Roth Movie Night

Happy Monday Everyone!

We had a wonderful time at the movies Saturday afternoon. We saw the Dr.Seuss movie "Horton Hears a Who", and we just loved it! I think Bill & I were laughing more than the kids. I wont give you any details in case you haven't seen it, but the message itself was a great lesson for the kids. At one point the Mayor of Who-ville became aware that all of the whos actually were living on a tiny speck & that a large elephant was holding them in his hand (or elephant hoof?) Of course everyone thought he was crazy. At the same time Horton the elephant was trying to convince everyone in the jungle that there were people actually living on this tiny speck. Their response was..."if I can't see it, hear it, or feel it...it does not exist!" Kind of like how some respond to a Christian's faith in God...it is foolishness to some, silly to many. To me it seems even more silly when finite, fallable humans claim to discount God & the Savior Jesus Christ simply because they have never seen Him or cannot comprehend the amazing gift of salvation. Do we honestly think we could possibly understand every mystery on earth and in heaven??...that is silly!

So go see the movie...you'll have a good laugh...and maybe even ponder some of life's great mysteries!

My Testimony, part two

So I guess you could say I led a pretty normal happy life. I was the middle child of two dedicated & loving parents (they still are), with a beautiful and intelligent older sister (she still is), and a younger, smart & athletic brother (he still is). I guess I always felt the need to find "my thing". Well, "my thing" wasn't school, wasn't alot of friends, but WAS gymnastics. I loved it & I was good at it. My parents raised us well, with good morals to discern right from wrong. We went to church sporadically and were all baptized and confirmed in the Catholic faith.

I was awarded a full athletic scholarship to Temple University (even though I never heard of the place)...how could you pass that up? At Temple I was away from home and really struggled my freshman year. I got through my 4 years of college & being on a sports team really kept me out of trouble for the most part. Bill & I dated all through my 4 years of college & I always knew he was the one.

It wasn't until after college that I began to seek out the reason for the emptiness that was in my heart. I kept trying to expect Bill to fulfill me, only to be let down. Even his love & friendship wasn't enough to fill the strange hole in my heart. It wasn't like I was even depressed or lonely...just sort of empty. I remember knowing about God, but never really "knowing" God. So this is when I met Tracy at my first job out of college...I was an exercise physiologist at Body Builders Fitness Center for the insurance company US Healthcare. (Please read My Testimony, part one if you missed it...http://5happyroths.blogspot.com/2008/03/my-testimony-part-one.html)

So all the while Tracy was telling me the gospel message, & inviting me to church, Bill's chiropracter Joe DeCarlo, was witnessing to him...followed by Bill's best friend Lloyd & Bill's sister got saved as well. God had us surrounded by other believers ("crazies" we thought at the time) and there was no chance for us.

The rest goes like this. A week after I got saved Bill went to the same church & gave his life to Christ. Months later, he missed making the 1996 Olympic games, got a job as the mascot for the Atlanta Hawks as I went to PA school and planned our wedding in 3 months. Many of my new Christian friends encouraged Bill & I to get married (we had been engaged & lived together since 1994). I prayed as I drove to the Rennaissance Hotel near the airport. "Lord, if you want Bill & I to be married, please give me a sign". I told the wedding planner at the hotel that I only had one date that we could get married. Sept. 27th. It was in between my medicine & psychiatry rotations. His response, "September of THIS year!" "Yes" I said. He walked away and returned a few minutes later with calendar in hand & a strange look on his face. "That is the only date we have open this year!" WOOOHOOO! That was my sign...thank you Lord...and the rest is history!!

Saying Goodbye & Thank You

This Monday I attended the funeral of my gymnastics coach from Temple, Ken Anderson. He fought hard against a type of cancer that originated in his mouth & slowly traveled to cause him to lose his sight and hearing on his left side, and eventually took over his body. It was so sad to hear his brave young daughter give an account of all the fun things she used to do with her dad, and how much she loves and misses him.
It helped me to recall his large smile & hearty chuckle and calm nature. I am grateful to this man for offerring me a full athletic scholarship and giving me the opportunity to attend a really good university while competing in the sport I love.
While on the team, I remember thinking it was strange that Ken often would take phone calls from his wife or sometimes even pick up and leave if his family needed him. Now that I have a family of my own I can see that Ken was devoted to his family and put them first before all else. What a great example he was.
Thank you Ken for being a good coach, for giving me such a wonderful opportunity, and for being a good example to us even now. How long will my days be on this earth? Only God knows...but Lord help me to take every opportunity to be with my husband & children...to love them, to care for them, to encourage them, to laugh with them, to treat them as the gifts they are and to enjoy them.

Easter Fun!

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a terrific Easter weekend. My family just left and we all had a great time. We ate, talked about everything from religion to politics, laughed and enjoyed being together. We saw an exciting Sixers game on Saturday(thanks honey for setting that up & for fun with silly string), enjoyed church on Sunday as well as an Easter Egg Hunt in our backyard(thanks to Aunt Dee), watched the movie "Enchanted" and even had gifts to open(thanks to Gege & Papa). What a blessing it was to be with family to celebrate special this special 'holy'day. We did miss Uncle Jonathan, especially remembering his love for Star Wars ...since it was Star Wars night at the Sixers. Here are some pics from the weekend...Enjoy!!

Happy Easter!

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter.
After Jesus rose from the dead He spoke to his disciples and said,
"Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again from the dead on the third day. With my authority take this message of repentance to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem: 'There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me.'"
Luke 24:46-47

The Return of AI

If any of you are Sixers fans or remember our story, you know that Bill was hired by the 76ers right after the Sixers were awarded the 1st draft pick & chose Allen Iverson in 1996. He carried the team all the way to the NBA Finals against the Lakers in June of 2001. I remember it clearly because I delivered Madison during the Finals...what an exciting time for us! Well when Bill was hired by Pat Croce, he wanted the mascot to emulate their new star. It had to be quick, fast and jump & flip like no other...hence the rabbit. "A rabbit?" we thought...how strange. Now 12 years later, Hip-Hop is (of course in my opinion) the best mascot in the NBA. AI has sinced moved on to the Denver Nuggets but returned for the first time last night. Check out the link to this great shot...
http://www.nba.com/gallery/iverson/080319_4.html

Getting Ready

Easter is coming, fast & furious. My mom & dad, sister, brother-in-law, and their daughters Jordyn & Jenna will be coming on Friday to celebrate Easter with us. I have been busy cleaning, organizing & shopping for the big weekend so I haven't had much time to post. We are looking forward to going to a Sixers game on Saturday to watch HipHop do his thing (of course you know Hip Hop is Easter Bunny's 1st cousin)& church on Sunday & maybe even watching the new movie "Horton Hears a Who"...oh and we can't forget an Easter egg hunt & decorating eggs! The kids are counting the days till they can see their cousins...only 2 more guys!!

Adoption

Hi all!
Happy Monday morning!
I must share with you the message we heard at church on Sunday. It was about adoption. Not adoption as you would first think, but how as Christians, we are adopted by God our Father to be His beloved sons & daughters. I was refreshed by the message & more aware than ever of God's love for me. If you have the opportunity today, check it out & may you be refreshed by God's love as well.
http://www.covfel.org/pages/index.php?pID=1463&PHPSESSID=5474a8943edeb47d8f2d96f6a41fbafe

My Testimony, part one

Last Sunday, CJ Mahaney spoke at our church and gave his testimony. He also spoke about how being a mature Christian means that you are always aware of what Christ has done, what He has saved us from, and often recall the day He revealed Himself to us. It made me think of that day...

A Sunday morning in March 1996, at Full Gospel Assembly in Brookhaven. Tracy, my friend from Aetna US Healthcare, invited me there after many conversations in the fitness center I used to work at. She got up on the small stage & began to sing this song from the book of Romans...
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes."
I began to cry because the Holy Spirit began convicting me of my sin & directing me to the cross. To the place where God's own son bore the wrath of every single sin past, present & future, and took my place, paying the penalty I deserved! What great love!! I never knew...until that moment. I walked forward and knelt down at the front with Pastor Weed. He prayed for me as I confessed to God. Since that day I have not & will never be the same. I am filled with a joy & peace that surpasses all understanding. At that moment I also realized that God had filled within me what had been missing all along...it was Him! For 24 years I had been running from God...convinced I was in control & convinced I had it all together...boy was I way off!
There is so much more to this story that I will try to share it as I am able. Just typing this out gives me sweet joy & gratefulness...Lord, thank you for saving me!!!

Your Friendly Neighboorhood...

SPIDERMAN!!!

Yes...our son likes to play dressup. Bill wanted to make sure he wasn't wearing the girls' princess dresses, so now we have Superman, Power ranger (thanks to Aunt Amy & Uncle John) and now Spiderman. So watch out the next time you're over our house...you might just get caught in his web!

"Hi-Cue" and "Yer Yuckum"

One of the most basic skills we can teach our young children are good manners. I love listening to our 2.5 year old son Matthew say thank you & your welcome. "Matthew, here is your Bubba." "Hi-Cue" he says. "Matthew, thank you for cleaning up your toys." "Yer Yuckum" he says. Too cute...I just can't stand it!

I am now typing on our new computer...Yipee! We have been able to sell the condo we have been renting for 10 years in order to payoff my school loan, Bill's truck & buy a new computer. We were even able to put some money away into a savings account. We are also hoping to add on a 2-car garage with a bedroom & bath above it this spring. It is quite exciting but also very nerve racking. We want to make sure we are being good stewards of the money God has given us. Most importantly, we want to make sure we have an attitude of gratefulness to the Lord for providing for us. Thank you Lord for your many abundant blessings! Hi-Cue! Hi-Cue!!

Mascot Fun

Today was the press conference to announce HipHop's birthday so we all went to Bill's work & had a blast with all of HipHop's friends. Adrienne LOVED the Philly Fanatic...especially his feathery tail. Matthew loved Phlex the Phantoms mascot & is sitting on Mad Dog's lap, the mascot for the Wings. And Madison just loved the whole thing & at one point announced to everyone that they should do a HipHop birthday dance. Hip Hop liked that idea so they all danced. What great fun it was!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HIP HOP! We love you!
From your biggest (& littlest) fans

Strange weather

My mom & dad sent these pictures of their home in Grand Island, NY (North of Buffalo). We certainly don't see snow like this in Brookhaven...But we did have some strange weather here on Sunday.

We took the family to ACME for a food shopping outing. As we were leaving we had all the kids piled in the cart when Bill said..."Oh we better hurry, it looks like a storm is coming!" Not 2 seconds later, it began pouring rain and hail stones the size of lima beans! Bill opened the trunk & literally threw the girls over the seat. I grabbed Matthew & put him in his seat, ran around back & had the thought "Do I help Bill with the groceries or save myself?" Can you guess what I chose? Yep...I continued running & got in the car while my poor husband was pelted with wind, hail & soaking rain. It was quite an adventure. Of course when we finally got in the car & drove away...it all stopped.

So mom & dad...Thanks for the pictures. I hope you thaw out well & have a good week!

Happy Friday!

It is a cloudy & cold Friday morning and Bill has a game tonight. We enjoyed a good breakfast together before he left. It was nice telling jokes & singing songs. Adrienne had the best joke of the day.
"Knock, Knock"
"Who's there?"
"Turnip"
"Turnip who?"
"Turnip the heat it's cold in here!"
Well we will miss daddy today...but we can always check him out online. Here's the link to HipHop's website where you can see his new van and view some funny videos. Our favorite is the Holiday scare tactics with the 3 inflatable HipHops...check it out & have a great weekend!
http://www.nba.com/sixers/mascot/index.html

My Boys

Yesterday was a difficult day for Bill. Unfortunately I was not much help to him, so this morning I wanted to make him smile & I knew this shot from our recent trip to Great Wolf Lodge would do it.

I love you honey. I'm sorry I was unaware of all that is going on at work, but I want you to know that I will be praying for you all day today. I am blessed to have a husband who loves me & his children passionately & who will always put the best interest of his family before all else. Your parents named you well...William means "Determined Guardian".

Have a great day honey!

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12

Occupation: Wife, Mom, Teacher, Cook, Maid AND Physician Assistant

I sometimes wonder why I even went through 2 years of PA school costing $50,000 (which by the way, by God's kindness we were able to payoff) to now be at home full time. I know I will always be able to return to work if I need to & I am grateful for that. I do love medicine. I marvel at how God made the body & all it's systems & how they all function together to give us life. Just think about the human eye with all the rods & cones (remember anatomy?), and a built in lens...how amazing is that!
Well, speaking of the eye, now all 3 kids have conjunctivitis...Matthew had it first and is much better. Adrienne had a mild case & received her drops like a champ. And now Madison has 2 puffy, red & draining eyes...YUCK!
Well this morning I realized that over the past 6 years I have been able to care for my children as a mom, but also as a PA. Here are some of the medical conditions I have seen...
Conjunctivitis
Otitis Media & Otitis Externa
Eczema
Croup
RSV
URI
Asthma
Pneumonia
Viral Gastroenteritis
Large Bowel Impaction
Head, Chin & foot lacerations
Radial Head Subluxation (Nursemaid's Elbow)
...just to name a few.

Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm...I like that word.
I think of Adrienne leaving her gymnastics class yesterday. "Mom! That was so much fun and I did GREAT!"
Boy was she enthusiastic. I love that about my kids (and my husband for that matter).
I just read this quote by Henry Ford the other day...
"You can do anything if you have enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes rise to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait, the grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas. Enthusiasts are fighters. They have fortitude. They have staying qualities. Enthusiasm is at the bottom of all progress. With it, there is accomplishment. Without it, there are only alibis."

Author Anne Ortlund (See "Books we are reading") follows this quote with these comments...
"Enthusiasts are fighters. They don't let their family life just go with the flow and surrender to the avalanche. Enthusiasts have fortitude. They're willing to be separate from all that is cheap, vulgar, desensitizing, degrading. Enthusiasts have staying power. They maintain godly habits which, over the long haul, build them into winners."

Ok, I get it... so even though I am not 4 anymore and it has been a long time since I took a gymnastics class, I can still take my daughters example & be enthusiastic. Enthusiastic about the important role I play as a wife and a mom, about my home, about my family & friends, and above all else... about my Savior...who became nothing & died in my place so I could live.

Thanks Adrienne for your example. I'm glad you had fun & yes...you did do GREAT!

Longing for Springtime

I can see it! Light at the end of the tunnel!
17 days till spring! Yipee! The tunnel for us included a difficult season with Bill being away many nights, the entire month of January filled with sickness, pneumonia, stomach virus and a trip to the ER, and many cold days spent in the house..."hybernating", as my mom calls it.


Well as you could guess, everyone has been a bit antsy lately, tired of being couped up. Madison found a new pair of goggles Nana & Poppy got her and put them on & pretended to swim laps around the house. She did not want to take them off so she continued to wear them while learning fractions. She said it helped her focus...(maybe she should wear them everyday!) And speaking of Spring...don't forget to move your clocks ahead Saturday night!