For right now, most of my journal entries are friends only.

So.... If you want to read my entries, you'll need to sign in. If you are someone who reads my journal and does not have an LJ account, you can create a free account and I will add you as a friend - then you can still read my entries all you want by just signing in.

Please say some prayers for this little girl. She is the daughter of my
aunt Gayle's niece Renee and her husband Kevin. Little cousin to my
cousins, on the other side of their family. It kills me to see these
children suffering with such terrible diseases. She starts chemo today.
This young family can use lots of prayers and words of encouragement.
You'll have to create a sign-in to see her page, but if you do and would
leave a word of encouragement for this family I know that it will be
greatly appreciated.



http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kendylprice



In a related note, some of you will remember little Rebekah who fought a
battle with Ewing's Sarcoma and as of now, still seems to be winning.
It will still be a constant worry for the family, as well as her
diagnosis with Cerebral Palsey. Well, add insult to injury, her mommy
has been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrigs disease). Rapidly progressing.
This family can really use our continued prayers, as well.



rebekahspage.blogspot.com/



Thanks.

It's good to see stories like this in the secular media.

Another reminder that when we actually see the truth - via the
ultrasound - it's hard to deny.



http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,571215,00.html?test=latestnews

I like the lyrics to this song.

I'm Letting Go

My heart beats, standing on the edge
But my feet have finally left the ledge

Like an acrobat
There's no turning back


I'm letting go
Of the life I planned for me
And my dreams
Losing control
Of my destiny
Feels like I'm falling and that's what it's like to believe
So I'm letting go

This is a giant leap of faith
Trusting and trying to embrace

The fear of the unknown
Beyond my comfort zone


I'm letting go
Of the life I planned for me
And my dreams
Losing control
Of my destiny
Feels like I'm falling and that's what it's like to believe
So I'm letting go

Giving in to your gravity
Knowing You are holding me
I'm not afraid

Feels like I'm falling and that's what it's like to believe
Feels like I'm falling and this is the life for me

If you're sick of what few updates I do being about my pets, I'm sorry.

Not really. LOL.



Joey has totally realized that Shelly is a living creature living in
that tank and the last few days he's just been funny as he tried to
figure her out. He keeps walking in there to just sit and watch her.
Sometimes he'll whimper a little at her. He'll be laying in the living
room, and then get up and go in to look at her tank, and then come back.
First thing I do in the morning now is go and put her in a smaller
container with some food (to keep the feeding mess out of her tank) and
then I go take a shower while she eats. This morning, as soon as I got
up, Joey walked in the middle bedroom to her tank. He knew that was
where I was going. And he just watches and watches her. I'm hoping
after a while he'll just be used to her. And stop whining and grunting
at her. I know he really wants to sniff her. He'd lose a chunk out of
his nose if he got that close, though!!



And speaking of that dog! I'm done with toys for him!! I tell you
what, the ONLY thing he does not destroy in about 15 minutes are those
rubber chuck-it orange balls. Those last forever. Everything else,
about 15 minutes! Last night I got yet another toy to try as an "inside
toy." It was a couple balls, one of them a squeaker, in this heavy blue
nylon cover with flanges on it - sort of like an octopus, for playing
tug or war or whatever. Not only did he tear the canvas cover off in
not time flat, but he swallowed a big piece of canvas before I could get
it from him. So now I have to watch for that blue canvas in his piles
in the yard to make sure it passes and didn't get lodged up in him!!
Ugh! That dog!!



Shelly has started hissing at me when I put her back in her tank. But I
googled it today (because I google everything) and it said that when
they want to tuck their head in really fast, the have to express the air
in their lungs out really fast and that's what causes the hissing sound.
So maybe - just maybe - she's not mad at me. She does seem to be less
freaked out when I pick her up now, since I'm creating her morning
feeding routine. She still doesn't like it, but doesn't fight it as
much. She is very happy being in the water in her home. I got some
freeze dried crickets for her yesterday (I know, gross). After losing
Gil, the feeder fish, I just can't do live food anymore. Poor Gil.
Anyway. I decided to see if she'd do freeze dried crickets for her
protein, and she loved them! So, I'm happy to report that she'll now
have a better balanced diet between her crickets, turtle pellets, and
frozen vege turtle cube things.



When did my house become a zoo?!?!?!?!

I have been very much out of the LJ loop for quite a while. It's not because I have nothing to say. It seems like constantly I am thinking of thoughts I want to get on LJ paper, etc. Life has just been so busy. Every day slips by faster than the last. I'll try to start making my way through some misc things and updates. We'll see how far I get.

House and home stuff:
My excitement of the week is that I just got "new-to-me" carpet in my living room and hallway. And for free! Well, I had to pay to have it installed, but even that turned out to be crazy cheap. My dad did a job on a house where they tore out almost brand new carpet, and there were pieces big enough to replace some of my carpet. It seems like such a little thing, but it's SUCH a blessing. My carpet was really, really bad - but just far too low on my priority list for a while. This extends my flooring in the whole house for a long time because this was the worst of it. The rest is not so bad. I'm just so very pleased and thankful. I also have plans to fence some more of my yard here soon, and am excited about that. It will give Joey more room to play and me more private space.

Pets update:
Well, Joey is as spoiled as ever. I need to work a bit more on discipline, but he's a good boy. He's spending every day at mom and dad's house now during the week, and loves his time with gramma. And she's a wee bit smitten herself, too. And this weekend I "took custody" of Shelly the turtle. So now I have all my kids under one roof. It's still odd how suddenly I have a turtle, but she's doing fine. I guess my house is becoming a bit of a zoo.

Here's a picture of Shelly:


I think I may just have to split thoughts into more than one post, as my brain is shutting down on me right at the moment. I'm tired. More musings will have to come later.

Here you go, Kathryn.



A lot of these measurements can be adjusted to your own liking.



Ingredients:

1 lg onion

4 t cooking oil

3 T flour

2 cups asparagus 1" spears (or can substitute broccoli florets)

2 cups milk

1- 14.5 oz can of chicken broth

8 oz (~1.5 cups) red potatoes (cubed)

¼ t salt

1/8 t red pepper (I didn't use any)

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (4 oz) - I used more than this

1 small tomato, seeded, chopped

1/3 cup sour cream



Cook onion in oil until tender, and then add flour to coat the onion.

Add asparagus, milk, broth, potatoes, salt and pepper.

Cook and stir til thick and bubbly, then reduce heat.

Simmer, covered, 10-12 minutes, til veggies are just tender, stirring occasionally.

Add cheese, tomato and sour cream.

Stir until cheese melts.

Enjoy!

Something new in my life... I got an aquarium. :) I have always wanted one. I contemplated it many times, but didn't have an appropriate spot in my living room (where I could enjoy it). About 6 weeks ago or so, I realized with the way I have moved things around I have the perfect spot! So, I found an aquarium, stand, filter, light, and all that jazz on Craigslist. Put it together. And we are now off and running. It ran about 3 weeks before I put any fish in it, and I'm just starting to add them now. So far I have 4 long finned black skirt tetras, and 2 red fire dwarf gouramis. I had 3 tetra minors, but I kept them less than 24 hours. They were aggressive little buggers and fin nipping each other and my other tetras. So I returned them.

Anyway, it's fun so far! Watching them get used to their new environment, etc. I finally got my aquarium, and I'm very excited about it.

You can see some pics here:

HERE.

I haven't done the March of Dimes walk the last couple of years. This
year, I'm finally going to do it again.



I'm starting early seeking sponsorship, so I'll probably post the link
to my sponsor page every so often.



I'd love your support!



Thanks.



http://www.marchforbabies.org/evalounsbury

There is a lot of truth to this article...



HERE

I read this story online today. Very heartwarming!




There are some games in which cheering for the other side feels
better than winning

Today has been a slower day after a string of very crazy, wonderful and busy days. Christmas Eve was at my house this year, and it was quite a different year. Barely any family was able to make it. We didn't go to church with Gramma. Etc. It was different, but it was still good. Dan and I went to church together late that night, so I did make it to church - just not with Gramma. Christmas Day was great. Again, different every year. It still seems so strange not having all my cousins around, etc, and it's been years since we were able to have them here. But I still miss it. But it IS nice having just our immediate family there. It's so nice just to enjoy being together and having the kids there, etc. Dan came over in the morning and was there for a couple hours as we opened gifts ans such. He then went to his family's house, and then later that night I went to visit his parents. We ate too much, of course. But it was just a good, good day.

Today I've been home most of the day. The girls stayed the night with me last night, and then we had a big pancake breakfast at mom and dad's this morning. I had lunch with Dan. Other than that, I've been getting the house put back in order for the next wave of company. Tomorrow my cousin's from Lacey/Olympia are coming over. I've got sheets in the dryer right now to get the beds and house ready for Ang, Justin and MIcah, and Chris, Crystal and Cecilia. Joey and I will be confined to my office the next few nights. :) It will be nice having them here. I just wish I didn't have to work Monday! We won't be able to have our morning coffee time.

It will still be good. We'll have the evenings.

Tonight I'm going with Dan to a friends house to watch a fight of some sort (oh joy). LOL. It will be nice to meet some of his friends. He's been inundated with my family all week, and it's not over yet. But all is going well. He's been comfortable and everyone seems to like him. So all is good. Although right now I think I'm ready to just curl up and take a nap!

Well, I suppose I should go and see if the sheets are dry yet so I can get the beds made!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas.

In less than an hour, David, Gena, Bailey, Timri and Tobey will pull in to Spokane! Wooo hoooo! So glad to have them in WA again!

I really will blog soon. Much to tell. Soon....

Right now, I'm freezing. I need to go warm up.

A friend's neighbor just lost their home - and everything in it - in a
house fire last night. The literally lost everything! Even some of
their pets. Just weeks before Christmas.



Please say a prayer for this family. They have 11 and 18 year olds
sons. All they really have left is the clothes on their backs for the
most part.



If anyone is willing and able, I'm passing money on to my friend and
she's going to shop and help coordinate getting some immediate needs met
- helping not duplicate, make sure they all have clothes, etc. Red
Cross will help, too, etc... but every little bit helps.



Please pray for them.



If you want to help donate some money, you can let me know how much and
send me a check, and I'll write her a check today.



Thanks.

I know... I'm TERRIBLE at updating lately. SORRY!



There are some really good articles over on Boundless.org right now.
Boundless can really annoy me at times, but yet I see some awesome
articles come through from time to time, too. It's been a good week for
that.



Check out:



Opportunities for Joy (By the one and only Brenna Kate Simonds, mother
of Nathanael-bear, and my good friend)




Opportunities For Joy



Freedom Giving Boundaries (By Mike Ensley - I can SO relate to this, as
he uses a dog in his analogy - love it!)



Freedom
Giving Boundaries



But For the Grace (By Tim Sweetman - actually brought tears to my eyes
reading some of the quotes from great martyrs for Jesus Christ)



But For
the Grace



Ciao for now.

I'm a loser LJer lately! Don't seem to ever find time to post. But I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

I went to see Fireproof tonight. Oh, man. Best movie I've seen in a long time. And so refreshing to see such a great portrayal of Christianity on the bigscreen. Loved it! Lots of teens in the movie. I hope they were paying attention. Great, great movie.

And in other news...

I'm finally singing Fragrant Offering at church tomorrow. I've wanted to for about a year or so. I LOVE this song. Get's me all weepy.

Here are the lyrics, then a link to hear Rita Springer sing it.

Fragrant Offering

I bring to you a fragrant offering
I pour out my love and I wash your feet
I offer up to you oh Lord this brokenness
What you can see in me shall be my confidence

May it be a pleasing fragrance
That I bring to you oh my Lord
I am so in need of your presence
That I bow before you now
I pour my vial of worship over you
I pour my vial of worship over you

I bring to you a humble sacrifice
I pour out my heart and I give you my life
I offer up to you oh Lord this costly gift
And with absolute abandon now my love I confess

HERE

My TOTALLY SWEET & AWESOME nephew turned 1 today. A whole year old already! Crazy!

I love you, little Tobey Tobiah!

Joey met Slinky tonight. My friend's ferret.

At first he was kissing him. They kept looking at each other through the cage door and rubbing noses.

But then at a point, he acted like he might like to eat him. Hmmmm....

Maybe it was a love bite?