The Call

Guess who called on Saturday night?

I'll give you a hint...she's from Norway. Oh yes she is!

Here's my take on it, a long drawn out version, because after all, I haven't blogged since last Thursday...I have words to use.

Anyways, let's go back to Friday. I finally bought the movie The Passion of the Christ. I know, I know, I'm like the 2nd to last Christian to have NOT seen it. I just didn't think I could handle it...watching and seeing them do that to Jesus, the person who means more to me than any other person just seemed like too much. But this year, I decided I was a big girl, so I bought it and sat down to watch it with Ben. I made it to scene 2, right after they decide to release Barabbas and I was already sobbing so hard I though I might barf...I told Ben I wasn't ready and went to bed.

Fast forward to Saturday night. I decide I'll give it another try. Maybe break it into sections. I started reading the back cover of the DVD case and the same ill feeling crept up my throat. Not ready yet...maybe next year.

So I decide to rent The Secret Life of Bees. Less traumatic. At 8:00 PM I hear my phone ringing from inside my purse and I also hear Jake yelling down from the bathroom that he needs help. I've ignored him before and paid the consequences, so I ran upstairs, figuring I'd call whoever it was back.

By the time I got downstairs again, I'd forgot about my phone so I started back into my movie. Then about 8:45 I heard my phone beeping at me that I had a new message.

The new message happened to be from the cutest Norwegian girl with the cutest accent EVER! (I should mention, that when she called, it was 8pm here and 3 am in Norway)

I came running in to tell Ben and we listened to the voicemail a few times. I listened to it myself a few hundred times ;) I could have KICKED MYSELF for not answering the phone! But it turns out, I kinda really like having that recorded message to listen to :) And I may or may not have let aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, siblings and various others a few people listen to it as well :)

No one tell Julie, she'll kill me ;)

Anyways, Easter Sunday morning I made my first international call ever. It was so fun to talk to her, even for a few minutes...to hear her voice. She is totally easy to understand, her accent is not thick at all, but simply adorable....and I mean "adorable" in a cool sophisticated teenagerish way, of course.

If there was a way for me to get that voicemail into my computer I would SO post it here for you guys because you would just love it. :) But it might also make Julie decide to live with another family... *wink*

Have I mentioned I cannot wait till she's here!

And now for your viewing pleasure *cough* Easter Pics...

Tiny town has an egg hunt at the park...the kids LOVE it.

Hunting eggs at G&G's.

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He's Got a Plan...

When God is trying to teach me something, He hammers me from all sides. I'm pretty sure this is because if He tried from just one angle, I could pretend to ignore it. Generally, whatever He's trying to teach me is something that my natural self wants to just ignore...because it's gonna be hard. And I'm lazy.

It's also gonna be for my own good, because He loves me like that...enough to not let me settle for where I'm at.

Back in January two things happened.

1. The Bible Study, Living Beyond Yourself began. He used amazing women to bring this about, from the idea of it, to another bloggy pastor's wife to send me the DVDs, without hesitation!
2. The 1/2 Mary idea. An idea that I'd never even considered, because who in their right mind wants to run that long?!?! NOT ME. The idea was first planted by a good friend...and from there the Holy Spirit just would not let me get it out of my head.

There's a reason. There's a theme. The most important, spiritually, is that I have GOT to live beyond myself...I cannot make it on my own strength and abilities. I just cannot. It's one thing to know this, it's a whole other thing to actually stop doing it on my own, and allow Him to do it.

Here comes the 1/2 Mary plan into motion. I do not love running. I want to, I really want to. The idea of training for the 1/2 is as daunting as the 13.1 mile race for me. Because on my own, I'm lazy. And a quitter. And He whispers to my heart,

You're right Sarah...you won't make it on your own, that's why I'm here. And I'm not gonna let you quit, because this lesson here, it's so, so important my child. It's time to start living beyond yourself...spiritually and physically, because then maybe you'll get what I'm trying to teach you here.

And you know what? I believe Him. I'm scared. And I'm skeptical. And I'm still lazy and whiny...but He doesn't care and He doesn't give up, because He knows that when I finally "get" it, it's gonna all be worth it.

It's gonna be worth it.

I love songs that just speak exactly what I'm feeling...this one hits it dead on. If there's one thing that people walk away from, after knowing me in person, or through this blog, is that I am nothing without Him, nothing without His love.

Enjoy :)

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If You Were Me

If you were me, you might...

• have decided to take all three boys to Target last night in order to get them something "nice" to wear for Easter Sunday.
• consider McDonald's Happy Meals a perfectly fine and nutritious supper.
• order a McDonald's caramel latte, after all, you're not a picky coffee drinker.  You've been known to re-heat day old coffee in the microwave.  
• think the caramel latte from McDonald's is the WORST thing you've ever tasted in your entire life.  
• Bribe/threaten/warn said boys about their behavior at Target because you are not in the mood to mess around.  Mama means business.
• be amazed that the bribing/threatening/warning thing was very effective on that particular day.
• reward your boys with candy, because what completes a nutritious happy meal like candy?!?
• reward yourself for your supreme patience and loving care while making children try on shoes...by buying yet another latte, only this time...Starbucks does not disappoint.
• set your expensive latte on the seat of your van because all the cup holders are full of old cups, and then get everyone situated only to find that most of your expensive, yummy, delicious latte is now in a puddle on your van seat...with your cell phone sitting in it.
• smile, gritting your teeth while a 7,6, and 3 year old scold you about what a bad idea it was to put your drink on your seat.
• dry your phone off as fast as you can PRAYING it still works.  Realize it does, except for the #1 and #3 buttons, which you actually need to use quite often, who knew?!?
• be relieved to wake up this morning to find that your phone, although sticky, has dried out and is now fully functional.  Phew.
• be brewing your 2nd pot of coffee this morning.

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It's What We Do...

Last Sunday, Palm Sunday, we celebrated Easter with Ben's side of the family. We're a huge bunch. A huge FUN bunch!

My pictures are random, at best. I really need to start doing a better job of documenting events rather than just taking pictures of things I think are cute.

So for now, I give you my cute pictures :)

Noah got this idea from his cousin Jedd. This is also the expression Noah makes every time I say "smile" :)
Jakob and Grandpa

We hunted eggs in Ben's dad's Morton building because there was a bunch of fresh snow outside.

Eli stopping the hunt to pose for me quickly.

All the kiddos!

My sweet little nephew, Miles and Ben's sister Rebecca.

My sister-in-law Megan, who is due next month! Isn't she adorable?!?

Bianca and Beth, I love their expressions :) They are sister-in-laws and my cousins-in-law. For more pictures of the day, that are far better, go visit my friend Beth's blog!

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Help Me Out Here

There's two things that every Midwesterner will tell you.

1. We talk normal.


2. We have no accent.

Here's what they might not tell you...we're secretly intrigued and jealous of everyone with an accent.

It doesn't matter where you're from in the US, you'll likely entertain us for hours just by talking...because I also think we're easily entertained (we have to be, trust me.)

Now, if you happen to have a foreign accent...well that's even better! We eat it up. For real.

Saturday I posted this video. It happens to be Jake and I talking, and so our future exchange student, got to hear our voices for the first time.

She wrote this:

"AWw. So cute :)I got to hear you speak as well. You speak amazingly well.
Now I'll never be able to talk to you on the phone. I speak nothing like
that...I must sound more like Fez on "that's 70 show"

Love Julie with the horrible accent"

CRACK ME UP! Have I mentioned I love her?!? Because she entertains me to NO end. I love that she says I speak "amazingly" well. It's a relief...after all, I have only spoken one language my entire 31 years of life ;) I'm also guessing that after reading months of my mediocre writing she may have been guessing I'd sound, well...more like an idiot than I did ;) It would have been a logical conclusion.

So, here's the deal. I need your help. I've been telling Julie how everyone is going to LOVE her accent...even if she sounds like Fez from That 70's show...especially if she sounds like Fez ;) But apparently, just like a real daughter, she does not believe me. Imagine that.

Help me out. Tell her how much we love accents. Tell her how disappointed we'd all be if she came and had NO ACCENT!

Tell her I'm right. Because really, real or pretend, moms are basically totally right on most everything most of the time. Am I right?!?

I think I'm right.

Julie, embrace that beautiful accent. Maybe you can try to teach me some Norwegian, and then I can butcher it with my Midwestern-non-accent and entertain you ;) And, don't you dare try to practice speaking English without and accent...I'll be severely disappointed if you step off the airplane sounding like and Iowan :)

Oh, all of you could also mention that she should definitely, most positively, call me on the phone. Soon.

OK, I'm done. For now. Did I mention Julie has a blog? And it's in English? Head on over and tell her hello, or howdy, or whatever it is you say from wherever it is you are.

Thanks so much!

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At His Finest...

Jake came into the office to show me his new skill (keep an eye on the feet.)

In case you have a hard time understanding him (while viewing him sideways because I can't for the life of me get it to turn) here's the highlights:

• He attribute his abilities to being 8 years old and having 6 numbers in his name.
• One of the many reasons this kid cracks. me. up.
• I've given up trying to convince him otherwise...good luck to the preschool teacher next year.

Enjoy & Happy Saturday!

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I Have a Favor to Ask...

I promise I'll try to stop talking about "feeds" and other nonsense...as soon as it's fixed.  Turns out I have 2 blog feeds and only one (the one that has about 5 people subscribed to it) transferred and the other was deleted.  So, I just made a new feed and yeah I'll lose some people, but I'm trusting they'll find their way back :)

So, if mine have not been updating in your reader lately go ahead and re-add my blog into your reader like you did the first time...except now it should have a valid feed again.  Make sense?  

Sorry for the extra work!  I promise it'll be worth it.  Kidding...I can't promise that.  BUT, I can totally bribe you.

If you haven't been getting my blog updates this week, and you go through ALL THE EFFORT to un-subscribe me from your reader and then re-add me again, leave me a comment and let me know and you'll be registered for a $5 gift card to Starbucks...because apparently it's only worth a measly $5 to me :)

Frankly, I think FeedBurner and Google should be handing out $5 gift cards...but who listens to me.

And, if for some reason this blog totally disappears because of my messing around with codes and stuff...no worries.  I'll find you and tell you...somehow.

Update on Life:  Going good.  Weather:bad.  Family:healthy.  Coffee:  Been drinking Folgers:  Yuck.  Running:  Good and sore.  Friends & Family:  Lot's going on, big stuff, praying hard.  Jesus:  So incredibly faithful...and EVERY TIME we go through the Easter story, even parts of it, I cry.  Can't help it.   Weekend:  YAY!

Next week's posts have GOT to be better.  

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