Gobbles and Lies

Once a upon a time, when I was a stay at home mother of but one or two young charges and for about the five days during this time period in which I was not pregnant and sluggish, I had a company ready home. You know what I am talking about. I had the type of home in which I did not have to apologize to anyone who would show up at the door unannounced.

It was not easy. I had to work really hard to keep the house this way. It helped that at the time our house was about 700 square feet. The blessing of a small home is that it cleans up quickly.

Fast forward to today. I have recently returned to full time stay at home motherhood, but I am pregnant with twins...and I have four sons. I have four sons who leave destruction in their wake. I live with a very neat husband. (I am thankful for that). I am a messy by nature. My home is no longer company ready at all times. And, it is no longer 700 square feet...it is much larger.

Which brings me to my plans for a busy Thanksgiving eve. The children have a half day of school and have been warned that their afternoon fun will include sweeping, dusting and vacuuming. They may be asking their teachers to stay at school for the afternoon to work on math facts. They are this excited about the afternoon prospects.

I look forward to the reason that we need to have this day. Good friends from Minnesota will be sharing our fourth Thanksgiving in a row with us. It is getting to the point where Thanksgiving would not be the same without them.

For them, we will scrub and polish and cook and even watch football on television.

The whole clean up scene reminds me of what our neighbor boy, Sam, referenced one day as his mother insisted that the whole family pitch in and clean house in preparation for guests. Sam, in all sincerity asked, "isn't that like lying?". Yes, Sam, cleaning before company comes may be a lie, but I'm not sure that even our best friends can handle, or should have to endure the truth!

Happy cleaning day everyone...and have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow!

Thankfulness

This time of year, we tend to focus on the things we are thankful for. I don't think that this is a bad practice, in fact, gratitude is a good thing. It is something that we try to teach our children, it is something that we hope our spouses feel towards us, and it is something that we are quick to criticize if we see it lacking in someone.

This morning as I was reading the Bible, I read a reading quite common for the end of the Church Year. I read of the new heaven and the new earth. I read of the beauty and the peace and the end to sadness that will be found there. And then I thought of the contrast of that new heaven and new earth, and the earth we live in now.

Sure, we have happy times here. Sure, there are wonderful things surrounding us all. We are so blessed. The Rev. likes to point out that even the very poor here in America are rich by many other standards. I've never been hungry a day in my life. All of my needs, and those of my family are met. And yet, there is something imperfect in this world. We are totally marred by sin. There is destruction all around us. Neighbors hurt neighbors. Families are at war with each other. People say and do hurtful things with no remorse.

So for all that I am thankful for...and I have so much to be thankful for...I am most thankful for God changing His mind. I am so thankful that he did not just give us exactly what we deserved, and immediately cast us from His presence. I am thankful that He sent His son, as our Savior, so that we can enjoy the perfection that will be His new heaven and new earth.

The truth is, there will come a time when all of the things that seem to matter so much right now; healthcare reform, unrest in the Middle East, children learning multiplication tables, what is for dinner tonight, and why don't I feel calm all the time; will pass away. A time is coming when none of these things will matter anymore. All that will matter is God, and His Son, who gives us the right to stand in the presence of God. For this, I am most thankful.

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Seven Quick Takes Friday

Here we are again! And it was another busy week!

1. Today marks week 30! Only 8 weeks to go...which may or may not have me a little freaked out. I feel really good. Tired, but good. The Rev. and his newest pack mule (since I'm out of commission) dragged the huge recliner up from the basement for me to have in the living room. It does not match the other furniture and it crowds the space a bit...but it works. My back is much happier for it, and I can get my feet way up...so I can continue to avoid swollen ankles! I have another Dr. appointment and ultrasound on Wednesday morning, I'm looking forward to seeing how much the girls have grown.
2. I failed my 1 hour glucose tolerance test, so I had to go in on Tuesday morning for the three hour test. The one where I had to fast from midnight on the night before. I must say, and I try not to complain about medical professionals too much, I had the worst blood draw ever that morning. To make things worse, it was my first of four draws of the morning, so it set the stage for anxiety and discomfort for me the rest of the time. The phlebotomist managed to stab (and I am using the term literally) right past my vein and into a nerve, then dug around a bit hoping to draw some blood. No such luck. I had all four needle sticks on my left arm, which is still bruised, and she kept making comments about me having tough skin, etc. For the record, no one ever has trouble getting blood from me. Needless to say, when I am in the hospital having babies, if she comes to take my blood, I will most politely ask for another phlebotomist. Period.
3. I am beyond irritable. Physically I feel great. Mentally, I have the patience of a gnat. Please, please, God, let this be pregnancy hormones and not a permanent change in my demeanor. Every noise the boys make sets me on edge...and they are good boys...not even really rowdy. Last night I took them to dinner, since the Rev. is out of town. The woman at the booth across from us spent the entire time complaining about the restaurant, the food, the everything. I had to contain myself to let her know that she may be bugged by the food, but she was bugging me! This morning, William spilled the milk putting it back into my NEW refrigerator. I totally lost it. I went ape crazy. It was stupid of me. It was only milk. I had to spend five minutes apologizing to my shellshocked son. Please let this just be pregnancy related. Please, let this pass.
4. I do much better with my modified bedrest while the kids are at school. I do too much on the weekends. There is not much I can do about it. I just do the best that I can do.
5. I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving. Our good friends from Minnesota will be here. I think a dose of old friends may be just what the doctor ordered.
6. I have done zero Christmas shopping. You would think that with these babies hanging over my head (actually around my waistline) I would be working ahead, but as usual, I still have to figure out what I'm getting everyone. The boys are just bummed that the girls will miss Christmas. I'm fine with that...really, I am!
7. My little sister gets married in a week. I'm really excited for her, and hope that everything is just as she wants it!

Motor Oil Matters, and another GIVEAWAY

Did you know that proper maintenance can prolong the life of your vehicle, and can improve fuel economy?

Yesterday I was sent an email from myblogspark.com directing me to the Motor Oil Matters website to learn more about quality motor oils and vehicle maintenance.

In the United States the average age of cars and light trucks on the roads today has reached a record high of 9.4 years, making it more important than ever for consumers to take proper care of their vehicles. With the new MotorOilMatters.org web site www.MotorOilMatters.org (created by industry-leading brands Pennzoil, Quaker State and Shell Rotella); you can easily locate key information that will help prolong your engine’s life and improve overall efficiency, as well as help answer any questions you may have about motor oil. In addition, the site offers a fun, educational game for you to play called “M.O.M. Knows Best” where you can put your motor mind to the test with an interactive quiz.

Did you know?

• According to a study by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, nearly 9 out of 10 female motorists are involved in their household's vehicle maintenance and repair


• According to a national survey that polled 522 women, 46 percent incorrectly assumed simply switching from conventional engine oil to synthetic oil enables the number of miles between oil changes to be safely extended*


• Using a quality motor oil in the right grade can help maximize fuel economy, and help save money by preventing costly engine damage


• Off-brand, no-name or discount oils that do not meet industry standards or the vehicle manufacturer’s requirements could cost consumers in the long run by potentially damaging the vehicle’s engine or possibly voiding the manufacturer’s warrant

* Jiffy Lube Survey Conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, 2006

I know next to nothing about cars, engines, or how things work. Yet, ironically, as keeper of the home, I am generally in charge of vehicle maintenance. It is up to me to make sure that our vans get in for routine oil changes. I must admit, I'm not always great about getting the oil changed in a timely manner.

After a little visit to Motor Oil Matters (which by the way, is geared towards women...I guess I'm not alone in my lack of knowledge), I now know much more about motor oil and my cars engine and fuel efficiency. I took the Motor Oil Matters test, and I failed. I got a 71.43%...the lowest test score than I have gotten in a long time. BUT I learned a lot. And you can too!

Here is the fun part: Shell Motor Oils and Motor Oil Matters has provided me with a $35 gift card to Jiffy Lube so that I can receive a complimentary oil change. In addition, I have an additional $35 gift card to give away to one of my readers! All you have to do is visit Motor Oil Matters and take the quiz...post your score in the comments section. Next Thursday I will draw a random winner from my commenters! And hey...don't worry about failing...I already told you that I did!

Additionally, to make a trip to get your oil changed even more rewarding, Pennzoil® has partnered with the VH1 Save The Music Foundation through its "Play The Music. Save The Music" Campaign, and now through December 6, 2009 anyone can receive up to 46 FREE music downloads and up to a $15 service certificate back by mail, when they get their oil changed at Jiffy Lube and other Pennzoil® participating installers. See www.pennzoil.com for details and to find your local participating installer locations.

Everyone loves free stuff! And everyone loves to learn how to save money...and by keeping your car running well, you will save money!

Wordless Wednesday: Dinner