Renewed Pursuit

Thesaurus.com states that simplicity is the absence of complication and pursuing is listed to have as one's goal. Since I last posted Pursuing Simplicity has not been my reality. I am on the tail end of a whirlwind couple of years! While it has been exciting and thrilling to be in the midst so many changes my heart and soul still has a deep-seeded desire to seek and pursue the simple life.

Since January of 2010, when I last posted, I have had two children graduate high school, one as recently as May 2011. Moved one into college for his freshman year and now that son his headed back for his sophomore year. I have seen my third son graduate high school and decide to sit out a semester to work and experience life before going to municipal fire protection school in the spring. Our oldest is furiously trying to get finished with college and hopes to graduate in May 2012. And now we are in the throws of getting ready for our last child to enter her senior year! Yes, that will be three children that have graduated in three years. There were four years between the oldest and our second child but the last three are stair-steps.

I have met myself coming and going the past year and a half. While I love the busyness of life and the excitement that takes place when you see your children growing up and heading off to live their dreams...it has been hard! I have not been focused on my writing or blogging. I have lost sight of my main goal in the process....making our lives as simple and uncomplicated as possible. The Lord has really pressed upon my heart that I need to embrace this season and to take the time to not only listen to what He is teaching me but to pour out what He lays on my heart.

I am re-dedicating myself to being more focused on keeping things simple and to pursue a less complicated life. In the process I am going to focus more on writing. I suddenly have a lot of time on my hands. The prospect of my baby girl graduating high school in May 2012 is beginning to resonate with me and the fact that I will soon have an empty nest! Where oh where has the time gone! My focus will most certainly change and my time will be dedicated elsewhere in a very short time but this pursuit of simplicity I believe will take a lifetime.


The three younger children at May 2010 Graduation


May 2011 Graduation

Seven Years Ago My Life Changed

Seven years ago today it was very blustery in Oklahoma. We had a cool front push through and it was bitterly cold and windy. Seven years ago was also the day that I married my husband and become the Mom to four children instead of just one.

The ceremony was very tender and sweet. My long-time singles pastor married us in a beautiful chapel that is on the campus where we first met. It was very small and intimate. Only our very closest friends and family were invited.

I had been part of a singles ministry for nearly ten years. I had seen couples come and go. So many were eager to move on past their hurts and ended up marrying too soon and in the end became a statistic with broken dreams, hearts, and their precious children were reeling again from a tragic divorce.

I had heard at a seminar one day about how important the covenant between a man and woman is during a marriage ceremony. I also had learned that equally important are those that are witness to that ceremony. We are to hold those accountable and pray for them in their marriage...we are party to a covenant.

We discussed and prayed about who to invite to our marriage ceremony. We were not looking for a wedding but a marriage....a covenant vow between two hearts that would never allow the talk of divorce or separation. We KNEW the Lord had brought the six of us together and we wanted this ceremony to be a reflection of what Christ had done....not a showy display. We opted to not invite numerous people that we called friends but only invited those we knew would stand by us through thick and thin...those dear souls that would drop to their knees in prayer for our family.

My sweet singles pastor Jon could barely make it through the ceremony. His tears were those of joy because he had witnessed our meeting and courtship. He and his wife both knew how much I had prayed for the 'right' man not any man to marry. Just one year prior at the reception of two of my friends from the singles, Jon and I were seated together at the reception. As we were watching our two friends cut the cake, I spoke outloud words that were going on in my head and heart.....for me only but as I do sometimes they just blurted out, "I hope you are able to officiate my wedding one day." I realized I had blurted this out when Jon said, "Me too sweet girl....me too."

So at 7:00 p.m. on April 6th, two hearts were standing before our precious pastor, our collective children, dear family members, and a handful of friends. At the end of our vows we had a ceremony with our children and gave them each a symbolic gift. Mike gave Matthew his gift and I gave Seth, Zach, and Hannah their gifts. Jon spoke to them from Ephesians 5 and express how they are to honor their mother and father. He spoke eloquently and beautiful to these four precious children. Jon then told the audience that we were signing a marriage covenant and if the Lord so led others in the small, intimate chapel to join us in signing this covenant of marriage that they could come up front to the altar to do so. What a joy filled our hearts when we saw our friends and family come up front and sign this covenant.

The wind was howling loudly and the beautiful stained glass windows seemed to almost move in and out as the wind blew. It was very cold outside but inside it was filled with warmth and love.
There were no elaborate decorations or expensive floral bouquets only hurricane lanterns with white pillar candles lined the chapel and illuminated the stained glass windows. A simple bouquet of flowers sat on the altar with our marriage covenant. I could not have asked for a more perfect day. As we pledged our vows to one another I could not help but remember all the times that the Lord had been faithful to me in this journey. I looked out across the room and saw the sweet faces of those that we both loved and knew that this was the beginning of something really special.

Sweetheart, thank you for seven wonderful years! Looking at our children I cannot believe how much they have grown in that time. They are young adults. Our family has been blended together so beautifully. I am so thankful the Lord led you to Oklahoma and ultimately to me!
Happy Anniversary!

My 90th Post!

Wow, I can't believe that I have posted 90 times since early December! Ten more posts and I am putting up a 100 things about me! Can't wait!

Me and my darling daughter are down in Big D. That is Dallas, Texas, for those of you that are not from the Central United States. We drove down yesterday and have been having a great time visiting with friends, eating at great restaurants, and doing some shopping on the side.

Speaking of shopping......I hit a couple of CVS stores here in the Dallas area. WOW! How I wished our stores were stocked like these! I made two very awesome transactions. Well actually three. One transaction my OOP (out of pocket) ended up being .86 cents! I did not even have any coupons to use or CVS coupons. I used ECBs and ended up generating 28.00 in ECBs!!!!! Oh my goodness I was so excited!!!

I had another transaction buying the 8.99 Maybelline lip gloss. I used two ECBs, no other coupon, and the OOP was almost 3.00 but I generated nearly 20.00 in ECBs! Why you might be asking yourself? Well I had forgotten about the online survey I filled out a few weeks ago for CVS. Not only did the transaction generate my 8.99 for the lipgloss but it generated a 10.00 ECB for filling out the survey!!!! WOO HOO!

My last transaction at another store I purchased:
3 Vitamin C
2 Listerene Mouthwash
4 Lypsyls
2 pkgs of plastic Easter Eggs
2 Dove Bars
2 bags of Jelly beans
6 Snickers Protein Bars that were marked down to .37 cents each!
1 pkg. of Sour Patch candies for my daughter
I used the two ECBs that totaled 18.99 plus I had three CVS gift cards that I had been given when ECBs did not print out...they totaled: 10.58 and my total OOP was around 7.00! But the big news is I generated: 32.00 ECBs!!!!!

So currently I have 59.00 in unused ECBs and my total OOP for today for 3 transactions was: 10.00!

I did not buy one thing that we will not use. This program has been a huge blessing to me and my family. My daughter could not believe her eyes when I pointed out that the huge bag she was carrying out of the store only cost me .86 cents! I had only shopped at CVS maybe twice in my entire adult life! I felt it was too overpriced and could not understand their Easy Care Card program. Let me tell you that I am thankful for MoneySavingMom sharing her knowledge about CVS and I am now a confirmed FAN of CVS!!

This trip has also been so sweet to visit with my dear friend Lisa. I have been blessed with her friendship the last seven years. Lisa reached out to me when I married my husband. She had been his late wife's best friend, mentor, confidant, and prayer partner. She has given me insight into these three children that I now call my very own. Her guidance, prayers, and acceptance have meant more to me than I could ever adequately express. I have often thought about how difficult it must have been for her to accept someone new into the group of friends that they shared. I can say that everyone in that group have been such a inspiration to me.

Tomorrow we will have more fun with the crew. I think the shopping is over with until Tuesday morning when I hit Kroger!! WOO HOO! Can't wait!

A Time to Refresh

We just returned home from a whirlwind 24 hours. My sweet husband told me on Wednesday to not have plans for Friday night. I love a man with a plan so I was excited. I am also the worlds worst at being surprised. I always want to know and have a sharp, investigative nature so I immediately had all kinds of thoughts going through my head. Having been married to me now almost seven years he knows this trait very well. Before I could open my mouth he told me to not ask, not speculate, and to just sit back and wait for instruction. I asked what I was to wear and he told me, "I will let you know when you need to know". Phooey...I was not going to get anywhere.

Something changed however after a day or so. I began to get very excited about being surprised. I mean, this was a big deal for me. Believe me, I have never liked surprises. I am MORE surprised when I know. I think it means I have a fear of the unknown but we are not trying to pychoanalyze the situation right now. When I was thirteen I even gave away the surprise of everyone's Christmas presents to my three siblings. I had found the presents and asked if they wanted to see them! I showed them the presents. My parents that year were furious. Of course my younger sisters tattled on me, as they should have, and at first no presents were under the tree. I learned my lesson about that but my husband has still had a hard time trying to surprise me.

Yesterday arrived and he was off work and had lots going on. He was not reachable most of the day by phone. It just so happened that I had a hair appointment with my dear friend yesterday. I told her that something was up and all I knew was we had reservations at seven o'clock. She gave me the works with my hair and sent me on my way.

I arrived home and did not notice anything that would give me clues at all. Our daughter was geting ready to leave for a weekend mission trip so we were getting her ready and taking her to our church by six that evening. She had picked out what I was to wear. As I went into our room I noticed that it looked a little different. That is when I noticed the suitcase on the bed and turned and saw the enormous smile on my husbands face! He had planned an overnight get away for us! He had gotten our sons taken care of with food and fun for the night. They are more than capable of staying by themselves. He told me to go get ready.

I must tell you that I was so happy. What I have not told you is that last weekend while my husband was busy at work I had a melt down. I mean a big, bad meltdown. I have not cried like that in I don't know how long. It was not really over any one thing. I had to deal with the usual teenage angst issues but I was overwhelmed with all I needed to accomplish and was having a pretty big pitty party to boot! I felt everything pressing in on me and realized that I missed my husband so much! We always try to have a date night but we are both so tired and there is always a teen calling to ask a question, or tell us something 'important'. We never really get uninterrupted time to hold hands, talk, and just sit quietly with one another.

I did not voice this to anyone but my Lord. I prayed so hard last week. I desired to have time with my husband without our children around and no commitments. After my crying jag he realized he was going to be off for nine days. He got the ball rolling. He wanted us to go to Tulsa but then remembered our middle son turns 15 tomorrow. He then decided that we would stay at a new hotel in Oklahoma City...a few miles from our home but still...alone....away....quiet....peace.

My husband is also a very good listener and has remembered things that I have told him, sometimes all the way back to when we were dating. I mentioned one of my favorite places to eat in Edmond but it had gone out of business in town a long time ago. I knew there was one still in OKC but it was never something we thought about on date night. He got us reservations there for seven last night. MMMM it was so good. The jazz was great! We loved it! We then moved on to Barnes and Noble, which is my favorite thing to do so we could hold hands, read, and more importantly talk, oh yea and drink Starbucks. We were able to sleep in today and have spent the entire day together. It did not matter that we did not go to another town outside the boundaries of our own. It was a time to reconnect and remember how the Lord brought us together and just enjoy each others company.

I highly recommend it! I feel recharged and refreshed. Ready to meet the challenges of the coming week. It was just what I needed to refocus on this wonderful gift the Lord gave me. It also made me realize that I can't let myself get so stressed. While I have wonderful children that are awesome....they are all trying to find their place in this world and where they fit. They also have those teenage hormones racing through their bodies and at times they may not make sense may get a little testy, or they may have their own emotional upheavals but we are a family...that Christ put together. We fit perfectly together like a hand in a glove. It is the most amazing thing that I have ever experienced in my life. I needed only 24 hours away to relax and realize yet again who is in control and relinquish that tight grip I seem to have at times when I want to be in charge. That is where I always fail and get myself in a bind....I just have to keep my focus on Christ and continually let Him mold me into the wife and mom that He desires for me to be and not some preconceived idea that I have in my head.

So I missed being around today. I did not get my Super Savings Saturday post done but tomorrow is a new day. I think I have had my batteries recharged and I am ready to rumble!

Gift of Giving Challenge

Over on the Bargain Shopper Lady, she shares a precious story of how a stranger blessed her family over the holidays. She has encouraged us to share our stories.

Immediately upon reading her sweet story, I was reminded of a time in my life when things were very tight. I was a single mom and my sweet little boy wanted to go out to lunch after church. It is so hard when you are always denying them simple pleasures, so this particular Sunday I gave in and took him to lunch. We went to his favorite 'birthday' celebration place, Santa Fe Cattle Company, since I had coupons from our Entertainment book that I could use. I dug them out of my purse and off we went!

It was very nice to sit and listen to my then seven year old son talk about his football team and school. Our food arrived and he wanted to pray. I remember holding his hand as he prayed and being thankful for his sweet spirit. Across the room I noticed a couple from church. They were my parents age and the husband always had candy for Matthew each time he saw him at church. I waved and they waved back.

Later on we were ready to leave and I was getting a little flustered because our server had not come back with the bill. A few minutes later she came to our table all aglow and told me that I did not owe anything and that my bill had been taken care of. I was quite shocked. I burst into tears. My little boy said in a loud voice, "Jesus provided for us Momma!" I was in shock and felt so grateful. I begged her to let me know who did such a thing so I could thank them. She was told to not tell me who had blessed us so. It was on the way home that I remembered the couple from my church. I never really found out who had blessed us but I told my son that one day we were going to be able to do the same thing for someone else.

Now some thirteen years later I am married and have four children. We have since had many opportunities to bless others and in return have been blessed. I want to always be sensitive to the Spirit so that we do not miss out on little chances to be the light to someone else. May God use you this week to be a blessing to another.

Wishing a Blessed Christmas to All

I am going to take the few remaining days until Christmas off to bake with my children and enjoy my time off of work. My husband will be working 16 hour days until Christmas and then will be off for nine days! We are so excited!

There are family parties to attend and catching up with old friends. Thirty-five or so years ago a young couple were members at our church. They had two small boys that I believe were 4 and 5 years of age at the time. This couple was from Tennessee and they had no family in the area. My parents invited them to our home on Christmas Eve to share in snacks, good times, the reading of the Christmas story from Luke, and a ornament exchange. Between the two families there were six children. Today this event has grown from ten people to over 35! All the kids are grown and we all have children of our own. It is a great time of fellowship. My ornament collection has grown by leaps and bounds. Once we were grown and had a home of our home we were given a prized ornament. I have ornaments now that date back to the very early 80s. The next few evenings will be filled with family, friends, faith, and fun.

Enjoy the season. For our family, it is not about the presents we receive, the glorious food that seems to be everywhere, or the frantic shopping ....it is about a little baby that was born in a stable, who came to save the world. Two thousand years ago He was born and is as relevant and alive today.

" 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:10-14, KJV)

Merry Christmas!

Vickie

Thoughts for the season

This morning I was awakened by my husband gingerly kissing me goodbye on my forehead as I lay all snuggled up under the covers. It was still very early and he was headed out the door to work. I was struck by the fact that in his profession he is always on alert and putting his life on the line each day to serve and protect, and yet he is one of the most tenderhearted men I know besides my daddy. I snuggled down deeper into the bed and smiled inwardly, enjoying the warmth until suddenly the phone startled me. It was our oldest, who was at his grandparents, calling to tell me it had started snowing. I then decided I would get up and see what this day would hold. This morning it was just Sparky and me awake. Sparky is our little dog. Our middle son was still sleeping soundly in his bed. The other two children had stayed with friends the previous evening. I plugged in the Christmas tree and was reminded how difficult this time of year is for our little family.

As I sat looking at the twinkling tree, I wondered how many would be struggling this Christmas season and no one would take time to notice. This time of year, which is filled with such hope and promise, is for many the most painful or loneliest time. Many that sit in our pews each Sunday or that we come in contact with each day are hurting from past painful experiences.

I thought of my own family. This time of year is particularly difficult for my sweet husband and my three youngest children. It was during this time of year that Jennifer, his first wife and their mommy, went back into the hospital, not to return home again. I have learned to not worry or fret when tears fall and to always be there for tender hugs, to be quiet in times of silence, and to tune my ears into their frequency and not so much my own.

I remember being a single parent. I can still remember it as if it was yesterday that first Christmas. It was incredibly painful. During those dark times was when my faith really deepened and I learned to rely on my heavenly Father for strength. I was determined that whatever life had thrown at me I had two choices....to be bitter or better. I chose to be better and let the Lord work and take myself out of the equation. Not an easy task.

I guess my thoughts for today are to impart to each of you the importance of reaching out to those around you. Invite someone over to share in your family Christmas, give gifts and food to a struggling single parent and their children, take a moment to really notice that teller or retail salesperson waiting on you. Do random acts of kindness and have your children join in. Give more of yourself to others this season and be thankful for what you have right this minute. Quit fretting about tomorrow because tomorrow will take care of itself.

I know that when my husband arrives home here in a few minutes, I am going to greet him and in my heart feel so thankful for his sacrifices for our family. I am going to hug my children a little tighter, even though at their age they are not so into that sort of thing...but I am going to relish the season and why we celebrate this time of year, our Savior's birth. I am not going to fret that my house is not elaborately decorated this year or that all our lights did not get put up outside. I am not going to get myself in a tizzy because I have not sent out Christmas cards. I am going to take time to be there for my family and enjoy each other instead of being so busy that one day I wake up and they are all grown and gone.

May this Christmas season you find time for peace, quiet, reflection, and family. Bless someone that is hurting and in the end you will be blessed.

Part 4 of Our Story

I was so excited to hear his voice! I had enjoyed my evening, even though it had been so stressful, and I was filled with hope that Saturday morning although I had been up most of the night. As I talked with him, it became apparent to me that the preceding evening had been filled with emotion for Mike. I had no way of knowing that on that particular night, December 15th, would have been his tenth anniversary to Jennifer. When he shared with me that it had been such a blessing to have spent the evening with me, on a night that had been filled with such heartache the past three years, I had no words that would come out of my mouth at first. I was trying to find the words that would be appropriate and that would not sound trivial.

I finally remembered my dear friend at work who was also a single parent but had lost her husband suddenly years before in a car accident. She had given me great advice a few days before. She had told me to be myself, to ask questions, and to not fear talking about Jennifer with Mike. She told me that at times in her life different men she dated would become upset if she mentioned her late husband or his family. She told me to not to feel jealous. She shared that Mike would want to talk to me about Jennifer and it would make all the difference in the world if I could be supportive in this manner. Her wisdom that day gave me the courage to listen to Mike when he shared his story and to have a desire to know more.

We talked a long time on the phone that day and he asked me to join him and his children for lunch after church. I was hesitant at first because I had always said I would never involve my child until I knew it was ‘the one’ but I decided to trust my gut and go.

That first meeting with those three precious children could not have been more perfect. They are very close in age and at the time that I met them Seth had just turned nine; Zachary was getting ready to turn eight, and Hannah was six and a half years old. My son Matthew was twelve and a half. I will never forget that day. I had worn a purple outfit and so had Hannah. She has the most amazing blue eyes and has glossy brown hair and the purple just set off her features. As Mike helped me from the van I felt little fingers grasp my hand and I looked down to see her smiling up at me and hanging on to my hand. She told me she loves purple. I told her, “I do too” and we walked off hand in hand into the restaurant. Inside my heart melted and I knew that no matter what I was going to trust the Lord and that He alone knew what was going to take place. I wanted to let Him guide this budding relationship. To be continued…

Sweetness abounds

This past Saturday evening was the Winter Ball at the high school two of my children attend. Since my husband had to work I was the deemed the driver on this night. The sweetest thing happened and I just had to share it with ya'll.

There were to be five couples in attendance which included my son and his date. Four of the young men were from a private Christian school in town and at the last minute two were unable to attend. This left two sweet young ladies without their dates. The next thing that happened was a sight to see. The two remaining young men showed up bearing gifts. These two sweet young men had a wristlet corsage for each girl! They were beautiful red roses. At dinner that evening, they paid for all four young ladies dinner and refused any assistance. When I picked up my son, his date, and two of the young ladies they were all a chatter about how wonderful these two young men had been. These young men and their parents need to be commended. I saw first hand how they brightened up the evening of four very sweet Christian girls. It brought tears to my eyes when they pulled out those beautiful corsages.

Today with the culture riding so heavily on the extreme it is often difficult to find the good in a lot of teens pr their choices. Many are misguided or caught up in trying to 'fit in'. These two young men showed the parents in attendance that there are still those Christian youth that buck the system and follow their parents guidance. It was but a small gesture that had a huge impact on all that witnessed it. It was something I will remember always.

Through Her Eyes

This morning I was going through some of my digital photos and came across a few that really prick my heart when I see them.

In 2006, I took my daughter on a Mother-Daughter trip to Northern New Mexico and Colorado. She was nearing the teenage years and I wanted our time to be special as well as informative. We talked, sang our favorite worship songs, and listened to cds. We also listened to James Dobson's "Preparing for Adolescence" series.

My daughter had never been to the mountains before. Seeing the beauty that God created inspired her but also caused her to feel fearful. She is afraid of heights. I wanted her to face this fear and we would do it together.

I pointed out the ski lift and approached the topic of us riding it to the top together. She would have nothing to do with it. However, after dinner that evening, we were on the main street watching everyone stroll by and enjoying the cool mountain air. She kept staring up at the immobile ski lift and posed this question to me, "Mom, have you rode it before?" I told her that I had many times. She then asked if I had felt scared too. I told her, "many times". I related to her that when I ride on that particular ski lift in the summer at a certain level all you hear is the whispers of God. Truly the silence that rushes through ones ears is awesome and the beauty that He created is surrounding you. She decided that the next morning would be 'the day' to face her fear.

The first picture shows the look of awe on her face. I just love it!





The ride was not without a little scare factor thrown in but isn't that all about being refined in the fire? The ski lift stopped suddenly to let on a mountain biker. I knew this but my sweet girl did not. She immediately clung to me and started to cry. I admit that the chair was shaking a little more violently than I remembered and in my heart, I was very nervous, but I soothed her and once again the lift began moving again.





The second picture says it all. I love the sign that she was standing next to, 'The Easy Way Down'.














For those of you that have teenage daughters, you understand how important the PHONE is to them. This is right after we got off the lift and she wanted to call her Daddy. She borrowed my cell and believe it or not we had reception 10,500 feet up on top of a mountain!





















Finally on our way back down I snapped this picture.










This picture is what prompted my post. The look of excitement, joy, and delight. She had met her fear. The Lord met her on that ride and was at the top to welcome her with soft breezes. We rode that same lift two more times before we headed to Denver. It was a sweet time.

Brrr it's cold outside!

This morning all the men in my home, which is four total, all headed out for Denton, Texas, to attend the North Texas football game. I am thinking they will be quite cold and a little wet before the day is done. My husband played football for North Texas and has been wanting to share this moment with our boys for quite some time. I pray that it is a wonderful day full of memories that will last a lifetime. Perhaps the warmth my man will feel inside upon sharing this day with his three boys will help keep them all nice and cozy.

It is very cold out today and the forecast is calling for snow. Nothing like this type of weather to get me in the mood to decorate my home for Christmas! However, right now I would rather cuddle up with a big mug of steaming hot chocolate, my quilt, and a great book OR instead of the cuddling up with a book, getting out the craft supplies and creating something new and exciting. Choices....hmmm...oops Baby Girl aka my youngest is wanting to get on the computer. More later!