Inspiration

So Mr. Dunbar read one of my previous posts and said "You want everything in 2009!"
Of course I do. That's just me. I want. I want. I want. But it makes me happy wanting.
Biblical? Maybe not, but I don't get angry any more because I don't have, that would definetely be un-biblical. So...I have settled upon being happy, just wanting. Not every minute am I happy just wanting, but most minutes.

So my inspiration for 2009, is to be happy where I am at.

I want to be thankful each morning that I wake up and see my boys with bed head and not have to rush out the door by 7am.

I want to enjoy the fact that my husband comes home every evening with a smile on his face, whether or not dinner is ready.

I want to relish in the fact that we have a home that is ours, and I am going to put plenty of holes
in the walls this year, and some paint too.

I want to look in the mirror and think "This is me." and be completely happy with it. Hey all of the baby weight is gone and I'm 30. And a box of hair dye is only $7.

I want to walk my dogs and appreciate how they protect my boys and my home.

I want to chit chat with my friends, recall memories with my mom, and make plans with my husband.

I want to take pictures and capture the moments that are my life.

2008, was not the best year. But it was a year that I won't soon forget.

My Bogie was born, healthy. That was the greatest blessing.

March 14, 2008

Decenber 26, 2008

Mark made the news

Mark Lamberth's story made the paper. The article in the local paper tells Mark's story and how blogging and the Internet has brought forth so many prayers for this family.
You can check it out HERE.
Thank you so much for saying a quick prayer for Mark's recovery and his wife Angie.

Camera and the New Year

I'm still on the hunt for a new camera. Did anyone get a camera for Christmas that they are just in love with?? (Brent doesn't count.)
I am checking out the CoolPix, both the 10MP and the 14MP, with a difference of $100 or so.
Any ideas??
I need a new camera, it's put a damper on my blogging style, just trying to type away is never very easy for me, I need a focal point. I'm a very visual person.

Oh and I can't wait for the New Year.
I always enjoy the beginning of a new year. It's like starting a new chapter, a fresh start, a clean slate. (Of course, if you are a teacher you get one of those in September, too.) I never was one for patience or keeping the same blah blah blah for too long. You fill in the blank (schedule, decor, shoes...)
Some of my plans for the New Year include: (and this is a fuzzy sketch...)

1. Change my kitchen cabinets... any ideas?? Hardware or paint? They are currently white with stainless steel knobs.
2. Kitchen counters... I don't care if I have to stand on the corner to get the money. Okay, maybe that is a little extreme... I've got to do something.
3. Vacation, with what money?? Again, I don't know, but its a vacay year in the Dunbar Household.
4. Try Yoga atleast once... Erica are you in?
5. Get 3 letters of Rec... Kim?? Ali, you're not doing anything come Thursday morning... Former Ms. Team Leader. Ahh, and I have to go talk to Judi...
6. Sew a table cloth.
7. Do atleast one real project with Monkey per week.

Okay, that's all I have for now, I'll post my real Resolutions soon. I'm still working on those. And Mr. Dunbar and I will have our annual Date Night Planning and Goal Setting Meeting. Oh Joy!!
It really is a good thing, tough but good.

Taker Downer

I read a great lil post from Pink and Polka Dot and just had to comment, so I am tag teaming on her post Taker Downer or Keeper Upper.
I am a definite Taker Downer; the tree came down Christmas night, all of the decorations came down yesterday, and everything was rolled or pushed and shoved back to the garage this morning by Mr. Dunbar. (Thanks, Honey!) I love putting my decorations up but I also enjoy seeing them come down. I can't wait for the new year. Especially this year, 2009! It may be a big year for our family, most likely a year of changes, probably a year of struggles, definetely a year of growth. I can't wait. I've also been working on some new stuff.
I'll share it with you in the new year. So are you a keeper upper or a taker downer?

Is it someone's birthday?

Jesus!

May you celebrate today as a glorious day. And may He reign in all of our hearts.

Merry Christmas.

Have you ever played...

stomp the hand or smack the foot?

Check it out.

Step one. Mom waits patiently outside of door.

Step two. Lil guy sticks hand out from UNDER the door, to either get stomped or be the smacker.

Step three. Everyone laughs.

PS. Don't mind my blue tape, Mr. Dunbar will be fixing that soon, won't you honey?

Hello, Telemarketer?

The other day I got a phone call at 8am. Who could possibly be calling that early??
My mom?
My husband?
Erin?
I had the shower running, 10 minutes for a Handy Manny episode for Monkey, and Bogie just about to awaken from his morning nap. Agh~!
And from the other end I hear, "Hello, this is Omaha Steaks calling..."
And I very quickly said, "Umm, no thank you we are not interested."
CLICK.
Again, agh!!! Those telemarketers!! Calling at 8 0'clock in the morning???


A few days later we are heading out to go look at Christmas lights and lo and behold there is this HUGE box on our porch. From whom you might ask?
Omaha Steaks, of course.
Mr. Dunbar's grandparent's ordered us this deluxe package for Christmas.
I had stuffed crab and a double-baked potato for dinner last night. Don't mind those 70's-ish looking vegetables, they were supposed to be for a different dinner, but I had to throw something on the plate to make my meal look complete.
Sometimes you should really let those telemarketers talk...

AGHHH!

(Picture from Google Images)

I need a new camera. Monkey spilt orange juice on my camera and now the zoom doesn't work, and the quality of pictures seems to be disintegrating. What kind of camera do you have? Do you like it? Any Christmas camera specials you know about?

It's all the rage

I see it everywhere I go.
Mexican Chocolate.
Starbucks has it.
Nordstrom Cafe has it.
The coffee cart in the mall has it... Kelly's.
And every time I see it I think to myself "Who in their right mind pays $4 for something you can make at home for less than a quarter?"
The answer is: People who don't know what it is.
So here you go my friends, Ibarra Chocolate. (Or you can get Abuluelita's, but I grew up on Ibarra, so I'm a bit partial.)

It's in the International aisle at your market. Two triangles per cup or servings, warm milk. Strain it if you like, some whip, cinammon and WHA-la. Magic.

10 to 10 for a 10

This Friday, a fasting for the Lamberth's.

From 10am until 10pm on their 10 year wedding anniversary.

We are going to give this situation over to God.

I am going to give up the sugar of any sort; soda, sweetener in my coffee, cookies, bars, anything that I crave.

I hope you join us.

You better not pout, you better not cry...

I'm telling you why. Because if you were in Monkey's class, you'd want this gift.
I am so thrilled over Monkey's gifts for his friends at school.
Well, I'm like Mrs. Dunbar thrilled.
You see I am so uncreative when it comes to wrapping gifts. My presents look like the ugly duckling at Christmas over at my mom's house on Christmas morn. My mom and sister-in-law bedazzle everyone with their gift wrapping hoo-rah. No joke. They like use fresh berries, twine, ornaments, trinkets, fancy bows... all sorts of stuff. And I litterally either use last years bags, or try and wrap the gifts without getting the paper to crinkly. Wrapping drives me nuts.
But I just put together these little coloring books and crayons and they are so adorable, and I even used an ornament to go with each gift.
Not the best quality pictures, but I hope you get the idea...

This last picture is excatly what a little girls gift looks like.

Inside the mitten are 4 princess crayons. (Boys got Crayola.)

If the party wasn't tomorrow morning, and if I didn't just buy these ornaments two hours ago, I would probably even put the year on them. 8 bright pink girl gifts and two stunning blue boy gifts. Oh and did I mention that they are all different? Each box came with 4 mittens and 4 stockings, with different patterns.

Anyhow, I'm proud of myself and my little flair of creativity.

Happy wrapping!

I play musical beds...

I played musical beds last night, more so than I usually do...
11:01pm Turn off light and snuggle under covers of MY bed.
12:01 am Bogie crying, go check on him in HIS bed.
12:30am Bogie crying again, check on him in HIS bed.
2:30am Bogie crying again, feed him in HIS room. (I couldn't climb into the crib.)
3:24 am I hear "Mommy, do you want to come lay with me?" Head over to Monkey's room, climb into HIS bed.
5:30 Bogie crying agin, go to his room, take him back to MY bed to feed him.
7:30am Another body climbing over me, Monkey tells me "I will snuggle in your bed."

106

One hundred and six, that's how old Auntie Jean is. Her birthday was actually last week and I finally dumped the pictures on to the computer. Auntie Jean is Mr. Dunbar's great aunt. She is the oldest living person here in our city of almost 300,000 people.

I am constantly trying to figure out how she has lived so long. Because to this day, there is nothing wrong with her. She has no major health issues. No cancer, no alzheimers, no major arthiritis, nothing.

Here are my guesstimates on how she has lived so long:

She is and always has been content with her life.

She is a loving person, inside and out.

She is a caretaker of the earth.

She excercises her mind.

She knows that God is in control.

Would you want to live this long?

Sunday Thought

My child, never forget the things I have taught you.

Store my commands in your heart.

If you do this, you will many years, and your life will be satisfying.

Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep in your heart.

Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.

Proverbs 3:1-4

PS Aren't those roses pretty? Mr. Dunbar gave them to me on Friday for helping him get through this past quarter. And they smell divine.

Please continue to pray for the Lamberth's.

The Prayer Chain

This is an unexpected post.
I hopped over to my friend Heather's blog and I found out about a family that was part of our church way back in the day. The husband, Mark, was in an accident and the outlook so far looks grim. They have a young son and my heart is just breaking for them right now.
You can read the short story here.
Please pray for them.

UPDATE<> UPDATE Sunday, afternoon.
Mark has been airlifted to another hospital where the trauma care is excellent. Please continue to pray for him, his wife Angie, and their son Nolan.
The blog link above is being updated everytime something happens. Check it out and let them know you are praying for them. Thanks.

Tree Trimmings

I have a pretty traditional tree. Colored lights. Colored ball ornaments. Gold reindeer, snowmen, and trees. And then there are the sentimental or keepsake ornaments. The ones who remind of our family pastimes...

The ones we received our first year that we were married.

The ones received for our dogs. Hey, they were our kids before we had any.

This is my favorite ornament of all. It actually clips on to the tree branch. And it says 2003. So fun.

Family Pictures

We had our family pictures taken last weekend. I think they turned out pretty good.

www.calhounphotography.com

Great photographer, totally prepared and capable assistant, really reasonable prices.

I still wish they had done my wedding.

Simple Joy

My sister-in-law invited me to a Women's Tea at her mom's church. The theme was Simple Joy.

HUH? Simple joy in the month of December~ impossible you say? Well, I would agree. It is pretty darn impossible.

Us women like to do it all in December. We like to show off our decorating expertise, our hospitality skills, our baking abilities, and that we are gift shopping extraordinares. Especially for ourselves right? The speaker for the evening challenged us to focus on family relationships, giving of yourself, and JESUS. The last one, I know, is totally original, especially since this whole chaos was created because of Him. The king, the king who was born in a stable. Who's mom rode in on a donkey. I think, even me and my Honda exceed the donkey...

So why do I already feel so fed up, and it's only the 9th? Because I have missed the point. I have given in to the world. I like the world. I am consumed by the world and its shiny wrapping paper and silver Nordstrom boxes. I am also consumed with sugary snacks, can I tell you that I have eaten 12 cookies for dinner? Yes, I said 12 cookies. And yes, they were my dinner. With milk. But I am overwhelmed with baking, hosting, attending, decorating, and ignoring my kids and my King.

But no more.

Tonight is it.

I am going to enjoy my holiday season. I am going to love my boys, my husband, my family, my home, and I am going to focus on the true and perfect reason for this season.

Care to join me?
(Thanks for the invite Amber.)

Sunday Thought

Accepting what's best

I always liked the quote "Motherhood is learning to live with your heart outside your body."

Bogie is starting to crawl. Monkey is at the Pre-School age where he can do just about everything by himself, and that's the way he wants it to be. I just pray that they would know how much I love them, how much I plead with God to protect them from physical and emotional harm. I want them to appreciate my prayers for their souls, their brains, their hearts, their wallets, and their future wives. (Those wives will someday hold the power to almost all of the above.) I pray for their friendships and the souls of those friends. I pray for their time and how they spend it.

And then sometimes I pray that I would truly understand that they are not really mine and that someone bigger than I knows what's best for them. In my womanhood, I don't like this prayer very much, I want to control this, too. I want them to be mine always always. But I am raising men. Somehow, God knows what's best. I still don't like it, but I am accepting it.

E's Insight- Guest Poster

I am at a lull. I don't know what it is and I can't pinpoint any one thing. So let's just call it a lull. I don't have any words today, I haven't in a few days, probably more. Have you noticed? Anyhow, my non-blogger friend, sent me an email... she called it her Non-blog, Blog.
So here you go. I'd love to know your thoughts...

Thankfulness and counting your blessings are themes that people seem to throw around at random this time of year. However, what does that mean??? Does that mean that we don’t fill out our Christmas list because we are seriously content to receive nothing? What girl is okay with not getting at minimum one pretty wrapped package? Does that mean that we are submissive to our husbands and actually stick to a holiday budget? Or does it simply mean that we look at what we have and reflect on not being spoiled brats compared to the rest of the world, where so many have so little.

This year I have had to deal with this issue quite a bit through my study of Moses and his life. I am not far mind you, he just got the 10 commandments. However, I realized that I am extremely quick to judge the Israelites for their dumb decisions, and whining. I need to stop. You see, I whine. I complain, and if God isn’t giving me exactly what I want, when I want it, I usually am pissed off.

I have grown in this area as well. I ironically am surrounded by fertile myrtile friends, I am NOT in their league, neighborhood, or state when it comes to that. I had to learn to wait, and be content on HIS timing, HIS plan, and if it came down to it, dealing with the reality of having only one child (NO Cal**** has one kid! We multiply people it’s in the name), or possibly in the early days having no children to call our own naturally. I had to come to the place where even though I was extremely unhappy, that I had to believe that although this place was hard, it wasn’t the hardest I would have to face yet. It was quite simply a place that was preparing me for what was to come.

I had to grow again being a stay at home mom. Many days I fail in this area financially. I want to spend money as if I were still making booku bucks teaching, even part time. I want to spoil my children when I find the “just right thing”. I want to spoil my husband, who coming from a family of seven has a different history with gifts, and therefore is a gifts person. I want the latest fashions, name brands, shoes, handbags (not purses, those are for men). I struggle with greed. Yet in my struggles, I also want to see my kids leave for school, be the one to pick them up, and provide for them the calmness of home that is, when I am home. I want their sheets to be clean, our house to be in some sort of order, and for me not to be frantic over what isn’t being done, because I am taking care of someone else’s kids. I want my cake and eat it too with Starbucks on the side! These things don’t have a price tag. Oh sure there are sites that you can go to that put a price on a stay at home mom, but who are we kidding, it doesn’t in the long run matter if the check isn’t coming in the mail. I don’t think California is going to start paying us for raising responsible, healthy, and morally sound children (not in the budget this year for CA).

So to count my blessings means what? It means to be thankful to a God that has more in store for me than I can see. To continue to strive to be obedient in my spending even when I don’t want to. It means that when I don’t want to count my blessings, I give the respect to God that HE deserves because HE is the one who gave them to me in the first place. I am not in Africa fighting malaria. My kids are not dying of cancer, or spending tonight in some strangers hell taken from me. I have a puppy. I have a family. Now things might not be how I dream of them to be, and there is always someone who has more, but I need to be content on what I do have, so that I am not a bitter, angry mom, who stays home with her kids, and focusing on the things that I am giving up, so they can have new underwear. I need to be content and count my blessings so that I am a happier person who never regrets my decision to give up earthly possessions in order to hopefully be growing Heavenly possessions. I need to be thankful for all God has given me so simply I don’t forget the struggles of wanting something I almost physically couldn’t have. I need to count my blessings, because even though I might want more blessings, they probably aren’t coming unitl I am truly thankful and content with what HE has already given me.

If you've read this far, WOW! It's me again... I'll be back tomorrow with my own post and my own thoughts. I've got some things on the brain.
I have just one question. Why can't Christianity be EASY?!?!?!

We went to see Santa

I heart Christmas

I heart Christmas

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both, I boutght this roll of paper from Costco 3 years ago and it just keeps on going, it's the never ending paper and I don't even like it that much. But bags are always easier.

2. Real tree or Artificial? REAL
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually Day after Thanksgiving, this year Sunday after Thanksgiving. THANKS MR. DUNBAR
4. When do you take the tree down? New Year's Eve-ish
5. Do you like eggnog? I despise anything with eggs.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Clothes every year... Oh but I did get this Barbie Rock-Star stage once along with the pink Corvette...

8. Easiest person to buy for? Myself... ha. Ummmm, all of my guys are pretty easy.

9. Do You have a nativity scene? Yes, I have four or so. That's the true meaning behind all of this. Only one "Santa" goes up and he's a St. Nicholas in a green suit.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I hated getting cheap candles or teddy bears when I was teaching, .

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Miracle on 34th Street
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? November. I usually try to be done by Thanksgiving... not this year though.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes... something has to be turned over to the White Elephant.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Tamales and fudge.
16. Lights on the tree? Lots.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Rocking around the Christmas Tree and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
18. Travel for Christmas or stay home? Both, but the travelling is pretty local.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Foresure
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Both. We open with the Dunbar's on the Eve and my family on the morning of.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Rude people.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I love all of my Hallmark keepsake ornaments and I go with gold accents.
24. Favorite Christmas dinner? Tamales, baby!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Lots of stuff. Most of which can be found at the Home Depot... new ladder, new cabinets, molding, baseboard trim, paint, hinges, knobs...

I will post my list soon, for all of you folks with lots of extra mula...

Turkey Day Re-cap...

Several years ago my mom started the tradition of having Thanksgiving Breakfast to ease the travelling between families for my brothers and I. This year with all of the chaos of my Grandpa's passing my sister-in-laws and I put the meal together, which I think turned out fabulous. And with all of the work divided, nobody was super stressed. Amber made eggs, a fruit platter and cinnamon rolls. I made a ham, some of our traditional side dishes (yams and green beans.) Erica, ok Adam, made the potatoes and brought tortillas. Us Mexicans always have tortillas instead of rolls for breakfast. Anyhow, here are a few pictures of our day...

All of the V cousins, all six, even the G-Man who slept pretty much the whole time.

Trying to get a family picture... yeah right!

Bogie and I.

The kids table... Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, now that's Thanksgiving!

I made the ham, Monkey helped. Check out the recipe here.

Thankfulness

Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.
Glory in His holy name. Let the heart of those who seek His name be glad.
1 Chronicles 16:7

I am thankful for a God who is bigger than I am. I am thankful for all of my blessings, and even those things that I am not counting as blessings right now, He knows.
Have a happy day.
Oh and if you are reading this, I am thankful for you, too!

Friends and A Funeral

Yesterday was my Grandpa's funeral. It was a cold (California cold) day. Gloomy, supposed to rain. The services were in in Spanish and actually not that long... My brother gave a beautiful speech of my grandpa's life with my grandma.

We didn't take the boys. With all of my family attending the service I was in need of a babysitter. I had two friends offer to watch my boys. TWO.

I am so blessed to have such wonderful women surround me and love me.

If you know me, you know that I am not the "nice one" (that's another post coming soon). But I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends. My friend Erin offered to watch the boys with no time attachment as soon as she heard things were towards the end for my Grandpa. As soon as my friend Katie found out my grandpa had passed, she immediately offered to watch the boys. To be honest, I don't think I would have ever thought of offering such a relief if the tables were turned. (Hence, I am not the nice one.) But I will think of it now. It was a such a comfort to know that my boys were going to be taken care of and I wouldn't have to worry about them.

I did pick the boys up and take them to my Grandparent's house for the reception afterward. Babies have a way of calming everyone and bringing joy to those around them.

Thanks friends for your prayers, your wonderful thoughts, and your love.

Gerber

Doesn't my kid look like a Gerber baby?

Hot Topic

Money seems to be a hot topic these days. Or atleast the lack of money seems to be a hot topic.



I don't like the word "budget". I think it should be considered a four-letter word (aka bad word.)



I like to spend money, well I like new things. I do.



When Mr. Dunbar and I got married he put me on a budget. Talk about a source of contension. I was so angry and frustrated. We were on a dual income with no kids and a small house. I wanted to do what I wanted when I wanted. ( Because that's how marriage works, right?) Mr. Dunbar stuck to his guns and didn't let me waiver on what money would be allocated where. I was still sore about the whole budget thing. But you know what, it gave me boundaries, it gave him a sense of leadership, and it put money in the bank. Hence, I am at home now. I wish I would have gotten to read this article five years ago.

Wordless Wednesday

What I loved about Grandpa Elias

Grandpa Elias passed away yesterday morning. He had his wife and all four of his kids by his bedside.

I was told it was peaceful.

I've been keeping myself busy. Busy, busy, busy... its what I do to keep functioning. But I was eating lunch with the boys today and my memories of him kept flashing in my mind.

I loved how my Grandpa would open the door and in his broken english accent say "Who ees theees moooo-veee starrr??" (Who is this movie star?) Every single time I rang the door bell to my grandparents house.

I was also his " Aww-glee g-errrl" (Ugly girl) that pee peed in his car. Hey I was two!!

He would always always buy me a package of saladitos on his 7am run to the store.

No matter how early I got up he would always be sitting in his chair.

I loved hearing the stories about how he and my grandma would put records on the player and dance in the living the room.

My grandpa was a great dancer, always booogying on the dance floor.

I loved how he would wear shorts with dress socks and loafers and his twiggy white legs sticking out.

I love how he always just smelled the same.

I love how he looked at my boys like they were angels.

He was a sentimental man, kind, old school, dedicated... and loving.

I will miss Grandpa Elias.

Stats

Husbands: 1

Children : 2

Parents:2

Siblings: 2

Brother-in-laws: 1

Sister-in-laws: 3

Nieces/Nephews: almost 6

First cousins: 30

What about you?