yet, why don't you just wake me up and tell me your twenty the next time you wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall asleep.

    I must thank you for number 18. That was very sweet of you.

    Also, thanks for mentioning my sister's breast cancer. I know there are many women who read this that really will pray for her and her family. For that I am grateful.

    Loving you,
    Mark

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  7. I'm sorry to hear about your sil and will be praying for her.

    I'm a huge Sara Groves fan. I recorded one of her songs for Andy for Christmas several years ago. If you bug him about it, he might let you hear it ;) Be sure to get her Station Wagon album, available only on her website. Especially for moms and dads. I love it.

    Play dates, pumpkin rolls... sounds nice! My best friend is in the hospital and your post is making me sad :(

    -Kendra

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  8. Our table shattered this summer, too. What a huge pain! I was worried for days about the girls stepping on glass! It was so hard to get it all up.

    I love this list. Maybe we'd talk like this over coffee?? :)

    Tell us more about your sister-in-law. Praying.
    Love,
    C

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  9. Stac. I love this post. The thought about the hummingbird feeder reminds me to tell you I FINALLY cleaned up that spit up! See, we get things done... eventually!
    I can't believe your table shattered. Did you hear it happen? Was it my boys somehow? :)
    It won't be long before laundry can be Ella's job. She will be so good at it!
    That is funny that you blogged about me blogging. What, I blog... in YOUR COMMENTS section! :)
    Knitting, I wish I could knit and read a book at the same time!
    Mike really liked the link about middle school --he thinks it totally true. One thing I remember about middle school is that I liked you and wanted to be your friend, which is still true so I guess so!
    I wish I could go back ten years and encourage myself with the fact that you were treated by MY cooking! A miracle I say!
    And lastly, Mike's mom swears by bananas for getting you back to sleep. It's worth a try.
    Love you
    Amy

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  10. I love it when you share such things as these bits and pieces that are rolling around your life currently.

    Sorry you are not sleeping, I can sadly relate, as this adoption wait and unknown with Guatemala is making me less than sleepy.

    Glad your chickens are such sweet girls...enjoy your eggs.

    be blessed
    Kimmie
    mama to 6
    one homemade and 5 adopted

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  11. Thank you to all of you who will pray for my sister-in-law. I appreciate it.

    Corin- You *STILL* do that? Oh my. And here I was hoping it was just a passing phase (like...maybe a couple more weeks or something!?) *grin*

    Mark, honey- Um.... were I to follow you up on your suggestion and wake you up in the wee hours of the morning to tell you all that's going on in my head, I know EXACTLY what you would do: you would promptly fall asleep on me!

    Kendra- I *will* bug Andy about that. Thank you for the heads up! :) And thanks for the tip about her Station Wagon album. (Mark read your comment first and went straight to her website to check it out.)

    Aww.. I'm praying for your best friend. How is she?

    Cindy-
    REALLY? I thought that was the most bizarre thing! I was totally worried about it, too. I figured either my kids would get cut or the chickens would swallow some sparkly glass pieces. Thankfully, neither has happened that I'm aware of.

    Amy-
    Great job cleaning up the spit up! WOO HOO! Funny thing about the hummingbird feeder is that when Mark read my post he turned to me and said, "I notice that every day, too." Nice. You'd think *one* of us would take it down, then!

    No. It was not your boys. :) Ella came into my room one day during quiet times and said, "Mommy, I have something very sad to tell you." (she was nearly in tears) And then she told me that the table was broken and it had hailed or something. (All those glass pieces looked like hail to her!)

    Oh, and I hate bananas. I'd rather be awake than have to stuff one of those into my mouth.

    Kimmie,
    Thanks :)
    I'll be praying for *your* sleep, too, my friend.


    Love you *all*
    ~Stacy

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  12. Hey Stacy,

    re: #6, if you're interested, I have patterns for hats, mittens and baby booties. Just let me know. Or, if Isaac and Isaias are into archery, there's always my homemade creation - knitted quivers.

    I wish I coul knit and read at the same time, too!

    -Helen

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  13. Nice post... I enjoyed all of your random thoughts. And your hubby is so sweet :-)

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  14. Stacy,
    What a fun post!
    I'll add your sister-in-law to my prayer list.
    I've been having night-time awakenings (common) without being ableto get back to sleep (not good) and found that it got better when I eliminated my later-afternoon caffeine... it didn't keep me from falling asleep the first time, but it was just enough to make it hard after a few hours of sleep.
    Blessings,
    Annie

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  15. Stacy -- everytime I read here I just feel like I know you better - and that is a good thing!
    I loved the random thoughts that were in your head, and your husband's response to the random thoughts in your head. Praying for your sis-in-law.

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  16. I think Amy should start blogging again too! I enjoy reading her comments so much that I am definitely in favor of this idea. (Hint hint...I'm hoping you're reading this, Amy...) Can we all sign a petition or something? Does it work that way???

    Stacy, I'm so sorry to hear about your sister-in-law. I actually read this post last night and have already been praying as the Lord has brought her to my mind. I'm sure I speak for many others when I say that when and if there are bloggable details to share, I'd love to know how we can pray specifically.

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  17. I loved this post!! (Except for the part about your SIL - I'm so sorry! Will pray for her now.)

    Thanks for giving a glimpse of your fun ,charming life.

    (((Stacy)))

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  18. Stacy,
    So very sad to hear about Mark's sister's breast cancer. As you know, my mom went through that recently. With that in mind, I will be praying as specifically as I know and can for her. Thanks so much for letting us know. My heart goes out to her and the whole family. Sending lots of love,
    Camee

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