Frustration

Disclaimer: I created this blog to keep close family and friends up to speed on life in the Burchard home. These are the people committed to pray consistently for us, and that is what I am asking.... pray for us to sell the house in Ft. Myers.

I've been telling Rusty for days that I am struggling with "anger issues". Today, I realized it's not anger, but frustration with circumstances. I'm not sure if one is much different than the other..... but the more I prayed, the more I knew I wasn't angry with God, just frustrated at the circumstances I am in right at this moment. When we accepted the call to Charlotte back in March of last year, we both knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that this is where the Lord was leading us. To this day, we have not second guessed that decision for one moment. This is home now and we have never been happier. We left with our house still on the market and a beautiful home in Charlotte waiting for us. We knew real estate was a struggle at the time, but knowing God was in control made it so much easier to leave things unsettled. Well, it's been seven months and not one offer. Our agent has suggested that unless we want to sell it for about fifty thousand less then we owe, we should take it off the market. This is my frustration.... If we know this is where we are called, why is this so difficult? Every month we are charging money on credit cards that we worked so hard to finally pay off..... Again, frustration... How to fix it??? Go back to work full-time and put the kids in aftercare, which costs an arm and a leg???? Move into a smaller house???? Sell the house and put the difference in a loan???? I know that being a believer doesn't make things perfect, but my struggle is in "WHY" is it so hard sometimes??? I know we all have had a moment (some of us more than others) where we've questioned "why"...... tell me, how did you get through it???? 

Yes! I am a complete dork...

Last weekend it snowed here in Charlotte, so Megan and I decided to take the kids to the park and try out the new sled we bought the kiddos. I know, I know... those of you who live here or somewhere where it actually snows, are thinking - what a dork!! Yes, I'll admit it. I am a dork - but we had a blast!! I thought sitting wouldn't be near as much fun (or safe!) as standing... so here is the video... Have fun and have a laugh on me (or at me... whatever works for you!)

Notice my daughter's concern over my well-being..... and is that Megan laughing her head off????

Man, the love is overwhelming!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARTER-MAN!!!

Carter, Mac and Brayden

Even Mr. Patrick came to join the fun!

The Ponder Girls, the Big Brown kids, Mac-a-Doo, and the Burchard Bunch

Today is Carter's 7th birthday. I am still having a difficult time with this concept. It seems like yesterday that we found out we were expecting again. It was the closest to a nervous breakdown as I've ever been! (I'm sure Rusty, Debbie and Kelli remember this day too!) Abby was a little over three months old and we were not even thinking of having another one. But the Lord knew, (of course He knew!) exactly what we needed to complete our family. There hasn't been a day since then that I haven't thanked Him for our precious son. Carter is so much like his father. Their mannerisms and sense of humor are so similar and they even look so much alike. It's hard to look at Carter and not see the boy Rusty must have been. I pray Carter grows into the type of man his father is. I am so blessed by the two men in my life, I am a lucky woman! Happy Birthday my sweet boy! Momma loves you "to the moon and back".

Ice "Breaking"

So today, Rusty and I spent 2 hours at the Urgent Care Center waiting for x-rays. Nothing like a little quality time! I told him that we could even consider it a date... to me; no kids and more than two hours alone = a date. Surprisingly, he didn't agree!! On Sunday morning Rusty flew back into Charlotte from his trip to Boca Raton. While we were walking to the car, he slipped on a sheet of black ice and fell pretty hard. He unsuccessfully tried to catch himself and ended up with a broken hand. It's really swollen and turning all kinds of pretty colors. A few Darvocet and a little TLC, he'll be good as new in about 4 weeks! If you get a chance, call or email him.... he could use the pity!!!

Snow, Snow, Beautiful Snow...

This is our front yard

Rusty made a new friend!

Walking up the front steps!

Well, the alarm was set and 5:30 am brought about 2 inches of snow to our little world. It was beautiful.... The school system I work in closed schools for the day, so no work for me. Yeah!! The kid's district had a 2 hour delay to the start of their day. They were less than thrilled with the prospect of sitting in a classroom while the white stuff they were so anticipating, gets washed away by the rain. I promised them a trip to the mountains soon. Here are a few more pictures. Hope you enjoy!

IT'S SNOWING!!!!!

Rusty and I - I love him so very much!

Megan and I - She's the best! Who else would come 

play in the snow in their jammies w/you??

Paige and Abby - They were so excited!

Around 11:00 tonight it started snowing!! I am so excited, I feel like it's Christmas Eve all over again... They'll be no sleeping tonight!! I went and woke up the kids, we threw on our coats, gloves and hats, and headed outside. Yes, I'm sure we looked like a bunch of lunatics! I was jumping up and down, yelling, "It's snowing, it's snowing!!" and Rusty was standing in the middle of the yard trying to catch snowflakes on his tongue. I am so excited for him, he has been looking so forward to this. They are telling us that we can expect 1 to 2 inches by 7am. We'll be setting the alarm for 6:00 so the kids can see it before it melts!
PS - Carter is not in the pictures because he woke up, went outside, came back in, said, "Can I have some chocolate milk?" and then crawled on the couch and went to sleep.

SNOW??????

Yes, no, maybe so??? The weather forecasters are saying to expect a "wintry mix" tomorrow in the early morning hours. I am so stoked!!!! SNOW!!!!!! well, maybe snow; more than likely - just ice and freezing rain.... Not nearly as much fun as.... SNOW!!!!! The kids and I are so excited and Rusty's just plain irritated. He has been praying for this (seriously, he has) and he is leaving to go out of town for the weekend. Rusty and I are setting the alarm for 4:30am, just hoping to catch a few flakes. The kids are begging us to wake them if we see any flurries. We'll see - the idea of standing under a dark sky with the man that I love, while the snow falls (or pelts, or freezes our faces off) seems (or at least seemed!) pretty romantic.... If there is any of this "so-called white stuff that apparently only falls a few times a year here in good 'ole Charlotte" I am sure I will have plenty of pics to post tomorrow afternoon. For those of you here in NC... stay warm!

WLC - Update #2

Ok, not as great as last week, but at least I still lost.... I know it was the ribs that did me in..... but how do you say, "No" to ribs and wings???? Self control - here I come!! Down 2.4 pounds, for a total of 7.8 in two weeks. Not bad, but oh my, do I have far to go!! Wish me luck... and keep the chocolate away from me! (P.S. Rusty is down 6 pounds!)

Ribs and a Movie

Friday night was date night, actually, it was double-date night! Megan and Lauren took the kids to see a movie and dinner, and Rusty and I did the same. National Treasure 2 and Sticky Fingers...We went with our good friends, Spanky and Lara. We had a great time! Dieting and Sticky Fingers really shouldn't be in the same sentence but I guess that's what those extra points are for!! It was yummy; the dry-rub ribs are the bomb! It was great to just sit and talk, without the kiddos (they have two and we have three!) and get to know each other better. Their friendship is something Rusty and I are so thankful for. There were so many voids left to fill when we moved, and the Lord knew which ones needed filled first. We left very good friends and that was so difficult for us. The Lord knew exactly who we needed and He brought us to Ridge and the great friendships we have made here! We still miss our good friends in Ft. Myers (Buckingham and the Cape to be exact!), but I am constantly amazed at the people God has put in our lives "to do life" with!

Star Student

Every week in Abby's class, her teachers pick a "Star Student" for their class. Every Monday, Abby gets in the car and says, "Today Mrs. Osborne and Mrs. Johnson picked a Star Student. Guess who it is.." I usually start rattling off the names of the kids that I know and she eventually says, "It was so-and-so; I am so happy for her/him." About a month ago, she got in the car, madder then a wet hen! She was ticked!! Apparently the boy who had been chosen has spent more time in the office then in class. I explained to Abby that maybe he was having a good week, that he had made good choices and the teachers were trying to praise him, to encourage him to try harder in class. She seemed to understand that logic and since that day she has said nothing about the weekly Star Student. This Monday she gets in the car and says, "We have a new Star Student, Guess who it is??" I could immediately tell by the mile wide grin on her face, what the answer was going to be! She was so excited and so proud! I teared up as I heard her say, "I have been trying so very hard for my teachers to notice how good I have been..." She is such an amazing child. She has a heart made of gold and her daddy always says she is his favorite! (I'm glad the other two don't read my blog!) One of the rewards for these special students is a parent can come and eat lunch with them. She was so surprised when she saw Rusty standing at the cafeteria door this afternoon. They had a great time, just the two of them. I'm jealous - I had to work!

WLC - Update #1

Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Skinny Latte' (My new favorite drink - only 90 calories!)

Down 5.6 pounds! It was just the push I needed to keep up this crazy challenge. Between the 9 of us, we lost a total of 48.7 pounds! Pretty cool, huh? Well, off to the gym I go!

The Trick to the Turkey

Last night was Todd's last evening in Charlotte. Since we have been loser friends and had to work most of the time he has been here, we decided to go out and have some fun. We ended up at Dave and Busters and went bowling. We had a great time, although my mom would disown me if she saw my score!! It was embarrassing! Two of my three children beat me!! Megan kicked all our behinds with a 147!!! None of us could figure out how she managed to make three strikes in row! (for all you not up on bowling terms, that's called a "turkey") If you look closely at the pics below, you'll see her secret! We've had an awesome time these past four weeks... It seems as though we have had a steady stream of houseguests since the beginning of December. I know the house will be so quiet when everyone leaves, so if anyone else is looking to stay at "Hotel Burchard", give us a call!

Talent

My husband is so incredibly talented... some of the time it drives me crazy, most of the time it just leaves me amazed!! No matter what he tries, he always succeeds. It makes me nuts!! He can take a simple idea and turn it into something amazing. The title of our series for the month of January is Q3 and the logo is made up of lots of dots, so this is what he came up with. Awesome, huh?? Here are some pictures of the Ridge set for the month of January. For more info on how he did it, check out his blog.

The Challenge Begins!

While sitting around stuffing our faces at a New Year's Eve party, a bunch of us were talking about starting our diets the next day. How many similar conversations do think went on like that??? I have been saying for months that I need to get back in some "sorta" shape while I'm still young!! For someone who was always the skinny one, I'm not quite sure where these extra 30 pounds came from!! I could call it baby fat, but Carter's 7.... I could blame it on my cooking, but most of you have eaten my food! They seem to have snuck up on me, a pound or two, or maybe three or four, each year. Enough is enough!! The buck (and coffee, and chocolate, and pasta, and....) stops here. There are about 10 of us that have begun this "Weight Loss Challenge" that runs from January 1st to the end of March. Here's how it works. Each participant puts in $20 a month and $1.00 more each week they are not the "biggest loser". Our final day is March 31st and whoever has lost the most (percentage, not actual pounds) wins the stash. Sounds great, huh??? It will be, once my mind wraps itself around Starbucks once a week, instead of once a day! Pray for me!! I'll keep you posted on my success (and/or failures!)