Oh yeah--funny story. So, we have this stupid, incredibly annoying gumball tree in our front yard. And those things mass produce themselves daily. I've needed to get out there (Kris hates yardwork and doesn't really have time) and rake the gumballs up, because in the last couple of weeks, it has become a mine field, trying to walk through the yard. Even the driveway was beginning to get covered with those stupid things. So on the way home from school yesterday, I told the kids that they could play outside because it was so nice out. And I said something about mommy getting out there and raking up some of the gumballs.

Katherine then says "I wonder why God put that tree in our yard." And I told her that the tree was probably there long before the house and that really she should be wondering why someone thought it was a good idea to put a house next to a gumball tree. (And don't give me that whole "it provides shade" thing--I'll take the heat over the chaos in my yard). So anyway...she said again that she wondered why God put the tree in our yard and I repeated myself and she said "Well, I wonder why God put trees in people's yards." So again I told her that most of the time the trees were there before the houses. So then she said "But what I want to know is why God put gumballs on the trees." I told her that I had absolutely no idea and that it was a good question and I wondered that myself sometimes.

Then Kaleb chimes in and says "It's just because Jesus can do whatever he wants." It was hilarious! Kaleb went on to say that maybe Evan's dad (Evan is a boy in his class--I may have the name wrong) built the house and that Evan's dad builds everything. So I had a good laugh over the whole conversation. They can be so cute!

I feel surprisingly calm considering everything that still needs to be done before the show tomorrow. I'm trying to get the basement picked up, since we are doing the show down there, crickets and all!

The same day that I wrote nothing was new with Kris we had to go to the emergency room...he had some sort of spider bite or something that looked infected. We took Kaleb too for a suspicious infected-looking bite on his arm too. Both were prescribed antibiotics. We need to 'bomb' the house. Kris wanted to do it Sunday evening...but with everything involved in covering stuff and putting things away....well, that's just too much for me to handle right now. So it will have to wait a couple more weeks.

The surgeon said that I have gall stones and the gall bladder is inflamed. So it will be removed. This next Thursday actually--March 2. I wanted to do it sooner than later, so that I am recovered to do shows during the last half of the month.

I'm still excited about the show tomorrow. 8 people have said they were coming--hopefully no one will get sick or have to 'back out' last minute. If they do, oh well...God is in control. His hand will be in this and if it is meant to be successful then it will be. I am confident that the entire thing will go well though. I am now up to $300 in outside orders, so whoever ends up getting the free product value from the show should be quite pleased with the final amount that they will get to spend. So far, the free product value total is $25. It can only go up from there!

A friend of mine told me recently that this gall bladder surgery would be guaranteed weight loss. Yippee! I needed a jumpstart to lose those last 10-20 pounds I want to lose. It is so incredibly strange going to the store and trying on clothes now. I am amazed every single time I put on something that is a size 10 and it fits with a little room to spare! God has been so good to me in this area! It has done wonders for my confidence and view of myself. Granted, I should have been content and sought God to tell me that I am beautiful to him...but when you are 50 lbs overweight, it is a very difficult thing to try to love yourself. Don't get me wrong...I have not done a complete turn around. I still have my moments...but God has done a good work in me in that regard. My whole attitude about myself is defintely more positive. Partly I think it is because Kris is much more vocal now, in complimenting me. That is a HUGE help!

Well...I feel distracted...I really should get back to work. If I just get busy I can get the house in order within a couple of hours and then spend the rest of the day focusing on preparing for the show. I've got the main thing layed out and know what I am wanting to say...now I just need to really focus and make sure that I can 'show and tell' at the same time. By they way...I didn't mention that I have an entire day, in my house, with absolutely nobody here. Kris took the kids to his mom's. I asked when he would be back and he said 'late'. So I really shouldn't have trouble getting things done. I'll get to it and get over this momentary lack of motivation--I hope!

Well...now it's been even longer than a week. I need more time in my days.

News from the Bishop household:

1. Olivia is rolling over and across the floor now
2. Abbey still is not talking clearly or wanting to 'potty train'.
3. Katherine is becoming quite the little reader...today she read words like "trip" and "pain" to me.
4. Kaleb loves playing playstation and most of the time threatening to take that away from him helps him behave at school.
5. Kris--well...not much new there.
6. I have gall stones. Yippee! I go tomorrow to talk to a surgeon. More details about whether or not surgery will be required will follow.

So I am getting excited about moving forward with Pampered Chef. I'm excited about my show this Sunday. Only 4 people have officially RSVP'd but hopefully more than that will be able to make it. I have one order already, from someone I've never met before. I left a catalog at Depaul Hospital last week when I went to get the ultrasound on my abdomen and the next day someone called and placed an order. It was cool. I have two shows already booked in my calendar for March, and three others that I need to set dates for from people that said they would "probably" do a show. Hopefully if I do have to have surgery on my gall bladder it will not distract me too much from getting started with Pampered Chef again.

I went a week without blogging. Hmm....I don't like that. Although I guess nothing really profound has happened. I've got something wrong with my stomach/back or something, and am hoping that the doctor can figure it out this afternoon. Something isn't right and hopefully it isn't anything really serious.

Got an email yesterday from Dacia, reminding us to pray for Shawn and Alex. I guess Alex just had a birthday and this week would have been Josh's birthday too. And then Valentine's day....it's hard sometimes to understand how my life in so many ways is not nearly as difficult as others. Sometimes I wonder why God doesn't bring tragedy into my life...why he chooses other people. Not that I am longing for tragedy at all. I just don't understand sometimes why he shields me from it. Maybe I can't handle it and he knows it?? I don't know. What I do know is that should a time of tragedy or grief come, that He will have prepared me for it and be right there to catch and hold me.

I still think about Angi every day. A song will come on, or someone will say something that will remind me of her. And I keep going back to the day before she died, and the conversation we had on the phone. It saddens me that I can hardly remember what we talked about. I know we talked about Six Flags, which is kind of ironic in a very very sad way, and we talked about getting together. When I look at Livvy, I think of Angi. Shawn said something to us at the visitation--that they were just waiting to see the baby (this is while I was pregnant with Olivia). So I think about that and how Angi didn't get to see her. Angi loved my girls. Not that she didn't love Kaleb, but she wanted a little girl. She longed for that. She really bonded with Katherine right after she was born and it saddens me that she isn't around anymore and that I didn't make the most of the time we had when she was alive.

I'm not sure why I started talking about that. Guess it was just on my mind and I needed to say something about it. I guess also I've been thinking about the man who was driving the truck that hit them. I didnt' get to see the news Monday night but I know they were talking about filing criminal negligence charges against the man. Maybe people will be angry with me for saying it...but I really do feel bad for the man and pray for him. Some people go on and on about how he just wasn't paying attention. There were rumors that he was on his cell phone. Well...I just believe that any one of us could have done that...how many of us talk on our cell phones or are just plain distracted when we are driving? Yes, it is absolutely horrible what happened. Yes, if he had been paying attention they might still be alive. But he wasn't. The fact is...5 people died that day and it isn't just those of us grieving over those losses that have to deal with that. This man will forever have to live with the fact that 5 people died because of him. Try to imagine what your life would be like, if it had been you, and not him behind the wheel. His grief is probably nothing in comparison with what Shawn and Alex and the other close family members go through on a daily basis...but it isn't like he can just go on with his life like nothing happened. He will forever carry the scars and the guilt.

I have to brag on Katherine for a minute. She has a brilliant mind, which is obvious to anyone who has an actual conversation with her. But what we have been seeing in the last 2 years is an artistic and creative side, that just keeps getting better. Everytime I looked at something she has created I am just amazed and so proud of her. Here is a card she made me for my birthday yesterday:

This is a perfect picture of how loving and tender and gentle Kaleb is with Olivia. This is probably one of Kaleb's favorite things to do. He absolutely loves to hold her. And Olivia seems to really enjoy being with him!

I put Olivia's hair in little pony tails for church on Sunday. It was funny--when I took them out, her hair didn't move. I had put them in while her hair was wet and so they stayed 'up' once I took the pony tails out. Two people said (at church) that she looked like a litte demon child or something...it wasn't until I got her home and her hair was sticking up without the help of the pony tails that I could kind of see it for myself.