That's a wrap...

So there has been a lot going on with us this past little while...I wonder if there is anyone reading this since I haven't been on since October. I feel like I am in a confessional booth.

"Forgive me, everyone. It has been 7 months since my last entry..."

I guess I have been more into Tim or the kids or something. I feel absolutely pooped. I don't know which end is up and don't think there is an end in sight. What mom doesn't feel that way, right?

There are no pictures this time, so I will just do my best to narrate this effectively, colorfully and quickly, though I will admit I don't feel very colorful.

Alright, here we go, and as a preface let me say that I know that what I have to say doesn't even tip the scale of "going through hard times" but for us, this is a lot all at once. Here goes.

So we have had our house for sale for 9 months with very little interest. We have the kids in Christian school and basically can't afford to keep the house and keep the kids in school, so we choose school. I did apply for a part time job at our church but after over a month, still haven't heard from them.

We lowered the price of the house a total of $30,000 and finally got someone interested in a second look. It turns out that we have what they need...a main floor master suite...a must in my opinion. The POD comes Tuesday (I'll explain later why we need a POD) and we close May 17th, though we barely have half the house packed up. Every time I get a weekend, it seems that it is taken by something else. Humphf.

The Thursday morning following the accepted offer on the house, while Tim was in Michigan for a week working, he called me at 6am to tell me that his grandma had just died. Wow! Ok, so we expected to hear that news of his granddad, but not grandma. Tim left Michigan early, came home so we could get the kids out of school early to break the news to them and then went straight to the farm. The 3 older kids and I joined Tim and his parents at the farm Saturday afternoon and stayed on through Tuesday.

Thursday morning I took the kids to school and instead of going home right away, which I ALWAYS do, I went to get some boxes from Ruthie at her work, then went to mom's for a bit and then stopped by a friends new house before going home. As I pull up to the house I see the front door is wide open. I have told the kids over and over again that I really like to keep the front door shut when we're not home and could they please remember that. As I get ready to turn into the driveway I see that the right side lite of the front door is shattered and Kevin is barking like a mad dog. Great Scott! Did someone actually break into the house?!?

So I get my front tires onto the driveway and parked it. Like a dummy, I get out to try and figure out what happened. What on earth I thought I could deduce about this break-in I cannot tell you. I figured that out fast enough when Kevin ran away from the front door barking and wouldn't come back, so I jetted back to the van to call the police. No sleuthing for me...not with 2 kids in the car.

Eventually we learn that we had some retarded burglars. They got my laptop and Tim's old work laptop but left a third [old] laptop. They took the cords to my external hard drive but left the hard drive and on top of all that, they took my computer bag with all the camera and ipod cords and headphones and such that were all in the bag. Darn them. They also took a cedar box (engraved with our anniversary date) from the top of Tim's dresser that had odds and ends in it and dumped it out upstairs in the computer room. Out of it they took 2 watches of Tim's but left several gift cards. They ended up taking my box too. I can't figure that one out. It made me mad!

After the police left and I was standing on thousands of pieces of shattered glass, the phone rings and of all times to find out I have an interview for the job at the church, it would have to be now. I am pretty sure I could audibly hear God chuckling at me!

Ok, so back to needing a POD for our belongings...upon the death of Tim's grandmother, Tim and I sort of felt led to take care of his granddad, who most of the time is healthy as an 83yr old horse, but needs someone around for the few times when he isn't. We saw that the timing of everything with the house sort of paved the way for us to move to the farm for the summer or however long is necessary to honor granddad.

There is now one little glitch that I'd love you all to pray for. Our buyer's buyer just got turned down for financing. This is not good, obviously, but we firmly believe that God is working everything out. We are mostly packed and certainly don't want to have to unpack and go back on the market, so for now we pray. And wait. And pray.

I know that was a whirlwind of info at one shot and perhaps I jumped around a bit, but that's what is going on. I do have some fun and even funny things going on, but in my current state of mind can't remember any of them, and if there is anyone left still reading this post, lengthy as it is, I wouldn't want to chance losing you now. I am in bed and I am tired. Let's hope the coffee I just drank won't keep me up. I have a garage sale at moms this weekend to get ready for and that is never fun! It's good to be back. I hope I can pick it up and keep it up fairly regularly!!!

I got mine! Did you get yours?

Ok, so my cousin Susanna got married to a wonderful -and quite handsome- guy named Jeff this weekend and my aunt and uncle from VA drove in to be here for it. Well they carried precious cargo in their vehicle. I got my cousin Denise as my fall swap giftee, as I guess she is, and I got to unload my gift on Saturday night. When I opened the box, this is what greeted me: Well, to be honest, I couldn't see any of the mommy stuff with all the yummy jewelry and teeth in the way, but I saw the promise of great things to come. Little did I know how great.

So for F, as you see, is a "Fantastic read...if you ever have time!"

The word "read" is defined by Wiktionary as to be a party to the input and understanding of written information, or to look at and interpret letters or other information that is written.

Now that I know what reading is, or is supposed to be, I cannot wait to try it some time. In all seriousness, I own and have read many a Francine Rivers book in my day (has it really been over 8 years since I was able to read a good book? Oh my!) and I just LOVE her. I have not read this book and will pretend to need some good soaking baths in the near future in order to steal away to do so. Aunt Jan says it's a real page turner so it shouldn't take me long!

Then there was this package for making caramel "Apples for all 5 of the little apples of your eye." Well, Elijah just walked in and asked, "When are we going to celebrate the apples of your eye?" I will have to say, "Soon. Perhaps tomorrow." The package calls for apples and heavy whipping cream, so off to Wally World to get those ingredients and mmm, mmm, good!!!

"Two cute Leaf cookie cutters" made up the first "L" of the gift. Honestly I have never made a cookie that had to be cut out first, but then again, I didn't own ANY cookie cutters. Now I do. Fall cookies, here I come!

Is it ok to say I have saved the best for last?!? What will go better with a good book and a hot bath than a nice cold drink? Yes, I take mine cold and yummy. Also included in my fabulous swap gift box, modeling nicely as the second "L" was this little sweat heart gift card for a "Latte at Starbucks." I think I feel a good soak coming on tomorrow night!

This is the obstacle I had to overcome to get to all the F-A-L-L goodies in the box and have not decided yet whether to be thankful to my dear sweet cousin and all her little kiddies for the "exciting" times ahead in the Svoboda household once my little kiddies get a hold of this glucose rush, or whether I should send the box "return to sender" with the sugar high safely on it's way back to good ol' Virginny. I'll decide that later, but in the mean time, I am certain that I am thankful for the wonderful items that were hiding underneath the sugar shock. Thank you so much Denise! I seriously cannot wait to dive into a good read after all these years. I mean book. Read is what you do with it. ;-)

Master Potato Head

Oh he can be so cute sometimes...and funny. He has a sense of humor that is truly God given and I am thankful for that. Today at mom's he put on all this stuff and then walked through the house to find us to show us his new look. It's Master Potato Head.


I would have hugged him and kissed him then and there but his ears were already falling off and he was getting frustrated by it. He was falling apart for sure! I sure do love that boy of ours!

...The next one...

Ok, so it's been so long since I have posted anything that I'm pretty sure hardly anyone is going to read this, so I should be blogging to a very few...not that it matters, I suppose.

Saturday was my birthday...a whoppin' 32...and I decided weeks ago that I was going to treat myself. I did. The short story of it is that I got my nose pierced.

Alright Olsens, get up off the floor!!!

I know. Crazy, right? Well, not really. Not for me anyways. The longer story of it is this. I have wanted a nose ring since I could remember...early jr high probably. Though my parents (dad) didn't approve of double pierced ears, I rebelled and did my left ear in my room one night in jr high. I went on to do my cartilage of the same ear some time in high school (again in my bedroom) and then to do a third piercing on my left lobe and a second in that same cartilage all in college. I never dared do my nose because what would people think? An ear is one thing and fairly common, but my nose?!? They might all think I'm dying and going to Hell. I wouldn't want people to think that based on my nose now would I? So I never got one.

Granted the dying and going to Hell portion was a bit of drama that holds a bit of truth for some, but it goes to say that I have always felt somewhat under a microscope in my family. "Michelle would never do that." "Shelly is so good...she wouldn't do that." "You're so-an-so's grand daughter and you're better than that." Or my second grade teacher grabbing me gently but seriously under the chin (the "look at me" grab) and tell me how disappointed she was in me that she saw me outside one day after school, at my house, in pants and that I should have known better. I'm sure all that is only my perception, but we come from a family (on both sides of my family) that in our Christian bubble world is pretty well known and we had certain shoes to wear, or so I felt.

I allowed those feelings to get me and keep me more concerned with the approval of people over the approval of God. Once it started to truly sink in that no matter what I have been taught, it isn't what's on the outside that God looks at and is pleased by, but it's the heart, I realized that I will never be able to control what people think when they make a big deal out of an eternally insignificant thing. Fill in the blank what that insignificant thing is. I'm sure you all can think of a dozen or so at least. Furthermore, I shouldn't even care about what these people think when it's their approval I am seeking.

I am 32 and I am finally working on having "an audience of One." I am thrilled and oddly enough (I know some of you are baffled by this) I chose the outward expression of my inner change to be this nose ring. Do I believe God called me to do it or that He wanted me to do it? No, I won't go and say that, but I will say He is more pleased with the heart of the young lady who pierced her nose over the one that was worried about being looked at negatively by family or friends because of [preference] choices I make. I no longer want to live my life doing and not doing because it might please or displease some person; a sinner just like me. Does that sound harsh? I don't intend it to, but I think that's a pit we all find ourselves in from time to time as Christians. Do you agree?

What I want to say now is "Now stick that in your pipe and smoke it" but I suspect that wouldn't be the appropriate thing. :-0 I could say that now all I have to do is get a tattoo...No. Probably shouldn't do that either. I guess what I will do is leave you with the lyrics to Big Daddy Weave's "Audience of One."

I come on my knees
To lay down before You
Bringing all that I am
Longing only to know You
Seeking Your face and not only Your hand
I find You embracing me just as I am

And I lift these songs
To You and You alone
As I sing to You
In my praises make Your home

To my audience of one
You are Father, and You are Son
As Your Spirit flows free
Let Him find within me
A heart that beats to praise You
And now just to know You more
Has become my great reward
To see Your kingdom come
And Your will be done
I only desire to be Yours,Lord

So what could I bring
To honor Your majesty
What song could I sing
That would move the heart of royalty
And all that I have
Is the life that You’ve given me
So Lord let me live for You
My song with humility
And Lord as the love song
Of my life is played
I have one desire
To bring glory to Your name

.............................exhale.....................................

Here we go again!

Ok, this should be a fairly quick post. Should be. Good grief, I don't know that I should even post this. You'll probably croak when you see it. That or die laughing and then think, "Why did she photo this???" Well, truth is, I had to tell someone, so hold on to your computer keys because here we go...

So the other day all the kids are upstairs playing dress up and make believe stuff which is totally common around here. Levi is the only boy that gets totally involved because he is definitely imagination driven. I like that part. The part I don't totally dig is the level of his imagination. It's rated PG for sure, but since he learns it from mommy and daddy, I suppose I should be pleased.

Eden and Levi were getting married, something that they've done before. Well this happened shortly after John Paul and Sarah's wedding which the boys and Eden got to go to, so it must have been fresh in their minds and they went all out.

Titus was the flower boy...the cutest one I have ever seen!!!

Levi and Eden got their wedding gear on, and boy was the bride beautiful! She was wearing a dress by "Ariel" and Levi was wearing the traditional wedding garb of the Jedi. Now for the bomb...hang on to your hats...

The kiss. Oh. My. Word. Need I say anything else?

Once they were married, they went out to the garage to ride away in their car. Remembering that John Paul and Sarah drove off in a '57 Chevy (I think), I laughed so hard when I heard what Levi said upon entering our garage shortly after sucking face with his sister...Eew.

They walked in and took one look at our next-to-dead van and he said, "Oh my goodness! Someone stole our car. We had a really NICE one in here."

They decided to hop on Levi's bike until they found that Eden's Ariel dress wouldn't allow her to sit on a bike so she went in to change into something a bit more comfortable. By now, Elijah and Titus were on their bikes too trying to ride away with the happy couple. They were all in the street figuring out what way to go. The three boys were headed one way and Eden was pointed in the opposite way. The boys were saying Eden needed to come their way and instead of sweetly complying, she simply turned and said, "I'm not going anywhere unless you do it my way."

If that wasn't "wifey" enough (or so I hear is the case in some circles), Levi followed it up with a prompt "I'm not leaving my wife!"

It was so funny not just because of what he said but mostly because he said it without missing a beat.

Is that all you expected and more? Just wait until the next one!!!