tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68718189001387097672024-03-12T23:28:57.424-07:00Livin' In The Good Old DaysThis blog was created to document the life and times of me and my family, with a dash of humor, faith, and reality...Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-50358289773848853992011-12-26T18:04:00.000-08:002011-12-26T18:04:12.898-08:00Christmas 2011I can't remember the last time I've just lounged around and have done absolutely nothing (all day)!! It's been nice, but I've been trying to push the guilty thoughts of doing nothing out of my mind. I justify it by telling myself this is the only day I'll do this over the holidays. Yep, now that I'm a working Mom, all my free time during any holiday is getting projects done! I have a few in mind. Cleaning out our basement is top on my list. I'm going to start tackling that first thing in the morning because I have a basketball game to go to tomorrow afternoon. Before coming home, I guess I'll stop by the school and pick up the 48 research papers I need to grade! Yeah, I'm not feeling guilty anymore... <br />
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With our crazy schedule, Christmas was upon me before I realized it. We got out of school at lunch, on Wednesday, so I headed to the mall to do all of my Christmas shopping! I love buying gifts for my girls because they are always so grateful! BTW, I don't wrap presents anymore...bags are the way to go, and Marie Callender is now one of my best friends! It makes the holidays a lot less stressful!<br />
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Here's a look at how we celebrate Christmas:<br />
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We usually have supper (for my side of the family), at the ranch, on the eve of Christmas Eve. It's pretty casual, and we always end up roasting marshmallows by a campfire.<br />
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On Christmas Eve, we head over to my mom and dad's around 4:00. My mom reads a Christmas story every year before we begin opening gifts. The book she reads is about the nativity and it has ornaments in it. The kids take turns placing the ornaments on the tree. After the story, we open gifts. My brother is usually Santa...passing out the gifts one at a time. It's a lot more meaningful this way, and it makes it last longer. I love Christmas Eve with my family. I always look around at their faces and feel so blessed. They are all such good people!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j47nFai3irw/Tvj-iM-_J8I/AAAAAAAAAP4/Forcr3XA1jM/s1600/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j47nFai3irw/Tvj-iM-_J8I/AAAAAAAAAP4/Forcr3XA1jM/s320/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+181.JPG" width="240" /></a>Mom...aka...The Fun Maker!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MQS5RlkrW3M/TvkAfQN6cKI/AAAAAAAAAQE/gFRBmTDq3QI/s1600/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MQS5RlkrW3M/TvkAfQN6cKI/AAAAAAAAAQE/gFRBmTDq3QI/s320/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+190.JPG" width="320" /></a>Picture perfect...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vM4Yw2Iogkk/TvkBW5B2UeI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/6ACesJjzj-4/s1600/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vM4Yw2Iogkk/TvkBW5B2UeI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/6ACesJjzj-4/s320/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+196.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mom, reading the story, and my youngest - with my hubby in the background.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ot_ZeBMrDm0/TvkCjJA93hI/AAAAAAAAAQc/xASfFwBz_LI/s1600/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+189-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" rea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ot_ZeBMrDm0/TvkCjJA93hI/AAAAAAAAAQc/xASfFwBz_LI/s320/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+189-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The best sister in the entire world with our new little dog - Chico.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ua36MP1Jo3I/TvkE6D4bXMI/AAAAAAAAAQo/0ua0ADcB3Ic/s1600/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ua36MP1Jo3I/TvkE6D4bXMI/AAAAAAAAAQo/0ua0ADcB3Ic/s320/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+198.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Trying to find the perfect place for the ornament.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ieDAkOfWRmI/TvkHnnP5NcI/AAAAAAAAARA/nIPsMZGM5y4/s1600/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ieDAkOfWRmI/TvkHnnP5NcI/AAAAAAAAARA/nIPsMZGM5y4/s320/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+191.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">My brother and his youngest.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j348UXoYEss/TvkLCwDpyII/AAAAAAAAARM/x415idu0-WI/s1600/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j348UXoYEss/TvkLCwDpyII/AAAAAAAAARM/x415idu0-WI/s320/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+219.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">My beautiful girls.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dimNRjLfULs/TvkMBUBvWtI/AAAAAAAAARY/VOkUs6Hk4kE/s1600/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dimNRjLfULs/TvkMBUBvWtI/AAAAAAAAARY/VOkUs6Hk4kE/s320/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+186.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Amy (sis-in-law), Mom, Amber, and me</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BmKTNGabXPo/TvkNSeP1lrI/AAAAAAAAARk/yvTR6VGqiDI/s1600/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BmKTNGabXPo/TvkNSeP1lrI/AAAAAAAAARk/yvTR6VGqiDI/s320/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+208.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Okay, so we usually try to destroy all ants at the ranch!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Apparently, we have to go online and order ants for this farm!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Oh well, that's what she wanted!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">After we have open our gifts, our extended family arrives a little later. We usually start out with Meme's famous spinach dip and chips. Once the bowl is sat down on the bar, it's like my family turns into a school of pirhannas! The dip is devoured in a matter of minutes! This year we ate turkey, dressing, and the trimmings. My mom always makes a chocolate cake and we sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. Then the kids open their presents, and Meme is always Mrs. Claus. For the last few years, the rest of us have had a gift exchange. It's fun and we don't have to buy as many gifts!! </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e7K_IfPjP1M/TvkQSIFnAhI/AAAAAAAAARw/SKMTJ6OwikI/s1600/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e7K_IfPjP1M/TvkQSIFnAhI/AAAAAAAAARw/SKMTJ6OwikI/s320/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+216.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mrs. Claus and Brianna (my cousin)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R2xzpwbeJwA/TvkSmJxVbpI/AAAAAAAAAR8/zpyaGBmGHcc/s1600/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R2xzpwbeJwA/TvkSmJxVbpI/AAAAAAAAAR8/zpyaGBmGHcc/s320/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+226.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Gift exchange...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Put it down and GET THE iTUNEs CARD!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Me, giving Mark last minute gift advice)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Those words came out of my mouth a little more dramatic than I intended! ha!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hail83CyYkI/TvkXT6Di1GI/AAAAAAAAASI/PW1kDJfw34s/s1600/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hail83CyYkI/TvkXT6Di1GI/AAAAAAAAASI/PW1kDJfw34s/s320/fall+and+christmas+eve+2011+225.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Somebody's being funny. I wonder what or who they are laughing at?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It could be anything/anyone. My family is always laughing. I love it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After our extended family went home, the rest of us sat around the fire, in the living room, and visited until it was hard to stay awake. Eventually, Mark, the girls and I headed to the ranch.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was excited about spending the whole day with Mark and the girls on Christmas day. On Christmas morning, everyone started out drinking frozen hot chocolate while opening gifts. We also open our gifts one at a time. I'm Mrs. Claus at our house. The girls loved their gifts. A few of their favorites... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DBjcUhYnCoM/TvkbO7WHqhI/AAAAAAAAASg/jUjEEfxEu7E/s1600/christmas+%252711+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DBjcUhYnCoM/TvkbO7WHqhI/AAAAAAAAASg/jUjEEfxEu7E/s200/christmas+%252711+009.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AFARD-QAf70/TvkZ-8WdGvI/AAAAAAAAASU/XNYDJcO7fRc/s1600/christmas+%252711+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AFARD-QAf70/TvkZ-8WdGvI/AAAAAAAAASU/XNYDJcO7fRc/s200/christmas+%252711+002.JPG" width="150" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1K-45Fb0n7A/Tvkczxg0O9I/AAAAAAAAASs/KjQ17z1MA_c/s1600/christmas+%252711+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1K-45Fb0n7A/Tvkczxg0O9I/AAAAAAAAASs/KjQ17z1MA_c/s200/christmas+%252711+007.JPG" width="150" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Can you say excited?! A new Bible and cover were Jeans long enough for long legs!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Our tech savvy girl loved #1 on her list...sweet girl. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> it!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After opening our gifts, the girls and I went to the kitchen and made a big country breakfast...biscuits and gravy, eggs, bacon, sausage, and strawberries.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ccr0Z8h-lo4/TvkfFBWBIdI/AAAAAAAAAS4/IBsNA1EraPU/s1600/christmas+%252711+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ccr0Z8h-lo4/TvkfFBWBIdI/AAAAAAAAAS4/IBsNA1EraPU/s320/christmas+%252711+011.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cutting up strawberries</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9it0CRyRPng/Tvkf7TTJlDI/AAAAAAAAATE/DIRYyIT9VE4/s1600/christmas+%252711+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9it0CRyRPng/Tvkf7TTJlDI/AAAAAAAAATE/DIRYyIT9VE4/s320/christmas+%252711+012.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Whipping up the eggs</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_A-J5o6_N78/Tvkg5aY3nII/AAAAAAAAATQ/fj1CsYRBDpc/s1600/christmas+%252711+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_A-J5o6_N78/Tvkg5aY3nII/AAAAAAAAATQ/fj1CsYRBDpc/s320/christmas+%252711+013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Christmas breakfast...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pazqsmZp0fo/Tvkh7vNXVhI/AAAAAAAAATc/UbI5TSebaHI/s1600/christmas+%252711+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pazqsmZp0fo/Tvkh7vNXVhI/AAAAAAAAATc/UbI5TSebaHI/s200/christmas+%252711+014.JPG" width="200" /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OIqFFnwfz2M/TvkkBaGwfPI/AAAAAAAAATo/MqUBUeucZh4/s1600/christmas+%252711+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" rea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OIqFFnwfz2M/TvkkBaGwfPI/AAAAAAAAATo/MqUBUeucZh4/s200/christmas+%252711+016.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Watching <em>Seven Days in Utopia...</em>such a good movie!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All in all, it was a nice, relaxing Christmas with my family. I'm looking forward to a wonderful new year with them! I thank the Lord that I have such a wonderful family and that we had such a good Christmas. I give Him the glory! I'll end with one of my favorite quotes, "Jesus is the reason for the season!" </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">BTW, we'll be celebrating Christmas with Mark's family on New Year's Eve. I'm looking forward to it!</div>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-50797927572395504032011-04-30T07:19:00.000-07:002011-04-30T07:19:05.088-07:00In Love...I've been reading a book called <em>Crazy Love</em> (Overwhelmed By A Relentless God) by Francis Chan. It's a great book that really makes you think about your relationship with Christ. As I was reading this morning, it was talking about what great lengths we take when we are madly in love with someone..."you'll drive for hours to be together, even if it's only for a short while, you don't mind staying up late to talk, you're willing to spend a small fortune for the one you care about, he/she is the only one you can think about, and when you're apart from one another it's painful and miserable..." Lots of us have probably shared this experience with at least one person in our life. But, as the chapter goes on, a question is posed: Are <em>you</em> in love with God?<br />
<em>The critical question for our generation -- and for every generation -- is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever say, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there.? -John Piper</em><br />
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Wow! Aha moment here! How many of us would say, "You know, I think I'd be okay with that." And how many of us could never be satisfied in a heaven without Christ? If we are as deeply in love with God as we should be we know we could never live in a heaven without God!<br />
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Earthly relationships can only grow when we are committed to developing a relationship. It's the same way with God. If we aren't committed to building a relationship with Him, it's not going to happen. Lots of times we need His help in building a relationship. All we have to do is call out to Him and He will help us. I love what James wrote "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you (4:8). Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-4688347107952319822010-08-07T07:03:00.000-07:002010-08-07T07:03:25.688-07:00God Is Up To Something GoodI haven't blogged in a while. This has been one of the strangest summers of my life. Other than having lots of teacher planning on my mind, there have been several "close" calls in my extended family. From a broken bone, to a near death experience, to surgery, (and a few other things I don't want to mention)... all of these things have definitely kept me on my knees. Although I've asked God a couple of times, "Why Lord?," the response I always feel in my spirit is, "All things work for good to those who love the Lord." Even though I may not see it at a particular moment, I have faith that God is up to something good. His ways are not our ways and His timing is not our timing. I also take comfort in knowing that God's will is exactly what I would choose if I knew what God knows! I love the following quote, "To desire anything other than God's will is to desire less than the very best for my life or the lives of those I love." I'm so thankful that God is the Great Orchestrator of my life. He knows exactly what I need to happen in my life to make me grow spiritually. <br />
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I want to share a couple of stories that have happened to me (personally), this summer, that have humbled me and made me thankful that God is my Faithful Protector. A few weeks ago, I loaded 4 big trash bags, full of clothes, in my car. I was going to drop them off, in a small building at a mission, a stones throw away from our neighboring country, to the south of us. As I was traveling to this place, my mom called me. I told her where I was headed and she told me to be careful (seeing as this was not the safest part of town). She told me about a gruesome incident that happened across the river just that weekend, that made me a little nervous. I told her I was pulling up to the place and I'd talk to her later. I was going to see how fast I could toss the big bags into the storage building, so I could get out of there. One bag was down and I had three to go. When I walked around to the back of my SUV, to grab another bag, a man approached me, from across the street, (HOLDING A LARGE KNIFE)! I wasn't sure what this man's intentions were. I know God helped me stay rational. I thought one of two things, "He's either here to help me or hurt me." Seeing as I usually see the glass half-full, I went with the first notion. So, without any introductions, I threw him a large bag. I quickly grabbed another bag and tossed it in the shed. At this point all rationale left me and I prayed, "Oh please God help him not to stab me." All of the sudden my foot steps caught up with my accelerated heart rate and all I wanted to do was jump in my car. I quickly closed the back door, of my car, while he asked me in Spanish if there were anymore bags. I said, "No," jumped in my car and sped off. The seriousness of the situation hit me as I left the scene, and there were two things I wanted to do: Thank the Lord for protecting me and call my mom!<br />
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After venting to my mom, I had to talk to my sister. She said something that made a chill rush through me. She told me he could have been there to hurt me or steal my car, but God could have placed strong angels in the car that only the man could see. Only God knows what the man's intentions were, but after envisioning what might have been, I'm humbled by my God's protection!<br />
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Another protection story: As I was driving home yesterday evening (on our rural road), the west sun was in my eyes. As I was zooming across the railroad tracks, I noticed the RR lights blinking! Ten seconds later, I saw the train speed by, in my rear view mirror! At that moment, I turned the radio off and thanked God for protecting me, yet again! His timing is always perfect, so why should I ever doubt it?!<br />
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I will close with a scripture that's dear to my heart. As a teenager my mom challenged me to memorize verses from Psalm 91. I'm thankful she did. "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Psalm 91:1-2Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-86507996067925974972010-05-27T07:00:00.000-07:002010-05-27T10:51:51.482-07:00Mama's Got A Job<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Well, starting the middle of August, I will join the working world! Monday night I was hired, at our local school, to teach 10th grade English and 7th grade reading. I'm very excited about it! I can honestly say, up until this point in my life, I have not wanted a full time job. I'm rather old fashioned in my ideals, and I have felt the need to be a stay-at-home mom for the past 14 years. I've loved everything about being a "housewife", and I'm thankful to my husband for working double jobs so I could stay home with our girls. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I know life the way I have known it (for the past 15 years) will drastically change, but I can honestly say, "I'm ready for it." That's not to say there won't be challenges every now and then, but when is there not in life? My husband and girls are excited about my new job and I'm counting on them to help out with a few things next year. We'll see how that goes! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I can't remember where I found the following quote, but I love it! It kind of sums up the way I feel about this new adventure in my life.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> "The changes in Job's life moved him toward God. Stress points? Yes. But, also opportunities to discover new dimensions of God!"</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I've asked God to open doors that needed to be open and close doors that needed to be shut, and I feel He has answered my prayers. Before getting the job, I had come to the point in my life that I'd be content with or without a job. I just wanted God's will to be done. I loved the peace that came with that. I truly feel this opportunity is a gift from God and I'm looking forward to trying to make a difference in kids' lives! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You have my permission to slap me if I end up looking like the ladies in the following pictures. I swear, I think you should be fined for wearing "teacher" clothes. You know what I'm talking about... the ABC and Christmas sweaters! </span><br />
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</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">OH YEAH, PRAY FOR ME!! :)</span></div>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-16214181758605073552010-05-18T08:43:00.000-07:002010-05-18T08:45:01.000-07:00Wings As Eagles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5rnjL-g-AbMU0eFOLTtVfDXPXYVEWd7siD8zTN4jLbevK8nGr3IYXVuCPJWHk_PN_CqmV5B6ddpqS9ZkJHQc-LGVUaqdmcl7hXOV85fS3YaLvDLdzaAnf50lfpow209tmrFY1ByqDkOZ/s1600/eagle_flying_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5rnjL-g-AbMU0eFOLTtVfDXPXYVEWd7siD8zTN4jLbevK8nGr3IYXVuCPJWHk_PN_CqmV5B6ddpqS9ZkJHQc-LGVUaqdmcl7hXOV85fS3YaLvDLdzaAnf50lfpow209tmrFY1ByqDkOZ/s320/eagle_flying_web.jpg" width="320" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">But those who wait upon the Lord</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">Shall renew their strength;</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">They shall mount up with wings like eagles,</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">They shall run and not be weary, </span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">They shall walk and not be faint.</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">Isaiah 40:31</span></strong></div>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-64531807672909063372010-05-16T20:03:00.000-07:002010-05-16T20:05:05.731-07:00Family Photo Shoot 2010<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5c-2sh5BHnyvd0NZ2aGuqJB0TvH1rRHE9MF6-yj5N5eQHStYNlAinpPotsv9e3mrXWTxktHrZl7yOho9QSo5cbfJPeF89xUsM6mHQ6f8W6K1CNxE3QHUmmdvMoWEou88FLNYMNPC5m7WS/s1600/IMG_2354.jpg"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5c-2sh5BHnyvd0NZ2aGuqJB0TvH1rRHE9MF6-yj5N5eQHStYNlAinpPotsv9e3mrXWTxktHrZl7yOho9QSo5cbfJPeF89xUsM6mHQ6f8W6K1CNxE3QHUmmdvMoWEou88FLNYMNPC5m7WS/s400/IMG_2354.jpg" /></a> </div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6-yJIwXfIGEwYAQb0iQuVyUYRH1zdOgZ9X44xY93_B6oeH-kNMTXpUISh-syxTsnwD17NPC7XeuLUB8j8HQx8km2EBmA7GsBhASsfc8zow-OMndmcGbJ0wtLzFlnNDOvpOKa4sck5iZo/s1600/IMG_2381.jpg"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6-yJIwXfIGEwYAQb0iQuVyUYRH1zdOgZ9X44xY93_B6oeH-kNMTXpUISh-syxTsnwD17NPC7XeuLUB8j8HQx8km2EBmA7GsBhASsfc8zow-OMndmcGbJ0wtLzFlnNDOvpOKa4sck5iZo/s400/IMG_2381.jpg" /></a> </div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6_HQfVOo02O94HMrhwF0JOVyJsk6SosIK61jtVlTpZz4iggnVINifCCM1QcS6za_Wkomoo81OwTbcgRwNoPmtoQZ0-JbrjyjAfVBZliUaUOPuxEB_AcbIkMyEOfyVVAY3g0TjgDne9ul/s1600/IMG_2396.jpg"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6_HQfVOo02O94HMrhwF0JOVyJsk6SosIK61jtVlTpZz4iggnVINifCCM1QcS6za_Wkomoo81OwTbcgRwNoPmtoQZ0-JbrjyjAfVBZliUaUOPuxEB_AcbIkMyEOfyVVAY3g0TjgDne9ul/s400/IMG_2396.jpg" /></a> </div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7g87WAnciqBxMH3-VQJfJ5HneYLUVFGLnAirnqXTw_sUVsAvNOyj9FUsVWzPiwJrKpcJkN59q0Zmx01np9xXw4Sjn6gxbWVxpqeBb09Lg0Z5YmvLHxcAkUex4SHrUefbhYZWJKjpGIrsp/s1600/IMG_2419.jpg"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7g87WAnciqBxMH3-VQJfJ5HneYLUVFGLnAirnqXTw_sUVsAvNOyj9FUsVWzPiwJrKpcJkN59q0Zmx01np9xXw4Sjn6gxbWVxpqeBb09Lg0Z5YmvLHxcAkUex4SHrUefbhYZWJKjpGIrsp/s400/IMG_2419.jpg" /></a><br /><br /> A few pics from our photo shoot. Kati Kitchens from Austin took our pictures.<br />For some reason, Blogger is only letting me post 4 pics! I'll try a few more later.</div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-46612852073657314432010-05-09T18:02:00.000-07:002010-05-09T18:06:01.315-07:00Happy Mother's Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0I7H8IxDpZbAGQ9bDtfn3cpX4M37Vt0ESvry9qVogBHSR_3K_PYDxZfKdDyI9-50OZ3NsWYeI1lUpJYpBs5T2qsY8YurT7JfsDKrIuDWIoq0V1sFTy_EBijS__51HlChtTSlK7LBPngQ/s1600/038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0I7H8IxDpZbAGQ9bDtfn3cpX4M37Vt0ESvry9qVogBHSR_3K_PYDxZfKdDyI9-50OZ3NsWYeI1lUpJYpBs5T2qsY8YurT7JfsDKrIuDWIoq0V1sFTy_EBijS__51HlChtTSlK7LBPngQ/s400/038.JPG" tt="true" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta;">MY MOM IS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST MOM IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!! </span></div><span style="color: magenta;">She's not only my mom but a best friend too. I love hanging out with her. She's a lot of fun and has tons of energy. When we're together we're usually laughing. She has always encouraged me and reminded me that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. If I ever have a problem in life, I know mom will be on her knees praying for me. She's a prayer warrior! I take great comfort in knowing that. We are usually each other's back-up in whatever project we've volunteered for and have a good time working together. I'm so glad we only live 18 miles apart. She has always added sparkle to my life, sometimes a little too much! ha! (...some of the predicaments we get into...) Her adventurous spirit keeps things exciting. I'm thankful to God for instilling such a warm, caring, and nurturing heart in my mom. In my eyes, my childhood was pretty much picture-perfect, and so much of the credit is due to her. She poured her heart and soul into raising us and I thank her for that. She is and always has been a wonderful role model in my life. I couldn't imagine my life without my mom in it. I love you mom! </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta;">HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">"Her children rise up and call her blessed..." Proverbs 31:28</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta;"><br />
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</div>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-8161047335185800292010-05-08T07:38:00.000-07:002010-05-08T07:40:36.645-07:00Softball<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqpL9tRtAqXEdJkaEFm8j1gNQirpr-qv7UmSlQPIGCPgwT1KIsC2EtYbYQebXZTpIqmxBUk6L1-XSgdXQEOn8HiYiEgNgsvnHB6sQHotD8f9_2gJH0HBrsVAl7bdoJqQFVqh90EAj_CVna/s1600/Lady+Hawks+%2710+004.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqpL9tRtAqXEdJkaEFm8j1gNQirpr-qv7UmSlQPIGCPgwT1KIsC2EtYbYQebXZTpIqmxBUk6L1-XSgdXQEOn8HiYiEgNgsvnHB6sQHotD8f9_2gJH0HBrsVAl7bdoJqQFVqh90EAj_CVna/s400/Lady+Hawks+%2710+004.JPG" /></a> </div><br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLEtLjTES3F2fH8RiQoW-DlTAc2FOhH5V6_oSnOxeixY4QOD02LXf0JEUgwBDx1ARKM-kN3gVGSXKckpMGRexPvpbgCA4DDAnFwTgrDNiHVFznVxYeG304m7SZZxjfCd0Oq0Jbp02Ib7i/s1600/Lady+Hawks+%2710+001.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLEtLjTES3F2fH8RiQoW-DlTAc2FOhH5V6_oSnOxeixY4QOD02LXf0JEUgwBDx1ARKM-kN3gVGSXKckpMGRexPvpbgCA4DDAnFwTgrDNiHVFznVxYeG304m7SZZxjfCd0Oq0Jbp02Ib7i/s400/Lady+Hawks+%2710+001.JPG" /></a><br />
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K & K played great last night! Kater Bug hit it low and hard and made it to 3rd. <br />
She ended up stealing home by sliding in. It was a photo finish!<br />
Libby had good hits too and she's quick! Look at the coach next to 3rd...he looks<br />
intense! Yeah, that's their dad! Go Lady Hawks!!</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-14441076074977422722010-05-06T15:32:00.000-07:002010-05-06T15:40:21.950-07:00Rodeo Season Begins<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUD2FS8D7ZBpdIouAxDtW-qOD-n-gIq_0TR92HpHNsoOOyOGVwiSd3j0KDwX3I87fUZZs0RAHY7zKo2l5_BvmlZ2YcOJcnCusNzv8B1NxjNmT2uWKG7NL0WyczrvFJOyhT9z-kJLqLA6NP/s1600/021.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUD2FS8D7ZBpdIouAxDtW-qOD-n-gIq_0TR92HpHNsoOOyOGVwiSd3j0KDwX3I87fUZZs0RAHY7zKo2l5_BvmlZ2YcOJcnCusNzv8B1NxjNmT2uWKG7NL0WyczrvFJOyhT9z-kJLqLA6NP/s400/021.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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Chillin' at the rodeo before they ride.</div><br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZCFeUyXkpihT8shWwjeqZtys3jn_ThEH_oE3sjSzgydDucCL1ScPOhPughw3vc3W8tVnkYRbpIH7qLH95owxf7GQsnqDm_oVbbL43O7VHM_skmRcYrpqoTbvCTFAkXHxToaCRau-RXLx/s1600/025.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZCFeUyXkpihT8shWwjeqZtys3jn_ThEH_oE3sjSzgydDucCL1ScPOhPughw3vc3W8tVnkYRbpIH7qLH95owxf7GQsnqDm_oVbbL43O7VHM_skmRcYrpqoTbvCTFAkXHxToaCRau-RXLx/s400/025.JPG" /></a> </div><br />
Pep talk from dad before break-a -way roping begins...<br />
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<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4aB3uuXu6EpWoetfhy8M-f4E5PBErqI3k737jFH4PJfGzc9nx24X2HLEnEYwnl6Pz7kYdmtOwm0Rwwy7idphMzy83GF3IuwCvWUCav_X0V34tENo2kkVtMNiminPfevYgC0Z2ZfLMe8rE/s1600/023.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4aB3uuXu6EpWoetfhy8M-f4E5PBErqI3k737jFH4PJfGzc9nx24X2HLEnEYwnl6Pz7kYdmtOwm0Rwwy7idphMzy83GF3IuwCvWUCav_X0V34tENo2kkVtMNiminPfevYgC0Z2ZfLMe8rE/s400/023.JPG" /></a> </div> Gearing up to rope for the first time in an arena.<br />
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<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevPiVu3NSnagUK3XnOY1S_g6YVxROkl_dotWCfrTQY953KcD5dus_9yyBzkziewwX21SX837AFy0UaJRR3K6jOL_hQ1uW2LiKTWqNFzY9DPdBnrTkg_vnNC4MHI6tGdy1mzH8tSsM2Oqf/s1600/037.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevPiVu3NSnagUK3XnOY1S_g6YVxROkl_dotWCfrTQY953KcD5dus_9yyBzkziewwX21SX837AFy0UaJRR3K6jOL_hQ1uW2LiKTWqNFzY9DPdBnrTkg_vnNC4MHI6tGdy1mzH8tSsM2Oqf/s400/037.JPG" /></a><br />
Lupe took the kids for a ride around the pasture.</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a><br />
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I love this time of year...rodeo season. It means summer is just around the corner! Woohoo!</div>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-52238000214853701082010-05-04T19:02:00.000-07:002010-05-04T19:02:17.598-07:00A Cat Tale<span style="color: orange;">After a productive weekend and a busy Monday and Tuesday, I wasn't in the mood to cook supper this evening. Have you ever felt that way? You look in the frig, you look in the pantry, you look in the freezer, but nothing jumps out and says, "Cook me!" The thought of everyone doing their own thing crossed my mind...c<em>ereal, a sandwich, a tasty burrito... </em>I gave into the guilt and decided to make something that took longer than 1 minute and 45 seconds to cook (since I only made egg sandwiches last night). As I walked out the back door to get chicken out of the freezer, I noticed the baby kittens were all alone on the porch. Before I got to the garage door, I noticed the mama cat - behind a potted plant - just taking it easy. At first I was a little envious, because like the cat, I wanted a little R&R too! Then I got a little miffed at the cat for not tending to her little kittens, weren't they hungry? Hey! Wait a minute! A few minutes ago, I almost did the same thing (let my kiddos fend for themselves for supper) and then there I was judging the cat for the same thing I almost did! In life, we do the same thing, don't we? We judge the women in our lives before really taking a good hard look at our own. We all want to be good wives, moms, sisters, and friends, and sometimes it's hard and not always a barrel of laughs. So, let's be a little less judgemental and a lot more supportive to the women in our lives! </span><br />
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<span style="color: orange;">"Judge not lest ye be judged." </span>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-79252942233622713602010-04-23T09:31:00.000-07:002010-04-23T09:31:57.549-07:00My New Spot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxf4oO5gpIGmRP43aRdEl4btvRRxSVS9lMXb3fWTeMpa2a2NNFedlNGVsJvKCTGmH7BQlQsPd_IJOlWIOwr4mYzakh8Sh6PQQ5XA4sCFjgyS-9IdfpfsrBJqWfXa0Q7eS19Y1jh7Cp9TG/s1600/ranch+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxf4oO5gpIGmRP43aRdEl4btvRRxSVS9lMXb3fWTeMpa2a2NNFedlNGVsJvKCTGmH7BQlQsPd_IJOlWIOwr4mYzakh8Sh6PQQ5XA4sCFjgyS-9IdfpfsrBJqWfXa0Q7eS19Y1jh7Cp9TG/s400/ranch+019.JPG" tt="true" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My new spot for reading and praying...until it gets too hot!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPAZ_IFmfzXSotOvLGJwRHmch69kb9gXpDwBUvLZarrcba4YGKFg5kB-2gbwhdMCh2UxxhS14OdK665DckW926CLJM4eUM38d5-vqqIjBjCbUJcNmkOClyzpffd5yK3f-TOWwVgT2ZcSu/s1600/ranch+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPAZ_IFmfzXSotOvLGJwRHmch69kb9gXpDwBUvLZarrcba4YGKFg5kB-2gbwhdMCh2UxxhS14OdK665DckW926CLJM4eUM38d5-vqqIjBjCbUJcNmkOClyzpffd5yK3f-TOWwVgT2ZcSu/s320/ranch+022.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">From a distance...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYlKQMYQ26047qWqEnvlKCvUR6bHrQFKEhkIiIgHJAOJmUNTsFmDQlf36oo0q1RPuIkXeidl2m-_JXd7jWuhhDmcO1NR6R4s4xE3BSRwrC2ac7T1ZsvQkqIM05GRTkSuCkKf74fJmAkpZ/s1600/ranch+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYlKQMYQ26047qWqEnvlKCvUR6bHrQFKEhkIiIgHJAOJmUNTsFmDQlf36oo0q1RPuIkXeidl2m-_JXd7jWuhhDmcO1NR6R4s4xE3BSRwrC2ac7T1ZsvQkqIM05GRTkSuCkKf74fJmAkpZ/s320/ranch+023.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Watching the sheep chill out by Cow Creek</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Behind our house)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNQKTyXAONns8m82BxoCWSPlzHs1EDaUnrxkcIafxTG_UpW-CeXIf0ixmKqlUj8NmNG5h2Cdq9H3BHZrncuI-R0WVzBvIVP9T6x3WZZ4uuSHgThu8BSolHw7R5clUm5oifB4_vcWxIG4x/s1600/ranch+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNQKTyXAONns8m82BxoCWSPlzHs1EDaUnrxkcIafxTG_UpW-CeXIf0ixmKqlUj8NmNG5h2Cdq9H3BHZrncuI-R0WVzBvIVP9T6x3WZZ4uuSHgThu8BSolHw7R5clUm5oifB4_vcWxIG4x/s320/ranch+024.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Old outhouse behind our house...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Don't feel sorry for us, we don't have to use it,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">we have indoor plumbing!) ha!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89N3j7jPxY7DbdC8biwRFUbDZiBGHGN7B2KwGBQWlg84asKswuFLIjS5DbbcrJEaftQ7-nBN-T8LX_LuH8KrYeKDROqqBlDPHM4ApSaq64yJqzbpY4NhOFqA3riEsmXxN_EoEdvhB_lta/s1600/ranch+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89N3j7jPxY7DbdC8biwRFUbDZiBGHGN7B2KwGBQWlg84asKswuFLIjS5DbbcrJEaftQ7-nBN-T8LX_LuH8KrYeKDROqqBlDPHM4ApSaq64yJqzbpY4NhOFqA3riEsmXxN_EoEdvhB_lta/s320/ranch+021.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Curious cow...is wondering what I'm up to!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yesterday, as I followed my oldest down to the arena, a nice little spot under some trees, behind our house, caught my eye. I immediately envisioned twinkly lights hanging from the trees, a fire pit, and seating, maybe a hammock too! Well, after she rode, I found a table and one little chair. I hauled them over to the spot under the tree and staked my claim! I thought it'd be a lovely spot to read and pray in the mornings. So, this morning, after the girls left for school, I grabbed my bible, a few other books, and my cup of coffee and headed outside. It was such a beautiful morning. It was slightly overcast with a gentle breeze. I loved hearing the birds chirp, the doves call out, and the cows moo. The coolest thing was the little white butterfly that kept dancing around me! It was all very relaxing. I don't know if I've said it before, but I absolutely LOVE nature! What a creation! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There were only 2 "hiccups" to this lovely morning: the big caterpillar that was on the table when I got there and I dropped my little turquoise cup as I was walking back to the house! BTW, I love nature, but I HATE WORMS! I said a prayer that nothing would fall out of the tree and land on me while I was praying and reading! Just thinking about it makes me shake! God answered my prayer and I didn't see another creepy crawly!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">PRAISE TO THE LORD FROM CREATION</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the heights!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Praise Him , all His angels; Praise Him all His hosts! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him all you stars of light!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, and you waters above the heavens!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all the depths.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Fire and hail, snow and clouds; stormy wind, fulfilling His word.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mountains and hills; fruitful trees and all cedars.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Beasts and all cattle; <strong>creeping things</strong> and flying fowl.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kings of the earth and all peoples; princes and all judges of the earth.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Both young men and maidens; old men and children.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His glory is above the earth and heaven. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And He has exalted the horn of His people, the praise of all His saints -</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Of the children of Israel, a people near to Him.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Praise the Lord!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Psalm 148</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wow, He even mentioned creeping things! I feel a little guilty about holding a life-long grudge against worms. I'm glad I just swooshed the worm off the table instead of smashing it; it might have been praising the Lord!! ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-65251735457631214202010-04-22T12:32:00.000-07:002010-04-22T12:32:55.449-07:00<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GMeCBg8tmyQxv66Grbk7LfhQSTuleb08cxxBeY43NdbYUhFABappkrl_0cwH0ZsEOxsiY9odMm3IxTD73eiHSh7DrunVmjX9goHpo1kUJ-1zVyd21prUc-tGN6YX0cyQ-1IVGTAgMd40/s1600/166.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GMeCBg8tmyQxv66Grbk7LfhQSTuleb08cxxBeY43NdbYUhFABappkrl_0cwH0ZsEOxsiY9odMm3IxTD73eiHSh7DrunVmjX9goHpo1kUJ-1zVyd21prUc-tGN6YX0cyQ-1IVGTAgMd40/s400/166.JPG" /></a> </div><br /> My photo subjects...I'm playing with photos today.<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-63157910794158704652010-04-22T08:44:00.000-07:002010-04-22T08:50:03.205-07:00Feet First A few hours old...<br />
<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0BACV2RiAx9di4PjbvHRoQrgFmvemPVQJUiTi0BQYJZZr4OjBMTd-a_EoQQAUf907zaeBtFUtZkOseV1tVfpkZkXvCE4QbStd5MHLC6gFfubvrAbIaZws5-FwXPUNbYhiopD7FuPxKTZ/s1600/kate+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0BACV2RiAx9di4PjbvHRoQrgFmvemPVQJUiTi0BQYJZZr4OjBMTd-a_EoQQAUf907zaeBtFUtZkOseV1tVfpkZkXvCE4QbStd5MHLC6gFfubvrAbIaZws5-FwXPUNbYhiopD7FuPxKTZ/s200/kate+016.JPG" width="200" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">She had a set of lungs!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwHnJ0JpOMpcDBthoKjcuD0EwCVNrYQoay-m_T9G1nfyGdPbahnWrlJKRWIhgIIYLQtts6kIoARQAbpvRTBP-buDJHPcIwr83QStA8J-3Yi7Y5ENFc4zpDJVWQpsG1SXt4Xj1AYJoLprX/s200/kate+017.JPG" width="200" wt="true" /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Leaving hospital</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hwqOxDjPHOPWekLDYZLVfvT2itf0ruXgdLHoRKUuV1HHPGSO2TWxfhPEl8w-Fw36Xbq6EMAH6L3CRL6vMfoeivhHIhcURFvMJtTeeq5yCJXGpoVnGpTTmF6B-bvJlQiq6IsMwzlhDIDN/s1600/kate+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hwqOxDjPHOPWekLDYZLVfvT2itf0ruXgdLHoRKUuV1HHPGSO2TWxfhPEl8w-Fw36Xbq6EMAH6L3CRL6vMfoeivhHIhcURFvMJtTeeq5yCJXGpoVnGpTTmF6B-bvJlQiq6IsMwzlhDIDN/s200/kate+019.JPG" width="200" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1st b-day</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhN-nB_r7hM8gaz0ioDyIPHVxmvNsdoGgLdYGCWstFsZATNh0OaDbt49BPRv6rhYsM1YEWplawqQbzJ40ux8CqFRECxwW_6DkycVcno9OWvR-I9HuE20can4OME3y9QJJJV-nbdYoMeYZ0/s1600/spring+%2710+055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhN-nB_r7hM8gaz0ioDyIPHVxmvNsdoGgLdYGCWstFsZATNh0OaDbt49BPRv6rhYsM1YEWplawqQbzJ40ux8CqFRECxwW_6DkycVcno9OWvR-I9HuE20can4OME3y9QJJJV-nbdYoMeYZ0/s200/spring+%2710+055.JPG" width="200" wt="true" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQ_2ZrQo4hJLKo4jwmWB5wr1I8SwgpG8jF0R7q0MG4Y_AVslrxDbQ_0gPajXa2Wb-jVcPQFPaTHyh7OLE58T7OGjpc2Hrh0aBPjCcxNZdgFFR28U_pBPggxJvV4cNZsQM1J9GvV64lGm-/s1600/spring+%2710+067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQ_2ZrQo4hJLKo4jwmWB5wr1I8SwgpG8jF0R7q0MG4Y_AVslrxDbQ_0gPajXa2Wb-jVcPQFPaTHyh7OLE58T7OGjpc2Hrh0aBPjCcxNZdgFFR28U_pBPggxJvV4cNZsQM1J9GvV64lGm-/s200/spring+%2710+067.JPG" width="200" wt="true" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinAkRV7zwih_pkanaxh-0Nryhej8rhuGEXTpIU3L6UNNPaYZj9Eqeqz8u3Ba0ZE6DFtZ5kOIal86G1p2zn74_3AkOxLcz4l09LX0MVIVPpXv1aVGTpxsJcuW-Ay_bygYscWbOjv-fLb1yJ/s1600/spring+%2710+066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinAkRV7zwih_pkanaxh-0Nryhej8rhuGEXTpIU3L6UNNPaYZj9Eqeqz8u3Ba0ZE6DFtZ5kOIal86G1p2zn74_3AkOxLcz4l09LX0MVIVPpXv1aVGTpxsJcuW-Ay_bygYscWbOjv-fLb1yJ/s200/spring+%2710+066.JPG" width="200" wt="true" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8qSF6-IMywSCl1oPYrEmkJ3alxwzKZFUVCLSPTM0MHRu8-ELOQhttcMZDX8N9MLxdlw7bEMpusEaTtgtv_SsdA2ZXlVOA6yG4ctMAe9Eh389SPYf10PqfPW9yImWDKfhroGqPUakjhOc/s1600/spring+%2710+060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8qSF6-IMywSCl1oPYrEmkJ3alxwzKZFUVCLSPTM0MHRu8-ELOQhttcMZDX8N9MLxdlw7bEMpusEaTtgtv_SsdA2ZXlVOA6yG4ctMAe9Eh389SPYf10PqfPW9yImWDKfhroGqPUakjhOc/s200/spring+%2710+060.JPG" width="200" wt="true" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDnuOQbDZ6YHlXDrOFg7RV1zIUm6kUjC4_Zkt2t2V-ecisjOcHdohUl5kh0PDVMbj81hl4kxl09clmd5Aruj2vbMT1QsnxHnymu0C7zYABLPX6KOaavNMeauaZSY8h56JIddYVfkz9eQjr/s1600/spring+%2710+062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDnuOQbDZ6YHlXDrOFg7RV1zIUm6kUjC4_Zkt2t2V-ecisjOcHdohUl5kh0PDVMbj81hl4kxl09clmd5Aruj2vbMT1QsnxHnymu0C7zYABLPX6KOaavNMeauaZSY8h56JIddYVfkz9eQjr/s200/spring+%2710+062.JPG" width="150" wt="true" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcJEoFkr_jBcUyRiAsoap_QWLN9YucSxHGZSDrM7BMbliXmX6qsfZ3zGNT_i9Y-IBffGtapAONprZ6pIYaUHlsivA3U3Dv6cAhNbMqtZP_g14ijgsK2fsojcvXpdmkpJ_b5ZhN5-SCJMM/s1600/spring+%2710+063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcJEoFkr_jBcUyRiAsoap_QWLN9YucSxHGZSDrM7BMbliXmX6qsfZ3zGNT_i9Y-IBffGtapAONprZ6pIYaUHlsivA3U3Dv6cAhNbMqtZP_g14ijgsK2fsojcvXpdmkpJ_b5ZhN5-SCJMM/s200/spring+%2710+063.JPG" width="200" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pnDd2iuocLJ0NSycInPts9vyZE8koonxtvbYhBEbWlPyHtJv5uB0FxaQiiLWNpj_8v_ZZA-dqoqBT3Q-eaRIftduYzxY4j7z0pqLWwsrXcd1tjqQLjba7ueeQYwT0oBrZT781vrO569h/s1600/spring+%2710+069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pnDd2iuocLJ0NSycInPts9vyZE8koonxtvbYhBEbWlPyHtJv5uB0FxaQiiLWNpj_8v_ZZA-dqoqBT3Q-eaRIftduYzxY4j7z0pqLWwsrXcd1tjqQLjba7ueeQYwT0oBrZT781vrO569h/s200/spring+%2710+069.JPG" width="200" wt="true" /></a><span style="color: magenta;">Written on 4-19-10:</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: magenta;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: magenta;">Twelve years ago, today, my mom came out to the ranch and brought us hamburgers from the Krazy Chicken. I only ate 1/2 of the hamburger that evening. You would have thought I would've eaten the whole thing since I had packed on 50 extra pounds that year! No, it wasn't from sitting around watching soap operas and eating bon bons, it was the baby growing inside of me! And, no, I wasn't in the Guinness Book of World Records for having a 50 pound baby. She only weighed 8 pounds! I blamed most of the weight on water retention! ;)</span></div></div><span style="color: magenta;"><br />
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<div><span style="color: magenta;">I told mom I couldn't finish my burger and she asked if I felt okay. I told her I thought I might be having a few contractions. That's when she had the bright idea to walk down to the House Tank, 1/2 mile from our house. She said she thought it might speed things along. I put on my tennis shoes and off we went! We got half way to the tank and I just couldn't go any farther, so we walked back home. The pains were beginning to come a little closer together and kind of hurt. So, I took a shower while Mark hung curtains in Maddie's new room. I would holler out (from the shower) when I was having another contraction. Everything started happening so fast. Before I knew it, we threw my bag into the car and sped to the hospital. Half way there I had the most excruciating pain and I asked him to go faster! He put the hazards on and nailed it!</span></div><span style="color: magenta;"><br />
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<div><span style="color: magenta;">After the nurse did the embarrassing exam, she said I was 8 1/2 cm. dilated. They could have wheeled me right into the delivery room. Then she broke the bad news. She said, "Whatever you do, don't push because the baby is breached and we can't get a hold of your doctor!" "Breached, no doctor, don't push, new doctor in town, c-section," all these words coming from the nurses made me cry! I had never had surgery and wasn't wanting it that night.</span></div><span style="color: magenta;"><br />
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<div><span style="color: magenta;">They never did get a hold of my doctor, they said a new doctor was in town and wanted to know if it be okay if he'd perform the surgery. We agreed, what else could I do! When the new doctor walked in the door, the looks of him didn't ease my nerves any. He looked like a mad scientist (crazy hair) who liked wearing Hawaiian shirts and snake skinned boots! By the time I was wheeled into the operating room, my nerves had taken over and I was shaking uncontrollably. I had been watching "Touched By An Angel" pretty regularly, back in '98, and the thought of the death angel walking through the door made me nauseous! Yeah, you could say I was pretty scared, none the least! Mark, the warm towels, my prayers, and "Hold On" by Wilson Philips, playing in the background, started easing the nervous convulsions, a bit. Before I knew it, little Kater Bug was born at 11:57 pm! Man, did she have a set of lungs on her! The nurse later told me she had never heard a baby scream that loud! She was so beautiful! She weighed 8 pounds 6 oz. </span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Wow! Twelve years have gone by so fast. She has turned into such an amazing kid! One of the things I love about her is she is her own person. There's no question where she stands on an issue. She's pretty much black or white. She knows what she likes and doesn't like. She doesn't do things just because everyone else is doing them. She has her own convictions and sticks with them! Thinking back, I guess this sort of attitude started before she was born. In the womb she was probably thinking, "<em>You know, I betcha everyone always comes out head first, well not me, I don't want to be like everybody else! I think I'm going to turn around. I want to come out feet first!" </em></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">She is one of the most creative people I know. She is an exceptional student. Learning has always come easy for her. You very rarely see her study and if she does it's for maybe 20 minutes. And, she continues to make all A's. She's an awesome writer. She has been Author of the Month countless times and does well in UIL creative writing. She also won 1st place in the Southwest Texas Junior College writing contest a few years ago. Her creativity doesn't stop there. Her computer skills are amazing. Her power point presentations are always fun to watch. She's also good with a camera and has done well in 4H photography. She loves animals and also likes grooming them. Her little Chihuahua, Chalula, can sometimes be seen in a cute little outfit with painted toenails! A few years ago, before I had a jewelry show, Kate went online and bought jewelry and clothes for dogs. A corner of the show was filled with Kate's things. She helped me work the show one afternoon. The dog accessories were a hit. She has an eye for fashion, whether it be in the canine world or our own! She loves accessorizing herself too. From scarves, to pearls to headbands...she always looks cute. But ,she's just not a girly-girl. She loves to play outside and doesn't mind working hard or getting dirty. She's also very good at riding horses. Her horse that she's riding this year in rodeos is Cupcake. She always forms a strong bond with her horses. She also loves sports and is currently playing softball. She's very powerful and actually made a home run during her last game!! She's looking forward to junior high sports next year. She says she's going to play every sport. She has a good group of friends at school and she's a very loyal friend. She has had a giving heart since she was very little. She'll save up her money and buy people gifts. She likes making people feel special. Most importantly, she loves God and is a great witness to others.</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">I couldn't imaging my life without my Kater Bug. She spices it up - big time! She has a great sense of humor and is a truly remarkable kid! Happy Birthday Kater Bug...you amaze me!</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">"For you formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works. And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You. When I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth, Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed, and in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">BTW, for Kate's b-day she took the day off, and we went shopping together. We had lunch at Fuddrucker's and shopped 'til we dropped.Two of her friends rode the bus home with her sisters and surprised her. We ate her b-day cake, which was in the shape of a horseshoe, but I was told it resembled a toilet bowl seat! I can only imagine what it would have resembled if I would have put chocolate icing on that cake (maybe something that plops in the toilet bowl)! After eating cake and opening presents, we watched a movie and ate at Chili's. Nothing like partying on a Monday!! She had a good day!</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsGLn4_sOBevM_Vsm1fnEYQrcRoWD0EioWZ5eVUQUa-B0hGBosQaGk15TxZn0i5HutJMIgSfXHQidPSCLOqNQukaEm2NBxrk5WS5kVA9AmtrBx1fjeNi4Us1DXkCK0UjYnc7AWdQ8UfDW/s1600/spring+%2710+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsGLn4_sOBevM_Vsm1fnEYQrcRoWD0EioWZ5eVUQUa-B0hGBosQaGk15TxZn0i5HutJMIgSfXHQidPSCLOqNQukaEm2NBxrk5WS5kVA9AmtrBx1fjeNi4Us1DXkCK0UjYnc7AWdQ8UfDW/s200/spring+%2710+056.JPG" width="150" wt="true" /></a></div>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-15563980728952492522010-04-17T18:15:00.000-07:002010-04-17T18:29:44.840-07:00So Long FB<span style="color:#33cc00;">I guess I'll be blogging more since I canceled my Face Book account. I don't know what came over me the other night. I just felt a strong need to deactivate my page. So, I went with my gut feeling and freed myself from the desire to post statuses, read statuses, look at pictures, etc... FB is neat because you can stay connected to family and friends, but if you're not careful it can become a little addicting. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't on FB 24/7. I just felt deep down I should be doing something more constructive with the little bits of free time I have during my waking hours. It's kind of funny because about a month ago I talked Mark into creating a FB account and now I don't have one. (And no, I'm not going to sneak on his page!)I may reactivate my page someday, but at this point in my life, I need to stay focused and not distracted!</span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;"></span>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-50123391024551854242010-02-19T07:52:00.000-08:002010-02-19T09:05:57.324-08:00Winter Get-A-Way<div align="center"><span style="color:#33ccff;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfxlpsZt1x_XtlNLreGTor1itmvjdIrbjPp5qfP4tvmmO4iZhoV4y5iUZqtcLCi2zGSZIiaJWwhilPqBCtlBOU8JWsbo-8LOHFdxhQLBhrX2xmZz6XIRV7d2UOpb5zj9-Q78NEjiCggYA/s1600-h/Cloudcroft+%2710+105.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440001619520206258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfxlpsZt1x_XtlNLreGTor1itmvjdIrbjPp5qfP4tvmmO4iZhoV4y5iUZqtcLCi2zGSZIiaJWwhilPqBCtlBOU8JWsbo-8LOHFdxhQLBhrX2xmZz6XIRV7d2UOpb5zj9-Q78NEjiCggYA/s320/Cloudcroft+%2710+105.JPG" /></a> <span style="color:#33ccff;">Don't ever eat yellow snow!! :)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#33ccff;"></span><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4YE94E1hentax6DFHXlZbDnML8GBQpTZRSJp32NFkOt5ZUeCCl0RzMmJI-0pN-LRk_za00RJDs4zzHQcSm732xyobtt1o2WKt2qBmXPpSSo1nRHAkrrf3fQ1HXjhgAfV_RM8UFXWLJOb/s1600-h/Cloudcroft+%2710+116.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439999712238445378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4YE94E1hentax6DFHXlZbDnML8GBQpTZRSJp32NFkOt5ZUeCCl0RzMmJI-0pN-LRk_za00RJDs4zzHQcSm732xyobtt1o2WKt2qBmXPpSSo1nRHAkrrf3fQ1HXjhgAfV_RM8UFXWLJOb/s320/Cloudcroft+%2710+116.JPG" /></a><span style="color:#33ccff;">The girls and I ice-skating</span> </div><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55mLBbChXr-DnCA77CzKT_fL63EjEH0-9kovdmXOXqt7JXA73PZHGrxu7CzZus8VrYGJ5Mew5kjizu8gFqUgeBDBirqUtHqczHNBCsOWkR7ANetfrFJZl19DMGd8OHxl_lLlR6L0MY1rA/s1600-h/Cloudcroft+%2710+055.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439999702983718834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55mLBbChXr-DnCA77CzKT_fL63EjEH0-9kovdmXOXqt7JXA73PZHGrxu7CzZus8VrYGJ5Mew5kjizu8gFqUgeBDBirqUtHqczHNBCsOWkR7ANetfrFJZl19DMGd8OHxl_lLlR6L0MY1rA/s320/Cloudcroft+%2710+055.JPG" /></a> <span style="color:#33ccff;">I'm glad this wasn't my car!!</span><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVyenZorlBRfW3Qdj3dGdPUdDpWLPTALqKGn-7QF_z_G618B1DZGUGfsI3LbLxrnRoFyPp8FvB3xII8IDBceJhwCwI7vKkLSUrlkBqYuJTWLTG0RtfjnPoQxIK6EBDcw5GDgCev_tTOGj/s1600-h/Cloudcroft+%2710+035.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439999690157768338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVyenZorlBRfW3Qdj3dGdPUdDpWLPTALqKGn-7QF_z_G618B1DZGUGfsI3LbLxrnRoFyPp8FvB3xII8IDBceJhwCwI7vKkLSUrlkBqYuJTWLTG0RtfjnPoQxIK6EBDcw5GDgCev_tTOGj/s320/Cloudcroft+%2710+035.JPG" /></a> <span style="color:#33ccff;">DeeDee and C</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPRl71RuhsebqZkJfTcHGdMHqE7FGMtheoFHdTsxRbJZtXRF2lwDyMLAhhz6JiwzG7ug58qAvY4cFibs6CN56PhvoOpfVXClHEkgZEzGgVIPlp2yiyoHN4qr890UUuA5_5bMmWyh_GPEl/s1600-h/Cloudcroft+%2710+086.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439999684372445346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPRl71RuhsebqZkJfTcHGdMHqE7FGMtheoFHdTsxRbJZtXRF2lwDyMLAhhz6JiwzG7ug58qAvY4cFibs6CN56PhvoOpfVXClHEkgZEzGgVIPlp2yiyoHN4qr890UUuA5_5bMmWyh_GPEl/s320/Cloudcroft+%2710+086.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">Mi familia es mucho frio!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCOJYawhclz9qiewmCJ5taBcblj0nboZTJrBbFkji7gR5q1cnSfA0Kx7MyPJZucH2znVrt0i-O8R3LMi_2JwjO3ni1EAV-Ni_IgOe36RH45GjE9i3dWOAPvFf6MRoHMm7qk_EURVa1YC4/s1600-h/Cloudcroft+%2710+009.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439999671104933282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCOJYawhclz9qiewmCJ5taBcblj0nboZTJrBbFkji7gR5q1cnSfA0Kx7MyPJZucH2znVrt0i-O8R3LMi_2JwjO3ni1EAV-Ni_IgOe36RH45GjE9i3dWOAPvFf6MRoHMm7qk_EURVa1YC4/s320/Cloudcroft+%2710+009.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">Gotta love snow icecream</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGumFxft2yqQoSAtI98rDAPShPPsQRLXPION4qpP_wZx7SzNHvJhKAwuIP597ru_aPyWxps9NLtLIKn0AS4q87qBdaIU9x3VL0Up6-ifv2_TzrFFyHrr6rwFJK-Jr_iv-e9bCtiL9Qdn4K/s1600-h/Cloudcroft+%2710+081.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439996209161496162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGumFxft2yqQoSAtI98rDAPShPPsQRLXPION4qpP_wZx7SzNHvJhKAwuIP597ru_aPyWxps9NLtLIKn0AS4q87qBdaIU9x3VL0Up6-ifv2_TzrFFyHrr6rwFJK-Jr_iv-e9bCtiL9Qdn4K/s320/Cloudcroft+%2710+081.JPG" /></a> <span style="color:#33ccff;">Shopping</span></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGQ7-pSXOjjmXHi_FVlsAtV-_OGZmDANArIP5fB5kD5QQthvVpZqIi-GmerQCWeDTYohN-601ZqKlsbKIReDk16yVYDLFGdl7_a7f22KSQ2fpy66Ac7pWNmUECzEWKFUra2zgQUl6UwPG/s1600-h/Cloudcroft+%2710+031.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439996201140921218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGQ7-pSXOjjmXHi_FVlsAtV-_OGZmDANArIP5fB5kD5QQthvVpZqIi-GmerQCWeDTYohN-601ZqKlsbKIReDk16yVYDLFGdl7_a7f22KSQ2fpy66Ac7pWNmUECzEWKFUra2zgQUl6UwPG/s320/Cloudcroft+%2710+031.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">Uncle Mike And The Tubers</span></div><br /><div align="center"><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pu5q3q_7xhiY6soFnJsk8dQhBYUakQYikcYQ3UDnKvva9Ft_UtGjBD_GNR_zmAlRvgitRS6NMRx2wRBdz0HR42yJdxOG0T7plwDbwOLrlSrktkIVl_SYmrrs7y81ELJ5bGmPV373dprq/s1600-h/Cloudcroft+%2710+052.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439996195829027234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pu5q3q_7xhiY6soFnJsk8dQhBYUakQYikcYQ3UDnKvva9Ft_UtGjBD_GNR_zmAlRvgitRS6NMRx2wRBdz0HR42yJdxOG0T7plwDbwOLrlSrktkIVl_SYmrrs7y81ELJ5bGmPV373dprq/s320/Cloudcroft+%2710+052.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">Winter Games 2014...watch out!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwko4g2i5wKBUQlAMb7Tobjx7g1taUmLmI1xAUk43ULD-iHRYxdhyphenhyphenHTCCr7jPxV1jCFG7K4BaND_dnMwZN08H3JiZJFSwBETGO8mTlfzkWqGMKnKF-QUDypmYGTYKXg7cEH4M5LkPp4DV/s1600-h/Cloudcroft+%2710+027.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439996182172876690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwko4g2i5wKBUQlAMb7Tobjx7g1taUmLmI1xAUk43ULD-iHRYxdhyphenhyphenHTCCr7jPxV1jCFG7K4BaND_dnMwZN08H3JiZJFSwBETGO8mTlfzkWqGMKnKF-QUDypmYGTYKXg7cEH4M5LkPp4DV/s320/Cloudcroft+%2710+027.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">Dressed for a blizzard! </span><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLiAp4hMpr-M4gppfxU_GRLlblVNSHxz_3xXRIxXpXRYIajAfWfnSsPDBIMJIdXzEOnfn75nrgYD9U90Qd-ZQAV90Otsm91h_q-lGBi1IS5csj6JQnmOfmI93uLDkh04_qs80jbQIhuFV/s1600-h/Cloudcroft+%2710+002.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439996172827314818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLiAp4hMpr-M4gppfxU_GRLlblVNSHxz_3xXRIxXpXRYIajAfWfnSsPDBIMJIdXzEOnfn75nrgYD9U90Qd-ZQAV90Otsm91h_q-lGBi1IS5csj6JQnmOfmI93uLDkh04_qs80jbQIhuFV/s320/Cloudcroft+%2710+002.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><div><span style="color:#33ccff;">Girlies outside our cabin</span><br /><br /></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#33ccff;">Last Friday, we took the girls out of school and headed to Cloudcroft, NM, for some fun and relaxation. We say we want to go skiing every year, but we never do. Well, this year was the exception. We had so much fun! Mark's sister, DeeDee, and her family joined us at the cabins. Their company is always enjoyable, so they added to our fun!</span></div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#33ccff;">Since we live in south Texas, we rarely see snow. So, this was a new experience for my girls. They loved everything about it, but eventually concluded that they wouldn't want to live in a place that got tons of snow. I concur! It was a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to hassle with the white stuff day in and day out. Also, I get scared driving on ice. Oh yeah, the one time I drive the Expedition, I get it stuck! A nice man helped me out. After about 15 minutes of him trying, I offered to get behind the car and push while he pressed on the gas. As I made my way to the back of the vehicle, I silently prayed that he put the car in forward rather than reverse! I hunkered down and pushed with my hands (like a school girl), trying not to slip on the ice, while he was giving it some gas...nothing...I turned to my youngest and said, "Pray!" Then I thought to myself, "Come on, you're stronger than that!" Thankful that I had just eaten a spinach salad, I leaned my body against the car and pushed with all I had (kind of like childbirth but using different muscles). Woohoo! I did it...ahem...well, I guess we did it (the helpful man, me and God)! :) </span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#33ccff;"></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#33ccff;">I've always said I'd never ski. Ever since I was in junior high and one of my friends came back from a skiing vacation with a broken leg (she had hit a tree), I never had wanted to ski. I had always envisioned myself hitting a tree as well. The thought of that had always haunted me. Well, I don't know what came over me. I guess I'm blaming it on the YOU CAN DO IT book I bought last summer. It gave me the encouragement I needed to step out of my comfort zone. Realizing bunny slopes don't have trees, made my decision a little easier too! I fell twice and concluded that I ski better without the poles. We just stayed on the bunny slopes. That ski lift is a whole other monster to tackle! Mark, Manna, DeeDee, my nephew and I were the skiers. Manna was a natural. She skied circles around me! I had a lot of fun though! </span><span style="color:#33ccff;">My younger two didn't want to ski this year, so Uncle Mike took them tubing next to the bunny slopes.</span><br /><br /></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#33ccff;">The next day we went tubing a few miles outside of town. The hills were pretty high and steep and there was some room for error! One kid had to be air-lifted while we were there because of an accident. Fortunately, none of us were injured!!</span></div><br /><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">All in all, we had a great time! We always do on vacations. Mark is a great vacation dad and the girls are easy to please. Now, I'm looking forward to our next adventure...I'm thinking someplace tropical where it takes about 2 minutes to get dressed!</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div></div>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-78852811305868989862010-02-10T18:12:00.000-08:002010-02-10T20:02:52.548-08:00Hands and Feet<span style="color:#33cc00;">Today turned out to be a very interesting day. The following was on my agenda today: Leave the house at 7:15, set up a dessert table in teacher's lounge, go to church for some prayer time, go to the bank and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Wal</span>-Mart in D.R., and then go to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Brackett</span> for the Girls of Grace meeting (where we were going to bake desserts for the Jr. High teachers). Before I went to the bank, I decided I was going to try to find the children's shelter I had heard about. We (Girls of Grace) were wanting to host a party for the kids at the shelter and I wanted to find the place and ask the lady in charge if we could. Well, I found the shelter, and the lady said that would be great. So, within the next month or so we are going to go over there and have a good time with the kids. </span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;">Okay, so after leaving there I scanned my list and headed to the bank. After the bank, it was on to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Wal</span>-Mart... I was headed to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Wal</span>-Mart when the Dollar Tree caught my eye. I figured Valentine candy would be cheaper there than in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Wal</span>-Mart, so I found a parking spot and went inside. I'm still amazed that some of the stuff in there is just $1! After grabbing lots of Valentine goodies, I checked out and got back in my car. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Wal</span>-Mart was in my sight; one more stop and I was going to be heading back to B-town. Well, that was my plan. This is when I was thrown a curve ball. </span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;">Since we live on the border, I'm overly cautious (I've heard too many horror stories). The girls and I usually hold hands when we're walking in the stores and I keep an eagle eye on them. Well, today it was just me, so my guard was down. I hopped in my car and shut the door. I was going through my loot when someone knocked on my window. I was startled at first, but then I noticed it was a lady. She was a heavy-set Mexican woman, probably in her 40's. My mind was half-way listening to what she was saying and half-way assessing the situation. Like, "<em>Is there a man hiding behind my car and</em> <em>going to jump in with her when I unlock the doors, or is she some lunatic with a gun that wants to rob me</em>?" Before I fully processed these thoughts. I was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">chunking</span> all kinds of junk from the front seat to the back and was apologizing for my messy car! That's right, she asked me for help; she needed a ride home. I silently asked the Lord to protect me and off we went. I was also praying that I didn't end up at a place where I'd be robbed, kidnapped or worse...</span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;">Deep down I knew it wasn't my day to die, so I started chatting with the lady next to me. I had to bite my tongue to not tell her to buckle up (It's the mother in me). She thanked me for the ride, from the beginning, and said she was in need of a guardian angel. She said that she used to work as a custodian at a nursing home, but hadn't worked in a while because of health problems. She <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">proceded</span> to tell me that she had an operation the week prior and times were really tough. She said she knew God would get her through. We chit-chatted about her family and God. Then, I noticed tattoos on her fingers. I was instantly struck with the thought, "<em>I wonder if she's done some 'time'</em>?" I tried to shake off the notion and stay focused on our conversation. I found out that she had 3 kids: 2 boys (4<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> and 5<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>) and one daughter who is a sophomore. </span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;">As we were traveling to her house, she asked if I'd like to buy her small television. I told her I didn't need a television, but I did tell her I'd help her out. She was very grateful. When we pulled up to her little shack of a house, she said her heart was pounding fast. I reached into my wallet and handed her some money. She hugged me and thanked me and I said I'd be praying for her. Lots of times I tend to be a little skeptical about what people tell me. I don't like to be lied to. Well, to be truthfully honest, I don't want to look gullible or look as if someone has made a fool out of me. </span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;">When I drove away from that little shack (with boards on some of the windows), I didn't know for sure if the lady was telling me the whole truth about her life, but I did know one thing for sure...she was dirt poor and needed help. Her story about having surgery a week ago may or may not be true, but it won't change the fact that she needed help. Tears welled up in my eyes as I drove off, for 2 reasons: I was sad that she was so destitute that she had to ask a stranger for help, and I was so thankful for the blessings in my life.</span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;">I immediately called my mom and Kristi (they both help with Girls of Grace) and asked them what they thought about changing our meeting up today. To make a long story a little bit shorter, our Girls of Grace meeting consisted of delivering lots of groceries to this lady. One of the 5<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> grade girls had the idea of giving her a bible, too. So, the church secretary got us a bible. We signed our names and wrote that we'd be praying for her. The girls were excited to help this lady. We prayed for her on the way over. When we got there, she wasn't there, but a humble man took the groceries and thanked us and asked God to bless us. Several of the girls commented (later) that it didn't look like there electricity was on. I was grateful God allowed this lady, Mary Anne, into my life today. I want to teach my daughters and the girls I teach at church that if we can do more than pray for someone then we should do it. We should always bathe people in prayer, but we've got to be the hands and feet of Christ too. It can't just be about lip service. Times are tight in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Frerich</span> household, like in so many households in America, but I've come to the conclusion that if I "don't give a person a hot dog when I'm not rich, I won't give her a steak when I am rich. We've got to do what we can with what we've got. Ten, 25, or $50 may not seem like a lot of money to some people, but to someone who doesn't have a cent and is hungry, it's a heck of a lot! </span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;">"Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; free them from the hand of the wicked." Psalm 82:3-4</span>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-11632871328321357292010-02-08T17:53:00.000-08:002010-02-09T07:02:22.228-08:00Old Home Videos<span style="color:#cc6600;">We had the luxury of being home all weekend. It was nice. I cleaned house, found a few things in the attic that made me reminisce about my childhood, had a good chat with my sister on the phone, and at the end of the day the girls and I watched old home videos. They even watched our wedding video. They cracked up at how young everyone was. One of my girls said, "I like your voice, you sounded cool." I asked what she meant by that. She said I sounded young. I said, "Well, I was young, 19 to be exact!" Then I got to thinking, "Oh my gosh, I got married before I had an adult sounding voice!" I also had 3 children before my brain was fully developed! That's right, research says a persons brain is fully developed at 25. I had my 3rd kid when I was 24! My poor children! </span><br /><span style="color:#cc6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#cc6600;">It's been fun watching old home movies...from watching our newborns sleep for 3o minutes straight to watching them dance in the living room to watching them ride horses to watching them open up Christmas presents...it all takes me back. Their little voices and personalities were so cute! Thinking about them back then and thinking about them now makes me so thankful that God has blessed me with such wonderful daughters. It doesn't take much to make them happy and I love the way they find pleasure in the simplest things. I guess they probably inherited this trait from me because I tend to get excited about the littlest of things. Gorgeous sunsets, $3 Home Trend candles from Wal-Mart, and a good cup of coffee all make me smile and put a spring in my step! </span><br /><span style="color:#cc6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#cc6600;">Reminiscing these last few days has made me truly thankful for my life and my family. In this crazy world of ours, people can tend to get caught up in the rush of everyday living that they don't take time to appreciate the little things. I don't want to be one of those people. I want to try and enjoy every day and find something to be grateful for - something about the day that makes me smile. So, in blogs to come, every now and then, I'm going to share the little things that make me smile. </span><br /><span style="color:#cc6600;"></span><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#cc6600;">Watching old home videos with my family makes me smile... :)</span></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><span style="color:#cc6600;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#cc6600;">By the way, if you have a video camera, whip it out and start recording, I promise you'll be glad you did in years to come! </span></div>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-53422592277372422892010-01-01T06:51:00.000-08:002010-01-01T10:18:55.156-08:00New Year 2010<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8GIji6Josg3jy392TNlBT9k1X-wV5mStJnnbRvSL3cFYNZP0VT0xSZnYCUOTQ05Iiom_HfUMtk1YWMn72H6Fy8D-zj3by-jCB5aMSVPkeCI9s-FJFcxfci-BhUUd-m34WSYB7fQKhDgg/s1600-h/006.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421833433006135186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8GIji6Josg3jy392TNlBT9k1X-wV5mStJnnbRvSL3cFYNZP0VT0xSZnYCUOTQ05Iiom_HfUMtk1YWMn72H6Fy8D-zj3by-jCB5aMSVPkeCI9s-FJFcxfci-BhUUd-m34WSYB7fQKhDgg/s320/006.JPG" /></a><br /><br />My brother chillin' by the fire.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLw4pRr0BoKiWMQzn3I0_IWzqMi9sX2IrjPnGnBWRaHlL_9C9PvjHPWQVjvlPMBNE23AyKsWVQdjYsLAcsAnGlghaLwku_FWVKO176StDxvvdh4YLKhiu8Bf30dAL5ssUWJbF-PdRbMjHo/s1600-h/026.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421833420562774002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLw4pRr0BoKiWMQzn3I0_IWzqMi9sX2IrjPnGnBWRaHlL_9C9PvjHPWQVjvlPMBNE23AyKsWVQdjYsLAcsAnGlghaLwku_FWVKO176StDxvvdh4YLKhiu8Bf30dAL5ssUWJbF-PdRbMjHo/s320/026.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Mom and her grandkids<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12beZe5i7bgIMfy5dX8kjmtAc2kBtP2sijGutmoN4_WCOWZwegIbKB3jo5T1C3G4NdnBezV2Vr8I4B3ARNOXeP1ROADC-A0yEkABUS1vl-FsgO1f4QQcUekN3joD_IiTdnIHXxF24yAF_/s1600-h/041.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421833413853196098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12beZe5i7bgIMfy5dX8kjmtAc2kBtP2sijGutmoN4_WCOWZwegIbKB3jo5T1C3G4NdnBezV2Vr8I4B3ARNOXeP1ROADC-A0yEkABUS1vl-FsgO1f4QQcUekN3joD_IiTdnIHXxF24yAF_/s320/041.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Making smores at the ranch<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2d_MyS4LrcUszFxWHT_tyJUNdldZZevti2wFkYXT3qRbQXlhyphenhyphen9YAmxN0M2ZRG1_vASwkXRu5IRjvUlyhVjY7XVYwsAXvxdvImjmft_VlhPKmqzW-5KCFhU5xbaFrYF9cIOzh-jjTgjOXJ/s1600-h/034.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421831126596146258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2d_MyS4LrcUszFxWHT_tyJUNdldZZevti2wFkYXT3qRbQXlhyphenhyphen9YAmxN0M2ZRG1_vASwkXRu5IRjvUlyhVjY7XVYwsAXvxdvImjmft_VlhPKmqzW-5KCFhU5xbaFrYF9cIOzh-jjTgjOXJ/s320/034.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Kid table at our house<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSxjWUgYmU2Eza_uda2FLkz75o2-E01AxMWN4Q4oE9SbOTWTj0ZIVB1JVFhznm9thx_SFEjBs651ae0Z3kzS_8NFM1tx9QKhY-_qiPSqqKgeg6lpaacEcJpL5LVH3aEKiZGc1D3ej_d5M/s1600-h/018.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421831113830873474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSxjWUgYmU2Eza_uda2FLkz75o2-E01AxMWN4Q4oE9SbOTWTj0ZIVB1JVFhznm9thx_SFEjBs651ae0Z3kzS_8NFM1tx9QKhY-_qiPSqqKgeg6lpaacEcJpL5LVH3aEKiZGc1D3ej_d5M/s320/018.JPG" /></a><br /><br />M & M with Abby and jealous Popeye<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBmIPyd9dpQD3i5W5JQvxAwk6RLLCcdsII3vN6585977B6gOOPoEIRq5vGEkDw1KHvjyzLQl32TtDoSTmC9aH8fTy6JzlJDiIKJ3TC5TD6czbxcYEvvYzV790h8nUPv-kOIcnJY46JcIj/s1600-h/011.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421831109826046626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBmIPyd9dpQD3i5W5JQvxAwk6RLLCcdsII3vN6585977B6gOOPoEIRq5vGEkDw1KHvjyzLQl32TtDoSTmC9aH8fTy6JzlJDiIKJ3TC5TD6czbxcYEvvYzV790h8nUPv-kOIcnJY46JcIj/s320/011.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Marshmallows at mom's<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbEmbb_sOrcxDRyUMFKSaLoDZgJv5yXyGIjFMjDAWf_LoJ5Sze7LwXaA_N5K4a4UCrGqDEyay0kCWJoTXUzMMPZ3I2jKbU8idIVMG_4FxT5HBxjtlNf8sICDs9MDA7aoRuY4U_FwokMSa/s1600-h/007.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421831096609377106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbEmbb_sOrcxDRyUMFKSaLoDZgJv5yXyGIjFMjDAWf_LoJ5Sze7LwXaA_N5K4a4UCrGqDEyay0kCWJoTXUzMMPZ3I2jKbU8idIVMG_4FxT5HBxjtlNf8sICDs9MDA7aoRuY4U_FwokMSa/s320/007.JPG" /></a><br /><br />sweet nieces<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39pOtwKQzKqGDF_R9hfRrP6C-Kz5MblMXK-As4hN-OypcaaA0wan04NLrqorUOKKDqnkeMV1TFpb90Hv_tgTmq-myn6Z5OSDOU-u2ju_jsQgGLsA9ZtLiXL8wm80XIHB84K6AVlqpUD8c/s1600-h/004.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421831092774023026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39pOtwKQzKqGDF_R9hfRrP6C-Kz5MblMXK-As4hN-OypcaaA0wan04NLrqorUOKKDqnkeMV1TFpb90Hv_tgTmq-myn6Z5OSDOU-u2ju_jsQgGLsA9ZtLiXL8wm80XIHB84K6AVlqpUD8c/s320/004.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br />crafts with Tia<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-74UolIt_wf4YGPvnZOfFTkH93_0vTLWWgkWD1CzZmD_377O7_QQSII7kiUfCw84WEUVBmkC-InWz3Zo8KHOxHZTjpOuGuMv5DHiqFZ5MyMG2hlJeE9DzXUzfKcS_spl9cY3Qp3KfvF7/s1600-h/011.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421827562966696242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-74UolIt_wf4YGPvnZOfFTkH93_0vTLWWgkWD1CzZmD_377O7_QQSII7kiUfCw84WEUVBmkC-InWz3Zo8KHOxHZTjpOuGuMv5DHiqFZ5MyMG2hlJeE9DzXUzfKcS_spl9cY3Qp3KfvF7/s320/011.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br />Painting the old clubhouse<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZnuQHb27MTwTPp798cprUAPVD3JM5pnEr2xHVk28kTtAcd41PMicL6Pzj5KKDtaLaLW_4heo72SCRT9lYgCIaZrJufuMAe6PXFK61zoX3MbzIQPJmD60IWp7UHJuBbCNDkA4V5exviIt/s1600-h/005.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421827559534861826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZnuQHb27MTwTPp798cprUAPVD3JM5pnEr2xHVk28kTtAcd41PMicL6Pzj5KKDtaLaLW_4heo72SCRT9lYgCIaZrJufuMAe6PXFK61zoX3MbzIQPJmD60IWp7UHJuBbCNDkA4V5exviIt/s320/005.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Watching a movie (on an ipod) in Grandaddy's old Mustang...<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgez_XlLvhSp9kDZk2XEvo3ONzy52Yzb4TUEYT6-pcZkKnqML9endTJn9_IiEzGrJX9LQjDIZVvOJZUe26dYWznM_mxUGWQkiBk1hyphenhyphenQPmW73FJPgZOYG_W5dxOBmTjZ9-tPRMiirb7Jr8PT/s1600-h/020.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421827552640876130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgez_XlLvhSp9kDZk2XEvo3ONzy52Yzb4TUEYT6-pcZkKnqML9endTJn9_IiEzGrJX9LQjDIZVvOJZUe26dYWznM_mxUGWQkiBk1hyphenhyphenQPmW73FJPgZOYG_W5dxOBmTjZ9-tPRMiirb7Jr8PT/s320/020.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br />Reviving Eve!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0BwbK7EKmRUG2cKEnaQujTC3MaDb9CFKrhOZyZ8Wv-zsT6zaySR5_JrmQYbpmpixzbe0xhinUEj2HBke5D_IpSa0sVB7EvM6ZE7N80jbZr-F6yT6FRv83hT35vDFpiXztRILxM5tkRQx/s1600-h/005.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421827545473912530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0BwbK7EKmRUG2cKEnaQujTC3MaDb9CFKrhOZyZ8Wv-zsT6zaySR5_JrmQYbpmpixzbe0xhinUEj2HBke5D_IpSa0sVB7EvM6ZE7N80jbZr-F6yT6FRv83hT35vDFpiXztRILxM5tkRQx/s320/005.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Vance sporting his new Christmas sweater...work it!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqFn6ufa3-wDa_KwJLt5HWAlEvv9eN5SU2hSEUcd0dWcEWZz0QCmLN22xsmlf_n9QaNkZV4CwxlVudVR6B6gcbiVFMydatwlvSuRhQ-9XtgoHGG1XV5yesVl7qY4J4HEcCabHA9KVIY2u/s1600-h/011.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421823288825647554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqFn6ufa3-wDa_KwJLt5HWAlEvv9eN5SU2hSEUcd0dWcEWZz0QCmLN22xsmlf_n9QaNkZV4CwxlVudVR6B6gcbiVFMydatwlvSuRhQ-9XtgoHGG1XV5yesVl7qY4J4HEcCabHA9KVIY2u/s320/011.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Girl Power at GiGi's<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPMsNwJs5MXa7gs0uL7GWUsUS7gcYwg-fFp9UpfThybXMXgNFsU7qXy8XsgcnCAlGi8ckp0X8Qlh7GYbeo0h34zMG12UlA5lgYJmnETRBU1jdQ_6MGJBizfSZkOHXxnPkX-culi4hwpfl/s1600-h/006.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421823279832520530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPMsNwJs5MXa7gs0uL7GWUsUS7gcYwg-fFp9UpfThybXMXgNFsU7qXy8XsgcnCAlGi8ckp0X8Qlh7GYbeo0h34zMG12UlA5lgYJmnETRBU1jdQ_6MGJBizfSZkOHXxnPkX-culi4hwpfl/s320/006.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br />White Elephant Exchange at Gigi and Grandaddy's<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7a2YyI9_uc5cLyV2s4Y_r5a75u1IvA_yUu6V_eDPyTT49vQ-Tc9BcFHCHm1eqEj3D576j2ySUa42axvUD5Uf64c5uzbj_cfvQoNw00mDrzNlXhfmT0jWecG66uaOGc4KGDGoFuD18xUQ/s1600-h/091.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421823274192081474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7a2YyI9_uc5cLyV2s4Y_r5a75u1IvA_yUu6V_eDPyTT49vQ-Tc9BcFHCHm1eqEj3D576j2ySUa42axvUD5Uf64c5uzbj_cfvQoNw00mDrzNlXhfmT0jWecG66uaOGc4KGDGoFuD18xUQ/s320/091.JPG" /></a><br />DeeDee and Little E<br /><br /><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWRCvd0Pr8bR3M7wPTSkuAoIoGqAJVT7q8rMi8pEip0McnJz2J9qfrAlYcm2M7OlQN7pqgju4XOgWW8DP0q6DhR5PZm3HNlGgya-tEFKoxIeNOdbQQsWebBtd86RqS5ljsEDjfHFPceYk/s1600-h/082.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421823258140436498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWRCvd0Pr8bR3M7wPTSkuAoIoGqAJVT7q8rMi8pEip0McnJz2J9qfrAlYcm2M7OlQN7pqgju4XOgWW8DP0q6DhR5PZm3HNlGgya-tEFKoxIeNOdbQQsWebBtd86RqS5ljsEDjfHFPceYk/s320/082.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Waiting to open gifts<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJu0lrtbKmeeHF1kGBneVqtHT3hVpZbMyOFL6Y8HuXMbTm0mTWoi_jl-EO6YJoUcgvq_w_xuUb-GpcFAm2DAy-bUdqE50zj1ywiNcjSKNS5DGOKtq-Cyb6HDKhF4RVzYZED9DR7j5OzZy/s1600-h/089.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421820430001922466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJu0lrtbKmeeHF1kGBneVqtHT3hVpZbMyOFL6Y8HuXMbTm0mTWoi_jl-EO6YJoUcgvq_w_xuUb-GpcFAm2DAy-bUdqE50zj1ywiNcjSKNS5DGOKtq-Cyb6HDKhF4RVzYZED9DR7j5OzZy/s320/089.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Love the peace necklace...may have to borrow it!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFinVOtSw4VZc_4rVALx_RVChygphnVSmO2drC7jNS4_pC7Mpsrx3TM2d5bei3K6fQrBvdi3D3LeEOujzaJaELkaJc0b3Ji7hN3K-GRRtYt9D0ereuXIAQgi85MtYIcMiwHZBU48v25siv/s1600-h/078.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421820421985451410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFinVOtSw4VZc_4rVALx_RVChygphnVSmO2drC7jNS4_pC7Mpsrx3TM2d5bei3K6fQrBvdi3D3LeEOujzaJaELkaJc0b3Ji7hN3K-GRRtYt9D0ereuXIAQgi85MtYIcMiwHZBU48v25siv/s320/078.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br /><div>Christmas morning breakfast...breakfast casserole,</div><div>strawberries and Cool Whip, and sparkling cider<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7x6YileW7svjAkTvzBOuYjQgYZ7JZVnXiE2xkm488HBxp6cA9dneHwJhIL9MGMYUAY33OWLcBp6kEIJUG0gsMXuN__kmFc6gvAnkGMbD4f4Qp8qMUhEJ87fSOlkR64iXabAGSvrZED-Nj/s1600-h/074.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421820412700927122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7x6YileW7svjAkTvzBOuYjQgYZ7JZVnXiE2xkm488HBxp6cA9dneHwJhIL9MGMYUAY33OWLcBp6kEIJUG0gsMXuN__kmFc6gvAnkGMbD4f4Qp8qMUhEJ87fSOlkR64iXabAGSvrZED-Nj/s320/074.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br /><div>Homemade Christmas<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6fMNoB8EfC1hqJfIy8eRvIpIz7BZsOzP1s4C4C_v0HX5tPG4UkeR0nXrixvkT-o53HmPH4uYPmMQp3nkSf2W3tMYh-9RFu5ab5lyx-dUnovZh5K5uOUDYwxPH9TYSy0BQWOCnLUnuCOd/s1600-h/068.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421820408287219362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6fMNoB8EfC1hqJfIy8eRvIpIz7BZsOzP1s4C4C_v0HX5tPG4UkeR0nXrixvkT-o53HmPH4uYPmMQp3nkSf2W3tMYh-9RFu5ab5lyx-dUnovZh5K5uOUDYwxPH9TYSy0BQWOCnLUnuCOd/s320/068.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Mark and Mana<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcJ7d_LhpsY7H_4-DMVL86ejH8aYsQfhlyo4V9oy02iA0Edp_Qh1ghsCQ3UVSJCwjSpk6twzzZuXYZCmibqyzM9oPDXwXKbp2E-HWpfc18xud3B8tFtGByt1PZ22SF1lPWCoImebx5d64/s1600-h/038.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421820402052174018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcJ7d_LhpsY7H_4-DMVL86ejH8aYsQfhlyo4V9oy02iA0Edp_Qh1ghsCQ3UVSJCwjSpk6twzzZuXYZCmibqyzM9oPDXwXKbp2E-HWpfc18xud3B8tFtGByt1PZ22SF1lPWCoImebx5d64/s320/038.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Joaquin and Amy<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKl9L6x_HJsCbEOwdmg7O8945_pPuI9t0pEjaRMmsI1usE2GJfPy6gJa72NNFqBCTfQ7lFviK07FsNr6lTaNbVJqsDU3VE_B7G02X_oMkx2q4M48vSOL_uwBU5YX90-Z6qXNjabF1dj4H/s1600-h/057.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421818119436549570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKl9L6x_HJsCbEOwdmg7O8945_pPuI9t0pEjaRMmsI1usE2GJfPy6gJa72NNFqBCTfQ7lFviK07FsNr6lTaNbVJqsDU3VE_B7G02X_oMkx2q4M48vSOL_uwBU5YX90-Z6qXNjabF1dj4H/s320/057.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Mom and dad<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowT5uIwAjyWAdQjJyc55CThAoBMe9WjWd_cY_QrY5798f7WpBekJ-0sLXd3TJnDtRJFso3VxJq58C9uttrEnjboSNqd3nRj1YJ7ilLHn5Zr8WTjMIdyweje40cy48fmykyZWEtxL2kbaa/s1600-h/060.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421818113518788658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowT5uIwAjyWAdQjJyc55CThAoBMe9WjWd_cY_QrY5798f7WpBekJ-0sLXd3TJnDtRJFso3VxJq58C9uttrEnjboSNqd3nRj1YJ7ilLHn5Zr8WTjMIdyweje40cy48fmykyZWEtxL2kbaa/s320/060.JPG" /></a><br />Super-cool siblings!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoikcGdU_3lQ2CgasXv1pnDvXn51N69sQCcBpeFG21ph9EyAw-p651xAlzn9ABEj0o92WLKQATjBAx2Qw_hCwMwvAv-cBBNoxbmZ4IGeluzvLVrC4VHdBu17VnRKqvMKSOkPHVOGveqVOK/s1600-h/043.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421818106808027282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoikcGdU_3lQ2CgasXv1pnDvXn51N69sQCcBpeFG21ph9EyAw-p651xAlzn9ABEj0o92WLKQATjBAx2Qw_hCwMwvAv-cBBNoxbmZ4IGeluzvLVrC4VHdBu17VnRKqvMKSOkPHVOGveqVOK/s320/043.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Me and my gals!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHv0O82-GSJC6cnXHDjO7tEHL8Y4zbc-8rl_5Q3A1GYjRP9F0MjefGrE3x6z2EJf4hRxe6oXoSkqZm6-Ks07fIR7pYwpXGDqw5LtNFdn-WzJzGr7cmTCa7mwpmaEcb3jdAT1hvprqmDsV/s1600-h/040.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421818103224032242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHv0O82-GSJC6cnXHDjO7tEHL8Y4zbc-8rl_5Q3A1GYjRP9F0MjefGrE3x6z2EJf4hRxe6oXoSkqZm6-Ks07fIR7pYwpXGDqw5LtNFdn-WzJzGr7cmTCa7mwpmaEcb3jdAT1hvprqmDsV/s320/040.JPG" /></a><br /></div><div>Me, Mark, and girls Christmas Eve<br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPNlDQR3kT7DSEKaHCBGDP0Vr6HUJJYtgKtvF9HLXz5ap7F53qrmljvtrxKqgtihQRLVNbOdrXI-CEfbPLCxHx769UCbGQqr6i_oCsSt60DICO6tXaYh0ZDwOIZXjeiBkS5F5qeFRy47gl/s1600-h/001.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421818091661823218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPNlDQR3kT7DSEKaHCBGDP0Vr6HUJJYtgKtvF9HLXz5ap7F53qrmljvtrxKqgtihQRLVNbOdrXI-CEfbPLCxHx769UCbGQqr6i_oCsSt60DICO6tXaYh0ZDwOIZXjeiBkS5F5qeFRy47gl/s320/001.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Mom, dad, and awesome grandkids!<br /><br /><br />HAPPY NEW YEAR!!</div><div align="center"> </div><div>I'm so excited about the new year, I actually want to jump up and down! I'm not quite sure if my over-enthusiastic spirit is getting a little help from the extra-bold coffee I just drank or if it's a natural high. I guess I'll let you know in a couple of hours! <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">heehee</span>! A special thanks to mom and Amber for the single serve <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Keurig</span> coffee pot they gave me for Christmas! I love it; it's a perfect cup every time!<br /><br />I really don't know why I'm so excited about 2010, but I am! I'm believing for great things to happen this year. I like what mom said a few days ago. She said she believes it's going to be a year of restoration! That's exciting to me.<br /><br />The first half of December my schedule was filled with the girls' activities, substituting, Girls of Grace meetings/Fiesta Texas trip, hayrides, planning parties, going to parties, and shopping. While all of that was fun, I was looking forward to a little down time with my family. That beloved day arrived on December 21st! My brother's family and my sister arrived at my mom and dad's that day. They stayed there until Christmas day. It was a relaxing time of just visiting, chilling out, and the occasional <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Wii</span> bowling tournament! One of the reasons I feel so fortunate is because I honestly believe I have the best family on the face of this earth. While we are not perfect, we truly love each other and would not do or say anything to intentionally hurt one another. We also laugh a lot when we're all together. I am so blessed!<br /><br />Christmas Eve at mom and dad's is always such a special time. Before opening presents, a Christmas story is always read, and then the 5 granddaughters are given the opportunity to sing, read a poem, play an instrument, etc... This year the youngest 2 granddaughters sang for us. It was so sweet! After that, we open presents. My brother is always "Santa." He passes out the gifts one at a time. I love opening gifts one at a time because it makes it last longer and everyone has a chance to see what each person receives. I don't know, it just seems a little more civil than everyone tearing into their gifts at once, and then it's over in 3 minutes. I like the anticipation of it all! Later on, the rest of our family arrives (cousins, aunts, uncles, and our grandmother -Meme). I love it that every member of my family and extended family has a sense of humor...this means lots more laughing! This year we ate Mexican food: tamales, rice, beans, homemade tortillas, and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">guisado</span>. A couple of years ago, we brought out a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Karioke</span> machine and everyone had the chance to sing. It was hilarious! Everyone was in awe when our, 19 year old, handsome yet shy cousin belted out "Just Give It Away" by George Strait! This year we had a Chinese Christmas. Lots of swiping gifts, but no bloodshed! Everyone was very civil!<br /><br />Mark, the girls, and I always spend Christmas morning together. Last year we started a new tradition and continued it this year. A few weeks prior to Christmas, we each draw a name from a jar. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Whoever's</span> name you draw, you have to give that person a gift. But, it can't just be any gift, it has to be homemade! This takes the pressure off the girls of thinking they have to buy a gift for everyone. This year I drew <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kater</span> Bug's name. I spray painted an old chandelier pink, bought lights for it and adorned it with beads (goin to buy tiny picture frames for it too). <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Mana</span> drew my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">youngest's</span> name. Since <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Mana</span> loves to draw and is good at it, she drew Libby 2 pictures. (Last year she drew me a picture of an old church -love it!) <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kater</span> Bug made her dad a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">camouflage</span> blanket (the kind you tie around the edges). He loved it! I was so excited when Mark had drawn my name, weeks prior. Visions of new shutters had crossed my mind... I was quite surprised when I opened my package. At first, I thought, "Wow, Mark knows how to make candles!" Then I saw Paula <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Deen's</span> face staring back at me and I knew it wasn't homemade. Oh well, I'll let him slide, since he <em>is</em> one of the most hard-working and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">busiest men I know! He bought me tons of candles, scented wicks, a neck massager, perfume, lotion, facial products, etc... What a guy! </span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"></span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected">We usually eat Christmas lunch at Mark's parents' house, which is only a short walk away. A person could never go hungry at their house! There's always an over-abundance of food, which is making me think after I write this blog, I need to go for a jog! Anyway, for the last 5 years or so, Mark's parents serve steak and grilled shrimp for lunch! I really believe his dad's grilled shrimp is probably the best I've ever tasted! It was delish! The next day, after his sister and family arrived, we celebrated Christmas with his family. Lots of family = lots of food. We had a white elephant gift exchange, which was pretty comical! There were several gag gifts, that got a few laughs. I had fun visiting with my sister-in-law for several days and enjoyed watching our kids play together. </span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"></span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Christmas break would not be the same without my sister staying the night with us! We totally veg while she's stays with us. She got to witness a near death experience, while at the ranch. Let me explain: Amber and I were in the sunroom drinking coffee and looking at pics on face book, when all of a sudden, my oldest runs in the house crying. Thinking something was terribly wrong or someone was hurt, I jumped up and knocked my favorite mug over in the process (it broke). I was sad to hear that Eve (our 5 day old pygmy goat) was near death, but was thankful that my girls weren't hurt. Eve was born on Christmas Eve, hence the name, and was the runt of triplets. Since the mama goat couldn't produce enough milk for the 3 little goats, my oldest took on the duty of bottle feeding her. Mana has such a sensitive heart when it comes to animals. She's going to make a great vet someday. When Mana went out to feed her that cold morning, Eve wasn't under the lamp and was almost dead because of the cold! It's amazing the things I pray for at times (because of my children). I never thought I'd be praying for a pygmy goat, but that morning I was praying Eve would arise like Lazarus did! We've witnessed many baby animals die out here and on this particular morning it looked as though the little goat was not going to make it. It was so limp, it couldn't even hold it's neck up and was barely breathing. After holding it in a blanket and trying to feed it for several hours, it started baa-ing and drinking the milk! We all rejoiced! Then Mark and the girls went to town to run a few errands. Great! I was on goat duty! I prayed it wouldn't die on my watch. After they left, it jumped out of its box and started running around! It was a true Christmas miracle. Amber and I were hungry, so we decided to get a hamburger in a neighboring town. Guess who came along? That's right, Eve did! Most kids get new puppies for Christmas, mine got a baby pygmy goat! </span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"></span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected">All in all, our Christmas vacation has been great. I'm not looking forward to my girls going back to school on Tuesday, but I am looking forward to the wonderful things God has planned for our lives this year! It's going to be a good one; I can feel it in my bones!!</span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"></span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"><em>"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11</em></span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"><em></em></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"><em>HAPPY NEW YEAR!!</em></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-85951305335105505632009-10-24T07:43:00.000-07:002009-10-24T08:22:43.285-07:00Throw Out The Pacifier<span style="color:#ff6600;">Just because I once sucked a pacifier when I was a baby, doesn't mean I should suck on one as an adult. Just because I looked good wearing the latest styles in high school doesn't mean those styles still look good or even fit me as an adult!!</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">We all change and grow and just because something "worked" for us at one stage in our lives, doesn't mean we should still keep doing it. You won't see me walking around with a pacifier in my mouth, and I don't fit into the same jeans as I wore in high school. But, that o.k.! First of all, people would probably send me to a psyche ward if they saw me with a pappy in my mouth, and my girls would be embarrassed to sit next to me in church if I tried to fit into and wear the same outfits I did as a teenager! </span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">With that being said, as Christians, when we are trying to reach that next spiritual level why do we look back to what we once had? Have you noticed in the fashion industry that about every 20 years a certain style makes it way back on the racks in stores? As Christians, we can actually learn from this! Styles come back but with a different twist. The style has usually been revolutionized a bit. (The 80's style is back, but with a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">millennium</span> twist) In the same way, we can look back at a time when our walk with God was "on fire," and use certain instances or lessons we learned in the past to revolutionize our spiritual thinking to the next level. </span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">We might of had a wonderful Sunday School teacher, been a part of an awesome youth group, or experienced a dynamic christian seminar or retreat and that's great. But, that was for a season in our lives. Those could have been great learning times, but we can't stop there! We have to press on to a new level. I don't want to ask God to revive what I once had, I want Him to revolutionize my spiritual thinking so I can serve Him better!</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">"Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Therefore, let us leave elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity..." Hebrews 5:13-14, 6:1</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">"Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord." Lamentations 3:40</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-31072993770355442392009-10-23T12:36:00.000-07:002009-10-23T13:08:11.156-07:00Not Seeing The SignsI dropped my girls off at school this morning and then met up with a couple of friends to go walk. We went to the track field, a couple of miles outside of town. We decided to walk the curves and jog the straights, all the while talking and laughing in between. About 5 minutes after our work-out began, we noticed an EMS car (not an ambulance) parked half-way on the road with its' lights flashing. This should have been warning #1, but we basically looked at each other and said, "I wonder what's going on?" We shrugged it off and kept on walking and talking... A few minutes later we heard a couple of gun shots and one of my friends mentioned that someone must be dove hunting. We said, "Yeah, probably so," and we kept on walking... A few minutes later, my two friends said, "Hey, check out that guy on a horse." We were like, "Huh, I wonder what he's doing?" We kept walking and talking (trying to solve our country's youth problems). Then, we noticed a helicopter over head. One of my friends laughed and told the other one, "Hey! I bet that's your husband checking up on you." (He flies helicopters). We laughed and kept walking... When we finally drove back to the house, one of my friends got a message saying everyone in Brackett should be on alert because a convict, from the maximum security prison in Brackett, had just escaped! Then the lightbulbs came on!! We put 2 and 2 together. He was probably right across the road from us the whole time, hiding under a mesquite tree! That explained the road block, the mounted police, the gun shots, and the helicopter hovering overhead! <br /><br />Wow! How many signs did we need! Just like these visible signs, God gives us signs too. But, we have to slow down and take the time to listen and look around us. Many times He uses the people who cross our paths or certain situations to wake us up, but we can't be preoccupied with so much "stuff" that we are blinded to the warning signs! Open my heart, eyes, and ears Lord, and help me not to be blind-sided from our real enemy, Satan!<br /><br />BTW, the convict, has still not been captured and the blonde highlights in my hair really do come from a bottle!Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-4667675427078254612009-10-12T06:28:00.000-07:002009-10-12T07:00:34.932-07:00Fiery Trials<span style="color:#ff6600;">Yesterday, I watched an awesome Beth Moore video; I'd like to share what stuck out in my mind. She gave 3 different scenarios when people of God face a fiery trial. The example of a trial she gave was a christian being diagnosed with cancer. </span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"> Scenario A: We can be <strong>delivered from</strong> the fire. (Miracle)</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"> Dividend? Our faith is built.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"> Scenario B: We can be <strong>delivered through</strong> the fire.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"> Dividend? Our faith is refined.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Key scriptures: This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it! John 11:4</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, you love." 1Peter 1:6-9</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"> Scenario C: We can be <strong>delivered by</strong> the fire <strong>straight into His arms.</strong></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"> Dividend? Our faith is perfected.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">"Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">"But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ, and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear!"</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">We never want Scenario C to happen to us. If only our minds could wrap themselves around the awesomeness of being in heaven with Jesus, we would long for Scenario C. I think that's why we are not allowed to see how marvelous heaven is. If we knew, everyone would want to die and God's will on earth would not be carried out!,</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-65518578187112223532009-10-11T21:00:00.000-07:002009-10-11T21:14:22.920-07:00Cowgirl Cuties<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpTuAxQXgnIw7ByuPvPsHwBGmFXOfkRT632gFEwjAeIbk2LbRiztRuTEzkQuHJOktZ76XcqMcemENGhlpji1aUSKmmZGv7sFbqv8wSsIdRCkeL5vddBu9a0u0AIkJFVEyWeatAkbBaneO/s1600-h/057.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391561570498152802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpTuAxQXgnIw7ByuPvPsHwBGmFXOfkRT632gFEwjAeIbk2LbRiztRuTEzkQuHJOktZ76XcqMcemENGhlpji1aUSKmmZGv7sFbqv8wSsIdRCkeL5vddBu9a0u0AIkJFVEyWeatAkbBaneO/s400/057.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="color:#00cccc;">My girls ended up doing very well in the Del Rio Youth Rodeo Association! My oldest won 4 buckles and the All Around Girl Saddle! It was very cool, with a turquoise allligator seat! My younger girls did extremely well too! They won really cool zebra and cheetah print tack. They were all in the same age group at this rodeo, since at the time of registering, they were 9, 11, and 12! I'm proud of the way they cheer each other on, and are excited for one another when they do well! We try to instill in them to do their best, and focus on their own times, nobody else's. I'm excited for them...they deserved these awards because they always work hard and practice! Even better, we don't have to tell them to practice, they just go do it! Way to go girls!!</span></div>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-27550536406107019722009-10-09T12:01:00.000-07:002009-10-09T15:47:53.031-07:00Morning Routine<span style="color:#cc6600;">Last night I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">dreamt</span> that an irrational number really was insane and beat me over the head with a percent sign!! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Aaahhh</span>! I can't get away from this math "stuff"! I'm still substituting for Jr. High math. I have one more week to go. I guess you can say I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, I'm going to miss seeing and interacting with the kids everyday. But, on the other hand, I'm really looking forward to fulfilling my domestic duties (to the 10<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span> power), at home! I've fallen a little behind on my laundering duties since I've been working full time, staying in town (late) for practices, and going to v-ball games, and football games! Oh well, I guess I've done a semi-alright job, seeing as no one has had to wear dirty socks or underwear! </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#cc6600;"></span><br /><br /><span style="color:#cc6600;">One thing that I was concerned about (that might suffer) if I took this long-term sub job was our morning routine. I love mornings. I guess you could say I'm a morning person. I like waking up before everyone else, getting clothes ironed and breakfast made all while have a pleasant and non-rushed attitude. For the past 7 years, since my oldest went to Kinder, we have had a morning devotion and prayer time while eating breakfast. It just starts the day out right. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Occasionally</span>, when I'd subbed in the past, my morning <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">dialogue</span> was devoid of "<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">amens</span>" and filled with "hurry-ups!" I was bound and determined that our morning schedule was not going to be derailed because I had to work for 5 weeks. Fortunately, I'm here to say that we've had a devotion and prayer time every morning, with a little something new thrown in. I set my alarm for 5:00 every morning. I get up, shower, get dressed and put my make-up on. At 5:30 I turn the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">TV</span> on and watch Joyce Meyer (one of my favorite Christian teachers) while ironing the girls' clothes. These are the clothes they lay on the couch the night before. After ironing, I make breakfast, set it on the table and light a few candles. Then I wake the girls up. Luckily, we all like to eat breakfast when we wake up. They stumble to the table and sit down. We've been having candlelit breakfasts since the regular light is just too bright first thing in the morning. After breakfast, they get ready in the living room where Joyce Meyer comes on, again, at 6:30. They've enjoyed listening to her in the mornings, and they don't complain about watching preaching instead of cartoons! Amazingly, our mornings have been so smooth! I've only had to use the word "hurry-up" a couple of times since school started!!</span><br /><span style="color:#cc6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#cc6600;">Of course, there are some mornings when at least one child likes to help build my character! For instance, clothes might not have been picked out the morning before and "she" doesn't like what I've picked out, breakfast isn't to "her" liking, or "she" can't find her shoes. In the past, these little situations would have really <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">irked</span> me, since they know the rules...clothes should be picked out the night before (if not, I pick them out!), if you don't like the breakfast I make then go find something yourself w/0 complaining, and shoes go in the baskets behind the door! Well, let me tell you, it's kind of hard to lose my patience when I'm getting ready to read a devotion or scripture, about to pray or when Joyce Meyer is in the background saying we need to love more! </span><br /><span style="color:#cc6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#cc6600;">Basically, I want to remain loving, considerate, and patient even when schedules are a little more hectic, and saturating the mornings with God has helped tremendously! I feel like this 5 week sub job is like a dress rehearsal for what is to come within the next year or two...maybe a full-time teaching job (not Math!). Since I've passed the morning routine, I've just got to figure out a way to get warm brownies on the table when we all get home! Can you believe that's one reason why they don't want me to work! <em>"Who's going to make us a snack when we get home?" :) </em>Until next time...</span><br /><em><span style="color:#cc6600;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#cc6600;"></span></em>Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-75904204659676854522009-09-20T20:19:00.000-07:002009-09-20T21:09:31.700-07:00Mrs. Frerich, The Tall Math TeacherYeah! Technology at the ranchito has changed drastically! I bought a laptop and last week the Dell guy came to our house and installed wireless internet! My life will never be the same. No more waiting 20 minutes for a page to appear on the screen! It all happens so fast, and I feel a little spoiled! :)<br /><br />For over a month, we did not have internet service out here, that's why blogs have not been written. Well, and to be perfectly honest, there hasn't been much time. You know the routine: everyone's getting adjusted to the new school thing, extra-curricular activities, etc... Also, I accepted a 4 week substitute position. I'm teaching jr. high math! (Insert scream!) At first I didn't really understand why God was nudging me to fill-in (long-term) in the math department, since I'm an english minor and received a BA instead of a BS. I purposely wanted a BA so I would only have to take one math class in college. My oldest daughter does extremely well in math and is very logical. I think she learned through osmosis. Let me explain: When I was pregnant with her, I was taking 18 hrs. in college. The only class that I struggled with was college algebra. As I would do my homework, on the couch, my expanded belly was a perfect "table" for my algebra book. That's where the "osmosis" part comes in! Now, I'm teaching her AP math class! I think the thing that stresses me out more than anything is all my over-achieving friends' kids are in that class!<br /><br /> My sister laughs at me because I told my 6th period class that I would be available at 7:30 in the mornings if they needed help with anything. I don't know what I get myself into sometimes! Doing my best at things tends to consume me at times! One thing I have learned is, if I have the answer key I can figure out and explain anything! <br /><br />At first, I thought there was this "behind the scenes" reason why God always opened up long-term math jobs for me. Well, I'm starting to believe He has me here for a logical reason...to learn math! He's also been convicting me of saying that I'm not good at math! Ouch! That phrase has always slipped out so easily from my mouth! What kind of example am I setting for my girls when I'm always saying I'm not good in math! I wouldn't want them saying that about themselves, so why should I say it about me! <br /><br />I'm finding out that I'm not as bad as I thought I was in this subject, but I still have to do some homework before I teach the lesson. All in all, I'm enjoying being in the junior high building. They are a good group of kids and it's fun encouraging them. Another reason why I like the junior high kids is they know how to correctly use their adjectives. They say: "Wow Miss, you're so tall!" I prefer that to what the little elementary kids say. They look at me and say, "You're soooo big!" "Tall" is just a much nicer description! I'm 5'10 but I usually wear wedges or heels, so I look much taller. <br /><br />Having to teach only 4 classes a day isn't too bad either! :) Hats off to all you teachers out there! It's not as easy as some people think! Until next time..Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6871818900138709767.post-71955539478674557272009-08-14T05:53:00.000-07:002009-08-14T06:51:02.667-07:00Home AloneI'm experiencing something new today. My family left this morning to go camping at the beach, and I stayed home. This is extremely against my nature in many forms. First of all, I can't recollect a single time when all of them have been away from me at the same time for a few days. Secondly, since my middle name is GO, you'd think I'd be on this adventure with them. There are a couple of reasons why I decided to stay home this weekend. Believe me, it was a hard choice to make. I was going to go and then I wasn't...I was going to go and then I wasn't... And then I finally came to this conclusion: <br /><br />1. When I go to the beach I like staying in a hotel or condo. I would prefer camping by a river or in the mountains.<br />2. The list of Mark's male family members kept growing and growing while the female persuasion dwindled down to nothing! <br />3. All the talk about fishing, all hours of the day, had my head spinning!<br />4. I thought it would be great for Mark and the girls to spend a weekend away together (A dad-daughter get-a-way). I feel for certain that this weekend will be etched in their minds forever and will be talked about for years to come! He's the best vacation dad and I know they will have a wonderful time together.<br /><br />You may be wondering why I had to put any thought into this decision. Well, like I said, I'm always up for a new adventure and the thought of me being left behind was a little weird. But, the main reason why I wasn't sure if I should stay home was the fact that I wouldn't be in charge of my girls' safety. Don't get me wrong, Mark takes good care of his girls, but come on, all mom's usually think they watch over their children better than anyone else. I'm usually the mom who is watching out for my girls and 6 other kids while their parents are sitting next to me. Giving up this control was a little hard for me, but I knew I needed to do it. I felt like this weekend would be a great experience for them. And besides, God is ultimately in control of my children, so I'm pretty sure He can handle the job much better than I could!<br /><br />While their dad wasn't in earshot, I gave them a quick lists of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">do's</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">don'ts</span>.<br />Do put lots of sunblock on everyday and reapply.<br />Don't walk anywhere without your dad.<br />Don't walk too far out in the water.<br />Do go to the restroom and take a shower in the camper not in the public restrooms!<br /><br />All this was followed by, "We know <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">mouuum</span>."<br /><br />Before loading up at 6 a.m., I told each one of them I loved them and gave them a hug and kiss. If I would have let myself, I probably would have cried like a baby. I could see in their eyes that they were ready for this adventure with their dad, but were a little sad that I was staying behind. All of our eyes kind of misted up, we hugged one last time, and they said, "Bye mom, I love you" until I was out of earshot. I watched their truck until I could not see it anymore and then went inside and cried a little. Then I pulled myself together, reminding myself that it was my decision to stay home. The first thing I did was go to the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">sun room</span>, sit down and pray for their safety and protection and I prayed that they'd have a wonderful time. After spending a little quiet time with God, I watched 2 episodes of Joyce Meyer and then decided to write this blog. No, I'm not just going to veg out all day. I'm going to clean house and then do laundry. Don't worry though, I won't be working the whole time they are gone. My mom and I have plans. Yep, we're going to San Antonio tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to it. Well, I guess I better wrap it up and get to work, so I can play tomorrow!Amanda Frerichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08471990874684962247noreply@blogger.com2