stress. of course! That could be the problem. It's weird because I don't feel "stressed out" as in going crazy or miserable. But we ARE very busy and things ARE very different here. And our diet IS very different now. I guess I am not thinking enough about the role all of that plays in my health. I mean, even the weather is vastly different from what I am used to (I didn't know it was possible to sweat this much). We are doing really well though. It's not perfect but things are settling into a routine. We've made some in-roads with Kyle's teachers and he is slowly doing better. But he's all googly-eyed over this girl in his class and I am NOT ready for THAT. I like my job a lot and so does my dh. I still hate the driving. It makes me a nervous wreck. I think this morning it all hit me..like I have this big zit on my chin out of nowhere and my back aches and my hair won't cooperate in this humidity and I think I am getting more wrinkles and then I start my period and I JUST had it two weeks ago and I feel like I woke up with someone else's body instead of my own. My body has become a TRAITOR. :tongue_smilie:

I just turned 39 years old and suddenly everything is going south. My periods have become very irregular. My joints creak and crack all the time. And lately if I cough or sneeze hard I leak!!! I've only given birth one time over 11 years ago and this never was a problem before. Why now? And menopause comes later in my family (like mid to late fifties) so it can't be that. Is this just what happens? You hit 39 and you just get old all of a sudden?

The bible tells us to rebuke the devil in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the devil will flee from you. :grouphug:

I'd like to second "The Holiday". GREAT chick flick. If you want to cry then "Untamed Heart".

Well, I guess I am the odd one out... Jewelry is jewelry. If it is pretty, WEAR IT! A diamond is a girl's best friend, ya know? :D If it gives you bad memories in its current state, I would have the diamond reset into a pendant or a different ring. After 25 years of marriage you DESERVE a diamond!

I just knew I loved you for some reason! We, too, have "the more the merrier" approach. We never sat down and decided to have a "family bed" policy. It started with our oldest NOT SLEEPING EVER by himself and my need for sleep before I went crazy. We loved it so much we just stuck with it! Our 5yo still ends up in our bed most nights. The 11yo will usually come and cuddle, read books, etc. on our bed and then go to his room. Sometimes he will come back early in the morning and cuddle just before sunrise. These are my favorite times and I wouldn't give them up for anything.

these are all so good. now I am really confused. :tongue_smilie:

We are ordering from "Wall Words" for one of the walls in our living room and we want to put a family Bible verse on it. But we like so many verses that we can't decide! So do YOU have a family verse? If you were going to put a verse on your wall what verse would you pick?

1.here 2. facebook 3. five in a row 4. John Piper's website/blog (http://www.desiringgod.org) 5. DeYoung, Restless and Reformed (http://www.revkevindeyoung.com/)

I read the Circle Trilogy. It was OK but not great. I read "Showdown" and it scared the bejeepers out of me. So I am done with Dekker.

I'd go back there too. I thought it was hysterical! Reminds me of people sitting in someone's "spot" on the church pew. :tongue_smilie:

Disgusting. And this isn't the first time he has acted this way at an awards show either. Dare I say publicity stunt?

When someone asks you to share your testimony it usually means share the story of how you came to faith in the Lord. So share your story of how you were saved. And maybe even the ways in which God has worked in your life since then. BTW, I am not a "meat loaf or chicken" person either. :D

:iagree: You said it so well! I do not like "hokey" Jesus paraphanalia. But things that are respectful, meaningful, etc....definitely. If the secular world can have t-shirts that say all manner of disgusting things, then I have no problem countering that with t-shirts that express a love for our savior. They are also effective witnessing tools. My husband has several christian t-shirts and people ask him about them all the time. He even lead one man to the Lord through this. So be careful before you toss out the baby with the bathwater!

They escort the baby to the major airport closest to you. We used Americans for International Aid and Adoption (http://www.aiaaadopt.org). They were wonderful! You just contact them and they send you a "preapplication" where they get some basic info and the process goes forward from there. There is quite a bit of paperwork with adoption but I thought the whole process was pretty painless. It is about middle of the road as far as cost (we paid $23k when all was said and done but you get to claim $10k on your taxes so we got a lot of it back). Some countries are a lot more expensive and some are less. We chose Korea because: 1. we didn't have to travel 2. the babies are in foster care not orphanages 3. it is a well-established program with no "shady" things going on (like Guatemala and other programs that keep getting shut down) 4. We wanted foreign adoption and not domestic because we wanted a closed adoption without any future complications (my friend went through two failed domestic adoptions and ot was heartbreaking to watch).

Woo Hoo! Maybe I'll see your son in the UFC someday????? :D How awesome!

We adopted from Korea and you do NOT have to fly over there. They will escort the child to the U.S. That's how we did it. We had a welcome party of about 20 people waiting at the airport when our son arrived. I held him for the first time there and it was all captured on video and in still pictures. It was AWESOME! Also, I had similar fears as you do. I have one bio child and one adopted and I love my adopted son with the same fierce mother love as I do my bio son.

Thank you for the book suggestion!!! It's interesting to me because I am well-educated with multiple college degrees and I take the Bible literally. So I don't buy into the sentiments of books like The God Delusion.

I guess I don't understand why taking the Bible literally = checking your brain at the door???

You CAN do this. DECIDE to be strong and then go for it. My grandfather was killed in the coal mines at a young age and my grandmother raised six children (the youngest was only a year old at the time) in abject poverty in the backwoods of Alabama with nothing more than an 8th grade education and no employment. They never went on welfare and all six kids grew up to be responsible, God-fearing adults. I respect her more than any person on earth. You will suprise yourself with how strong you are. "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% what you do about it." Decide to be strong. You can do this. :grouphug:

Well, to be honest, I am not sure where I stand on universal health care. All I know is to decide that a baby isn't worth trying to save at 26 weeks is heartbreaking to me. I am thankful that the doctors and nurses at the University of Michigan hospital saw fit to use heroic measure to save my three nieces.

All three of my nieces were born at only 27 weeks. They are now 4 years old, beautiful, smart and absolutely healthy. I don't know how you define "heroic" but every time I see them smile I am grateful for the "heroic" measures taken on their part.

Boots with a summer dress in a warm climate? no. That would be a fashion faux-paux. Besides, strappy heels are SO cute! What's one more pair of shoes? :D

:iagree:

nah....he's a teenager...he'll find other things to be mad at you about soon. :D :grouphug: