What a day!

I've have hardly sat down all day. Joe was in our bed last night and was really restless and kept punching me and rolling over on me and fun stuff like that, so about 4ish I gave up and got out of bed. I was going to lay back down on the couch, but by the time I got downstairs I was kind of awake, so I just got to work.

First, I got everything ready for a super-fun cardmaking day I'm going to at a friend's tomorrow. We each (6 of us) bring supplies to make 2 cards that we designed and so we'll each go home with 10 cards . . . plus the 2 samples of our designs that we came with. It's all in a box and ready to go.

Then I started in on the laundry. I did laundry (while doing other stuff like feeding babies and changing the DVD that was "babysitting" Joe from "Wall-E" to "Jonah") for over 9 hours straight . . . from about 5 until about 2. I lost track, but I know my load-count was in the double digits! I washed bedding from all 6 beds . . . well, 5 beds and a crib. I washed the kids valences from the windows (they were dusty!). I washed all our winter gear. Not to mention the clothes for 7 people that had piled up since I last did laundry! YIKES! The last load is in the dryer as I type this.

The kid's school is having a BIG tag sale tomorrow. I got 200 tags and was going to sell some stuff. I ran out of tags and had to get 25 more today . . . as I was washing clothes and going through stuff I found more stuff that I could "pass along" I got all 225 things boxed and ready to deliver to school tonight for the set-up crew . . . I'll be cashiering tomorrow from 9 to noon. Hopefully I'll bring in some nice money from all that work of sorting and pricing. Whoo Hoo!

What's that all about?

I was talking with a couple of my girls the other day {"Hi friends!"} and we were discussing something that I just can't get out of my mind. Ever since then it has been bugging me . . . which I guess is good because then I am more aware of it and can be more focused and intentional about doing something to change it.

So, we were talking about our kids and parenting and how tough it is. I said that if anyone else treated my kids the way I sometimes do I would be mortified. And I would never dream of treating anyone elses kids the way I sometimes treat my own. Now, I completely love and adore my children, so what in the world is that all about?

It would seem, though, that to a certain extent it is a timeless and universal problem. Even Paul had similar struggles:

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do -- this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (Romans 7.14-20, emphasis mine!)

I find it a little funny how Paul worded this. All those "to do I do not do" . . . sounds almost silly when you read it, but I think most of us are thankful that he put words to his struggles {with some help from the Lord!} so that we can be encouraged by them. I know I am! Also, it popped into my head that that's a whole lot of "I do's" for a man who never got married!! :)

Thankfully that same guy also was able to say:

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4.13)

What an encouragement that is . . . those words were written by the same guy. He struggled, but yet he knew that with the Lord he could do everything! Lord, I need some of that strength; thanks so much for your willingness and ability to give it!

I'm so thankful that I have the Lord to help me through this, but it's still SUPER hard and most days I mess it up. Arrrggghhh! Anybody know where I coming from on this one? It is so good to have people who you can struggles though things with. True friends who will listen and not judge, but at the same time challenge you to be better and not just let you gripe. . . I'm so thankful for my wonderful friends!

How fun!

Less than a month from now I am going on a weekend women's retreat with some wonderful women . . . I am so excited! April 24-26 (Friday evening until Sunday lunch . . . a heavenly amount of time away!) I'll be joining some fabulous women from our church (and beyond) for a great weekend of fun, fellowship and teaching from Beth Moore. We are doing a retreat curriculum by Beth called "Loving Well". It is about loving people in your life who are hard to love . . . anybody else who could use a little help with that one? Anyway, I just love Beth Moore's teaching and insight so I am excited to "spend" a whole weekend with her . . . there are 4 sessions. There will also be time to be outside (where I am exctied to spend time in the retreat center's labyrinth . . . hopefully the weather will be cooperative), some crafts, food, plenty of good old-fashioned girl time and potentially even a little (uninterrupted) sleep! I just can't wait! If you want to come too, you can. There's still room. I would LOVE to have you. Just let me know and I'll give you "the 411".

flashback friday

exactly 5 years ago kirbs & i were in cebu "enjoying" tempuratures over 100 degrees above what we have experienced in minnesota this week! it was a wonderful trip and one that we will never forget!

welcome to 2002!

the nice man from qwest is coming sometime between 12 and 5 today to free me from dial-up. i wouldn't quite call it "high speed", but it will be a huge improvement! (thanks mom & dad -- this was one of my christmas presents. arguably one of my very favorites!) i can't wait! the stoll's have officially entered 2002, maybe in another 20 years we'll get cable, or i might even get myself an ipod or something else equally as amazing!

about 4ish this morning i "woke up" to change positions in bed (with joe sleeping peacefully next to me, i might add, all stretched out and takin' up half the bed) and realized i must have been sleeping weird on my right arm because the whole thing was completely asleep. i punched myself in the face twice trying to get my arm to cooperate. now that is a weird sensation!

it's still completely freezing here. today it might make it up to 1 (but i won't count on it) and tomorrow is supposed to be the coldest day yet -- as it turns out yesterday, which never got above -2, and had windchills of over 30 below wasn't the worst of it . . . joy!

next time i post it will go so much faster. yeah!

to sleep or not to sleep?

so, last night 5 of the 7 people that live at our house ended up in our bed at some point in the night! there was an hour or two where 4 of us were in there at the same time . . . come on people, it's only a queen sized bed and all of you (except kirb . . . he shares with me!) have beds of your own (that you don't even need to share) in other rooms!!! let's remember that, shall we?
and how is it that a 45-pound person can take up an ENTIRE queen sized bed? just lay straight buddy and keep hands, feet and objects to yourself! it's not really that tough!
here's to a better night of sleepin' at the stoll house tonight!

flashback friday

2008: the year in pictures

happy new year all!

a very stoll-y christmas to you!

ok, i tried to condense our wonderful christmas eve into a few pictures and wasn't super successful. but, i did get it down to under a dozen . . . chosen from a good couple hundred, so you really SHOULD be impressed, right?

we had a wonderful day yesterday celebrating the birth of our savior and the preciousness of family being together! the afternoon family service at roseville lutheran was beautiful and meaningful. we had a blast at ama & bopbop's house with a yummy dinner, family and great gifts as a bonus! we were all really tired and had a little trouble mustering enthusiasm to go out in the cold to the 11 o'clock service at church, but were blessed by going: seeing friends, worshipful music, lots of great hugs, wishes of merry christmas, some beautiful candles and a great time of reflection. i told a few people that they got anna's precious baby sounds at no extra charge to add to the feel of the night . . . celebrating the birth of our savior as a precious little babe born to a young virgin. anna chimed in at exactly the right times when it added to the intended meaning of the moment. good job, sweet girl! (she's especially bright i think!)

here's a little visual re-cap of our celebration for ya:

merry christmas . . . stoll style!

just a little excited?? if you know lydia very well at all, you can tell a lot from these pictures . . . as they say: "worth a thousand words!" make that 2,000!

yup, he's in tears! (and was speechless for at least 45 seconds!) he has asked for an ipod for, i think, 3 years now. those amazing grandparents: they outdid themselves and made many wishes come true for their favorite kiddos all in a matter of minutes!

rebekah and kit! so happy!!

the 6 "carlson" cousins: anna, jacob, joe, lydia, rebekah & haddon

now it's anna's turn to open a present: "yumm. you gotta love a delicious gift tag following her supper of ham and potatoes!"

joe asked santa for a mr. potato head and a thomas the tank engine: and we have another winner!! so many happy children . . . (ok, so i know he might not LOOK super happy to you, but trust me, he was!)


haddon's first christmas . . . look how much he's lovin' it: check out that sweet face. chillin' with his wonderful parents luke and jenn!

the 2 newest memebers of our family, molly & kit, with their proud mamma's

the 2008 mother's of the year and their precious babes (alright, there was no official vote or anything, but all the people in the room at the time would have agreed we were the mother's of the year . . . although they might be a little biased.)

ama & bopbop with their newest little grandbaby

praise God for the birth of his Son and reason to celebrate this day!

seriously?

ok, so i took some stuff out of the dryer just now (i was up before 5 doing laundry: i heard joe crying from upstairs and came down to check on him. in all the commotion of christmas and the late service at church and not being at home . . . yadda, yadda . . . he never got a diaper on under his pj’s — he still wears one to bed — before he went down for the night and, thus, he had peed in his bed and was wet and cold . . . suprising, i know! so, that’s why i was doing laundry at 5 on christmas morning . . . while “the children — and kirb — were nestled all snug in their beds” — well, joe was on the couch with a blanket but i digress . . . when i took the load out of the dryer there were lots of little (very clean) pieces of white tissue-like paper in the dryer. (i find all manner of things in the dryer, since i'm not good at remembering to check pockets and such. yesterday, amazingly, it was a dollar that i found!!! i was so excited . . . it doesn’t take much, i’m a pretty simple girl!) anyway, back to the story . . . after discovering the 5th or 6th piece of this “stuff” i vaguely remembered lydia telling me something about not wiping well and just “putting some toilet paper in my underwear”. i guess that remedies the laziness that would make you rationalize not wiping your butt in an acceptable way! anyhow, mystery solved! nice one, lj! you are nearly 7, i think it's about time you really learned how to wipe your crack without having to stick toilet paper in your undies!
now, i'm fairly certain my kids aren't the only ones to pull stunts like these and so i ask: what antics have your precious little stinkers pulled lately?

flashback friday

a decade worth of stoll christmas pictures . . . enjoy!

kirby, shana, jacob: 1999

kirby, [pregnant] shana, jacob: 2000

kirby, jacob, [pregnant] shana, rebekah: 2001

rebekah, kirby, jacob, shana, lydia: 2002

kirby, lydia, jacob, shana, rebekah: 2003

kirby, [pregnant] shana, lydia, jacob, rebekah: 2004

jacob, kirby, joe, shana, rebekah, lydia: 2005

jacob, kirby, rebekah, shana, joe, lydia: 2006
kirby, jacob, rebekah, joe, [pregnant] shana, lydia: 2007

kirby, lydia, anna, joe, shana, jacob, rebekah: 2008

bummer

well, i can't even tell you the last time i missed church on a sunday morning. but, alas, today i was too sick (more accurately too tired from the prior nights sickness) to go to church with my family. trust me, you don't want any details. they are not very pleasant!! anyway, i slept for the better part of 3 hours while my family was at church. i am feeling much better now and i'm hopin' to really get some serious amounts of stuff done this week, since all the sickness the past 8 days or so has left me behind on lots of things!
have a great week! i'm prayin' we didn't pass our nasty-ness on to anyone!