Sometimes I look at a new year with anticipation and sometimes with dread. I think the feeling of dread comes from not having a clue as to what is going to happen. The last few years have been pretty rough and each one I've looked forward to with the expectation of good things happening. Not that good things didn't happen, God is in control so I can always count on there being good things in life. We are just feeling like we are needing an extra dose of good this year to offset the not so good of the past few. My more pessimistic side is thinking "hope for the best expect the worst" which is not the best way to start a new year!!! I know that I am not alone in feeling this way, because of the economy and other things going on around us as a nation, several others are feeling the same as I do. So, let's try to look on the more positive side of things.
First, Jerry and I will be married 20 years on January 28th, and they said it couldn't be done! I will admit there are challenges to being 16 years apart but none of them are insurmountable.
Second, Kaytie will be successfully finishing her senior year of high school and preparing to head off to St. Louis Christian College who has already sent her a letter of acceptance.
Third, Eryn will be performing in her first ever dance recital, something she will be practicing on her new dance floor her Daddy built for her for Christmas.
Those are three incredibly positive things that will be a blessing this year. There are many other things that are a positive potential for 2009. Jerry will be pursuing a new career with GreenSwitch which he is very pumped about and I will continue to substitute teach and do whatever catering comes my way. With continued good health and our needs being met by God, the rest is icing on the proverbial cake!
So, Happy New Year! I hope and pray that all of our loved ones have a positive year, remember, it's all in how you look at it!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Friday, December 26, 2008
It's over?!?!
Ever have that deflated feeling after all of the gifts are opened and that special dinner has been eaten? The anticipation of Christmas morning and the faces of those that you love when they open what you hope will be the perfect gift, is wonderful. The down side is, it seems to be over all too soon! I love excitement and surprises, which comes as no big shocker to those who know me, but when you go to great lengths to produce those two things for others and then it's over it's kind of sad. I think the key is to focus on the love that I have for those that surround me on Christmas morning and those loved ones celebrating far away. They are thankful for what they have received but what's even better is the fact that they are thankful just to be together. Eryn made the comment before Christmas ever arrived that it didn't matter what was under the tree because she would like what ever was there. When I asked her about it later she said that all that mattered was that she has her family. The wisdom of a nine year old is an awesome thing!
One of our family traditions is to take some time on Christmas Eve to sit in the light of candles and Christmas lights, eggnog or hot cocoa in hand, and listen to Jerry read the Christmas story. This year he started with the prophecies of Isaiah and then read the story of Christ's birth in Luke. We discussed the link between the Old and New testaments and how God has given us so many reasons to believe His infallible Word. It is unmistakable how He choreographed all of history to set the stage for the birth of His Son, even in ways that we will never know or recognize this side of eternity. He reveals Himself to us each and every day but so many people miss it because either their sin has blinded them or they simply aren't taking the time to see it. God does say in scripture, "Be still and know that I am God."
In all of the rush towards the New Year, I hope that everyone takes the time to be still and recognize His hand in their lives and to be thankful He takes the time to place it there!
One of our family traditions is to take some time on Christmas Eve to sit in the light of candles and Christmas lights, eggnog or hot cocoa in hand, and listen to Jerry read the Christmas story. This year he started with the prophecies of Isaiah and then read the story of Christ's birth in Luke. We discussed the link between the Old and New testaments and how God has given us so many reasons to believe His infallible Word. It is unmistakable how He choreographed all of history to set the stage for the birth of His Son, even in ways that we will never know or recognize this side of eternity. He reveals Himself to us each and every day but so many people miss it because either their sin has blinded them or they simply aren't taking the time to see it. God does say in scripture, "Be still and know that I am God."
In all of the rush towards the New Year, I hope that everyone takes the time to be still and recognize His hand in their lives and to be thankful He takes the time to place it there!
Monday, December 15, 2008
It's that time of year
It is a cold frosty morning, with just a little bit of white on the grass and roofs but they have canceled school because of the ice on the roads. This means having my girls at home, but it also means that I won't be working and neither will Jerry. The up side to all of this is that we get to spend the day together working on Christmas projects and maybe watching a Christmas movie. The down side is that we kind of need the money that working in the school system provides right now. Oh well, I have to look at it and think, "God knows our needs, He controls the weather and we can only do so much." There is a reason He says, "Be still and know that I am God." It's a relief to recognize the struggle of trying to do everything yourself and then let go of it and give it to Him.
Back to the weather! Kaytie and Eryn are convinced that the reason that we have ice and no school is because of the "Freezing Rain Dance" and the "No School Dance" that they made up and performed yesterday. The first one they did in the front yard and the second one they did in Eryn's room last night when she was supposed to be sleeping!
There is still so much to do between now and Christmas morning. It makes it hard to enjoy the time, worse yet to order my thoughts in a fashion that helps me get things done. I think it is referred to as avoidance! There are many excuses that I could use but I think that one defines where I'm at the best. Obviously blogging is much more appealing than getting things done which is why I'm signing off for now. I'll keep you posted as to how far I get with my projects.
Back to the weather! Kaytie and Eryn are convinced that the reason that we have ice and no school is because of the "Freezing Rain Dance" and the "No School Dance" that they made up and performed yesterday. The first one they did in the front yard and the second one they did in Eryn's room last night when she was supposed to be sleeping!
There is still so much to do between now and Christmas morning. It makes it hard to enjoy the time, worse yet to order my thoughts in a fashion that helps me get things done. I think it is referred to as avoidance! There are many excuses that I could use but I think that one defines where I'm at the best. Obviously blogging is much more appealing than getting things done which is why I'm signing off for now. I'll keep you posted as to how far I get with my projects.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Turkey Time
Well, it's Tuesday evening here at the Ausherman house. Eryn in finishing her dinner in her pj's which she donned as soon as she got home from school. Jerry is looking at the news on his computer after a morning of subbing in High School Algebra and the afternoon working in his workshop. Kaytie is in Gentry at her Teens for Christ Tuesday night meeting. And, obviously, I'm blogging! The Baum family didn't join us for dinner this evening due to their group cancelling the meeting tonight, I 'm guessing because it is Thanksgiving week. The Baum's are also getting things ready to head out to Illinois tomorrow to spend the holidays with Sarah's parents and siblings.
Thanksgiving will be spent here at home, it being just the 4 of us, Christmas will be celebrated in the same way. No money to head East and extended family having other plans deems this necessary. We will make it fun in our own way though. I was thinking about it the other day and I realized that I don't have to clean the house for company, we can have our celebration meal anytime of the day that we want and I can fix as little or as much as I want. I tried to talk everyone into going to Cracker Barrel for the Thanksgiving meal, you wouldn't believe the uprising! Oh well, I guess I will go ahead and cook the 12 pound turkey I have in the freezer. They don't make them any smaller, I checked!
The Sager Creek cast party went well, they ended up coming here to the house to eat. I liked it better than taking everything to the theater. I was able to keep the food warm and pamper them a whole lot more than I could have if we had held it at the theater. They brought a couple of bottles of wine with them which I was OK with. The bad thing was, our cork screw broke while trying to open the second bottle. I guess we need to invest in something a little nicer than a WalMart special!
With this being Thanksgiving week I figured that I wouldn't have anything to cater until the Red Hatter's Christmas Party on the 6th, but I was wrong. I received a call last night from a lady I know from First Christian church here in Siloam who asked me to make a lemon cheesecake for her kids that are coming in for Thanksgiving dinner. I happily agreed, this will be a new adventure, I've never made a lemon one before! I found three different recipes and decided on one that I will still have to tweak to make it what I want it to be. It should be interesting.
In the last few weeks it has dawned on me that I am not nearly as thankful as I should be. I have been blessed in so many ways and I take all of it for granted. My husband and children are healthy and safe, I have a home that I love (the house and the area), there is meat in the freezer and canned goods in the pantry. Those are things that I consider needs, but what I have been blessed with doesn't stop there. I have that part of my family that lives just across the state line that loves and cares for me and my family in innemerable ways, friends and aquaintances that make life interesting each day and an activity list filled with things that I love to do. Who am I to complain? But even bigger than that, why would God allow me to have all of this? He gives even though we end up wanting more. He meets every need and yet we never seem to be satisfied with the bounty He pours out on us. I realize it is the flesh, the sinful nature, that is always desiring more, but is the spirit that willing to overcome that part of us? If it is, I need to tap into the Power that will make my spirit more successful!
Happy Thanksgiving, in every sense of the word!
Thanksgiving will be spent here at home, it being just the 4 of us, Christmas will be celebrated in the same way. No money to head East and extended family having other plans deems this necessary. We will make it fun in our own way though. I was thinking about it the other day and I realized that I don't have to clean the house for company, we can have our celebration meal anytime of the day that we want and I can fix as little or as much as I want. I tried to talk everyone into going to Cracker Barrel for the Thanksgiving meal, you wouldn't believe the uprising! Oh well, I guess I will go ahead and cook the 12 pound turkey I have in the freezer. They don't make them any smaller, I checked!
The Sager Creek cast party went well, they ended up coming here to the house to eat. I liked it better than taking everything to the theater. I was able to keep the food warm and pamper them a whole lot more than I could have if we had held it at the theater. They brought a couple of bottles of wine with them which I was OK with. The bad thing was, our cork screw broke while trying to open the second bottle. I guess we need to invest in something a little nicer than a WalMart special!
With this being Thanksgiving week I figured that I wouldn't have anything to cater until the Red Hatter's Christmas Party on the 6th, but I was wrong. I received a call last night from a lady I know from First Christian church here in Siloam who asked me to make a lemon cheesecake for her kids that are coming in for Thanksgiving dinner. I happily agreed, this will be a new adventure, I've never made a lemon one before! I found three different recipes and decided on one that I will still have to tweak to make it what I want it to be. It should be interesting.
In the last few weeks it has dawned on me that I am not nearly as thankful as I should be. I have been blessed in so many ways and I take all of it for granted. My husband and children are healthy and safe, I have a home that I love (the house and the area), there is meat in the freezer and canned goods in the pantry. Those are things that I consider needs, but what I have been blessed with doesn't stop there. I have that part of my family that lives just across the state line that loves and cares for me and my family in innemerable ways, friends and aquaintances that make life interesting each day and an activity list filled with things that I love to do. Who am I to complain? But even bigger than that, why would God allow me to have all of this? He gives even though we end up wanting more. He meets every need and yet we never seem to be satisfied with the bounty He pours out on us. I realize it is the flesh, the sinful nature, that is always desiring more, but is the spirit that willing to overcome that part of us? If it is, I need to tap into the Power that will make my spirit more successful!
Happy Thanksgiving, in every sense of the word!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Something new
OK, I've decided that one reason my friend created this blog for me was because she wanted me to be able to post fun things about my family. Obviously I haven't been using it for that, sorry! Therefore, I'm turning over a new leaf, yes it is Fall! I can journal my depressing thoughts else where and focus on the positive highlights of my wonderful family here in the space that my loving friend created for me.
The girls have been sick this week....oops, that's not very up lifting....but wait, there's more! Kaytie has decided that taking deep breaths that she exhales through her mouth makes her stomach feel better. Not only does it make me think that I should probably sterilize all surfaces after she comes through but it sounds a lot like she is practicing Lamaze! Eryn on the other hand is the only one who has actually thrown up but is still eating like a normal 9 year old. After being sick in the middle of the night she decided she wanted Peanut Butter Capn' Crunch for breakfast! Thankfully she kept it down. Jerry and I must have stomachs of steel because we are just fine.
Jerry started subbing this week and, good or bad, his first assignment was middle school health. Talk about throwing someone to the wolves! He realizes now that there were a few kids that he probably should have sent to the office. Oh well, live and learn! I have a feeling he will be getting calls all the time because there are very few people that are willing to do middle school and certainly very few willing men. Jerry is also getting involved with my sister Jeri's new venture with a company called "Greenswitch". They produce a product that helps save energy and cuts down on electric bills. Since green is the new pink, it should be successful!
I am done with JBU's production of Singing in the Rain! There is another director at the university that is getting ready for "The Miracle Worker", the story of Helen Keller. The people that I worked with on this last production are recommending me do the costumes for this show also. I don't know if it will amount to anything but if they ask me to do it I probably will. As far as catering goes, I am hosting a cast party for Sager Creek Arts Center on the 22nd. It promises to be a lot of fun! I'm looking forward to trying some new recipes and possibly even having it here in my home. There is a Red Hatter's Christmas party coming up on the 6th of December that I have been asked to cater also. Doesn't that sound like fun? Several older ladies with bright red and purple outfits! I'll take lots of pictures, I might even wear red and purple myself!
There are several birthdays coming up, Jerry will be 55 on the 21st and McKenna will be one on the 24th. The birthday girl shares her birthday with my sister Becky, turning 49 and my nephew who will be 23 (I think!). I'm finding you don't have to be old to feel old!
So there it is, a positive informative blog! Someday I will learn to add pictures by myself without the aid of my best friend!
The girls have been sick this week....oops, that's not very up lifting....but wait, there's more! Kaytie has decided that taking deep breaths that she exhales through her mouth makes her stomach feel better. Not only does it make me think that I should probably sterilize all surfaces after she comes through but it sounds a lot like she is practicing Lamaze! Eryn on the other hand is the only one who has actually thrown up but is still eating like a normal 9 year old. After being sick in the middle of the night she decided she wanted Peanut Butter Capn' Crunch for breakfast! Thankfully she kept it down. Jerry and I must have stomachs of steel because we are just fine.
Jerry started subbing this week and, good or bad, his first assignment was middle school health. Talk about throwing someone to the wolves! He realizes now that there were a few kids that he probably should have sent to the office. Oh well, live and learn! I have a feeling he will be getting calls all the time because there are very few people that are willing to do middle school and certainly very few willing men. Jerry is also getting involved with my sister Jeri's new venture with a company called "Greenswitch". They produce a product that helps save energy and cuts down on electric bills. Since green is the new pink, it should be successful!
I am done with JBU's production of Singing in the Rain! There is another director at the university that is getting ready for "The Miracle Worker", the story of Helen Keller. The people that I worked with on this last production are recommending me do the costumes for this show also. I don't know if it will amount to anything but if they ask me to do it I probably will. As far as catering goes, I am hosting a cast party for Sager Creek Arts Center on the 22nd. It promises to be a lot of fun! I'm looking forward to trying some new recipes and possibly even having it here in my home. There is a Red Hatter's Christmas party coming up on the 6th of December that I have been asked to cater also. Doesn't that sound like fun? Several older ladies with bright red and purple outfits! I'll take lots of pictures, I might even wear red and purple myself!
There are several birthdays coming up, Jerry will be 55 on the 21st and McKenna will be one on the 24th. The birthday girl shares her birthday with my sister Becky, turning 49 and my nephew who will be 23 (I think!). I'm finding you don't have to be old to feel old!
So there it is, a positive informative blog! Someday I will learn to add pictures by myself without the aid of my best friend!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
I Get By With a Little Help from My Friend
As a member of Stacey's surrogate family, I have found it to be my responsibility to keep her connected to the outside world through the use of the internet. Before we opened up a Facebook account for her she was telling me that she would never use it . . . and now she's more addicted than me. And now that I am getting her introduced to the world of blogging, I'm sure that she will soon surpass my number of blog entries as she attempts to log her attempts at conquering the world through cheesecakes and hors-devours.By the way, my name is Sarah and I have the most beautiful baby you've ever seen. Here's a picture of her . . . Stacey's niece. I think sometimes she makes the crazy people in the Ausherman house slow down! Well, at least until she can keep up with them!
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