new business card

Our new business card...cool, huh?

how'd you know??

Something really weird caught my attention with the 2nd quiz I did in the previous post. If you click on the quiz to take it, you'll see that it gives you several different pictures and asks which one appeals to you most at the moment. I was amazed at the strong reaction I had to each of the pictures (and they are completely abstract pictures...nothing really defined). I wonder how they come up with the 'analysis' of the person based on their choice; I found it amazingly accurate. I was equally drawn to 2 pictures; the one I posted earlier and the one below. Then, there were some pictures that actually repelled my interested, and found almost 'offensive' to my senses. After clicking the ones that appealed, I went back and clicked the ones that didn't - and found it to still hold true in the sense that it was the opposite of my personality. Very interesting. (And who comes up with these things anyway!?!?)

Anyway, if you clicked the link, did you find this true of yourself?

(Here's my 2nd choice that was equally appealing to my senses):

The Part of You That No One Sees

You are powerful, passionate, and dominant. You have a vision of how things should be, and you do your best to make things happen. People rely on you for your strength. You are a rock to many. Underneath it all, you aren't so sure about your passions. So many ideas spark your interest, it is hard for you to get behind a select few. However, you see indecision as a sign of weakness. So you pursue your goals full force - no matter how foolish they turn out to be.

What's the Part of You That No One Sees?

This was the one that repelled me most (and seemed opposite of my personality):

The Part of You That No One Sees

You are aloof, mysterious, and distant. People feel like they really don't know the true you... Yet they're still drawn to you, almost by magnetic force. Underneath it all, you don't even really feel like you know yourself. It's easier to put on a front than really think about your life's purpose. You tend to seem pretentious, but it's just a mechanism you use to push people away.

What's the Part of You That No One Sees?

something just for fun

Every now and then, when I have a few minutes with nothing pressing to do (like I have now, with 2 boys out with their dad at the batting cages and Kate, Luke & I watching 'The Princess Bride') I get a chuckle out of these quizzes. Here's a few fun ones:

You are White Chocolate

You are White Chocolate You are sweet, caring, and truly very innocent. Whether your naive ways are a bit of act or not, people like to take care of you. You are a quiet flirt, and your power is often underestimated!

What Kind of Chocolate Are You?

The Part of You That No One Sees

You are compassionate, caring, and soothing. You like other people to depend on you... In fact, you don't feel right unless you are helping someone out. Underneath it all, you feel the burden of everyone's problems. Without your guidance, you fear that many people's worlds would fall apart. You like to feel in charge, even if it brings you a lot of stress.

What's the Part of You That No One Sees?

What Your Bathroom Habits Say About You

You are a giving soul. Way too giving in fact. You often get stuck doing the dirty work that no one else will do. You spend a lot on clothes, and you tend to be a very dresser. However, it's hard for you to throw away trendy clothes when they go out of style. You have the perfect blend of confidence and class. You're proud of who you are - but you don't broadcast it. In relationships, you tend to be very romantic and demanding. You'll treat your partner like gold, but you expect a lot in return.

What Do Your Bathroom Habits Say About You?

rite of passage

Family night is taking on a whole new dimension here at the Clemmer house. 3 out of 4 children are now interested enough to sit, pay attention, learn and play...Settlers. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the addiction that Todd & I have long suffered from (going on 4 years, I believe) has now been passed on to our children. It's not a bad thing really...it's almost more like a 'rite of passage'. See, our closest friends play Settlers. Some family members play. A large majority of our church plays. (Someone once asked us if this was a new church planting strategy...introduce people to the game, get them addicted, introduce them to all our Koinonia House players and - voile - church growth!) And now, our children. They're growing up. We're bonding on a whole new level...it's a new day. :o)

world's most boring post

Looks like we have a cold, rainy week in store. That's a bit of a bummer (especially for Little League games), but I'm thinking that it may keep us in the house and getting things done. When it's so gorgeous outside, we all tend to want to be out, and school gets somewhat abbreviated. Not that we're behind necessarily, but usually I like to push to get done early, and we aren't really on target for that.

My kids have also been battling allergies and/or colds, so maybe the rain will wash away some of that pollen for the allergy sufferers, and for the real colds, give some extra down-time to rest. Already this morning I've let them sleep in (as I do most Mondays) but lately the bright morning sun has driven them from their beds - usually by about 7:30. Today the cloudiness has kept the older two in bed (they're still there now at 9:45), and they're the ones that seem to be battling colds, so I'm glad they're getting the extra rest. I'm also glad that we don't have anything tonight...it frees me to think I don't have to pack in whatever I'm working on in order to fly around to get somewhere.

Well, as far as blog posts go, that was about as boring as they come! Sorry. It's what was running through my head this morning, and it helps me to process it here. Now I feel ready to actually get started on stuff. Weird, I know. Oh, well.

good day

Me. As of today. Just can't believe it... How did I get here??

Had a great day filled with baseball, shopping, Red Lobster and Starbucks. Wish every day was my birthday!!

Thankful Thursday

It's Thursday, which means I normally post my 'thankful' list, but today I'm not. It's not because I'm not thankful, it's just that there are a few situations going on in my life that are causing me some inner turmoil, and so I'm not in a 'light and fluffy' mood, so to speak. As I was thinking about these things, and debating whether to blog at all, I felt like I really should look for something to be thankful for. What I realized is that I am thankful that in the midst of the trials going on around me (which really aren't directly mine, but rather things involving or affecting people I love) I believe that God has a plan, and that it is for good. That nothing happens that is out of His control. While the events, actions, attitudes, etc. might not be good, I have first-hand knowledge and experience that God can take our personal 'worsts' and make them into amazing, wonderful triumphs. Our failures become His victories; our weaknesses showing His strength. Believe me, a lot of this I am having to choose to meditate on and believe, because what I feel like doing is like letting my 'flesh' take over and letting my fear, frustration and fury reign down and wreak havoc on anyone who happens to get in my path. (Well, really just a few poor, maybe even unsuspecting folks!) But I am choosing to listen to that still small voice niggling at the back of my mind saying "This is a spiritual battle..." - in other words, don't fret, don't lash out, but rather, take action. Pray. Fast. Worship. Though my angst-filled mind would like to spin scenarios, carry on full (one-sided) conversations and scheme up ways to fix all the problems swirling about, my heart is drawing me to focus on God, on His holiness, power and majesty. I am reminded on the lyrics of this song, and I would say it's an accurate summation of my Thankful Thursday today.

When the storm is raging all around me
You are the peace that calms
My troubled sea
And when the cares of this world
Darken my day
You are the light that shines
And shows me the way

Oh, the beauty of Your majesty
On the cross You showed Your love for me!

Beautiful Lord
Awesome and mighty
I’m captured by this love I see
Beautiful Lord
Tender and holy
Your mercy brings me to my knees
It’s Your mercy that has made me free
Beautiful Lord

When my sin is all that I can see
Your grace remains the shelter that I seek
And when my weakness is all I can give
Your gentle Spirit gives me strength again
And oh, the beauty of Your majesty
On the cross You showed Your love for me

And I am lifted by Your love to sing!
It’s Your mercy that has made me free!

You’re beautiful, my Lord
You’re beautiful, my Lord


Words & Music by Leeland Dayton Mooring and Marc Byrd / © 2006 Meaux Mercy (BMI) / Meaux Mercy / Blue Raft Music (BMI)

I've determined that learning to read (and teaching reading) would be much easier if we spoke properly - like as in with an English accent. That way the 'a' in "apple" would make the same sound as the 'a' in "pan". I never thought I had an accent...but the way we Americans talk have really made learning to read and write the English language much more difficult than it would need to be!

this week's games

I set up a new blog with the boys baseball schedule, but apparently not everyone can access it; several people have expressed interest in coming to a game now and then, so here's the update for this week's games:

Bryce on Wednesday and Saturday; Seth on Tuesday and Thursday. If you'd like times and locations just shoot me an e-mail.

and we're off!

We had our first wedding florals consultation on Friday night for 'Buds in Blossoms' and it went great. We were so excited and nervous, but apparently it didn't show too much because the bride and very tentative mother-of-the-bride both left very happy, and saying that we pretty much had the job. In addition to having several live samples of our work (we spent a few hours on Friday putting some arrangements together, mostly to take photos for our portfolio, but also to have to show for the consult), they told us how 'nice' we were in comparison to the other "snooty" florists that they had met with!! Bets & I were absolutely flying after all was said and done, and now just have to pull the official estimate together to clinch the deal. That will be the second wedding we have scheduled!

We're going to be putting together a post card of some sort to mail out letting people know about the business, and we've started dropping hints to our hubbies about the future need for new mini-vans with the fold away seats so we don't have to do all the heavy lifting of taking seats out when we have to transport flowers... (That might be putting the cart before the horse just a bit...but hey, we're very optimistic...and we'd like new vans!! ) :o) Our logo is designed and being finalized, as are our business cards, and soon we will have brochures and a website. I'll keep you posted once all that becomes available, so all you friends of mine in blogland can refer any blushing brides you know to Buds in Blossoms for all their wedding flower needs!!

Here's a few pics of things we did on Friday. I took some other shots of some myself, but they didn't turn out great, so I'll wait til I get a copy of the professional shots to post. (Mine won't do the arrangements justice).

t-ball

Tonight was Seth's big 'first game' for t-ball, and Bryce simultaneously played his game a few fields over in the same area. So I saw the first inning of Bryce's, then headed over to watch Seth and saw the last inning of Bryce. That was crazy. I really don't look forward to the double game nights because I really like being able to watch and cheer for both my amazing boys.

T-ball is very interesting in that there's lots of hits, lots of 'clusters' of kids trying to get the ball in the field and some not understanding where the bases are or the concept of running them! :o) But it was absolutely adorable to watch them play, and the coaches are really great about helping them learn the gist of the game and just simply have fun. I was a little worried at first about a few 'intense' parents, but everything seems to be turning out just fine. Tonight when asked who won their game Seth simply replied, "We don't keep track, we just play for fun!" He's got a really good attitude and is having fun making new friends. And there's a few other kids on his team that have a little bit more skill than the general crowd that he's getting to play with (he seems to be a little more aware of the game because of playing and learning with his big brother), which keeps him from getting too bored. Not that I'm bragging or anything...I'm just saying... :o)

I must say though, it's kinda hard to get a good still shot of the boys playing without feeling like one of those 'fanatical' parents, practically running onto the field with camera in hand! Our dinosaur of a video camera gave out a few years ago, and I will admit that this is giving me a hankerin' for a new one!!

down time

I'm a little bummed...tonight is the season finale of "Eli Stone". If you've read my previous posts you may know that this is the only show that I regularly watch on TV right now, and I greatly look forward to my one hour of guilt-free, planned-into-the-schedule relaxation time. I tend to feel any other time that if I'm watching tv that I'm wasting time; but if I plan for it, I allow myself to feel that I am relaxing. (I know, it's a stupid head game that I'm playing with myself, but it gives me something to really look forward to each week, OK???) Anyway, I suppose since the show is done I could do something constructive with that time slot...but I'd really rather not... But "Grey's Anatomy" is filling that time slot, and I'm just not interested in that. So...maybe I'll actually get finished one of the 3 books I am currently reading. But I have to admit, it just doesn't have the same appeal (none of them are fiction, so none of them feel 'relaxing'). Anybody read any really good, riveting fiction lately that I could pick up as a replacement for my 'down time' time-slot?

T.T.

Today I'm thankful for:

1. The wonderfully warm sun shining on me as I type this right now
2. My gorgeous forsythia bushes
3. The trash getting pick up just now (we forgot to put it out last week - not good)
4. Wearing flip flops for the first time of the season
5. My boys baseball games (it's been great family time for us all)
6. New people at church
7. Learning how to not freak out when I can't fix things for others, even if I really want to
8. Dandelion bouquets I get nearly every day
9. Things falling into place really well for Buds in Blossoms
10. Being surrounded by people in our church that are on board with where God is taking us
    

proud mama

I know this pic is a bit hard to see, but this is Bryce about to get his 2nd hit of the game tonight. He had 2 base-run hits, scored one run, tagged 2 guys out (in one inning!) and threw a kid out at first. Needless to say, I'm a teensy, little bit proud. The coach had him last in the line up to bat, and not on the field at all at first. Then after his first at bat, they switched up positions and he put him at 2nd base, where he played the rest of the game. And the next time they were at bat, he was somehow up again, only like 3 batters since his last at-bat. I think the coach was pleasantly surprised by how well he did. Bryce is the smallest kid on his team, but he really pays attention, and he hustles, which I think make up for what he might be lacking in size. His coach really praised him (as did we, of course!) which I think really did a lot for his confidence. (All day he kept telling me how nervous he was, and verbally going over how to play out different scenarios - poor kid!) I'm glad his first game was such a positive experience. We came home and had ice cream to celebrate.

So tomorrow night we have another first - Seth's first t-ball game. I'm really excited for that too. I am a little bummed that Bryce plays another game at the exact same time...so I'm gonna try to split my time somehow if I can, and Todd will help out at Seth's the whole time. But we explained to Bryce that we got to see his first game so it was important for us to see Seth's too, and he was totally cool with it.

I really like my kids.

stretched til it hurts

Sometimes leadership really stinks. No matter what realm it's in - be it parenting, work, church or other community setting (say t-ball coach, for instance! - our poor coach has been through the wringer already and we haven't played our first game yet!) - sometimes there are things about being a leader that are really stretching. (And by the way, everyone is a leader in some realm). It seems like I am forever encountering situations which I really don't feel like dealing with - they push me beyond my comfort zone, frustrate me, inconvenience me, and sometimes I end up getting hurt. Nothing brings out my flaws or my selfish nature more than such times. "So why bother?" one might ask (and that 'one' is sometimes me!!). I've been thinking about this question today and here were my thoughts.

It's really a matter of wanting to live life to the fullest. As a leader I can shirk away from responsibilities, and frankly, as a human being in general I can just avoid things that are unpleasant in any way. However, I will be missing out on the benefits and not getting the most out of the life God's given me. While it helps others when I do the right thing, I am learning that really, it helps me, probably more than anyone. It's like eating healthy and exercising (and believe me, I'm no health nut); you can choose not to - you could eat only junk and never push your body to get stronger - which may seem like the easy thing in the moment, but in the long run the results of that philosophy aren't pretty. When you are leading there are plenty of nasty things you have to swallow (I would liken this to eating fish, for example - not something I enjoy, but it's good for me...) and there are lots of ways you get stretched til it hurts (like a really good workout). In the moment..bad. In the long run...good. I will be a better wife, mom, teacher, leader, friend. More importantly, I can learn to be comfortable and at peace with who I am. Most importantly I will become more Christ-like. And that, my friends, is the ultimate goal anyway.

So whoever or wherever you are leading today...be encouraged. Press in to the discipline you don't feel like being consistent with; press in to the reconciliation you don't feel like making; press in to the encouragement you don't feel like giving. Because it's not only for the other person, it's for you too. You will be healthier, stronger, more at peace for doing the hard thing. It's a fact.

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. ~1 Timothy 4:8

big news

Well, I have a big announcement. (No, I'm NOT pregnant; that's because Jesus loves me, and knows how much I need my sanity). My announcement is that my sister, Betsy and I are unofficially launching a wedding flower business. (Well, weddings and other 'events'). It's something we've dabbled in (we've done 2 other weddings so far, and she's done several other party events) and thoroughly enjoy doing. She's really the creative one; I'm just good at copying what she designs. (I'm also the 'paperwork' person - my job is the people and details - hers is the creativity; though I like to think it must take some level of skill to be able to match her designs...) We often joke about sharing a brain, and that we can only do something really well if we are both working on it so that both halves of the brain can function as one. Anyway, it's something that we look at as a hobby that can make us some moo-lah. We can pick and choose when we want to work, only work 1 1/2 days when we do so-choose, work from home, and make a fairly decent wage for it. We've gotten a lot of encouragement and support from friends and family who've seen our work and, most importantly, our husbands! (The guys are pretty excited about us doing something that we really love AND getting paid for it!!) The reason it's still 'unofficial' is because we haven't filed any legal paperwork yet, but we do have one wedding scheduled for August, and another consultation on Saturday. Pretty exciting! The name of the business will be "Buds in Blossoms", with the double meaning of 'friends in the business of flowers'! Our wonderful and unbelievably talented friend Angie is currently working on some awesome ideas for our logo and business cards. We are really excited (can you tell?!?) and I look forward to posting some of our creations. For now, here's a few of what we've done in the past.

Arrangement from a wedding we did 2 years ago:


Close up a bride's bouquet (our friend Laura):


The 'buds' with their blossoms - the chuppah we created for Laura's wedding:

tax day

Happy Tax Day! For several years I worked for a public accounting office, so every year on April 15th I feel sort of sad to be missing out on the final push, sense of relief and ensuing celebration upon getting that last return out the door.

So, to all you CPA's (and super-valuable CPA support staff!!) - here's to getting to see your loved ones once again, enjoying the beautiful spring weather... and moving on to those corporate returns!! (Only a few days til they're due you know...)

lost in cyber-space???

Tonight I logged on the laptop to check my e-mails and all my favorite blogs before heading off to bed. Much to my dismay, my 'bookmarks' seem to be gone!! You know, that little tab that nicely and neatly secures all your favorite websites so that you can go directly to them every day to keep tabs on all your family, friends and get updates on all the really important things in life (like Facebook and coffee info...). Well, mine have mysteriously disappeared!! I handed the laptop over to my much more tech-savvy husband, who did a thorough search of everything he could think of, but to no avail. It's like the very first day that I logged on...nothing familiar or sacred...just new and unsaved. Oh, well. I'm still holding out hope that tomorrow morning they will reappear just as mysteriously as they disappeared. If not, I guess that's one way to clean out my 'bookmarks' and only my true favorites (onesthat I can remember) will reappear, and if I can't remember them, then maybe they just weren't that important!!

(By the way, if anyone has any clue what might have happened or how to retrieve them, I'd be very interested in that bit of info!!)

a new week

Turned out to be a somewhat rough weekend at the Clemmer house. Saturday night Kate and I started with a stomach bug that was pretty nasty. She was doing better by yesterday afternoon, but I was still - well, let's just say still running to the bathroom regularly - until last night. Then I ended up with a killer headache last night (my guess is because I was probably dehydrated), so I slept on the couch with a hot pad on my neck. (I was trying to be considerate of my hubby, who started out the weekend sleep deprived from an overly busy week last week, and because of the way the weekend shook out, didn't get to catch up at all. So I at least wanted him to be able to have the few hours he got be uninterrupted.)

I was really bummed that I missed church last night...because I enjoy church AND we had guest speakers who I was really looking forward to seeing. And as it turned out, we ended up having 3 new families visit last night. Pretty big night for Koinonia House and I was home on the couch looking a little green. Oh, well...I'll just have to look forward to next Sunday!!

Anyway, I'm glad to be on the upswing, and the weather forecast for this week is great (extra exciting because both the boys have games this week!)! I've already been able to straighten up the living room and get the kids started on their jobs and getting ready to start school. I tend to be more appreciative of being able to do work and get back to the 'grind' after NOT being able to do anything!

So here's to a new week...hope yours is great!

"educational play"

I have to confess...I have the worst time making my kids "hit the books" when it's beautiful weather outside. They all want to be out playing and exploring, and they get along so well when they're out (or...at least, I don't hear them fighting!!). Today I left them go out and play for the first half of the day...and spent most of the time feeling guilty about it. That is, until Kate came in and asked me to come out and see the 'clock' she made on the driveway. It was basically a sundial, which actually told pretty accurately the approximate time. I was impressed! I asked how she knew which way was 'north' to make the top of the clock. She told me she had basically determined at an earlier time that this certain tree in our neighbor's yard across the street was north, so she worked from that assumption. My amazement was obvious... She then asked "So, Mom, does can this count as school?" Uh, yeah...

1. WARM WEATHER
2. Great kids
3. Clean patio (see #2)
4. Boys playing Little League
5. Meeting new people at LL
6. Thursday nights - my 1 hour schedule relaxation time
7. New clothes
8. New business ventures (more to come soon)
9. More memory in my laptop (makes it run a little bit faster)
10. Weekends
    

spring day

Today...ahhhh...

fun for all

I've noticed that outdoor play seems to bridge the age gap between children. Whether it's winter fun in the snow, or finally breaking free if the stuffy indoors when warm weather arrives, my kids all love to be outdoors together. No matter who it is, it seems that when indoors it's sometimes next to impossible to find an activity to please more than one or two at a time (some too old for Fisher Price Little People and others too small to play Clue) - unless it's TV, which obviously is something that needs to be greatly limited. But when they head outside and grab a ball, a bike or some sidewalk chalk, suddenly everyone can be included in the fun!

I love it!! Yet another thing to add to the ever-growing list of "Why I Love Spring" (or at least warm weather...)

Todd's mini-me

Todd got new glasses the other week and has been having trouble with the lens prescription not seeming right. So last night he got out his old ones to do a comparison. (Now, when I say old...I mean OLD...he had the glasses for about 16 years or so! The new glasses were WAAAAY over due!) Luke thought it would be fun to try on Dad's glasses, and we were all struck by the obvious resemblance between them. I grabbed the camera a snapped a few shots, which Luke stared at for several minutes - I think he was utterly amazed at how he looked exactly like his Daddy. Anyway, here's Todd and his "mini-me"!!!

guess what I did today...

Yep...

I got my nose pierced! I know not everyone likes it, and I'm ok with that. I like how it looks and so does my hubby (I wouldn't have gotten it done if I didn't have his 100% support!) and I got the thumbs up from my friends who's fashion opinions carry weight with me.

The second reason I decided to go for it is that I'm hoping it will be another connection point with the generation that we are hoping to reach through the ministry of Koinonia House. (By the way, if you're considering doing this, FYI, it hurts - a LOT!!)

MY boys of summer

The minute we got back from the conference yesterday (literally), the boys were both off to little league practice, and then a meeting afterward to get their uniforms. Aren't they adorable?? I am SO loving being a mom of boys right now! Can't wait for their first game...

pondering

I'm finally getting to post...there was just way too much going on at the conference to do any blogging...if I wasn't in sessions we were either eating (we did a LOT of eating - every meal was buffet...) or connecting with others in our international church family. It was an incredible time, and maybe I'll post bits and pieces of what I took away over the next week or so. Much of it I am still pondering and processing.

One of the things that jumped out at me that one speaker said is that if we are challenged, but not changed by the messages we hear or the conferences we attend, then they are pointless to us - we're really just church/conference junkies. We get a high from attending, but nothing changes in our life, so what's the point. That really impacted me, and I do want to see the things I've been challenged with actually affect me/our family/our ministry, etc.

As far as the rest of it - I'm gonna follow Mary's example and "ponder these things in my heart" for a while and hopefully get in really worked in so as to see good fruit come from the seeds that were planted this week.