Economic Stimulus Package

http://www.chateaumezcal.com/2008-tax-rebate-calculator.htm#rebate
Hopefully that link will work.

Go there to figure out your rebate.

We owed the IRS this year (we were totally not expecting that....we were expecting a refund!) so this will help cover July when we won't have any income due to my husband switching careers. I hope the number it spit out was accurate....I followed all the directions.

By the way, I think this will not stimulate the economy because it seems like everyone I speak to needs this money to either put on debt or just put food on the table and pay bills. (which is what we will use ours for!)

Stepping out in Faith

We are in a time of change.

My husband resigned his position at his 6-12 principal job effective for next school year. (which means his last paycheck will be in June and our health insurance will end the 1st of July) He does not currently have another job. He is looking and we are only looking (at this time) in our own county because we really love living here and do not want to move.

This decision came after intense prayer and seeking God's will concerning the deteoriating condition of the upper level administration in his school district. It was the right thing to do. However, stepping out in faith in this way is a challenge and a time of learning.

I also told my employer that unless they can offer me a regular education full-time position for next year, that I will not be returning. (I had told my administration this before my husband made his resignation official) My school is a good one and they are doing everything they can to find me a full-time position in the area I want because they don't want to lose me to another school district.

We'll see how things pan out.

In times like this, when you know that God is leading you, peace prevails. Such a time to learn about faith and God's goodness and grace!

Our children are taking the change in stride. This affects them because (starting next school year) they will no longer be commuting to the school where my husband has resigned his position from. The children will attend a much larger district where we live. There are positives and negatives in this change. More opportunities, but less personal attention from teachers.

We are also seeking a new church to attend that is in our own town. We just can't continue to commute to attend church out of town. The gas prices are just going up too much. Plus it will be good for the children to attend church in the same community where we live and where they will be attending school next year.

God is leading, all will be well.

We are blessed. I have a strong, happy marriage. I have a rock solid faith walk with my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I have children who may drive me crazy, but I am crazy about! All of these relationships take work and do not come naturally! I must seek God daily...I must guard my marriage daily....I must continually work on my relationship with my children. I don't want to give the impression that these things just come naturally. Anyone can have the same strength in these relationships. It all starts by being totally born again in Jesus Christ. Sold out to Him instead of being sold out to the world or even your church rules and regulations. It is about relationships.....not religion and rules. (I know, I say that all time time....but for years I was in a dead religion so I know what I'm talking about)

Fear does start to creep in at times. Yesterday was a difficult day for me. I started thinking about the pay cut my husband will be taking due to leaving his position. I also worry about the medical issues since we have two children with chronic health conditions. (as well as 3 other family members on medications that are necessary) However, fear and confusion are not from GOD....especially when we know we are walking in His will and following Him. Refocusing on Who we are trusting and taking some time for prayer is what helps and then the peace comes back.

I'll update when I know more. My husband was already offered a job (less than a day after resigning) but it would be a $31,000 pay-cut. It is not time to jump into the first thing that comes along. He also feels that it is not the job for him.....so he is looking, praying, seeking.

Laundry detergent

Make your own and save a ton of money. Yes, this does work and you can use it in the new HE machines. Mess with the ingredients until you find the balance that works for you and for the type of water you have. (hard/soft)

I use:
Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (in the yellow box)
Borax
Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (I get the big box of it from Wal Mart)
Soap (Brands that work: Fels Naptha, Zote, or any other hard basic lye soap....check my links section for Mo Soap where you can get a big ole' brick of lye soap for a great price!)

Grate up the bar of soap. I then blend, in very small batches, even parts of each of the above until I have the amount I want. You can use a blender or a food processor.

I store mine in a recycled large container from the natural yogurt that our family eats. You can use any plastic container with a lid or a glass container with a lid.

I have a huge washing machine that holds something like 20 towels in a load, so I use a full Tablespoon of the detergent. Sometimes 1-1/2 T. if the load is very dirty/soiled. However, if you have a regular sized washing machine, I hear from friends that use a similar recipe that they only use a teaspoon per load!

I do dissolve mine in hot water before putting it in my machine. I have found that works better for my own preferences. I have been using the Zote soap because it is dirt cheap (Wal Mart...less than 90 cents for a bar) but I am going to be order a few bricks of the Mo Soap. I have also considered using a bar of Dr. Bronners castile soap....I'm not sure how that would work. I may try the Dr. B's if I find I need to make up more laundry detergent before I'm ready and able to budget in a order of a few bricks of soap from Mo Soap.

I have tried homemade laundry detergent recipes in the past and was never pleased with the quality. (just google and you'll find tons of them online) I was given this recipe by Sara Urbanik who is an amazing homemaker (and human being). It is a great recipe and we've been using it for about 6 months now and the savings to our budget is incredible. It works....and for those who know me and the ways in which I use cloth instead of paper in our home for various things, you know I have soiled laundry!!! (more so than most mainstream people *lol*)

A nice fabric softener recipe that works is just 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 distilled water, essential oil of your choice, and just a tiny shot of dishsoap to help things blend better. I keep it in a quart canning jar with a plastic lid. I shake it a bit to blend the ingredients before I pour it into my fabric softener dispenser. I change the scent when I have to make up more. Right now, I have patchouli and lavendar scented fabric softener.

I have been making most of my own cleaning products for a few years now and it really is cheaper. It is also better for the health of my family and the health of the environment. the book I recommend getting for cleaning recipes is "Clean House Clean Planet". (or maybe it is Clean Home, Clean Planet....you'll be able to find it) That was one book purchase that was worth it!!

Change......exciting or full of fear?

CHANGE.....I'm not talking about the kind you find under the sofa cushions.

Change is a part of life and life is made up of a series of changes. Actually, our very bodies change moment by moment so you'd think we should be "at-home" with change.

I use to struggle with change a lot. That would be an understatement.....it would freak me out and send me into a tensioned "what-if?" existence full of fear of the unknown.

Change has changed for me. I do attribute it to my relationship with Jesus Christ. Because He is my Rock, I do not fear change that is in His will. Yes, my initial reaction (flesh) is to lean towards "what if"....but then the peace takes over. Change becomes more of a exciting anticipation of change than a fearful event of future, scary/bad unknowns. Even if things don't look reasonable at any time during the process of change, if I am in His will, I know greater blessings will be waiting for me. I am willing to follow along in total faith.

Does this mean I am a brainless idiot? No, I know the difference between God's leading and me "checking my brain" at the door and just acting like an idiot. I also know that my own intelligence can not solve and order my life's path into the best that is available for me. Sure I can muscle through and run things in my own independence. However, I have learned that I am not the best person to be captain of my own ship. (that is God's job)

I have been expecting and anticipating great change. I have felt it coming for the past several months. I have no idea how it is going to manifest but I am starting to see the very tip of it all.....and I'm glad I can only see that much at a time. I'm glad that I am being taught more about walking in faith. Seeing by faith. Reasoning by faith. (which to me means not reasoning and relying on my own knowledge/sight)

Life can be difficult. For example, this past week I have had a week that if I were to type out what has transpired in my family, it would seem unreal. If this past week had happened a number of years ago when I was being led by "religion" and "rules" and trying to earn my way into God's grace through church "obligations", I would have fallen into what a life like that usually brings: Victim Mentality and self talk like "I'm just Enduring to the End". Other nonsense such as that which totally insults what Christ did for me on the cross. How thankful I am that I truly understand and live in a relationship with God rather than a relationship with a religion/church/group. The difference is grace...pure and simple. Again, we human beings get in there with our arrogance and adding on rules and regulations and muck it all up which leads people into false sects of Christianity and into works...works...works. I know that because I use to be one of those people. Back then, I would have fallen into my own human reasoning to deal with my past weeks events. Thank God I am free from that!!! This past week was unbelievable, but with my daily walk and very personal relationship with God, I walked by faith. I was able to praise Him and know that all things do indeed work for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose. That is reality for me.

This all comes back to change. Is change something I fear? Not anymore!!! I know that I am living and walking daily in God's will for my life. Change is exciting. The feeling of change coming on for me personally is like the anticipation and expectation I have when in a roller coaster that is going up, up, up.....getting ready to hit that big exhilarating drop where I throw both arms up in the air and enjoy the ride! In my life and the way I walk in relationship with God through love and grace, the safety bar is Jesus Christ Himself holding me in for the duration of the ride. That is how I let go, throw my arms up, smile, and say WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Tattoos......so far!

This is the first big tattoo I had done. It is on my right shoulder/arm. You can't see all of it in the photo since it wraps around a bit, however you can see most of it. This piece has has two artists work in it. (the lotus flower was my first tattoo and the rest of the design was done by a second artist named Sigrun Hornberger) So, this piece is often called a "add on" since a second artist added onto what someone else started. The small lotus flower was done when I turned 35 yrs old and I had it on my arm all by itself until late summer 2007 when I had the artist who is mentoring/apprenticing my son Zakk add onto it. I wanted an earthy design keeping with the oriental feel started with the lotus flower. You can not see the detail of the butterfly but it is just out of it's coccoon. That symbolizes my own new creation after I came to believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior. The lotus flower was done in the traditional colors representing motherhood/mothering. The flowers are cherry blossoms which are one of my very favorite and the leaves bring in the earthy feel. The colors used are traditional for the oriential feel/theme of the piece. The tattoo is a 1/4 sleeve. I love it and it is what you'd call a custom piece.








This is the second tattoo I had done. It is on my left shoulder/arm and was completed in January 2008. It is almost a 1/2 sleeve. (lets call it a 1/3 sleeve *lol*) You can't see 100% of the tattoo in this picture since it wraps around my arm more than is shown. The banner is my own handwriting and says "Only God May Judge Me" and this is a reminder to myself not to judge myself for my past and also a reminder to me to make darned sure I'm not judging others around me because it is not my place to do that. (it is God's alone) It is really cool to look down and see my own handwriting on my skin! The Chalice with the living water flowing out of it (and the flames) are symbolic of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and it is a vision that God gave me shortly after that experience in my own life. It is a brilliant, custom designed tattoo and was also done by the gal who is mentoring my son Zakk. It carries a huge amount of personal symbolism and is also very significant to me on a spiritual level. Sigrun Hornberger is the name of the artist and she is a great artist and I'm so glad she is the one who has taught my son the craft of tattooing. Her example and mentoring teamed up with Zakks amazing natural talent is providing the foundation for Zakk to be one of the best in the field. The work he is already producing is excellent and far beyond what a beginning artist usually does when just beginning the art of tattooing.

From this point forward, any work done on me will be done by Zakk. (my son) I have plans for my back but it will be done slowly. I'm taking a break from any major ink right now since it is kind of a pain keeping up on the aftercare and not being able to go swimming for 8 weeks afterwards and how painful the larger pieces are. (the red ink especially is nasty and heals slowly and I have a lot of that in my second tattoo) I have some really fun ideas and some very spiritual ideas that will eventually be inked on my skin. I think tattoos are beautiful. (well....some are spooky, but I like what I have!!) When they are done by a real artist, they are truly a living work of art and I feel that mine are true art.

10 Things I'm Thankful for Today

I'm thankful for so much, but I'm going to look at just today and list 10 things:

1. A great devotional and prayer time this morning
2. The day off work to finish up my sewing
3. The sun shining to break up the very cold spell
4. My husband and children being home early today
5. A good workout on the treadmill due to having legs that work and money in the budget for the gym membership.
6. Herbal medication on hand for my cold
7. A warm bed to sleep in tonight in safety (thinking about those who don't have either warmth or safety)
8. Working washer and dryer
9. Time to sit this afternoon with a cup of herbal tea and a magazine
10. That I am alive to see this day and anticipation for what tomorrow will bring

At-Home Day

Today I stayed home for work. I almost always have Fridays off, so today and tomorrow add up to some much needed and enjoyed at-home time. Time for me to get some projects done!

I will always be a at-home mom at heart, even though I do enjoy teaching.

My two day plan, beyond my "normal" daily home keeping duties will include some special projects:

1. Make up some natural sugar scrub for my own use since I am out and it will be a week before I get more from the local gal who makes amazing products!

2. Get the canvas shopping bags sewed up. I have some fabric that I found in a storage bin and I am going to use that to make shopping bags so we are not using plastic beyond what we can recycle here at home as garbage sacks. I thought about buying the cheap .99 bags that Safeway sells, but that would still be impacting our environment more than my making them here out of that found fabric. (it would impact more to buy because it costs to truck them in and to manufacture the bags) In this case, my time is worth the extra effort.

Speaking of shopping bags, there is another easy way to recycle something into something new. Get a old tank top that is going to be thrown out (or get them from Goodwill) and just stitch the bottom shut. You use the shoulder straps as your bags handles. These would not be as durable as the canvas or twill ones I'm making, but they are truly simple!

I'm using a paper sack from the grocery store to make my pattern for the ones I'll be sewing up. If I can find my digital camera, I'll take a photo of the finished bags and post it here. I sure hope I can figure out how to use my serger since I have not sewn anything for months and months. (one of the things I miss from when I use to be at-home all the time and had time for these things)

I'm also planning on taking a day off from the gym today. (since I am feeling a bit yucky...that is why I stayed home today)

The scrub recipe I use is not nearly as nice as what I buy locally, but it works in a pinch if you are desperate! I will post the website for the gal who makes up my stuff as soon as she gets one online. (you just have to try her products! I LOVE them and use four different things she handcrafts) Anyway, here is my cavewoman scrub recipe:

1 C. sugar
1/4 C. raw honey (locally harvested is best)
1/2 C. high grade olive oil

Mix. You can add essential oil if you want, but I don't bother with this recipe since I like the natural smell. It does not blend as well as the stuff you buy from someone who puts more time and effort into their formulas, but it works and does not take but a second to stir up a bit before using.

Ok...off to do what I am saying I'm going to do!

EDDIE

Eddie is....well uniquely Eddie. It has been a challenge raising him with his ADHD, oppositional defiant behaviors, and his Down syndrome....but one thing can be said about life with Eddie. It is never boring! We have managed to get him to the point where he is able to be trusted at night sleeping in his own room without our worrying about him burning down the house, hurting himself, or others. (or the animals) That was such a huge accomplishment for him and a relief for the rest of us!

He is a teenager and has all the attitude and hormones that a "typical" teenager has but the twist here is that he is mentally functioning around the age of a "typical" 4/5 year old. What a combination!

He really enjoys going to respite care. He also loves attending any school event. (mostly due to the consession stand!) He enjoys any animated movie. He enjoys family Bible study, even though he has not a clue as to what we are discussing....he just loves to get his picture Bible out and flip through it and then pray at the end. He is still obsessed with the big yellow school bus' he sees around town. (and he loves to ride the bus!)

He is quick to help out if we ask him and even though he requires supervision 24/7, he is fairly easy to manage now that we have him on a "even keel". He is still a very small person.....about the height of your average 9 year old.

His hips are still giving him great trouble due to one leg being significantly shorter than the other. He is finally getting special shoes made for him and we hope this solves that problem. His speech is still very difficult to understand and if you don't know him, it is impossible to understand until you get to know him.

He is a cute kid and while he is onrey as can be, he is also as loving as can be. He loves to tattle on anyone he can tattle on. (even the dogs) He is sassy and is working on not talking back to mom and dad when we tell him something. (the teenager in him)

Eddie keeps life interesting around here! He sure loved the homemade valentine that I gave him this morning and he shows us all how to appreciate all the "little things" in life.

ASIA

Happy Valentines Day to all!

Updating on Asia. My goodness, where to start! Asia is so beautifully complex that only those of us who know her will understand what I mean by that.

She is in middle school this year and is becoming so strikingly beautiful that it sometimes takes my breath away. She is also very independent and headstrong. I think as she gets further into the teen years (she is just entering them), she will be the one who causes Aaron and I to go gray. (ha ha, I'm already gray but thank goodness for hair color!!!) She is doing very well with her school and loves to be involved in a sport. She really dreads the "down time" between her various sports.

She still has a great interest in animals and science but she is starting to wonder if maybe working with youth is her calling in life. She loves to come to my (mom's) classroom and volunteer and seems to have a natural ability with children.

She is the one at school who will stand up to injustice and she takes the fallout that comes along with taking a stand. (and does not let it bother her)

She knows what she likes, feels, and wants and even if that may change from moment to moment, she moves full-steam ahead with determination. She and her sister clash often because they are both so dynamic and strong in different ways. (and know how to get at each other)

I suppose that is about it. Asia is pretty easygoing and she is the apple of her grandfathers eye. We think she is pretty cool too!!!

SEREAH

Short update today. My husband and I were finally able to watch our oldest daughter in action debating. It is her first year on the debate team as a freshman and we have been hearing wonderful things about her skills at it. All of you who have known her since she was a baby know that she has been debating circles around the adults in her life since preschool. (and we are not stupid people!)

She was amazing. I was really awestruck listening to her. She is really going to take this somewhere. It will be interesting to see if her debate experiences over the next 4 years will influence her adult professional choices for her career.

She looks so tiny to her opponents with her 4'11" height and I think they assume that she will be a easy person to beat. Then she opens her mouth.....WOW! I'm really proud of her and it is a blessing to see another child doing something that is utilizing their natural God given gift.

She'll get home late tonight and I look forward to hearing about the other debates that she had. (she had 3 total but we only saw 1)

Aaaah.....to have a mind like hers..............

ZAKK

I am going to try to share what Zakk has been up to. This is the super-condensed version because I am making lunch, doing laundry, trying to get ready to go to a speech meet out of town, and make it home in time to get a good cardio and weight lifting session in at the gym tonight.

Anyway, Zakk will be 18 in just a couple weeks. He is nearly done with his vocational training, which is an apprenticeship at a really great tattoo shop. (I'll post a link to the shop in my links section) It has been a really in-depth experience and he really was very fortunate to find an apprenticeship at this time in his life and at a very high quality, reputable shop. Zakk tattooed himself and it looks amazing. (he has one more sitting to do on it to finish it up)

He really is an amazing artist and he has what it takes to be one of the best there is in the world of tattooing. He was inspired by his Uncle Brad, who is a exceptional artist. (up at Black Hills Tattoo for anyone near Rapid City who wants something done!)

I learned some lessons from Zakk regarding his dreams and my dreams for him. I had a hang-up about him having to go to college and get at least a Bachelors degree. That was my idea of what he should do....my dream for him. Totally unfair. He was going to do this, but it would have been to please me, not follow his own calling in life. He did speak to me months ago about this and explained that he is not interested in college. I learned....and apologized....and supported his vision for his own dreams for his own life. Actually, I see how arrogant and out-of-line I was to try to impose what I thought he should do. Working at something you love is the most important thing. (I later found out that good tattoo artists make a excellent salary, so that was good to know!! However it all comes down to living well below your means)

He will be going 1/2 days next year for his senior year so he can tattoo also. I am proud of him and it is a blessing to see him moving into what is his calling and his gift for his life.

He also has a very serious girlfriend. They have everything planned out together and I hope things work for them. First love is something-powerful........

Beginning of many updates.

My last post was in October 2007! Yikes!! Sorry to my friends and family who read this blog.

Many wonderful things have been happening in our family. It will take more than one post to touch on the "new news".

Today, I will share my own thoughts and what has been happening with me individually.

I have started to serve in a local Ministry and for those who know how much I really really dislike speaking in front of groups of people or having any attention brought to me, will agree that it is only through God's power working in me that I am able to do what I'm doing. It is a small step, but I know I am following what God is leading me to do and I know He is using this beginning experience to prepare me for other plans later in life.

I am leading at the Christian Storehouse one day a week and it has been such a blessing to me and a challenge too. I lead a devotional and speak a little and offer an invitation to come to Jesus Christ. Then I take prayer requests and pray over those who assemble there. I also do other tasks involving keeping things running smoothly and leading a group of volunteers. The Christian Storehouse is a Ministry that reaches out to the poorest of the poor in the Riverton area. We serve the homeless, the addicted, those who are mentally ill etc... I am so grateful to the Lord for placing me there to serve. The first few times I was there, I would come home and just weep and pray for what I saw.

People are hurting. People are lost and we as believers need to break out of our comfortable Christian life where we only associate with those who are like us. Break out of serving God only on Sundays in our comfortable churches. Break out of this "sleep" that has brought so many followers of Christ to become too busy to help "the least of these". We need to remember who Jesus hung around with and served while he walked the earth. I personally need to be reminded and it is easy to do.....just open up the New Testament and read about what Jesus Christ did. Who He ranted and raved against, who He reached out to, what He told his disciples, how He communed with God the Father, and the example that He set for us. That example is still relevant today.

Wake up everyone! And to myself, I say......"Wake up even more Michelle!"

Lets get out there and serve "the least of these" in honor and praise of He who gave everything for us.

Ok...stepping off my soapbox. Don't think for a minute that I think I have things together. I have been one of the worst sinners there is. His grace is HUGE....it was big enough for me. He offers me His grace every single day.....He does the same thing for you.