God Thinks You're Fabulous, Why Can't You?

Okay, I'm figgin' to get a bit philisophical, Dawn style on you all.

I'm listening to my christian radio coming into work today when I hear that if you were to look at yourself like God does, you'd follow it with repentance. WHAT? Look at you like God does. Hmmmm.........well, my Bible tells me that I'm His child and His creation, so the best I can do to see his view point is to look at my kids and think of how I feel. My thoughts.

You are marvelous. What a wonder! How aweinspiring! Brings tears to my eyes with love. I love to see the world thorugh thier eyes. I love to see them learn. I enjoy teaching them. I think that they are beautiful.

Now my opinion. God created this marvelous world for us. The granders. The imagination. The beauty. The fun that I have. The ...... everything. I'm supposed to look at how God looks at me and feel guilt to the point I repent. Are you kidding me? I look at how God looks at me and rejoice!

The hardest parts of my life have been the best learning and growing episodes of my life. My divorce taught me of all things and times that no matter what was going on within me, God was always there to watch over me and that He truly did love me good, bad an ugly. I do stupid stuff and you know what? He still protected me. He still answered my prayers. He was still right by my side when I called. He never left me. Look and repent. No.......Look and rejoice. Look and praise. Look and thank. Look and give God a high five.

Who are these people who truly think God is a pessimist? That He is this awful, huge being waiting with a lightening bolt to toss at you when you goof up. Who is just waiting on the edge of His massive thrown to punish you when you do wrong. What parent, friend, hero does that? Who are these sick, twisted people? And who gave them air time?

I think that when I enjoy something new in life that is thrill, that he gets a thrill also from it. I think when I go sky diving, he'll be falling through the air with me. When I visit new places, I think he enjoys hearing my comments on his creation. I don't believe God is this negative being. I believe God has a sense of humor (have you seen some of these creatures?).

Bottom line and I'll get off my soap box, my Bible said, "Be joyful always, pray continually." How am I supposed to be joyful if I'm constantly having to repent because I was created?

Elvis has left the building!!

Helsinki, Finland

Church inside a cave. The creaters actually mined the cave and built the church out of what they mined.

Rows and rows of mink. I just wanted to run through it all.

Left is Rex Rabbit, on the right is Chincilla. The rabbit feels much like cinchilla till you feel them side by side.

Many Fins get around on bikes and they all look like this. No modern day Mt. Bike for them!

Rows and rows of Fox. This was just awesome. So many different colors and it only represented less then 10% of the stock.

I kid you not, they intentionally park on the sidewalk. I just couldn't believe it.

This building has all twelved disciples on it. The four domes were build because the archetic didn't think that the roof could support the disciples alone with the one dome.

This is supposed to represent the forests in Finland. I loved it.

This was right outside the resturaunt we ate at the first night. (Try the reindeer.)

I hope you can zoom in on this one. I promised a pic of the keyboard.

My experience from the other side of the world?  AWESOME!
I do have to admit that I was a little disappointed at how
Americanized they are.  They have Pizza Huts, Mc Donald's
and even Chinese food.  What's up with that?  The styles
are stuck in our 80's but I did the whole tucking my pants
legs into my boots deal.

And boots are in.  They are so in.  There's were boots galore
over there for shopping.  I found several pairs I would have
loved to come home in, but they were like 118 Euros.  Now, to
do the math.  One Euro costs us $1.22, and changes daily.
Ummm.....not like shopping in Canada.  But I did take the
opportunity to go into one boot emporium and try on all
sorts of boots that we don't have easy access to here.
Those boots that go all the way up the thigh, I wore those.
The nurses boots, the hot pink plastic, the ones with a 5
inch sole.  Now, the ones I really wanted, I loved, fit
perfect, couldn't justify spending the money on.

The beds here are awesome.  Or at least the ones in the
hotel.  They don't use blankets like we do, they use this
feather-down quilted deal.  I'm looking at this short little
thing that doesn't fall over the sides of the single wide bed
(there were two shoved together for our 'double' bed) and
thinking, I'm supposed to keep warm with this?  And I did!
And I loved it!  So much so that we went to the main mall
(had 7 stories and makes mine look like a vanilla wafer)
and spent the Euros to buy the thing.  It was in the bag
that the airport lost.  That will be further down.

The Finnish computer.  Yes, my boss loved this one.
I actually jumped into the business center before we
left the hotel just to take a pic of the thing.  Pictures
will be posted on here but currently my camera is in DC
with my hubby.  He wasn't awared time off yet.  From
Finland to NYC to DC.  I'm sure the man is beat and
should take some well earned time off.

The keyboard.  Anyone around me knows I type faster than
I can talk.  So I'm typing this proposal up when this sybol
comes up. <  Ahh, seems that would be in the spot where our
shift button is.  I feel like I'm in piano lessons again.
Must stretch that pinky finger over a bit more for a capital
letter.  Then I'm typing away and this symbol comes up. ä 
That would be where our ' is.  So I'm trying to find the '.
Now they have three characters on the top row where the numbers
are.  So I'm searching.  To get one set you hit shift, to get
another set you have to hit ctrl + alt.  Okay, now I'm down to
typing the same speed as everyone else.  Charlie wasn't empressed.
Well, actually he just used the incident to tease me.  Gotta love Charlie.

I also have to say that Finland has the best looking people
on a whole.  Now I don't know about you, but we got alot of
ugly Americans.  People don't take care of themselves, we
tend to be slobs, walk out looking like death in the
morning.....disagree?  Never been outside my door when I
left for work have ya?  But in Finland, most people are
blond and blue-eyed.  They eat fish ALLLLLLL the time so
most of them are fit.  I think I counted 2 overweight people,
(not including myself) while I was there.  I was so surprised
that I actually caught myself gawking.  (running, fellow
food lover!!!)  People ride bikes and walk.  Literally.
And they don't have the new fangdangled bikes, they have
the older fashioned ones.  There they have one lane for
bikes, one lane for walkers, and the sidewalk for parking.
No kidding.  I took a picture.  You should have seen the
cabbies face when I was telling him how neat it was that
they park on the sidewalks when we walk on ours.  (stupid americans!)

They don't use ice.  When we ask for ice we get two cubes
about the size of your tumb.  When I asked for ice tea I
get this weird look like I've just ordered dog.  (not
strange for the chinese)  They only serve hot tea.  And
several coffee's.  Each that will remove your socks, fold
them and put them in the drawer....after smacking you
european style on both cheeks!  Mercy!  That expresso
comes in a cup like my kids tea set, has enough just for
me to spill down my shirt and is strong enough to lift my
car.  Can you be drunk on caffeine?  Cause I think I was.

I was a little concerned after the tour that in Finland,
children start school at 7 and go till 17.  No one makes
them go.  It is free to those who are willing.  And they
do leave knowing at least 3 languages.  Usually Swedish,
Finnish and American.  They used to be owned by Sweden till
Russia took over and they've only been a free country since
the early 1900's.  Here you are given the option of learning
another language.  I guess I just learned how cocky and spoiled
we are.  Eat whatever you want.  Do whatever you want.  We
are a mega country, who cares about learning to communicate
with other nations?  There it is a way of life.  I only met
one woman (who told me in perfect english) that she didn't
speak English.  She was probably old enough to be my grandmother.

It is a beautiful country.  There is alot of history in
Helsinki and there is no way I will remember it all to post
it.  I do have to say I like how the tour guide tells me
that the ocean helps to keep the land warm in the winter
and cool in the summer.  And then posts the high and lows
of the temperatures.  That was -32.  O M Word!!!  Warm?
You call that warm?  I'm laughing in my seat.  Then she
goes on to say that fishermen have to pull thier boats
out of the ocean before winter (there were several already
on land) because the ice will crush them and cause so much
damage.  (warm)  The ice gets so thick you can drive on it
and it is used as a road for many people.  (warm she tells me)
Then goes into ice fishing.  (warm, uhuh)

There were castles that used to be dignitaries homes that
are now used for the government.  Beautiful buildings that
one man in particular did most of.  He was a local Fin
architect and he had great talent.  It was neat.  We went
to the elite, high priced area of town.  This would be our
5th ave so to speak.  I'm looking, searching, almost standing
up before I realize, the shabby buildings in front of me are
what the woman is talking about.  Are you kidding?  No she wasn't.

On this trip there was a woman that sat next to me from Peru.
July and her husband were there touring Europe.  It started
off that he had work but then they took an extended week to tour.
She was awesome to talk to and would you believe she was
more outgoing than I was?  She was telling me of an island
that they have where she lives that moves.  It floats on
the water and people build and live on it.  Now that I have to see!

They also have this raccoon that is larger than many of our
dogs.  I'm standing next to this thing and the fur from tip
to tail was taller than me and even folded on the floor.
Okay, if I see one of these things on my garbage cans, I'm
moving!  The guys all laugh at me.  D and I got a laugh cause
there were these squirrels outside the Fur center.  This is your
species' cemetary and you go strutting around here?  Funny!

Yes, there was a wierd plug in for the hair dryer.
Funny money.  Strange language I'll never understand
(and I watched the captions on the tv trying).  But I
loved it all and I would come back at any time given.
Regardless, I now have more than one stamp in my passport,
have tried foods I've never tried before (I recommend the
reindeer, yum!) been drunk on caffeine, and have my silver
spoons from both Finland and Sweden.  Next stop, I hope is Copenhagen, Denmark.

Keep your fingers crossed!

For the Women - Men read with Caution

Now Men, I'm telling you up front that this has to do with women and their reproductive area. So if this is something you don't care to read, (and if I know you, you probably don't) I've given you fair warning up front. However, if your woman is acting strange and mentioning she doesn't know what is wrong with her body, you may just want to read this for information. Ye been warned - scalliwags!!

I have to honest and say that posting this isn't easy for me. For those who know me, it's not hard to figure out that I will discuss about any topic with anyone. I like to share knowledge that I've gained because learning is a hobby for me. It drives me. But this comes to the person side of me and to spill this is a little difficult.

Lately, I've noticed several changes in myself. For those who are at least 10 years older than me, you probably have already gone through this and are nodding and smiling at yourself that someone of the next generation is experiencing the same thing.

For me, it's been a little difficult to accept that I'm getting older, putting on weight, spreading in areas I don't want to spread. The hardest part has been accepting that I'm getting older, I'm no longer invincible (never was, but always felt I was) and grasping the obvious fact that there are no guarantees in life. Knowing that death means my children will grow up without me, and worse of all, have to live with their biological father, and there's nothing I can do to stop it.

No, there is no terminal illness on my end. Just grasping the changes that have come with getting older. Emotional changes are the hardest on a woman. Feeling more vulnerable to chance. Being irritated and not knowing why. Bouts of depression. I've never been one to be a drag and have usually been able to look at why I feel depressed, (lack of sleep, hormonal times, family issues) but of the last year it's been much harder to control.

The physical changes have been that my skin breaks out at anything, I hurt in the morning, everything I breath goes to my waist line and stays there, tired more often, and that overwhelming-uncontrollable craving for carbs, sugar, sweets and food in general. The top worse (men, I warned you) is that my period are OFF! WAY OFF!! They either last for 7 - 10 days or they just gush. It's horrid. It's getting to the point I'm afraid to go out in when I start. Who knows when I'm gonna go all over the place.

So I call my Mom cause she's a nurse. I didn't like what she said. Mainly cause I didn't want to face it and I've been one that if you don't want to accept it, you work through it and cure it. So being the computer geek I am, I did an internet search last night and I'm SO SO SO glad I did. Here's what I found out.

There's a little thing called perimenapause. It's pre-menapause. Basically, it's the change before the change. Now, we all know about premenstration. Menapause. Why has no one said anything about perimenapause? I feel wronged for lack of knowledge.

The best thing, I'm normal. Whew! It explained so many things. All the symptoms I was going through and several I wasn't. Best of all, it gave treatments. I don't like that word. Sounds like a word a Doctor uses to prescribe medicine. Something I'm not big on. God created a marvelous world and grows the cures for things naturally. There are 'treatments' to help the symptoms. Natural ones. Like eating better, getting more exercise. There are the pills, medicine and such.

Here's something I did learn that bothers me for some of my girlfriends. It says if you have followed the diet fads over the years, eaten low cal diets while you were younger (20's and such) and the Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet, you are only making worse on yourself. In fact, if you have followed these over the years, you have made your body insulin tolerant. That means that your body doesn't recognize the insulin coming into your body naturally and thus is puts a hard craving on sugars, carb and such - even more than the normal cravings that come with the symptoms. This isn't good ladies.

I'm putting in the links for those of you who want to do further study. Regardless, because we live in a drive up nation, I'm copying the symptoms for those of us who are lazy. I do so hope this helps those of you who are in my boat or soon to follow. I just wish someone would have told me and made my life much easier.

Symptoms of Perimenapause

• Menstrual irregularities. The intervals may be longer or shorter, your flow may be scanty to profuse, and you may skip some periods. As ovulation becomes more erratic, the absence of progesterone may lead to longer and heavier periods.
• Hot flashes and sleep problems. About 75 percent to 85 percent of women experience hot flashes during perimenopause. Intensity, duration and frequency vary. Sleep problems are often due to hot flashes or night sweats.
• Mood changes. Hormonal fluctuations may be responsible for the mood swings, depression and irritability you may experience during perimenopause. But these symptoms may also be caused by or aggravated by other symptoms you're experiencing, such as lack of sleep from nighttime hot flashes.
• Vaginal and bladder problems. When estrogen diminishes, your vaginal tissues may lose lubrication and elasticity, making intercourse uncomfortable or painful. Low estrogen levels may also leave you more vulnerable to urinary infections. Loss of tissue tone may contribute to urinary incontinence.
• Decreasing fertility. As ovulation becomes less regular, your ability to conceive decreases. However, as long as you're having periods, pregnancy remains a possibility. If that's not what you want, use birth control until you've had no periods for 12 months.
• Loss of libido. During perimenopause, sexual desire and arousal may gradually decline. The cause may be hormonal, but it can also result from other stresses in your life or your attitude toward aging.
• Body and skin changes. As your estrogen levels decline, your muscle mass decreases, body fat increases, and your waist and abdomen thicken. Lower estrogen levels also affect collagen in your skin, so it gradually becomes thinner and less elastic.
• Loss of bone. As your estrogen levels decline, you may lose bone more quickly than you replace it, increasing your risk of osteoporosis.
• Changing cholesterol levels. Declining estrogen levels may lead to unfavorable changes in your blood cholesterol levels, including an increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the "bad" cholesterol — which contributes to an increased risk of heart disease.

link to info concerning perimenapause

http://www.womentowomen.com/LIBperimenopausearticle.asp

symptoms of perimenapause
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=AD5A5A12-B388-40F4-B8073113B0A8BF4E&dsection=1

http://www.families-first.com/hotflash/news/symptoms.htm

treatments for symptoms of perimenapause

http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/menopause/l/bltreatperimeno.htm

For the men who have endured this, you are braver than most. Hope this helps your lady. For the girlfriends of mine, I got your back. For my family who has daughters, daughters in laws, hope this explains some things. For those who read this and it did nothing, well, I appreciate your time. :)

So good to know I'm normal.

Fishing with children IS labor......but enjoyable!

So .... since I work at this great place with 216 acres, 5 stocked ponds, 2 caves and full reign from the owner to have as much fun with my family as possible, who am I to say we shouldn't?

Labor Day, we pack up the kids, poles, lunch and such and head out to work. Hahaha, that sounds funny, but I enjoy where I work and I do find it relaxing more than often. How could I not? I was informed Friday to leave early and enjoy my weekend. There's no stress here, (okay, except when the code doesn't do as it should, the vault locks up, the Virtual Machine goofs on me and such, but that's just computers)

Last year I had purchased some fishing poles from one of the dealers at the South Eastern convention. They were cheap and all I could think of was the kids with one in hand learning to fish. How often do kids tear things up? Exactly! So why not have them learn on something cheap? Think I'll be the one buying my kids a brand new car when they're 16? They can drive the flat bed. B-bug had already decided when it's her turn she's painting it pink with purple flowers on it. Nothing fails to be an adventure with her. (makes me proud)

I actually took a picture of Bubs with the fishing pole in his hand, right before the batteries died on the camera. So I didn't get the 5 fish Dink caught, the 3 B-Bug caught or Doog-Boogs exasperated look at catching nothing. Even D got in some fishing. He took it on himself to teach Dink and B-Bug how to cast.....all day long. I offered, but he told me to go have fun. So I toted Bubs over with me and we joined my oldest on the other side of the pond.

Here's the three of us. Bubs on my lap clicking the release, then the lock, release, lock, release....you get the picture. I'm trying to hold my line so he can't reel it in when the bobber sinks. Ever try to wip a pole around with a 2 yr old hanging off the end of it? Interesting......

Bubs! We caught a fish!!! I reel it in while he's crying because I had to sit him down. That ended shortly after this fish about slapped him in the face. So I pick him up and we tote this fish back over to my husband to find out that we forgot a very important tool in fishing. The pliers. So he, with VERY LOUD PROTESTING AND NON AGREEMENT, violently has to remove this hook.

I realize people have this opinion that trappers have no respect nor consideration for animals but that's not the case, and were you to know D, you would find out that one way the kids are for sure to get into trouble is to harm an animal out of cruelty. Not cool.


So this one we don't throw back, it goes in the bucket. Bubs is thrilled. Everytime it flips in the water he yells in excitement. Pick him up, back to our side of the pond with Boog, now determined she's catching one also. Throw in the line. Bubs is now paying more attention to the line than the cookie in his pocket, to which he added his own worm.

Everytime I'd pull in my line he'd yell, "Yeah!" Thinking we had a fish. It was so cute!!! After the second fish we caught, we joined the other girls and dad on thier side. He was doing so good. I couldn't believe how much patience he had. Here's little Dink trying with all her heart to cast this line out and he was patient, gave her tips and let her do it on her own. She was doing a fine job and catching fish herself. God love her!!

Then B-Bug (who is ill today), she's gonna try to catch some too. Here's the two of them casting over each others' lines. Hahahaha! It was so funny! And D was so patient. Let me point out also, D's allergies are kicking his tale pipe. So he wasn't feeling so hot when we left the house even. I kept asking him to let me take over and he have some fun also, nope. I was to have fun. Awwwwww..............

Later on, he told me thank you for letting us fish at my work, cause he had fun and caught some too. Good. Now that made me feel better.

So Boog grabs a chair, plops her line in the water and just sits. I look over and theres her worm sitting on a bit of leaves and her bobber all sideways. She's not intentionally fishing, she's just being. Alright. I understand that. She's getting to be more bossy lately and the little Henny Penny is growing to that scary part of life that all Mothers have to face. Puberty. I'm very proud of her. More and more each day. I will call her name down the hallway, ready request a chore of her, only to find out she's already done it without asking. She instructs her sisters when they don't do things correctly. Okay, I'll be honest, she's bossy to her sisters, but she's trying. And she's so beautiful. I'm watching her in church the other day. Those almond shaped eyes under those long eyelashes. Long hair. And she's already taller than me. I know, I measured her last night.

I have the best kids in the world and I'll be the first to tell you. Now, let's all pray they stay that way.