Hmmm

Hello, well Chicago was fine, but I so feel like I need to make more of an effort to build my relationships with the Christian women I have met at church. Its just so vital for a strong existence! I am so sick of watching what I say or feeling like I need to be tolerant. There are simply things that I am not willing to be tolerant of. Furthermore, there are things that I do when in the company of those who don't know Christ that I would never say or do around "christian" friends! I am so sick of living at double life!! I did that for too long and enough is enough! I am so greatful for our wonderful, loving ,forgiving LORD!! I am headed back to Chicago for some SOUTHERN LIVING AT HOME parties I have!!! I will miss Matthew! Jeff and his mom will take good care of him! I am so grateful for such a helpful husband! He is so great with his son! What a lucky little boy Matthew is!!

SUE

Peer pressure

Well, tommorrow I am going to Chicago for a girls weekend! Hopefully, the weather will hold up, as of right now they are predicting 6-8 inches of snow! Yuck, quite the contrary to the 45 plus days we've been having! It should be interesting since its the first girls weekend since my decision to stop drinking. Its funny, but I am getting a glimpse of how it must feel to have a dependancy on it, yuck! The reaction people have range from shock to disgust to confusion, lots of questions. I don't advertise it simply for the fact that its not my intention to draw attention to it, it is simply something God asked me to do! In my attempts to finally live a full, all Christ living and loving life, I am doing it. I just hope that I am able to use this weekend to have fun, share a little about what God is doing in my life and not have them walk away thinking, "Freak dosen't drink anymore." Not that they would ,they are all good women and most believe in God anyways! I am really hoping its a relaxing time for my friend Julie, whose dad died last week suddenly! Jeff is staying home with Matt, hopefully he doesn't fight him at bedtime and naptime like he does to me ! Will write after Chicago!

SUE

HURRY UP!

Well, the weather officially stinks here! I swear it looked like the middle of the night until about 9:00 am today!! Yuck! Anyways, I had several errands to do and Grandma Barb offered to watch little Matthew for me, so off I was, in the rain to do the mundane things that fill my little life! It was SO not a successful day! It started in an attempt to get gas, the pumps, yes ALL of them were broken, then I went to the Secretary of State only to find out that it was relocated, and when I finally found it, I didn't have all the things I needed to get Jeff a MI liscense plate! Yes, I know we have lived here for almost a year! :) Ask Jeff,it is his car:) I am way too responsible to not have updated registration! Yeah right, this is coming from a girl who had MI plates the first 3 years she lived in ILLINOIS! Oh well, Matthew had fun with Grandma, although he tried boycotting naps for her too! Little Stinker! I did make it to my "miracle worker" chiropractor who may have a soultion for Matt's chronic ear infections, HIS FORMULA! I am switching him to a lacto/milk free formula, so hopefully! That is all from the Simpson front! Stay dry!
S

Matthew, cute, fun, what a blessing

Well today Matthew most defintely woke up on the wrong side of the crib! After beginning his waking up session at 3am, he never really went back to sleep and decided not to nap until 12:30, slept for awhile and then woke up screaming! Fun, huh? At least he was good at church, they had him fully entertained. Today, our worship Pastor, who had really left in August to start a new church plant, but was still coming on occasional Sundays to lead worship, officially isn't coming back anymore, I am so sad ! I love listening to him lead us! He has such heart for the Lord and is such an inspiration to me! But, I am praying that the Lord leads someone to us! Exciting things are happening in our church, speaking of, I have to run, I am helping out with youth small group tonight and Matty Man needs a bath!

S

Death, grieving, yuck!

Hello, well the last week has been so hard and a real reality check. On Monday evening, my friend Julie, who lives in Ann Arbor, but grew up in Portage, called to say that her dad was sick and needed to be taken to the hospital and could I watch her little girl, Ava, who is a month younger than Matthew. I of course said sure and to make a long, very sad, sudden, tragic story short, on Wednesday afternoon he died. He was 53 years old! I am still in shock at it all, as I am sure my friend and her family are. It was so surreal to be holding little Ava and thinking "You have no idea how your little life has changed today." Its been a tough year in the grieving, area. In August, the assistant pastor at our church's 3 month old daughter, Ava Nicole, was killed by a boxfan falling into her crib. In September, family friends of ours (mom,dad, sister and brother in law) were killled by there own son! I still can't wrap my head around that. I know that its never God's plan for awful things like any of what happened to occur, but it makes my heart ache so to have to watch people suffer so! I am so grateful to have my faith in Jesus and know that those who believe in HIM go on to a better place where there is no death, no goodbyes! But, I have to admit, I am terrified of death, so when those around me experience it, I really internalize it and freak out . I think that is an area that I need to GIVE TO GOD, HE will sustain me, even in a really bad time!?? RIGHT, ?? I need to work on this ,so I can not only write it but believe it! OK, too much heavy stuff!

SUE