Future heartbreaker? Probably...

Weekend Fun

Here are some pictures of what we've been up to this weekend. (Note how one of the only pictures of me has half of my head cut out.) We are headed to the Highwood Mountains tomorrow for our first hike in the States. Jeremy is so excited that he has packed everything, including making all of the food!

I commenced scrapbooking tonight, a task that will take me until Christmas to catch up on! I miss my dear scrapbooking friend desperately! (Why are you in NEBRASKA??) Any Great Falls girls want to come over and scrap with me on Friday? I need conversation to keep me awake for the hours needed to get some of these pictures in albums!

I started my accounting job this past Friday. I have two more days of "training" in the office this week and then they'll turn me loose to do some extended tax returns at home. I think I'm really going to enjoy this opportunity to continue in my profession. The REALLY fun thing is that I'm sharing an office with one of my best girlfriends :) How's that for a blessing?

Let's Go Hokies!

YEAY!!! We won opening day!! Check it out:

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?confId=&gameId=272440259

Although it wasn't the best performance on the field, we still WON the game!! GO HOKIES!!

Just a question...

I'm not freaked out about this, but I am a little curious...Hannah calls every color "blue." There is no other color that she says. I mean, she'll repeat any color word I say, but then when I ask her what color something is she'll say "blue." When do kids usually know colors? I'm thinking she is a bit behind on this...

Just for Fun

Look at my lovely little girl at 5 weeks old :)

A picture of ME!

I hardly ever end up in a picture and just found this on the computer. This picture was taken on the campus of Indiana University where my sister is a smartie pants getting her Master's Degree in Non-profit Management. (Ok, there is some kind of fancy name for the major, but that is the basic idea!) I felt SO YOUNG to have kids while walking around campus! It made me want to have a laptop and a class schedule. I miss college! I tell Jeremy that if he dies I'm using the life insurance money to go back to school so I can get my PhD in Accounting and become a professor at Tech. GO HOKIES!

The Many Faces of my Little Man

What is that smell???

Latest pictures of Hannah

My, the water in the duck pond looks a little green...

Hhhmmm....should I feed the ducks or eat the bread myself??

Do a little dance...sittin' in the car...get down today (OOOhhhh!!) ...get down today...

Playdoh!!

The newest addition

Nope. Not pregnant. Praise the Lord!! Not that we are finished having kiddos, but we don't want to travel the path of pregnancy again for a little while. This latest addition is our 2000 Pewter (what a funny word) Chevy Z71. This is the "before" shot--they have agreed to put on a matching topper in the back. We are officially Montanans. We have a truck that can comfortably seat six people, and I LOVE it. I think we have pushed off the van purchase by a couple of years :)

This picture should probably lead into a blog about how happy Jeremy is. Last night Jeremy says "Laura Beth, I haven't been this happy about my life since right before we got married." He loves his job. He loves his schedule. He loves his house. And now he has a truck he loves to take into the mountains he loves to hunt elk (like he loves to do!). This is all on top of having, who he considers to be, the best wife and kids in the world. I don't know if it gets any better for the man! I will say that it is much easier to be the wife of a man who loves his life than to be the wife of a man who dreads going into work, dreads going to bed because he has to get up and go to work, and is basically just existing in his life.

Now to work on our depleted savings account...

Need some cookware?

Listen up all you ladies with pans from Walmart that are falling apart! (I've been there, too!) Pampered Chef has a great hostess special in September--have a show and get a piece of cookware or a SET of cookware at 60% off! What is needed for a show? $150 in orders. That's right, get $150 in orders, get 60% off cookware that has a lifetime guarantee.

I'm only doing catalog shows, but if you are interested, give me a call or send me an email! I'm sending catalogs to Korea tomorrow, so no place is too far for the arm of the Pampered Chef! (He he he)

Pictures for friends who like pictures

I know it has been a while since I"ve posted pictures of the wee one and the not-so-wee one. I've been having technical difficulty with my camera. (Not fun to be a mommy without important mommy equipment like a camera!) There will be some picture of the house (which is still in process) within a week or two. Enjoy!

The desires of your heart

For those who haven't seen it, Jeremy's VT class ring is huge. (And for those from VT, they realize that even that was the next to smallest size!) It wasn't cheap and beyond that there is a LOT of sentimental value attached to it. You can understand what a big deal it was that he lost it in March. He looked and looked and looked but to no avail. The man was sad. Very sad. He was afraid of the worst--that Hannah had found it and in the cleanliness of her little 19 month old self had throw it in the trash (she is quite the clean freak). When we moved, his hope was gone.

You may not believe it. Jeremy didn't. I believed in my heart that it HAD to happen (especially with as much prayer as went into it!) Jeremy found the ring this morning. Jeremy put on a pair of jeans for the first time in five months, stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled it out. Those pants have had the pockets hanging upside down in the closet in Korea, were packed by the movers, unpacked by me, and then hung upside down again. The ring stayed in there. Oh happy day! Benjamin has an inheritance :) he he he :)

"Cast ALL your cares upon Him because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

In need of help

To my fellow SAHMs in Great Falls...

I will soon be changing accronym from SAHM to WAHM. (But, really, what SAHM isn't a WAHM??) I got a job with a local accounting firm working 10 hours/week at home starting the first week of September. The only problem is that I need to spend approx. two afternoons in the office to get trained. I know this is the week after Labor Day, so some of you may be away on vacations. If you'll be in town, please email me if you could help me out. My "ideal" situation is to have Jeremy drop the (fed) kids off at your house at 12:30pm and pick them up no later than 5:00pm. They both nap from 1-3pm. I'm more than willing to babysit swap the time or compensate!

THANK YOU LADIES!!

While going through my emails...

I think I have read all of my emails and I have tried to respond to all that needed responses. If I've skipped you, I appologize greatly. We are pretty much unpacked but are still on our way to "settling." There is another good week of evenings that we need to spend just finishing up the painting. Jeremy got most of the baseboards up in the basement Rec Room today, which he was thrilled to do because he finally got a Mitre saw. I've never seen him as happy has he has been in the past few weeks.

In reading my emails, I got this from our friends who are ministering at the Hospitality House in Osan. They have to get a limo license in order to drive their 12 passenger van, and the following is an actual quote from the Korean Driver's Handbook, just in case you were curious as to how Koreans drive:

"Under the heading of Pre Driving Mindset, they explain correct attitudes to have:
A sense of Responsibility (Due diligence; If you are in an accident it is your fault)
Concentration (Pay attention; traffic rules are arbitrary, pedestrians, bicycles and motorcycles have no rules)
Patience (Mutual understanding; A Korean explained to me that the reason rules are arbitrary is that we are all family here, so, I wave, smile politely and drive around you and through the red light because you understand that I am in a hurry);

Consideration and Concession:
When drivers lack these virtues, they easily get upset, which would prevent them from concentrating on driving, break trust among road users, and make driving unpleasant and uncomfortable, thereby causing accidents. Driving attitudes reveal the drivers characters. Unnecessary use of horns, shameful intrusion, sudden passing, forcing the preceding vehicle to speed up by giving threatening signs or approaching too closely, making insulting remarks to the drivers who make mistakes, etc. reveal their narrow-minded or twisted characters.

The giving and receiving

It was time. After two pregnancies and 27 months in Korea, I really needed to buy clothes from STORES in America (versus online and through the mail!). I know, my definition of "need" was a very American definition, but it didn't stop me from buying some fun new things. I even had the help of my very fashionable little sister in my endeavors.

Then my shipment arrived. I saw the piles and piles and boxes and boxes of STUFF. Clothes, candle holders, kitchen gadgets, towels that are the "wrong color," and endless other things that just don't need to be taking up space in my house. Simplify--isn't there a grassroots effort to do that in America today? I think everyone talks about doing it, but when it comes down to it, it is just hard to get rid of the Desert Rose china that Jeremy's grandmother gave me. I mean, I may throw a tea party, and wouldn't I just kick myself for not having that china??

Back the clothes...because my current occupation does not lend itself well to wearing suits (and even when I was working full time, Montanans tend to be more "business casual" in the office), I needed to clean out and get rid...and then I heard about a group from a local church going to Russia to minister to women who had been rescued from the sex trade industry and needed clothes...and a flyer for needs at the Rescue Mission...and before I knew it I had three boxes of clothes that are heading out the door. And some baby equipment going to Lifeway Pregnancy Center.

The sad thing is, within a month I won't even remember what I gave away. It's the initial letting go that is so hard, but I don't even think that I'm being sacrificial in the giving. And even though the giving isn't "sacrificial" it still feels great--even better than buying the new clothes. Now there's a concept, huh? Better to give than to receive? Honestly, even though I've been a Christian for 21 years, I never really FELT that until recently. I think my problem was that I always took my things to the Goodwill. I never felt that I was helping anyway with my giving. But when I stand in front of my closet and think of the women in Russia or the homeless in Great Falls, it is at that moment that I can part with some of the baggage that I've been holding on to for so long. And it is liberating!

If anyone wants some new candle holders, just stop by :)

The First Day Back

A very sad Scott and Amy Rhodes drove away from 3805 5th Ave South at 7:30am today, leaving this SAHM at home by herself for the first time since we left Korea on June 23rd. It was sad, strange, and refreshing all at the same time. We had a great time with Scott and Amy, especially when we got to the point that our bodies just couldn't take any more work and we just hung out together. We introduced them to "24" and watched almost the entire first season together. (Jeremy & I had seen seasons 2, 3, and 5 up until that point.) We had pizza and pizza and pizza (a Rhodes family favorite), went out for coffee, and spent a lot of time just enjoying Hannah and Benjamin together. I wish that S & A would just decide to move here when Scott retires from teaching in 3.5 years. It would be alot easier on all of our hearts and probably our wallets, too, if you added up all of the plane tickets!

So, here I am, an at home mom in America. It feels strange. I know--I had my second anniversary of motherhood yesterday. But I've never really done this mom-thing in America. We all live in our cute little houses that are decorated to perfection*, but how much time do we really spend together? I hope the answer is "as much time as you spent with your friends in Korea!" because the thought of day-in-and-day-out mothering in my house by myself makes me go a little batty! :) Off to more unpacking.

*not the current description of my house, but you get my point!

D-day (Delivery, that is!)

Yes, even though we got the call about our shipment on July 20th, today is the day it is being delivered. We needed to wait until we had more work finished in our house, and the date we wanted the delivery was already booked. So, the day before my daughter's second birthday we are about to embark on the craziness of a 7,000 pound delivery. I have mixed emotions. I know I shouldn't wish my life away, but I do wish that the delivery was finshed and everything was unpacked! Ha! I'm so glad I won't be doing this again for the foreseeable future! Six houses in six years is about enough for this gal...

We have almost all of the painting done in the house. Only the hallway, stairwell, and the baseboards/trim left to do. Of course, some of the baseboard hasn't even been nailed up yet, the downstairs bathroom needs some major repairs (thank you, renters), we need to hang some doors and a room in the basement still needs carpet laid, but that can all wait :)

It's been a busy couple of weeks. Scott and Amy (Jeremy's parents) have been visiting since July 21st and I don't know what we would have done without them. I told Scott that he must feel like he is on a mission's trip with all of the construction that he has been doing! And Amy has been so faithful in watching the kids, playing, changing diapers and doing the millions of dishes (no dishwasher, folks!). So, this house has been brought to me in part by Scott and Amy Rhodes (can you hear Seaseme Street in your head?).

I'm currently in pursuit, or at least heavy contemplation, of a part-time at-home accounting job. There are a few opportunities available to me, which makes it even harder because I actually have to CHOOSE something. But I'm blown away by God's generosity in giving me the ability to continue with the field that I love and be able to do it from home. Thank you, Jesus!

Things are looking up for Jeremy's job. We found out yesterday that the second priority placement candidate chose a job and it wasn't at Malmstrom. There was a third guy that popped up, but we also found out yesterday that they aren't suppose to continually add priority placement candidates to the que after an application package has been submitted. SSSOOOOoooo....best case scenario is that Jeremy is a GS employee in as little as two weeks. Worse case is three months. Either way, things are working in a very positive direction for us. Again, Thank you, Jesus!

Of all days to post an update, I picked the day I need to actually be ready by 8am. So much more to say, but I should try to do a little at a time, huh?

It's here! It's here!

My furniture is in Montana!! I will be sitting on couches in less than two weeks!! Lots of projects to do between now and then, so off I go to paint the kitchen!!

Alive and in Indiana

It has been a while since the Rhodes family has published our happenings via our blog. Life continues to fly past us at full force as we continue in this period of transition and chaos that has become our lives. With no major hitch we left our apartment in Osan and went to the TLF on base. Because there is no lodging for families on base at Osan (it was worthy of being condemned and was torn down a few years ago) we had two separate rooms--one for me and Benjamin, one for Jeremy and Hannah. We were there for two nights and then proceeded to travel 35 hours before arriving at the TLF in Montana. We were there for three nights before arriving at our house at 38th and 5h Ave South. We were a bit surprised by all of the damages awaiting us when we got to the house. For the sake of our sanity, I don't know if we'll come up with a total dollar and hours-worked numbers. It may make us cry. But, it was good to be in the place that we'll call "home" at least for the foreseeable future!



After a week of shopping, shopping, shopping for house and grocery necessities, I left for Indiana with the kids (I still say I'm insane for doing it!) to my sister's house. Jeremy stayed behind and traveled to Seattle to pick up our car. He went on a short camping trip with our friend Mike Glathar (who is leaving for training and then deployment this Saturday), and has been working all day everyday since last Thursday.



Last week was a week full of activity as my parents were also visiting at my sister's house. It was the first time that any of my family has met Benjamin, and it was wonderful to get to be together for the week. Hannah went on her first swing, had her first experience in a baby pool and had an early birthday party with my family. Lots of exciting stuff!! My parents left on Sunday, and I'm just been hanging out with the kiddos this week, enjoying a little calm and quiet before I join Jeremy in the late nights of home remodel and repair. Yesterday Jennifer took me to Indiana University and showed me the campus where she is getting her master's degree--it is beautiful! Her husband, Jeremy, is away on business this week, so we have enjoyed having some girl time together.

Excitement for the week--after coming back from my walk with the kids yesterday, there was a SNAKE waiting for us on the doorstep of my sister's house! Mind you, my sister lives in a suburban neighborhood with houses so close together that you can see what your neighbor is grilling next door from the view of your own porch (to my chagrin, MT isn't much different...). So, I was a bit surprised to see the slithering creature sitting beside the doormat. We took another little walk to wait for him to go away, and then I prayed the entire time I walked up to and through the front door!


Hannah builds her vocabulary daily and started "singing" and saying her first and middle name together "Hannah Grace! Hannah Grace!" Benjamin has started pushing up and will probably attempt crawling in about a month, if he is like his sister.

Tonight--Chick-fil-A! The GREATEST chicken sandwich in the WORLD!!

Changing addresses

The phone company. Internet. Electricity. Gas. Magazines. Christian ministries. VT alumni association. Virginia Society of CPAs. Housing insurance company. Mortgage companies. All of these people have an address for us that is no longer in use. And all of them require an email, a phone call, or a login to a website to get changed. We have spent almost three hours doing this so far and we still aren't done. And for at least a month after we move the Post Office will put those nice yellow stickers on all of the mail that has the old address on it as if to say "Do you not care about these people? You haven't told them your new address yet!"

Speaking of logins, one of Jeremy's "projects" when I go to Indiana is to make a master list of all of the websites we have logins and write down the user ID and password. Problem is that there are a ton of websites that we have logins for that we don't remember we even have a login for them! Why do websites make you create an ID and password just to find out how much they are going to charge you for shipping??

This week has been the week of food and friends--coffee dates, lunch dates, dinner dates, and tonight I have a sleep over at a friend's house! A girl is NEVER too old for a sleepover, although it does get a bit more complicated when I have to tote my son and his pack 'n play!

Hannah is running around the house saying "Da-da, I have a pen!" so I'd better stop the rambling :) We are out of our apartment tomorrow!

This week in review

I feel amputated without constant 24/7 access to the internet. I'm a junkie. I need therapy. Is there an "Internet Users Anonymous" out there? IUA?

Obviously, last Monday was a hard day for me. It's hard to pretend life is normal when it just isn't, you know? After emotionally dumping on God in a very Davidic style, God was faithful (as He always is) and pressed my reset button while I was sleeping. I woke up feeling some better on Tuesday, which I'm so thankful for. I don't like feeling like an emotional wasteland.

Wednesday I was able to ride with my friend Nicole up to Seoul so that she could move into the Stork's Nest. Hopefully she'll be able to have her baby before I leave so that I can meet little Faith Anne Fleming. How fun to be the passenger to Seoul and not person needing to go! Between all of the chiropractor appointments and having two babies, I felt like I was always in need of traveling companions :) I had SUCH a good time chatting with her over the 4.5 hours we spent together!

On Thursday afternoon our weekly babysitter and my friend Amber came to the house at 12:30pm and we were able to spend six hours together before Jeremy & I had our final date in Korea. I need to start recruting babysitters who like to volunteer :) He he he :) In more ways than one Amber has been such a blessing to our family!

Friday was Jeremy's going away lunch. I had been to three going aways at this particular restaurant, including the guy Jeremy replaced in April 2005. It was weird to see Jeremy stand up and receive the fun going away gifts and give the "It's been a hard tour" goodbye speech. But, I was able to load up on excellent Thai food and since there is only one Thai restaurant in Montana, it will probably be a while before I have Thai again. (This is one of the reasons Jeremy & I are hoping to start "gourmet" night were we have an at-home date cooking food we usually can't afford in the grocery budget and our kids wouldn't eat anyway!)

Today was the final Book Club meeting and it was EXCELLENT conversation about "Israel, My Beloved." I would love to start a Book Club in Great Falls--any takers?? Meet once a month at Starbucks for two hours of conversation praising (and sometimes trashing) various literary works??

Tonight is our final time going to the Hospitality House. Although we haven't been able to go since Benjamin was born, we poured ourselves into that ministry for almost two years. And, again, it will be weird to be the person that is being "sent out" from Osan. Hmmm...

Tomorrow is Father's Day and is our final day at Mission Baptist. I know I'll cry and that's a good thing--I have loved and been loved there. Praise God!

Benjamin cut two teeth last weekend, which was a good reminder that while everything is changing around me, my "job" of mothering continues. This constant in my life has actually been something God has used to keep me together at various times, and I'm thankful for that!

Until I have a computer again, farewell my friends!

Coping Mechanisms

When I move from a place, it is my traditional coping mechanism to pretend like life is normal up until the time I actually get into/onto the mode of transportation that will wisk me away to my latest adventure. It has served me well. This method of maintaining sanity went out the window last Thursday when the movers came and got the last 1000 lbs of our stuff. The biggest loss--our computer. I feel like I'm amputated without anytime-realtime access to the internet. I'm a junkie.

It is Monday night, June 11th as I'm typing out this blog. Father's Day is our last Sunday at our church home. Next Thursday we check into the on-base hotel. A week from Saturday we fly out of Korea, probably for the last time ever. It's not that I will be "homesick" for Korea. I probably won't have a desire to come back. (Although, I'm already craving some of the food because I don't know when I'll have bibimbop again!) Life is just changing in a way that makes my stomach turn flips and roll up into my throat. And it's more than the friends and the "normal" moving things. We are getting out of the military. We are entering the world of health insurance and co-pays, high grocery prices and layoffs. It's the REAL world, or at least the parts of the real (American) world that we have been successful in avoiding up until this point.

And while there is part of me that is excited to be able to throw away all of the boxes when we unpack, there is another part of me that gets nervous. When things get bad, there is no "riding it out" until we move. We aren't planning to move.

And what will life be like with Jeremy at home to parent with me?

Most of the time I don't think about these things. At least not consciously. But I know that my subconscious is whirling with this stuff because all of my being just feels...well...numb. And so I pull out all of those verses that we all know during these times...Rejoice in the Lord always...look to Jesus, the author and perfector of your faith...Sing to the Lord, sing Praises to our God...be anxious about nothing...pray always...trust in the Lord with all thine heart....and while my brain feels better, there is still a mourning that needs to take place that I'm postponing. Postponing until after my time with my family (yeay!!) and my in laws (yeay!!) and the first few weeks of "normal" in August until the point in time when it all just really hits me.

And when I get to heaven, I may not even remember these thoughts and feelings.

On a different note, the latest read in the book club: "Israel, my Beloved." OH SO GOOD!! Wendy, you should check it out now, before Chuck gets home!!

It's not about art

I'll be honest. I'm having a bit of a hard time. I like to see the pain of separation as a good sign--anyone who can move away from the people that they've loved on and been loved by for over two years without heartache probably didn't give their heart away.

I started to really scrapbook while at Osan. And while I have enjoyed having an outlet for some form of creativity, the capture and preservation of memories is the real reason why I scrapbook. (That and I have a terrible memory and if I don't force myself to take the pictures, I'll never remember anyone!) Mix this desire with my hatred for being "behind" and I'll confess that instead of getting ready for my last shipment, which leaves in 36 hours, I'm going through my latest batch of pictures and figuring out which supplies I need so that I can finish through April before I move.

Instead of looking at colors and thinking of beautiful ways to fill the page, I'm looking at the faces--the faces of my kids who have changed so much already in just 6 weeks. The faces of the people I lived and loved with at Mission Baptist for the past two years. The face of my beloved as he holds our wee ones.

This is why I scrapbook. Because I live. Because I leave. Because I love. Because they are mine--my friends, my family, my memories for all time and the hereafter. This is why.

Wanted: a Dodge Grand Caravan

Well, there are others cars I'd REALLY like to have, but this is the car that we decided that the ol' pocketbook can afford and the size can accomodate our growing family. So, if you happen to know someone in the Great Falls area selling one in the 2000-2004 year range, LET US KNOW!! We have to buy it the first week we are in country because we won't have our car for at least 2-3 weeks after we get there.

And on a related note, if you know someone who is looking for a 2003 Chevey Impala LS with under 25,000 miles, we will be selling one at the end of July!

Thanks for helping, friends :)

Our Trip

See our pictures of our trip!

We had a very good time this past week on first family vacation as a family of four! Both kids behaved much better than we were expecting on both the trip up and the trip home, although neither one of them slept very much. One guy in particular was very helpful with getting our luggage up to the fourth floor (the hotel didn't have an elevator), and the rest of the group on the tour had a lot of fun seeing us tote our kiddos around with us all weekend. We had very overcast weather on Sunday and Monday, which is quite a bummer because we would have had some spectacular views at Ulsan Rock. But, we got quite a bit of exercise and it was good practice for future backpacking and camping trips! The only thing we didn't get was sleep, but that can wait until after we move, right? :)

Memorial Day vacation

Check out where we are going with the kiddos this weekend--Mt. Sorak . We can't leave Korea without a good hike, can we? It would have been easier to do this LAST summer, but for some reason we just weren't planning that far in advance. We are going with a tour group from base leaving Saturday morning and returning on Monday night. From what my friends have said, we can stick with the group or do our own thing. We only have Sat. afternoon, Sunday, and Monday morning to explore, but that may be a God-given time boundary so that we don't push the kids too hard in our desire to be the hikers that we were in 2004! More details (and hopefully pictures) to come!

The insanity continues

(Meet my sister and brother-in-law...Jennifer and Jeremy Maddox)

I know why you guys read my blog. We never sit still and it is fun to read of the crazy things OTHER people are doing because just reading it makes some of you tired. Have a "sit" as Hannah would say and enjoy...

We are flying out of Seoul on Saturday, June 23rd. We got the itinerary changed so that we can be in GF two days early. We fly Seoul, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Great Falls. We arrive at 10:45pm on Sat. GF time. (It STILL takes longer to fly from Seoul to GF than to Charlotte, NC!) On Monday the 25th our storage goods will be delivered to our house. Then we unpack, buy a minivan (know of a good one for sale??), get everything set up in the house, outprocess from the AF, and recover from jetlag. Sounds like a fun week so far, huh? Not to mention getting to see our friends and all of their new babies while showing off our own! :)

Not to make things easy, I decided that I needed to see my family as quickly as possible. My sister is in grad school right now, so the summer is the best time to spend time with her. My mom has vacation time the week of July 4th. So...the kiddos and I will be boarding a plane on the 1st to fly GF, Salt Lake, Atlanta, Indianapolis and then drive an hour down to Bloomington, IN to spend two weeks at my sister's house!! My parents are driving up that first week to see us, too. Everyone gets to meet Benjamin! I'M SO EXCITED!!!

How is this possible? Let me just tell you...It costs an arm and a leg to fly in and out of GF. The cheapest ticket we found to Indianapolis was $545 each. Airlines let kids under 2 fly free, but only if they sit in your lap. I can't have two kids sit in my lap (and Jeremy will be working and not going with me) so I had to buy a ticket for Hannah. That's $1090. Who has that kind of money?? Not the Rhodes family. So, my wonderful brother-in-law donated enough skymiles for us to fly on Delta. Total cost: $630. Not to bad for three people flying around the US, huh?

Thank you, Uncle Jeremy!

We fly back on July 15th and then my wonderful in-laws arrive in GF around the 19th to stay for three weeks! Just in time for Scott and Jeremy to drive to Seattle to pick up our car, for us to paint the upstairs of the house, and my household goods to be delievered and unpacked. I have three weeks of live in babysitters!! I'm blessed among women! My family loves me :)

It happened...

They came. They saw. They took everything. Our movers came today and loaded up seven wooden crates with over 130 boxes & furniture. We are Americans. Americans with too much stuff. Americans with too much stuff and more stuff in storage. And now I'm sitting in my apartment with borrowed furniture from base and bare walls that echoes anytime anyone talks...or cries...or squeals...so even though our house is empty of "stuff" it is full of noise!

It is a surreal thing. I remember thinking as I was saying my vows "Wow. This is weird. I'm getting MARRIED right now." And with both labors (well, during early labor) I thought "I'm living out my labor story. What happens in the next couple of hours I'll retell and remember the rest of my life." It is very much the same right now. We are leaving. Leaving Korea, leaving our friends, living the Air Force. We are moving to start a new life in a new house. (Ok, new to us!) And we will always remember the day that the movers came.

That was my today.

Too much TV?

It is hard to not utilize the TV as a babysitter, especially in the midst of packing up our house. Hannah loves BOZ, "the green bear next door." I don't mind him to much either. Pretty catchy songs, good message, fun animation. The only time Hannah will sit still is during a BOZ DVD, and she will sit so still that she looks like she is in a coma. Today, she had her first movie quote. Perfectly replicating a scene in one of the movies she strokes her little chin with her pointer finger and thumb and says "Hmmm....I see..." Then she stroked Benjamin's chin and did the same thing.

I must say that when my 21 month old quotes movie lines it either means she has the memory of my sister (and is a future theatre major!), or we are watching a wee too much TV.

I'll decide that after I unpack my boxes in Great Falls!

From the South to the Middle East

Ok, so I'm all about food nowdays. Really, I'm all about my bread maker :) This weekend we tried our hand at fried chicken and rolls, a staple of almost every Southern diet. Today I made hummus and pita bread! I will very generously remind my readers that I make no homemade bread without my bread maker. All of the kneading and punching and stuff is just not something I can do. I can, however, read a recipe online and figure out what dough cycle on my bread machine will produce the desired end product. Today, it was pita bread. It's just getting so hard for me to spend $2.50 on eight pitas when I know it is only flour, salt, sugar, water, and yeast. I probably saved $2.00 on just this one attempt. But the even better part is that my husband thinks I'm the coolest thing...since sliced bread :) (I couldn't help myself on that one!) For some reason he finds it so much fun that we make homemade food. I can honestly say "we" because he was the one who fried up the chicken.

Next up...falafel with the extra garbanzo beans!

It's about time

It's about time. About time for me to REALLY learn how to cook. Jeremy & I made fried chicken and homemade rolls last night for the first time in our marriage. They were some kind of good! It made me realize that I need to stop saying that I'm from the south if I can't even cook a decent southern meal. I mean, I don't know how to make cole slaw. I've never made hush puppies. I haven't made blackened catfish. What kind of southerner am I? I'll tell you--one that goes to restaurants to eat such yummy goodness. That will have to end. No longer will I have Captain D's to run to in order to curb the hush puppie craving. Pinto beans and corn bread, red velvet cake, and banana pudding is not enough--I need to go beyond the basics of my southern roots and truly embrace the food heritage that has been present in all my childhood memories. I owe it to Hannah and Benjamin. I owe it to my husband. I owe it to my friends in Great Falls. I'm a woman on a mission.

One Step Closer

The change in plans (and our lives!) over the past two months have hit me in stages. I'm glad they haven't hit all at once, but it seems that with every step we take forward, my stomach always response by tensing up in a little ball. It's as though I get tense when I think of my future reality and the tension only leaves when I forgot about tomorrow and concentrate on today's worries! :)

Today, we finally got orders, have all of our move dates scheduled and got the HORRIFIC flight itenerary planned. (Why, may I ask, does it take longer to get to Montana from Korea than it takes to get to Charlotte from Korea? By THREE HOURS!) The silver lining in the itenerary is that we go through LAX, and I've never had any reason to go through that airport. I'll be with two kids, a double stroller, two diaper bags, possibly two car seats, our carry-on luggage, passports in hand while out of my mind jetlagged, but I'll still be able to say that I went through LAX. And since I don't have any anticipation to be going through that airport again in my life (the only thing west of Montana that I'm interested in flying to is Alaska), I'm glad to have another airport on my "places I've flown through" list.

Orders. They are so....final. I'm really leaving Korea. I'm really leaving the cushion of my mommy friends in the same apartment building who help me to not lose my mind. I'm really moving somewhere and become an oak tree. (You know, have "roots.") So for now I will lose myself in the latest book club book (The Lights on Tenth Street) and forget about how in the WORLD I'll be ready for movers in less than 9 days!

I'm a Revolutionary!

From Lifeway.com:

"NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Parents who faithfully and consistently apply God's words on life and family have a better chance at raising desirable children, Christian pollster George Barna says.

Revolutionary Parenting
An April 9 news release promoting Barna's new book "Revolutionary Parenting" is short on polling data, but it mentions three dominant approaches to parenting -- parenting by default, trial-and-error parenting and revolutionary parenting.

"Revolutionary parenting, which is based on one's faith in God, makes parenting a life priority," Barna, chairman of The Barna Group, said. "Those who engage in revolutionary parenting define success as intentionally facilitating faith-based transformation in the lives of their children, rather than simply accepting the aging and survival of the child as a satisfactory result."

Barna sought out young adults who considered knowing and serving God their top life priority, possessed a biblical worldview and believed that their main purpose in life is to love God. Then he worked back to research what parenting characteristics produced such children.

One of the most sobering outcomes of the research, the news release said, was that less than one out of every 10 young adults in the United States meets those simple criteria."

Found!

(Reference previous blog before reading)

The dustbuster is found...in the couch. In the couch? Wouldn't a person expect to find the ring there? How could I not see the dustbuster in the couch? Oh! Wait! Maybe because my mind is lost, too!

Lost

We all misplace things, but the list of things missing in our house keeps getting larger and more practical...
-Jeremy's class ring
-the kid harness we put on Hannah so she'll walk where we want her to
-the dustbuster

How can I lose a dustbuster? I don't have a yard, garage or basement. I have less than 1100 sq feet in my house. It has to be here SOMEWHERE. At least, one would think so. It's hard not to think that Hannah did something with each of these things! Terrible thinking, huh? "Hannah, did you through away daddy's class ring?!?" I think the last thing to add to that list is my mind. It has been lost for at least four months. One day I'm hoping for a grand reunion--I was quite fond of it!

A New (guilt-free) Perspective on Proverbs 31

The Proverbs 31 Woman
by Lisa Whelchel
for Christian Activities 5/1/2007

I don’t know about you but I am very intimidated by the Proverbs 31 woman! I’m tempted to skip that whole chapter and jump ahead to the “everything is vanity” theme of Ecclesiastes which is closer to where I actually live.

The other day I was asking the Lord why He would put such an unattainable example in the Bible that only makes women feel like failures in comparison. I felt like He said, “Because that is how I see her and that is how I see you. I see all of the good things you’ve ever done or will do and all of your sins are covered by my Son’s blood so I don’t see them.”

I suddenly understood that I should read that chapter from a proud and loving Parent’s perspective. For example, if my mother were to write a chapter describing me she would probably write, “My daughter, Lisa, is an amazing woman. She graduated high school as valedictorian, she’s a Grammy-nominated singer, a creative mother, an actress on a hit television series, a loving wife, she’s made millions of dollars, a ballet, tap and jazz dancer, a glider pilot, a talented musician, great cook, teaches multiple grades, keeps a beautiful home, her nails always look gorgeous, she sews her children’s clothes, keeps a record of their lives in scrapbooks, she’s up before dawn having her devotions, she wears designer clothes, and she is a record-setting race car driver.”

Now all of that is true but my mother would have left out quite a few pieces of significant information. For starters, I’ve done all of those things over the course of forty years; I don’t do them all now. She would have also left out many of my secrets that she alone knows that I would be terribly ashamed if anyone else knew. And there is even more to each story she has listed. Here’s a perspective from someone other than my own mother:

“Lisa is an amazing woman. (Some of the time.) She graduated high school as valedictorian, (there were three students in her graduating class,) she’s a Grammy-nominated singer, (who recorded each line of the song multiple times and the engineer pieced together a whole song that was on pitch,) a creative mother, (if you don’t count the yelling,) an actress on a hit television series, (who almost got fired for getting too fat,) a loving wife, (except for years 2-7,) she’s made millions of dollars, (and lost it all,) a ballet, tap and jazz dancer, (she was the worst one in her class,) a glider pilot, (who hasn’t flown since she got her license,) a talented musician, (she can play two songs on the guitar,) great cook, (she cooks two standard “company” meals well, ) teaches multiple grades at the same time, (with only one child in each class,) keeps a beautiful home, (with the help of a once-a-week housekeeper,) her nails always look gorgeous, (they are fake,) she sews her children’s clothes, (the sewing machine hasn’t been touched in years,) keeps a record of their lives in scrapbooks, (she’s three years behind,) she’s up before dawn having her devotions, (there was that week back in 1999 when she was up before dawn for a week straight,) she wears designer clothes, (that a wardrobe person picks out and she only wears while filming, )and she is a record-setting race car driver, (at a Malibu Grand Prix go kart track.)”

Now, both of these perspectives are true, it’s just one of them is being written through the loving eyes of a parent. I believe that is how God looks at us. He sees all the good we’ve ever done and can do in the future. He forgets our mistakes and focuses on our successes. From that perspective maybe we actually can be Proverbs 31 women.

More pictures

Sleep. It is amazing the difference a good night's sleep makes in a mommy. It is amazing the difference a good night's sleep makes in a Hannah. It is even more amazing the difference it makes to mommy when Hannah gets a good night's sleep.

Thank you, Lord, for a 14 hour night for Hannah! She is so much fun when she is rested!

Because my life is never dull

It is not unusual for fire trucks to pull into the parking lot of my apartment building. We have the only elevator on base, and any time the emergency button gets pushed (and it happens frequently because they put the button where even Hannah can push it!), the fire department has to come and investigate. Today was not a normal day. There were people outside who, it appeared, were not being allowed in the building. What was going on? Both kids were very peacefully asleep (who wants to wake up napping babies?) so I figured I would leave if there was a fire alarm. But, wanting to be a responsible mom I called my girlfriend to find out what she thought. Picture both of us standing on our balconies on opposite sides of the building...

"Good. You are still in the building. Do you know what's going on?"
"No, I don't--do you?"

"No, there are a lot of people outside that aren't coming into the building, two fire trucks, a police car, and the Fire Chief."

"Do you think the building is on fire?"

"If the building was on fire, wouldn't they pull the trucks up to the hydrants?"

"One would think so, but this IS Korea! Wait, Steph is walking by...Steph said she thinks that Jamie Sherwood's house it on fire on the 8th floor. They are evaculating the building floor by floor."

"So, should we get the kids up? We are on the 2nd and 3rd floor--surely the fire won't get here."

"I would think the alarm would go off if we need to leave."

"Why aren't they getting the fire hoses out?"
"I don't know. I just got the kids down for a nap. I don't want to get them up."

"Me too. I think I'll get the diaper bag ready just in case we have to leave."

"What are you going to take?"

"Diapers and fire insurance papers."

"Good thinking!"

"Why do I feel better standing in my apartment talking to you?"

"I don't know. Kind of silly, huh?"

"I guess I'll just wait for the alarms."

Ten minutes later...

"Why are you still in the building? Are you not coming out?"

"My alarm didn't go off--did yours?"
"Yes, through the apartment loud speakers. We are all suppose to be outside."

"I'll be down in just a minute."

Two minutes after getting outside the fire department comes down the hill...
"The building is all clear to go back inside. It was just a lot of smoke."

The ladies on the sidewalk are all whispering and quasi-grumbling...
"How can you have "just smoke"? Where there is smoke there is fire!"

I've never had a reason to REALLY say that before! Ah Korea! What will my life be without you? Delightfully boring!! :)

The Hokies and the Media

For the past week I have been glued to the news, internet news, blogs, websites, and emails the tell me the stories of my fellow Hokies and their families. I don't know how much you are all following the story. Maybe you are like I normally am with these types of things "I've heard about this all week--can we move on to something else?" I usually feel like I hear the same things over and over. This time, it hasn't bothered me. It has helped me to stay connected with my extended family and all that they are going through.

In all of my news watching and reading I've picked up on a couple of things that may have slipped your attention. And because I think that the American media is like a big bully that pushes their thoughts, opinions, and policies onto everyone who listens, I think that it is a glorious thing to share these tidbits on with you...

(All of these stories are told in U.S. time.)

On the Monday evening news, all of the major news channels said that questions were being raised and outcry was being heard over the decisions made by President Steger and the Chief of Police. They managed to find a few students to interview who wanted to bash the President for the lack of proper warning to the student body after the first shooting. It seemed to make great controversial headlines. At the Tuesday afternoon convocation the student body rose to their feet and gave President Steger a standing ovation that lasted three minutes. After that, the media quit looking for people who disgruntal students. And the comments made were that "a panel was being formed to ensure the situation was handled propertly" with no names being mentioned again. Go Hokies.

Then on Wednesday night NBC news aired video footage of the shooter. Cho had sent to the videos, pictures, and a rambling letter to the news station in between the first and second shootings. I watched in horror as they did exactly what Cho knew they would do--give him the final word from the grave. I was outraged. And so were the Hokies. The next day at a press conference the VA Chief of Police commented on the lack of propriety in airing the footage. At least two families turned interviews for the Today show because of the airing of the footage. Countless students were interviewed telling of their disapproval of the footage. Not only did NBC not air any more videos (as they had promised to do at the close of the Wednesday night broadcast) but they came as close as I have ever heard to giving an apology on air for, basically, being so insensitive. Go Hokies.

The best part? The Student Government has formally asked all media to leave campus by the start of classes on Monday morning. Handwritten signs were posted by students around campus asking the media to go home. "You came, you filmed our story, you showed how we are a family. Now, please leave."

I used to think that the media was a powerhouse of corrupt secular theology that could never be stopped. The Hokies have proved me wrong. It is amazing the power of a group of likeminded individuals who will not allow what they value to be trampled upon. And while at the beginning of this tragedy the news asked "How will this event negatively affect future enrollment?" I think they answered their own question--it won't. Throughout the week the news has had to report what is actually happening in Blacksburg--students, families, faculty, and the community at large coming together to get through a tragic time unified in heart and spirit. And if you want to go to college in a place as great as Virginia Tech, they are accepting applications. :)

Check out WWW.VT.EDU

Tragic Irony

Yesterday I woke up to the news that my beloved campus had been ravished by deadly shootings. This morning I woke up to find that the perpetrator is a resident alien from South Korea. The South Korean government issued an apology of sorts. (I find is strange at times for governments to apologize for the behavior of one of their citizens.) While I have felt a type of disconnect from yesterday's events due to the time difference and such, this odd connection between the shooter and my host country has proven a strange twist in this story for me.

Cho was born in South Korea and his parents moved to Northern Virginia when he was 8 years old. In all likelihood, his aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents live in South Korea. And given the small size of this country, I live closer to his family than I have lived in relation to Blacksburg since I graduated. What must his family be thinking right now? I can't imagine how it must feel to be the parents of Cho--to see everyday on the news the pain and suffering he has caused, to hear the media talk about their son they way they are talking, to wonder if they as parents could have done something to prevent this. I can't imagine the shame this will bring on their family within the Korean culture.

For those who didn't get to watch the convocation, I encourage you to go to FoxNews.Com and watch the video clip of Nikki Giovanni's speech. The clip is less than 3 minutes long, and it is really the last minute of the clip that will paint the best picture possible for you to feel what it is like to be a Hokie.

And yes, that clip makes me cry.

My Alma Mater

Nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia is the place my heart calls home. It is the place I became an adult, the place I grew up in my faith, the place I fell in love with Jeremy. It's the place I learned what friendship was all about and made girlfriends who will never leave me. Ever. It's the place where I learned how to shag dance, consolidate financial statements, and roast coffee beans. It is the place where I realized who I was and started to like it.

I'm a Hokie.

No, I didn't "attend Virginia Tech." I'm a Hokie. We are, as some Hokies say, a Hokie Nation. There is a camraderie amoung VT grads that extends throughout all of eternity. To see someone in a VT sweatshirt prompts an immediate "Go Hokies" from our lips. There is no where else our children could go to college that would make us more proud. And for them to marry a fellow Hokie would be almost for than we could ask for.

You can imagine my shock, horror, and disbelief when I woke up this morning and saw my beloved campus on the news due to a horrific and deadly tragedy. In the background of the news articles I saw the dorm building I lived in. I saw the buildings I went to class in. I heard tales of tragedy in the building that was home to Jeremy's major. And I wept. I cried for my home. I cried for the kids who lived through this ordeal. I cried for those who didn't. I cried for the parents. I cried for my friends who are ministers at Tech at my old church.

It doesn't take the media long to go from reporting the facts and showing pictures the grieving to placing blame and speculating the long term effects of this event on the future of the school. Bad things happen. Terrible, horrific things happen. And while we all wish it didn't happen, calling for the resignation of the President and Chief of Police will not solve any problems--it will create them. It will not bring healing to hearts. It will not bring back the deceased. These men executed their respective duties as best as possible given the circumstances and the evidence. To blame them is to grieve them more than they are already grieving. And they are grieving--this is Blacksburg.

And while some people may turn down their acceptance letter from Virginia Tech because of this event, they are really turning down one of the finest universities in all of America. Tech is a school where a 2600 acre campus can feel as small as your backyard if you want it to. Where your professors take the time to know you by first name, even in a class of 500. Where football reigns supreme in the heart of the student body, even when we stink in the post-season.

Virginia Tech. My heart's home. Today my heart is breaking.

The first of many "lasts"

We had our last recall for an exercise today!! YEAY!!! Only four more days of exercise left!!! Only four more days of chem gear and "big voice"! And only 72 days left in Korea. Wow. We may actually make it :)

A Family Weekend

Here at Osan AB, the concept of "family time" has a definition that, unfortunately, usually only consists of bedtime rituals and going to church on Sunday mornings, if you are lucky. This weekend has been a wonderful exception for the Rhodes Family! We not only have enjoyed bedtime book reading and Sunday morning church, but we went to McDonald's (a first for Benjamin!), and TWO trips to the playground together! It seems like a taste of what a "family" is suppose to be, a taste of what life will be like when we get back to the states, where work hours are consistent and untouched by the demands of a couple of Generals, dozens of Distinguished Vistors, and a pending operational inspection :)

I can't even imagine how much fun it will be to have a YARD! Grass!! Won't that be fun??

ps--I've tried to add this picture to the sidebar, and it always says there is an error in the upload. Do any of my computer savy friends know what I'm doing wrong??

My "Little" Man

After 2.5 weeks, we finally got an appointment for Benjamin's 2 month well-baby check-up. My 11 week old son weighs in at 14.5 lbs and measures a whooping 25.5 inches. In exactly two months he has gained 2 lbs and grown 4 inches. He is as big now as Hannah was at four months. The "newborn" stage left early. :) Following his sister's footsteps he started gumming his hand and will probably cut teeth in the next few weeks. It has made him quite the happy camper lately. Thankfully, all of his wakefulness during the day has caused him to sleep 8 hour stretches for the past two nights, from 9pm feeding to a 5am feeding. Hopefully, we'll be able to keep that up! It felt good to get two nights of seven hours of sleep, especially since I wasn't able to have naps those days.

Wendy--it's ORI time next week!! I'm thrilled :-(

The brain...

Do you ever feel like the thoughts in your head are swirling around like a flushing toilet that won't stop flushing? Water moving powerfully around and around and around and it just doesn't stop no matter what you do?

I know. I have weird analogies.

Smiling faces

Spring Cleaning

In light of the blogs of my dear friends Amber (Joy Outloud) and Angela (Diapers and Stilletos)...

I don't spring clean. I move. I moved out the spring/summer of 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005 (I got to skip a few years!), 2006, and now in 2007. I told you that I haven't had a calm year in a while! When adding the times I moved in and out of college living locations to all of my other moves, the sum -total number of moves in my life is 16. That includes two addreses in Montana and three apartments in Korea. And people ask me why I keep all of the boxes my Pampered Chef items came in! Ha! I'll actually have to start spring cleaning once I "settle" somewhere. (I used to think that only houses settled!)

The life you expected?

Jeremy & I had a conversation tonight that got me curious as to the reponses of my friends. I think I know the answer that some of you will give. For others, I'm not so sure. So, here it is...is the life you are living the one you dreamed of/expected to live when you thought about your "adult" life as an adolecent/teenager? For Jeremy, the answer is yes. When he thought of his life he figured he would work as an engineer somewhere, have a wife and kids, a house, and serve in a church. For him, it's like all of the puzzle pieces now have recognizable pictures on them and they are all in place.

I'm the exact opposite. I said this matter-of-factly and without regret, but my life is COMPLETELY different than I dreamed of/expected. By this point in my life my accounting career would have me in at least the low six figures. Not that I dreamed of having a lot of money, but I did fantasize about a black Lexus occasionally :) I always wanted to work for the firm that I worked for in Boston. It was my plan from the moment I entered college. And I loved working for them and would have continued had I not married a man who lived in the only state in the US without a PWC office! I wanted to eventually transfer within the company to an office in a foreign country so that I had an "in" to help missionaries within the country. Maybe somewhere in India or Sri Lanka. (Never Asia, though! HA!) Marriage? Eventually I would have liked to be married (never thought about the military aspect!). I never ever dreamed of having kids, though. Didn't know that I wanted them at all (sound familiar Nenang??). Kids and Liz Claiborne don't really mix well together!

So, what about you? Are you living the life you expected you would live? Or has life turned out differently? Again I say, turning out differently is not bad. It's just...different. :)

Teething

No, not Hannah. Benjamin. Yes, I know that he'll be two months old tomorrow. But I also know that Hannah started gumming my finger at about the same age and popped two teeth out the week she turned three months. What can I say, my kids are overachievers in the mouth area :) Now, if only we can say that in the brain area...time will tell...

Life is full of big decisions, isn't it? Jeremy & I have been in a hurricane of them over the past two weeks. In, out, up, down, left, right...which way should we go? So many thoughts, so many discussions, so many prayers, so many tears and wanting the "decision" time to be over and the clean up from the hurricane to begin. Seems like we haven't had a "calm" year since we've been married. Maybe 2008 will be the year of the calm because 2007 definitely isn't! Then again, it will be time for another baby by then...2009? Maybe?

Interesting Article

Are We Really Depriving Our Kids?

By Jill Cooper

I often hear ladies complaining that they want to stay at home with their kids but that they "have to work since it is so expensive to raise kids these days". One of the main questions I get asked about frugal living is "won’t I be depriving my children if I live the frugal life?" Maybe I can answer that question with a few questions.

How am I depriving my children by having them drink water for every meal instead of juice and soda? Isn’t one thing doctors are always complaining about is we don’t drink enough water? Cutting out just one glass of soda per person per day for a family of four would save $547.50 a year and make them healthier.

How am I depriving my children by having them eat an apple or homemade granola bar for a snack instead of a bag of chips? Obesity is a major problem among children in the United States. If you cut out just one bag of chips a week you would save $104.00 a year and make them healthier.

How am I depriving my children by having them walk to school or to a friends house instead of my always driving them there? Lack of exercise is a big problem. You would save time and wear and tear on your car by having them walk and make them healthier at the same time.

How am I depriving my children when I don’t buy them every toy they see and want? We wouldn’t dream of giving a baby on baby food all the chocolate that he wants because we know it would make him sick. His body can not tolerate that much chocolate even if he desires it.

In the same way, an older child can’t emotionally deal with the overload of toys. I as an adult become stressed just from trying to buy a bottle of shampoo. Have you ever noticed how many options you have? Trying to make a decision can be overwhelming. Do I get it for thin, fine, dry and damaged or colored and permed hair? The list goes on and on.

In the same way when a young child looks at piles of toys, he can become very stressed over choosing which one to play with. If you watch, you will notice that they tend to play with the same couple of toys over and over. If you didn’t give them all the toys they asked for and bought one less brand new toy at $10 a week, you would save $520.00 in one year and you would help relieve them of some stress.

It is no wonder our children stay confused. We insist that they should eat healthy yet we take them out to eat 3-5 times a week at McDonald’s. We give them a bag of carrot sticks in their lunch because it’s healthy and then give them a bag of chips when they get home from school to get them off our backs.

We want them to have strong character yet the moment they whine or cry for another toy or some candy at the store we give in out of guilt. We are afraid that if we don’t give them what they want, they won’t love us so to rid ourselves of uncomfortable feelings we say yes. How can we teach them to be strong in character when we are so weak?

How could our society and way of thinking have gotten so mixed up that we think a child is deprived if a mom chooses to stay home and not go to work? We have come to believe that moms should work outside the home so that children can have the most expensive clothes, education or material things. (Note I didn’t say best but rather most expensive since the most expensive doesn’t mean the best.) If a mom goes to work so a child can have all those things it’s not considered depriving the child of anything but it’s mom. Which do you think does a child more harm- being deprived expensive things or it’s mom?

For you stay at home moms: Before you become too puffed up with pride be aware that too many social, church and school activities can deprive your children of you just as much as working. Do all things in moderation.

Better to give your kids your values you have than the valuables you can't afford.

First I cheat, then I steal

I stole this little diddy from my girlfriend Beth (http://surrealluv.typepad.com/. Pretty good, huh? Thanks for sharing, Beth!


"Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you smile. Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we should dance."


Life hasn't exactly been a party this past week (unless potential pity parties count!) but dancing to a different tune of life definitely makes the hard times past more quickly!!

As a note to my father-in-love...the first thing that comes to mind when asked "What kind of research can you do in accounting?" is that there is always research being done to analyze the affects of different accounting standards (GAAP) on American businesses which then flows to the stock market and to the American ecomony. There are constantly studies on the benefits and drawbacks of certain presentation styles for different financial statements as well as how to have an set International Standard for accounting rules so that investors can compare the financial statements of US businesses with those in Japan, Germany, etc. I'm sure that there are a TON of other ones, but I didn't even get a Master's in Accounting, let alone a Doctorate so I can only guess what they research. (Although, if something dreadful were to happen to Jeremy, my little tail will be back in school to get BOTH of those degrees as soon as the age of the kiddos would permit!) Thanks for the interest!

Cheating or teaching?

My sister is getting her Master's degree in Non-profit administration. This semester she is taking an accounting class, her first. Her professor is focused on his research, not on his teaching, and his Indian accent doesn't help in communicating what is, to the non-accounting mind, a bunch of non-sense. So my sister sends me her homework and we discuss it over the phone and via email. It helps a lot that she gets the assignment in excel :) I must say, it has been enjoyable to do a little accounting work, even if it is my sister's homework!

Go Hokies.

My current experiments