Date Night

Thanks for all of your suggestions for a cheap date night! There were some great ones...but Jeff and I took the pricier route on Friday. Jeff wanted to return to the restaurant he took me to on our very first date--it's a place called "Seven on Prospect" in Peoria Heights. We had an unbelievable time...and our bill was pretty unbelievable, too! I highly recommend the stuffed portobello mushroom for an appetizer and the steak fillet with three sauces was amazing. We also ordered seared tuna (shown in the picture) and for dessert--a creme brulee trio! That was the best!
It was fun to return to a place where we created such fond memories before the daily grind of life took over. Our minds scrolled back to that sweet day and the talking points during our first date conversation...I remembered thinking, "This guy has the sweetest heart in the world." I still feel that way.

Is a Sip of Coffee Cheating?

I'll be the first to admit that I'm weak. Sometimes I think the Lord just shakes His head at me for making promises I find difficult to keep! Yesterday was Day #1 of my fast from coffee. I went through the entire day without a single drop...However, I was also hammered with a migraine which had me vomiting all last night after dinner. It was awful! I also feel depression and a lack of concentration creeping into my mind as I go through my coffee withdrawal.
This morning, Janine filled in for Scott, and brewed a fabulous pot of Starbucks coffee. Ugh...it was TOO TEMPTING! With my head throbbing at 4am, I just couldn't resist and I took a sip! Mind you, I didn't go for the full cup or even half a cup. But I took a Tylenol with my sip of coffee and I felt a lot better.
So...my new Lent commitment is to WEAN MYSELF FROM COFFEE. I'm going to allow myself 1/4 cup as soon as I get up in the morning for the rest of the week until I can do without it entirely.
I think the Lord will understand that I need to take things slow...and the spirit of this sacrifice is the same--to wean myself off an earthly addiction in favor of hearing from Him better. I'm already learning a lot about my weaknesses at the beginning of this Lent season.

Giving up Coffee

Scott thinks I've lost my mind. I've decided to give up my only drug of choice for Lent: COFFEE! For the next 40 days, I will stumble my way through the morning show with zero caffeine in my system. I've never observed Lent before but I thought it would be good for my walk with Christ to sacrifice an addiction that has a stronghold over my life in favor of relying on Christ to be my "pick-me-up" in the day. My main concern is anticipating withdrawal. I'll no doubt be hammered with headaches, fatigue and depression...I drink at least 2-3 cups of coffee every morning. So please pray for my commitment if you get the chance. This will be a true test of faith for me!

Kid's Expo

Scott and I really enjoyed meeting some of you at the Kid's Expo in Bloomington this weekend! We have the best listeners in the world! Hey, if the Wiggins are reading this, make sure to send me an email! :) While Scott and I stayed at the 91.5 WCIC booth all morning, my husband and kids were milling around the Interstate Center. Every 15 minutes or so Jeff would swing by and ask me where the kids were. It's so easy to get lost in that place! There were tons of stuff for the kids to do.

Max and Delaney really enjoyed having their faces painted. Laney chose to be a tiger and Max wanted to look like a lizard. Aren't they darling? They loved the rock climbing wall, circus, and magic show. We spent the rest of the afternoon with friends in Bloomington. What a great place! Jeff and I need to go there more often to enjoy the booming downtown district and great places to eat.

Walk Out Woman

A group of us ladies who work for the radio station got together for some good girl talk. Not surprisingly, the conversation quickly turned to relationships. We found that a surprising number of women want out of their marriages. In the past, men have gotten a bum wrap for having affairs and leaving their wives. But the tables have turned. Patty Dudley, who hosts What Matters Most from 7-midnight on 91.5 WCIC, sent us all a book entitled, "The Walk Out Woman" by Dr. Steve Stephens and Alice Gray, to help us understand this phenomena.
If you're a woman who's thinking of walking out on your marriage...or if you're a husband whose wife has threatened to walk out--I highly suggest you pick up this book. Let's face it: MARRIAGE IS LOT OF WORK! AND IF YOU'RE A IN A BLENDED FAMILY, THAT WORK IS DOUBLY HARD! I love my husband deeply but there have been times I've been overwhelmed by the desire to run away from the difficulties inherent in a blended family. On countless occasions, it was my husband who had to sit me down and reaffirm his love for me and communicate with me for hours on ways we need to show one another love and respect within the context of a high-octane marriage.
Jeff insists that we pray together every night, which has been a wonderfully bonding exercise. If we didn't keep the Lord at the center of our relationship and continually seek Biblical guidance, we'd just be another statistic! The other night, Jeff held me tight and said, "I've never felt so close to anyone because we're so honest with each other and share everything."
I just want to encourage you if you're on the brink of walking out, because I've been there. But I also know that sticking it out is so worth it. My life is so much richer because of Jeff and we're so emotionally and spiritually bonded together because we work so hard at our marriage. Divorce doesn't solve anything. I'm sad that my stepkids have to grow up in a divided family...We can't erase the pain of that situation, but we can work on creating some stability in this new family with the help of the Lord and love for each other.
Here are a couple of exercises to try:
1. List the words or actions your husband or wife uses that builds a wall.
2. Take the time to drive to a beautiful place that gives you peace. Think about some of the best memories of your marriage.

Valentine's Day for Kids

My mother always made Valentine's Day special for me and my siblings growing up. We always received a beautifully wrapped gift in red and white tissue and passed out pink frosted cupcakes to friends at school. Remember those sweetheart Valentine candies? I miss getting cards and candies from my classmates! I started the tradition of getting the kids Valentine's Day presents when Jeff and I were first dating...and that tradition has continued. Before I went to sleep last night I put a stuffed money in Max's cereal bowl and a stuffed puppy in Laney's bowl. I also picked up a red & white gumball tube in Valentine's casing as their treats. Jeff snapped a picture of them for me this morning. We won't see them on the actual V-Day so I wanted to give their gifts early. Do you do anything special to celebrate the Big Love Day with your kids?

Zoo Day!

Today we took the kids to the zoo. The Peoria Zoo at Glen Oak Park is offering free admission until Feb. 10th, so we wanted to take advantage of it and let the kids explore the grounds and visit the animals. A lot of outdoor exhibits are closed, so we mostly roamed around inside with the snakes and monkeys. The kids were enthralled with the huge pythons, tigers, and of course, feeding the goats! But for Max, the highlight of the trip was going to the gift shop, of all things. Are we a consumer culture or what? Luckily he had some birthday money to buy a Safari gift set.

My Furry Valentine

Lester wants to wish everyone an early Happy Valentine's Day! Scott just sent me this photo and I think it's the most darling thing I've ever seen. He should sell it to Hallmark to make a card out of it! I'm still clueless about what to get Jeff for Valentine's Day. I was hoping to go away for the weekend but he's doing a drama at church. Maybe I should get my husband a puppy! :)