Ava-isms

Just thought I'd share a few of the more memorable recent Ava-isms from the past few months and especially over this holiday season. :) Hope they make you smile or even laugh. Most of them made me laugh...

1. After her first visit with Santa at the mall, Avery was still reliving the whole situation the next morning. While getting ready I heard her in her rooom putting each of her toys on her lap and asking them what they want for Christmas! Even the dog (our 115lb chocolate lab) was told, "Come over here and sit on my lap and tell me what you want for Christmas."

2. Ava knows that Christmas is Jesus's birthday. We even talked about people using presents as a way to "celebrate" His birthday each year. She then asked if Jesus grew up to be Santa Claus... hmmm.... No. But I can see how this can be very confusing.

3. Going to the OBGYN with Avery during this pregnancy has provided its own share of funny moments. She is now an expert on mommy having to "pee in the cup" and "put it in the little closet" for the nurse to check. She even gives me the cup each time I walk into the bathroom. When I had to have a test done today which required that I remove my pants for them to "check the baby," Avery asked why they can't just listen to my belly like they normally do and why they needed to listen to my hiney this time. Oh geesh.

4. Ava is CONVINCED that she is having a baby too. (We talked about daddy not being able to have one because he's a boy. Obviously this means she is able to have one.) So... she is having a baby sister while I am having a baby brother. We also had originally asked her if she liked Samuel Elijah or Elijah Samuel as a name. (He will be named Samuel Elijah, by the way.) She said she liked Eli and that is now the name of her baby. Mommy has baby Sam and she has baby Eli... the baby sister??? She even tells people to feel her stomach and then tells them that Baby Eli just kicked them. How to break the news to her when we go to the hospital??? I think she'll be getting a baby doll of her own.

5. We were packing up a few boxes of old pictures and such in an effort to start cleaning out the office/extra room so that we can eventually (in the spring or summer) make this Ava's room. She ran across some photos of our wedding and then noticed the ring on my finger. She asked me what it meant. I told her that the ring means that I'm married to daddy and that those pictures are from our wedding when we got married. She asked where she was in those pictures. Hmmm... not here yet. Then she told me that SHE got married in a wedding before too. I asked her who she got married to and she looked at me like I had three heads. "Mom, I got married to SARAH!" (My new sister in law... where Avery was the flower girl.) "Don't you remember? We BOTH wore princess dresses!!!" :)

6. I have been asked by the doc to watch my carb intake. I have found some really yummy "Carb Smart" ice cream bars as a little treat. I don't typically eat them when Ava's around because she would also want one, and they're not really that cheap as far as ice cream goes. One day, when Ava was down for a nap, I had one of these bars. I absentmindedly laid the wooden stick the bar comes on on the coffee table after I was done and forgot to throw it in the trash right away. After she was up from her nap for a while I noticed that she had the stick and was playing with it. Each of her dolls was told to, "Say Ahhhh" so that she could look in its mouth. She came to me to do the same thing. Mind you, this has been HOURS after I originally had the ice cream. That's why when she put it in my mouth and it was still wet I was a little weirded out. I told her to get it out of my mouth and asked why it was wet. "What mom? What's wrong? Hershey (our chocolate lab) already did it." EWWWWW!!!! Note to self: Don't leave things for Ava to stick in the dog's mouth and then your own... :oP

Thankful...

Yep. My favorite time of year again. Autumn. Especially because it includes one of my favorite holidays... THANKSGIVING! In homage to this amazing day of remembrance, I am writing out my list of blessings and things I am thankful for... (This is the shortened version. There are more things than this I can/am thankful for, but I am not going to post them all here. That would take forever. This is just a list of 50.)

1. My salvation through Jesus Christ

2. My health - without this, most of the others don't seem all that important

3. My husband - He's, seriously, the best man in the world. I love him with all of my heart.
4. My daughter and son (Avery & Samuel)

5. My parents

6. My sister & her family

7. My in-laws (Really, I'm serious. I love them.)
8. My extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc...)
9. The opportunity to succeed or fail
10. Friends who help me become the best me possible
11. Great books that inspire and challenge me
12. Amazing heros that I can actually look up to in life
13. Fuzzy slippers/socks
14. Snuggly blankets (no, not snuggies - just warm blankets)
15. Time... most people take this for granted
16. Cars/Trucks etc... automobiles - and their convenience

17. Forgiveness

18. Apple Cider

19. Free enterprise
20. Sunsets
21. Our dog, Hershey... even if she is a pain sometimes
22. My senses (hearing and eyesight, etc...)
23. Sticky syrup face kisses from Avery
24. Colors... and the beauty that can be created from them
25. Sweatshirts
26. A hedge of protection around me, my family, & my friends
27. Computers
28. My pathetic pillow that has survived my childhood, Kenya, Avery's birth (barely) and a zillion road trips.
29. Christ's Mercy
30. Music
31. Nature
32. My mind (it's the one thing any of us can actually control.)
33. Water
34. Laughter
35. Heat and air conditioning (I know I'm spoiled)
36. Room to grow and change... (not clothing - although that's appreciated too, but as a person)
37. Sneakers and boots and comfy shoes
38. Quiet time with the Lord
39. Great conversations
40. My imagination
41. Sleeping in     :)
42. My time in Kenya (and hopefully, a trip back)
43. Kenneth Copeland Ministries
44. Hot chocolate
45. Electricity & running water
46. A PMA about each and every day
47. Trying to develop an "others focused" approach to life.
48. The ability and willingness to seek God's will in my life (not just my own)
49. Goals and the opportunity to work towards them (even if we don't always hit them when we want to)
50. Compassion

Okay, so that was actually pretty easy. There are a zillion things that I'm thankful for... If you ever have one of those days that make you feel like you may not be able to handle your life... PLEASE create your own list. Add the smallest things as well as big things. It puts life into perspective. As Larry Winters always says, "Any day above ground is a good day."

For these things, AND MORE, I am thankful!

Readers are Leaders...

I've often heard the quote, "Readers are Leaders" and vice versa. I wholeheartedly agree. People who are constantly learning from other people are ones that can lead other people. However, there are lots of KINDS of reading. There's reading for fun and enjoyment. This is often associated with fiction. There are tons of great fiction reads out there who help you escape where you're at for a little while and let you explore new places and meet new people (even if they don't really exist.) Fiction is one of my favorites. Mostly because it's an easy read most of the time. I sorta think of it like a really intriguing tv show that I must put on in my own mind. One of my professors in college, however, made the statement (that obviously stuck with me) that ONLY reading fiction/magazines is like ONLY eating candy. Although it may stave off that hunger for a little while and it is considered food, it doesn't do too much to help you grow or give you nourishment.
I used to correlate nonfiction with boring textbooks. That's mostly because I hadn't really been introduced to any good nonfiction. Sadly, I don't know if this was my stubborn fault for not trying anything or the school system's fault for not introducing anything to me except for textbooks. At Messiah, that same professor, Anita Voelker, taught a course on Children's Literature which forced me to finally take a good look at what I had previously thought by making me read some nonfiction young adult novels. They were great!
Unfortunately, when I got into business with my husband and our mentors recommended some nonfiction business books, I went back to that old way of thinking for a while. However, I finally gave in and read some FANTASTIC nonfiction adult books. These weren't at all what I'd expected for being business books. Most of them were about dealing with others, improving your own self and/or increasing your spiritual relationship with God! They didn't use big words that I would never understand. Many of them even related real stories of situations where others applied things they learned. Crazy huh? You can actually learn something that isn't out of a textbook! In fact, I learned most of what I know from somewhere other than a textbook.
I've decided that I may not be the only misguided reading soul out there. I'm going to post a few of my favorites here. I'll post a top 20 from both fiction and nonfiction and even from young adult and adult novels. (There are way more than this, but this may be just a jump start for those who would like to try it.) I'll even try to include info about some of them so that you can know if they would be something you'd like to read. If you have any questions or other suggestions, let me know.

Fiction:
1. The Traveller's Gift - A man who is going through a tough personal crisis travels through time and learns valuable lessons from famous historical figures that could help him change his life and his perspective.

2. The Shack - A man who has lost his youngest daughter wrestles with his anger towards God about the situation and eventually gets a mysterious invitation to talk about it in person from God.

3. Go For No - A man has a vision of his life as it would have been if he'd only decided to keep being persisitent instead of giving up easily.

4. The Greatest Miracle In The World - A successful executive befriends and old man who teaches him valuable lessons about the value of mankind.

5. Speak (Young Adult) - A young girl must deal with navigating her way through her first year of high school while also keeping a secret that has separated her from her friends and family.

6. The Chocolate War - (Young Adult) - A young boy attending a parochial school refuses to participate in the chocolate candy fundraiser and, in turn, becomes the enemy of the headmaster and a group of boys the headmaster has asked to "help" him force everyone to participate.

7. Mick Harte Was Here - (Young Adult) - A young girl deals with the loss of her brother by remembering the great things about him.

8. The Ultimate Gift - When a young man's relative passes away, he must fulfill the dying man's wishes to receive his inheritance and learns many amazing things about himself and about life in the process.

9. This Present Darkness - Evil things are taking place in a small town. Some that can be seen and some that are happening in the unseen. This book gives a mental picture of what is truly happening that we can't see when people face their darkest hour.

10. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy - A group of unlikely warriors have to navigate their way through Middle Earth to destroy a ring of power that threatens to wipe out the good in the world.
Nonfiction:
1. The Five Love Languages - Everyone shows and observes "being loved" in a different way. This book helps you figure out how you perceive being loved as well as those close to you.
2. How To Win Friends and Influence People - Tips for being a better friend, spouse, and coworker/entrepreneur. Gives personal testimonies and experiences...

3. Warrior Chicks - Discusses having a warrior's spirit in things that women face every day and in the author's own personal battle with cancer.

4. Personality Plus - From the social butterfly, to the goal oriented locomotive, to the quiet wallflower, to the organizer... each of us has a different personality and a different approach to life. This helps you discover what your own personal strengths and weaknesses may be and may help you understand those around you who just don't operate the same!

5. In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day - Recounts the often overlooked life of Benaiah from the Bible and gives life lessons on seizing opportunities that God has put in your path & the faith that those opportunities may entail.

6. Lincoln the Unknown - Recounts the life of Abraham Lincoln... good, bad, sad, happy and all of the in between.

7. Your Best Life Now - Joel Osteen teaches how God would like you to have the best life possible. You are His child after all, and He has given a manual on how to live.

8. If Satan Can't Steal Your Joy, He Can't Keep Your Goods - Life sometimes stinks. Satan does his best to throw a whole lot of crap at you and this tells you God's perpective on how to make it through everything joyfully. 

9. The Power of a Praying Parent - Instead of worrying about what this world will throw at your children, this book discusses how to pray for your kid(s) and release them into God's care instead of living a life of fear in every situation.

10. The Magic of Thinking Big - Putting this off until "later," having to make sure everything's "just right" before starting, and making excuses are just some of the things that hold people back from acheiving big things in their lives. This discusses success principles and how to overcome those failure diseases.

Again, I know that this isn't an exhaustive list. Please comment and add some of your favorites too!

What's in a name???

So, with this little boy inside of me kicking and punching like Jackie Chan, I'd like to have a name to call him so that I can tell him specifically to knock it off some days. I had an initial list that I started when we found out it was a boy, and Jonny's job has been to add/delete names to the list until we can narrow it down. Here's my "issue." I have had so many students in the past that create negative connotations in my head about their name that we're limited. So... here's our list, past and present. Ones that are in all CAPITALS are ones that are still on the list. Ones that have an (*) asterick are ones that Jonny has contributed to the cause. All of those that are written in upper and lower case letters have been vetoed by either Jon or me.

SAMUEL (SAM)
BENAIAH (BEN)
NICHOLAS (NICK)
RYDER
RYAN*
JUDAH
Ezra
Reid
Parker
Brennan
Jordan*
Joshua*

Then... of course, we've had a lot of people give suggestions as to what we should name him. These include some plausible names and some (that I'm hoping) are just for fun... I figured I'd even open it up to those facebook friends of mine who would like to put in their two cents. Here is the extended list. (Not saying that we're actually using or even considering some of these... but I thought it would be fun.)

Mufasa                                Bryce                          
Kyler                                  Mason
Dwight                                Allister
Finnigan                              Bo                              
Klae                                   Jude                                  
Angelo                               Liam
BJ                                      Charlie                        
Skylar                                Jade                                  
Henry                                Isaiah
Caleb                                Graham                       
Elijah                                Garrett                             
Kade                                Isaac                               
Evan                                 Josiah                           
Patrick                              Micah                               
Cole                                 Jackson
Noah                                Griffin                           
Keenan                             Makmud                          
Gavin                                Harry
Logan                               Colton                          
Britton                              Norman                           
Everett                             Tanyon
Zechariah                          Duncan                        
Champ                             

Let me know what you think. You can respond to this post or to my facebook page or email account : mculbertson@ltdkate.com :)  This should be fun...

Baby #2

There is going to be an addition of a new family member soon. Avery is going to be a big sister in early February. We found out on Friday that the little bugger that is kicking me is a boy. :) I'm due, officially, on Feb 6th. However, when I went to the doctors they informed me that they'll keep an eye on the size of baby boy to see if he'll be bigger than Ava - which is likely in the statistical realm. If he is, they'll recommend another Csection instead of me trying to deliver him normally. Not sure how I feel about this. That would mean they'd schedule me at least a week ahead of time... in January. We'll see.

When we went for the ultrasound to find out the gender little man wouldn't cooperate at first for the ultrasound tech. She finally said, "I THINK your daughter is going to have a little brother." Hmmm... not all that confident. She didn't even show us conclusive "proof" that IT would be a HE. Then the doctor came in. Not long after the doc started the ultrasound, the little one was laying there with his legs spread wide open. The doc, who had been talking to us with big medical terms and such just moments ago, started talking about the baby's "third leg" and making Eiffel Tower referrences!! He even felt it necessary to show us 3D images of the baby's anatomy to make sure we knew it was a boy! Although I was glad that we had some definite "proof," it was kinda' awkward... (Ummm... okay. You can stop flashing pictures of my kid's privates up on the big screen now... Please stop making penis jokes...) Guess he was just trying to have a "normal," non-medical conversation. The baby wouldn't let anyone take really good pictures of him though. The one I'm posting is of him at 11ish weeks. (No he doesn't have an abormally long nose. He has his hand beside his face and what you see is his hand on the other side of his nose.)

Mom had been wondering for years when there would be any grand children coming. Now she's going to have 4 grandchildren in 4 years. (Avery/March '08, Cayson/July '09, SweetPea Sciortino/Nov or Dec '10, and Baby Boy C/ Jan or Feb '11) She's gotten her wish. (I don't think Rachel and RJ are REALLY going to name their baby girl SweetPea, but you never know. She won't tell family the name they picked. SweetPea is the best we've gotten.)

Kinda funny that we're now going to be trying to figure out boy stuff as Rach and RJ are figuring out how to live in Princess Land. Avery doesn't quite understand this whole "baby" thing yet. She originally thought we were going to "get" baby Hannah who comes to our house time and again. I think she now knows that we're getting a "newer model." She also has decided that I am having a baby brother and she'll have a baby sister. She even tells me she's drying off her "baby" when she gets out of the shower and dries her stomach. People keep asking her if she's going to have a baby brother soon, and she replies, "No. I'm having the baby sister." Hmmm... I don't think I'm going to try to explain this one. She's excited about being a big helper though. We keep reassuring her that a baby is going to be a good thing. I've told her several times about all the kinds of things she can help out with and all the things she's going to be able to teach the baby. She seems excited about that part. We're praying for a smooth transition.

People keep asking me if we have any names yet. I have a whole list. Jon has yet to narrow it down or tell me anything. Before we knew the sex of the baby his reasoning was, "I don't want to use any unnecessary mental energy on names for the wrong sex." Now he told me he'll get to it after this weekend. He has a half an hour. :) Just kidding. If it's anything like picking Avery's name, he got out a whiteboard and wrote down a bunch of names and slowly began to cross them off as he decided that he didn't like them as much as the others. This could be a long process... hoping it isn't. :) When we have a decision, I'll post it.

Has it been that long?

Did I ever mention that I don't feel old? At least, not on most days. Of course, there's the occassional day of rest needed here or there to get back into a groove, but not regularly. So how is it, with me being as exceptionally young as I am (no snickering please) that I will have been married TEN years this August? I mean, really? Has it really been ten years? That means that time is moving WAY faster than I ever dreamed it would. We've known each other since second semester of our freshman year in college (1996 to be exact.) We didn't start dating until second semester of our junior year... there are some vague details in there about me dating his roommate and all of that. That was 1998. We got engaged in 1999 and married in 2000. Jon said that a 2000 wedding would be easy to remember how long we've been married because it was an even number! :) That means we've been together for 12 years and married for 10!!! TEN!!!! In August, of course, but still!

I distinctly remember a guy who graduated from high school my freshman year who could grow facial hair and seemed to me like an OLD person. Those OLD college kids. Then, when I got to Messiah, those seniors were like... ancient. They were getting engaged and married and stuff. When we got engaged I figured that I had just "matured." I saw all of these young freshman at Messiah and they seemed so.... little. So young. Seriously! That was at least 10 years ago that I had those thoughts. And even looking back, I think, we must have been so crazy to get married at 22 & 23 years old! I know people now who are 22 & 23 and they seem WAY too young to be getting married or to even think about it. I mean, I have former students this age. Some are partying their life away, some are in serious relationships, and I even have a few former students who are married and have more children than I do! Holy moly!

Is it just that our perspective changes as we age? Surely it's not us. I mean, as I look back over the past 10 years I can, honestly, tell you that they have been the most amazing 10 years of my life. Heck, 12 years... if we're counting dating. I love Jon more now than I did when I said "Yes" to his proposal. Don't get me wrong. It has been work. That's what has made it so good. We've worked at learning more about each other every single day. Are there days when we didn't agree? Yep. Have we ever seen the other person act like a weenie? Yep. Have WE ever acted like a weenie? On more than one occassion. But, the thing is, it's a chance to change and make it better each and every time. That may be why there is such a high divorce rate in this country. We've forgotten how to WORK at things to make them better and we just expect the other person to "get" us. Not to mention it has taken a lot of prayer and long chats with God about our marriage and the direction/calling on our lives. *HINT* This is probably the biggest key!
So... if I was smart enough then to know a good thing when I saw it, maybe I wasn't as young and naive as I thought. Hoping that others have found the happiness that I've found. :)

Bucket List

Question... Is there something that you've always wanted to do? Or maybe you've recently found a passion for something? Do you even have dreams anymore? Unfortunately, most people have given up on them long ago. Dreams, a passion, a purpose... these things are important. I think that when we stop dreaming, when we stop pursuing a goal, we begin to merely exist. That's a sucky way to go through life. I know that God did not create me to merely have me "exist" here on earth for a little while. I'm the kid of a King! I know that He wants the best for me. I mean, I want the best for Avery in every aspect of life... and I'm merely human. I can only imagine that God wants me to have fun, be prosperous, be healthy, and live a very full life in His will! Why wouldn't He?
So... I've decided to create a "Bucket List" (name taken from the movie). If you haven't seen it (first of all, I'd recommend it) I'll explain what this is all about. A "Bucket List" is a list of things you'd like to do/accomplish before you "kick the bucket." You can have as many as you want on your list. I've decided that 100 is a good goal for me. That way, when I can cross one off my list I still have a lot of living left to do. However, I only have 80ish goals listed. I'd welcome any feedback or suggestions. I challenge you to create a "Bucket List." Even if there's only 10 things on it. This can, at least, give you some direction in the future. Like Yogi Berra said, "If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else." Berra


Here is my Bucket List...


1. Live debt free and job free (both of us)


2. Earn the right to be part of the LTD Diamond Team

3. Bear 4 children

4. Adopt children

5. Learn Spanish fluently

6. Take a dance class

7. Take a cooking class

8. Travel aboard "The World"

9. Have an Exclusive Resorts Membership

10. Go on a cruise (eventually once a year)

11. Visit all of the baseball parks in one summer

12. Visit all NFL stadiums for a game

13. Relearn sign language

14. Pay for a cruise for my family

15. Take care of my parents and Jon's dad financially

16. Fund/Build a Mercy Ministries home

17. Help build/fund a Liberty Prep Christian Academy in Lancaster &; send my kids there

18. Lead/Start a study abroad/exchange/experiential learning program

19. Write a juvenile fiction book

20. Own property with 100+ acres

21. Buy my parents' house and keep it in the family

22. Own & build multiple homes in various parts of the country/world

23. Pay for my kids' college (if they decide they'd like to go) with one check per year - NO PAYMENT PLAN

24. Have an "Alice" like the Brady Bunch did

25. Own a first edition of many of the novels that are considered "American or British Classics"

26. Spend a week in NYC with my mom each year

27. See a Broadway show

28. Fund the Ole Kirisuah's ministry to the Maasai people in Kenya

29. Visit food establishments highlighted on the Food Network and Travel Channels

30. Take the kids to Disney

31. Give monthly to every ministry I can (KCM, Mercy Ministries, Outreach America, Hope Int'l, Joyce Meyer, Wallbuilders etc...)

32. Visit Pixar Studios & have a character created after me :)

33. Go to a summer and winter Olympics

34. Build a "hobbit hole" (like Bag End from LOTR) as a playhouse for my kids

35. Hang glide

36. Parasail

37. Learn to really rock climb

38. Learn to ski (water & snow)

39. Own a boat & jetskis

40. Learn to ride a horse

41. Fit back into my wedding dress

42. Own a street legal motorcycle as well as a dirtbike and/or 4 wheelers

43. Go crabbing and deep sea fishing

44. Learn to sail

45. Stay at Peter Island (by qualification)

46. Whale watch at Diamond Club in Hawaii

47. See the Grand Canyon

48. Travel to... Australia ... and... go scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef.

49. Travel to... New Zeland ... and... travel to LOTR locations.

50. Travel to... Japan ... and... try authentic sushi.

51. Travel to... China ... and... walk on the Great Wall.

52. Travel to... Alaska ... and... see the Arctic Circle.

53. Travel to... India ... and... see the Taj Mahal.

54. Travel to... Kenya ... and... build orphanages there.

55. Travel to... S. Africa ... and... take a hot air balloon safari.

56. Travel to... Italy ... and... see the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

57. Travel to... Greece ... and... visit Santorini Island.

58. Travel to... France ... and... watch the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower for Independence Day.

59. Travel to... Spain ... and... WATCH the running of the bulls.

60. Travel to... Bahamas ... and... ride the water slide at the Atlantis resort.

61. Travel to... Haiti ... and... build homes/orphanages

62. Travel to... Brazil ... and... participate in Carnivale.

63. Travel to... Chile ... and... visit Easter Islands.

64. Travel to... Mexico ... and... climb the ruins.

65. Travel to... S. Korea ... and... have Trish show me around

66. Travel to... California ... and... learn to surf.

67. Travel to... Egypt ... and... see the pyramids

68. Travel to... Uganda ... and... climb Mt. Kilimanjaro

69. Travel to... Switzerland ... and... stay in a Swiss ski chalet (ski & mostly drink hot cocoa!)

70. Travel to... Trinidad & Tobago ... and... have Jonny give me a tour of his trip.

71. Travel to... Vietnam ... and ... take my dad & mom.

72. Build/design a high & low ropes/challenge course.

73. Fashion week in NYC with Carey! :)

74. Send postcards from awesome places to those who've said I'll never get there.

75. Live on only 20% of my income and give the rest away

76. NBA Finals tickets & season tickets for the Celtics for Jonny

77. NCAA Final Four games every year that we'd like

78. Big game hunting trip for my dad out west

79. Visit Sesame Street and make my own "Mandy" muppet.

80. Fill the Giant Center with ambitious people for the LTD team and watch their lives be transformed by the Truth.

81.

82.

83.

84.

85.

86.

87.

88.

89.

90.

91.

92.

93.

94.

95.

96.

97.

98.

99.

100.