An American Sport Thru and Thru

God's glory shines even at the Nascar race!

Pocono 500

Keith gets a double dose of fun... racing and video games!
















He changed a tire on a race car. Actually he was racing with another guy. He got a prize and he thought the whole thing was pretty cool!

This one's for Rene'e. As you can see, I am NOT wearing Jeff Gordon's number. I was deemed a #9, Kasey Kahne fan. Well... I like his commercials and he was selling a cool pink hat with a sparkly 9 on it. Really I'm not into Nascar. I even had to look him up on the internet to see how to spell his name... but don't tell anyone! Ha ha!!!

Can't Resist Entering A Give-away!

Making A House A Home is having an anniversary giveaway with cool prizes. I want them ALL... and would like to keep the odds in my favor, so I'm torn between telling ya'll to go enter by posting here to get an extra entry when I could be increasing my chances by keeping it to myself. Oh - heck... I can't keep it to myself! Head on over and enter to win. It's so easy!!!! And if you win... won't you share?!

WANTED... Routine

I'm struggling to get back into my usual routine. There is so much backlog of everything that I'm not sure where to focus first. I've done a couple loads of laundry. I picked up the mail and it's in a pile for sorting. I checked on the flowers. Ooops one pot is not draining and is drowning what I had planted there. Yikes. The grass needs mowed - maybe tomorrow? The fridge that has been on the fritz is actually working well at the moment. I wonder if that is because there is not much of anything in it? I need to hit the grocery store tonight. I will no doubt be creating a list of household chores and errands that need to be run tomorrow.

So stay tuned... At some point I will get to some blogging backlog. I can't let some of our summer highlights go un-blogged! I know that you are just waiting there with baited breath! HA!!!

Feels Like Monday

I have been away, not far, just away doing all sorts of things. I'm home now. Hubby says that the power was out for 48 hours, having only been fixed around 4pm yesterday. Wow. That stinks. To make matters worse, he was sick earlier in the week and I couldn't be her to care for him. He's better now, but still sleep deprived I think.

I can't wait to get back to my usual routine at home. My eating and exercizing have been a yo-you lately. I need to re-focus. There is so much housework to do too. Laundry is overflowing. So are dishes. Wow, I don't even know where to start. I have to be getting off to work shortly, so I suppose I won't have to start anything until I'm home again, but boy do I have my work cut out for me. May I please stay home this weekend? Oh that's right... we are supposed to go to a party on Saturday night. Ugh.

So, here we go... another day on the way.

Marriage Monday - Honoring My Husband

Sorry to be late in posting this. I've got excuses, but I'll save them for the moment.

Fruit In Season's weekly "Marriage Monday" has evolved into a 30-day challenge to Honor My Husband. I have actually been thinking a lot on this topic lately, so this plays right into what's been on my heart of late. I love it!!! The Lord sure does have his ways of opening my eyes.

So the other night I said to Keith, "If you could suggest 2 ways in which I could honor you better, what would they be?" Why did I even ask? His humble reply indicated that I'm doing a fine job already. Ugh!!! That's not what I was looking for, but it was nice to hear him say that regardless. He tells me that I am supportive of his every whim, and that I meet his needs overall.

I caught myself getting annoyed with him early last evening. We were enjoying a nice long chat and the day was coming to a close. Just as we got up to head to bed, he starts with yet another 'story' and I was just thinking... save it for after we are ready for bed -- I'm tired of hearing about your work. I did not say this out loud, but my expressions showed it. Shame on me!!! I was disappointed in my acting on my annoyance when I should be cherishing those moments that we sit and chat like we did last evening. But my quest is to improve. I know I have lots of room for it.

I shall begin with opening my heart to grasp onto what my darling husband has to say. I admit, I sometimes have a short attention span. I enjoy a variety of topics in conversation. I sometimes am so swelled with what I have to say to him that I neglect to stop and listen to what he has to say... and to absorb it. This week I shall endeavor to absorb my husbands speech. I shall greet him pleasantly and listen intently to him - FIRST, instead of blurting out my own thoughts immediately. His thoughts will be the priority in our times together this coming week.

Thanks For Your Support

We did it! We walked for a cause... Epilepsy! I was a little reluctant to go because I don't like crowds, but I'm getting better with that. The walk seemed shorter and easier than what I had anticipated. Afterall, it was only a couple of miles. There were lots of people and that made me feel good. I'm so glad we did it.

Our team consisted of 5 walkers. We raised over $800 for the Foundation. Keith and I collected over $300 of that. It was a really good feeling.

I wish I had pictures, but the camera was MIA that morning. Ms. Bent, our wedding photographer, was one of the official photographers for the event. It was nice to rub elbows with an old friend. I wonder if she will share any of her shots. She took some of Keith and I together and also of our team as a whole. There is a short slide show of some of the teams on the Foundation's website. There aren't many loaded there, but I'm hoping to see some of us in due time.

There were all kinds of people with all sorts of goodies for those walking in the event. We got matching T-shirts, hats, collapsable coolers, and 2 tickets to a Pirates game. There were vendors giving away backpacks, donuts, fruit, water, and for lunch Q'doba served up a bowl of mexican with a couple snacks on the side. The generosity was wonderful.

THANK YOU!!! To all who donated to this effort. We appreciate your support of our endeavors and for this worthy cause.

Walking For A Cause

This post will remain at the top until June 16th. Scroll down for the latest and greatest news from A Day In The Life Of JennyV.

Keith and I are walking for a cause... Epilepsy. Every year the Epilepsy Foundation of Western/Central Pennsylvania together with the Pittsburgh Pirates offers a 5K run/2 mile walk to help raise money for this foundation. This year's event will be held on Saturday, June 16th in Pittsburgh. Keith and I aspire to personally raise at least $400 in support of this organization ($200 each).

60,000 people suffer from epilepsy in the Western Pennsylvania area alone and so many more world-wide. Most of us have at least one or more acquaintances who may be included in this number. Epilepsy doesn't just affect the person with the ailment, but also his or her family and friends. One of Keith's co-workers suffers from this ailment. I recently learned that I have a number of family members who are/were also affected by this and some who have actually died in seizure. These circumstances make this a personal battle for us.

The Epilepsy Foundation Western/Central Pennsylvania offers a variety of programs and services to help those that suffer seize control of their epilepsy. Their services are designed to help them learn how to cope with the negative consequences sometimes associated with epilepsy or a seizure disorder. Some of these programs include support groups, education and awareness opportunities, college scholarships, summer camp, public advocacy assistance, employment assistance, and so much more!

To make a donation in support of our efforts for the Epilepsy Foundation, please go to http://www.epilepsyfoundationrunwalk.kintera.org/. Click on "Sponsor Participant." Enter "Vulhop" in the last name search field. Then click on one or both of our names to gain access to our websites. Follow the instructions to make your donation. This is a secure website; however if you should desire to make a cash/check donation, please e-mail me at Jthemilker@aol.com and we will arrange to deliver it on the day of the walk.

Please consider a donation to this worthy cause. Your sponsorship will help us attain our goals. More importantly, your sponsorship will help change and save lives.

THANK YOU

Craziness Abounds

Yes, I'm a crazy lady. Wow... these past few days have been a whirl-wind! Let's re-cap and see if you get caught up in it with me.

Saturday - cleaned house. packed. exercised as planned. Keith cut me a few roses and they are oh so pretty. drove to Lenox, PA - arrived at midnight. (missed seeing my kiddos there)

Sunday - had breakfast at Binghams. went to the Pocono 500. Checked out the vendors. endured a 3-hour rain delay. watched 102 laps before a caution was called for rain on the tunnel turn. drove home - arrived at 2am. (race pictures to come later) got some sun. happy about that.

Monday - slept in a smidge. worked half-day. met Keith and drove to the farm. helped unload a lot of hay. did I mention that there was a lot of hay? totally beat, itchy, and covered with dust... we headed home, showered, and slept really hard.

Tuesday - SO TIRED!!!! Can hardly function... working. house-sitting. my friend's dog hid under the bed for about and hour at first, but now she's cool with me being there. the other dog doesn't care and is quite friendly with me. watched some tv and then crashed.

Wednesday - Oh that's today! Feeling a little better. Still sore. Still tired. Still happy to self-inflict for the sake of the ponies once again tonight. Good thing is that this will probably be enough after tonight. Thank goodness!

Stay tuned... more madness to be continued...

Marriage Monday

Christine over at Fruit In Season hosts a weekly discussion topic regarding marriage. Click the photo to see this weeks topic, or see my two cents below.

Next Monday I'd like us to take a look at the roles we fulfill in our marriages. This can be a hot topic but I don't want this to become a debate. Let's just share what happens in our home and our family. Here are some questions to ponder:

What is your definition of a traditional marriage?

One might define the meaning of "traditional" as 'as the Lord intended' or perhaps "traditional" leaves room for changes between generations? While there are notable differences between my families generations - my marriage vs. my parents marriage vs. my grandparents marriage etc., I have chosen to view the traditional marriage as God has described. Genesis 2:24 says "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." I believe marriage began in this time and thus this is my best description of "traditional" marriage. In my own terms, I would consider traditional marriage to be between a man and a woman. A couple who shared a significant bond, and who would live out the model of marriage as the Lord intended, each yielding to one another. I have mentioned recently in one of my posts that marriage is designed to mimick the trinity, noting that this should be reason for the Lord to declare it to be a sacred union. Such sinfulness as adultery and homosexuality mock his perfect design.

Do you consider yours to be traditional or contemporary?
I would most definitely consider my marriage to be traditional, as in... I am a woman and my husband is a man. We each came from unique backrounds that shaped us into who we are today. We chose to step away from our parents to join together forming our own family. Together we are one body in Christ. We have a unique bond that we share with no other. We strive to yield our lives to Christ, focus on him, and in doing so we desire to serve one another as is His example. We are not always good at it, but we strive towards it.

What scriptures do you turn to (if any) when determining your role in your marriage?
There are SO MANY, but here are a few that I have pondered recently:

Ephesians 5, see my recent post in this regard.

Ephesians 4:29: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." I realize that I must choose my words carefully so as to lift up my husband.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self‑seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.." Occasionally I conduct a personal reality check by taking this scripture and inserting my name where the word "love" appears.

In the sharing of duties in your home (childcare, work, house cleaning), are you and your husband satisfied with the way things get done? If not, how would you or he like it to change?

I think I speak for both of us when I say that we wish we had more time to accomplish household duties. Truth be told, we are exhausted much of the time we find ourselves free to do these things. Alas, these are things that must be conquered for everyday living. We each have things that we regularly do, but we meet in the middle overall. He takes out the trash and I put in the clean liner. He takes the dirty laundry to the laundry room and I do the washing. I wash the dishes (we don't have a dish-washer) and he puts the clean ones away. I tidy in the living room and he sweeps the floor. There are times when we both get lazy or just plain too busy. There are times when dishes and laundry pile high, and the trash overflows, but hey... that's what it's like in the REAL world sometimes.

The Making Of A Rose

Keith planted a rose bush...

It sprouted a bud or two...

It's bloom is only beginning...

To be enjoyed by me and you.

It longs for the sun to spread its petals into full bloom.

Here He Comes To Save The Day!!!

Keith had an unusual event at work last night. He witnessed a customer shoplifting CDs. Without creating a scene, he contacted the police to file a report and then his manager and distric manager to discuss the incident report. As luck would have it, the shoplifter was apprehended by the authorities nearby and rather quickly. It was found that he had almost $1000 worth of CDs apparently stolen from Starbucks. (perhaps not all from one store)

So Keith has to go to court to testify. Can you believe it?! This morning as he said his goodbyes before work he said "Well Honey I've got to go fight crime! Here I come to save the day! Mighty Mouse is on the way!" I'm sure you can remember that little jingle. We both had a good chuckle.

For the record, this is NOT one of my crazy dreams!

Gardening Update

We have one tomato plant.

See the bud.

See how its fruit has emerged?

Bragging... By The Proud Uncle

Keith with our nephew Hayden... Oh those curls!!!!

THINK PINK

Check out another cool contest over at Pinks and Blues!

Why do I love PINK so much? Tell me why!

What I've Learned - Take 2

Some thoughts that are, to me, profound... as I pondered them today... It's like taking a bite out of scripture and digesting it!

#1 - I don't need to spend countless hours researching how to exhibit and actively practice the fruits of the spirit. I simply need to let God take over in my life and I will naturally blossom in these ways.

Galatians 5: 22-23

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control..."

#2 - Sometimes mid-day I am exhausted and say a little prayer "God please give me some energy to complete this day." Today I thought to myself... maybe I should pray for strength to exercise self-discipline which would in turn cause me exercise and to eat and drink foods that are healthful and thus would naturally give me energy. I can't believe it's taken me this long to figure this one out!

Another Weird One...

So last night I dreamed that Dan-Dan was at our house (except I think it was Mom & Dad's place) and it was VERY early in the morning - like 4am - and he was walking me to my truck because I was going to work. His wife was in the house, but it wasn't Cindy. It was Kari. Who coincidentally is our friend Joe's wife from Wilmore.

Weird Weird Weird

What Do You Think #2

If you could script the basic plot for the dream you will have tonight, what would the story be?

*****

I would be parachuting with my hubby. I did that in my sleep one day last week and LOVED it.

Another Cool Blogger Contest

Pinks and Blues is hosting a giveaway. It's very girlie!!!! So go check it out!