Tonya's Tales

Tagged....

2008-11-29T06:53:00.000-08:00

A while back my friend Rob tagged me to list the first 10 songs that come up on my ipod when I hit shuffle......here you go Rob!

1. Shania Twain - If you're not in it for love
2. Nickelback - Something in your mouth
3. Aerosmith - Livin' on the edge
4. Tim McGraw - Live like you were dying
5. Dixie Chicks - Cowboy take me away
6. Aerosmith - Rag doll
7. Fee - We Shine
8. Bleach - Reasons
9. Bon Jovi - Runaway
10. O.A.R. - Shattered

Quite a mix!

Finally some photos....

2008-10-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

This was the beach on the first day that we arrived in Cancun.

If you look closely you can see the tip of the steps that are buried. The two white poles that the woman is standing by are outdoor showers. The top nozzle probably hits her chest now.

There were a few crazy people that braved the waves. The wall of sand was as high as Don's head and he's six foot tall.

Here's more pics!

Vacation....

2008-09-22T11:47:00.001-07:00

I've been meaning to blog about my vacation but I haven't found the time (or my USB cable to download my pictures!). So here's a quick report....pictures will follow later.

Cancun = Sun, humidity, water and sand!!!

We had a wonderful time with our friends Troy & Carol (who were also celebrating their anniversary). The first couple of days were a mix of sun and clouds with a little rain here and there but we managed to start our tans and had several hours of pool and beach time. Sunday we went down to the beach because the boys wanted to play in the waves. They looked like they were having a good time so I decided "what the heck" and I threw my inhibitions to the wind and decided to go in. Now any of you reading this that know me will be thinking "What? She actually got in the ocean?" I will admit that I have a fear of sea creatures and that is why I don't go into the ocean.....like I said, I threw out my inhibitions! Big mistake!!!

I got in to about my waist and I got clocked by a wave! Down I went, rolling around in a wave, not sure of where I would resurface! I know from watching other people get knocked down by the waves that this was just hilarious to the onlookers who were up on the beach! Why is it that watching people fall down is so funny?! Anyway, not only did I get knocked down but the undertow was so strong that it kept sucking me back down and then I'd get hammered by another wave! I stayed calm and I knew that I was in fairly shallow water because I could reach down with my hand and feel sand. What I was most worried about was being pummeled by a rock! There were these big boulder type rocks that were all over and when you have no control over where your body is being thrown it becomes a concern! When I felt that my head was above water I would take a deep breath and then I could hear the next wave behind me and the next thing I knew I was under water again and being thrown like a rag doll. According to Don and Troy I was hammered by 4 to 5 waves before I was thrown ashore. I surfaced with my arm over my suit because I really wasn't sure if I was even wearing it anymore and the other one trying to get the hair out of my face and it was plastered in sand. Once I was able to open my eyes my friend Carol was laughing so hard that she was crying and several people on the beach wouldn't make eye contact with me so I knew that they had seen the whole thing! How embarrassing!!! After that I decided that it wasn't worth it and I went back to my chair. That was my last episode with the ocean for the trip!

We had two days of rain, due to hurricane Ike. The first day of rain we went into town and did some shopping and the second day we stayed at the resort and played card games for the majority of the day. If we would have had a third day of rain I probably would have gotten depressed but the sun came back out and we finished up the trip with some glorious sun!

After the hurricane moved into the gulf the waves were just incredible and the wind was so strong. I have before and after pictures of the beach and you just won't believe it. The waves literally pushed the sand up toward the resort and made a 5-6 foot wall that just dropped down to the ocean. It was incredible what transpired overnight. The last landing area of the steps that went down to the beach were completely buried in sand and half of the beach was gone. You totally underestimate the power of the wind and water until you see it in action.

So despite the near drowning we had a wonderful trip and came home rested, relaxed and tan. Yeah! I recommend that everyone take a vacation with their spouse and leave the children at home for at least a couple of days. It's great to reconnect with each other and actually have some peace and quiet. I love my children but this time away was something that Don & I needed. It's so easy to get into a daily routine and to take advantage of your relationship with your spouse.

Please call me at Menno Travel if you want some vacation ideas!!! :)
There's my plug.
Pictures will be posted as soon as I find that cable!!

Cancun....

2008-09-02T07:12:00.000-07:00

Grand Oasis Cancun. This is going to be my home away from home from September 6-13! Doesn't it look amazing?! I'm on a countdown, 4 more days and then I'm officially on vacation!

Don and I are celebrating our 15 year wedding anniversary on September 18th and decided that this is a monumental year and that we should celebrate in style! (Well, ok, I decided that it was monumental and he agreed that a vacation would be nice!) We are going to be travelling with our good friends, Troy & Carol Glaser, who are also celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary. They were married exactly one week prior to us.

I had been following hurricane Gustav religiously for the past week to see if he would turn toward the Yucatan Peninsula. Unfortunately for those who live in Louisiana he did not. So my vacation destination is in tact. Now I'm tracking hurricane Hanna. Not because she would do direct damage to Cancun but the closer that she gets to the Eastern islands the more chance of "fallout" rain for the area that I am going to be in. I hate to be selfish but last night after I prayed that the damages in Louisiana would be minimal for those poor people who have already been through so much devastation, I prayed that God would give me a good weather report while I am on vacation. Today when I looked at the extended forecast it showed rain during the time that we will be in Cancun. Small percentages at the beginning but then up to 50% chance for next Monday and Tuesday. I'm hoping that the forecast changes!

Cross your fingers for me that I will have some good weather! I will post some pictures and comments about our trip when I get back.

Going crazy....

2008-08-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've posted a blog! I'm sure that I'm no different than any other wife/mother these days but I feel like I've lost my mind!

Since I last posted I have played in three tennis tournaments, went school shopping, registered kids for school, planned a church outing, attended small group leadership meetings, chauffered preteens to and from volleyball practices, caught up on ortho appointments for Katie, changed my daily routine to include getting up earlier and getting the kids off to school AND started back to work full time! Whew! Reading it on paper doesn't make it appear to be that much but going through all the motions has been draining!

It's a sad day...

2008-08-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to post all week about my class reunion last weekend and I thought that I would get that accomplished today but I am just too sad. My friend Mark has lost his step-father very unexpectedly and I am in total shock. Mark held a cookout for a few of us the night before our reunion at his Mom's house and it is just surreal that Carl is no longer with us! Please pray for Mark and his family. Carl was a good man and this just doesn't make sense to any of us.

It's Over......

2008-07-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

The fair is finally over and I'm still tired! Overall it was a good year for the kids but we did have some snags along the way.

A few months before the fair one of our pigs got sick and ended up dying. Luckily we had a few extra so Keri wasn't left short an animal to be able to show. Then the day that we take the cows to the fair Keri's cow gets sick. The state vet took a look at him and decided that he needed to be removed from the fairgrounds because he could be contagious! You can imagine the tears.

So I spent the better part of the day searching for someone that had an extra cow that they didn't bring that I could buy from them and run through the auction at the end of the fair. Several hours later Stacy & Christi Hostetler said that they had a small Jersey cow that we could buy from them! I was ecstatic but Keri was still skeptical because she wanted HER COW. My aunt took Keri to have a chat over some Dippin' Dots and when they got back Keri had decided that she would give the Jersey cow a chance.

So we switched from a 450 pound Holstein to a 243 pound Jersey! Not looking too good for auction money but she had a cow to show! The cow had already been named Bambi (can you tell why?) so we, of course, had to change all our decorating to reflect the new cow's name and not the Holstein's. (which was Dasher)

Once we made it through that drama we were on our way to a good week! The girls both did really well in their showmanship with the cows and the pigs! This was Keri's first year so we weren't expecting much from her but she did really well. Katie's calf placed third in it's class which was the best that she's ever done and she made it through the first round of showmanship. I was really happy for her.

The pigs did well this year too. Katie was once again the only person to have a Tamworth so she easily won Champion with that pig and she was penned 4th with her Crossbred. Keri didn't place on Wednesday with either of her pigs so she was very disappointed. I told her that the judge on Thursday would be different and that she still had a chance to do well.

Sure enough, Thursday her Hereford won Champion! She was so excited I thought she was going to burst!

Katie with her Champion.

Keri with her Champion.

Friday ended with tears from Keri because she didn't want to get rid of her animals but she was really happy when she started figuring up the money that she made for her efforts in 4-H! So another year is over and hopefully by the time this rolls around next year I will have forgotten all the drama and grief that I went through in getting to this point!

Bring on the fair!!!

2008-07-18T06:10:00.000-07:00

Bring it on!

Tom Thumb donuts, elephant ears, funnel cakes, sirloin tips, corn dogs, pretzels, pizza, Nelson's, pork burgers, taco salad, swiss & rye on a stick, tenderloins, ice cream, fried rice & egg rolls.....

What's on your list?

Tears of Joy...

2008-07-11T08:14:00.001-07:00

Katie just got back from church camp last night and she had a great time. She was talking non-stop all the way home about all the things that they did and about her counselor and the girls in her cabin. I always loved church camp so I was really excited and happy for her that she had such a great experience.

This morning I got on the middle school website and was browsing through all the pictures that they posted from camp. I came across this picture and it brought tears to my eyes. I see my daughter holding on to her friend and rejoicing in the moment, raising her hands to God and it was completely overwhelming for me. This is what it's about. I'm so thankful that she has friends that she can express her faith with. I don't remember having this when I was her age and looking at these kids and how open and vulnerable they become when they are together like this is just amazing.

God was at work here and I'm glad that my daughter was a part of it!!!

Getting ready...

2008-07-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

The fair is almost here! I'm counting down the days to no more whining about washing animals, feeding animals, cleaning pens, walking animals, etc.... For the last 2-3 months I've been asking myself over and over again why I continue to do this to myself. I was always in 4-H when I was growing up and I thought that it would be a great experience for my kids. Don was not a 4-H kid so when I proposed this idea to him he told me up front that he would not be a part of it. Why did I think that I could take this on myself?

The kids have pigs and dairy feeder calves. Since we live in town there's no way to keep them at our house so we have to go back and forth between my parents and my aunt's place to do the chores. I'm very thankful that they allow us to house our animals there and many, many times they end up doing the chores for us because of my work schedule and the kids sports schedules. What would I do without them?

Still, as we are near the end of another 4-H season I'm thinking that this will be the last because it doesn't get easier year after year it gets harder because the kids keep getting involved in more and more things. Where does the madness end?

See you at the fair!!!

American Girl....

2008-06-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

Keri's birthday. I'm a bit behind on my posting so let me catch you up. Keri's birthday was at the end of May but because of our trip to Arizona/Nevada we celebrated her birthday after our vacation. She turned 9.

She reminded me several months ago that when Katie turned 9 that I took her on the train to Chicago and bought her an American Girl doll. She decided that this was what she wanted me to do for her as well.

Train tickets $21.50, brunch at American Girl Cafe $76, American Girl doll $90, the day with my daughter....priceless!!!

If you're a Mom and you've never done this with your daughter you really need to do it sometime. It's a girl's fantasy land! All dolls, all pink, all girl! Even Katie still enjoys going to American Girl and she's getting a little old to be playing with dolls. I seriously saw adult women buying dolls for themselves and having lunch with their doll in the cafe. It's completely crazy! Keri had asked her relatives to give her money for her birthday so she could buy clothes and accessories for her doll and she spent every bit of it at this store.

We rode the South Shore into Chicago in the morning and we walked the 5 or so blocks to the store and spent the entire day shopping and eating. We got back into South Bend from the train around 7pm and we were exhausted!

Happy Birthday Keri! I'm glad that you wanted to spend a day with me doing "girl" things!

Arizona/Nevada

2008-06-12T08:56:00.001-07:00

We recently took a trip to Arizona and Nevada to see relatives and just have some fun family vacation time. This was the first time that my daughters had ever flown. They were really excited and nervous about it.

We landed in Phoenix, rented a car and followed our Mapquest directions to Jon & Brandie's apartment. We stayed at Jon & Brandie Yoder's while we were in Arizona. They moved to Scottsdale a year or so ago and we had never been out to see them. They were planning on moving home next spring/summer but Jon was offered a job back in Indiana and he took it so he wasn't even in Arizona when we went. Thankfully Brandie was still there otherwise we would have been looking for a hotel!

We did the normal touristy things while we were in Arizona. We went shopping, drove go karts, rode bumper boats, and played mini golf. The kids were in heaven. I have another cousin, Barry Anglemyer, that lives in Chandler, Arizona so the second day there we went over to his house to visit with him and his family. They have a pool so the kids spent the day swimming and we had a great time just being together and catching up. Barry's kids are so cute and growing so fast! We had a cookout for dinner and then we all went out for ice cream.

We really enjoyed our short stay in Arizona and we would love to go back and spend more time there.

On Memorial Day we made the drive from Arizona to the Grand Canyon and then on to Las Vegas. The drive to the canyon was really scenic. We drove through Sedona to see the Red Rock Mountains and the girls were really impressed by them. Again, if we would have had more time it would have been nice to spend the day there and see the sites!

Once we got to the canyon we were all ready to be out of the car and stretch our legs! The canyon was really spectacular. I honestly didn't think that I would react to it the way that I did. It really amazed me that God had created something so amazing! It was so much more breathtaking than I had imagined it would be. If you haven't seen the canyon in person you need to add it to your list of things to do. (your bucket list)

Onward to Vegas! What an exhausting day of riding in the car! This is something that I would not really want to do again. Although it was beautiful scenery I was getting tired of looking at mountains and the winding roads were making me car sick.

We spent three nights in Vegas (but we didn't get there unti after 9pm the first night) and crammed in as much sightseeing as we could during our two days there. The kids were exhausted, we were exhausted, and by the time we got home we needed a vacation from our vacation! Ever felt like that? Now I'm looking forward to our next adventure with the kids. It really is fun to see their reactions to things.

Almost a whole month....

2008-05-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how busy this month has been! I also can't believe that my last post was on May 1st. The spring/summer insanity is just beginning!

Last week I went to Vancouver for work. Keri had a softball game on Monday night and we didn't get home until aroud 9:30pm. Then I continued to do laundry and pack my suitcase. Don drove me to the airport Tuesday morning at 5:00 am. While I was gone he managed to get the kids off to school each day and cart them to their softball games, shop for a birthday present for my niece, and go to a birthday party. He also picked me up from the airport on Sunday night. My flight didn't get in until 10:50 pm! Now he has a little bit of a taste of what I go through everyday with the kids' schedules.

This week I have mounds and mounds of laundry to contend with in the evenings, softball games, basketball practices, etc. We leave Saturday morning for our family vacation to Arizona/Nevada so I've got to re-pack the luggage, clean up the house, finish the laundry, go to the ball games, etc. On top of all that I am in charge of our 20 year class reunion and I still have invitations that need to get mailed out and a few have come back to me with the wrong addresses. I'm feeling quite stressed!!!

So that's how the month of May has been going for me. I have to consult the calendar every morning to see what the game plan is for the evening! There's never enough hours in a day. Good thing I'm a night owl and I can get by on 4-5 hours of sleep! I don't anticipate June to be much better so don't expect any great blogs!!!

Find your verse....

2008-05-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago I challenged my small group of 8th grade girls to find a verse that they could carry with them over the next few years. We've been talking recently about setting our own personal standards and sexual purity.

I really thought that this would be a tough subject to talk to them about. What I wasn't prepared for was their honesty and vulnerability to come out as we had our discussion. We shared tears and testimonies, laughed at ourselves and each other, and had a remarkable bonding experience. It will be a night that I won't forget.

A few of the girls have actually received purity rings from their parents and have made their vow to God to save themselves for marriage. Wow! I can honestly say that I don't remember having any of those types of conversations with either of my parents at this age. Things are happening so much earlier these days. It's really scary!

Wednesday night a few of the girls remembered our talk about finding their verse and this is what they shared....

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future".

Proverbs 4:23

Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.

1 Corinthians 15:33

Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."

Deuteronomy 31:8

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Acts 2:21

And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.

If you have a life verse or a verse that has special meaning to you please share it with me so that I can pass it on to these girls. It's been a real blessing to me to be able to spend this time with them and they all hold a very special place in my heart. It would be great to have the same group again next year!

Growing up....

2008-04-28T10:26:00.001-07:00

My girls are growing up. It's been a while since we've done pictures (other than school pics) so I had the girls scheduled to have pictures taken on Saturday morning.

Unfortunately the weather wasn't very cooperative in the morning to get some good outside shots. It was really cold and it was really windy. Their hair is blowing all over in all the proofs.

Once we got home the sun came out and the wind died down a bit so I decided to take them over to my neighbors house to get some outdoor pictures with my own camera. My neighbor has a great backyard. It's all lined with pine trees (which blocked the wind) and she has flowers and fountains. They really have a great green thumb and I don't!

I think I got some good shots. You can tell I'm not a professional because I didn't pay attention to shadows and seeing my reflection in Katie's glasses.....but to the unprofessional (like myself) I think they turned out pretty good.

Chuck E Cheese....

2008-04-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

Saturday we went to Chuck E Cheese for our small church outing. It wasn't high on my list of fun things to do over the weekend but the kids had a great time!

Keri had Nicole Flickinger come with us and then she spent the night with Nicole. All the kids had a lot of fun playing games and then picking out their goofy prizes. Did you know that for $20 you could get a pair of designer glasses like the ones that Keri has on?!

If you haven't been to Chuck E Cheese in a while let me just tell you that it's exactly as you remember it......LOUD!

Stubborn....

2008-04-23T08:42:00.001-07:00

Two days ago my husband managed to drop a concrete block on his foot at work. I'm pretty sure that at least two of his toes are broken!

This man is so stubborn that he will not go seek medical attention for his foot. He's in so much pain that he rummaged through the cupboards until he found some Darvocet that I had taken for pain management when I had a root canal. Now don't you think that if he's in enough pain to take that heavy of a pain killer that he'd seek some medical attention? Heck no!

He told me that he was unloading this concrete from his work truck and he lost his grip on one of the pieces and it landed right across his toes. At the time he knew that it was bleeding because he could feel the warmth from the blood in his sock. This happened right around 7:00 am. Did he take his shoe and sock off to see how much damage had been done? No! He sat down for a moment to catch his breath and then he continued to work......all day long! He didn't look at his foot until he came home that night!

He literally cannot put any pressure on the front of his foot and he walks to the side of his foot so that his toes never touch the ground. I'd say this is a problem. He's stubborn as a mule! The next time you see him tell him he should go have the Dr. take a look at it!!!

Tugging at my heart....

2008-04-22T06:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had a client at my desk that was inquiring about making air reservations. Nothing out of the ordinary except that he was a real talker. I'm guessing he was in his mid 70's and he was really very sweet. I could tell that he was lonely and enjoyed having someone to banter with.

During the course of giving him the information that he came in to get he had told me about winters that he and his wife had spent in Phoenix, stories about his children, places that he wanted to see before his time was up, etc. Then he became very still and quiet.

I wasn't sure what to do exactly. A fair amount of time passed and I finally asked if there was anything else that I could do for him. He looked at me and said, "It's really hard getting old and I miss my wife so much". Then he started to cry.

Now I'm a sympathy crier so I started to panic a little because the last thing I wanted to do was start crying in front of this man that I didn't even know! I kept thinking, "Oh my gosh, what do I say to this poor man?"

He apologized for his reaction to his thoughts and of course I could only tell him that he needn't worry about it. I felt so bad for this man. He loved and missed his wife so much that even after six years of being without her his heart still ached. He told me that it was unexpected and that she died of a brain tumor that she never realized she had.

I told him how sorry I was. What else could I say?

After he left I couldn't shake the thought of how amazing it is to love someone so much that you can't fathom ever being without them. I hope that everyone that I know and love will experience that in their lifetime.

5 Things I Want My Kids To Know Before They Grow Up.....

2008-04-16T11:43:00.001-07:00

I've been tagged by Shelley, which is like being challenged, so I must do this post!

I want my kids to love God and make him their #1 relationship in this world.
I want my kids to know that their parents love them unconditionally. There isn't anything that they could ever do to change that!
I want my kids to love themselves and not compare their bodies or their minds to their peers.
I want my kids to know the value of being truly happy vs. being just satisfied.
I want my kids to know how to manage money! Anyone willing to teach them this because I really stink at it!!!

I can't really tag anyone because I don't know that many people that blog! Sorry!!!

Not what I expected....

2008-04-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's Connection service at NMC was amazing. I'm only sorry that they decided to do this type of service during Spring Break! I wish I would have taken a picture with my camera phone but I didn't so I'll try to set it up for those of you who weren't there.

As we walked through the doors there were candles lit everywhere with signs that read "What would you do if no one was here to greet you? Would you turn away?", "What would you do if you had to worship in silence?", "What would you do without music?", etc. (I may not have them all correct but you get the idea).

Once inside the setting was just beautiful. The stage was in the middle and all the chairs were arranged around the stage. The lights were down, except for a couple that were strategically placed on the cross, which put magnificent shadows of the cross on the outer walls and there were so many candles. It was just really a sight to see. We did celebrate with music but it was more of an acoustic sound and it was a really nice change of pace. I didn't think that I would be so affected by the sermon and the music because I am all for the upbeat sounds that we typically get in the Connection.

Chris Knight gave the sermon and the main message was about standing up for our faith and our love for Christ. Would we "stand" when the time came or would we fade into the crowd and try to go unnoticed? He made references to the number of Christians that lay their life on the line every hour of every day to stand up for Christ. He asked us some really tough questions and it was amazing to see how the people responded.

I was especially touched when my youngest daughter started asking me questions about the message and what was going on during the sermon. We had a chance to write our name on a canvas board (if we were willing to take that step and stand up for Christ) plus take an act of communion. She asked me if she was able to do his because of her age. I was really touched that she was putting so much thought into the whole process. She was asking a lot of questions about what it meant and the best that I could describe for her was to basically say "would you give up your life to stand up for Christ". Of course she translated that to being beaten and nailed to a cross the way Jesus died for us so I decided that I really didn't want to get into that detailed of a conversation with her right there at church so I downplayed that a bit. In the end she really wanted to get up and write her name and take communion. We ended up going up as a family and it was hard for me to hold back the tears. It was really touching and meant so much to me. (of course anyone that knows me well knows that it takes very little to make me cry based on my weak emotional state!)

So for those of you who missed this type of service I hope that NMC does this again some time. It was nice to have a change and it was wonderful to see that young and old responded to this message and take it to heart.

Davidson?!?

2008-03-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

Wow! I didn't see Davidson getting into the final 8! So I'm 6 out of 8 on my bracket. I'll take that.

It's Back...

2008-03-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

Yes!!! Great basketball last night! Other than a complete blowout (almost from the beginning to the end) by NC the games last night kept me glued to my seat!

I have to admit that I did fall asleep a little bit during the second half of the Lousiville game but woke up in time to see them have a strong win.

I've got a chance to have 3 out of the 4 games correct tonight for my bracket. I got all of them right last night! It's so much fun to have someone to really root for in each game!!!

March Madness....

2008-03-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

This is the BEST time of year for sports! For me the NCAA tournament is better than the Super Bowl and the World Series. How exciting!

I totally stunk up my bracket for Rob's group but I do still have a chance in our office pool. I have one bracket that has the potential of landing me 7 correct picks for the final 8! Can you believe the upsets?!

I feel really bad for ND! I can't believe the final score of that game. I didn't expect them to get past NC but I really did think that they would make it to the Sweet 16. Maybe next year!

The wait between now and Thursday is going to seem like forever! Bring back my basketball!!!!

Another interesting e-mail...

2008-03-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

This is very interesting and just a bit scary .
The Muslim religion is the fastest growing religion per capita in the United States , especially in the minority races!!!

Allah or The Lord Jesus Christ? .. By Rick Mathes

Last month I attended my annual training session that's required for maintaining my state prison security clearance. During the training session there was a presentation by three speakers representing the Roman Catholic, Protestant and Muslim faiths, who explained each of their beliefs.

I was particularly interested in what the Islamic Imam had to say. The Imam gave a great presentation of the basics of Islam, complete with a video.After the presentations, time was provided for questions and answers. When it was my turn, I directed my question to the Imam and asked:

"Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that most Imams and clerics of Islam have declared a holy jihad [Holy war] against the infidels of the world and, that by killing an infidel, (which is a command to all Muslims) they are assured of a place in heaven. If that's the case, can you give me the definition of an infidel?"

There was no disagreement with my statements and, without hesitation, he replied, "Non-believers! "

I responded, "So, let me make sure I have this straight. All followers of Allah have been commanded to kill everyone who is not of your faith so they can have a place in heaven. Is that correct?"

The expression on his face changed from one of authority and command to that of "a little boy who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar."He sheepishly replied, "Yes."

I then stated, "Well, sir, I have a real problem trying to imagine Pope John Paul commanding all Catholics to kill those of your faith or Dr. Stanley ordering all Protestants to do the same in order to guarantee them a place in heaven!"

The Imam was speechless!

I continued, "I also have problem with being your 'friend' when you and your brother clerics are telling your followers to kill me! Let me ask you a question. Would you rather have your Allah, who tells you to kill me in order for you to go to heaven, or my Jesus who tells me to love you because I am going to heaven and He wants you to be there with me?"

You could have heard a pin drop as the Imam hung his head in shame. Needless to say, the organizers and/or promoters of the 'Diversification' training seminar were Not happy with Rick's way of dealing with the Islamic Imam and exposing the truth about the Muslims' beliefs.

In twenty years there will be enough Muslim voters in the U.S. To elect the President! I think everyone in the U.S . should be required to read this.

Just in time...

2008-03-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

I received this in an e-mail and it's been haunting me. It's not that I didn't already know or believe this but it's pretty powerful to read on paper. (or computer monitor) Better yet, it came to me at just the right time. I was just starting to get that drowning sensation at work when I read this e-mail and it revitalized me! I actually couldn't stop thinking about it and kept flipping back to that e-mail so that I could read it over and over again.

I'm thinking about making signs out of sticky notes or whatever I can get my hands on and writing uplifting scriptures on them. I will put these in places where I know that I'll need them....

at the office
in the car
on the refridgerator
in the bedroom
by the telephone
in my kids rooms

Maybe my road rage, overeating, short temper and mood swings will go away if I can take a deep breath and read some scripture! Hey, it's worth a try!

Time for a new look....

2008-03-05T12:27:00.000-08:00

I decided to change things up a bit today. Do you like the new look? Wish it were that easy to change things up in "life". Here's a list of what I'd change...

Public restrooms would be added to every retail establishment
People who drive under 55 mph on highways would be ticketed
Women & Men would have the same metablolism rate
Chocolate would be a diet food
Women would get paid for being "mothers" because that's the hardest job of all time
Men would come with "cliffs notes"
Saturday night would be a mandatory date night
The school year would start after Labor Day and end before Memorial Day
Television shows would be limited to 2 advertisement breaks, not lasting more than 5 minutes (that should be enough time for a potty break right?)
There would be no such thing as WAR
I would weigh 130 lbs. and have the figure that I did in high school

I could keep going on but you'd be bored! Happy hump day!!

Travel Agents vs. Starbucks....

2008-02-22T08:34:00.000-08:00

1. Nobody comes in to Starbucks and asks you to make them a mocha, a frappucino, a latte, and a hot chocolate, takes a sip out of all of them and does not buy any of them.....yet they don't think twice about asking a travel agent to price out Disney, a cruise, an escorted tour and Mexico and then not buy any of them!

2. If you book a client into the wrong city, or on the wrong flights it costs hundreds to fix it - if you make a client the wrong drink you pour it in the sink, make another drink, and give them a coupon for a free drink at another time.

3. Nobody will ever say to you "Five dollars for a coffee?!...I can get it on the internet for three dollars!"

4. When the skinny cranky client comes in we can't send them to the wrong city, but at Starbucks you can put whole milk in their non-fat latte and tell them to "have a nice day!"

Many of you who read this may not understand but these "jokes" put a smile on my face this morning! Yesterday was a really hard day in the office......clients have NO IDEA.

More Random Thoughts....

2008-02-20T08:42:00.000-08:00

1. Why are women so sensitive? This applies to me as well. I take everything personally!

2. Why are men oblivious? Dropping subtle hints doesn't work at my house. You have to spell it out LOUDLY!

3. Romance is overrated! Or at least I'm getting used to that theory since there's not an over abundance of romance where I live.

4. Regardless of what decade it is, Junior High students all act the same.

5. Boys are easier to raise than girls from the ages of 1-13.

6. Television is being taken over by reality shows.

7. Cartoons are being taken over by adult themes and content!

8. When I look at food I gain weight!

9. What is it with women my age dressing like they are high school girls? I don't care how skinny you are....it's not appropriate!

10. I say we scrap the election in November and look for all new candidates!

11. If you've read all the way down to 11 then you're as messed up as me! Get back to something meaningful!!!

I think this says it all....

2008-02-20T08:36:00.000-08:00

2008-02-15T08:27:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've posted so I thought I better try to catch up! There's been a lot going on around our household. Keri's involved in Upwards basketball and practices once a week, Katie's playing basketball at the Sports Center and practices two times a week, Trey plays basketball on Mondays and Thursday and is now in the process of moving out, Don has been working late, I'm working full time......WOW.

It's no wonder that I really enjoy my late nights, when I can just be all by myself without any noise but the tv! I have to say that I sometimes feel like a bad Mom because I just want to be left alone. I'm sure that all parents out there feel this way from time to time but in hind sight I always feel bad for my tone of voice or my actions toward my family when they catch me in one of these moods.

Most nights I feel bombarded when I walk through the door. I get out of work late, I've picked up one of the kids from practice, I'm expected to make a meal right away, there's laundry that needs done, folded and/or put away. It's very overwhelming! Can't I just sit down and be left alone? As I write all this out I just had a thought. Did Jesus feel this way? Everyone wanted to be close to him, to see him, touch him, be healed by him. Did he ever feel like us? Did he ever want to just be alone?

If you're reading my blog and you are familiar with passages in the Bible that will help me with what I'm dealing with, please leave me a comment and tell me where to read about handling these pressures. I'm serious! Some days I think I'm on the verge of depression or getting an ulcer. I don't sleep well at night because I feel like there's too much "stuff" that is left undone. I have prayed about all this but it doesn't seem to get any easier! I think I need scripture. Something to fall back on when I'm feeling on the brink of insanity!

Another snow day....

2008-02-01T08:22:00.001-08:00

Yeah! The kids get to sleep in and Mom still gets to go to work!!! How is that fair? Really I am disappointed that they have another day off because it only means that they have to go longer in the Spring. Why doesn't our school system add in snow days so that we can still get out of school before Memorial Day? I remember when we would get out before Memorial Day and not start up again until after Labor Day! Our kids are lucky to get two months out of school anymore.

So as I sit here at my desk wondering how the roads are going to be by the time I get out of work I'm sure that my kids are at home fighting with each other......I've only gotten two phone calls so far....pretty impressive! I'm so sick of winter!!! Last week I was in Florida in 70 degree weather and I come home to this! Yuck!!! Bring on Spring!!!

The Journey....

2008-01-16T07:28:00.000-08:00

"We have no guarantees of how much time we have here on earth, so we need to make sure that we are making the most of every second, minute, and hour that we have".

This is the main message that we are proposing to our Jr. High program tonight at church. When I received my e-mail with this information it really struck a place in my heart. For the last two days I've been contemplating the discussion that I'm going to have with my small group over this message.

Is it enough to just go through the motions of trying to be a good person and avoiding trouble and conflict? Are we missing the point if we don't get more involved? Are we paving a way for ourselves in heaven if we just step back and go through the motions of being a Christian but don't get face to face with the issues that will ultimately test our faith?

As I get older I have more convictions about my faith than I ever did as a teenager or young adult, but I am still perplexed by my lack of daily involvement with God. I too often let the world get in my way of having that one on one time with my creator. Not only that, but when I have opportunities to put my faith into action or to witness to someone I find myself standing still and watching instead of getting involved. I know that's not what God wants for me. So I'm struggling with myself right now......am I really showing my children and my peers what it means to me to be a Chrisitan? Am I doing enough in this life to make a spot for myself beside my creator in heaven?

I wish I had the answer.
I wish I weren't afraid.
I wish that I knew how much time I have left in this life.

This is my journey.....am I doing enough with it?

Manic Monday

2008-01-14T10:04:00.000-08:00

I know it's cliche but I really hate Mondays! Last night I was in a foul mood because the Colts lost, the kids were doing last minute homework, there wasn't anything good on t.v., and I knew that all I had to look forward to was Monday!!! It is so busy here at work that I shouldn't even be doing this blog but I need a break! Why is it that every year January through March is the busiest time for people to make their vacation plans? Doesn't anyone ever think about booking in advance anymore? After 15 years in the travel industry I know that is a rhetorical question but I had to throw it out there! I'm drowning in a sea of unresearched requests! Everytime I get started on the research my phone rings with another client wanting a vacation. It's absolutely crazy! I can't get anything done. And if you've ever worked with the public then you know that people want their answers "right now!" Blah, blah, blah..... I'm looking forward to Friday already!!!

So in love.....

2008-01-09T12:03:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had one of those melancholy days when you keep finding yourself thinking about the one you love? I'm having one of those days. Don and I have been married for 14 years and dated for 4 years prior to that. That's half of my lifetime spent with this man. He has been my best friend and companion, a wonderful provider and father, and he's the one person in this world that can make me laugh....even when I don't want to!

So this blog is dedicated to my wonderful husband, who I love with all my heart! Thank you for 18 great years of laughs and happy tears!

Out with the Old.....In with the New

2007-12-31T13:03:00.000-08:00

Goodbye 2007! I will not miss you. In reflection of the past year I will not be sorry to say goodbye and hope that 2008 brings more happiness and joy to the Rohr family. This has been a tough year. I won't elaborate on the negative things that happened but can tell you that I have a short list of events that made my year eventful in a good way! So here's my short list.....

In no particular order of importance.....

Trey graduated!!!

**Don & I went on an 8nt Caribbean Cruise with Royal Caribbean. One of our favorite vacations!

**We bought a Jeep this summer. The kids love it!

We took the girls to their first Cubs game!

**Bailey joined our family in March. (our great dog!!)

My small group of 8th grade girls is awesome!!! (not all pictured but they're still awesome!)

That's it for 2007! Here's to a new beginning in 2008! Happy New Year everyone!!!

The Aftermath.....

2007-12-26T11:48:00.001-08:00

Well we made it through another holiday! The presents are all unwrapped and everyone needs a stomach pump for all the junk food that they consumed! My house looks like an atomic bomb went off. It's probably going to take another week to sort through all the "old" to find a place for the "new".

Besides all the food and presents it was genuinely nice to spend some quality time with all our relatives. Everyone is so busy anymore you just don't get these moments very often. We played games and watched movies, laughed, and just really enjoyed being with each other. What a nice change of pace!

This was our first Christmas with our dog Bailey and she was so funny to watch around the tree and the presents! We had some things wrapped up for her and she actually unwrapped them herself! Don cheated a bit by opening the bag of treats and leaving one between the wrapping paper and the bag so that she could smell it. After getting the first one open though she knew what she was supposed to do and she got all her snacks and toys unwrapped herself! It was pretty impressive.

The biggest "hit" with our family this year was the Wii system that we bought for the kids. Even the adults couldn't stop playing it yesterday. My favorite game (of course!) was tennis, Don liked the golf, Keri is a pro at bowling, and Katie pretty much likes them all! Trey was fun to watch when he did the boxing and he even smashed me at tennis! (He got lucky!!!) I think I must have played for at least 4 hours yesterday. Last night my arm hurt so bad that I could hardly sleep. I'm not kidding! I am really sore!!! I guess it is a pretty good workout!

So here ends another chapter, another year, another Christmas. Thank you God for all your blessings and all my family! Although I am now "poor" in the pocketbook, I am "rich" in love with such great family and friends!

Bah Humbug!!!

2007-12-17T09:05:00.000-08:00

I am not in the Christmas spirit. Usually by this time I enjoy listening to the Christmas songs on the radio and look forward to shopping for my friends and family......I just can't get in the spirit this year! What I'd really like to do is take a long nap and someone can just wake me up when it's all over! The kids are at an age where everything they ask for is really expensive so they won't have many gifts to open and I can't seem to find gifts for those "hard to buy for" people in my life......I'm just about ready to buy gift certificates and say "forget it"! I'm being a real scrooge so I'm going to pray for my mood to change. If that doesn't work then someone needs to just give me a good kick in the butt!!!

Goofballs!

2007-12-10T20:20:00.000-08:00

Ok...keeping up with the spirit of blogging once a month...here's another one! I really don't know how you people do it everyday!!!

This was one of the rare occasions that my girls were actually getting along. Seems like lately all they do is pick on each other and fight. I keep telling them that one day they will realize how much they love each other! I get the same reply everytime...."Gross!" How do you teach your children to appreciate each other? Someone needs to give me the secret formula!

My youngest, Keri, has shown me recently how big her heart is. We have been praying together at night and she is really starting to open up and is not afraid to really ask God for his help. She has been struggling with her fear of sleeping in her own room at night and praying "out loud" has really been helping her. She's also been praying for safety for our family. It's so cute to hear her ask for safety and protection while we all sleep and for her brother to return home safely (since he's not usually home when she goes to bed). I cherish her vulnerability to open up with me at night. If I asked her to do that during the day when someone else might hear her she would never do it. I'm glad that she has found a safety net in God.

Katie has started Junior High this year and it's been a real transition. I feel great pangs in my heart while I watch her interact with her peers. She has gone through some major changes in her friendships this year and I can see her struggle sometimes trying to figure out where she fits in. It's in these moments that the protector comes out in me and I just want to run interference for her! I know that would only isolate her more so I stay back and watch. That can be so hard...girls can be so cruel. She's more reserved than Keri so praying together is not something that she is comfortable with. I pray for her every night that she will stay strong in her beliefs and not give in to the temptations of trying to "fit in" with the right crowd.....which is actually the wrong crowd. I'm really proud of her for how she's handled herself in front of these peers. I need to tell her that. Actually, I need to share my favorite scripture with her!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Over and over I've taken comfort in that verse. Life doesn't always deal me the hand that I want but to know that God has a purpose for everything that I go through....that gives me hope. This is what I want to pass on to my kids!

On a roll.....

2007-11-06T10:41:00.001-08:00

Well, I'm on a roll. One blog per month! I don't know how people do it blogging once a day or even a couple times a week! I'm just too busy!

So anyway, here's some trivial blogging! Everything that you didn't care to know about me!

**I love to play tennis! It is my all-time favorite sport to play. I am a total sports girl so I have lots of sports that interest me but tennis is something that I know I'll still be doing in my 60's and hopefully my 70's. I just love it, love it, love it!

**I am addicted to sweets. (if you know me this explains a lot I'm sure!) I need chocolate on a daily basis. I actually get headaches if I don't get my daily dose.

**I like to be right. Sometimes I'll fight to prove my point and then later find out that I was wrong. Serve me up a piece of "humble pie" please! I can be so sure of myself sometimes and then "BAM!" I'm wrong.... I just don't see it coming!

**I like to be in control. (just ask my kids) Whether it's a project at work or an event at church or my kids birthday party.....I have an opinion about how things should be done. Sometimes I just need to be quiet but it's not easy for me.

**I need to feel important. God help me the day that I don't feel like my children need me! It has been a real struggle letting go of my oldest son. He is technically an adult but I feel the need to tell him when I think he's doing the wrong thing or how to manage his time and money. I don't remember my parents being this way with me. I need a course in "letting go"!

**I hate to cook. I actually can cook but I really hate it, so I don't do it.....at least not very often. I know I am a big disappointment to my husband (who loves to eat!). If my family would offer to do the clean-up then maybe I would cook more. I don't know. It just seems like such a waste of time when I can buy something pre-made and frozen and just stick it in the oven. Anybody with me on this?

**I love to watch reality tv. There I admitted it! I have my DVR set to record almost every reality show that I can get my hands on. My favorites.....Biggest Loser, Project Runway, Top Chef, Survivor, The Bachelor, and on and on and on...

**I love to laugh! My best memories of my family or my time spent with Don always involves laughing. Of course living with Don is just one laugh after another! He is so funny! We pick on each other all the time. I have so many funny stories! One of my favorites is when he decided to pick on me one Sunday while I was getting ready for church. Here's what happened....we were down to one bathroom because we had a water leak in our bedroom shower so we were all attempting to get ready using just the hallway bathroom. I was to the point where I needed to curl my hair but the girls were ready so they were out of the way but Don still needed to jump in the shower. He usually locks everyone out when he goes into the bathroom so I told him to leave it unlocked because I was still getting ready. So he's in the shower and I'm curling my hair and from out of nowhere this "large" amount of water comes over the shower curtain right on top of my head! My first instinct was that I was mad because this was just going to slow down the process of getting ready.....then I thought "revenge". I think I yelled but I didn't really do anything in that moment, instead I waited for him to be finished with his shower. Once I heard him turn off the water I grabbed the shower curtain and flung it open! (Don is so modest that I knew this would really freak him out!) My plan worked! He freaked out and grabbed for the curtain.....before either of us knew what was happening he had pulled the shower curtain and rod down and had himself completely wrapped in it and to make it even funnier he had slipped in the tub and was laying on his side! We were both laughing so hard we were crying! I don't remember if we made it to church on time or not but we were still laughing about it during Connection!

Well I'm sure you're tired of reading about my worthless trivia so I'm going to stop! Until next month.......

Mosaic....

2007-10-06T07:04:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the big day! We are starting our new small church....Mosaic. I am hoping that we can pull in some of the people that are in Connection but don't attend a small church. We've had several meetings about what we want to achieve and if all goes well we should have a really strong group. I miss the connection that we had with our last small church. We made new friendships and Don and I brought our relationship with each other and with God to a new level. Everything seemed to be going really well and then it seemed like the wheels fell off. The Sangl's moved and then the Yoder's moved and we just started to fall apart. So we've been "fish out of water" for awhile now and I'm ready to get back on track! I have high expectations for this new adventure and I'm praying for God to bring us a good group of people that are ready to "share life and all of its challenges". I can feel that God is working in my life.....maybe Mosaic is my stepping stone.

Junior High's not so scary after all!!!

2007-09-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm two weeks into the Junior High program and so far I've survived! I am really amazed by some of these students. I was approached about helping out on Wednesday night with the teen program and I really had my doubts about it. My first thought was that these kids don't necessarily "want" to be here at this age. Some of them come with their parents because they have to and some of them come only for social reasons......do I really want to deal with that after a long day at work? What I'm experiencing with these kids is really awesome!!! If anything they are "uplifting" at the end of my busy work day! I think that God lead me to this group for a reason and I'm really excited about being with my small group of 8th grade girls. I can tell that this is going to be a great learning experience for all of us and I'm praying that God will give me the right words to open up the minds and hearts of these girls. Pray for me as I seek His wisdom each week with my small group!