Basket of Blessings

I know I have mentioned over the last 15 months just how abundantly blessed I am, but I truly am! This afternoon a basket of blessings was delivered (anonymously) to my house. Words will never express the gratitude I feel for the outpouring of love shown to my children and myself this last year.

Amending a Record

When Peyton's social security card came in the mail, several weeks after she was born, her name was misspelled. I was devastated. What made this worse was when I called, they said it must have been a clerk error, and she would forever have a 2 page birth certificate to correct the spelling. I ordered the paperwork to amend her birth certificate in Fall 2010, knowing I needed her name fixed before she started preschool. I never filled them out because Grandma died, and then Mike, Peyton never attended preschool...and well, I forgot. Until it dawned on me, she's starting Kindergarten in August!

Vital Records tell me it takes up to 4 months for the record to be amended. We're right at the cutoff of Kindergarten starting. I filled out the paperwork, called the hospital for document verification that they were wrong, when I was told she would have to pull that file and make sure I didn't make the error. Okay. Well, if everything I have from the hospital shows her spelling as PEYTON, not PAYTON, and as I am not the clerk entering in her information, I am fairly certain the hospital made the mistake. Insult to injury, it will cost me $20 to fix this, and my daughter will have a 2 page birth certificate for the rest of her life. But go ahead, pull your file.

When she called back, she sure changed her tune and said, "I see here that you filled out all paperwork as PEYTON, is this correct?" Yep. She then informed me that because it is a hospital error, they fill out the paperwork and pay for the amended record. All I need to do is get a sworn statement notarized stating that I am her mother and run it by the hospital. Woot! Woot!

New Easter Tradition

Honestly, I was just grateful to get through Easter last year. The first major holiday after Mike's death. We did nothing unusual, and I even made the same Easter dinner I had for the last 11 years.

This year, however, I wanted to do something different, something we haven't done. I read the Bible, but I have never read it my kids. I found a list of verses, broken up by subject (i.e. The Last Supper, Jesus Arrested, Jesus Has Risen, etc) and decided to read three subject areas a night before bed, equaling about thirty minutes of reading time. If this worked, I could see this becoming a new Easter (and Christmas) Tradition.

The first night, the kids grumbled. The second night, they grumbled, but didn't fidget. The third night, they sat down excitedly to hear how the story would unfold. The fourth night, they interrupted with questions and genuine concern. Tonight, Cameron, who rolled his eyes at me the first night, said, "After Easter can we continue this every night?" YES! Yes. We. Can.

My intention was to teach my children the true reason we celebrate Easter, but as each night passed, my intention changed and I wanted to read stories from the Bible every night, as a family, before we say our prayers for bed.

I am blessed!

Spring Break

Isn't this what Spring Break is all about anyway?

Spring Reading Thing 2012

Can it be? Are you sure? Spring has Sprung? I'll be melting away in the desert heat before I know it. For now, I focus on joining Katrina, over at Callapidder Days, for her Spring Reading Thing 2012.

Here are the list of books I would like to read this Spring:

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
Two Kisses for Maddy by Matt Logelin
Prayer by Phillip Yancey
The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice

I have had Two Kisses for Maddy on my shelf since it came out, April 2011. I have followed Matt's story, pretty much, since the beginning, and have followed his blog since then. I preordered his book on amazon when he announced we could. Peyton is only a few months older than Maddy, and little did I know, the day I preordered Two Kisses for Maddy, that I would end up a widow a couple months later. I am tired of looking at this beautiful cover of father and daughter and not having the courage to open it and read it.

I am committed to reading this list of books. I'm sure I'll switch it up, and/or add something to the mix, as I go poking through all of your lists. If I get these read, I'll be pleased.

I haven't read much since Fall Into Reading 2011. Well, I should clarify, I have thrown myself into women's bible studies since the death of my Beloved husband. I'm in the word, but zero recreational reading. I feel left behind in the times right now. Some of my own doing, I'm sure. I just don't feel the need to "join in" on much, while my world around me is still in ruins.

HDC - Apple Valley Campus

I am truly blessed. I have an AMAZING church home. I have been attending High Desert Church (HDC) since November 1995. I was saved there, and baptized there in March 1996. Mande's memorial was held there. My (Grand)Mother's memorial was also held there, and just 2 months later, we honored my Beloved husband there.

Two years ago, HDC launched their first satellite campus in Apple Valley. And just last year, they launched their second in Phelan.

With the gas prices up, ours was $4.31 on Friday, I knew I was going to need to adjust my traveling plans accordingly. I am at HDC 4 times a week. I attend Tuesday for TLBS and Thursday for SMILES. I then go back Thursday afternoon for Dylan's Sonshine Choir practice, and finally Sunday morning for church service. My 4 trips to Victorville, plus the bussing of Cameron and Dylan to and from school every day, leaves my already drained finances at a dangerous level every time I have to put gas in the Mama Mobile. My budget for gas has increased by $27 a week. Something has to give.

As much as I adore walking in to church every Sunday morning, I knew I was going to have to give it up, at least partly, until the end of the choir year. On weekends where Dylan doesn't lead choir, we will be attending in Apple Valley.

Today was our first time at HDC's Apple Valley Campus. Did I mention it's 3 minutes from my house? Apprehensive, as I despise change, we walked in, having no clue where to go. Fortunately, one of Peyton's favorite teachers, happened to be there (she was on stage this morning), threw her arms open for Peyton and showed us the ropes. We checked in, took Peyton to her class, took Dylan to his class, and the cherry on top of our morning is Evan, junior high pastor, who has been a mentor to Cameron since Mike died, is in charge of the junior high group at AV. Cameron was beaming!

My TLBS leader's daughter was working in Peyton's class, and a dear friend's son, who Evan also mentored after the death of his father, helps Evan and the junior high group. As we were leaving, Cameron's 5th grade teacher was standing in front of church, and upon seeing Cameron, began to dote over how big he's gotten, asking how Cameron was doing, and about his health in regards to his diabetes. I love how God always knows what we need. We left church, smiling from ear to ear, and the kids can't wait to go back.

Prayer Time

I enjoy our family prayer time at night. The kid's prayers have grown leaps and bounds in the last 14 months. Tonight Peyton volunteered to lead prayer. She started out wonderfully, even thanking God for her warm bed (I've been teaching them to thank God during prayer). As she was coming to the end, she said, "Bless our new Daddy. I hope he gets here soon." Sucker Punched. God Bless her heart of gold.