Hello, this is Tara.

My husband, and Finn’s Daddy is turning 30 on November 11th (same day as Erin’s Daddy’s birthday!)and we are having a party for him on Sat Nov. 8 at “THE BAR” in Rothschild.  The party starts at 4pm and we will have pizza and cake, crackers, chesse, etc. very simple.  You all are welcome to stop in and celebrate with us if you would like.  Bring your spouses!  The kids are also welcome.  The Bar is a new building and a pretty clean place (not your typical dirty smoky bar) so I feel comfortable bringing Finn. 

Come and Celebrate with us! It’s just another reason to get out of the house!

Today daddy is welcome to come to the mommy cafe!  That is right, it is a two parent event!  They all can go to the basement and play video games! or just pretend to really love hanging out with us.

Well we some how have made it through a very busy week, and I find myself with a huge list of “to-dos” yet all I want to do is sleep and watch tv.  I have been thinking of you all a lot lately.  Trying to remember our first Halloween with Maddy.  Fun times of costumes, pumpkins and trick-or-treating.  There is something so sweet about your firsts.  Do you have any traditions you are starting with Halloween?

We have one where we tell about how God is a farmer and grows perfect pumpkins (us) but he doesn’t just want to grow a pumpkins, he wants to make us into something.  Therefore he cleans us inside and out.  He scrapes out all of the gunk (sin) and then gives us eyes to see the truth, a nose to smell the good and a mouth to share the goodnews, the gospel…but most importantly God comes inside of us and is a light that shines through our face and deeds.  Then we teach Madelyn to take candy with her to give to everyone that gives her candy (anyone that opens a door).  It is a fun way of putting some meaning to the celebration and teaching a bit about giving. 

So Brian and I finally sat down last night to talk about doctors.  We really need to get a family doctor and make sure we have some place to have regular care.  That of course started the family planning conversation.  We have always said 3 to 4 children, but after Lydia came he was fairly sure we were done.  So we discussed who would be “fixed” and he wants to do that (and he should, I trashed my body for the girls he can take one for the team).  But then this morning he looked me square in the eyes and said, I think we are for sure going to have one more, God willing.  Interesting.  So I am back to the fun decision of IUD or praying that it just doesn’t happen for at least 1 year.  AHHHH I was so looking forward to not having to think about this!  So what do you think I should do.  Whatever gets the most votes I will do!! j/k.

I am Looking forward to our little party tomorrow.  OH, Happy be-lated  1st birthday ANNA!!!!!!

see ya at my place tomorrow.

blessings.

So the next few weeks (well, lets face it, months) are really busy for us.  We have Lydia’s dedication and family coming for that.  We have a family vacation to Aunt Jaime’s house in Indiana and of course Christmas has started in The Salvation Army so you will see us in the news and around town and our eyes will be taped open!  Not to mention that every year we are “reviewed” which means property inpections (on all 5 of our properties and including our house).  They will check us for up keep, being clean, and orginization.  Financal inspections of the church, social agency and our personal books.  Performance inspections…how we are as pastors, business administrators and bosses.  And that is TODAY.  So no stress!

With that being said:

Next Tuesday group is from 3:30 -> at Tara and Finn’s place

Oct. 24 is Anna’s Birthday (Mindy’s daughter).  Yay!!!

October 28th will be back an my house, BUT bring the costumes.  We will have a little halloween party.

And then we will be regular for a while….we think.

If you need directions or address to Tara’s please post below and Tara will get them to you…or I will try to (it is just crazy here, so it may take a while to get to you).  Have a good week and we will see ya soon.

I read this article by mellissa balmain and cracked up:

Why spend energy you don’t have on a costume?  With our tips, you can make one in minutes–seconds!–using stuff you have already.

You’ve Got…Diapers

Lazy: Tape a whole bunch of diapers around your baby’s arms, legs and torso. Result: The Michelin Man.

Lazier: Stuffone diaper inside each shoulder of his shirt. Result: Peyton Manning

You’ve Got…breast pads

Lazy: Color one pad black and Attach to your baby’s head. Result: Rabbi

Lazier: Same as above, but skip the coloring part.  Result: the Pope

You’ve Got: Powdered formula

Lazy: Dress your baby in brown; sprinke all over with powder.  Result: a doughnut

Lazier: Dress you baby in black; sprinkle powder on shoulders only.  Result: the “before” guy in a dandruff commercial.

You’ve Got…baby wipes

Lazy: Color four wipes green; cut fringe at one end of each, then tuck other ends into top of your baby’s diaper.  Result: a hula dancer.

Lazier: Overlap plain wipes on his head and nack.  Secure with sweatband.  Result: Lawrence of Arabia

You’ve Got…baby food

LaZY: Smear green-pea puree on your baby’s face, arms, and bare chest.  Result: the incredible Hulk

Lazier: Dab strained plums under her eyes until she looks extremely sleep-deprived and a little deranged.  Result: you.

Who is that? www.unitedwaymc.org

Wednesdays are crazy for my family.  We are up and going by 7am.  The girls go to day care at 8 and then Brian and I are at work until 8pm.  Lydia goes home with her teacher and Maddy joins us for youth nights at 4pm.  These days are stressful, but the youth are worth the time we pour into them. 

Last night I went to pick up Lydia and she was still awake (She usally falls asleep by 6:30pm) and here it was almost 8pm.  When I got home we nursed and changed her diaper and laid her down.  This morning at 6am I woke up to a little baby girl talking away….ahhh, a full night of rest.  I love the TUBES!  Now I will have to fast and pray or something that this isn’t just a one night deal.  PLEASE GOD can we have two girls sleep through the night the majority of the nights??

Madelyn has a book called, “It could be worse” where a mouse is making his way from his friends house back to his and through the journey all kinds of things happen to him.  For example he falls in a hole, slips into a river, sits on a thorn….  but if you look at the pictures each time something happens he barely misses death (by consumption).  It is a cute story.  I was reminded of it today as I read one of my mentors xanga posts.

These people have been officers in the Salvation Army for 20+ years and in May they were told they were being moved, and not just to a new appointment a few cities or states over, but from Wi to Washington DC to our National Headquarters.  Her new job is being a PR person at the White house, while he traves the world doing internal audits and he actually serves out of London our International HeadQuarters (we are in 132 countries, so he travels a lot).  They didn’t know they would be moving and it is hard as they are leaving grown children and new grandbabies behind here in WI.  It is always hard to move, but when you aren’t expecting it and have to do it, it is even harder.

So life could be worse!

That being said, we love it here.  We feel like we belong here and that some how God will use our sad attemps at ministry here.  And we are reminded that in the hard times, It could be worse, much worse.

Day ten from “Songs of Solomon”

Rhythm:

Look at your watches.  Do they read the same time–to the minute? If not, synchronize them!

Listen to the Music

Song of Solomon 5.2-6

2 I slept but my heart was awake.
       Listen! My lover is knocking:

[Man:]

       “Open to me, my sister, my darling,
       my dove, my flawless one.
       My head is drenched with dew,
       my hair with the dampness of the night.”

[Woman:]  

 3 I have taken off my robe—
       must I put it on again?
       I have washed my feet—
       must I soil them again?

 4 My lover thrust his hand through the latch-opening;
       my heart began to pound for him.

 5 I arose to open for my lover,
       and my hands dripped with myrrh,
       my fingers with flowing myrrh,
       on the handles of the lock.

 6 I opened for my lover,
       but my lover had left; he was gone.
       My heart sank at his departure.
       I looked for him but did not find him.
       I called him but he did not answer.

What we hear:

Do we really need to comment on one person being out of the mood when the other person is IN the mood?  We see from the Scripture passage that the list of excuses began several hundred centuries ago.  “I’m already in bed.”  “My feet will get dirty.”  “I have a headache.”  And as much as this seems like a male-knocking, female-rebuffing scenario, timing is everything, and it can definitely work both ways (or not work, as the case may be).  When you get down to it, almost any time is the right time; it just depends on whether we perceive it to be convenient or ideal.  But so what if it’s incovenient?  And since when is it such a bad thing to be desired?  What IS bad is forgetting that you are lovers, first and foremost.  It would be a shame if tomorrow was the last day of your life, and you missed your last chance to make passionate love to your spouse.  So ditch the potential regret and open the door already!

What do you hear? 

What do you think your mate hears when you say, “I’m just not in the mood”?

What would help you get in the mood-or stay there?

Has there ever been a time (maybe many!) when you thought you weren’t in the mood, but once you got into it, you really were?  Discuss the occurrence.

Extended Play:

Planned spontaneity: seems like an oxymoron, but it’s not.  Agree on a night or two of the week designated as the NO Rejection Zone, when lovemaking is on the calendar-anticipated, planned for.  This doesn’t preclude making love more often; it just makes it an event to look forward to with regularity.

-taken from “Songs of Solomon…. by Renfroe: day ten”

A wise women once told me to never say “NO” to him in bed.  For the most part I stick to that.  I actually said no for the first time last month.  Why did my mentor say not to say no? because a man builds a lot of self confidence from his sexuallity and really does 5 mins kill you? ;-P 

Most of the time you get “into” the mood and it will last more than 5 mins, but if not, at least you can help him feel better and know that you care enough about him to fulfill him.  And if you are really an intimate couple he will learn to read you and know when not to “knock at the door”.

What do you think about this devotional?

As you all know I got a devotional book that my husband and I go through together called, “Songs in the key of Solomon: In the word…and in the mood” by John and Anita Renfroe.  Now before you go thinking that we are “getting it on” everynight, let me put an end to that thinking!  I feel strongly about marriage and keeping a family together and I think the best way to do that is keeping your priorities straight. What does that me for us?

1st in our lives should be God and our relationship with him, then comes our marriage and then the children.  I once was told (by a pastor: your sexual relationship is a measuring tool for how your relationship with your husband is just as prayer is a measuring tool for your relationship with God).  Now I pray several times a day (some times short sentence prayers while driving and some times long prayers), I don’t have sex several times a day.  Sorry Brian, it isn’t going to happen!!

So after Lydia came and we were filling drained, but wanted to strengthen our marriage the best idea we had was to do some devotionals together.  Thus I will share a few with you over the next few days.

This one is called:  “Sweet Nothings”

rhythm: Pull out your cell phones and dial each other up, even if you’re only sitting twelve inches apart.  Listen to the delay as your voice pings off a satellite somewhere and then bounces back to earth.  Try to imagine the points of potential disconnect that ould occur on tat path from your mouth to your mate’s ear and back again.

Listen to the Music:

 9 You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride;
       you have stolen my heart
       with one glance of your eyes,
       with one jewel of your necklace.

 10 How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride!
       How much more pleasing is your love than wine,
       and the fragrance of your perfume than any spice!

 11 Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride;
       milk and honey are under your tongue.
       The fragrance of your garments is like that of Lebanon. (song4.9-11)

What we Hear:

Do you remember when you were first in love, and you just couldn’t wait to hear what your beloved was about to say?  You didn’t want to miss a word.  Every syllable was brilliant!  Enchanting!  Full of meaning!  You would talk for hours about everything and nothing at all.  Then somewhere between “I do” and “Did you remember to pick up the dry cleaning?” you entered something known as the Marriage Communication Drop-Out Zone, where the most common message is “Can you hear me now?”

We find ourselves asking each other to repaeat things not so much because we’re going deaf, but because we aren’t really listining.  Part of the problem may be that the words we’re saying to each other are only designed to impart information, not to connect us on a heart level or to communicate love to each other.  Finding the path back to the idea that the words your lover speaks are sweet–regardless of the content–requires a commodity you had in spades when you were dating but is hard to come by in the workday, work-it-out world: your undivided attention.

What do you hear?

What do you love to hear your lover say to you?

Imagine that one of you is called away on a long-term job assignment or into military service, and a voice on the phone might be all you had to connect you.  What would you say to each other?

When was the last time you whispered something intimate to your lover?

Extended Play:

Make a point to call your mate at least once a day just for “sweet nothings” – a little audible flirting.  Make sure you close your office door or turn off the speaker on your phone! (and make sure you dial the right number)

-This is day 9 in the devotional book

I would add….pinch your “lovers” butt in public, but be sneeky about it!