Going to Virginia!

I know!! I am so terrible . . . I haven't posted to my blog for over a MONTH!

But I am so excited . . . I had to let you know . . . we are going to VIRGINIA! We are leaving tomorrow evening!

Why Virginia, you may ask?

We are going to visit our good friends, Dani and Andy Thaxton. You LH people may remember them from church, along with their precious children Emily, Isaac, and Abby.

We are also going to try and squeeze in a trip to D.C. for a day just because we're so close!

And we are going to spend a day or two in Radford, VA where we kind of have family (my brother's wife's family, the Sales, lives there). We have gotten to know the Sales very well because we have celebrated Thanksgiving and other holidays with them at my brother's house over the past several years, and they are always telling us that we just have to come visit them some time!

OK, I have a lot of packing and laundry to do!

Those of you still out there checking my blog - thanks for your faithfulness! And I will do better in March!

Mindi

A Little Weekend Humor For Ya . . .

My mom emailed me this joke and I just had to share it with the masses -

Pastor's Business Card

A new pastor was visiting in the homes of his parishioners.At one house it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door.

Therefore, he took out a business card and wrote "Revelation 3:20" on the back of it and stuck it in the door.

When the offering was processed the following Sunday, he found that his card had been returned.

Added to it was this cryptic message, "Genesis 3:10."

Reaching for his Bible to check out the citation, he broke out in gales of laughter.

Revelation 3:20 begins "Behold, I stand at the door and knock."

Genesis 3:10 reads, "I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid for I was naked."

"A cheerful heart is good medicine" (Prov. 17:22)

Tummy Trouble at the Greene House!

Yep, we got tummy trouble. Myla got sick Tuesday night and threw up in the car. I was hoping it was that she ate something bad or ate too fast or something. But then during that night she threw up several times. Wednesday night Miranda started saying her tummy hurt, and threw up early Thursday morning and then more during the day, while Myla continued the same. Now it's Friday morning and Maci is throwing up. Molli said she was feeling nauseated and wouldn't eat breakfast this morning so I kept her home too, just in case.

That's 3, maybe 4 out of 8 . . . I assume more to follow.

I have heard that LOTS of people in B/CS have this same bug. Myla's entire class at Mother's Day Out was out AND her teacher on Wednesday. It must be VERY contagious!

So . . . if you haven't been infested by this stomach virus, stay on guard and wash your hands alot!

I'm hoping I get to go to church on Sunday! Matt and I are both on nursery duty that evening which makes me nervous.

Please add our family to your prayer lists for a miraculous recovery - or at least for it to be contained to the three who already have it.

Hope to see you all soon!

Bible Verse of the Day!

Who noticed the new addition on my blog? On the right hand side of the screen, you should see a Bible verse. It automatically changes every day!

Underneath you see a little "powered by BibleGateway.com" - so that tells you that if you want, you too can go to BibleGateway.com and get the code to put on your blog!

And about the cool logo above (that looks like a Coca-Cola logo) - I just ran across that website. It has a little paragraph about a store owner that gives away a free drink for Bible memorization -

"Dale Lanier runs a local convenience store in Snead Alabama. For the past six years, Lanier has been giving away free soft drinks and coffees to those who have memorized the monthly bible verse."

Isn't that cool? Just thought I would share!

Have a great Tuesday!

A Tribute to Diet Coke

OK, before I start this . . . I KNOW that too much Diet Coke is bad for me!! That is why I am trying to cut WAYYYY back on my consumption of diet drinks. Yesterday I had my normal one for breakfast but then I didn't have any more ALL DAY!!

I am trying to order tea at restaurants, and just have one out of my fridge a day, and drink water at meals at home.

That being said . . . here are my favorites in the Diet Soda World:

Restaurant Diet Cokes:

1. Wings 'n' More (it's actually Diet Pepsi)

2. McDonald's (with cherry flavoring - and they have sugar-free cherry that doesn't taste like Sonic's cough syrup version)

3. T.G.I. Fridays - though we rarely go there

4. Golden Corral -

5. Chili's

Bad restaurant Diet Coke:

1. Applebees - and to make it worse, they serve it in a GLASS glass, not a plastic glass!!

And a special award for the best tea that I've found - though Heather would call it cold, brown water because it's not sweet . . . Chef Cao's!

OK, now for the grocery shelf diet soda aisle -

I do not like Diet Coke in a can. Call me weird, because I can drink bucketfuls of the fountain variety. At the grocery store I buy whichever products are on sale that week: coke products or pepsi products. My favorite is probably plain Diet Pepsi if I have a choice though.

Pepsi Product:

Diet Pepsi

Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi

Pepsi One is okay - Matt likes it, so I buy it

Diet Pepsi Max - can't stand it

Matt also likes Diet Mountain Dew and Diet Code Red Mountain Dew if I can find them.

Coke Products:

Diet Cherry Coke - yum!

Diet Dr. Pepper - good but I have to be in the mood for it

Plain Diet Coke in a can - yuck - won't drink it unless I'm desperate

Coke Zero - sorry Melodi but I really do NOT like it!!

Diet Vanilla Coke - hard to find these days. I used to love it but then it got too sweet for me and I couldn't drink the stuff at all.

I also like Diet Sprite and Diet Orange Slice for a caffeine-free treat.

Special Note: Diet Coke with Splenda is nasty and Diet Coke Plus with vitamins is even worse!!! I think they are taking them both off the market. I also like my fountain diet cokes with lemons, or even limes, but the canned Diet Cokes with Lime or Lemons are not so great.

I'm a little weird about how I drink my diet carbonated beverages. I like the canned drinks right from the can, cold of course. I stick them in the freezer and set the timer for 20 minutes. Then think of a chore for myself to try and get done in 20 minutes and then the drink is my "reward." They are a little icy that way. You can also quick chill them by submersing them in ice water for five minutes. As you can see, I go to extremes to avoid pouring them over ice.

If they are fountain drinks - I accept that they must go over ice but I like it best when they come out of the fountain cold, not warm, to avoid melting the ice and diluting the flavor. I like them best out of styrofoam or a plastic glass. I have this weird theory that glass makes them go flat faster. Scoff if you must but next time you order a carbonated beverage and it comes in a glass, I'll betcha it's pretty flat in a few minutes.

I also have to have a straw. ESPECIALLY if the drink is in a glass. Otherwise the glass is too cold for my lips.

OK, that's all for my Diet Coke/Diet Soda post. Kathyrn, I hope you're happy that I blogged about this!! Next time I'm out of blog topics, beware, because I may blog about my Sandwich Rules.

Happy Monday everyone!

Weekend Update with Mindi Greene

I realize that there are probably hundreds of people out there who read my blog posts and think, Wow, I wonder what is going on now with _____________

If you have been with me since the beginning of my blog - here's a follow up!

Dryer Balls: One is lost and the other one is in the baby's toy basket. I was just thinking about them - not sure when they stopped living in the dryer. So I hunted around and found one. Maybe today I'll find number two. I did actually like them - I should find them!

Working Out: It's great!!! I have been every day this week. I missed last Saturday and Sunday but have hit every weekday, I think. I like Body Pump at 6:00 a.m. Mondays and Wednesday, and random BodyCombats and Jams when my schedule allows. And yes, sometimes I do still have to settle for the treadmills and elliptical trainers.

Dieting: Doing well there - hovering at around a 6 lb weight loss after two and a half weeks. Go Mindi!

Is Someone In My House Still Sick?: Yes. Now it's Myla. Low-grade fever off and on and an unbelievably runny nose. I think she has a sore throat too because she won't eat. And she's cutting about seven teeth. On top of all this fun, Miranda laid down for her nap saying, "Mom, I don't feel good. I'm sick." I hope she was just tired . . . but she hasn't been sick in a few weeks. It's probably her turn.

Excellent Wife-ing: It's hard for me to judge that! But I have read my assignment for Sunday night and done my Bible studying three of the days this week (I'll make it four when I read today). I definitely have room to improve but I'm getting better.

Cold Weather: Yep, it's still cold. I heard rumors of warmer weather and sunshine later this weekend. I have my fire going, though, and I love it!!

Wii Love Wii!: Yes, we do!!! Wii Love Wii! How 'Bout You?? Wii haven't been playing as often as we were though. Well, Marshall has but Matt and I haven't. If Wii ever get Guitar Hero then I will be playing non-stop!!

Huckabee: He's GREAT!! I'm still having high hopes for him. Go check out his website and learn more about Mike!! And if you see Myla at church (or anywhere else), ask her, "Myla, who are you going to vote for for President?" To which she will grin and say, "Huck-Bee!" SO cute!

OK, that's all for now!!!

Have a good weekend, everyone!!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

I am trying not to be a grump. I am trying not to complain about the wet, windy, cold weather.

I am a summertime gal. I like camping, swimming, and sitting outside on warm evenings when it doesn't get dark until 9:00.

So I'm trying to think good things about wintertime. Here are a few. This might be a short list despite me trying to be creative . . . so I might need some help!

GOOD THINGS ABOUT COLD WEATHER:
1. My kids look really cute in hats.
2. I like fuzzy socks and my new slippers.
3. I like lighting fires and then sitting by the fire for hours.
4. I like cooking cold weather things like beans and cornbread, and chili.

Ummmmm - okay I think I'm done. I guess I'll just focus on hats, socks, slippers, fires, and chili.

Brrrrr . . . did you notice that it's COLD outside?

Maybe if I had a new coat to wear that would help . . . .

Oh, and NO, the cute but unhappy, cold child pictured above is not mine . . . but a cute little tyke, no?

Striving for Excellence

Proverbs 31:10: An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.

Hi folks! Hopefully some of you out there are still checking this occasionally! Sorry about the long absence - time just S-L-I-P-S away.

I am so excited about my new class!! I am taking the "Excellent Wife" class this spring at LH, taught by the wonderful and amazing Melodi Henry!! I actually have the book (well a friend let me borrow it) but I only got partway through and then it fell to the wayside. Forgive me, Matt, but now I am EXCITED about this class!!

This blog is kind of my accountability - since writing it down for all to see means people will be asking me how it is going - but I am going to try and REALLY do this class right. I'm going to read the chapters when I can take my time and really pay attention, instead of while sitting at the table helping Molli with long division or waiting in the carpool line, etc.

I also have been convicted in the past week (but especially last night in class) about not being faithful to private quiet time, Bible study and prayer. Melodi is right . . . how can I have an intimate relationship with God without spending quality time with Him??? How ridiculous I am, praying mostly when I need things, reading the bible only on a whim or when I need to look something up. I prayed for forgiveness from Him last night in not putting time with Him and His word first!!!

Thank you, Melodi, for all you do! Thank you, Heather, for encouraging ALL married women to take this course!!

And thank you, Matt, for your great and awesome Husband-ness, and I'm sorry for not telling you more often!! Be patient, for I am turning into . . .

. . . The Excellent Wife!!!

I'm a Quad-athlete!

OK, so you know I am on my way to being fit and healthy. It looks like a very long road from here but I'm ready to go the distance!

I am doing well - eliminated sugar and empty carbs from my diet, and exercising faithfully.

Well, today the Gold's Gym in C.S. had the "Septathlon" where they do a 20-minute "launch" of each of their classes showing the new routines. It lasted from 8:30-11:30 . . . but because the childcare area had a 2 hour limit, I had to resign to doing only five of the seven classes.

Except Myla decided to sleep in two hours past her normal awakening time and slept until 9:20. I have a strict "let sleeping babies lie" rule so I waited for her to wake up, then rushed and got our derrieres to the gym.

So I could only do four classes.

ONLY??? Ha! What a laugh! I'm surprised I survived to tell the story! My heart nearly came OUT of my chest from beating at such a ridiculously high rate. But I'm the type to not slow down, even though the instructor says, "now, go at your own pace, take a break when you need to . . . " I'm not going to be the pitiful one who has to stop because she can't do it.

Except during BodyFlow, where there were a couple of spots where I couldn't follow her, because my body doesn't exactly do all of those things and balance in all of those positions.

But you should have seen me gettin' my groove on on BodyJam! Well, maybe you shouldn't have. I caught a glimpse or two of myself in the mirror and it was more than I bargained for. Suffice it to say that I learned a few new moves today. How anyone can do all of those things and TALK while doing it is beyond me. (like the instructor).

Anyway, I went to BodyStep, then BodyCombat (don't approach me in a dark alleyway now!), then BodyJam (call me the Disco Queen or the Salsa Sweetie), and then BodyFlow (now that was just humorous).

But . . .

I had a ton of fun. I will never just go do 30-45 minutes on the treadmill ever again. How boring!! And I definitely got a MUCH better workout with the classes!

Oh, and if anyone is crying because they missed out on this much fun - they are doing it again tonight (Tues) in C.S. from 5:30-8:30, and tomorrow in Bryan (morning and evening sessions).

If you are not a member of Gold's - go to their website where you can print out a free VIP Member pass to try it for a few days (I've seen coupons from 1 day to 2 weeks) -

Hope to see you there sometime!!

A Brand New Me!!

So I asked myself, "Self, do I post this on my blog for all the world to see?"

Myself said, I think, yes.

It will be another key to my success.

I am tired of being out of shape, and I have heard that when your babies turn 20 months old, you can't blame extra pounds on them any more.

Myla turned 20 months a few days ago.

So . . . it's time.

I just officially joined the Gold's Gym Health and Fitness Challenge.

You can vote for me to win and I will win amazing prizes.

But, it hasn't started yet. The challenge officially starts on Jan 21st. They are just collecting fat and out-of-shape people right now.

But I have started! Starting on Monday, I made a committment to eat healthier, and be healthier. My body is God's temple. I shouldn't stuff it with such bad things, and forget to give it a little exercise. I have done great this week!! I have eaten a lot of lean protein and salads, etc. I have done better about drinking water. And I went to the gym only twice, but hey, it's a start, and I really worked hard.

You are going to be my accountability. Help me. Ask me how I'm doing. I won't get embarrassed.

And if you are a member of Gold's Gym and would like to meet me in the mornings to work out together, I would be so happy!!

I can't wait to introduce you to the new in-shape Mindi! (you know, the one that can go upstairs and carry a load of laundry down and not be winded . . . )

Epidemiologists . . . I need your help!

I wonder what percentage of people are sick on any given day. I don't mean diseases like cancer or systemic things like high blood pressure and diabetes.

I mean the things you catch that make you sick for a few days and then you get better. Colds. Strep throat. Stomach viruses.

I'm guessing it is greater than 12.5%.

The reason for my guesstimate is that there are eight people living under my roof. It has seemed for a pretty long time now that one of us is sick.

Miranda started running a fever on Friday and had a sore throat. She was better by Sunday night but then Matt got sick. He has had a sore throat and fever since Sunday. Luckily for him (well, for all of us I suppose), I can go to work for him when he is sick.

He is back at work this morning but as I dropped Myla off at Mother's Day Out, she felt a little warm. And she was fussy this morning. Hopefully she's not getting sick.

Anyone want to do some research and see what percentage of the general population is sick at any given time? On average?

Again, my guess: 12.5% or greater, or one person out of eight.

Large families out there . . . do you have this problem?

Huck-a-BOOM!!!

Who was following the Iowa caucus yesterday??

Meeeee!! (arm waving wildly in the air)

Congratulations to Huckabee, who pulled off a solid victory in Iowa, even with an understaffed, underfunded, and underorganized campaign. Yesterday's caucus showed that people actually vote for the actual CANDIDATES. They vote based on issues and values and who they like.

Even though Huckabee had only spent $300-$400K total on his Iowa campaign, and Romney had spend $9 MILLION on TV ads, radio ads, direct mailings . . . the people of Iowa researched the candidates and voted on the one they believed in.

Though most of the pundits had predicted a virtual neck-and-neck between Gov. Huckabee and Gov. Romney, Huckabee won by an impressive 9 points.

Did you see Huckabee on Jay Leno? Though he was criticized for going to California to film on the eve of the caucus, he did a great job and probably won over some voters. If you missed it, check out this link (since I haven't figured out how to put a video right into my blog). Make sure you watch both parts because on the second part, Huckabee jams on his bass guitar with Leno's band, and then high-fives the other band members!

http://www.mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Blogs.View&Blog_id=1049

OK, enough gloating . . . but I am SO pumped!! When I found Huckabee, he was polling in single digits and usually in 4th or 5th place.

Please pray for Mike Huckabee as he continues his campaign. He is not expected to do well in New Hampshire, since it is composed of more indepedent voters and there are WAY less Evangelical Christians. If he can just finish a solid third (behind McCain and Romney), he's still in good shape. He's already doing well in several other key (early) states, such as South Carolina and Florida, where he hasn't campaigned at all.

So . . . here's to you, Mike Huckabee!! May God bless you on your campaign to reach the White House!!

Ready for a Great . . . 2008!!

Wow.... can it really be 2008???

I am ready . . . though January always seems long, cold, and boring.

Here's some things that I am looking forward to in 2008:

Summer Olympics! (Yay! Go gymnastics!)

The presidential elections! (a little nervous here)

Um . . . don't forget . . . Leap Year!!

Here's what else will happen -

My oldest daughter Monica will turn 16 and get her driver's license . . . yipes!!!

Maci will start high school in the fall.

Hopefully . . . Myla will be potty trained in 2008 . . . making us a diaper-free family for the first time in a few years!

Birthdays . . . Matt and I will hit 34, Monica 16, Maci 14, Molli 11, Marshall 9, Miranda 4, and Myla 2!!! Those numbers seem so CRAZY, like they should be FAR in the future!

How does the time pass so quickly??

I'm excited for what God has planned for Living Hope and how our Wednesday night HOPE group will grow and change.

I like getting new calendars and the kids like getting new school schedules.

I like looking forward to warm weather, though it usually takes longer than I want it to.

What are you looking forward to in 2008???