My fun day of jury duty

It was a long, boring day. Well, at least parts of it were. We got to take a ride in this cool prisoner bus, which took us to the court house. The people are very nice in Morristown, unlike our Denville experience.




Then we had to go through security, and then go wait in a big room. Eventually there were a lot of names called, and I was 1 of them, and we had to go to court house #17 to have a jury picked. Getting from one room to another was nuts. That building is like a maze trying to find your way around. But selecting the jury was the most boring process. That poor judge. I don’t know how he keeps from losing his mind. He has to ask the same questions over, and over, and over again...

I meant to get a picture of the inside of the court room, but I was in such a hurry to get out of there that I forgot. Fortunately my last name is Vegh, so I didn’t actually get called up to the juror box for questioning. Phew. I mean, I wouldn’t mind terribly, but really I’m not in the mood for it. The judge expected the case to go until Wed. or Thurs. and I was ready to come home today. Last time I was on a jury, it lasted a full week. Nope, I didn’t feel like going through it again.

What I am Learning

There is a tradition at our church that at the beginning of each month we celebrate all the birthdays and give the birthday people a chance to tell what they have learned, or what God is doing in their lives. For some strange reason they always skip November so I don’t ever get a chance to say anything. But I did give it a lot of thought just in case. And since my birthday comes at the end of the year I tend to be in a more thoughtful frame of mind anyway, and I do think about how my year has been, and what I see for myself in the future. I think about things I’ve learned, things I still struggle with, my hopes and goals; I guess you could say I do a personal inventory of my life, with both the good and the bad, and see where changes need to be made. It is a good time to reflect on what I believe God is teaching me.

I think the biggest thing I am learning, or dealing with, is that life isn’t fair, and people aren’t going to treat you fairly. You might be doing more than anyone else, but get nothing in return. There might be others who do next to nothing, but they are the ones who get recognition, some kind of rewards, or special treatment. It’s been a very tough month in that respect. I think it’s true that the more we do for people, the less important it becomes to them. Sometimes we need to search our hearts, and reevaluate what our motives are, and see if it’s really worth it.

For me personally, it is a constant struggle to remind myself that I do what I do to serve the Lord. I do it without asking anything in return, and so I should expect nothing in return. I need to remember this always, and ask myself, “Do I want rewards now, or rewards later?” Interestingly, someone from church sent me a little devotional this morning. And I have to say that it came at the best time. Because on one hand, it confirms what I know to be true, that people won’t treat us fairly. And on the other hand, this is what we must expect until we get to heaven. So I just have to accept it and deal with it. But that is hard to do.

I am looking forward to a song that Ryan will be writing about this topic. It should be pretty dang epic.

Galatians 6:9

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Jury Duty

So, I missed church this morning for illness for the first time in who knows how long. I'm so glad I didn't go today because I'm sure I still have germs on my hands! After a quick breakfast I went back to bed and slept till 12:30! It was much needed sleep. Then I spent my second day in bed...

This afternoon I drove to Morristown to the Hyatt hotel here so I wouldn't have to batttle the traffic or not make it here in time. Would hate to have to pay $500 fine or be held in contempt if I get stuck in construction traffic on 80. So here I am in this huge hotel room all by myself. I am looking at this as another adventure. I love adventures, so I'm going to really enjoy this.

funky sink

Thanksgiving

Darryl and I loved having the boys home for Thanksgiving. My boys are what I’m most thankful for! We had a very nice week together, even though they spent most of their time doing homework, and I spent most of my time being sick.




Ryan sang, and Kyle played djembe at church on Thanksgiving Eve.

This is what Ryan wore to Thanksgiving service. I meant to get a picture at church with the 3 of us in it, but I forgot, probably because I was sick.

Mother, May I?

Ryan wrote me a beautiful poem, Mother, May I.

There was a lot going on today. I did another morning in the kitchen, including cleaning the oven, while Darryl went with the boys to the dentist and ortho. We got bad news about Ryan’s teeth. Well, specifically his gum. He will need to have skin grafting done just like I did. I feel so bad for him. On the other hand, Kyle will be able to get his braces off next month. It’s been a very long 3 years, especially for Ryan because this is the second time he’s had them and there is currently no end in sight for him. Poor kid.

Later, I took Kyle for his first ever non-mom hair cut. I figured he deserved a splurge for a change and let him experience an authentic salon hair cut. I think he enjoyed it.


A lady at church wanted me to make vanilla/vanilla cupcakes for her birthday, so here they are.I decided to make chocolate/buttercream for my family, so these are ours in the front

my birthday gifts

After a long and harrowing trip to La Guardia airport (got lost, got hit by another car), we finally picked up our precious cargo!! We stopped at Olive Garden on the way home to refuel them. It’s wonderfully delightful to have them home this week. Lots of laughter and funny sounds in this old quiet house. It’s nice.

Another nice thing, I got an email from Dana for my birthday. She opened the door a crack, and I very cautiously walked through it. Got a few pics of 7 ½ month old Ethan.
I love Ryan’s haircut. Kyle will be getting one this week too, probably before we have our Thanksgiving Eve service, which I’m really looking forward to because Ryan is singing. So thankful they got home safely.

The Sound of Music

Love this picture. This is Ryan's outfit for The Sound of Music. He is a ball room dancer. Wish I could see the play, but I can't.

Katina concert

We had a great time at the Katina concert at Grace tonight. What a talented group of brothers. Really enjoyed the time of worship and singing.

Kids aren't monsters!

Kids are God’s most precious gifts! There is no greater gift than our children, so why do the majority of parents find humor in saying rotten things about them? I just don’t get it, especially when Christians do it. Do they think it’s cute to call them names and complain about them all the time? Why did they have kids?

I just can’t help wondering how it makes those kids feel when their parents say unkind things about them or make jokes at their expense. As a child, it would make me feel unloved and unwanted. I would think “why did my parents have me if they didn’t want me?” Imagine going through life feeling like your parents don’t want to be with you. When they grow up they will always remember those hurtful words (“I can’t wait till they go to school”, “I can’t wait till they move out”, “I need to get away from them!”, “Hey does anybody want my kids?”) The parents might be "joking", but what small child is going to understand that? It’s no wonder we have a society of people feeling unloved and unworthy. It’s because the first thing parents do these days is find ways of getting rid of their kids. When they are little they are pawned off on others so the tired little mommy can get some sleep. Then when they are toddlers, the mommy doesn’t have time for them. She never learned to manage her time because she was used to others doing the work for her. By the time they start school, she gets irritated having them around because she sees them as a nuisance. Yes, that’s the way it goes. Mommy’s needs come first.

I was talking to my husband about this the other day. I asked him, “When our boys were little, did I ever complain to you that I was tired? Even once?”

Where did women come up with this scheme to blame all their so-called “tiredness” on their kids?

He said, “Nope, honestly I don’t remember you ever complaining of being tired from taking care of the boys.”

I never wanted to be away from them. If my husband took them out for a couple hours I would miss them terribly! If there was a party we were invited to and they didn’t allow kids to go, we didn’t go. We didn’t go on vacations without them. And most importantly, we never bad-mouthed them or ridiculed them. We didn’t go around telling people how awful they were or how exhausting it was to be their parent. Listen parent, if you are tired of trying to control your kids, maybe it’s because you didn’t take the time to train them up. Instead, they have you trained!

What is wrong with me? I just adore my kids, and always have!! Do women today just have a problem with taking care of their families? Why do they put themselves first above their kids and their husbands? That’s not the way God wanted it. Wives, you are to take care of your husbands! Mothers, you are to take care of your own kids, not look for pity that they are your kids. They are your responsibility, not your husbands.

Do you know that bedtime is one of the most wonderful times of the day? Do you spend quality time with them or do you rush them off without a hug or gentle word? What a great time to love on them and pray with them and cuddle with them, and make sure that when they fall asleep, they know how much they are loved by you.

I wasn’t the best mom, far from it. But one thing I did right was that I loved my kids every day and they knew it. Not because I said “I love you” even though I did, but because I was with my kids by choice. They always knew I loved them. There was never any doubt or insecurities. There was never a need to prove anything, because they had my approval. Just think of how much less our kids would be pressured by peers if they had their parent’s unconditional love and support. And part of that love is shown by having boundaries, not by letting the kids rule the house, which is so common today. Sometimes I see moms and I just want to shake them and tell them to grow up.

Ok that’s my rant for today, and a major pet peeve of mine.

Here are my beloved and wonderful gifts from God, whom I cherish with all my heart! The only hand I will entrust them to is the merciful hand of my Savior, Jesus Christ.

Psalm 127:3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,

The fruit of the womb is a reward.

unveiling the bathroom

Because now it is finally worth unveiling. Yay! The nursery bathroom looks cool, huh? I took this yesterday when I ripped the tape off.

Yesterday we had our balloon thingy at CBC. I got them all ready and then the kids took them outside to let them go. My pictures are terrible, but at least I got a couple. After the balloon thing we had some fun games for the kids. I had the penny-toss. All the kids had a lot of fun, and of course they got CANDY!

The cry of my heart

What can make a child hate their parent so much? That is what I keep asking myself, over and over again. I just don’t understand it. Even a child “of the world” has a natural love for their moms, don’t they? That’s what I thought. But man was I wrong. After all this time, after all I’ve done for her, after all I gave her and gave up for her, she still despises me. After all the apologies, all the forgiveness, and all the time I have left her alone, she had a need to lash out at me yet again. I GAVE HER WHAT SHE WANTED; I STAYED OUT OF HER LIFE.

It’s not enough for her to leave us with a $20,000 debt. It’s not enough for her to keep my grandson away from me. When will it be enough?

ugh…I will never understand why my own daughter hates me with such a passion, why she continually tries to hurt me. This animosity she has towards me has been building over many years. Why God? Why? Is it because I love You and she hates You?

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.” John 15:18

I wonder how this hateful, spiteful person came out of my body. I don’t even know her. She is a stranger to me. But she is my daughter, and I do pray for her every day because I don’t want her to go to hell.

2 Timothy 3: 1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

“from such people turn away”. This is basically the advice that Kyle gave me. I'm sure he hates seeing the way she hurts me. I'm trying so hard to keep her out of my heart, but obviously I'm not successful yet.