Queenies Little Kingdom

1) American Idol was absolutely HORRIBLE! The contestants were terrible! Not one sounded worthy to be there. I may have to ditch the show if it doesn’t improve.

2) FoxNews had Greta interview Bristol Palin and baby Tripp. Another trainwreck of tv entertainment. This was not a good idea for her to do. She didn’t make herself look smart. Note to self: Speak out regarding the serious consequences of pre-marital sex! It does COST something….not just pregnancy either, folks!

3) The stimulus package fiasco! No words. Just can’t figure it out….why, why, why? Nothing about it makes sense.

4) Facebook newsflash! What? They own all that I say on Facebook? Huh? Really? Yep! Wake up, people. Don’t write it down if you don’t want the world to know it.

5) Whiner’s are annoying! Especially when it’s over whacky trivial stuff.

6) My roots are growing and I hate it. I know….I’m shallow! But at my age….the gray hair is everywhere. I need to hide behind some strong coloring. You know…to bring out my natural highlights and all. 🙂

7) In one month, my sweet Ally will turn 16! March 17 will be here in no time. Where in the world has the time gone? I can’t believe she’s growing up. She’s always going to be my baby.

8) Gates is a great kid. She helped her dad do some Kiwanis work today around town. I think he owes her something big. Don’t you?

9) Watching Gavin live life to the fullest makes me tired. He goes and goes morning til night. He’s past busy….but he loves his life and so do I.

10) Making new friends is one of God’s sweetest gifts to me. Thank you for putting wonderful people in my path. I feel so blessed. Help me be a friend that loves at all times.

Psalm 36:5-6 “Your love O Lord reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.”

I’ve been sharing computer time with 3 teenagers for a while now. I’m not bitter! I heart them, of course! Besides….who has a house full of computers anyway? We share….because we’re nice that way!

Since I started blogging this last summer, I must admit. I have fantasized bout having my own little computer to drag around with me where ever my busy life took me. I didn’t want to put anyone out by taking any of the computer’s we have around here. It’s just not the same, borrowing. I wanted my own stuff! You understand right?

Well, let me just get to it. My sweet hubby (I heart him!!!) has been watching for something just for me. Like, my own laptop! You know what those cost right? Well, especially the stuff my hubs likes. Something those IT guys do…..love the good expensive geek stuff! I knew that wouldn’t happen for me. I cannot blow my moola on what he would REALLY want to buy me. So…I just prayed and waited. God knows, remember?

A couple weeks ago I was shopping around online, just lookin! I like to do that once in a while….peeking in at my fave spots; Dooney & Bourke, QVC, Apple…Old Navy….you get the point! When I stumbled upon the cutest little laptop EVAH!!! I thought it was surely a hunk a junk! Hubby happened to see it and mentioned it was the one just reviewed very highly on the Kim Komando show we had listened to the weekend before. We clicked on it and read all the reviews (all good of course) and loved the price! It’s so affordable! Less than or around $300 bucks!

He ordered it. I was trying to contain my excitement!!! You know…act like I was all cool inside and not wanting to jump up and down and do the dance moves from Beyonce’s Single Ladies video. Which just might be the most unflattering she’s done yet. Gack! Too much jiggle for me really! Anyway…back to the good stuff. It arrived on Friday night (I was too busy to get on it and rock out aka blog out!)…but when I did. Ooooo baby! I LOVE IT! I REALLY LOVE IT, YA’LL!

First, it’s pink (so stinkin cute) second, it’s so small (I thought this would be difficult to see and work on, NOPE NOPE NOPE) third, it does everything all the big dogs do. I can just pop it in the bag and take off with it. It’s wireless…..I can go off like real bloggers do and work away from home (like in a real life coffee shop!!!!) yeeeehawwww! I know…you are probably thinking…..GET A LIFE, WANDA!!! Everybody’s doing that already! I know that is why I’m so psyched! I can too!
I’m in love with it….and I think it’s just perfect for me. Thank you Lord….I trusted you….and like always, you blessed me with what works just right for me. And hubby….you spoil me! I love you! XO 🙂

Meet this new girl of mine! No name yet….but surely that will come. Oh and watch out for me….you might see me in some coffee shop blogging someday soon. 🙂

I’m reflecting back a bit…..why? So I can qualify for a contest of course! Over at Barking Mad, she’s hosting a kickin Target giftcard giveaway. How much you ask? $250 big ones! Oh yea! I’m needing that little baby! Just imagine all the Mossimo clothes I could get with that! Yay! So, here goes…..click on her button if you’re interested in winning for yourself. Good luck! 🙂

So here’s a few of my favorite posts from my blog history.

Live Like You Were Dying

My Wife

Miss Gates

Permissive Parenting

Let’s Get Physical

I love you! The three words that have changed lives all over the world. Words that you can’t just throw around all willy nilly. It can be sorta dangerous. We’ve all known someone that made bad life decisions just because they told someone they loved them too soon. I can’t help but think of that teenage love thing. It’s way to easy to blurt it out and end up way more invested in a relationship than the maturity level allows. I know. I’ve done it myself. Dang those 80’s!

At school this week I was surrounded by girls wanting to see a picture of my daughter’s boyfriend (he attends another school). 🙂 As I sat with them they began talking about their own boyfriends and how serious their relationships were. Scary. Two of the girls had “promise” rings. Promise rings? Huh? Why? It’s just too soon! At least it is for me…..

Grown up love can be as immature as teenage love. Time after time I’ve sat with couples in trouble (in counseling with hubby) that cannot see the forest for the trees in their relationship. Loving someone can be pretty difficult, especially when we tend to love ourselves so much more. It’s just the way our flesh is. We think we deserve to be happy (at all costs). Many times, that means getting out of a marriage that isn’t ideal. Which never solves the real issue.

I don’t mean to sound harsh regarding love. It’s just that I wish more people took it seriously. Because love is serious business. John 13:34-35 says, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” I want people to know that my love for God is real and one way I can do that is by the way I love other’s. Not always easy to do, huh? As I type, I can think of some difficult folks to love. With God’s help….I know I can do it. Even if my flesh doesn’t have any desire at all to.

Later today my daughter will go to a late lunch with her boyfriend to celebrate Valentine’s day….she was very concerned that anything she did would seem “mushy lovey”. She put together a very sweet picture collage as her gift to him with “You make me smile” across the photo. It’s not mushy or lovey but it is very cute. We helped sneak it into his car last night (by the way…we are nervous sneaky snake people) I thought for sure he was going to catch us. Yikes! He wasn’t supposed to find it until today as he came out of basketball practice. Note to self or Ally: Don’t leave your fast-food garbage in Tyler’s car…he cleans it out and will find your surprise! He sent her a text message….he loved it!

Everywhere you turn today you are going to see references to love. It’s my prayer that you are in step with love the way God intends you to be. That you are loving as He commands you to and that other’s would know who you belong to just by watching you love other people. If you’re married…I pray that you are nurturing that relationship in a way that most honors Christ. Selflessly! It’s worth it, I promise!

Deut. 6:5 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

The electricity goes out! At least that’s what happens in my neck of the woods. I’m not whining…just sharing how it rolls with me. 🙂 I’m thankful that when it went off tonight (during dinner and great conversation with our teenagers!) that it didn’t stay off all night. We were only out for about an hour or so. Nothing like the week back in September! Aaaaaaah! Glory be….that was rough! So…thank you Jesus for lights! I really like having them. L U X U R Y!!!

While the lights were out…we hung out and talked. Which is quite fun by the way. It reminded me that we don’t do it enough. I love hanging out with my kids. They have grown up so quickly and have been more than I could have ever dreamed of. They are precious people. I cherish them and pray that someday they have a family that they love and enjoy this much. I’ve been so blessed to be their mom. Thank you God for allowing me that pleasure!

I’m really proud of my kids. They are not into conforming to the world and it’s standards. In this day that’s saying something. Each of them have walked difficult roads with friendships and ministry life. All three of them are strong and confident in who they are and to whom they belong to. Another thing that’s not so easy to do these days. God has big plans for each of them and it excites me. Thank you God for blessing my life with Don, Gavin, Ally, & Gates. What a gift!

Deuteronomy 11:18 “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.”

Parents: God wants us to be responsible for our children’s spirituality! He doesn’t say….take them to church and hand them over to SS teacher’s or to pastor’s. He wants us to take the initiative and teach them about Him and His word. He wants us to live out our faith OUTLOUD! So….feeling challenged yet? I hope so. I’m inspired to kick things up a notch! 🙂

If you’re perfect…..go ahead and move on from this post. It’s all about someone who’s not! ME! I’m flawed, ya’ll! Some might even say…..a wreck of a person! I do stupid things and I say even stupider things. I just mess up! When it’s most inconvenient too. What is my deal? I might as well confess….right? Here goes!

Tonight was Gates choir concert (I didn’t realize we had to be there until about 5pm). I thought this was an event she was doing for something besides the world to see. I know she said “singing at a basketball game”…but the other part…like a BIG VALENTINE’S CONCERT for our viewing pleasure….um no! Didn’t get that. No biggie, we hopped in the car and raced to the event. It was great! Worth the $8 to see our girl sing five kickin songs.

Hubby makes a comment on the way home that I took as a stab (he wanted to go to the Library and Walmart…I didn’t) and the rest is history! What is it about communication within the marriage relationship? We can be absolutely crazy when it comes to understanding each other. He says, she says…and boom it’s a yelling match. Well, maybe not at your house….but we ended up yelling. I’m sorry for it. Because it got us nowhere….real fast! Just stupid!

He dropped me off and headed for the places he wanted to go…and I caught myself mumbling angrily about the whole situation. Oh the flesh is weak people! That satan…..he wants so badly to crash in on a happy home. I almost let him tonight! But…..I’m onto him. No way, dude! Step off! I love my husband (even if I don’t always agree with him or understand him)! So I’m here to tell ya….don’t get all up in a tizzy when you’re in a misunderstanding with your fella. It won’t end pretty unless you just end it before it starts. Take it from me….I’m learning, ya’ll!

Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

Here’s a little song….I can relate to. I love Coldplay….his voice is beautiful in this song!