Foot In My Mouth

Happy, Happy

2010-01-30T09:26:00.001-08:00

Megan's bestie is turning twelve and her choice for a celebration was an overnight with just Megan. So we felt inspired to do some special surprises for her which included a gumball birthday card, and some handsewn goodies.
The skirt was made from the lower half of a men's flannel shirt. I just cut it off, gathered it and attached it to some wide elastic. I then used the sleeve of the shirt to make the lining and accents on the clutch purse. It was a fun project, and one I've been instructed to repeat for Megan!On that same note, one of our favorite 3 year olds started ballet at Megan's dance school, so I made her a little ballet bag.

I added in a tip sheet of things we have learned during our 7 year ballet adventure.So fun!

Starting Right Where I Am

2010-01-08T16:05:00.000-08:00

One of the difficulties in returning to blogging after being gone for a long time is that you feel like you have to catch up all of the time you missed. Well, recently a friend was talking about scrapbooking, and she said "Don't try to go back and catch up, it's to overwhelming. Just start with the most recent event and begin there." I guess that philosophy works for blogging too!

This last December, we had visions of sugar plums dancing...across the stage! Megan got to perform in her first Nutcracker! Since the first day that my daughter put on her tiny, pink ballet slippers and scampered through the door of her dance class, we have dreamed of the Nutcracker. And finally, my...I mean HER...wish was fulfilled.

She danced in the Chinese dance, and did beautifully!
I did my part, and helped sew and alter costumes for the performance. It was a blast! Combining my love of ballet and the theater, with my passion for sewing and handmade arts, I am hooked! The house was a mess, no baking got done, but the piles of tutus and satin made for a memorable Christmas season.

To help me out, Daddy took charge of the some of the holiday traditions...like the Gingerbread House.A-hem...But I did manage to make some new stockings out of beautiful wool fabric I found at a quilt store.New Year's was spent sunning and funning on a cruise to Mexico. But that's a whole 'nother post...maybe...if I get to it.

Hope you had a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Cousins

2009-09-07T15:32:00.000-07:00

The first time I met Ken's sister, Tami, she was very pregnant with her 2nd child. A couple of years later, our pregnancies overlapped. Her last, my first. This was the result...

Letter to my Blog

2009-07-26T10:40:00.001-07:00

Dear blog,

I'm so sorry I've abandoned you...really, it's not you, it's me. The fun has worn off, and now our relationship just seems like work. I just don't have time for someone so high-maintenance in my busy life. I'll try to do better, I promise...can we still be friends?

Love, Me

Crossing Over to Right-Wing Radical Extremism

2009-04-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

It's official. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Steven and I are right-wing radical extremists.

We had so much fun at the Tea Party Protest. 2500 people showed up to stand in the cold and rain and protest wasteful government spending. Steven wore his Uncle Sam costume from last fall, and held a sign that said "I want you...to stop stealing from my future." He received lots of attention from other protesters and many people asked to take photos of him. The picture to the left was on the Idaho Statesman website.

My uncle asked where my outrage was when Bush was over-spending and taking our rights away. And to a degree, he's right. Much of the frustration, of the protesters around the country, was aimed at both sides of the aisle, and Bush almost as much as Obama. Liberals need to learn from our mistake. We allowed Bush to overspend, and to whittle away at our freedoms, because we liked him, and we trusted him. Now that someone we don't like, and don't trust is in power, we wish we hadn't been so willing to give away our freedoms, because we'll never get them back. By the same token, as Obama runs up deficits like we've never seen before, and continues to whittle away at our rights, liberals need to remember that they may not like the next guy (or girl ;) who is in power. But she will have all of the power, that the guy they liked grabbed.

On the other hand, I think this graph of government deficits illustrates why so many Americans would take to the streets in protest of deficit spending. Obama's spending completely dwarfs Bush's.

That is a scary amount of money being spent in the next 10 years. Which begs the question, how will we ever repay it without crippling individual and corporate prosperity in our country? And if this is really the quickest, most painless way to fix this broken economy, at what cost? Is it worth what we will sacrifice in the future to make it happen?

Sometimes I feel helpless frustration, because there doesn't seem to be anything I can do to change things. All I have is a small voice, and the power to vote. And so I will use my small voice, and I will vote. And I will pray that this nation I love continues to be great, in spite of a greedy, power-hungry government. (And I am talking about BOTH sides of the aisle.)

Tea Party, Anyone?

2009-04-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, I am going to do something that I have never done before. I am going to a political protest.

In the last few months, our government (Democrat AND Republican) has been strangling our freedoms with endless bailouts, out-of-control spending, mounting regulations, and the promise of crippling tax burdens for generations to come. For decades, the role of government has slowly been distorted, and today, I don't recognize our country. More and more Americans believe that the government should solve all of their problems. And wouldn't it be nice if it were that easy? But the truth is, government creates problems, it doesn't solve them.

I don't want the government to stand between me and my doctor, and me and my health decisions.

I don't believe we should spend our children's prosperity.

I don't want my tax dollars to go to abortions in Europe, college educations for illegal immigrants, and to pay my neighbor's mortgage.

I'll be angry if charitable giving is punished, instead of rewarded. And if serving is forced, not voluntary.

I know there are people around the world who want to kill me, and I don't think we should extend a hand to them...they'll probably cut it off.

I am tired of tax cheats and scandals in high government positions.

I am afraid that government bailouts, leading to government control, will cripple businesses in this country.

I am not naive enough to think that the spending of today, won't mean higher taxes tomorrow, FOR EVERYONE. Don't think it won't be you...it will.

I want government to get out of the way, and let Americans do what Americans are good at...succeed! We live in a great country, with smart and caring people. We don't need government to control us and take care of us. Let us take care of each other.

Anyone want to join me?

Happiness in a Video

2009-04-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

Love it!!

A Boy Who Knows What He Wants

2009-03-28T17:08:00.000-07:00

Conversation with Steven::

Steven:: "When I have kids, I'm going to buy them lots of toys." (I think there is a suggestion for me buried in there...)

Me:: "You are? But won't they get spoiled?"

Steven:: "Maybe, but if they are bad, I will spank them. Except I will have to work, but that's okay 'cause Ellie will stay home with them."

Ellie is Steven's best friend from church and school. She is completely and totally scrumptious. Gorgeous and blonde and smart. Steven is convinced he is going to marry her. It will be a lucky boy who wins her heart.

I'm pullin' for you, son.

First Day of Spring

2009-03-21T09:28:00.001-07:00

Ken has a fancy camera that he uses for business and ministry. Yesterday, the weather was GORGEOUS, so Megan and I went on a photo shoot. I'm happy with the photos, but I wish I knew a little bit more about the technical side of photography and photo editing. At least I had the most beautiful model in Eagle! (Click on the pic below to link to the web album.)

Megan - First Day of Spring

I Am In Serious Trouble...

2009-03-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

I am head-over-heels in love with this boy.
A total goner...
You know you are over the edge when you start trading marshmallow Peeps for kisses...
I have no shame.

Rock The Budget

2009-03-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

Hey Peeps! Check out Rock the Budget. For $5 you can go get a vente vanilla chai latte with whip from Starbucks, or you can help my niece Lauren, and other kids with developmental disabilities, receive important life-changing therapies. Do you even have to think about it?

I Do Not Like Them...Sam I Am

2009-03-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

It was Who-ville Hair Day at school, to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday. Here is our interpretation.

We also attempted green eggs and ham for dinner, but SOMEBODY forgot to put the food coloring in until after the eggs started cooking. Adding food coloring to partially cooked eggs is not a pretty sight.

My Bowl Runneth Over

2009-03-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

Today, I was sitting in the studio at church watching the service...okay, so maybe I was hiding. There are only so many missing teachers, puking kids, and “concerned” parents that I can handle in a weekend. Occasionally, by the 3rd service, I just need a little break and I can always count on an empty seat in the studio. The guys that work in there are still nice to me, even though my husband isn’t their boss anymore.

Of course, if I’m really honest, it’s not much of a hiding place. In fact, if someone is looking for me, it’s one of the first places they’ll look. If I really want to get away, I just go to the prayer room, put my head down and close my eyes. It’s a major Christian faux-pas to interrupt someone when they are obviously praying. So I know I’m good to go for at least 10 minutes.

Well, today I hadn’t reached the breaking point and so the studio it was. Sitting on the table was a book. The title read Mad Church Disease: Overcoming the Burnout Epidemic. Ah-ha! I had heard of this book. And since I had been sitting there all of 5 minutes and the children’s ministry seemed to be plugging along just fine without me, I picked it up and began to read.

The author had suffered major burnout both as a pastor’s kid and as a ministry leader herself. She has lots of advice on how to recognize, avoid, and heal from ministry burnout. I only read a few pages, but I think I might buy a copy for myself.

See, I’m pretty sure I am on the edge of burnout. And it’s not because of sick kids, long hours, mean people, or my own imperfections interfering with my ministry. My inevitable burnout boils down to one thing...my nemesis...the source of my weekly headache. It is...the preschool toilets.

See, when I first started at Capital, I thought, “Good! All of the preschool classrooms have bathrooms. Perfect!” After all, those toilets were cute. Low to the ground and sparkling white, with seats just the right size for little hineys, they seemed so harmless.

Little did I know what those cute little porcelain vessels had in store for me. See, I think the shortness of these toilets must have had some effect on their gravitational pull, and that coupled with every preschoolers’ tendency to use half a roll of toilet paper for every swipe, leads to constant clogs and the dreaded overflow. I am sooo over you, toilets.

Rarely does a week go by, where at least one of those toilets doesn’t fight back against the flush. And the worst is when it overflows ONTO a child. Imagine having to explain to the mother of a 3 year old, that their recently potty-trained child is wearing Jimmy’s old pants and outgrown t-shirt because the Juicy-Couture dress she sent her to class in, is soaked through with pee-pee water. Yea, they’ll be back next week for sure...

And then there is the clean-up. Last January, during our annual Catalyst conference, after working for 4 services straight, I was finally IN a service, worshiping my heart out, when I got the dreaded text. “5s toilet just overflowed.” Stink! I looked around...Seth’s at the sound board...Bob’s got Ethan...Phil, I don’t know where Phil is...okay, I’ll go. But at least I was wearing heels and designer jeans. If you are going to spend an evening mopping up toilet water, you should probably look your best. At least that’s what Emily Post says.

I told my assistant the other day that I was pretty sure I had a lot of job security. She agreed and then handed me a plunger.

I think I may have left it in the prayer room.

UPDATE: Since the author of "Mad Church Disease", Anne Jackson, was kind enough to leave a comment on this post, (I feel like I just met a celebrity!) I'll go ahead and pimp her book. You can find out more about it here. I know, I tend to be a little lazy with my link love, but I'll try to do better. And now off to order the book with my handy-dandy one-click over at Amazon!

Mother Love

2009-03-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

So...don’t you just love it when people start a blog post with the word “So”? It’s like they think they’ve been having a conversation with you but you really just joined in mid-sentence...I was sitting in front of the TV yesterday, in my post-church Sunday stupor (Don’t bug me kids, Momma is watching “Tori and Dean”, go ask Daddy what’s for dinner and yes, you can have 6 girl scout cookies as long as you go eat them in the bonus room and don’t ask me about dinner again) and I flipped over to a documentary called “Freebirthing.”

Freebirthing is essentially a home birth on crack. Pregnant women decide that they are going to give birth the old-fashioned way, completely without medical intervention, and apparently on dirt floors in between butchering chickens and churning butter.

Now, the women who were featured in this documentary had all had bad experiences in their previous hospital births, and have decided logically, that must mean that all medical professionals are evil and out to turn their perfectly beautiful birth experience into a nightmare complete with pain-killers, stitches, and infant resuscitation equipment...I know, the HORROR.

These women actually allowed cameras to follow them to their prenatal appointment at the blood pressure machine in Walmart, the medical supply store to buy surgical scissors and other equipment compiled from a list they found on the internet, and to an infant CPR class “just in case something should go wrong.” I am totally serious...who could make this up?

Now, I am not knocking alternative birthing as a whole. If you want to go the whole all-natural, home birth, midwife route, all the more granola power to you girlfriends. I, on the other hand, loved my hospital births. My doctor asked me if I wanted to stay another day after Steven was born, to which I replied “Uh, yes...I push a button and a nurse shows up to bring me meals served on trays, drugs, change my sheets, help me to the bathroom, AND take the baby if I want a nap. It’s like having my own personal maid. Not to mention, that shower rocks! I can sit and wash my hair all at the same time. What do I have to do to stay until next month?”

But apparently, the freebirthers don’t view the world with the same desire for pampering as I do, and so they give birth in their homes with only their husbands present to help them. One guess on who came up with that idea. I’ll give you a hint...not the husband.

Can you imagine how that conversation started? “So honey, despite the fact that they spend 8+ years and the equivalent cost of our first home on their education, I believe that all the doctors and midwives in the world are really trying to hurt me and our baby, and so we’re gonna’ have this baby here in our living room. But that’s not the best part! You get to catch the baby and be responsible for it’s survival and the ensuing clean up that giving birth entails. Doesn’t that sound delightful?”

Except for one of the poor women in the documentary. Her baby-Daddy left her when she got pregnant with their 3rd child and then 6 months later she “discovered” that she was a lesbian. Of course, she was totally born that way, and it has nothing to do with the absent father in her life and the mistreatment and rejection by every man she has loved. It’s just who she is, right Oprah?

Of course I can’t really do a blog post about weird parenting documentaries, without also bringing up my new favorite reality show “Toddlers & Tiaras”. I just love me some pageant moms. They are a bowl full of crazy. Nothing says “I’ve got a screw loose” like shelling out thousands of dollars to have someone judge your child on facial beauty and swimwear, so you can go home with a $10 crown and sash.

Did you know the average pageant dress costs $1200? And that’s just the tip of the iceberg in terms of clothes, make-up, tanning, nails, and lessons. I have a nice little rule when it comes to my daughter’s grooming choices...if it costs more than my clothes, or if it makes her look better than me, it’s a no. That’s just the kind of sacrificial, loving mom I am. The day when she overtakes my looks and figure is coming QUICKLY (have you seen her lately?) and I have no desire to speed up the process.

But that doesn’t stop me from tuning in, in mock horror at the delusional moms who proclaim how much their daughters LOVE pageants and are gaining so much self-confidence and poise. Right...step away from the hairspray and the teasing comb. You’ve seriously lost your grip on reality AND your child, who is throwing the mother-of-all-tantrums because she didn’t get to put on her own lipstick.

The reality is that I secretly would love to lock a freebirther and a pageant mom in a room together. Can you imagine the hysteria that would ensue from those two parenting philosophies colliding? Let’s totally schedule that...just not on a Sunday afternoon, k?

I Left My Heart...in San Diego

2009-02-26T10:34:00.000-08:00

Megan just finished up her track break, (have I mentioned how much I *heart* year-round school?) and while she was off we took the opportunity to go to San Diego for a long-overdue family vacation. Here were the highlights:

San Diego Zoo
Always a winner, we Skyfari-ed, Express Bused, and hoofed it all around the giant Zoo-wonderland. Although the animals ranged from cuddly and adorable to strangely grotesque, I'm fairly sure my children don't have a future in zoology. They were done looking at animals by early afternoon and wanted to go somewhere with "rides".
Doesn't the Express bus count as a ride?San Diego Maritime Museum
No rides, but we did get to explore 2 pirate ships, 1 submarine, 1 ferry boat, and a restored sailboat. These 5 working ships were a boatload of fun to climb around and learn about current and old-fashioned sailing techniques. One of these ships was used in the movie "Master and Commander" with Mel Gibson. They had costumes and props from the movie displayed on the ship.
Coronado Island & Seaport Village
Of course, what trip to California would be complete without visiting the beach? The water was only warm enough for toes, and everyone complained about sand in their shoes for the rest of the day, but we took home a sweet sand dollar and some cool photos. Seaport Village is all about shopping, art, and a really fast carousel. (Yippee! Rides!)Balboa Park
Not to be missed, Balboa Park was built for the Pacific Northwest Exposition (in the '30's, I think) and now houses this massive collection of museums and tourist hot spots. We visited the Museum of Art (an amazing art collection that totally bored the kids. I mean, if you can't touch it, what's the point?), San Diego History Museum, Museum of Natural History (complete with a birthday party for Darwin...yes, it was a little creepy), Science Center (lots to touch and do), Model Railroad Museum (which awed the big kids as much as the little kids), Aerospace Museum, and the Automobile Museum. There is truly something for everyone, and if you ever go, get the Passport Pass. One price and you get admission to everything, including the zoo. Totally worth it!USS Midway
Retired navy aircraft carrier, the USS Midway has been turned into an impressive museum, illustrating life on board an aircraft carrier. With plenty of places to explore, and proud navy veterans doing meet-and-greets and giving tours, this was definitely a highlight of our trip.Although there weren't any rides, there were plenty of buttons and switches to push, and nobody saying "Don't touch."Legoland California
One word to describe our Legoland experience...underwhelming. At Disneyland prices ($73 for adults, $63 for kids, yikes!), we were expecting a Disney-like experience. Not. Even. Close. With a only a handful of really good rides, most of them were not much more exciting than rides at the local fair (albeit cleaner, and with the Lego-theme). On one fireman ride we had to pump a lever to make it go, get out of the vehicle to shoot water into a building and then pump really fast to go back....I'm sorry, but for $73 a person, I think the rides should do ALL of the work.The Legoland speedway is a definite draw for kids, but parents can't even ride.Unlimited access to Legos was one of the best parts of the park. We built castles, cars, houses, and more.The highlight of Legoland is Miniworld. City scenes of New York City, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Washington DC, and more made entirely out of legos. The details were incredible.Yes, that is the Inauguration made out of Legos. You could actually identify a lot of the people in the scene. It was amazing.We are home now, back to school, work, and reality. But we had a great time in San Diego!

How many degrees of separation is that?

2009-02-18T18:35:00.000-08:00

Dobson High School in Mesa, AZ where President Obama gave his speech today is my alma matter. Isn't that cool? It's like we're friends now....I wonder if I could get a cabinet position?

(Is it me or is Obama already looking older?)

Pondering life's big questions...

2009-02-02T21:48:00.000-08:00

Why is it that my brilliant husband, who can program the most complicated electronics, understands technology that is not even available to the general public, and is virtually attached to his laptop and Iphone...can't figure out how to set our alarm clock?

Update

2009-01-25T10:44:00.000-08:00

Megan is first in line for baptism. So, if you are watching online today, you might want to get on at 12:20ish so you don't miss it!

Baptism

2009-01-24T19:13:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, our Megan demonstrates her salvation and love for Jesus through water baptism. We have prayed for this day, from the moment she was born and we are so proud of her. She loves the Lord and the people He made.

If you would like to support her during this momentous occasion, go to www.kenwilde.com, at 12:30 pm, our time (mountain time.) We will be streaming the service, live. We'll also try to post pics and videos, as soon as they are available.

My heart is full.

Happy 2009!

2008-12-31T21:48:00.000-08:00

It's almost 11:00 at our house. One more hour and it's 2009. Megan begged to get to stay up until midnight. We were sure Steven would poop out early, because he didn't have a nap today. We were wrong. Here's what it looks like at our house right now...Happy New Year!

Had A Merry Little Christmas...

2008-12-27T20:32:00.000-08:00

Well, it was a happy Christmas for us this year. Beginning with lots and lots of SNOW!
And that was just the beginning. We've had 18 inches in the last 2 weeks. That's a lot for Boise.

Then there was Christmas Eve. It was a perfect, candle-lit service that was everything a Christmas Eve service should be. After service, was the party for the pastor's kids where they received movie tickets. (Which were used last night, Despereaux-ing.) That intoxicating, little, blue-eyed beauty is Kenzie Francey...the long awaited first grandchild of our senior pastors. (The first of many ::wink, wink::) Isn't she scrumptious? Cleary, Megan thinks so. Steven, on the other hand, looks like he's got more up his sleeve than his "just-like-daddy" dress shirt.Then (after dinner at the Wilde's) the annual Christmas Eve "mad-present-stack"...do you think we MAY have overdone it this year??? Well, not ALL of those presents were from Ken and me...just most of them.The kids were gracious enough this year to let us sleep until 7:15 on Christmas morning (last year it was a 6 am wake-up call.) And then the ripping and tearing and exclaiming began.

Did I mention my momma was here for the week? It was nice to have an extra set of hands for baking and wrapping, even though those hands spent the first few days laid up with a thrown-out back. She more than made up for it as she felt better. I think I might fly her out every Christmas...
It's not Christmas without a few Wii games. Now we can be cheer-mii-ders...
But the clear winner this year, was the playmobil company. Between Uncle Joel and Aunt Michelle and Momma and Daddy, Steven got 6 or 7 sets. We didn't see him again for the first 24 hours, lost in a sea of plastic people and tiny accessories.And what's a Holsinger holiday without good food? (It's not...in case you were wondering.) Prime rib, roasted vegetables, rosemary-sage mashed potatoes, red wine gravy, and sweet potato and apple casserole. (And now begins "diet-season"...)

Hope you and yours are well, and have a happy new year!

Dear Santa...

2008-12-24T10:52:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, Megan and I were shopping downtown between ballet performances (more on that later!) We went into Macy's where they were sponsoring a fundraiser. For every letter to Santa that customers wrote, they would donate a dollar to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Now, some parents just love making Christmas magical for their children, flitting around buying wonderful gifts from Santa (did I just say "flitting"? Is that even a word?) They hoist their kids on Santa's lap, posing them for the obligatory "scared-of-the-stranger-whose-lap-I'm-sitting-on" picture. (I mean really...what other time of the year, would we ever encourage our children to sit on the lap of a man we have never met and know nothing about?) They write letters, hide presents, and tell tales....

...yea, we're not those parents.

It's not that we have some strong aversion to lying to our kids, or some legalistic view of what Christmas should look like. We just don't think Santa should get all the credit for the good gifts! We treat Santa kind of like Mickey Mouse, it's fun to talk about him, etc, but come Christmas, it's Mom and Dad who spent the hard-earned money and time for the gifts.

Well, anyway...we're all about charity, especially Make-A-Wish who blessed my niece with a nice wish last year. So I encouraged Megan to write a letter. This is what she wrote:

"Dear Santa, I want a Webkinz...Tinker Bell movie....etc...etc...etc...
Sincerely,
Megan Holsinger
P.S. I like Jesus better than you, but have a merry Christmas anyway."

Thank you Albertsons...

2008-12-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

Even though they are the more pricey grocery store in the area, I still usually shop at Albertsons. It's really close to me and easy to get in and out of. Well, recently Albertsons instituted a gas rewards program. Last night, after grocery shopping, I bought gas at $.40 off a gallon. I only paid $19.98 to fill up my car. I can't remember the last time I paid so little for gas.
(Now, I'm not naive enough to think that Albertsons isn't offsetting the gas savings in their grocery prices...but looking at the gas pump tonight made me happy. Don't burst my bubble!)

Deck My Halls with Boughs of Holly....

2008-12-06T18:58:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Update

2008-12-06T08:52:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful time on Thanksgiving, eating too much and hanging out with our Idaho "family", the Wilde's. Armed with a turkey baster, oven mitts, and more butter than should be legal, we cooked up an obscene amount of food, and then proceeded to stuff ourselves like turkeys (who really aren't supposed to be stuffed anymore...something about e.coli or salmonella...whatever.)

Ask Tracy about her contribution to the dinner...yam bake. It was a hit! (And Tracy cooking was our Thanksgiving miracle.)
The three things that scream "Thanksgiving"...food, football (notice the TV in the background), and games. Yes, this is the retro game "Rock 'em, Sock 'em Robots". If it's old and uncool, then it's dated, but if it's old and cool, it's retro! And nothing says fun like 2 plastic robots trying to knock the snot out of each other.Kelly cut Megan's hair. She has bangs! I really like them, except they make her look older, which I will never like.And somehow I managed to break the holiday tradition of never appearing in any of the pictures. This is proof that I do exist and I was actually there...at this gathering anyway.There you go! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! (And can anyway say, "Are there really less than 3 weeks until Christmas???? Aahhh!")

And the Winner Is...

2008-12-03T14:35:00.000-08:00

...me! For my table at the Women's Holiday Brunch. Yea for me!
You can just call me Martha...And speaking of beautiful things, here's one of my BFF's, Jonnie. I adore her...but there's a lot less of her to love lately! Proud of you Jonnie!! I can't wait to cheer you on at your triathlon!

Orphans

2008-11-19T21:35:00.000-08:00

Tonight, Ken took the kids to dinner while I went shopping. (3 hours of shopping...all by myself, it was glorious!) As they were sitting in the restaurant, getting ready to order, Steven stopped Ken and said, "Wait, Momma's not here. Shouldn't we wait for Momma?"

"No," said Ken. "Momma went shopping, it's just us for dinner."

He looked around the restaurant thoughtfully, then asked, "Won't all the people be sad if they think we don't have a momma?"

Father/Daughter Winter Ball 2008

2008-11-15T20:17:00.000-08:00

Every year, Megan and Ken attend the Father/Daughter Winter Ball put on by Megan's ballet school. It's a great fundraiser for the studio, with dinner, dancing, and auctions. This year, a couple of our friends took their daughters and the girls all got ready together.
Our friend Kelly came over to do hair.
I sewed Megan's dress. (In 2 days...)
She's growing up so fast. Today, we bought shoes for her from the women's department.
Off they go!

We believe that it's Ken's job to teach Megan how she deserves to be treated on a date. Beware the first guy who ever takes her out, because her expectations will be high.

And that's the way we like it!

3 Things

2008-11-14T07:18:00.000-08:00

This week, Ken and I went on a business trip to Wichita, KS. (Yes, Kansas...as in we're not there anymore, Toto.) The kids stayed with our best babysitter, Kate. When we arrived home, Steven looked me squarely in the eye and told me very seriously, "Momma, I have 3 things to tell you."

"Okay." I said with one eyebrow raised. (Not everyone can do that...raise one eyebrow at a time. It's one of my special skills.)

"The first thing is that Kate burned the popcorn." ("Traitor!" says Kate. Apparently, the kids were quite incredulous that she didn't just push the popcorn button on the microwave. Of course, these are the same kids who when told that we didn't have microwaves when I was really little, asked me "Well, how did you make popcorn?")

"The second thing," he said, while counting off on pudgy fingers, "is that we went to the Yancy's, and Josiah gave me a truck and a shirt." (Oh, those Yancys...givers to the core, they would give you the last piece of bread off of their table, if you were hungry. Fortunately, there's enough bread in the Yancy AND Holsinger house. :)

"The third thing is that the toilet almost overflowed." ("Almost, but it didn't!" says Kate. Poor Steven has a phobia of toilets overflowing because of a particularly traumatic run-in with a toilet at church.)

So the moral of the story is...if you are a babysitter, be good. Because my kids tell us EVERYTHING!

Perspective

2008-11-04T20:39:00.000-08:00

My heart is heavy tonight. But not for the reason you might think. Truly, the things that seemed so important yesterday, don't seem as important today.

We received the news today that a friend of mine suffered a tragic loss last night. Their email to friends and family expresses "We are confident that though this is truly a horrific crisis in our lives, we shall continue to remain steadfast in our faith." Even in tragedy, God is still good. In the face of death, God represents life. When we feel helpless, God is still in control. My heart goes out to this precious family and our prayers are with them.

And today, the people of America have spoken. And now God, please let him be who he claims to be. Let him lead with honor and integrity. Let him put this country ahead of his own agenda. Let him fight for freedom, righteousness, and ALL Americans. He may not have been my choice, but now he is my president. My prayers are with him, too.

God Bless America

2008-11-03T19:16:00.000-08:00

This song was written as a prayer. Prayer is what our nation needs more than anything right now. And that's what our church has been doing for the last 21 days. Three times a day, 6 am, noon, and 6 pm, we have been gathering and praying for our nation as a whole and the individual states. We believe that prayer is effective and it causes miraculous things to happen.

Asking God to bless American means something to me. It is more than a campaign line or a platitude. It's a request from the deepest part of our soul, pleading with God to have mercy on this nation, to intercede on our behalf, and heal this broken land. No matter what happens after tomorrow, God is still sovereign and we will faithfully support and respect our leaders. But I also understand that my hope can never be in politicians, government, or even religion. My hope is in God.

And God, please bless America. Amen

FallFest Fun!

2008-10-31T20:47:00.000-07:00

Uncle Sam and Betsy Ross costumes sewed by me! We had a blast tonight.

What the world really needs...

2008-10-16T07:26:00.001-07:00

...less political debates and more of this. Go check out Jack.

We're not in Kansas anymore Toto...

2008-10-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

The pictures in our Seattle hotel room... (retouching done by yours truly)Our gorgeous hotel...
...And the "adult" shop next door...

Seattle is the Bomb!

2008-10-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

We are totally digging Seattle! (Of course, I am taking lots of pics, but the computer cord is at home, right in it's drawer, instead of with us, so pics will come later.)

We flew in this morning, and took a taxi to our hotel. (No rent-a-car for me this time, we are hoofing it and working the public transportation.) Our hotel is a gorgeous, modern, Pacific-Northwest style hotel, right in the heart of downtown Seattle.

Our first stop was Pike's Place Market, which is this amazing, "ginormous" maze of an indoor and outdoor market. We browsed and ate lunch there. (Yummy clam chowder.) Then we headed to the Seattle Aquarium. The fish were abundant, the harbor seals were adorable, and the gift shop...expensive. But it was fun!

We ended our afternoon back at Pike's Place picking up french bread, fruit, freshly-made cheese, and salami for dinner at the hotel. The walk back to our hotel felt long and wet (Did I mention it started raining on the way to the aquarium? We we are in SEATTLE after all!) But we made it and a hot bath and fuzzy robe warmed our toes.

We are getting ready to watch a movie and drink hot chocolate before bed. Goodnight, Seattle!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

2008-10-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

We're off to Seattle, this morning, for a Mommy/Daughter trip. Daddy is out of town and Steven is going to stay with our friends Kate, Krist, and Kelly. We are planning to blog our trip. Stay tuned!

Folding Sarah Palin

2008-10-03T15:43:00.000-07:00

I love this! Print out and fold your own candidate. (The other guys are there too...and their wives...)

Shout out...

2008-10-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

...to my friend and co-worker Kirsten Grove (of the infamous Simply Grove)! She is a decorator (officially OUR church decorator) and recently had a room in her house featured in Fellow magazine. Check her out! (Page 18)

Parental Guidance Required

2008-10-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

As pastors, specifically over the children of our church, Ken and I are often sought out to give parenting advice. Now, we are the first ones to admit that we don't have it all figured out, but, our kids are pretty awesome and so we've decided that maybe we actually have something to say. I'm going through Andy Stanley's parenting series "Parental Guidance Required" and he definitely has some great things to say.

Here's a few things I've picked up...

Our kids often grow up experience-rich but relationship-poor. We spend so much time making sure they have the experiences we didn't have, and we don't spend enough time focusing on their relational health.

Here's what people never say:

"My problems in my life stem from the fact that my dad made me drive a used car."

"My clothes were so bad in high school that my self-esteem never recovered."

"I can't be successful in life because I didn't make the 5th grade soccer team and I went to public school instead of private school."

Are you pouring too much into the experiences your child has? Are the sports, education, trips, and lessons taking up too much of your child's life? Experiences aren't a bad thing, but if we are spending far more time on our kids' experiences, than we are on our kids' relationships, we've missed the boat. Are you spending enough time with your kids? Or are you substituting experiences for your time?

There are 3 questions we should be asking ourselves.

1) What am I doing to Enhance my child's relationship with me?

2) What am I doing to Advance my child's relationship with God?

3) What am I doing to Influence my child's relationship with others?

Parenting is tough, tough work. And we have to be intentional. What does successful parenting look like at the end of the day and how do we get there?

(Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I've been suffering from a severe shortage of things to say...)

Mmmm...s'mores...

2008-09-24T19:25:00.000-07:00

Another Game Down

2008-09-24T19:12:00.000-07:00

Our game on Saturday got rained out...which was really sad because my mom was in town this weekend and was looking forward to seeing Megan cheer. But they went ahead and rescheduled the game for last night. And we had the distinct pleasure of losing to a team with the name "Fairly Reliable Bob's". Ouch! But it was a fun game anyway.

So We Think We Can Dance

2008-09-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, it really feels like we are living an extra-ordinary life. Last year, on the reality show "So You Think You Can Dance", a girl named Sabra Johnson won. (Think American Idol, but with dancers.) Well, Sabra's mother happens to attend our church. And she happened to bring Sabra to church one weekend. And one of our staff happened to talk to Sabra and asked her to come teach a dance clinic at our church. And Sabra just happened to agree, and bring her partner Kameron with her. And my Megan just happened to attend the dance clinic that Sabra taught. It was pretty awesome...
Sabra is an itty-bitty thing.
There's Megan on the right (black leotard, pink pants).
Here's a video of Sabra and Kameron dancing in the show:

Jack's Back!!!

2008-09-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me very well, know that I am a HUGE 24 fan. Season 7 starts in January, but the producers of 24 were gracious enough to give us a 2 hour prequel on November 23rd. Check it out...

Can't wait!!!

12-0

2008-09-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

We won our game last Saturday! Two down...three more to go.

It's Great To Be 4!

2008-09-18T07:20:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to me! So, these are the things I liked about being the birthday boy.

1) I got away with skipping my nap. Momma said we would pay for it later, but I think I did fine. (I also liked the nifty "Birthday Boy" t-shirt that Momma made for me. I mean, who wouldn't want to know how special I am today?)
2) The church facilities team came to my house. And now my tramp is all spic-n-span. (Go boy's club!)
3) Daddy got a new grill just for me. And then he cooked hamburgers, hot dogs, and brats for all my guests.
4) Everyone ate in my honor.
5) Presents...of course.
6) Pamela made me a GIANT chocolate birthday cake. And then everyone serenaded me. (I think Sissy is the best singer.)
7) Nobody said anything when I stole the strawberry off the cake. (Try THAT when it's not your birthday...)
8) It's the only day of the year that I get to sleep with a fire truck. (Thanks Wilde's and Francey's!)

Now how soon is my next birthday???

He's 4 Today!

2008-09-16T06:51:00.000-07:00

Where did my baby go? It seems like this was yesterday.

Go Eagles, Go!

2008-09-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

We had our first football game on Saturday. We lost big. (30-8) But the cheerleaders did a great job of rallying the crowd.

And of course, they looked really cute doing it!

Balloon Saturday

2008-09-08T08:40:00.001-07:00

We woke up last Saturday to the distinct sound of hot-air balloon flames. Imagine our surprise when we realized they were ACTUALLY right over our house.

This one flew so low over our backyard that we could actually talk to them. It was really cool!
Megan was spending the night with some friends that live down the hill from us. Their house backs up to an open field. She told us later that the balloons landed in that field and they got to go watch them pack up the balloons.

Sarah, You Had Us At "Hello."

2008-09-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the race! Things just got interesting...

The Thrill and the Agony

2008-08-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

I am in Olympics withdrawal. I admit it. I miss the sound of gold medals clinking together in the water cube. I long to see the chalk flying from the hands of the gymnasts and Bela Karolyi's outbursts about underage Chinese gymnasts and incompetent judges. I was becoming addicted to Michael Phelps and his momma, and the soothing sound of Bob Costas' voice. The drama...the anguish...the triumph...I miss it all.

And to jump from the glory of Olympics, to the excruciating DNC, is almost too much to bear. I want to go back to Beijing. Put Michael and Dara back in the water. Toss Nastia (what an unfortunate name) and Shawn back on the beam. Drag Misty and Kerri out onto the sand. I'll even watch water polo, speed walking, and wrestling. Just give me more Olympics please.

18 months from now, the Olympics return, a day's drive away, in Vancouver. We are already planning to go. Now how do I get to the Athlete's Village? I want to meet some figure skaters...

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2008-08-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

We've been watching the Democratic National Convention this week. The other night when Hillary Clinton was speaking, Steven looked up from his cars and said,

"Why is that lady so angry? She sounds mean."

At the very least, I'm pretty sure she didn't help Obama a whole lot.

Idaho State Fair

2008-08-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

Complete Horror::

Steven watching the cows being milked at the fair: "But that's not where OUR milk comes from is it Momma?" Maybe our children are a little too sheltered...

Fun::

Riding rides, eating corn dogs (and smashing mustard all over Mom's shirt), cotton candy and funnel cakes, games, exhibits, and perfect weather!

(Aren't they cute waiting in line together to go on the jeeps?)

Adventures in Cheerleading...part 2

2008-08-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

The things I learned at Cheer Camp...

1) Don't ever give a former cheerleader-turned-mom a microphone. You will be there a long time. You will have to stand and sit multiple times. You will have to scream after every sentence she says. You will have to translate words like "cheer-ability" and "rally" and dance to songs with the lyrics "ice cream and cakes and cakes" and "hot, hot, hot". And you will definitely want to pummel her with her spirit stick by the end of the weekend.

2) The stereotype that high school cheerleaders are ditzy, partying snobs is off the mark. (Not that I ever thought that!) About 20 varsity cheerleaders from Meridian and Capital High Schools gave up their Friday night and Saturday to come and mentor 400 little cheerleaders at cheer camp. They sweated with us, they performed for us, they encouraged the girls, and they worked as hard as everyone else. It was really cool to watch.

3) The mythical "spirit stick" really exists. And it was handed out, in it's tacky bejeweled glory, to the squads that had the most spirit (and then we cheered "We are proud of you, hey, we are proud of you!"...even though we weren't really proud, we were a little jealous and indignant that our spirit wasn't recognized...but of course that's not very good "cheer-manship"...see I can do it too...) I'm not really sure what makes a "spirit stick"-worthy squad, which is probably why our squad didn't win.

4) Coaches are expected to perform with their squad at the end of the weekend. Yes, to my shock and horror, I had to get up in front of all of the parents and football teams and perform 2 cheers and 2 pom dances with my girls. It was bad...very bad. 'Nuff said.

5) My daughter is awesome! Last weekend was such a bonding experience for Megan and me. See, I don't really care if she has a great high-V or tuck jump, I care if she is full of grace and virtue. And she totally rocked the character-aspect of the weekend. She was such a leader, encouraging her teammates, exhibiting a good attitude, making sure everyone was included and had a partner, and working hard. I was so proud of her and that makes this whole experience worth it! (Humiliating performances and all...)
It was soooo hot... and we were so tired!Megan is good at this whole cheerleading thing. We didn't know what we were getting into when we signed up for this, but we really are having a lot of fun!

Adventures in Cheerleading

2008-08-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

So, I somehow have fallen into the role of Head Coach of Megan's cheerleading squad. And I am totally out of my element. Contrary to the popular perception of me (perky + blonde = must have been a cheerleader), I was not and never have been a cheerleader. (Although, that's my favorite lie to throw in in the icebreaker game "Two truths, and a lie." It gets 'em every time!) No, my glory days of high school were spent...wait for it...here it comes...

...in marching band! Yes, I was the queen of all band geeks, successfully mastering 4 instruments (flute, oboe, piccolo, and english horn), and leading the corp of 160+ as drum major my junior and senior year. While the cheerleaders in my high school were winning homecoming tiaras and little trophies with megaphones on them, my sites were set on "Superior with Distinction's" and "Best Marcher" awards. (I rocked a "right flank" like nobody's business!)

And our uniforms were a far cry from the perky, short skirts, form-fitting tops, and puffy cheer bow. My drum major skirt reached past my knees, black riding boots peeked out from underneath, and my polyester jacket, still smelling faintly of the previous owner, was tucked into wrist gauntlets and white gloves. The only skin I showed was on the back of my neck, owing to the required, slicked-up hair bun that gave the illusion of a uniform, gender-less group.

While the cheerleaders were worrying about knee injuries and properly executed jumps, I was wincing in pain from the 3-inch blisters that my drum major boots left on my heels, and building up my arm and shoulder muscles to be able to withstand waving my arms for a full 15 minute show. (I know...you are impressed. 15 WHOLE minutes....but that uniform WAS heavy!)

So, as I wade through the foreign world of cheer gear, herkies, and spirit chants (relying on googling "Cheerleading for dummies"), I am reminded of my own glory days...and glorious they were!

(::Caution...the following images may be disturbing to some viewers...proceed at your own risk::)

Pretty cute for a band geek! That instrument is an oboe for those of you non-musicians.

Nothing weird here...he was the head drum major, my junior year. It was tradition for co-drum majors to have portraits done. The gun was part of our uniforms, usually worn in a holster...before the days of zero tolerance. The photographer thought he was being cute.

Stay tuned for "Confessions of an Academic Decathlete"...where I will regail you with stories of triumph, medals, and toilet-paper-on-the-shoe mishaps, in the mecca of all nerd meets...the Academic Decathlon. (Yes, I really did compete (and medaled!) on our school's academic decathlon team...and you thought I was just another ditzy blogger.)

Capital's Race Weekend

2008-08-13T08:56:00.001-07:00

We had so much fun this last weekend! It was Capital Christian's Race Weekend. Our friends, Pastors Jeff and Melinda Knight from The Rock Church in Monroe, WA were here. Jeff is an amazing pastor...oh, and he also happens to be a NASCAR racer! (I think Jeff might be the coolest pastor in the Northwest.) Jeff and Ken have been friends for many years and we were excited to introduce Jeff and Melinda to our church and city, and watch Jeff race at the Meridian Speedway.

The weekend started with a Men's Breakfast on Saturday morning. Jeff put our church logo on the hood of his race car. Nice!

This little boy was lovin' it!

Jeff spoke at the Men's Breakfast.

Ken went along to the Meridian Speedway and hung out with Jeff and his crew in the pits. Jeff's crew is an amazing group of volunteers who work their tails off getting him ready to race.

Go #70!!My first experience at the races. We were totally into it! Over 350 people from Capital came out to watch and support Jeff and his teammate, Fred. Way to represent!

Jeff stayin' loose with his gorgeous daughter, Seven Addison, before the big race.One of the risks of racing. The driver walked away, just fine.Ken values his friendship with Jeff. They've mentored, supported, and encouraged each other over the years.

Jeff finished 5th. He was totally robbed! Check out his take on the race on his blog. He'll be back again, to win!Good friends, great times, and awesome memories! Jeff and Melinda spoke at Capital on Sunday morning. They have amazing stories of God's redemption, healing, strength, and faithfulness. They are truly living out the love of God in the world around them. We were blessed to have them here this weekend.

This is what we did this weekend!

2008-08-11T07:37:00.000-07:00

Capital at the Races from Marcus Hackler on Vimeo.

More soon!

Child-Like Faith

2008-08-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

Last night, the power went out in our neighborhood. It was out for about a half an hour. Just long enough to start gathering candles and flashlights. As we were speculating the cause and how long it would be out, Steven piped up...

"Well, I guess we're gonna' have to get a new house."

So funny and silly, but oh to have that kind of faith! He doesn't worry about what the future will bring, where our finances are, or if daddy and mommy are going to take care of him. He just assumes that if our house doesn't work anymore, we'll get a new one.

That's the kind of faith that God wants from me. Trusting in him every day to supply my needs and take care of me. God is faithful! His eyes are on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.

Coach Holsinger

2008-08-04T19:51:00.000-07:00

Megan is doing Boise Optimist Cheerleading this year. Boise Optimist is the equivalent of Pop Warner or mini football. I got an email this evening from her coach, telling me that I was her assistant coach and that I needed to attend the coach's meeting on Wednesday night with her. Wahaat....I didn't know I volunteered to be an assistant coach? I vaguely recall, during sign-ups, checking a few of the parent volunteer boxes...is it possible that I checked "assistant coach" without realizing it? What have I gotten myself into?

We'll see how much they really want me, when I show up with my rambunctious 3-year-old who has his own ideas about how to restructure the program. Do they allow boy cheerleaders?

This one's for you Trace!

2008-08-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite camp pictures

Career Prerequisites

2008-08-01T15:05:00.000-07:00

Today's car conversation...

Steven:: Momma, can firefighters get married?

Me:: Sure, lots of firefighters are married!

Steven:: Then, I wanna' be a firefighter when I grow up!

Me:: Awesome, son.

Glad to know he's got priorities.

We've been calling him "Butterfingers" lately

2008-07-31T17:39:00.001-07:00

This is why:
I'm not sure why he was playing with the bag of quinoa...but this was the result. Do you know how far quinoa rolls when it hits the floor and how hard it is to sweep up?
::Sigh::

Ummm...what's a froat?

2008-07-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

Actual conversation:
Steven:: Momma, can I go outside and ride my bike while you watch me?

Momma:: Maybe after Sissy gets home. Mommy's not feeling very good today. I have a sore throat.

Steven:: I'll pray for you! Dear Jesus, help Mommy's froat to feel better and that we can go outside. Jesus' name...Amen

Conversation according to Steven:
(In the car on the way home from school...)

Steven:: Sissy, we can go outside. Momma said we could. And you can watch me and I'll ride my bike. Out front. Momma has a froat but I prayed for her.

Sissy:: Whahat?

Love it!

2008-07-28T07:19:00.000-07:00

For my Starbuck's peeps

As Promised...

2008-07-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

...our finished Bonus Room. Here's the before and here. And here's the after! Ta-da!

Furniture from Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Fred Meyer, and Ikea. Curtain rods are from West Elm.
We might eventually change the rug, but it's neutral and protects the carpet from little spills. The blinds in this room are black-out shades. It makes for a good movie room.
The bulletin boards are from the local craft store. Just choose any pre-made frame from their framing department and they'll turn it into a bulletin board. Very economical. The white nesting tables next to the couch are from PB Teen.
Pillows from Pottery Barn. They have great pillows! You can see the hallway in this picture, and the guest room and guest bath.
I sewed the curtains out of fabric-by-the-yard from PB.
Desk chairs from Pottery Barn.
Art Supplies! The kids sit facing each other, but each have their own space, bulletin board, and storage.
Light fixture from Ikea.
There you go! Just a little peek into my house. This is probably the most finished room in the house. I better get busy...

First Day of School

2008-07-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

He's gonna' hate this blog when he grows up

2008-07-22T20:14:00.001-07:00

Downtown Disney, Anaheim, CA, October 2007

Back to School

2008-07-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

4th Grade
Track B
Teacher: Mrs. Lasher

"There's my name!"

It's back to school tomorrow. 4th grade here she comes!

Getting lots done today?

2008-07-18T16:21:00.000-07:00

This should stop you in your tracks!

Sushi anyone?

2008-07-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

Our kids are unique because they are great eaters! There are not very many foods that they won't eat and they are usually game to try anything. One of our favorite restaurants is Ahi Sushi Bar.The last time we went, Steven knocked back 5 pieces of California Roll.
Megan's favorite is the crispy roll with shrimp.

VBX 2008 Highlights

2008-07-17T16:12:00.000-07:00

Vacation Bible Experience 2008 from Marcus Hackler on Vimeo.

Feel free to drool a little

2008-07-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

Spills aside...I knocked it out of the ballpark with dinner tonight. Mango curry chicken with coconut rice. It was delish!

Make That Five

2008-07-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

Spill #4 - While helping to put away groceries, my sweet Megan dropped a container of yogurt. It cracked and spattered across the floor.

Spill #5 - Then, I slopped coconut milk across the counter while trying to pour it into a pan.

Time to hang it up and go to bed. Tomorrow will be better :)

Three Spills and a Lesson

2008-07-16T14:12:00.001-07:00

This afternoon I took the kids to see "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl". It was charming and at times moving, watching an American family struggle through the adversities of the depression. But our time at the movies was not without our own adversity...

Spill #1 - We bought nachos and hot dogs for lunch (me being the ultra-health conscience mother that I am.) Steven wasn't in his seat 10 minutes before - CRASH! The nacho chips flew everywhere, and the giant glob of cheese food oozed across the floor. The container landed helpfully upside-down, covering the whole mess. "Clean up in Theater 16!" The movie theater staff graciously gave us a free replacement nachos.

Spill #2 - After the movie, in the restroom, I was helping Steven wash his hands when my drink slipped out of my hands. It landed upside down with the lid still on, but as I picked it up, the lid popped off and Diet Coke spilled everywhere. Another mom laughed with me at the mess and helped me wipe up the spill.

Spill #3 - A few errands later, we stopped at Tully's for something cold to drink. You would think I would've learned my lesson by then...but you'd be wrong. On the way home, I heard the dreaded sound of ice crashing on the cup lid and liquid splashing on the shopping bags below. Noooo.... Time to pack it up and go home. Mommy's had it!

The lesson came in during the movie. Sitting in front of us was a young girl and her grandmother. The grandmother had a walker and every 10 to 15 minutes during the movie, she would get up and limp around in the aisle next to their seats. It was clear that sitting for too long was painful for her. It couldn't have been easy for her to bring her granddaughter to the movies. It would have been easier to stay home. But she didn't stay home. She came, and she sat in front of us, and she limped around the aisle to relieve the pain of sitting too long, while her granddaughter happily watched the movie.

This is sacrificial love at it's best. SHE is sacrificial love. It makes me smile...and cry...and repent...and forgive. And it makes me a little more in love with the people God made. I think the three spills were worth it.

Some Spider!

2008-07-14T10:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we rented Charlotte's Web. (The recent live-action movie, not the cartoon.) In this charming movie, Charlotte is a GIANT, real-looking spider. Although they do a good job of trying to make Charlotte look friendly, and Julia Roberts' voice helps, she is still alarmingly realistic. This was Megan's assessment of the movie:

"Mom, the only thing I don't like about this movie is...Charlotte's kind of creepy."

I'm with you sister!

Steven Holsinger Samuel

2008-07-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

...was what Steven said when asked what his full name was! He knows the right names, it's just the order that needs work.

You should see the rest of my house...

2008-07-10T15:49:00.000-07:00

It's VBX week here...(that's "Vacation Bible Experience" for those of you not in the "know.") And my house is a wreck. But I don't care!

Here's why I don't care...

325 kids have come to our church this week to experience the love and presence of a God who thinks they're awesome!

Over 100 volunteers have given up a week of their summer to pour into the lives of those kids.

I am getting to do crazy stuff on stage every day in an effort to captivate kids with God's love.

We are having a blast!!

(I'm sure there are some moms out there who could carry the weight of 400+ people every morning, be wild and crazy on stage, love and care for her own kids and husband, take time to rest herself, AND clean the house. I am not that mom. So guess which one goes?)

It's SOOO worth it!

Picnic

2008-07-07T16:35:00.000-07:00

We had our annual 4th of July church picnic yesterday evening. It was a great way to cap off a long weekend.
Good friends...
Games...
...and beautiful weather. Now...on to VBX!

Lazy Fourth

2008-07-05T20:20:00.000-07:00

Since yesterday was the last day off we will have for a while, we allowed ourselves a lazy day. No picnic, no parks, no do-it-yourself fireworks. We did have a nice family dinner on the back porch at about 8:30 pm and then went to Eagle Island State Park, 10 minutes away for a great fireworks display.

Since fireworks are legal here in Idaho, you can see them everywhere throughout the valley. And the weather was beautiful, low 70's last night. The only downside to the evening was when Steven got a small cut on his hand and the 35 minutes of waiting in line to get out of the park.

Fireworks show...$4.00, band-aid...$.50, the freedom to do whatever we want with our family...priceless.

There's No Place Like Home

2008-07-04T07:34:00.000-07:00

Ken and Megan are home from Alaska. They flew on the red eye and got in at 9:00 am yesterday morning. We went straight to church for a full day of work (no rest for the weary!) Last night they were both asleep by 6:30 and are sleeping late this morning.

Things were quiet here. Kate and her cousin came and hung out with us a couple of nights. And Steven spent Tuesday night with his good pal, Gid. Momma was alone all night Tuesday night...it was weird but glorious! We kept busy cleaning house and working (I'm up to my neck in VBX details.)

Here is Steven with his present from the cousins:Mr. Potato Head Transformer...Opti"mash" Prime! Haha love it!

Thanks Toddler Bible...

2008-07-04T07:23:00.001-07:00

Try explaining this to a three-year-old:
Steven was fascinated. At least this picture is on the next page...
Happy ending!

No Shame (...and No Picture!)

2008-06-29T19:58:00.000-07:00

Ahh....the joys of boys. Tonight we went to a birthday party. There was a kiddie pool set up in the backyard and several of the kids had brought their swimsuits. Midway through the party, someone called me to the backyard.

Apparently, Steven decided he wanted to go swimming and didn't need a swimsuit. Yes, my son was running around the backyard, naked as a jay-bird. No shame...and not a stitch on. Sheesh!

Happy Birthday Eden Jo! You add some sparkle to all of our lives!

Alaska or Bust

2008-06-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

Ken had to go back to Anchorage for business this week and decided it was the perfect opportunity to take Megan with him. We dropped them off at the airport this afternoon. They get home early Thursday morning.

Steven and I feel a little lost without them, but one of our super-cool friends, Kate, is coming over to stay with us, to help fill the void.

Have a great time you two! Give Grandma and Poppy, and the rest of the family big hugs for us!

Last Day of School

2008-06-27T21:10:00.000-07:00

Good bye 3rd grade! Have a great summer everyone... See you all in 3 weeks!

(Megan goes to year-round school, which means she has several 3 week breaks spread throughout the school year. We love it because we can take vacations, when no one else is taking them. And there is very little time wasted reviewing, because the kids don't have so much time off between school years. But it does make for an anti-climactic summer break.)

Keepin' It Real

2008-06-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the dinner in the Summer Lovin' post...Ken made it. Not me. Although I am an awesome cook. And it was probably my recipe. And I helped. And I did do the strawberries. But he gets the credit, not me.

Get used to it son...

2008-06-25T21:03:00.000-07:00

...being led around by a beautiful girl with cheddar bunnies.

Jumping on the Summer Hair Bandwagon

2008-06-25T19:11:00.001-07:00

Presenting Megan's new hairstyle....Isn't she adorable? Steven got his hair cut too, but I couldn't get him to stay in one place long enough to take his picture.

Mrs. Bell's International Potluck

2008-06-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you combine a room full of 3rd graders and diverse multi-cultural food experiences?

...A LOT of leftovers.

(Megan's country was Italy, so we brought homemade pizza and Italian sodas. We didn't bring any food home!)

Pregnant on Purpose

2008-06-24T19:13:00.000-07:00

Apparently, a group of teenage girls in Gloucester, MA made a pact to all get pregnant and raise their babies together. The number of pregnant girls at the local high school has quadrupled this year. School officials began to pay attention when an unusual number of girls began filing into the nurse's office for pregnancy tests. Many of them seemed more upset when they weren't pregnant, than when they were.

Community officials are denying that there was ever a "pact", but regardless, these girls represent an alarming trend...teenagers getting pregnant on purpose. Little girls having babies. But what else do they represent?

Little girls...who are so lonely and desperate for love that they will give away their bodies and their futures to a boy who will throw them away when he is done with them.

Little girls...whose daddies never said "You are a treasure worth more to me than all the gold in the world." Little girls whose daddies never said anything to them.

Little girls...who delude themselves into thinking that babies are all dimples and bows and have no idea of the realities of childbearing and childrearing.

Little girls...whose mothers never told them they were precious and held them when they cried.

Little girls...whose school tried to fill in the gap and teach her about choices and consequences, but it was too little, too late, and seemed irrelevant coming from someone she had no personal relationship with.

Little girls...who were written off by the adults in her life when she began to fit a "certain profile" and who live in a state of self-hatred and shame.

Little girls...that somewhere along the way, had their dreams dashed, their hopes squandered, and their future tossed away.

It breaks my heart.

Dream big, my little girl, you are treasured and precious, and God has a big plan for your life.

No More Camo Bag...

2008-06-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, this bag went with us to swim lessons, and ended up coming home with a pair of Steven's underwear in it. This morning, he was looking for something and I asked him, "What do you need?" He replied..."My underwear bag."

From this day forward, this bag is officially dubbed "The Underwear Bag"!

Summer Lovin'

2008-06-24T06:37:00.000-07:00

One thing that characterizes a Holsinger...we love food! And so, one of the things we love about summer is summer foods! This was our dinner last night...

Strawberries picked from our backyard...
Mmmm...
Did I mention how much we love summer foods?

I'm So Blue...

2008-06-22T19:59:00.001-07:00

We are in the process of redecorating our bonus room. The kids use it for watching T.V., playing, and doing homework/artwork. The furniture is here and I just got done repainting.

Before: (Beige, beige, and more beige)

After:
The kid's new desks. I've ordered bulletin boards for the wall.
New couch and cabinet from Crate and Barrel and pillows from Pottery Barn.
I'll post final pictures when we get done.

VBX Countdown!

2008-06-22T19:48:00.000-07:00

Last year...3 days...250 kids...over 100 volunteers. We went Western at "gcRanch".

This year, it's Slime Lab time! Vacation Bible Experience is coming in a little over 2 weeks. Don't miss it!

Meridian Dairy Days Parade

2008-06-21T07:26:00.000-07:00

Presenting...the Holy Cows

Yes, we do live in Idaho...

What kind of mother...

2008-06-20T06:28:00.000-07:00

...allows her children on that thing, with that guy, without a helmet? Someone should report her!

(No really, that's Mark Francey, one of our good friends and new daddy! They were just riding for a few minutes on the camp grounds....really...I promise...it was pretty safe...)

Going All Gwyneth

2008-06-19T21:11:00.001-07:00

Before: Boring...drab...dingy color...

After: I went blonder and shorter! Good summer hair.

(Gwyneth)

Zipedee-doo-dah

2008-06-19T15:07:00.000-07:00

Where? Youth Camp, Cascade, ID
What? "Scare-the-crap-out-of-you" Zipline
Who? Me!Suiting up...this goes where?
The green helmet really makes the ensemble.
Here we go! I think I can...I think I can...I knew if I could just make it up the tree, I would be golden. Because there was no way I was climbing back DOWN. The only option would be to jump.
Don't look...don't think...just jump!
::Insert screaming and yelling:
Basking in the adrenaline after-rush...

Blog Title...

2008-06-19T14:39:00.000-07:00

So why the strange blog title? The obvious answer is that I frequently say things that I shouldn't. My husband has a knack for saying the things we are all thinking, but are afraid to say. But he has a great internal edit button. He always seems to know where the line is, and whether or not to push up against it. My edit button is constantly on the fritz. It's not because I'm gutsy enough to say bold things, they just pop out. Sometimes I wish that I could grab them in mid-air and pull them back in my mouth. More often than not, I don't even realize I've said something stupid until later. And then it hits me...oooh, that didn't come out right...did I really say that?...did anyone hear me?

The deeper issue is really a heart issue. Matthew 12:34 says "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." If my mouth is speaking inappropriate things, then fixing my mouth is not the answer. Changing my heart is. So that's what God's doing in me right now, teaching me to love others and have true grace for them in my heart. I'm still a work in progress...and thank you, Lord, for continuing to work on me, and showing me the love and grace I lack toward others.

Rock Star...

2008-06-19T07:06:00.000-07:00

Hi! I'm Steven. These are my peeps. Yea, I'm pretty good with the ladies. We're thinking about starting a band. Right now we're brushing up on our piano quartet skills.
Peace out. Steven

Off to Neverland...

2008-06-18T23:14:00.000-07:00

Here we go again...

2008-06-18T21:53:00.000-07:00

I've considered my last attempt at blogging a failure because I couldn't keep it going. (Although, after reading through it the other night, I think it's a pretty darn good blog!) But, I'm ready to give it a go again with a simpler, more picture-oriented format. I don't know who my audience will be this time around, but I won't hold back. My life is crazy, my house is a mess, and sometimes I feel in over my head in ministry. But I promise to be real and fun and sometimes passionately in love with my life and my God.