Going Gray

There it is - glistening in the artificial light of the master bath.
Shining like a beacon from the part in my do.

I lean in,
Tweezers at the ready,
Sort, sort, isolate,
Grasp...pluck!

What in the world...has my scalp run out of color?
For what I have found is an immensely dense, rather daring , and definitely gray, hair.

Shouldn't I have received a letter from AARP to announce its arrival first? At least a courtesy phone call would be nice.

"Hello, Mrs. Hadley? This is Betty, your AARP representative... Yes... I have news for you... You should expect to see the arrival of your first gray hair sometime next week... Uh-huh... Do whatever you want with it... That would be fine... Let us know if you need anything... Okay... Your card will arrive shortly after the hair... Thank you... Have a good retirement... Bye"

RSVP

This is actually a rsvp to a birthday invitation that turned into a description of my day. I liked it so much (for some odd reason) that I chose to immortalize it forever on my blog. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Hello U,

Of course we will attend. Well, at least the majority of us. I like the invitation, especially the 5:30ish part :-). Coordinating six bodies is not an easy task as I am sure you know. I'm still getting used to the new addition and haven't accounted for the twenty extra minutes it takes to get one more body ready to go. Then there is the last minute dirty diaper change, the loading of the car, the three trips back to the house to fetch the forgotten but absolutely essential items ("Did you grab a binki?"..."No, did you?"), the second last minute diaper change, then, finally the drive home after we we're already halfway to our destination because...and I quote, "IIIIIIIIINNNNEEEEEEEEDMYBLLLLAAANKIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!"
UGH, How do you put up with us? If you ever want to have a nice quiet birthday for R, please don't feel guilty about forgetting to invite us...for your sakes :-).

Anyway, on a personal note, I have spent all day monitoring Kiah on the couch because she came down with the "hiccups" this morning (you know, the messy kind). It only lasted till noon but we kept her on the couch all day and now she is sleeping there (I am listening to her snore as I write). It actually worked out to have Kiah rather sedated because a guy was coming to work on our water system. It hasn't been doing it's job for about eight months and our water pressure has been getting worse and worse. After I chewed the guy out for feeling taken by being sold a system not equipped to handle our water he finally found that the problem was that the piping system to one of the tanks was installed backwards. Hmmm...I would have thought he might have noticed that one of the last three times he was here. Now its all better and because the guy is now afraid of me we didn't have to pay for any of the repairs.

My Love came home at lunch so I could make it to a dental appointment. Just a routine cleaning but since it has been six years since my last cleaning there was quite a bit of build up. The hygenist's exact words were, "I got the big chunks today and we'll see you again in a month for a regular cleaning." I guess there is something to those twice a year visits. I've just been kind of busy being pregnant and having babies.

Well, this rsvp has been beaten to death. I guess I just needed to talk about my day and everyone here is sleeping (even Flip, but shes not much good for conversation anyway...I don't think she gets my jokes). Talk to you soon or email me. It seems a little easier than a phone conversation because I don't have to worry about yelling in your ear.

Love you

By His Grace

D-D-D-D-Dora

I am Dora-ed out! You know how when you rub your eyelids you see random light patterns? Well, when I rub my eyelids I see Dora's face. When I lay down to sleep I dream Dora. When it is quiet and the only sound is the gentle hum of appliances...I hear her voice...it haunts me..."Say backpack"..."Louder!"..."BACKPACK!!!"

I threw K's first "real" birthday party. She has had her mind set on a Dora the Explorer party for approximately eight months. I hope it was everything she imagined. We had Dora decorations, a giant Dora balloon, Dora plates and napkins, and even Dora goodie bags. She was quite spoiled in the gift department as well. Her big presant was a Dora bedset, but she also recieved A Dora puzzle, a Dora video, various articles of Dora clothing, a Dora playdough set, and Dora watches among other things.

Since she was turning five (actually, not until the 21st) we invited five of her friends. We had an adventure/treasure hunt and the best part was when Swiper made an apperence to steal the clues.

Swiper, no swiping!!!
Swiper, no swiping!!!
Swiper, no swiping!!!
(Thanks My Love, you're a great sport!).
Aw, Man!

Cleaning the Stove

Why am I driven to clean the stove at midnight then feel inspired to write about it?

I meant to just clean under the burners (there was still stuff burned on from last thanksgiving...I kid you not), but once that part was clean the rest of the stove top and door and surrounding counter space and floor just looked filthy. Finally I had to stop because the skin on my hands was beginning to prune and rub off. I know in the morning when I turn on the kitchen light there will be this radiant white stove in gleaming surroundings and the rest of the kitchen will have to be cleaned.

Maybe I can trick K into "playing" Cinderella and scrubbing the floor for me...Hmmm...I think that is a great idea.

Picture, Perfect?

Here I go...I'm going to try and post a picture...

Hmmm...

I've tried twice and waited about fifteen minutes each time while nothing happened. I don't know what I'm doing. Obviously. I'll give it one more try...

Nope...nothin'.

I will have to figure this out.

Giving Thanks

I am thankful for:

My Lord who loves me even though I wonder and wander.
My Love, Mr. Amazing who never ceases to amaze me!
My survivor, K, who has survived three of my pregnancies (and postpartums) and is still willing to talk to me.
My sweet, little man, J, who always asks, “You happy Mommy?”
My ham, Baby E, who makes me smile when I’m down.
My little squishy, M, who has slept for six hours at night since she was four weeks old.
My parents who lend a helping hand when they can and who are a vital part of their grandkids’ lives.
My friends who still love me in spite of myself.
My country.

Thank You!

By His Grace

True Friend

I want to do what I know I should,
But the world distracts me from doing good.
"Don't you dare be different or I'll turn my back."
Why does that scare me? Its favor I should lack.
It is God's praise that I want to see.
I can not avoid Him, the Holy One in Three.
The world could never be a true friend.
It boosts my ego, yet condescends.
Giving and taking without any meaning,
It makes me feel good, but the feeling is fleeting.
It gives me darkness to cover what is true,
That I am a sinner only earning what is due.
A true friend is my Lord, and even more,
He is my Brother, my Father, my Counselor.
My Saviour, my Light to show me the way,
There is no darkness in Him, only day.
He gives only truth, without Him I'm dead.
But He, in His grace, died in my stead.
The world lost its grasp, He has quenched all my fears.
I feel reverence for Him, His blood and His tears.

Oh Lord, keep me strong, to be different from them.
To not take the lies of the world as my friend.
Your glory shining with truth I desire,
Pull me by faith from the muck and the mire.
Cleanse my soul although its casing be foul.
Shine your light in the darkness where my enemies prowl.
Make me your vessel of righteousness,
Then perhaps through me my friends will be blessed.

By His Grace

Meet the Fam

Hello.

I am Becks (as far as your concerned).

I have four kids!

The newest addition joined us on October 3rd, 2006.

Her name is M (as far as your concerned).

My other kids are K, age 4; J, age 3; E, age 1 (as far as your concerned).

They are all 18-20 months apart.

Yes...It gets a little nuts in this household. Hence the title of my blog.

My Husband is My Love. AKA Mr. Amazing (as far as your concerned).

3 cats, 1 dog, 1 fish, and 3 corn snakes.

Who am I?!

It has been so long since I've blogged that I forgot my user name and password. I not only have lost my train of thought as far as blogging is concerned, but I think my train has been completely derailed and sent to scrap. I guess I have been busy having a baby and raising a family. I just knew this blog would become an object of neglect. Why don't I just start from the beginning.

Off the Road Again

So I haven't posted in a while. I have been spending every spare moment preparing for vacation, taking vacation, and now recovering from vacation. The trip was fun and we did a lot of cool stuff. We spent some time with my grandparents, went to the Oregon Zoo, stayed the night in Grant's Pass (they have a Walmart Supercenter...next time we are staying there two nights!), drove through the redwoods, went to an aquarium in Crescent City, drove through more redwoods, played in the ocean, found shells, played on the beach, shopped, and My Love and I even had a whole day and night to ourselves thanks to my parents who we joined up with in Fort Bragg.

We love the coast and enjoy Fort Bragg a lot. This year we even made it into Mendocino for the first time. The down town area is great for shopping and souvenir collecting. There are quaint shops and galleries around every turn and the view from the main shopping strip is awesome, overlooking a cove with aquamarine waters. However, My Love and I both agree that Fort Bragg and Mendocino are way too liberal for us to live. For one thing there is not one Bible book store in either town. Even the regular book shops are missing a good selection of Bibles and instead the religion sections are full of self-help manuals and new age, idolistic garbage.

Another reason is that there is a general distaste for anything conservative. One shop we visited was filled with Bush bashing paraphernalia. It was being sold right next to the bongs and pipes. On another occasion I was driving down main street and a man in a convertible passed me and yelled quite clearly, "YOU SUCK!" I just assumed it was my driving but I was going with the flow of traffic so I just shrugged it off. Later when I told My Love about it he said it was because of our conservative/Bush bumper stickers. If being conservative and loving life and God make me 'suck' then give me a straw and get out of my way.

Anyway, we did visit a place where we both thought, "if we ever did move it would be here." It was Grant's Pass in Oregon. It was small, and quaint, full of forest, and yes there was the Walmart. We did not stay there very long but My Love did find out the there is a Sovereign Grace Reform Baptist Church. There would be no reason for us not to live there but we still don't know where it stands on its politics in general.

I am glad to be home where I no longer have to work out of my car. My job is much easier when there is a house to do it in. I am praising God for that and for the safety we had while traveling. Also, I am thankful for the opportunity to get back in touch with family and friends.

Coffee on the Rocks

I came upon this addiction quite by accident. I had made some coffee one morning which I planned on enjoying hot, fresh from the pot. However, as my mornings often do, it got busy with dressing mini-humans, brushing hair, doing school work and general housey/wife/mom stuff. As we were heading out the door I realized that my coffee was still being warmed on the maker so I just turned it off on my way out. By the time we got home the weather was too warm for a hot cup of joe so I thought why not make it cold. After all, I do enjoy the Starbucks Mocha Frappaccino cold from the bottle and those iced frappaccinos that are sold in the gas stations. So I worked my culinary magic on that cold pot of coffee and I think I came up with something quite comparable in flavor to those I mentioned above.

Brew two cups of stronger than usual coffee (the ice will dilute it). I use hazelnut creme because it has a sweet, nutty flavor.

Cool coffee for twenty minutes in the fridge then pour over five or six ice cubes. Be sure to leave room in the cup for creme and sugar.

Add one and a half tablespoons of sugar and one third cup of creme. You may want to adjust these measurements to your taste buds but I like it pale and sweet. I use a regular hazelnut creamer.

Stir well and enjoy. If all the ice cubes melt while stirring then add one or two more. It really tastes better while ice is floating in it.

MMMMMmmmmm.....

Surprise! No Party

Friday at noonish My Love calls me during his lunch break and announces that he has a surprise for me. My first question was, "Can I eat it?" (Hey I'm pregnant, give me a break.) He assures me that his surprise is not edible and that I must wait until he gets home to find out what it is.

Now my mind is racing. Is it something simple like dinner out? No, he said I couldn't eat it. Maybe he bought me presant. But that's against the rules. It better not be a new dog or cat or anything else that breathes for that matter. Nah, he knows better. I know, I know...He is going to take me somewhere and there will be a bunch of people there to jump out and scream, "SURPRISE!!!" After all, you only turn thirty once. I pace the house until he gets home. As soon as he is in the door I close my eyes and hold out my hands and beg for my surprise.

After failing in his evasive maneuvers he finally gave in and sat with me on the couch.
"Okay, " he starts. "Your mom told me I should tell you ahead of time so you could figure out what to wear and do laundry if you had to. tomorrow at 2:30 your your parents are coming over to take charge of the kids and we are going to Boomtown, in Reno, to check out the lobster buffet."

"Ah-Ha!" I think, "so that is where the party will be. "Will, A (my best friend from high school who has just recently moved back to Reno from the outskirts of the universe) be there?" I ask. I could tell by the look on his face that this was the last card up his sleeve.

"No." He replied bluntly (He lied). My mom blew it later that evening when she blabbed the whole plan. My parents were going to take the kids overnight on Saturday so we could go to Reno, visit with A and her hubby, have a quiet night and morning at home and then go to church just the two of us. I was getting exactly what I had asked for, an empty house. Too bad I wasn't going to be in it.

Saturday arrives. My Parents come over and we head out. Once we arrive at Boomtown My Love informs me that we are to meet A in front of the fun center. "Ah-Ha!" I think, again, "Yah, we'll met A and everyone else I know." However, once we were united with A and her hubby we promptly left the building and began deciding how our adventure should begin. It was still early for dinner (unless your name starts with an F or J ;oP ) so we decided to shop ourselves hungry and then indulge in the Atlantis buffet. "Ah-Ha!" I think, yet again. "Everyone is waiting at the Atlantis but I'm not supposed to be there for another hour."

An hour later we all claim to be hungry and head off to the Atlantis where we had a dinner to die for...just the four of us. After we had each stuffed ourselves and undone our top button we decided to visit A's parents. "Ah-Ha!" I think...for the last time...I promise. "You tricksters. You sent everyone to A's parents' house to throw me off the trail. Well, I'm on to you." But apparently I wasn't because after we woke A's parents up we toured the house and yard, flapped our gums, took pictures and left.

By this time it was getting late and A's house was a thirty minute drive from her parents'. So I finally gave in to the fact that I'd had a great time whether or not everyone I know was there. The nice thing was that I didn't have to fake being happy or surprised in front of a huge crowd...just A. Ha Ha, I'm kidding A, come on. Another nice thing was that I didn't have to pretend to like a bunch of impersonal gifts like picture frames and candles. Ha Ha..Kidding again A. I love you! Thank you for being there to make my birthday special and personal!!!

Ah-hem, back to business. We had a great time at our final destination. Well, except for the commercials (A put a leash on that boy). We talked the evening away and then parted ways exhausted, but in a good way. Once we arrived home My Love and I promptly went to bed.

The morning was sweet. If you have babies or small kids you know what I mean. We lingered in bed then took our time getting ready for church. With no kids to shuffle we even had time to go out to breakfast. At church I got to listen to the entire sermon form start to finish which I don't think I have been able to do since 2001. A huge thanks to my parents for making that possible.

My Love, I know you're reading this. Thank you for all your thoughtfulness and planning. Even though I was expecting and maybe even hoping for (could you tell?) a surprise party, I had the best time just being with you. I love you. And yes, you are Mr. Even More Amazing Than Before.

P.S. Maybe when I turn forty ;o)

Hint Hint

This is something I am unsure of but if I'm right I want it documented. Because if it isn't, and I'm right, everyone will say, "Uh-Huh...sure you knew." My birthday is coming up in a few weeks. My gift for the past four years, by my request, has been a trip to Fort Bragg, CA. No presents, no parties, no frills, just a card and a good time at the coast. Well, I think My Love intends to break the tradition this year. We are still going to the ocean, but I have a feeling a surprise party is in the works, too.

Hint # 1: My love let it slip that he talked to my dad at work. My dad is a police officer in a city an hour and a half from where we live. When I asked My Love why he called my dad at work they both stuttered and fumbled around for an answer that sounded reasonable enough to them, but I know better.

Hint # 2: The other night my parents were over for dinner and at one point they started joking with My Love about throwing me a surprise party. The conversation was innocent enough but it was the smirks on their faces that gave them away. They weren't ordinary smirks...they were, "Oh, we are so getting away with this by covering our tracks with this fake surprise party conversation." Come on you guys...I can read you like cheap dime store fiction.

Hint # 3: There have been lots of suggested dinner dates but no follow ups...yet. For example, My Love comes home from work and announces that some friends of ours want to get together without the kids. Then my mom suggests that we go out with her and my dad, just the four of us. I haven't heard another word about these dinner dates. It is not necessarily unusual, just suspicious.

Hint #4: My Love and I were making dinner together and he said we might go out for dinner for my birthday so I joked that we should go to Round Table (if you are throwing a surprise party in our town and its not at someones house then it is always at Round Table). He smirked and said, "Heh-heh, yah."

Hint #5: Later in the dinner making process I told him what I really wanted for my birthday was and empty house, meaning no kids. He replied by saying, "How about a full one?" I told him that I guess I would just have to deal with it but then he quickly started overly reassuring me that he would never throw me a party behind my back.

Hint #6: Both My Love and my mother have suggested that May is a super busy month for them. I'm just not feeling it.

So maybe I am reading into these things a little too much. Maybe I'm hoping that no one listened when I said I don't want a surprise party for my 30th birthday. Perhaps I need a party to help me believe that there are some people out there who really care about me. Whether I get a party or not, My Love is still Mr. Amazing, but...if a party does happen then his status will be raised to Mr. Even More Amazing Than Before.

Mr. Amazing

I am married to the most perfect man in the world! Not only does he provide for his growing family by putting in 70 hours a week at a thankless job (you like that, My Love?!) , but he also does more around the house than I ever request of him to do. he takes out the trash. He fixed the dryer, saving us the expense of a knew one. He fixed the vacuum without needing to be told (he even uses it on a semi-regular basis when I fall behind). He cuts and splits all our wood for the winter. He jerry-rigged a cleaning device for the dish so I could watch American Idol while it was snowing (our dish is on the roof, much out of my reach). He detailed the interior of our minivan, and might I say he did a fantastic job. I haven't found one spare goldfish cracker since. He cleans up after all the animals in the house even those of a humanoid nature. When he is home I never have to change a poopy Pamper.

I could spend hours listing all the handyman work he does around and in the house but I digress. The most important reason that My Love is the most perfect man in the world is because he makes me feel as if I am the most perfect woman in the world. He feeds me an endless melody of compliments and I love yous, and even though he is dog-tired at the end of the day he makes sure I get a break from the kids. Even if it is only for five minutes. When ever we go out he opens doors for me, pulls out my chair, and escorts me to my side of the car. He is protective and chivalrous and has never said one negative thing about me or to me (that I can remember). I am the most important person in his life and that is what I love about him most.

Now he has started talking about opening his own business, which makes me nervous. Even though his job is thankless, it does provide benefits and a steady paycheck. However, he has every confidence in the world that he could be successful on his own and I have every confidence in him that he can do whatever he puts his mind to. After all, if you can fix household appliances without using the instruction manuals then you can do anything! I think I'll be doing my part by praying like crazy.

Privacy, Please.

So, privacy and personal space is a big deal to me. I am not a real touchy feely person. I hate crying in front of people which often keeps me from reading scripture, prayers, hymns or spiritual thoughts out loud. Inevitably, when I do any of these I begin to blubber uncontrollably and I am not one of those talented types who can talk and cry at the same time.

Anyway, I am not big on sharing personal info. My husband, on the other hand (hi, My Love), doesn't seem to mind. When he found out I had started a blog he says, "Ya know what's cool? Now you can post pictures of the kids and the new baby and our family and friends can see them whenever they want." PANIC - PANIC! First of all, the thought of complete strangers being able to look at pictures of our kids makes me feel icky, and second, I didn't realize that people I know might be reading this! I don't know what I thought...perhaps strangers from another galaxy would begin reading my blog so there would be no danger of discussing my entries face to face. It didn't occur to me that people I know would be reading this or wanting to discuss something I wrote. Oh, the pain and anguish of accountability!

Not that the things I write are going to be off color in any sense of the phrase, but when I write I am in a completely different zone. Writing, for me, utilizes a totally different part of my brain that isn't always available in face to face combat situations. When writing I feel as if I am in complete control of myself. I do not stutter or repeat or make snarky comments that no one gets...ok, maybe I do that last one when I write, but at least I don't have to see the blank stares and hear the courtesy laughs.

I guess the real issue is that I have a fear of being a big, fat, hypocrite and not knowing it. Perhaps it is a blessing in disguise to know that if anyone reads this it will most likely be someone I know. Be gentle. I am still trying to figure out what I want to do here.

A Random Intro

Resurrection Day! What a great day to start something new and life giving. What is this little blog of mine giving life to you ask? Why, to my Christian walk, my dreams, my personality, my individuality, my sanity for crying out loud! Before it all slips away into obscurity and gets buried beneath a pile of smelly Pampers.

My dream is to have an 'audience' of people who visit my blog regularly and are actually entertained by what they read. My husband says this is a perfect outlet for me to write without the pressure of having to actually say anything. I'm sure he will be my biggest fan (After all, he already is). I feel like writing is my native tongue. I like myself better on paper (or screen, as the case may be). I can form my thoughts, write them, edit them, re-edit them, and re-edit them. I tend to be a perfectionist in some areas.

What can a mother of three, with one on the way, possibly have to say that anyone would want to read? I don't know, that is a good question. One thing I am sure of is that I have a lot of random thoughts that I simply need to get out of my head. As it is I find it difficult to hold a conversation and complete a coherent sentence because everything has been pent up so long that it all tries to come out at once. Anyway, I'm hoping that at least a fraction of these thoughts will be valuable to someone. If not at least I can go back and read them and see what in the world I was thinking.

I can guarantee that the majority of my random thoughts are not political. My Knowledge of politics is minimal and shallow at best and consists of what I hear on the news, read in the comics, and listen to my husband rant about (no offense, My Love). However, I do have a close friend who is very knowledgeable and keeps herself very well informed and involved. She lets me know what is going on and why it should interest me. Why does she hang with me if I can't talk politics? Well, I think it has to do with a love of God, life, and gardening...among other things I'm sure.

Okay, Lets get random.

• I love God.
• I love my husband.
• I love my kids.
• I am not a desperate housewife, although, I am a house wife and occasionally I get desperate.
• I am alone most of the day with my three kids, the oldest of which is four.
• I home school.
• I didn't get to take a nap today because I was working on this blog.

Eek!!! What have I Done?

I'm going to be cranky tomorrow. All I was trying to do was leave a comment on a friends blog (thanks a lot Skretch GO!...Hey, I have to blame someone.) and now, here I am, a new, proud owner of a blog I don't want.

What do I do with it?

I like romantic dinners, movies, and long walks on the beach...Oh wait, thats something different.

Hmmm...I'm sure I'll figure this out. It's too late to be creative now...or maybe its just too early.