Saturday, February 28, 2009

Home Sweet Home


I haven't really written much of any substance in a long time. I'm not sure the true reason, although I can think of many contributors. Life has been very busy and very full for the Curtis Crew. I recently took another position at work and making the transition into working more has been a bit challenging. Just a small glimpse...the other day, Jason suggested we might need to get a maid to clean the house. In fact, his words were, "Are my days of domestic bliss coming to an end?" I think I've been spoiling him by keeping the house clean and meals planned, etc, etc because I've had a lot of free time to do so. However, my free time has diminished pretty much overnight. So, enter hubby's uneasiness... I just can't bring myself to make that call to hire a maid, though.

I absolutely am loving my new job. I am now Director of Summer as well as continuing with my Director of After School position. Laurel School has amazing summer offerings and registration is in full swing. This will be the first summer I actually work full-time while my kids are out of school...enter a little bit of Mommy guilt. However, they are thrilled to have a babysitter coming and my oldest two get to participate in summer camp with me, so I think things will be ok...no scarring of my children due to feelings of neglect, I hope!

We are on the countdown to head to Texas. We've had this trip planned for a while. One of our very best friends is getting married and we wouldn't miss it for the world! We are so excited to be reunited with family and friends and to be back in the place that still feels like our true home. Just imagine, we're going from 19 degrees with snow on the ground to 70's with sunshine!

Speaking of true home, we had parent conferences this week with Emily & Ben's teachers. Jason and I couldn't have felt prouder listening to the teachers describe our kids. You always wonder what your kids are really like when you're not around...well, let's just say we slept very soundly last night. Just love those little dumplins so much! Anyway, Ben's teachers told us that frequently, Ben tells them he doesn't really live in Ohio, he's just visiting, he actually lives in Texas. Top that off with Emily asking us two days ago when we're going to move back to Texas because she's ready...Where is home?

So, we're all looking forward to our visit with a blend of emotions...excitement, of course! And yet, there's a little melancholy shade over the excitement knowing that we will have to say goodbye again and return to 19 degrees and snow on the ground. Don't get me wrong, we really like living here...love the seasons, love the slower-paced lifestyle, love our jobs and school. However, the relationships we had in Texas are not here. Church was the center of our life in Texas and it's not yet here. We are still church hunting...

Relationships are so important and just imagine what that day will be like when we are reunited with those who have gone on before us...the blend of emotions will be that of excitement and joy with no shade of melancholy! Family members, friends, maybe even pets (please no theology lessons here) will be standing there to greet us and we'll never have to say goodbye again. Moms, Dads, Sisters, Brothers, Grandmothers, Grandfathers, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Nieces, Nephews, Sons, Daughters...and then, the grand finale...Jesus himself. Can you only imagine? No more wondering...This is home!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend with those you love!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Website Wednesday!



This week's website is WebMD. This is a great website to use when you want to check what might be causing your symptoms. You have to be very careful what you read (and believe) on the internet when it comes to medical conditions. So, stick with a website like WebMD or this site when the sniffles or aches and pains are knocking on your door. There's also a wealth of information and medical articles.

From the company's website:
The WebMD content staff blends award-winning expertise in medicine, journalism, health communication and content creation to bring you the best health information possible. Our esteemed colleagues at MedicineNet.com are frequent contributors to WebMD and comprise our Medical Editorial Board. Our Independent Medical Review Board continuously reviews the site for accuracy and timeliness.

Of course, your doctor is always the best place to go for medical advice. 

Here's to good health!


Monday, February 23, 2009

What we're reading this week...

So, back to blogging... I've been swamped with a new job and personal projects and just didn't have the time to think about blogging. 

It is still very much winter here. Spring is beginning to creep in, however. Our bulbs are starting to sprout, birds are singing outside my window as I type, and occasionally, the temps will rise above 30. We are ready for spring, let me tell you. This winter has been pretty high maintenance...LOTS of snow! Lucky for us, we will get a break very soon from the cold when we board the plane to Texas! Yee-haw! (Thus, the new annoying background...)

So, on to what we're reading this week...

Jason's reading...

My reading...


Emily's reading...


Ben's reading...


Abby's reading...


Happy Reading!

Monday, February 9, 2009

Taking a break...



I am up to my eyeballs right now with work and personal projects, so I am going to take a break this week from blogging. See you next Monday!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Old Man Winter

Old Man Winter has made himself very comfortable in Ohio. January's snowfall was approx. 40 inches. We have ALOT of snow on the ground, y'all! Today, we were to get some "light snow showers" and ended up with an additional 6 inches of lake effect snow and are to get 4-8 inches as the day goes on. 

Today's snowfall was gorgeous! My favorite snowfall is the big, fluffy snowflakes that fall slowly. Add a little bit of sunshine to it and it's magical. I love how the snow lands on the trees and lines the branches. I took a few shots of our yard today so you could see the snow. Notice, my sidewalk is no more (although, we will have to shovel it later today), and Emily's snowgirl she made on Sunday has an abstract shape today after being snowed on. You can see her mittens sticking out and that's about it.






One of our Christmas gifts to this kids this year was an Eye Clops, which is basically a microscope with a camera option. It has a memory card for saving the pictures. Jason began experimenting with taking pictures of snowflakes. He used a black piece of construction paper and set it outside to catch some snow and then took some pictures with the Eye Clops. We've all heard the saying that no two snowflakes are alike and we've probably all made paper snowflakes, not realizing how close we were to the original design! I'd have to say, I was amazed at the detail of these snowflakes. Remember, these are teeny, tiny...











God's voice thunders in marvelous ways;
he does great things beyond our understanding.

He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' 
and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.'
-Job 37: 5-6

His wonders never cease!


Website Wednesday!

This week's website is one that Jason and I use often, in fact, Jason uses daily. If you read my bog, you know that Jason and I are reading the Bible in 2009. We've opted to read the Bible chronologically and are both right on track and in the middle of Exodus. We've completed Genesis and Job. It never ceases to amaze me that no matter how many times I read the Bible, I always gain a new understanding and also have even more questions! There are some kooky things in the Old Testament, I'm telling you... 

So, Jason uses Bible Gateway to do his daily reading. He likes to be able to click to read more about the passage if he has any questions or needs more explanation. I use Bible Gateway on a regular basis to hunt for Scripture.

From the company's website:
The Bible Gateway is a tool for reading and researching scripture online -- all in the language or translation of your choice! It provides advanced searching capabilities, which allow readers to find and compare particular passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.

You can view a complete list of available Bible versions and translations. To access some of the Bible Gateway's other features (a Verse of the Day widget, Bible commentaries, audio Bibles, and more),...

I personally like the option to read Scripture in various versions right on the same website. I also like to be able to search by key words for verses in the Bible. I'm not the best at remembering where exactly a particular verse is located, so this option is great. 

Time to get into the Word and Bible Gateway is very user friendly and right at your fingertips...no digging for a Bible or wishing you had a different version in hand.

Monday, February 2, 2009

What we're reading this week...

We had a heat wave yesterday and the temps rocketed to the 40's! It was so nice. We spent most of the day outside. Today, it's back in the 20's, and according to the Groundhog, we will have 6 more weeks of winter. Although, our days are getting longer, and this morning, I heard birds singing. I love the glimpse of what's to come that God gives us. Spring is not that far away! Woo hoo!

So, on to what we're reading this week. Jason raided the clearance aisle at Half Price Books and you will never guess what book he found here in Ohio for $1. Thanks to this find, it's opened my eyes to many Youtube videos as Jason's nostalgia has set in. My internal dialogue: grin and nod, grin and nod, grin and nod...

Click on the image to link to Amazon's website.

Jason's reading...


My reading...
(Ok I have to write something here. I was absolutely not going to list this book as what I am reading, but it is such a good book, that I have to recommend it to all my married girlfriends. 
This book has changed my perspective 100%!)


Emily's reading...


Ben's reading...


Abby's reading...


Happy Reading!