The Wrighting on the Wall

In Our Home it Looks Like This...

2012-01-24T17:19:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the pictures where there is a dog sitting, waiting patiently, on the side of the road waiting for his boy to get home? Maybe there is a school bus driving off in the distance or a car with the boy looking out of the back window. I am pretty sure I've seen that image before somewhere, and even have seen a couple of different interpretations of it. The idea behind the image is that the dog can hardly wait for his boy to get home. Maybe the dog sat and waited in the same spot for his master to return so he could resume having fun with his person again.

In my failure to find said image, I found these instead:

So cute, huh?

In our home, it looks like this:

That's The Little Man waiting for his sister to finish up homework. He stands and waits patiently everyday (well almost everyday he's patient) for her to finish up so they can hang out together.

He may not be a soft, sad faced, sweet puppy, but I happen to think this is much more precious.

Reason 438 For Loving My Girl

2012-01-23T12:37:00.000-07:00

She can turn a laundry room into anything but...

We can't be the only ones out there who are using our laundry room to hatch and grow Brine Shrimp.

Right?

Oh, and don't kid yourself. Since I am not one of the authorized personnel allowed into my own laundry room, you know what that means.

I just got out of cleaning towels and sheets.

One Word

2012-01-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

Since all the hype about New Year's Resolutions has somewhat quieted down, I thought now would be a good time to share my One Word for the New Year. Hey, at least it's still January, which is better than I did last year. It's all about improvement.

I love choosing one word instead of listing off a whole list of things I hope to do or not to do. It's about having one word that will encompass my entire year. The one thing I want to focus on and grow in the most. It's going to be a bit deeper than "Getting into the habit of drinking eight, eight ounce, glasses of water a day". (Which is totally on my list of things to do this year, by the way.) No, this is more about changing who I am as a person in my heart, and growing closer to God.

In the past two years that I have done this, I feel like there was transformational growth in my heart. The first year, I chose the word "Others". I was hoping to grow a heart that was more "Others focused" and less "Me focused". God opened my eyes in many different ways to the way others live, hurt, need, love, worship, give, and serve. The world around me really opened up as I took my eyes off of myself and looked at others instead.

Last year, the word I chose was "Still". I have to laugh at that now. I can't begin to tell you all the different ways that God taught me how to be still last year, but it began with Him lovingly forcing our family, and our way of life, to a complete and total halt. We were plain shut down. We could do nothing but be still. But in the stillness, we learned so much about God. How He loves, provides, and carries. We learned about His strength, sovereignty, and power. I would have missed all of it had I not been forced to be still. When I first chose that word, it was because I thought I needed rest. I felt like I needed a break from life. You know, like a coffee break or a vacation. While our lives became a crazy ride, I let go of many things I was holding on to way too tightly. Things that wore me out. Things that took away peace. Things that kept me from rest, and in letting go, I rested. In the stillness, He was my complete and perfect rest.

Now that I have two years of the One Word Challenge under my belt, I know what an impact choosing one word can be. So, I did not take this on lightly this year. I spent time in prayer, and really spent time searching my heart. I learned so much in our crazy last year. I came to a whole new understanding of what it means to be sustained by God, and how God strengths can be made perfect in my weaknesses. I have never had to rely on God the way I had to this past year, and in that complete surrender, I was able to do more. I was stronger. I was more capable. I also learned how to be OK with the fact that, on my own, I will fall short. It's just the hardcore truth.

This year, I am ready. I feel like I've rested, and I'm ready to tackle this new year. I want to scream, "BRING IT ON!" Except, this time, I don't say that thinking that I am going to do much on my own. No, this time I say it knowing I can't. Instead, I will be solely relying on God. So, what is my word? It's "Reckless".

This year, I want to be "Reckless" in the way I love. I want to love the people around me with a reckless love that can only come from our Savior. A love that isn't concerned with loving only if it's fair. A love that loves even if it might not be returned. A love that might get broken and bleed. A love that isn't earned or deserved. On my own this kind of love would be scary, heartbreaking, impossible, and down right nuts. But when this love is the love that overflows from my heart, and whose source is Christ, it's a different love. This is Christ's love. A love that is patient, and kind. A love that does not envy or boast, and isn't proud. A love that is not easily angered, and keeps no records of wrong. A love that protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. A love that never fails. (1Corin 13:4-8) This isn't my love. It's impossible for me to love like this. This love is the perfect and sacrificial love of Christ. A love that is to be shared.

Recklessly.

This year I want to recklessly love my husband, kids, and family members. But I don't want to stop there because that would be comfortable, not reckless. I want to continue beyond my comfort zone and love those in my neighborhood, church, school community, and city. And like a ripple in water, I want to reach further. I want to recklessly love those that have wronged me, those who don't get a second look, and those who don't know love at all, in hopes that they too may experience the love of Christ themselves.

This song says it all.

"Bring your love to life inside of me
Why don’t you break my heart ’til it moves my hands and feet
For the hopeless and the broken
for the ones that don’t know that you love them
Bring your love to life inside of me.
Love come to life, bring love to life inside of me."-Big Daddy Weave, Love Come to Life

She's Got Style

2012-01-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

D: Mom, I think I finally know what my style is.
me: What? You're style?
D: Yea, I think my style is definitely heels and boot cut jeans.
me: Are we talking about the way that you like to dress?
D: Yup, I just love wearing heels and boot cut jeans. It's the perfect look.

While I wholeheartedly agree with this statement, I wish you could have been there to see my face.

And in case you are wondering; no, I won't be taking her on a shopping spree anytime soon.

More Pictures for Your Viewing Pleasure

2012-01-13T13:08:00.000-07:00

As I continue to get caught up from my "Lack of blogging, but still taking pictures" phase of life I am in, I present to you: The Girl and her 9th Birthday.

First up: her nine year old pictures. Each year this is proving to be more and more difficult, yet easier at the same time. How is this even possible? First, The Girl likes outdoor pictures. Well, the funny thing is, her birthday lands in January...every single year. I find it difficult to find interesting locations with the lack of outdoor beauty that we have in comparison to the summer or fall months. While I think the snow is gorgeous, and love taking pictures in it, it isn't always a guarantee that we will have some on the ground. It's more likely that we will just have brown. All over. And let's say we do have snow on the ground. Snow equals cold. Very cold. I've found that she and I both tend to be a bit grouchy when trying to work pictures in the cold. So there you have dilemma number one. Dilemma number two: She's nine. I want to pose her like she's older, but not too old. I want to dress her hip and cool, but not too old. I want to make her look like the beauty she is, but not too old. Are you seeing where I am going with this? There is a fine line, people.

It also has gotten easier. Since she is nine, she has her own ideas for what she wants her pictures to look like (and they are good ideas, too), she has an opinion on what she would like to wear/what she thinks is cool (thankfully, she is pretty modest, and her style isn't too far out there), and The Girl can pose. I mean not just, "You stand here, and smile like that" type of following directions posing, but she can "Work the camera like she was born to work it" type of posing. I give her very little direction, and she just goes with it. I love that.

Here's my not too old, dressed appropriately, and "working the camera like no one's business" nine year old girl:

This picture and the one after it are probably my favorite of the session. I just love the way they look snowy and cold (and it was so cold that day...not so snowy, though). They are exactly what I hope for in a outdoor winter shoot:

Since I can't choose the second image for my wall (it goes the wrong direction), I think I might go with this one. I like the wood background, and I love her real smile. She was laughing at herself:

This is The Hub's choice for the wall. I like this one too...not sure which way I'll go:

Later that week, we also had her birthday party. This year, we came up with an idea, picked a date, and sent out invites for just a few days later. It was a whirlwind for sure. I thought no one would be able to come with such short notice, however, each friend she invited was able to make it. She decided she wanted to get her nails done and have pizza at a local salon and pizza place very close to home. Well, neither place took reservations, down payments, or offered party packages. So, I kindly let them know that 10 little girls would be coming, and the day and time. They were thankful for the forewarning. We were in and out of the nail salon in 30 minutes, and then they all walked a few doors down to the pizza place where we stuffed ourselves with pizza and cake, and played a fun game of "Would you rather" (which third grade girls find hil-ar-ious). Just goes to show, you can throw together a party, where everyone has a great time, out of thin air. It was two hours of giggly, squealing, girly chaos, and I survived.

Here are some pics:

Showing off the nail color they picked:

Getting the toes done:

Dry time:

Everyone's finished product:

The wild crew on our way out of the salon:

I'm sure the salon owners were happy to see us leave...not to mention the other unsuspecting customers who came to relax and have a pedicure after a long week of work.

Here they are at the pizza place:

And blowing out the candles:

The pizza place had some difficult lighting, to say the least. I rarely (like this was my third time) use my flash on my professional camera. So, needless to say, I need to get into the manual and figure out the flash on that baby. As you can see, there was a lot of photoshop correcting done to that last image due to the flash totally annihilating the image. I'm a little sick over it since she only blows out her nine candles once. I wish I had something better.

Since I was able to survive this party, I'm sure I will be able to muster up the strength to somehow survive not getting the perfect shot of her blowing out her candles.

And I've survived posting the second half of our photo album called "Catch Up".

Whew!

I've Been Meaning to do This For A While...

2012-01-11T12:20:00.000-07:00

So, last month, when we were going nuts finishing up school, attending "Holiday Concerts", being a part of the Annie Jr. production, Christmas shopping, Christmas decorating, and doing all of our Advent calendar stuff, I had all these great ideas for blogs that I wanted to write about each event. I even took pictures. Seeing as how now we are almost a month past some of these things, I thought it would be better if I just slammed all the pictures into one post, wrote a little something about each one, and then tied a bow on top and called it good.

Good.

Here we go:

(OK. I lied. The Pictures start back in NOVEMBER. Shameful.)

First up: The Girl. She was in a play that her class put together to wrap up their studies on Greek Mythology. The Girl is all about acting/drama this year. She loves it. Here she is delivering her lines:

Here are the kids on the Friday after Thanksgiving. They are kicking off the Christmas Season with our annual viewing of Polar Express in our bed with hot cocoa. It's a fun tradition, that I am afraid one day they will grow out of. If not because they feel like they are too old for it, but just because they just grow too big to fit in our bed. Seriously. There was a large amount of elbowing going on.

Compare that pic with this:

See how well we all fit when they were small. However, they. Will. Not. Stop. Growing.

I had this great, super funny, blog post in my head about the day that my Nativity Set was massacred by my "table". I put the word table in quotes because I don't know if you can call it a table since it falls over quite frequently, and for no apparent reason. I guess it just doesn't understand that it's a table and it's only job is to stand up. If you think you are sensing frustration, you are correct.

So as my table decided to lay on it's side again, it also took out my Nativity Set. Somehow, time got away from me and you missed this hilarious post.

You're welcome.

Remember when The Little Man had to pick a career? When it was time to actually dress up as what you wanted to be when you grew up, The Little Man ditched his idea of being a Game Show Host, and decided that being a pilot sounded pretty cool. What made it even better was that our new neighbor is a pilot, so he lent us all his gear. The Little Man looked super sharp!

Next, are probably some of my most favorite candid pics of the year of The Girl. They were taken during her Annie Jr. performance. I love how when I look at them, I am reminded of what a fun day it was. I spent the entire day with her behind stage as a make-up person, and watched them as they got in costume, practiced lines, and prepped for the show. She had such a great time this year in Drama Club, and I am proud of all her hard work.

Singing:

Dressed as a servant (she was both an orphan and a servant):

More singing orphans:

Final curtain call:

The Little Man was the next performer. Notice he is back row center. That's the spot they save for the tall kids:

I've included these next two pics not to prove that my son has friends, but to further prove the tall factor he's got going on:

*Sigh* My sweet gentle giant.

My Little Man also enjoyed his first day on the slopes. He did great, and wants to go again soon:

Christmas was great this year. Here are a few of the kids' favorite gifts:

The Little Man wanted Lego Harry Potter years 5-7 for his DSi more than he wanted to eat. That is saying A LOT:

If it was possible for him to want anything more, this would have been the gift: Harry Potter Diagon Alley Lego set:

Even though it wasn't on her Christmas lists, Santa had a pretty good idea that The Girl would just love her own keyboard and some piano lessons to go with it:

And really, what girl isn't happy with a pair of shoes. Especially, if they are a pair of Toms:

We spent some time with cousins for the New Year at their cabin. One of the days we took the kids up to a tubing hill and had a seriously fun time. I am happy to report that there were no injuries (unlike last time when my tailbone took a brutal beating), and The Girl's head did not get ripped off. I was able to save her by screaming like a mad woman, "LIFT UP YOUR HEAD!!! LIFT UP YOUR HEAD!!" as she thought it would be wise to tip her head back as she enjoyed hurtling down the hill at high speeds.

I had a slight heart attack.

The Cousins all together with their animal hats. (This animal hat craze is....different...Cute, though.)

The two:

And that's how we ended our year. The week after Christmas was one of the better weeks of the whole year. We were able to really enjoy the time together as a family, and The Hubs was actually able to take some time off of work which made the time pretty much perfect. I was thankful to return back to our busy lives feeling rested and refreshed.

When is our next break?

My Girl...She's 9

2012-01-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

Sweet Girl,

I'm not sure how it happened, but yesterday you turned nine. Nine years old! I can hardly wrap my mind around it. For a long time I would think about this day, and feel like it was so far away. I could not imagine you at this age. I would see clothing at stores that were the size a nine year old would wear and just marvel at the size of them. It did not seem possible that you would one day fit into those clothes.

And now, here we are.

Nine.

It came so much faster than I ever thought it would.

We've had a wild ride this last year, and I am so proud of the way you have taken it all in. You have grown out of the little girl phase and are starring dead on at the "tweens". I'm starring at the "tweens" like a deer in the headlights. I won't sugar coat it: I'm totally terrified. Unlike the first few years of your life, my heart now has complete understanding of how fast time moves. I don't want to waste a single second with you.

I love how you can sit and have deep conversations with me now. We discuss things like friends, emotions, troubles with school, and Jesus. I pray that you will continue to come to me to talk. I don't care if it's about your favorite color, some crazy dream you've had, or if it's more on the serious side. I pray that you always know that, no matter what, we (daddy too) are here for you.

You are one amazing ~~little~~ girl. You have one of the biggest hearts I have ever seen. Through this year, I pray that God would fill every square inch of that heart. That you would come to know Him better each day, and that your heart's greatest desire would be to seek Him and please Him in all you do. I pray that in coming to know Him better, your heart would know how much He loves you. You are treasured, you are sacred, and you are His. I am so grateful that He has chosen to share you with us. These last nine years have been a wild and wonderful ride!

Love,
Mom

Here is your birthday montage:

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Advent Wrap Up

2011-12-28T22:08:00.000-07:00

Now that we are a few days post Christmas, post craziness, post great family memories, I feel like I can sit down and really go through/reflect on our Advent activities.

Since we were able to sit down as a family, and discuss our feelings (good or bad) about all the activities, I feel like I can now share what we thought, what we'd change, what we can't wait to do again. I'll run through them one by one, and if there is a pic, I'll share that too.

1. Pass out coupons at a local restaurant or shop:
We did this three separate times, and this was hands down the least favorite activity. Not "hands down" because it was so awful and we got such horrible responses. Actually, the opposite would be true. People really responded wonderfully to receiving coupons. The kids were told "Merry Christmas!" and "Thank You!" many times over. Also, they loved walking up to a stranger and giving them a coupon. No, it ended up being the least favorite by everyone because of the time involved. I WAY underestimated how much time this would take. I thought it would be super quick and easy. Actually, each time we went out (three times total) we were gone for well over an hour. And this hour was during the dinner rush, so we could catch people going into the restaurants, which also happened to be our dinner time too. Also, since I didn't think this activity would take too much time or effort, I had chosen days that we were a bit on the busier side. Hungry and hurried was a bad combo. It left a bad taste in every one's mouth.

When we sat down and discussed this activity we concluded that sometimes serving others takes a lot of patience. Many times it also takes a sacrifice of time. And some of the time it isn't comfortable or easy. We also discussed that if serving required patience, sacrifice of time, and lack of comfort and ease, does that mean we should avoid it. Also, in discussion, we pondered: Does God ever ask us to do things that are hard, uncomfortable, or a huge sacrifice.

Good stuff. Good stuff.

Here they are on our first night, not really knowing the wait they were in for, ready to give out coupons:

2. Put change for a drink in a Ziploc bag and tape it to a couple of vending machines with a special note:
This activity was fun and easy. There wasn't a very big impact, though. We didn't hang around to see who got the change. However, that doesn't mean it didn't bless someone. We talked about making an impact on others and remaining invisible/not serving others just so you can reap a reward.

3. Make Christmas treats for our local firehouse:
This one was interesting. We got busy that day and I didn't have treats ready until after normal business hours of our local firehouse. What that meant was that no one was a the front desk, the doors were locked, and everything was dark. It also meant that I had to ring the emergency bell.

*Ahem*

I'm not sure if those guys were as thrilled to receive cookies as much as they were left wondering what a crazy lady, who came with her two kids, in the snow, later in the evening, to drop off cookies was all about.

Yup, fairly certain there are some fake smiles in that group.

5. Bring colors and color books to local hospital waiting rooms:
This was another activity that I know was helpful and appreciated by the staff at our local Children's Hospital. However, and thankfully, there were no children there the day we dropped them off. The staff thanked the kids profusely, but after that day, neither child brought this activity up again. It was like they checked Advent off the list for the day. Not really what I was hoping for, but again, we don't serve others to gain recognition for ourselves.

6. Pass out coupons at a local restaurant or shop. (See #1)

7. Hide dollar bills on different products/toys at the dollar shop in our area:
The kids both really loved this one. Again, it wasn't something that we got thanked for or really one that anyone noticed at the time. However, the kids loved finding just that special something that they hoped someone would want, and then would have the means to buy it. I loved seeing what the kids picked out. The Little Man picked toys. I could just see his little mind working. He was thinking, "If I came to this store and found this awesome toy, then asked my mom if I could have it, I bet she would say no. But then! THEN! I would find this dollar and BAM! I could get it!"

At least that's how I think the conversation in his head went.

The Girl, she went about what she chose differently. She thought about what people would need, and maybe are having a hard time affording. So she hid her dollars in the baby aisle.

In both cases, my heart melted for sure.

Someone asked me, "What if the workers were the ones who found the money, and they just kept it for themselves?" I guess that could happen, and if it did, we prayed that it would be a worker who really needed the money.

8. Leave a treat and note of thanks for our mailman in the mailbox:

Did she really like the cookies that much? I don't know, but I was very thankful and happy for her thankfulness.

9. Collect and put away carts in a shopping center parking lot:
Both the kids and I LOVED this activity. It was super freezing cold, very dark, and we were in a very busy parking lot, but somehow we managed to have a great time, and no one got killed. We got to learn a very important lesson: When you tell someone "thank you", you should always look them in the eye, smile, and have a cheerful and sincere voice. Sometimes people can say "thanks", but their body language says something very different.

I could have told them that over and over. Oh wait, I have. So for them to actually experience it, was pure gold. They totally get it now.

Thank you, less than grateful lady in the parking lot.

10. Clean out toy room and donate toys to local toy charity:
This one didn't work out as well as I had hoped. We got the toy room cleaned out, and the kids really were great about getting rid of stuff with the intention of giving it to someone who would love it. However, I guess everyone does this at this time of year, and I did ours way too late in the game. All the local charities were no longer accepting donations for gently use toys. We still have them and will hopefully be dropping stuff off in the spring. I wish I would have know that earlier.

11. Pass out coupons at a local restaurant or shop:
See number 1.

12. Treats and note of appreciation to our school secretaries and principals.
13. Treats and note of appreciation to our school janitor:
I'm going to combine 12 and 13 together because they basically were the same. I love that these were The Girl's ideas to think of these people. I also love that the principal sent us a thank you note over the break. We are learning the value of heart felt thank you's.

14. Spend the day focusing on kindness. Look people in the eye, smile at everyone, and give compliments generously:
This one was hard for me to monitor. The kids were at school all day so I have no idea if what they did at school was what they said they did. Not that I think they are lied, but I am sure school wasn't too conducive to this particular task. We did, however, work on this throughout the Advent activities. Especially after the lesson learned in number 9.

15. Send a care package to someone in need of company this Christmas:
Loved this one! The kids did too. We took care of my youngest sister who was away from home for her first time this Christmas. When she called us crying, and telling us how much it meant that she got that package on that particular day, it was really special. This is one of those activities that I totally saw God's hand put pieces together.

16. Leave a present with our tip for our waiter/waitress:
This was a really fun activity too. I was worried what it would be like. I mean what if our server that night was a total jerk, or just really bad? Thankfully, our server turned out to be really good, super nice, and very attentive. At the end of dinner we pulled out our movie theater sized boxes of candy, used the receipt to leave a note saying, "Thanks for making our night so sweet", and then left it under the bill. The kids totally waited to see what she would do when she saw what we left. They were happy to report that she smiled really big.

17. Visit a nursing home with homemade cards for the residents:
This particular activity did not go the way I thought it would at all. The kids spent most of the afternoon making several cards for some of the seniors living at at local senior home. I thought for sure they would be very excited to drop them off and to sit and chat for a bit. Well, I thought that The Girl would like to do that and The Little Man I would help along. In actuality, it was totally the opposite. The Girl said that this was her least favorite activity of the entire Advent season. I could tell too just by looking at her. She was super uncomfortable around the folks that received our cards, and had a difficult time striking up any conversation. The Little Man, on the other hand, passed out his cards and then played a little X Box with a few of them.

At Christmas breakfast, when we discussed our Advent together, The Girl said she just felt really uncomfortable around a bunch of older people who didn't know her but wanted to talk to her. We discussed how God has asked us to care for the widows and orphans, and how many of those people in that facility are widowed. We discussed how important it is for people to feel loved and cared for, and how lonely these people could be. She didn't really change her mind, but that's OK. God gives each of us a heart for something different. This just wasn't her thing.

Here are some of the sweet people we met that day:

18. Give an appreciation gift to our pastor and his wife:
Just a quick drop off of a Panera gift card for our Pastor and his wife and a note that let them know how much we appreciate how they have cared for our family and the families in our church.

19. Pass out meal coupons (fully paid for meals), to those who may go hungry that night:
This was another one that the timing was perfectly orchestrated. The Hubs just happened to have a block of time in which he could spare, so he was our driver. This proved to be essential for two reasons: 1. It snowed that day and I am no good at driving in the snow and 2. Because of the snow there were not as many homeless people out on the streets. Thankfully, most of them were seeking shelter. That meant that we needed as many eyes as we could get to find people to pass our coupons out too. It also meant that these coupons not only fed the person that got them, but it allowed them to seek shelter and warmth for a while. Again, the fingerprints of God were all over this one. Because of previous experiences in our Advent activities, the kids really made sure that they caught the person's eyes, smiled at them, and said Merry Christmas. Thankfully, each person was very gracious and thankful. This activity happened to be one of my favorites. I hope in the next year to find a way to serve these people more.

20. Hide small toys in a park with a note for the kids who find them:
Unfortunately, the toys were bought for this activity, but we never got the chance to hide them. Turns out, in December, it snows a lot. So either it was snowing, or the parks were buried in snow.   We will donate the toys with the other gently used toys we cleaned out of our toy room.

21. Bring goodies and note of thanks to our local librarians.
This was pretty fun. We go to our local library quite frequently.   My kids read like crazy, so it was only appropriate that we thank them for helping us to enjoy reading so much. They were ever so grateful and were surprised that we thought of them. I love that they felt loved.

22. Donate food to our local food bank:
This was my other favorite. Our local food bank serves over 500 families in our small town. FIVE HUNDRED. These are kids who go to our schools, families who we see at the parks, people who we may interact with on some level somewhere in our community, and they are hungry. The man that was accepting donations that day took us on a tour of the facility and explained how everything worked. It was fascinating. He said that after six months (on average) 80% of the people who use the pantry are back up on their feet again and do not require assistance any longer. Many of them come back as volunteers. That is a great success rate. My heart was full that day, and I totally see myself back there again soon to donate my time.

23. Bring goodies to all of our neighbors:
This was especially fun this year because we have new neighbors. I have enjoyed getting to know them more, and hope to be able to know them better in the new year.

24. Leave diapers and wipes at a couple of changing stations:
Honestly, we skipped this one. Here's the deal. After about the half way mark, these Advent activities became very difficult to keep up with. The kids were burning out, and I was burning out trying to keep them from burning out. While all of the activities got done, some got done on different days than we originally planned, and this one got left out all together. I really prayed a lot through out this Advent, and I felt like there were some things that just were things to check off a list. I didn't want that. When we were more open to being spirit led, instead of being task oriented, our activities touched our hearts much more deeply.

All in all, I did really love our Advent this year. It was a LOT of work. No joke. And it was also during an already busy time of the year. I would like to do something similar next year, but there will be some tweaks to it.

I think having a couple of days where we can do fun things as a family would be a great way to recharge batteries and prevent burn out.   That works very well with the fact that some of the activities were not liked as much. Does that mean that all activities we don't like we don't have to do? No. It means that I would like to spend more time praying over activities before making our list of stuff to do rather than making a list and then praying that what we do would bless people. Next year, I hope to be more spirit led and less task oriented, so I might also consider lightening the load during the time when the kids are in school, after school activities, and all the other things that come along with the Christmas season to make it totally nuts. Even though I say I would want to make some tweaks, I would still do it again.

Prayerfully, next year we will.

Turns Out, There Were Reasons To Get Out of Our Jammies

2011-12-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

While it was the goal of both kids to never leave the house or their pajamas until Christmas day, other stuff has drawn them into the "Land of the Living".

Much to their chagrin, the kids needed to leave the house a few times in order to do our advent activities.

I know. I must be the meanest mom on the planet, right? I mean, I MADE them get dressed so they could pass out meal coupons to the homeless, go the library and bring treats to the librarians, pass out Christmas goodies to our neighbors, and bring a donation to our local food bank.

Horrible. Just horrible. I guess they could have done all of those things in their PJ's.

However, The Little Man got the fun opportunity to do something he's been wanting to do for a little while now. The Hubs took him up for some snowboarding on Wednesday. He took a lesson for the whole day, while The Hubs watched (The Hubs was supposed to also go boarding, but his boots were not fitting properly, thus he sat and watched the lesson.). After hearing about how much fun it was to watch The Little Man, I was a little sad that I missed it. Instead, The Girl and I spent a day together doing some girly type stuff. We planned holiday menus, made lists, ate out for lunch, got a pedicure, and watched a movie. So all in all, I think we had a great time too. All four of us met up later at a Mexican restaurant, and shared our days with one another. Fun was had by all, and not one of us was in our pajamas.

Turns out snowboarding is way more fun in snow pants, a hat, some boots, a coat, and some gloves.

Yesterday, we had quite the little snow storm. It dumped about eleven inches of the white stuff. So, right after breakfast, both kids were anxious to get out into it and play. PJ's don't really work for that either.

Funny, no one complained.

After an hour or so, they were ready to come inside, and warm up. They were ready to get back into those jammies for the rest of the day. Off goes the coats, hats, mittens, boots, and then the snow pants. That's when The Little Man stopped.

p: Oooops.
me: What's the problem? Did you rip the pants? Are they stuck?
p: No. I just need to go to my room to finish changing.
me: No. Please don't. I'd rather all the cold snow stay down stairs on this towel. It makes it much easier to clean up.
p: I can't.
me: Why?
p: I don't have any pants on.
me: What? What does that mean, you "Don't have any pants on?"
p: It means I am just in my undies under here.
me: What? You are just in your underwear under there?
p: Yes.
me: You mean you went outside in the freezing cold snow with no pants on except for your snow pants?
p: Yes. I didn't want to get dressed today, Mama. So I'm kinda naked under here.

Sure enough, there were no clothes under those snow pants.

Nice.

Thankfully, his father was with him snowboarding. Lunch would have been pretty embarrassing if we would've let him dress himself.

The lengths he will go to avoid getting dressed for the day.

Our Goals, They Are Lofty

2011-12-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

My heart is happy.

It is Christmas Break.

*Sigh*

I think it's safe to say that when you ask most kids what they would like to do for Christmas Break, many would say things like: "Hang out with friends", "Go to the movies", "Go skiing", or many many other things that would include "Going" or "Doing".

Not my kids.

Upon entering the house after school on Friday, The Little Man declared, "YES! It's finally Christmas Break. I am going to put on my jammies and not take them off for seven straight days!"

When I casually responded that it would be awkward for him to be in his jammies when we were out doing some of our Advent activities, he actually started to cry.

I thought he was exaggerating.

I guess not.

When The Girl came home from school later that afternoon (Little Man only does half day kindergarten), she too had a proclamation of how she would like to spend her Christmas Break.

"YES! Finally I can sleep in all the way until 9:30 the next night if I want to! I'm going to sleep, sleep, sleep!"

Well.

Who am I to stand in the way of greatness?

No Condemnation

2011-12-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

Clearly, all that blogging in November set me up for a small break here in December.

Whew!

Actually, that Advent project that I posted on, just previous to this post, well, it turns out I was right. It's taking up some serious time. Which isn't all that bad. Needless to say, there will be some changes made to this project next year. However, I want to follow it all out as planned before I make any decisions on how it could be different. Who knows, maybe when it's all said and done, I will think, "Yep, it was all worth it. I wouldn't change a thing!"

We'll see!

At some point, I would like to share the pictures of some of the projects we've done. Honestly, though, I haven't really taken too many. At first, I kept forgetting my camera, which is odd since I was just using my phone, and I never leave home without my phone. Somehow, I managed to forget my phone at home a few times in a row. Then, at other times, it just seemed awkward to take a picture. I felt weird pulling my camera out. Like it was inappropriate. Also, I kept feeling reminded of the fact that we weren't doing this for ourselves (i.e. to make some sort of scrapbook or to share pics with grandma, etc.). We were doing this for the people who we had chosen to share God's love with. Taking a picture just makes it feel like a project to document, or something. All that to say, I only have a few pics...for good reason.

One last thing about Advent before I share what I came here to share: I love that somehow number 4 is missing on my list of things we are doing. I am certain that I didn't skip number 4 when I originally typed out the post. In fact, I actually went back and forth as to whether or not I should put that activity on my blog. Number 4 was a project that I wanted to be kind of secret since the person who would be receiving it might read this blog or hear about our Advent activities. I didn't want whoever received number 4 to think that they were part of a "project". Because they weren't. They received number 4 because we love them, and we felt the Spirit lead us to them. Yes, it was on the list of "things to do", but we really prayed over that particular activity, and I am thankful for the way it all came together and turned out. The recipients were blessed, and we were as well. So, the fact that number 4 never showed up on the blog made it even more special, and I didn't need to worry.

So. That's Advent.

So far.

I hope to have time soon to go through each experience, not to bore you to death, but to remember for ourselves.

Speaking of remembering, I am now remembering the real reason I logged in tonight....

The other night, as we finished up reading our Bible story, there were some discussion questions. One of the questions asked, "Have you ever confessed a sin to God? How do you know you were forgiven?"

I absolutely adored The Little Man's response:
me: After you told God what you did and asked for Him to forgive you, did He?
p: Yes.
me: How do you know?
p: Because, when I first prayed to Him and told Him what I did I felt really bad. But then I asked Him if I could be forgiven. Right away I felt really good again. It was like I was all better. That's how I know He forgave me. I didn't feel bad anymore. I felt really good again. I could just go on.

I love how simple "Childlike faith" is.

He confessed and was forgiven. Just like God says He will do when we come to Him in true repentance. I always want to make it more difficult. Maybe carry around some guilt for awhile, or sit around waiting on some form of punishment.

Instead, His word tells us:
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set youfree from the law of sin and death." -Romans 8:1-2

And:
“Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.”
¹⁸ And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary." -Hebrews 10:17-18

Thank you, Jesus.

It's Time for Advent!

2011-12-01T21:32:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe today is the first day of December! Where did this year go?

As we have been slowly getting ready for Christmas since October, thanks to many stores decorating well before Halloween has even gotten here, my mind has been really struggling with doing something different. I feel like sometimes, with wanting to keep up with tradition, even though I want to/intend to really focus our family on Christ, giving, and servant-hood, each and every year we get wrapped back up into going, doing, and buying for ourselves.

Meanwhile, the entire time I'm constantly telling the kids, "Christmas is a time for giving, not receiving."   And they're all, "We know, Mom!" as they roll their eyes. Not because they don't want to give, but because I say it all. The. Time. Why? Because I feel like I have to overcompensate in telling them because we lack in the DOING. I am hoping that by saying it over and over and over, that somehow it will get into their minds and hopefully their hearts.

What I have been missing is the doing. That's how we learn. When we do, it becomes a part of us, and we remember how it felt. So, this year instead of hoping it will be different, it will be different. Instead of talking about it, we're going to do it!

This year, inside of our advent calendar, instead of having chocolates, small gifts, or an idea for a Christmas/winter craft or activity with the family, the kids will find instructions for doing a Random Act of Kindness. A way to give to someone else. This Christmas as we talk about how we celebrate the gift of God's Son to us by giving gifts to others, we are actually going to give gifts to others all Advent long.

Thankfully, I'm not the one who invented the wheel on this one! There are many blogs/articles/TV shows/books out there that talk about Random Acts of Kindness and giving to others. So instead of re-inventing the wheel, we are totally using the wheel...and taking it apart a little...and rebuilding it as our own.

Truth be told, I am totally overwhelmed by the amount of effort that serving others each day of this Advent season (which is usually the busiest time of the year) that this is going to take. However, I recognize that when things are hard, they are totally worth it. Will this mean we get to do all the other things we used to do before Christmas? You know, the other stuff that kept us busy. Maybe. But maybe we'll have to say "no" to some things too.   That's OK. I am sure that what we are doing instead, will be totally worth it.   Also, I am already seeing God's hand in this.

First, the kids are super, super excited. They've been counting down to advent since I told them what we were doing over a week ago. That right there is motivation for me, as well as evidence that they too are ready to live out their faith and put some action to words already! Secondly, as I have been feeling overwhelmed about staying organized and making sure I leave enough time for each activity and the prep for each activity, God has really opened doors, made time, and even made financial provisions for some of the gifts planned. Since this is only the first day, I can't wait to see all He does in the next 24 days. And I can't wait to see the kids see all He can do, either.

I don't know if I'll be able to blog each and every day. Actually, I know I WON'T be blogging our adventures each and everyday. Remember: there will be somethings I will have to say "no" to. But, each time I come here, I will try to update the best that I can. I really want to photograph and write about each and every thing, word, and emotion. However, I also must recognize that I am not doing this for us.   No, this is for others.

So, what about today? Today we went through some of the coupon books that we had purchased in support of some high school sport teams.   It kills me that so many of them expire and never get used, either because I forget I have them or because we don't go to those restaurants or shops. One particular coupon book had some pretty great coupons. I mean these coupons where for like $10 and $15 off with no minimum purchase required. That's like a gift card in my world. So, instead of letting them go to waste, we gave them out. Tonight, at around dinner time, we parked outside of each place and waited for someone to go inside. As they did, the kids got out and asked if they would like a coupon for their meal. Of course, people were totally excited to have a coupon. When they saw how much it was for, they were a little taken aback. Some asked, "Are you sure you are not going to use it?" others asked, "Why? What do I have to do?" Both kids were excited to say, "It's yours for nothing!" Thankfully, the recipients were very gracious and kind, which was very encouraging to both kids. They both got back into the car excited about helping someone out, and very excited about what was waiting for them in the advent calendar tomorrow.

Here they are, ready with coupons!

Here's a list of what will be up to this month:
1. Pass out coupons at a local restaurant or shop.
2. Put change for a drink in a Ziploc bag and tape it to a couple of vending machines with a special note.
3. Make Christmas treats for our local firehouse.

5. Bring colors and color books to local hospital waiting rooms.
6. Pass out coupons at a local restaurant or shop.
7. Hide dollar bills on different products/toys at the dollar shop in our area.
8. Leave a treat and note of thanks for our mailman in the mailbox.
9. Collect and put away carts in a shopping center parking lot.
10. Clean out toy room and donate toys to local toy charity.
11. Pass out coupons at a local restaurant or shop.
12. Treats and note of appreciation to our school secretaries and principals.
13. Treats and note of appreciation to our school janitor.
14. Spend the day focusing on kindness. Look people in the eye, smile at everyone, and give compliments generously.
15. Send a care package to someone in need of company this Christmas.
16. Leave a present with our tip for our waiter/waitress.
17. Visit a nursing home with homemade cards for the residents.
18. Give an appreciation gift to our pastor and his wife.
19. Pass out meal coupons (fully paid for meals), to those who may go hungry that night.
20. Hide small toys in a park with a note for the kids who find them.
21. Bring goodies and note of thanks to our local librarians.
22. Donate food to our local food bank.
23. Bring goodies to all of our neighbors.
24. Leave diapers and wipes at a couple of changing stations.

On the 25th, I hope to discuss, celebrate, and praise all the ways that God has worked and been glorified through the month...as well as celebrate the best gift ever given. His Son.

Thankfulness Wrap-Up

2011-11-30T21:15:00.001-07:00

To wrap up my "Month of Thanks", I think I will just list off a few things I've been thankful for the past two days, and then have some final thoughts.

(Why I felt the need to explain that, I have no clue.)

I am thankful for:

1) The fact that today is my parent's 39th wedding anniversary (Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad!). I am so thankful for the blessing of their marriage. I have come to a new appreciation for the commitment, selflessness, and work it takes to be married for any length of time. I am very thankful for the example they have given not only my sisters and I, but also the next generation of our family. It's a real gift, and I am thankful.

2) The Little man never letting me down when it comes to making me laugh. Yesterday, after discussing the next big Kindergarten unit at school, Kindergarten Economics, he announced that his dream job when he got older was to be a Game Show Announcer.

I have no clue.

Since he was dead serious, and after a few questions I discovered he also knew exactly what he was talking about, I just tried to do my best to not burst out laughing. I think there was also a moment when he actually suggested that, "Someday the guy who's on Wheel of Fortune might want to take a break". The Hubs was also dead serious when he said, "I just hope that's something he grows out of.". Which was also outrageously funny to me.

Honey, if you are reading this, I think we're safe.

Oh, laughter, I am thankful for you!

3) The gorgeous weather I was able to soak up today, especially knowing that tomorrow will be a day full of snow and cold.

4) Having a great conversation with two of my sisters in the last two days. I am so thankful that, as adults, we choose to be each others friends and support.

5) Running into a friend at the library. Through catching up on each other, she spoke truth and life to me, and I to her. Each one of us unknowingly. I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit and the way he leads, councils, and encourages.

Lastly, and at the risk of sounding corny, I am so thankful for this "Month of Thankfulness". I will confess that at the beginning of the month I thought I needed a little help with my attitude, and as a traditionalist, since I had done this before felt almost obliged to do it again. However, through the month I have been convicted over and over again of my lack of thankfulness and gratitude. I had let the sin of complaint, feeling sorry for myself, and over all joylessness creep into my heart and take up residence. I have allowed myself to believe that it was OK to do these things because of circumstances that have surrounded our family for this past year.

Finding things to be thankful for each day has put me into a better position to draw nearer to my Lord. I cannot believe some of the ways He has gently and loving spoken to my heart this past month, through my morning devotional, about my sin. He has opened up my eyes not only to the problem in my heart, but also to the freedom only He can offer me. The freedom of being joyful and thankful in any and all circumstances. Thankful that my life is perfectly planned out by a loving Father with eternal perspective. That each thing He chooses for me, He chooses out of love. Thankful that I have a Father who does not compromise. Even when that means I have a difficult road to travel at times. These are things worthy of praise and thanksgiving. I love the way Sarah Young's devotional Jesus Calling kind of wrapped up my month yesterday when she wrote (from the perspective of Jesus speaking to me):

"...However, I have taken you along a path that has highlighted your need for Me: placing you in situations where your strengths were irrelevant and your weaknesses were glaringly evident. Through the aridity of those desert marches, I have drawn you closer and closer to Myself. You have discovered flowers of Peace blossoming in the most desolate places. You have learned to thank Me for hard times and difficult journeys, trusting that through them I accomplish My best work. You have realized that needing Me is the key to knowing Me intimately, which is the gift above all gifts."

And that is how I would wrap up this month. God is most certainly working on my heart in the area of thankfulness in all circumstances. It's hard work. Painful work at times. But I know that He is faithful finish the work He has started (Phil. 1:6), that he will never leave me nor forsake me (Deut. 31:6), and that nothing will seperate me from His love (Rom 8:38).

I can be thankful for those things 365 days a year.

Laughter

2011-11-28T21:10:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful for laughter. I little comic relief. Sometimes I take life a little too serious, and I miss out on the times when I can just laugh.

Tonight, as we watched TV together, as a family, one of the people on the TV started speaking in Spanish. At some point she said "Mi Amor". The Girl quickly picked up on that and said, "Oh I know what she is talking about. She's talking about love and kissing." I responded with, "Oh really? How do you know?"

"Because, Mom, I heard her say 'amor' and that means love. Remember, I take Spanish in school?" She taught us the words for love and kiss. That's about the only useful thing I have gotten out of that class!" she came back with, very matter-of-fact like.

Laughter. It's something to be thankful for.

Family and Time

2011-11-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

Saturday, November 28th
Today I am thankful for my family. I am thankful for each person separately as well as our whole family unit. The Hubs works hard, and is probably the most generous person that I know. The Girl is very compassionate and is such a great care taker. She never has to be asked to help someone hurt or sick. She just does. Instinctively. And The Little Man, he's an encourager in his core. He also loves to give, just like his dad.

Today, as we went shopping for The Girl's Christmas gift, I had to explain to him that Christmas lists are something we can use to get an idea of what people like. They aren't a list of everything we need to buy for that person. He just responded with, "But these are all the things she wants, and I want to make sure she gets all of them."

Love that.

As I met with some girls at dinner and we talked about family dynamics, marriage, and children, I couldn't help but notice how content I was with what God has given me. He has blessed me abundantly in this area, and I feel as though my heart could burst with thankfulness.

Today:
I am thankful for the amount of time we have had off from school and schedules, and the amount of stuff that was accomplished in this time. I think we need to have two-day-weeks more often. I feel very rested and ready to start a new week. I feel organized and ready to take on the tasks that lay before me. I feel thankful for the time off, and thankful that I am not dreading going back.

Post Thanksgiving Hangover

2011-11-25T18:25:00.000-07:00

Ugh.

I feel so "eh".

If that is even a word.

As I was out for a walk today, I realized that this was the first Thanksgiving in five years that I wasn't part of some sort of Turkey-Trot or did some sort of pre-feast damage control in the form of a long run. With the bum hip this year, the run was a no-go. Yesterday, I didn't really miss it at all. It was quite wonderful to have a full day focused on my family and enjoying the day. Today, I felt it. Thankfully, I had time for a short walk, which really helped. I am also thankful to have something to look forward to on Monday: back to scheduled workouts.

Tonight I am thankful for traditions. It's Polar Express night in our house. I love this family tradition that we have. It is such a great way to kick off the Christmas season. I am thankful for the consistency in it, and that the kids look forward to it as much as I do.

(So, after searching for the link above I discovered that this is our SEVENTH year of this tradition! We started this tradition two years before I started this blog. Time flies when you are having fun.)

It's time to snuggle into some warm jammies, get the hot cocoa going, and get ready for Christmas!

At Least I Posted on Thanksgiving Day

2011-11-24T21:20:00.000-07:00

So, my track record posting here each day is less than stellar. I realize this. However, I was bound and determined to be here on Thanksgiving day.

Tuesday, November 22nd:
So thankful that today is the last day of the school week. I don't know about the kids, but I am so looking forward to having some time off of school. Some time not to pack lunches, not to wake up early, and NO HOMEWORK! I am also looking forward to spending some time with them at home.

With me.

I love and am thankful for that part the most.

I am also thankful for the walk that The Hubs and I got to take together today. It was so nice to be able to re-connect in the middle of the day. I am thankful for his job that allows him to work from home, which allows for spontaneous walks. I think that Gracie (the dog) was thankful too!

Wednesday, November 23:
I am so thankful for the time I got to spend with the kids today. Before I got out of bed, I had some wonderful prayer time. I asked the Lord to help me to be especially intentional with them today. Without His help, I can sometimes lean more towards the "go find something to do with your sister/brother, while I find interesting things on the computer" method. Yup, I can be a pretty stellar mom sometimes. But I really wanted something different for today. And I loved how our day turned out.

We started off by planning some fun Christmas activities, since, you know, December starts next week. Then we watched a couple of cartoons together (I cleaned up breakfast as well). After that, we went on a walk together (the kids rode their scooters while I walked). I loved watching them have so much fun riding around, racing each other, trying new tricks. The sky was super blue, and I had the perfect praise music the whole walk. It really was a wonderful 35 minutes. Even the dog did pretty well on her leash, and I didn't have to clean up after her once. That's huge! Later, we went to lunch together, and ate out on the patio. The weather was stellar, and the kids and I were able to have some great conversation. I am so thankful that we are in a stage of conversation. I love hearing what's on their minds and hearts. Next, we did a little Christmas ornament shopping. We were bummed to find out that we were not going to find the types of ornaments we were looking for in the stores, and would have to go online instead. It's just not as fun online. However, when we got home, we decided that something a little more personal would be better. So, using our Halloween pics, we made our own ornaments through a photo site. I'm excited to see how they turn out. Then, we wrapped up the day enjoying some Survivor together. I am just so thankful for the time we got to spend together. It was just what my mommy heart needed.

Today:
Today, I am thankful for my family. We were so blessed to have both sets of parents, as well as an uncle of mine, over to our home today. The house was full, but not overwhelming, the food was good, and the conversation nice. Everything seemed to be low-key. I got to try my hand at making my first pumpkin pie, and I was pretty impressed, if I do say so myself.

Our parents are so important to us, especially in this past year. It was nice to have them around the table, and to give thanks together. We did not have had the best set of circumstances this year, so it was nice to have those who understand the weight of it all, and who could appreciate the gratitude that we have in our hearts.

I loved and was thankful for my devotional today (Jesus Calling by Sarah Young) which reminded me of the importance of thankfulness:

"Thankfulness takes the sting out of adversity. That is why I have instructed you to give thanks for everything. There is an element of mystery in this transaction. You give me thanks (regardless of your feelings), and I give you joy (regardless of your circumstances)."

It goes on to say, "Thankfulness opens your heart to My Presence and your mind to My thoughts. You may still be in the same place, with the same set of circumstances, but it is as if a light has been switched on, enabling you to see from My perspective. It is this Light of My Presence that removes the sting from adversity."

What a great reminder on this day of thankfulness.

Lord, help me to see all the things that you have placed in my day that are worthy of gratitude. Thank you for loving me so much that you have gone before me and placed little treasures for me to find. Open my eyes to your gifts. Help my heart to trust you in all circumstances, giving thanks to you for your promises, which I can hold onto with assurance, despite the adversity that life brings. Amen.

Thankful to Blame it on Him

2011-11-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

November 20
So....I have this really great husband. Most of the time he is a couple of steps ahead of me in whatever is going on. Many times that means he is closing down shop for the night, in our house, before I can get to the computer to do my "Thankful Post". What I am trying to do here is tell you why it is nearly impossible for me to get to this blog more that two days in a row.

He's my excuse.

He's what I am thankful for.

Even though he has been incredibly ill this entire year, he never stops. He is always doing his best. He is super generous, and is always giving more than he takes.

After this past year, I am more thankful than ever to have him here with us each day.

Today, I am thankful for my husband.

Today:
I saw this on Facebook (sometimes there are some good things on that site!). It reminded me of why I wanted to do "A Month of Thanks" again this year. I think sometimes we just get too wrapped up in ourselves, and we forget just how blessed we are.

I am thankful.

He Is Always at Work

2011-11-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

Friday, November 18th
I had the opportunity tonight to share the "highlights" of 2011 with a group from our church. It's no secret that 2011 hasn't been kind to us. This year has brought a lot of pain, sadness, and circumstances that I do not want to remember, re-live, or "highlight". When I shared this with the group, who all know what this year has brought to our family, The Hubs said, "Oh, come on, Hon! Surely, there is something good. Right?" And you know what? He is right. With the yuck this year has come tremendous amount of growth. Growth personally, growth in my marriage, growth for us as a family. We have learned so much this year about who we are, what is important, and how much we need and love God.

I don't want to do 2011 again, but I am thankful for what was learned and how I/we have grown. I wouldn't trade that in for any amount of gold, and I am thankful for the change in my perspective.

Today:
I am thankful for the opportunity that has been given to me to share God's love with the girls in a detention center in my area. I am thankful that He is moving and working in that dark place. I am thankful that there are no places off limits to Him. He sees all, He loves all, and He is waiting patiently for them. I am so thankful for the privilege of being apart of what He is doing in that place.

Friendships

2011-11-17T22:27:00.000-07:00

Thankful for time with a friend. Nothing better than some good laughs and a few tears, to be heard, and to be understood.

Still Playing Catch-Up

2011-11-16T15:42:00.000-07:00

GAH! I'm not sure how so many days have gone by without me posting. I will say each night that I have gone to bed without doing a "thankful post", I have been awakened right as I was falling asleep remembering that I had forgotten to do my post. Let's hope that by getting all caught up today, that I will get in a wonderfully full night's sleep tonight...A girl can hope.

Sunday, November 13th:
Church, a nap ( Hello! That's praise worthy all by itself.), flowers from my men, and the kids playing themselves silly OUTDOORS. It was a blissful day.

Monday, November 14th:
My sister's birthday (so thankful for family!), a little substitute teaching (thankful for provision and joy in my work), some much needed girl time (SO, SO thankful for friends who encourage, listen, laugh, and challenge (in an iron sharpening iron sort of way), and last but certainly not least, OK, it's probably one of the biggest thanks I have had in months, my cousin asking Christ into her heart. I had the absolute honor of praying with her for her salvation. It was so awesome, humbling, wonderful, and joy-filled. Really, there are no words to totally describe it. I am so thankful that I will get to see her in Heaven one day, and we can now be called "Sisters" in Christ. What a blessing! He is the Author and Perfecter, and WOW he totally showed off!

Tuesday, November 15th:
I am so thankful for my health. And for what amounts to a large zit.

Seriously.

I had a doctor's appointment for a very suspicious spot that sort of came up out of nowhere. It was funky in color and had a hard cyst-like thing underneath it. Having had skin-cancer recently, I knew I shouldn't fool around. However, I got a little nervous about what they were going to say, and then I got a little busy, and then I had a big bout of denial I was trying to deal with. Well, finally, I got up enough nerve to just go to the doctor. The Hubs was so comforting through the whole ordeal. I mean each and every time he would look at me he would remind me, "Oh Honey! That is cancer on your face. You better get to the doctor right away." or "Whoa! That is looking so horrible. I'm serious, Hon. You should get to the doctor. It has to be cancer."

So, basically I was full of peace and surrounded by encouragement and comfort.

Anywho, it turned out to be a cyst, which the doctor is pretty confident is NOT cancerous. The way she described it made me ask her, "So, basically what you are saying is you think I have a ginormous zit on my cheek that is buried so deep that I'll never get the chance to pop it?" To say she was impressed with my tact and vast medical understanding is a total understatement.

I walked out of the office so super thankful for my ginormous zit. But mostly, I am so thankful for my health. I do not want to make light of the fact that some people yesterday were not blessed by the news I received, but instead heard other news.

Today:
So thankful, again, for provision. Today, while walking back to my small group for Bible study, the line for the food pantry at the church was so long. I couldn't help but notice all the faces. These are real people. They have real needs. And there were many. I am so thankful for food pantries, for those who share their abundant blessings, and a chance to be reminded to look out of my own small world.

Doubling Up...Again!

2011-11-12T18:29:00.000-07:00

November 11
Today, I am thankful for the gorgeous weather we have been blessed with this far into fall. It has allowed me to enjoy walks either in the morning or afternoon. While I miss running (I've been sidelined for about a month now due to a nagging injury that happened back in March), I'm enjoying being able to share these walks with both the dog and The Little Man. Most of the time The Little Man brings his scooter along and zooms way out in front of me, driving the dog crazy since she insists on being "lead dog". Today, however, The Little Man decided he wanted to challenge himself and run the whole way. I am happy to report: He did great!

He did not run the entire distance, choosing to stop and walk a couple of times, but once he caught his breath he was back at it again. Towards the end of the route, he was needing some encouragement. So I started challenging him to make it all the way to a chosen landmark without stopping. As he arrived to each chosen spot, he would look back at me with a huge smile on his face and wait for me to give him a thumbs-up. Then we would choose a new spot and start again. The last leg of the walk was the longest. As I watched him run off into the distance I could see that several times he was struggling. He kept grabbing at his side and his steps would slow. Just when I thought he would stop, he would pick up his pace again. As I came around the corner to see him waiting for me at our chosen landmark, he looked at me with the biggest smile on his face. I hollered out, "Did you make it?" His thumbs went up.

As I got closer, he told me, "Mom, I can't believe I did it! I kept wanting to stop, but I just wouldn't let myself. Then when I got here, I almost started crying I was so happy. I did it, Mom! I did it! I just can't believe it!"

I love it when my kids realize they are capable. When they try and try and then achieve.

I am thankful I got to see this achievement by The Little Man.

On a not-so-tender note, I am also thankful for Harry Potter 7 part 2, which came out on DVD today. I loved it just as much at home as I did in theaters.

Today, I am thankful for an early photo shoot which freed up the rest of my Saturday to do nothing. Well, I did go grocery shopping. Other than that, there were just some small house chores and a Harry Potter marathon. I am also thankful because, after today, I officially have a couple week break from photography. After a busy, "busy season", I am looking forward to catching my breath.

Two Days of Thankfulness

2011-11-10T19:08:00.000-07:00

November 9,
Thankful for:

A refreshing walk in the crisp autumn air with good music.
An easy pre-made dinner. I just warmed it up and we ate. (So thankful for those snow days we've had in the last few weeks which bought me the time to make quite a few meals ahead of time for the freezer!)
A dog groomer who let us sneak in an emergency bath after Grace rolled in something I don't want to talk about.
Survivor. Our family loves that show.
Time all by myself yesterday afternoon. Since The Hubs works from home (which I am also VERY grateful for) it's a rare occasion that I get the whole house to myself. It was nice.

Today:

My first day, in MANY years, back in the classroom. I had my first sub job today at the kids' school, and it went great!
Two kids with two great report cards.
Red Robin. The place we celebrated the great grades, and where I found reprieve from making dinner.

The Picture Does No Justice

2011-11-08T18:49:00.000-07:00

After picking up The Girl from drama club, I got to see this beauty on the way home.

I know you can't tell from my stellar iPhone photography (that I waited until I was at a stop light before I took thankyouverymuch), but the sun was actually pink.

Not the clouds around the sunset, but the actual sun.

Pink.

Awesome.

Of all the different ways God could create the world we live in to look like, He chooses beauty.

Thankful.

Not For The Faint of Heart

2011-11-07T19:24:00.000-07:00

I'm not too easily scared by animals or insects. It's not like I enjoyed it when I went into my garden four summers ago and found it infested with six or seven large garter snakes. And yes, I get a little jumpy if there is a rodent in the vicinity. Also, if a bee or spider is in the area, I'll leave the area quickly, or quickly stomp or swat the little bugger. But, you won't usually find me squealing, jumping up and down frantically (well, sometimes a mouse will get me in a small tizzy if I'm caught off guard), or avoiding activities/events because I have a fear of an animal or insect. (Mostly because I try to channel all of the fear I can possibly have in life towards something else...which I will not mention because I can't without sweating.)

However, today, as I was reaching into a corner to put away some of my photography equipment, I saw this:

Yes.

That is a Black Widow.

Yes.

A poisonous spider in a living area in my home.

There she is hanging out near the carpet along one of the baseboards.

IN. MY. HOME.

I was a little freaked.

Actually, I wasn't too freaked in the moment, even though I did have The Hubs come and kill her. But that was mostly because I wanted confirmation of what I was looking at.

No, actually after she was dead, that's when I really got scared. That's when I started running through all the "what-if" scenarios.

What if I would have reached down without seeing her there? What if she would have climbed into my camera bag and then I reached in later? What if she would have not crawled to that corner in the wall, but instead over to the pair of shoes that The Little man left out just a few feet away?

Then my mind went to thinking about where in the world she came from. As I looked around the room at all my studio equipment and props that I had gotten out just a few days ago for a session over the weekend, I realize that I knew exactly where that spider came from. She came from my equipment or props which I haven't pulled out from storage in about six months, since all my sessions have been outdoors. Then my pulse quickened again as I realize that the poisonous spider that The Hubs just killed could have just as easily bitten one of my clients (one of whom was only seven weeks old) who were using all that equipment and props.

Today, I am thankful for God's protection. So many bad scenarios could have happened, but they didn't. Recently I've been praying back, and meditating on, Psalm 91 over my family. Here are verses 3-6, 9-14.

"³ Surely he will save you
   from the fowler’s snare
   and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
   nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
   nor the plague that destroys at midday..."

"... ⁹ If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
   and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
   no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
   you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
¹⁴ “Because he^[b] loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
   I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name."

Thank you, Lord, for your protection over my family as well as the people I invited into our home.

Weekend Catch-Up

2011-11-06T19:27:00.001-07:00

Yesterday (and every day since I bought this devotional), I was super thankful for one of my morning devotionals, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. Yesterday she had this reminder from Philippians 4:12, Genesis 28:15, Philippians 4:19, and Romans 8:38-39. The way that this devotional is written is from God's perspective to us, His children. Each morning, I am so touched by what is in this devotional. It always seems to hit a soft spot in my heart. Yesterday morning was no different. Not only did it hit a soft spot, but it was also encouraging, as well as a wee bit (OK, may be a LOT) convicting. She writes: "People tend to think their circumstances determine the quality of their lives. So they pour their energy in to trying to control those situations. They feel happy when things are going well, and sad or frustrated when things don't turn out as they'd hoped. They rarely question this correlation between their circumstances and feelings. Yet it is possible to be content in any and every situation...Don't let your well-being depend on your circumstances. Instead, connect your joy to My precious promises: I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will meet all your needs according to My glorious riches. Nothing in all creation will be able to separate you from My Love."

I was even more thankful that The Lord gave me an opportunity, not too much later in the morning, to encourage and love on someone else with these exact words. I love it when He does that!

Today, I am so thankful for our church. Sunday is my most favorite day of the week. Nothing can be sweeter than having a full day devoted to worship, praise, and spiritual cleansing, especially when it is done with other believers. I am fully aware that not all people have the opportunity to worship with others freely, as I do each Sunday. It's such a gift, and I am thankful.

I Heart Teacher In-Service Days

2011-11-04T20:06:00.001-06:00

Thankful today for the kids having a day off of school. I rolled over, looked at the clock, and it was 8 am.

That may not sound too terribly late to you, but normally on a school day, I'm up at six.

An extra day to catch up felt wonderful.

Looking in the Right Direction

2011-11-03T20:44:00.000-06:00

1. So thankful, today, for the warm sunshine to return. After a snow day, like yesterday, it's always good to see the sun again.

2. On Thursdays, I have been volunteering in The Little Man's classroom teaching some of the higher level math kids in a small group. After having a few lessons fall a bit short, I was so thankful today for a smooth flowing lesson, where all the kids participated, and where no one was left behind. I am really enjoying doing some teaching again, and am amazed at the change in my heart towards this. Since having children of my own, I was certain I would never return to the classroom again. Teaching and raising my own kids at the same time sounded like a nightmare. In the last few months, God has really changed the way I feel about this. It's actually been an answer to prayer. Even though the answer looks so much different than what I expected, I can see how He is answering.

3. On the same note, I am thankful for the opportunity given to me today to come back and do some substitute teaching next week. I am excited to get back into the classroom, and also nervous to find out how rusty I really am.

4. I am thankful for this blog post that I stumbled upon while on Pintrest today. Each year I try to find something to prepare our hearts for the holiday season, and I think this is it. I know she did her 35 random acts of kindness to celebrate her 35th birthday, but I think I may adapt this for advent this year. I have been thinking all day of all sorts of different ways we can serve and show the love of Christ to others in our own community. While I do have some ideas of my own, I am totally going to steal many of hers. I can't wait!

All in all it was a great day. I felt like I was continually looking for that "thing" to be thankful for. So much better than finding something to be crabby about! The Lord gave me this great reminder before I started my day today:

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." -Col 4:2 NIV

I also loved the way The Message translated the same verse:

"Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude."

A good reminder that I must be devoted/diligent to being thankful. My eyes need to be "wide open".

Thankfullness

2011-11-02T20:54:00.000-06:00

So, remember last year when each day (or as close to each day as I could get) of November I posted about something I was thankful for? Well, I wanted to do that again. In fact, I had every intention of doing that again. Except, it's only the second day in November, and I'm already behind. I fear that this might be some horrible foretaste of what's to come.

However, while I thought about it today, I decided I wasn't going to let getting off on the wrong foot stop me from doing something I really wanted to do. Plus, it's my blog. So, you know, I totally make up the rules, and there is no one to contest them. Score.

I think the best way for me to keep up with this is to keep things very simple. Maybe some days just a few words, on others lists, and maybe a real post here and there. This is what I am going to tell myself so that I won't feel too overwhelmed, at least. I think this exercise is important for me because I am feeling as though I really need to work on my perspective in life. It's pretty easy, in this world, to see all the bad things around us. People's negative attitudes, listening to others tear one another down, focusing on what's fair and what's not, etc. But none of that breathes life. None of that builds each other up. None of that encourages, loves, or helps. It doesn't help us see others, but keeps us continually focused on ourselves. Which in turn breeds a negative attitude, keeps us focused on what's fair and what's not, etc. It's a vicious cycle. Unfortunately, I can get sucked in pretty easily. Thus, I really need to set up a focused time in which I concentrate on gratitude, thanksgiving, and praise. It might sound silly, but in the few times that I have done this, it has done wonders.

So, here's to a Month of Thanksgiving 2011:

November 1:
So thankful for the beautiful weather that we had. The weather reports told us that there was a blizzard waiting for us later that evening, but you would never have known. So beautiful and calm. I am thankful that I got to spend some time outdoors soaking it up before the storm.

November 2:
It was a snow day today! I am so thankful for unplanned time off. It's such a wonderful gift to be given a free day when you are totally not expecting it. This lavish gift of time was not wasted today. I never felt rushed and enjoyed living in each moment.

I am also thankful for the abundant provision of a home, warm clothing, and food. On a day like today, when it is horribly cold, snowy, and windy, I am reminded that not everyone has these things. We have been blessed beyond measure to have what we do.

Lord, help me to be a good steward of the abundant blessings you have given to me. Help me to see needs and be as generous as possible, knowing that when I "serve the least of these", I am really serving you. Amen.

It Was a Harry Night

2011-10-31T19:23:00.000-06:00

I don't know who was more excited about this year's Halloween costumes...yes, actually I do know. It was me! The happiness that filled my heart seeing my two dressed as Harry and Hermione, was overflowing.

I may or may not of referred to them as Harry and Hermione all day long instead of their actual names.

Embarrassing doesn't quite cover it.

I am a total nut.

When I thought about how I wanted their Halloween pictures to look, all I could think of was making them look as much like the movie posters as possible. So, with all of our DVDs in hand, we totally copied the posing. I did the best I could with the lighting I have, and then I went for black and white's because I love them in black and white.

Without further ado, Harry and Hermione: (What if I still call them that tomorrow? Would that be weird?)

Do you think I can convince them to be the same thing next year?

I hope so.

Proud Mommy Moments

2011-10-21T16:48:00.000-06:00

We are currently on the very last day of our glorious Fall Break. Like all breaks from school, I have loved every second of our unplanned, no lunch packing, no snack bringing, no homework doing, no early rising week. Glorious, I tell you. Glorious.

Over the last few weeks, I have had some "Proud Mommy Moments". So if you hate moms who brag on their kids, come back another day. If you are my kids, and you are some age that is far away from eight or six and reading this, well, I just want you to know that I revel in all of your small victories. I love each and every one of them!

1. Both kids had parent-teacher conferences a few weeks ago, and both kids did/and are doing so amazingly well that both The Hubs and I left with huge smiles on our faces and in our hearts. It took everything I had in me not to leave from there and tell everyone I came across how awesome both my kids are doing in school, with all the details to prove it. Such a great way to start off the school year, and for The Little Man, his school career.

2. Along with number one, I just loved this assignment (for so many reasons) that The Little Man turned in for his "Fall Project":

He decorated the pumpkin and wrote the description all by himself. If you can't read it, it says, "My pumpkin is Harry Potter (oh, how I love that he chose Harry!). He has a wond. He duz magick." Is everything spelled correctly? No. But for only six weeks into Kindergarten, I have to say, I think I might be raising a genius.

Seriously.

OK. I might be half joking. But only half.

3. While on Fall Break, The Girl has become a little scooter girl. I mean, she is borrowing a Razor scooter from her cousin, and has been scootering (I might have just made that word up) all over the neighborhood. I know that this doesn't sound like a very big deal to many (if any at all), but this is the same girl who does NOTHING athletic at all. She collects bugs (and knows everything about each kind), reads, and cares for small animals and insects like no one's business, but raising her heart rate? Um, no. That's not usually on her agenda. So, needless to say, for her to go out and ride around the neighborhood and join me in walking the dog (while she rides her scooter), has been a pretty large break through. As she was riding in front of me today on our walk, I was so happy to see her doing something "exercise like" and enjoying it, that my heart was just full of happiness. (On a side note: While The Girl never participates in sports or activities requiring any sort of stamina at all, somehow she is one of the fastest girls in her grade. How does that happen? So odd.)

4. The Little Man decided he was going to write a book. After he got started The Girl decided she would join in and help him. The book's title is: Harry and Ron's ABC's. Between the two kids, they have come up with words/names/spells from the seven Harry Potter books for each letter of the alphabet. Pride doesn't quite describe the feelings I had when I saw their list of words. Each letter (yes, even "X") had at least one reference to the books, some letters have several. Can't wait to see if they finish this project with their own drawings.

Harry Potter nerds are we!

5. Lastly, I was over the top proud of The Little Man earlier this week. As Fall Break began, he awoke on Saturday morning, and said, "This is the beginning of our nine day weekend! Woohoo! I'm going to wear cozy pants every. Single. Day!"

That's my boy.

I can say, he hasn't missed a single day.

The Day Santa Died (And Brought The Tooth Fairy Down with Him)

2011-10-10T15:51:00.000-06:00

After school, late in the week last week, there were many tears. Tears coming from The Little Man, tears coming from The Girl, and a couple of slammed doors. I was trying to get some work done on the computer, so I decided the best thing to do was to call down each child one at a time, get each child's version of what happened, and then discipline accordingly.

First up, The Little Man:

me: What's going on, Buddy? What are all the tears and slamming doors about?
p: Sister's mad at me, and she won't play with me anymore until I say I believe in the Pumpkin Elf.
me: Who? What?
p: She's mad at me 'cause I don't want to believe in the Pumpkin Elf.
me: What's a Pumpkin Elf?
p: This elf that comes when it's close to Halloween and messes up your whole house, but leaves candy everywhere too.
me: I've never heard of a Pumpkin Elf before. Was sister just trying to make him up so you two could have fun pretending?
p: No! She said that her friend at school told her all about him and how he came to her house. Now she wants to set up traps for him and write him notes, and I said I thought it was just a game. Now she's mad at me.
me: Well, I don't think the Pumpkin Elf is real either. I've never heard of him before. Maybe you could tell her you would like to play, but you don't want to believe in him just to have fun. You just want to pretend.
p: No, that won't work. She just wants to make me believe in him.
me: You don't have to if you don't want to. You can go and play by yourself until she decides it's more fun to play with you than to play by herself. She'll come and get you soon.

And off he went. Tears gone. Conversation over. I rock at parenting.

Next up: The Girl who just so happens to be crying harder than she was than when I first initiated the conversation with The Little Man.

me: What's up with all the tears?
d: (Now worked into an ugly cry) The kids at school all said you LIED to me! They say you are a LIAR and Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, and Tooth Fairy are all FAKE! Is that true? Are you telling me LIES?
me: (Completely caught off guard because I was waiting to talk about some weird Pumpkin Elf, and still on the high I had from being a five star parent just moments before) What?
d: Yes. You have been LYING to me this whole time. NONE of those people are real, ARE THEY?
me: What do you mean? I mean, what are the kids at school saying? (Seriously? What are these little punks saying? Don't they know that not answering a question and using distraction is NOT lying? No, it's something different. It's called avoidance.)
d: They said that it's moms and dads who are Santa and The Tooth Fairy. They said that parents just lie to their kids about there being a Santa or Tooth Fairy. Is this true, Mamma? Is what they are saying the truth? Have you been lying to me this whole time? I am the ONLY kid in my WHOLE class that said it wasn't. I am the ONLY one who said that Santa isn't real. Why? (She said this with tears streaming down her face and a look of desperation that was so completely sad that I nearly started bawling myself as I relived my own moment of finding out the truth.)
me: (realizing there is no holding back anything anymore. I am cornered and there is no more time for avoidance tactics or distractions. It's time to fess up. I feel like I just swallowed a ~~rock~~ boulder.) Yes. What they are saying is true. I am so sorry.

I won't go into the rest of the details of this conversation, but I will say there were many, many more tears. As well as her telling me that ALL of her Christmas memories were "totally ruined" and she "hopes she never remembers all the Christmases past ever again". Oh, and "I don't ever want to get another Christmas gift." (Which I might totally hold her to.) (Just kidding.) (Kind of.)

I have to admit, it was kind of a sad night. Especially since, I asked her to not let her brother in on the conversation we had, yet only moments later I found them in his room with the door closed. When I opened the door, she glared up at me with tears streaking down her face and a look that said "You're still not forgiven." The Little Man looked a little sad as well.

When I asked him later what he and his sister talked about he said, "I don't know. Do you want to read with me?"

Avoidance and distraction.

I know that game.

In Which You Might Reconsider our Invitation to Dine on our Deck

2011-10-03T21:06:00.002-06:00

This past weekend, we invited some cousins (and their parents of course) over for some dining on the deck. It was such a beautiful day, and I'm starting to feel like if we don't make the most out of these wonderfully warm Fall days, we (and by "we" I mean "me") will regret it. So, it was decided that we would grab take-out, and dine on the deck.

House picked up? Check.

Food ordered? Check.

Good conversation flowing? Check

Deck? Um...

As The Hubs, our niece, ~~Bucket~~ Gracie the dog, and his brother chatted outside, The Sister-in-Law, and I prepped plates, dished out helpings, and poured drinks. When all of a sudden I hear this horribly loud noise. I can't really describe what it sounded like, but I thought that something horrible had happened to ~~Bucket~~ Grace. Like maybe she fell and bonked her bucket on something, or maybe got her bucket stuck in something and then fell. As I quickly moved over to where the sound came from and frantically tried to see what was happening, I also noticed that ~~Bucket~~ Grace, The Niece, and The Bro were all in a state of panic, and looking quite off balance. As I rounded the corner and tried to get outside to figure it all out, that's when I saw it. Our deck. Well, I can't really call it a deck anymore. Why? Because it is halfway hanging off of our house.

So, because I am calm and cool in these types of scenarios, I started screaming all panicky like, "Get off the Deck! Get off the Deck! Get inside quick!"

As if that wasn't their first instinct.

Of course, they came inside. Duh.

Well, except The Hubs. After he felt like the deck was done ripping away from our home, and wouldn't plummet the the depths of the rocky ground below (OK, it's probably like six feet), he decided he needed to stand there and BOUNCE ON IT. He was trying to figure out, "What in the world just happened here?!"

I was still screaming.

Hey, I wanted everyone to know the safest place was inside the house.

That's when The Hubs looked at me all annoyed like and said, "No one's dying. Calm down already!"

Oh.

Since I still couldn't stand to watch him bounce around on a deck that is ripping away from the house that is holding it up, I thought I would just go somewhere where I couldn't see all the bouncing that was going on.

(Seriously though, why do we need to bounce around on a deck that is falling to the ground? Because we need to know why it happened? That makes no sense to me. I mean, it's falling off. Who cares why. Let's not kill ourselves in the process of working it all out and trying to make sense of it all. (Sorry, Hubs, I still love you. You are amazing.))

Since everyone is safe, we can all laugh about it now. Since The Hubs has figured out that the reason it fell has nothing to do with his precise workmanship, he can laugh about it now.

My main concern was how this was going to affect our car buying budget. Because these things NEVER happen when you don't have anything in particular that you are saving for.

Good news: We can get it fixed "temporarily" for pretty cheap until next spring/summer when we will actually be using it again. This should allow for some savings, and for us to plan better for the type of deck we would like (as opposed to the type of deck the previous owners liked).

Phew.

Wait a minute! That large gap isn't supposed to be there:

Does your deck have a downward slope?:

*No humans or bucket-headed dogs were hurt in the making of this blog post.

How's School Going?

2011-10-01T12:33:00.000-06:00

A conversation with The Little Man and The Hubs:

p: Whew! I am so so SO glad it's a three day weekend. I need a break!
H: What are you talking about dude? You only go to school for about 2 hours!
p: No I don't! I go for three hours, and my brain is KILLING me!

So, it looks like we are adjusting well.

A Letter To My Girl

2011-09-30T14:48:00.000-06:00

**This post is for My Girl.**

Dear Sweet Girl,

I want you to know that when you came home yesterday devastated, that I too was crushed. It pains my heart when you hurt. I know you had your heart set on getting a part in the school play, and even though we talked about the possibility of it not working out, the thought never crossed your mind that you would have to cross that bridge. I'm so sorry that life's path isn't always as smooth as we would like it to be.

Can I tell you how proud I am of you, though? I am so proud that you were brave enough to even try out! I am so proud that when the drama teacher came over to apologize to you about not having enough speaking roles, you quickly shut off the tears, looked her straight in the eye and said, "That's OK. I completely forgive you." After that, no more tears. You continued on in practice and found a way to have fun, even after feeling hurt and rejected. I am so proud that after we discussed the pro's and con's of staying on with the show, despite not getting what you wanted, you decided it would be better to go on ahead, have fun with your friends, learn some new things, and stay loyal to your commitment. You are demonstrating such courage and perseverance. What blew me away the most was later last night, when we said our prayers, you thanked God for the opportunity you had been given to be apart of something so fun. You thanked Him for helping you to understand and not to be sad anymore, and then you asked Him for His help. You asked if He would help your heart learn to love whatever job they gave you.

There are no words to describe how I felt.

Since you have accepted Christ into your heart this past summer, I can see how He is changing you and growing you. To be thankful in a time of hardship is an amazing example of being Spirit led. Relying on Him to grow your heart to desire His will, is far beyond your years.

I want you to know that He sees you. He sees you yielding to Him and His ways, and He is glorified by how you are dealing with this. These bumps in the road, while they can be difficult and hard to understand, they are part of life.   You have chosen to deal with this bump wonderfully.

I am so very proud of you.

Love,
Momma

"The LORD your God is with you,
   he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
   he will quiet you with his love,
   he will rejoice over you with singing."
-Zephaniah 3:17 NIV

Do You Hear That?

2011-09-26T17:04:00.001-06:00

I know that some of you that read this blog live very far away from us. Alas, I still think if you stop what you are doing right now, and concentrate really hard on listening, you will hear a faint far off noise. It will kind of sound like a weird sucking noise. You know, the kind of sucking that happens as a drain gets close to emptying the liquid contents of whatever it's attached to.

Do you hear it?

That is our bank account, people.

The last few days have been expensive. First, the dog. She had her surgery on Friday. Poor girl was terrified when we dropped her off at the vet in the morning. I couldn't help that she thought she must have done something in the night to suddenly make her people hate her. First, there was no night time snack. Second, when she got up to get a drink, there was none available. Then, no breakfast, and last, when she tried to sneak an apple from the trees in the back yard, BUSTED. As I dropped her off for her surgery, I felt horrible that we not only had to with hold all foods and liquids for 12 hours previous to her surgery, but then I had no way to explain why I was going to ~~abandon~~ leave her at the vet where she would be put into a deep sleep and then wake up completely groggy and discombobulated and at the same time have horrible pain in both her eye and leg. Don't forget, the teeth! Somehow she got fresh breath and lost those pesky teeth that were not only slowing down her meal times but also made keeping fresh breath impossible. I just wanted to sit her down and somehow explain to her that we loved her and we were helping her.

I am certain that she did not get the message.

She spent a few days totally ticked at us.

Or ticked at the cone they put on her head.

Or both. It's hard to tell. But she was ticked.

I was ticked too. You should have seen the vet bill! Good grief! Next time those vet people give me a hard time about not bringing her in more often, I now know how I will answer back.

It won't be very nice.

And it will involve how much they charge people who are vulnerable. People who are put in between a rock and a hard place because they love their pets and feel like total schmucks if they don't take care of them the way they are told to take care of them by the vet. However, the cost? I think I do not speak alone when I say that vet bills can give a perfectly healthy person a heart attack.

Then today, I was told she needed to come in and have a post-op check. Sounds pretty normal. I mean, I've never had surgery myself, but I have heard how important it is for humans to have post-op checks. It's probably a good thing to make sure all is going well and there isn't some sort of complication or infection setting in. Guess what? That will be an additional charge. Oh, yes. It sure makes it difficult for responsible pet owners to want to do the right thing by their pets. I can't tell you how badly I want to cancel that appointment. I know that if I do, though, something will happen, and I'll never let myself off the hook. The good news? It's free for us to have the stitches removed.

Gee, thanks.

Later today, after the kids had come home from school, The Little Man was watching TV. All of a sudden, he's all, "Oh WOW!" Mommy, my tooth just fell out!" I was a little shocked considering, the tooth wasn't really loose. He had complained that it was hurting him the last few days, but as I looked at it and saw nothing that would suggest a problem, I just told him not to worry about it and to eat on the other side of his mouth. I did notice that the front tooth that was next to it (and that was attempting to grow in)was awfully large for the space that it was given.

Well, sure enough. That front tooth? It wanted to move in, and it made room for itself.

That space you see there, it's supposed to be big enough for TWO adult teeth. Can you see how the gum is actually coming down in the shape of the new tooth? So, then you can see how much space the tooth next to it (the one that just fell out) will have.

Houston, we have a problem.

It looks like we will have a lot of time (and money spent) in the orthodontist office.

The Girl, in an attempt to tease him, was telling him all about his future in braces.

d: You're going to have to wear braces. You're going to have to wear braces!
p: What? (and not a "what" like I didn't hear you, but more like a "What? Are you talkin' to me? Did you just try to tease me?" type tone)
d: HA! You're going to need braces!
p: What? You've never heard of Invisalign? DUH! I'll get Invisalign and it won't be a problem. I'll take them out whenever I want to!
d: (Dumbfounded and shocked. No response)
me: (Dumbfounded and shocked. Laughing and refraining myself from giving The Little Man a high five. Well played, Little Man, well played.)

Invisalign, braces, whatever.

Do you hear that sucking noise?

Yea, me too.

*sigh*

The First Day of School and Nine Other Things

2011-09-19T18:55:00.003-06:00

Do you see what happens when I blog (almost) four days in a row? I was exhausted. Not really. But that's the excuse I'm going with. I have a lot to catch up with, so the easiest way for me is a list.

1) First up, the kids started school. About a month ago. The feelings of guilt that I have had about not blogging about their first day yet have plagued me. For a while I think that I actually convinced myself that I had actually blogged about that day. You would think that since it was The Little Man's first day of Kindergarten, that I would have gone on and on about it, but since it went off so smoothly, I guess I didn't feel too much pressure (obviously). I did take pictures, and have been keeping a mental note of all things note worthy since the first day.

Here they are:

Don't even get me started on how grown up The Girl looks, and my sweet Little Man? Poor dude had a horrible cold for his first day. He had such a good attitude though and was super excited to start at his new school as a Kindergartner.   Until we got in the car. Then there were some tears again. I kept it together though, for the both of us.

When he came home he was so happy, and told me all about how he didn't even get lost once and he was able to find his carpool line really easily. I guess that was what all the tears were about in the car as well as the night before. Poor guy was scared silly that he was going to get lost, and that that car ride to school was the last time he was going to see his family. Once he figured out that he wasn't going to get lost, he was all good. He was even comfortable enough to start complaining about stuff again, you know, like homework and the uniform. (Side note: Never once has The Girl complained about her uniform, but The Little Man? he complained five times in the first eight days of school. I thought for sure since he was a boy he wouldn't care. I thought wrong.)

The Girl started her 3rd grade year without a single bump. It was smooth sailing for the four year veteran of the school. She was excited to see her friends, to start a new year of learning, and to meet her new teacher. For the first time in her lengthy academic career, she's been assigned a male teacher. I thought for sure it would freak her out, but she was really excited about it. Turns out, many of her friends were also assigned to the same class, making starting the new year even more exciting. Speaking of exciting, she was elated to find out that they now have a drama club for third through fourth grade. You used to have to be in fifth grade before you could try out for the school's Dinner Theater group. She's been anxiously awaiting the day when she could be apart of this group. Come to find out, her wait is over (kind of). She is currently part of the drama club and will be trying out for Annie Jr. in the next few days. She is very excited and really loves drama so far. I love that she loves it.

2) Speaking of activities, we are in full swing around here. We had a small hiatus after school started, but beginning last week that hiatus came to an end. We are now juggling school and homework with swimming, drama, and BSF. It actually hasn't been too bad. I realize it's only been a week, though.

I was killing myself trying to make the activity count equal between the kids. The Girl is participating in both drama and swimming, but The Little Man just has swimming. I thought for sure that I should find him something else to do because he would notice right away that he's only doing one thing while sister is doing two. I looked everywhere for something that was both affordable and worked in our schedule. Finally, I had an "ah-ha moment" and realized that not everything needs to be "Even Steven". Turns out, The Little Man could care less that he doesn't have a second activity. Besides not caring, I don't even think he's noticed. Maybe Kindergarten and swimming are enough for him right now.

3) Just when we were falling in love with our dog again (you know, after years of barely noticing her due to having little babies that needed tons of attention and care), we found out that she has a tumor on her leg. Of course, I just assumed that it was no big deal and didn't even think twice about asking The Girl to accompany me to the vet's visit.

Great job, Mom.

So, my sweet tender-hearted girl was sitting there hugging on our dog as the vet told us that he thought it could be serious and we should have it looked at. On the way home she asked me if I thought the dog had cancer.

Dang it.

I'm not ready to explain this to the kids. My own heart hurts as well. I can't imagine what theirs will feel like.

She goes in on Friday to have it removed and biopsied. I'm praying that it's benign, and I don't have to explain anything. On the good side of this, while she's out getting the tumor removed they're also going to brush her teeth. Fresh breath for the pooch is always a plus.

4) The Little Man just learned how to jump rope. I don't know what is cuter to me: his crazy body movements or his giant grin as he makes it over the rope one more time without tripping up.

5) In other Little Man Accomplishments, he officially can run the TV, Blue Ray player, DVR, and OnDemand like no one's business, proving that remote control ability is innate in the male species.

While trying to get ready for the upcoming Biggest Loser season, I found that my DVR was almost completely full. Which would have been totally awesome if I wanted to catch up on Phineas and Ferb, Tom and Jerry, Star Wars the Clone Wars, and Scooby Doo.   When I asked him about it, he just said he needed to make sure he wasn't missing any of his favorite shows while he was in school.

*Ahem*

6) The kids are in L-O-V-E with Tom and Jerry. And I am in L-O-V-E with the fact that they love it. I have been known, on occasion, to kick off the old flip flops and settle in for an episode or two myself. I love it when an episode comes on that I can remember from my own childhood. I also love that I don't have to worry one single bit that there are any distasteful words or inappropriate body part/function jokes, you know, since no one talks at all. No, when I hear the full on belly laughs coming from the living room, I can rest assured no one has made a fart/butt joke, but instead that Tom probably just got annihilated by Jerry. So much better.

7) I recently became a subscriber to Door-to-Door Organics, and I love it. I had heard about this company a few years ago when my sister-in-law tried to convince me it was the best thing since sliced bread. I wasn't sold. I mean, I like to be able to pick out my own produce, you know? What if I got all sorts of nasty bruised apples? And there's nothing worse than getting over ripened fruit. I like my produce the way I like it, and that means I need to pick it out.

Well, I got a Groupon that made trying Door-to-Door ridiculously cheap, so I grabbed it and tried them out. I am a little embarrassed at how giddy I was, and the amount of happiness I felt when that first box arrived. I brought it inside and opened it. Awaiting me was all sorts of delicious and beautiful organic fruit and veggies. It was like Christmas.   It was food that I didn't have to shop for. Since I don't get milk from the milk man, this whole "food to your door business" is new to me, and now I love it, and look forward to Thursday afternoons like they are some sort of food holiday.

8) In other food related news, our garden is on it's way out. I can't say that we had a very stellar year, either. I don't think I can do another garden for a while. It's fun, the kids really do love it, and, heck, I love growing our own food and feeling like we are eating for free, but it's also a lot of work. I feel like there should be an equal proportion to the amount of work put in to the amount of food brought out. Granted, it wasn't quite as horrible as last years crop, but it certainly wasn't great either. In fact, I'll be surprised if I get a single edible squash. Also, why in the world did I NOT plant zucchini? Seriously? All I want are some delicious zucchini and chocolate chip muffins, some zucchini bread, or Parmesan zucchini sticks. But, oh no, I had to plant the squash this year.   I think I was all, "Variety is the spice of life!"

No, actually a good zucchini muffin is the spice of life.

Lesson learned.

If we have a garden next year, it will be only because I convinced The Hubs to install an automatic drip system.

9) Speaking of baked goods, this whole summer the kids and I experimented with all sorts of new dessert recipes. It was so fun, and so good. Now that schools back in session, I've slowed down quite a bit. We got to try all sorts of goodness, and I think our favorite was the Almost Too Much Chocolate Chocolate Cake with Satiny Chocolate Glaze. We made it for The Hubs' birthday. The kids have both requested it for their birthday's now as well, and I'm trying to find any occasion I can make that puppy for. It was so good, but so bad. The only bad part about our fun times baking, is that I am now paying the piper, and am having to count every last calorie that goes into my mouth. Thank goodness there's an app for that. It's ugly. And hard. But I'd probably do it again.

10) You may be wondering (or not) where I was getting all of my delicious recipes from. Well, have you heard of Pintrest? Um, you should check it out. But be careful, you will be addicted. I love it way more than Facebook. Why? Because I would rather find an amazing recipe/craft/photography idea/decor idea/cute product/fashion/must have hair cut any day over reading strange status updates from people I barely remember and/or haven't spoken to in over a decade. Don't get me wrong, I love keeping in touch with people, but knowing all the details of someone's potty training accomplishments (and/or not), leaves me feeling like I could be spending my day doing something else.

Like finding the best desserts I have ever made.

Or pinning up ideas for the office that I may or may not ever re-decorate.

Hey, it's always good to have a plan...even if you never use it.

The Last Bite

2011-09-06T13:02:00.000-06:00

So Labor Day weekend kind of halted my blogging mojo. I was doing pretty good there for a couple of days, though! I need to finish up this trip to Boston so that I can blog about other stuff. Possibly more important and even more interesting? Nothing is actually coming to mind right now, but if it did, I would need to have the Boston trip finished before I could start something new. I'm that kind of gal. I like to finish things/things to be finished.

When we last met, we had traversed, on foot, much of downtown Boston in our flip flops. After coming home and resting our "dogs", we enjoyed sleeping in very late again. The next day (and our last day), we woke up to clear blue skies, and much warmer temperatures. We considered heading back into downtown Boston again to try to catch a whale watching tour, but thankfully I listened to the voice that was screaming inside my head telling me, "ARE YOU CRAZY LADY? NO! Just chill and relax your last hours here!! PLEASE!".

So we did.

Something really cool, that I haven't shared yet, is that my sister lives only four houses from the beach. Yes. Four houses. Do you see why having rain for the majority of the trip kind of put a damper on what my sister and I had planned on doing while I was there?

Speaking of the rain, I guess when it rains in the Boston area (maybe everywhere else too?) it really increases the amount of bacteria in the water (I'm not really sure about the science behind this, sorry, no explanation). So gross. All that to say, there weren't too many beaches nearby that were considered "safe" to swim at. Including the one down the street from her house. However, the beach by her house also had a lot of rocks. These rock formations made great places for tide pools and all the stuff that The Girl loved so much the last time we hit up the beach. So, despite the "No Swimming Due to High Bacteria Levels" signs we ventured onto the beach, not to swim, but to find stuff. Any kind of stuff.

(A little Hermit Crab)

Turned out, it was a BLAST!

My sweet compliant boy posing for the camera!

My sweet girl, showing off some of her loot:

The Little Man making it out to the highest point:

It's not as much fun unless sister joins in too:

Back on the beach we searched for sea shells. The Little Man wanted any kind, but The Girl, after taking some time to consider things, decided to only collect the ones with holes in them so that she could turn them into a necklace when she got home. So creative, that girl.

I thought for sure that the kids would give me a fit about not allowing them to go into the ocean to swim, but they never did, and had a great time.

(I am sort of dying about this picture being taken at high noon. No pretty light, and harsh shadows. Boo.)

Yes, we did quickly wash up after this little "incident":

After letting the kids down, yet again, because I wouldn't allow them to bring their Hermit Crabs home, we headed back to the "Bungalow" to clean up and catch our plane.

The flight home was just as smooth as the flight there (Thank you Harry Potter), and soon enough (well as fast as five hours can go), we were back at our little "Bungalow". We were tired, but thanks to our late nights and even later mornings, no one showed any signs of jet lag.

Perfect!

I've Got More Where That Came From!

2011-09-01T15:37:00.000-06:00

Are you still with me? I can barely follow along with where we are, so if you are keeping up, nice work!

After wrapping up our day in downtown Boston, we thought it would be fun to take advantage of "Tax Free Days". We had a coupon for a chain restaurant that was close to where my sister lived, and more importantly, somewhere she could get to without needing me to navigate.

I guess I am not very good at navigating.

Normally, I would refuse a chain restaurant on a vacation opting for more "local fare", but we had a coupon AND this particular chain is not in our state, so it kind of was like "local fare" in it's own way.

This excursion didn't end up so well.

Food wasn't the best I've ever eaten, but edible. However, the worst part was that The Girl accidentally ingested peanuts.

Yes, my daughter who is anaphylactic to peanuts ingested peanuts.

Awesome.

Not really.

The good news is, she knew right away what had happened.

The bad news is, I didn't really believe her. You see we were at a pizza place, and there was nothing on the menu that had peanuts in it.

Nothing.

I thought she was kind of being dramatic to a bad stomach ache.

Now I know. LISTEN TO YOUR GIRL!

Anywho, the good news is she is just fine. We completely drugged her up (per doctors orders) for 24 hours until the food she ate had passed. Also, in other good news, the restaurant that we ate at is now aware that the dipping sauce for their Avocado Egg Rolls has peanuts in it (they were completely oblivious to this prior to our visit). Hopefully, they will now put a disclaimer in their menu for that.

Needless to say, when we woke up (extremely groggy from checking on her every four hours) the next day and saw that it was raining cats-n-dogs, we weren't too disappointed. We were feeling pretty lazy, and The Girl was wiped out from all the Benadryl coursing through her veins. The Little Man? Not so groggy, and not feeling so lazy. So, for a couple of hours we try to come up with something to do while it poured rain and everyone (except him) was tired. We decided to hit up a cheap movie theater and see Rio. This worked pretty well, but for obvious reasons, I did not take any pictures this day.

You're welcome.

We woke the next day much less groggy, the rain had stopped, and we were all done administering enough Benadryl to put an entire block asleep. All that to say, it was a new day!

We thought it would be fun to take in more of Boston's sights and planned to go to the aquarium, take in some whale watching, and then some of the historical sights that I had filed away previously on the Duck Tour. You know, when the dead kazoo duck bill things weren't blowing in my ear. Again, we decided the train option was our best choice. And it was. Oh, it was.

However, when we got into Boston, we found that all the whale watching tours had been canceled. Apparently, the storm that brought us all the rain the day before was making the ocean a little less than favorable for viewing whales. Although we were disappointed, I was thankful that I saved my money instead of paying for a morning of barfing. Anyway, there was the aquarium with an IMAX theater. It was all good.

I think that was the plan of everyone else in the Boston area as well.

To say that the aquarium was a little packed is an understatement of grand proportions. I did get this cute pic of the kids before we went in, though:

Also, we did get to see a very cute movie about orphaned animals called Born to Be Wild. Ironically, The Girl, had mentioned before we came to Boston that she wanted to see that movie. So it was perfect.

After we ditched the aquarium, we thought it would be nice to take in some of those historical sights of Boston. If I had to do the trip all over again, I would have arranged a tour with one of those dudes who dress all historical and talk in an English accent and walk you through the Freedom trail. We thought that would have been too much for the kids, though, since The Freedom Trail is two and a half miles. No, instead we paved our own path through Boston. Sometimes covering The Freedom Trail, sometimes taking detours (and maybe picking up pastries at Mikes Pastry). Instead we trekked closer to SIX miles.

In our flip flops/Crocs/sandals.

Yes, the kids were tired.

Yes, the adults were a little worn out as well.

The Little Man cracked us up when we got back to the "Bungalow" and he said he needed the couch to himself because he needed to stretch out since "His dogs were barkin'". I love that kid.

We did get to see some cool stuff, though:

A little North Church action:

The Little Man and The Girl balancing themselves on The Freedom Trail:

Paul Revere's house:

More Paul Revere:

Inside the North Church in one of the pews. I never knew that the pews back in those days were like little closed in box areas. You used the same pew every week (you had to pay for it) and you could even decorate it like you wanted! How cool is that? Anyway, the reason for that is they couldn't heat a church as big as the North Church so instead people just heated their pews.

Here we are on the U.S.S. Constitution:

Reliving their duck boat driving days:

At this point we decided it would be best to try to get back to the "Bungalow" so we could clean up and grab a nice dinner after all the walking we had done.

Well.

We underestimated how long it was going to take for us to walk the almost two miles we had traveled from the train station.

So, we missed our train and it turned out the next one didn't come until around 7:30 putting us back at the "Bungalow" at around 8:15 and, thus, missing dinner.

So just like the day before, we flew by the seat of our pants, and instead did dinner at a little Mexican place in Quincy market. I'm sad I can't remember the name of the place, but the chips, salsa and the margarita my sister and I split was just what the doctor had ordered. Happiness returned to everyone, and we did some shopping there in Quincy market before we nearly missed the next train. I was surprised at how fast the kids could run. Especially since we had some ground to cover. Again.

Good times.

You can't say we didn't get a work out in while we were gone, though. I just didn't know I would do it in flip flops.

Next up: we take a break again and soak up the beach one more time before heading back home.

Taking Another Bite out of Boston

2011-08-31T14:18:00.000-06:00

OK. I am feeling a little bit refreshed after yesterday. Let's try to tackle the second half of day one.

After beachin' it up, my sister drove us to New Hampshire to watch a baseball game for the team that her boyfriend works for. I'm not going to name names or give specifics, but we may or may not have gotten lost about 6 or 8 times just trying to get to the highway, and it could or could not have been the person who was riding shotgun's fault. The end.

But once we arrived, there was some serious fun to be had. We had great seats, and the weather was perfect.

Basically, everyone was happy.

Then in the middle of the game, my sister's boyfriend got a reprieve from his duties, and took us on a stadium tour, which ended up being the highlight of the evening...oh, and the fact that the home team won...and the fireworks at the end were pretty amazing too. And yes, there was ice cream and Sno Cones as well.

So off we went to take a look at stuff "behind the scenes". We hit up the announcer/media box and watched for a little while as they directed traffic. The announcer announced, the crew directed cameras, and whole lot of other things happened with all sorts of buttons and flashing lights. We also listened in as the radio announcers called the game live. It was pretty cool. It was about this time that I thought, "I bet The Hubs would get a real kick out of this!"

'Cause that's how I think to myself.

Anyway, the tour proceeded to get even cooler when we dove into the depths of the stadium, and went underneath the seats.

From there we watched a little bit of the game at field level. It was a neat perspective.

Around the corner, we ran into the guy who was updating the score board as well as marking balls, strikes, and outs. When he turned around and asked the kids if they wanted to help change the score and mark some balls and strikes, that's when I knew that The Hubs was cursing the fact he wasn't there.

I texted these pics to him after I took them and he responded with "Oh WOW! Did they think that was the coolest thing they have ever done?"

Yup, he was a little jealous.

I didn't want to disappoint him, so I told him, that yes, in fact, they thought it was the coolest thing they have ever done.

The truth was they really didn't understand what they had done until a few minutes later when we re-entered the stadium and saw the numbers they had just held were, in fact, up in the scoreboard. At that point, they did think it was pretty cool.

We rounded out the evening with some ice cream, Sno Cones, and getting lost a couple more times trying to get back to the "bungalow".

Good times.

After sleeping in the next morning (Since we were such party animals this trip, the kids and I pretty much never changed time zones. We stayed up late and slept in even later. It was beautiful, and another moment in time in which I thanked God for the stage of life that we are in.), we thought we would hit up downtown Boston and take in a Duck Tour since the weather seemed to be going down hill.

Instead of paying for parking and enduring some more time being lost, we decided to take the train into town. Brilliant. The kids loved riding the train and getting their tickets punched, and I loved the pressure free atmosphere of not having to navigate. Truth be told, I think my sister loved not having an idiot trying to direct her through Boston more than we enjoyed the train or pressure-free ride.

The Duck Tour proved to be a great way to see a lot of Boston without going into too much depth on the history, thus boring the life out of the kids (heaven forbid we learn something). As we drove along, I tried to take note of things I wanted to see again, but with more depth.

Here's where the order of the pics could get super crazy because I used both my camera and cell phone to take pics (again CURSING the fact that I didn't bring a wide angle lens).

First up, the Holocaust Memorial. Very cool. Very humbling. Six million people is a LOT of people. Each of the six, 54 foot, glass towers are etched with the numbers that were given to each person that were held and died in a concentration camp. The numbers are probably only any inch wide by an inch tall, and the towers are filled top to bottom, and on all four walls with the numbers.

This is an awkward transition, but here's the bar that inspired the Cheer's Sitcom:

Who's driving this duck?

Oh, just The Girl.

Thankfully, at this point we were on the St. Charles river.

The Little Man had his hand at navigating the river as well:

Here we are before the tour. You can't go on a tour with out your duck bill that sounds like a dead kazoo.

Have mercy.

Oh, and after we got off the train in downtown Boston and before the Duck Tour, we got our picture taken with Samuel Adams.

Turns out, they didn't really care who he was.

Oh, well. I tried.

Next up, it is possible to rain cats-n-dogs for 24 hours straight, we fly by the seat of our pants to find something to do, and why The Girl probably never will remember that day due to her state of being completely drugged out of her mind.

All that to say: More good times ahead.

Do I Even Dare? No I don't.

2011-08-30T17:20:00.001-06:00

I know I have uploaded a lot of pictures onto Blogger into one post before...and regretted every second of it. However, in an attempt to completely catch up (since I am refusing to blog about anything else until I do), today I will attempt to organize 60 pictures into one post. Just typing that out gave me the heebie jeebies. Certainly, I can sum up our trip to Boston in two or three pics, right? Doubtful. Plus, it's not just Boston that is going into this post, but basically the last month.

Here we go.

Deep breath.

In a short of notice, quick turn of events, and an over all SURPRISE! The kids and I decided to pack up and take a last minute trip before school was back in session to visit my sis who just moved to Boston. We were all pretty excited to get out of Dodge, and it was a great way to wrap up our Summer Vacation.

I have to start by saying, that I have never been anywhere in the New England/East Coast area. So, I wasn't really sure what to expect except there was going to be a beach, lots of history, and from what I had heard, lots of crazy streets that aren't straight or organized in any way, shape, or form.

On the first day, we hit the beach. It was the one thing the kids were the most excited about doing (besides riding on an airplane for FOUR hours because that meant they could watch almost two whole Harry Potter movies. Crazy I tell you. It was nice for me, though, to settle in with a good book for a long stretch.) while we were in Boston. So, my sister and I thought it would be best to get that done first. Thank goodness we did. The next few days, the weather was less than "beach worthy".

First, though, the kids got to have breakfast in bed EVERY morning we were in Boston.

Either that, or the breakfast table actually belonged where they were sleeping the night before. Since we stayed with my sister at her "Bungalow", we rolled couch and sleeping bag style.

So excited (and silly) to be here!

I am always at awe at how big the ocean is. My littles in front of it, only accentuates this further:

Love The Girl's giggle from getting her toes wet:

The Little Man was a bit more cautious about getting his toes wet. You see, we just got done watching "Shark Week" the week before we left. Ya. Probably not the best choice. However, once he got started. There was no stopping him . Infact, I've never seen him quite as wound up as he was with excitement. My sister and I couldn't help but laugh at all his craziness. He was like a wild animal that was just let loose into a field after being tied up into a crate four times too small.

Or something like that.

Dipping the tootsies, while watching for sharks:

Letting loose:

Here he is telling me (and the entire beach because when you are excited you TALK IN A REALLY LOUD VOICE) how the ocean is pulling him in. I think the optical illusion of watching the waves go back, and the feeling of the sand moving under his feet made him feel like he was being pulled into the ocean. He kept screaming, "MOM! LOOK AT ME GETTING DRUG IN BY THE OCEAN!!"

I told him several times he wasn't moving, but alas, there was no believing it.

Mine and The Girl's beach toes:

Goodness. I am loving his toothless smile:

A "Beach-y Lunch":

On the other side of the swimming beach was this cute park. Forget the swings, slides, and monkey bars. The kids liked this tree:

OK, here is some swinging:

(The Little Man made me take those two pictures of him. He was "acting like he jumped so high he got hurt" and wanted me to take pictures of it. I blame it on the beach craziness mentioned above.)

Where are pictures of me in the ocean, you ask? Well. Let me tell you why there are none:

Still not clear? Let me zoom in for you:

66 degrees? Not. Gonna. Happen.

Killing myself because I didn't bring a wide angle lens:

Realizing that, for The Girl, searching for crabs, starfish, and other small sea life in tide pools is just as fun for her as collecting, examining, and caring for bugs. Oh the hurt that her heart must've felt when I explained that we would not be returning home with Hermit Crabs in tow.

Auntie love:

OK. This little project is taking way longer than I thought it would. It looks like I am going to break this party up by events in order to save what sanity I have left.

Up next, the kids get to live out a childhood dream of The Hubs, and don't really even bat an eyelash.

The Night Before

2011-08-23T21:23:00.000-06:00

I know I should be posting about many other things in order to catch up for my over two week absence, but tonight won't be the night for that.

No, tonight is the night before the new school year starts. The Eve of the new school year, if you will. I've got one who is excited to get back into routine, and one that isn't so sure about it. Myself? I could go either way.

I'm never too excited to start a new school year. Many reasons keep me from feeling happy about my kids going back to school, but mostly it's sad to say goodbye to summer and all of her delicious glory. No schedules, no bedtimes, and no rules. Her warmth. (That's huge for me.) While I'm sure we still have some mighty nice days ahead of us before the cold hits us like a cruel sucker punch, the start of school reminds us of how few of those glorious days we have left. Also, I really like having my kids around. I know. Many mom's are groaning at me right now. I can't help it. So, I will miss them. Now, when the house is super still and quiet in the middle of the day, and I am loving me some uninterrupted time doing whatever it is I'm doing, well, I guess someone might need to remind me of how I thought I was going to miss having them around all the time.

I'll deny I ever said that.

No, this summer has been really good. I mean really, really good. Like probably the best summer I've had as a mom. I am in love with were we are at in our lives right now. The kids are super easy (that does not mean I don't break up arguments, dole out punishments for poor choices, or never see an eye roll). No diapers, no naps, they still think I'm pretty cool (which will probably come to a screeching halt shortly), and neither are too rebellious (I know. It's coming.). We had some great times together as a family this summer, and after this winter, we were desperate for some good times together. You could say the summer has been a bit "therapeutic".

However, there is a part of me that knows I shouldn't be too greedy. I know all good things must come to an end. Frankly, I'd rather have this one end on my terms, and on a good note. I don't want to end this with a bad taste in any one's mouth. I want to be able to remember this wonderfully long summer with such fondness that my heart feels like it might burst, it swells with so much joy. So, with that, I'm feeling at peace with school starting tomorrow. I know that this summer was a very gracious gift to our family, and I am very thankful for it.

As we got the kids in bed, one was excited, and the other had tears. We prayed and thanked God for a new school year and how excited we were, and we cried and asked that God would give us peace where fear seems to have taken over. Then I finished our prayer with a thankful heart.

Lord, I thank you for this summer. It was such a gift to our family. Thank you for knowing our needs and abundantly providing them for us. Thank you for all of the good memories you allowed us to make. Thank you for opening a new chapter for us. As we continue into another new school year we ask that you would help us to always remember your generous and compassionate gift. Allow it to encourage us in remembering how much you care for, love, and provide for our family. --Amen.

Overwhelmed

2011-08-20T20:21:00.000-06:00

It's been too long.

Too many things have happened.

Too many funny things said.

Butt jokes.

Gardening.

A vacation.

Pictures.

Oh, the pictures!

I'm missing a Scripture Memory verse.

Getting ready for school to start.

Meeting our teachers.

Trying to find a way to cover it all is far too overwhelming for me. However, I do want to cover it all.

Just know I'm thinking about it.

Summer Babies

2011-08-05T20:04:00.004-06:00

My Babies this summer:

My favorite time of year with two of my most favorite people.

Getting Serious About Growing Old

2011-08-04T18:15:00.000-06:00

The Little Man is killing me with all the growing up he's doing. First, a birthday this summer, and then this nonsense:

Two more teeth, gone. Forever. Well, kind of. They will be replaced, but with huge (probably crooked) adult teeth.

I go between emotions of sadness that my sweet, cute, baby boy smile is gone, to a new found love for this toothless grin. Too bad the new teeth have already broke the surface. I suppose I will love them too, though.

Today when he and The Hubs were talking about climbing mountains (The Hubs' current obsession), he asked when The Hubs when he was going to get to join him in climbing. Thankfully, The Hubs didn't promise him this summer, but instead told him when he was about ten.

Anytime we talk about future events in which a specific age is attached, I kind of hyperventilate a bit. I mean, I know he's going to be 10 one day, but I can't fathom it. And, quite frankly, I don't want to think about it. Not even for a second.

I quickly told him he was never going to turn 10 because I decided he needed to stay six forever.

Which he did not respond kindly to.

With a growl-y frown upon his toothless face he told me, "I WILL be 10 one day. I won't stay six forever. In fact, on December 12th, I WILL turn six and a half, and THAT'S FINAL!" He stomped down his foot, turned on his heal, and left the room.

Note to self: Don't joke about not letting the boy grow up. He doesn't think it's funny.

My Portion Forever

2011-08-02T20:58:00.000-06:00

"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." -Psalm 73:25-26 NIV

I can't say it any better than the psalmist said it. As I studied the names of God last week, and specifically looked at His names of sufficiency, these verses, while I have read them before, stopped me in my tracks. After my breath returned and my eyes were tear free again, I could do nothing but sit and praise.

He is all I need, all I desire, and He is more than enough.

I know that the above statement is not always how I live, though. I find myself desiring lesser things. Things that catch my eye, things that seem like they would make my life so much easier, things that if they worked out just right, well then, THEN! I could really be happy. Then what happens? Well, these "things" are just that: things. They break, they don't work the way I thought they would, they don't deliver the happiness that was promised, or the happiness is short lived. Sure enough, each and every time I left wanting again. Needing again. Empty again. Then something catches my eye. 'Round and 'round we go.

I loved the way Mary Kassian puts it in her study Knowing God by Name she says this about seeking joy apart from God, "Therefore the problem with humans is not that we have pleasure-seeking tendencies but rather that our value judgements are so badly skewed. We stake our hearts on things of such low worth that our joy is thin, fragile, and easily shattered."

C.S. Lewis also wrote about this subject in The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses:

"We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

As much as I am embarrassed to admit it, I too seem to think I can find delight in making mud pies when a beach vacation is being offered. And to make things worse, I get frustrated when my mud pies just weren't all that I hoped they would be.

I set my hope in lesser things.

I've counted on my joy being complete in things of low worth.

I should not be surprised at all that I have been disappointed.

However.

There is something more. Someone who is enough. And not just enough, but more than enough.

Overflowing.

Abundant.

With Him and in Him I "Shall not want" -Psalm 23.

He is "my portion forever."

Farewell Hogwarts

2011-07-31T20:10:00.000-06:00

With tears in our eyes we have taken our final departure from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Even though I can't find it, I am certain I have shared here before that the kids and I have been working our way through the Harry Potter series. (Feel free to look through the blog and locate my previous post about it.) (Oh wait, I found it!)

We have loved every second with Harry, Hermione, and Ron (amongst others). As Summer Break fell upon us, we found more and more time to read about our favorite people. We completely fell in love with them, and found that we could not bear to spend too much time away from reading all about their latest adventures. In short: We became Harry Potter Nerds this summer. (I feel like singing "And if lovin' him is wrong, then I don't wanna be right."). As the release of HP 7 part 2 quickly approached, my kids (OK, and I) found that we really wanted to see the movie in the theater. However, I had a steadfast rule: You may only watch the movie IF you have read the book. That meant this past month we have been up to our happy little eyeballs in Harry Potter. We successfully covered half of book five, all of six, and all of seven in 26 days.

Thankyouverymuch.

I think, at one point this month, my sister called me and asked where I had been. I had no answer except, "Hogwarts."

Am I sad that we spent an ENORMOUS amount of our summer break reading and living in a fictional world instead of enjoying the great outdoors and other summer type activities? No. This has been one of my most favorite activities the kids and I have done together in, well, in forever. We have had the best of times reading, watching, and working through the stories, events and characters in this series, and I don't think I will ever forget it. My hope is that they won't either. That they will fondly look back at the summer of 2011 and lovingly call it the "Summer of Harry Potter".

OK. That probably won't happen.

However, I have fond memories of my parents reading aloud to me, so I do hope that some of this sticks in their little memory banks.

As we took in the last movie, and the last few pages of the last book, there were tears that can't be described. Not that it was so intensely sad that I can't put words to it, but that it was so difficult to describe. Happiness, relief, exhilaration, sadness, and mostly a longing that it wouldn't really be over, but that we could continue being apart of these characters, whom we fell in love with, lives for just a bit longer. If I sound sappy, I am. I loved every part of this experience. Not just the books (however brilliantly written, they were), but the time I spent with the kids, the movies, the discussion, the excitement as we anticipated what might happen next, and watching my kids fall in love with the same characters and stories that I was. We shared a common interest. It was like I was hanging out with good friends instead of supervising an activity in a motherly fashion.

And for that reason "The Summer of Harry Potter" will always have a tender place in my heart.

Even if no one else refers to this summer in the same way.

R.I.P. Calico

2011-07-22T16:16:00.000-06:00

It was a sad day yesterday.

Well, actually all week.

Except we have been having fun all week, just with the sad in the back of our hearts/minds.

Somehow, our sweet Calico grew ill.

And when I say sweet, I mean she was sweet to have lived for over a year, which spanks any record previously held by me in keeping a goldfish alive.

Anyway, she tried very hard to hang in there. I'm not even exaggerating slightly by saying that she lay on the bottom of the tank, upside down, for a week. She was breathing the whole time, and would sometimes flip her little fins around.

I thought it was cruel to keep her in that state, but you try explaining to a six year old that we are flushing his fish down the toilet while she is still alive and "might just make it".

Finally, for Calico's sake, the time came last night when she went to goldfish heaven.

There were tears. Sobs. Wailing.

It wasn't easy.

Just to make things worse, as if I could take anymore of my boy's broken heart, as we prayed last night, he poured salt on my mommy wounds.

"Dear God and Jesus, would you help my heart to feel better (sob, cry, sniffle). My fish calico died tonight, and I am so sad. Thank you. Amen."

Gulp.

Heavy hearts.

She was a good fish.

Or he.

We never knew.

A Good Reminder

2011-07-20T12:53:00.000-06:00

As I have become more and more lazy about Scripture Memory, I decided that these next two weeks I should remember why it's so important that I have scripture buried into my heart.

"My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don't lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body." -Proverbs 4:20-22 NLT

Mediation and memorization is necessary for penetration.

And when these precious words penetrate my heart, they bring life and healing to my whole body.

In Which my Blog Becomes a Photo Album

2011-07-13T17:51:00.000-06:00

In my attempt to make sure that I am photographing my own children more, it seems as though I now have a lot of pictures to share. Also, I am trying to be very intentional in how we spend our time this summer, since this winter was a total blur, and I now realize how precious our time is together. So, about once a week, we have been going on little "field trips". Being more intentional about taking photos + being intentional about how we spend our time = LOTS OF PICTURES OF OUR ADVENTURES.

On this, here, blog.

Since I can hardly wait to tackle the "Blogger photo Uploader Monster" let's get at it.

First up: The Fourth of July.

Yup, just a little behind.

The Little Man came up with the idea of going to a MLS game (that's Major League Soccer for all you non-sport watching types) (Oh wait, that's me), and then watch the fireworks after the game. I have to say, it was a great idea, and the firework show was probably the best I've ever seen.

Two thumbs up, Little Man!

We started with a dinner that is reserved for special occasions. Not only because it's one of my most favorite burgers around, but because the calorie and fat count are so astronomical that it's a wonder we don't instantly clog an artery.

Look, all things good are going to cost ya, right? That's why we like to practice moderation when it comes to Smash Burger. (Note: I think the look of pure pleasure is clearly written all over The Girl's face in this pic):

Back to pure goofiness:

The man with the plan:

You can't go to a game with out Dippen' Dots. Plus, it was a little toasty out...even in the shade.

While the game and the side show (see above photos) were fun, this is what I came for:

It was after this night out that I was gifted with the whole family sleeping in until 9:45. It all started in the car:

The next day we enjoyed "hangin'" with our friends at the annual 4th of July picnic our church throws.

That's all I got from that event as I spent the afternoon eating my own body weight in potato chips and french onion dip. Hey, I was trying to make a healthier choice and avoid the hamburgers and hot dogs (I think I already mentioned the calorie count of the Smash Burger I so thoroughly enjoyed the night before). Moderation, people, moderation.

Ahem.

Later that week, we headed a bit out of town and took a tour of the Celestial Seasonings Factory. It was actually fairly interesting to see how they organized things, how all the machinery worked, and to see the mass amounts of tea. Seriously, I never knew that much tea existed in all the world let alone just in this factory. But our favorite parts, as if I have to tell you seeing as how I've already exposed you to my eating issues, was the free tea sampling. We got to try all sorts of teas, hot and cold, and for free. And not for free were some pretty amazing Biscotti. Perfect.

That's The Girl enjoying her tea time snack. What? You don't usually enjoy your tea with a bag of potato chips? Well, if you had a peanut allergy, that might be the only thing you find that is safe. So, you just roll with it.

OK. Here's the deal. This is a working factory. With food. That other people eat. There is no risking hair contamination. The only thing funnier, was the men with the beard protectors AND hair nets. Awesome. (That's my mom. She's been joining us for our little "field trips" and I'm sure she's thrilled to see herself, hairnet and all, on the blog. Way to be a good sport, Mom.)

Some souvenirs. If you know me in real life, you should ask me about my chap stick obsession. These little beauties joined the collection, and I'm fairly certain that they are rare finds:

Next up: The Aquarium. Little factoid for ya: I've never been. I know. How many times have I been to the zoo or the museum? Well, too many to count, but somehow I've passed up this place. So, since it was our first time, you know there are going to be a TON of pics. Here's what I whittled down to:

They each had a turn in the dive suit:

What's she looking at?

Oh! Well, hello.

We went with our cousin, aunt, and our field trip buddy, grandma:

I found out on this trip that The Little Man is fascinated by sharks. So when we saw this guy swim up to the glass, after freaking out for a bit, he had to have his picture taken. Not a great shot, but they swim fast.

"MOM! LOOK A SHARK!" Considering we were at an aquarium, I heard this a few times today.

The Girl taking in the hugeness of this fish:

This picture just makes me laugh. All three of them looking up into a tank:

Both kids were ecstatic to be able to touch a starfish. The Little Man was proud of how brave he was. Those starfish are frightening, I tell ya.

MOM! Look at this big fish with big teeth!

Oh, hi Mr Barracuda. Nice of you to show us your teeth.

You too, Mr. Shark.

Jelly fish are so beautiful to me.

The Girl was dying to get her pic taken with this fish. I'm not sure why, I just obliged.

SHARKS!

Every once in a while we would see a large sea turtle swim by the glass. This one came by just as I had my camera out, and like The Little Man, The Girl told me to quick take her pic with the turtle and sat down next to it. It quickly swam away. She then asked, "Did you get it? Did you get my picture with the sea turtle?" As I took a look at the LCD, I just looked up and said, "Yup. Sure did! You're good to go!"

I think she totally had a silhouette in mind when she asked.

Just a Few of my Favorite Things

2011-07-06T18:15:00.000-06:00

My most favorite thing of this summer?

I mean besides the goosebumps you get when you walk outside into the warm sunshine after being inside an overly air conditioned building.

Or the pool. That my kids can swim in without me having to watch over them like a hawk.

Or flip flops.

Or sundresses.

Or all the fresh fruit.

Or my little garden.

Or Harry Potter.

Or all the new recipes the kids and I have been trying out...have mercy.

Or the fact that the sun doesn't set until after 8:30.

Or ice cream.

What I am loving more than anything else this summer is the fact that my kids have learned how to sleep in. It is a love gift from God to me. Over the weekend, they weren't waking until after nine. NINE O'CLOCK. Actually on the 4th, the kids were not up until 9:40. It's like I have teenagers. I had to go and wake up The Hubs who decided he was going to join them. Do you know what a momma can get done in a just a few hours if the house is totally quiet?

The time has been so precious.

And I have loved every second of it.

Praise

2011-07-04T09:32:00.000-06:00

Oh, Summer! How time does escape me when you are here!

So three days ago I was due for another Scripture Memory Verse.

Yea.

I was struggling to find the most perfect verse that would encompass my feelings of praise, awe, and thanksgiving as I have been learning about the different attributes and names of God in my summer Bible study. This study has opened my eyes to attributes of God that I have never considered, at least not to the depth in which I have studied them. My love and awe of Him have only intensified. I wanted a verse that expressed praise and thanksgiving for who He is: Forgiver of my sins, healer, redeemer, good, loving, and merciful.

"Let all that I am praise the Lord;
      may I never forget the good things he does for me.
³ He forgives all my sins
      and heals all my diseases.
⁴ He redeems me from death
      and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
⁵ He fills my life with good things.
      My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!"
-Psalm 103:2-5 NLT

Lord,
Let all that I am praise you for who you are. May my praise for you always be on my lips. Constantly remind me, Lord, of all the good things you have done. You Lord are my redeemer and healer. While on this earth you do bring relief from my diseases and struggles, however, this relief is only a foretaste of what you have promised for me when we I am with you in Heaven for all of eternity. My heart is filled with joy at the thought of what lies ahead. Thank you for the gift of salvation and eternal life with you.
Amen.

There is No Way a Single Title Can Encompass it All

2011-06-30T19:48:00.000-06:00

So, it would appear that I have been absent from the ol' blog again. I actually have been enjoying some time computer-free this summer. I know. Who would have thought it? Turns out that thing can be like a ball and chain sometimes. Also, as I was putting together The Little Man's yearly montage, I got to a place where I realized that I wasn't going to have enough pictures to fill up the music, and in fact, had not taken any pictures of my family between January and May. Shameful. I realize that my life was a little out of control during those months, but seriously? So in an effort to catch up, I have been really working hard at taking pictures again. Not arranging photo shoots with my kids, just taking pictures of life. So the good news is: I have lots of pictures of the last two weeks! However, if I were to keep up with the blog AND be taking pictures, well, that would ruin my reputation at being sub-par. We can't have that.

Anywho, here are some of the things we've been up to:

Since it's summer, you can't even think we haven't been living it up here:

Can you guess what The Little Man's favorite new thing to do this summer? He's all over the diving board. (Can you guess how many pictures I had to take in order to time out perfectly them in mid-air off the diving board and my iPhone's camera's lag time?)

It has been a joyous time for us at the pool. The best part is that we have been joined by good friends almost each time we go. I am loving having both kids at a spot where they are not threatening to drown at any given moment. I am not at all missing the days when I was constantly playing life guard. It makes reading a book poolside so much more enjoyable.

Also, on the Summer Bucket List this year (and every year) the Zoo! We can't not go. Yet, every time we go, I remember why I only go once a year. While it's super fun, it's also a super chore. Here we are this year:

This year we had two map readers (you know, in case we got lost on our 25th visit):

There's that elephant we were trying to track down:

It was still stinky in the pachyderm house:

There's our favorite bear cubs:

We're so sorry bears...each year the The Little Man's positioning gets a little bit more awkward, doesn't it?

Ahhh, much better:

Don't you take music classes at your zoo?

Surprisingly, we can jump pretty far:

Sadly though, not quite as far as we wanted to.

Honestly, I really do love our zoo. It's just that it is so stinkin' far away, and I swear, every year, we come on the same day as every school, day camp, day care, etc. This year we parked a mere 25 min walk away from the zoo entrance. Then, since we live in the 'burbs, the drive home is always such a nightmare. It just goes to show how desperate I was to get out of the house when the kids were little since we had memberships there, and visited approximately 3-11 times a year. Have I mentioned how thankful I am for the stage of life we are at now? Well, I am. No more trips to the zoo out of desperation. Now we go because we actually want to see the animals and learn something new.

We've been tenderly caring for our garden:

Baby squash:

Aren't carrots cute brand new?

I see some spicy stews and chile's coming in the fall/winter:

And just like children, this sweet little garden has grown so fast, I can barely keep up with it.

I can hardly wait to dig into it's yummy bounty later this summer.

Also, on the Summer Bucket List, spending their Summer Chore Money!

Guess where The Girl wanted to go?

Yes, we visited American Girl. Her girl, Charlotte, needed to get her ears pierced. And she needed to have her picture taken with Kanani. (By the way, I am still super bummed that American Girl hasn't set it up so you pick up Kanani in Hawaii. Hello, American Girl! I sense a huge money maker!)

The Little Man, however, did not want anything to do with American Girl (thank goodness). No, he had bigger things on his mind:

Recently, the mall in our area got a Lego store. For some reason, buying your Lego set at the Lego store, while being much more expensive, it also much more cool.

He is now the proud owner of two Star Wars space ships, Hogwarts Castle, Hagrid's Hut, Freeing Doby, and the Quidditch set.

Now don't think that he is Mr Money Bags (or that I am for that matter), don't forget that we had a birthday party thrown in the mix. The Little Man has been beyond thrilled to spend gift cards and birthday money on his prized Lego collection.

Speaking of birthday parties, I guess I should share those pics too, while I am at it.

We hit the local bounce house. Score for me because I didn't do anything but show up with cupcakes, ice cream, and kids. Score for the kids because they got to act like wild animals without getting into any trouble.

Even though it was indeed his birthday we were celebrating, I still love that shirt. He wears it all the time, and it is so him!

Wild animals, I tell you.

When we discussed what kind of cake he wanted this year, he was very firm on wanting a "homemade cake from scratch". When I wanted to know why, O WHY, we couldn't use a box mix, he just said he wanted to make sure his sister could eat his cake (since she has peanut allergies most store bought cakes and even boxed cake mixes are off limits to her). How sweet is that? I could not say no, even though my baking skills are less than stellar. We made a whole week of it, though. We tried a couple of different recipes and then decided which we liked best for the big day. A delicious red velvet won.

Oh, it was such a sacrifice.

Then, he decided that he would like his cupcakes to be Harry Potter themed.

Excuse me?

I'm barely putting together a homemade, from scratch, cupcake. Now he wants them decorated too?

So, I found these frosting pen like things. It made it more like drawing than frosting. Still, they were not very cute. I ordered a Harry Potter cake topper just so I could seal the deal. Surely with him on the top, all the crazy decorating I did would make sense, right?

Well, maybe:

All I have to say is that sitting next to his cousin's professionally decorated Sponge Bob cake, mine looked a little, well, different.

The Little Man took one look at his cupcakes on the cupcake stand and just said "Whoa! Look at how cool my Harry Potter cupcakes are! Thank you so much, mommy!"

It was a proud moment for me.

I love that kid.

Then there was present time. Both he and his cousin got to sit on their Royal Throne and tear up some serious gifts:

A good time was had by all. Especially by the mommies who did not clean up, frantically try to write down which gift came from whom, or try to throw together goody bags.

Perfection I tell you.

Other things taking up our time: The Girl got cast into a local play. She is very excited and exclaimed "I knew it! I knew I could sing, do different voices, and memorize lines! I knew it!" This was her very first audition ever, and is our first stab at the whole drama thing.

Well, I mean stage drama. Cause the everyday drama? it still runs thick around here.

I got an iced tea maker. Never thought being able to make iced tea on demand could make me so happy.

We are working on trying a new recipe every week. So far my favorites have been a Raspberry Crumble, Salted Carmel Brownies (which are similar to these), and a French Dip that is so good and so easy that it makes me happy to just think about it.

And various cleaning and organizing projects that have made me feel like I really can start and finish a project, that I am organized, and pretty much like I can take on the world. It just feels so good to get stuff done.

Up next: I might try to blog AND take pictures.

Probably.

We'll see.

Who knows.

Rav-Chesed (Abounding in Love)

2011-06-20T22:30:00.000-06:00

Was I five days late with my last Scripture Memory verse? I don't know. I am just trying to keep it even. I might do better if next month I just go back to starting things on time. The first and fifteenth of every month. NO EXCUSES!

This week I picked a verse that has already spoken to my heart this year. However, after doing another Bible study this summer, I now have a new fondness for it.

In Knowing God by Name by Mary A. Kassian, I am studying all the different names of God. In knowing each name, understanding what they mean, and seeing them used in scripture, I am feeling like I am getting to know my Lord all over again. Many of the names given to God are given to reflect a character trait of His, thus, giving me a deeper understanding of who He is.

One of the days this past week, I studied the name Rav-Chesed which means abounding in love. As I worked through some different verses that spoke specifically of God's love for us, I studied two different words used for love, Ahab and Chesed. Ahab means "to desire, to breathe after, to be inclined toward, to delight in." It can be understood as having a warm personal attachment and affection towards another. This is a kind of love that I can understand. My head and heart get it. I have been the giver and receiver of Ahab. It's the kind of love we see in Zephaniah 3:17 "The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Chesed is a different kind of love. The kind of love that is a bit harder for both my head and heart to grasp. A love that I don't know if I am capable of giving on my own.

"Chesed speaks of a love that is firmly rooted in God's character. In involves loyalty, steadfastness, and covenant commitment as well as kindness tenderness and mercy. Chesed is the type of love that accepts moral obligation for the welfare of the person loved. It's a love that doesn't depend on the response or behavior of the receiver, but rather on the steadfast character and commitment of the giver. Ahab has to do with feelings, whereas chesed implies a mind-set and mode of interaction rooted in deep values." -Knowing God by Name (emphasis mine)

She goes on to state that, "God's love is deeper and more steadfast than that of a mother for her children (Is 49:15, 66:13). It is so strong that it makes Him stay committed even when His loved ones are not. It is so deep that it causes Him to feel affection even when they do not."

I don't know about you, but I know that I find it very difficult to love another when I know that they will not be returning the same sentiment. In fact, I will err on the side of caution, and actually with- hold love from a person, until I know that it's "safe" to love them (meaning they will return my love). As ugly as this sounds, I might as well get brutally honest here, my heart is incapable of loving and staying committed to loving a person, completely unguarded, unless I feel as though there is some sort of love or affection being returned. Yet, this is exactly the kind of love that the God of the universe has for me.

Amazing.

So as I re-read Isaiah 54:10, it had a fresh, new, powerful meaning.

"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you." (Is 54:10 NIV)

"The capacity of God is infinite, so it stands to reason that His love is also infinite...God's love is more than enough...In His infinite wisdom He knows you completely. He loves you tenderly. He loves you faithfully."-Knowing God by Name

Doesn't get much better than that, does it?

Our Get-Away in Pictures

2011-06-13T18:13:00.000-06:00

This past weekend we used The Little Man's birthday as an excuse to take the fam on a little get-away. So we headed up to the mountains and did some hiking, swimming, eating, miniature golf playing, and exploring. It was a much needed and much enjoyed little get-away that felt so good to our hearts after The Hubs' illness this past winter.

Here we are at the trail head of The Hubs' favorite hike. I didn't think that the kids were big enough to handle the terrain (truth be told, The Little Man did have to be carried for some of the hike), but they did wonderful. The Girl was like a hiking rock star and never complained.

(I've done this hike a number of times in my life and some of those times I was The Girl's age. I won't say one way or the other, but she may have handled the hike better than I did at that age.)

Once we got about a third of the way into the hike, we realized that the stream that flows next to the trail was very full and flowed out over the trail. For a while we were hiking up river, jumping rock to rock, and trying to stay as dry as we could.

The stream before it jumped it's banks:

Proof that I was there: (You can also see how big and fast that "little stream" was)

At the top, a nice gentleman took our pic as a family. You can't tell here, but The Hubs is in rare form here. Let's just say, I've worked out with this man A LOT in our almost 12 years together, and never EVER have I seen him sweat like he did on this hike. It was a bit rough hiking down wind from him on the way back.

Here's the tippy top of the falls:

We actually hiked behind the falls and cooled The Hubs off (too bad we didn't bring soap with us!)

In honor of The Little Man's birthday:

After cleaning up a little bit and hitting the hotel swimming pool, we went out on the town. OK, so we just went to the little main street area and did some walking. And actually, we did have an objective: Food, but we were a bit disappointed in the offerings. However, a little miniature golf course caught our eyes.

It was here that a champion was born. I'm not going to get into what the score card says because it really doesn't matter. What does matter, though, is that when it counts, can one rise to the occasion?

Well, yes. I think she can:

The Hubs wanted to leave our free game behind. I was appalled. I mean seriously. Don't people get plaques when they get holes in one? Personalized license plates? Something? Well, I may or may not be getting the little ticket that says I won a free game as well as that priceless pic above in a frame.

And hanging it next to my bed.

The next day was all about soaking in some hot springs. The kids had never been to a hot springs pool before, so imagine their surprise when they jumped in and found out it was a balmy, wonderful, 92 degrees. They could not stop talking about it. They kept saying over and over, "Isn't it so warm in here?" and "Are you warm? 'Cause I'm warm!"

Awww, they play together so nicely, huh?

(Actually, that was right before she dunked him because he couldn't read her mind.)

Some diving board action. It's so much easier to go crazy on the diving board when you know you won't have the shock of ice cold water hitting your back (or belly):

(The Hubs is THRILLED I posted that pic!)

It also happened to be the first time The Little Man had ridden a water slide (that wasn't for babies):

And even though he's six, there comes a point in which all the fun? well it flat wears you out.

But he woke up just in time to wear his Birthday Balloon Crown while we chowed down on some serious pizza.

And if you think that hat is obnoxious, you should have seen some of the other kids' behavior in the restaurant.

I'll just say, "Wow!"

Can't wait to try to get away again!

The Girl's half birthday is coming up.

I think we should celebrate!

My Boy...He's Big

2011-06-12T20:54:00.002-06:00

Today is the day. The day that my boy has been waiting a whole year for. Today, he turns six.

Every year we spend his birthday so happy. So excited that it's finally here. The next day we wake up and all The Little Man can talk about is how he can hardly wait for his next birthday. And it begins all over again. The wait. The anticipation. The planning of the birthday parties. He's got his parties all planned up until he's 10.

I wish I was kidding.

The kid LOVES his birthday. I recently found a shirt that says, "Everyday is my birthday!". Everyone that knows him laughs when they see him in it. They know it fits him. If he could have it any way he wanted it, it would be his birthday every day.

This year we spent the whole weekend celebrating him (and our family) with a little getaway (I'll bore you with those pictures and posts later). It was so fun to see him so excited and so happy all weekend long. I wish we could have frozen the weekend for like two or fifteen more weeks.

Baby Boy,
You've grown so much this past year. I can barely recognize you anymore! You've lost teeth, you've grown out of three sets of clothing, and oh! all the things you've learned! This past year has been especially special for me as your mom. This has been the last year that you stayed home with me before officially starting school. Yea, I know you were in Jr K, but once you start Kindergarten, it's different. You'll see. While I have loved having you all to myself all year, I can't wait for you to see what this next year has in store for you.

Thank you for being such a great friend, brother, and son. You have the most amazing heart! You care so tenderly for those close to you. You love fighting bad guys, playing Star Wars, being super heros, and blasting stuff with your lasers and guns, but at the same time, you must have your closet doors closed every night before the lights go out. I love every bit and piece about you, and I can hardly wait to see you grow another year!
Here's your video for your sixth birthday:

Love,
Mom

Bliss Equals...

2011-06-09T20:35:00.001-06:00

Already hitting the pool three times this Summer Break
Being in flip-flops every day
Realizing the last time I got into "real" clothing and did my hair and make-up was a week ago
Evenings warm enough for the kids to play outdoors until bedtime
Large chunks of time available for us to read chapter upon chapter of Harry Potter
Our cute veggie garden which almost wasn't
Deciding at 7:30pm maybe I should start dinner, and not caring how late it is because we have no where to be
No homework
iAllowance. (Seriously, it's rocking my socks off...and the kids' socks too since they now can earn and spend (or not spend) their money whenever they want.)
The smell of sunscreen
And when I don't have sunscreen, this takes care of the hankering wonderfully
Hearing and seeing my husband return to work with NO health side effects. PRAISE YOU, LORD!
The Fro Yo behind our house. (OK, this could get to be a problem if we don't refrain ourselves.)
Garage Sale-ing
Even though it's earlier than I would like to be awake, my quiet time in the morning. He is so worth it.
Everything Summer Break: The kids home, the swim suits and swim towels, mini-trips, eating on the deck, long days, no schedules, etc., so on and so forth, and on and on.

New Territory

2011-06-05T15:17:00.000-06:00

Eeeks! It seems as though I am super tardy in posting my newest memory verse. I actually have been thinking about it quite a bit. So, it's not like I forgot. There were a couple of verses that I had been pondering, each one speaking to my heart right where it's at. The thing is, my heart hasn't been in the same place day after day.

I am in some new uncharted areas in life. Exploring new ideas and options each day. My feelings are all over the board, and I can be excited, scared, overwhelmed, and completely full of passion all in a span of five minutes.

Yes, I am sure it's like heaven on earth living with me right now.

Finally, this morning, I decided that Joshua 1:9 was my verse. I have returned to it several times this past week. I love the context of what is happening, and am feeling a connection.

Joshua has just become the leader of God's people after Moses's death. He still has to lead God's people into the Promise Land. I don't know, but that sounds like some pretty big shoes to fill. Maybe he was a little scared or unsure? Maybe he felt a bit overwhelmed or unsure he was up for the task? It doesn't really say how Joshua is feeling about his new role as leader of the Israelites, but I do know that God tells him three times to be "strong and courageous". God is also pretty specific that he shouldn't worry because He will be with him in all he does, and also lays out how important it is that Joshua relies on Him for strength and guidance. I am just guessing, but that probably isn't something God would do if Joshua were all, "Ya, I got it, God, you can count on me. I've totally got it under control".

Maybe Joshua did, but God just knew better?

Anyway in verse nine, God says "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”(Joshua 1:9 NIV).

As I traverse new territory, and figure out what the stirrings God has given my heart are all about, I will meditate upon this verse. No matter which way I turn, no matter what new path I decide to take, I have no reason to be afraid or discouraged because The Lord is with me.

I May or May Not be Having a Hard Time With Him Turning 6

2011-05-31T18:40:00.001-06:00

Yes.

That is my son.

And he is swaddled.

I did pick him up, and carry him like that too.

In doing so, I totally hurt my arm.

He doesn't weigh as little as he did when I used to swaddle him like that before bed, from 0-4 months of age.

Seriously, though, as we were getting ready to go to bed the other night, The Little Man asked what it was like when he was a baby, and I would put him to bed. After laughing together about how we used to call him our "Baby Burrito", he asked, "What do you mean, you wrapped me like a burrito?" Seeing a large blanket on his bed, I thought, "Well, this could be fun."

And it was.

Except for the injured arm part.

That's what happens when you take things a little too far.

Someone always gets hurt.

Some Girly Girls Hate Pink

2011-05-26T16:37:00.000-06:00

Recently, The Girl revealed to me that she hates pink.

I was surprised.

She rarely complains about things such as these. Clothing, colors, decor, shopping, and anything fashion or style related are not her bag. At almost eight and a half years of age, she still asks me to dress her (not literally, but she wants me to pick out all her clothing, including socks and shoes) everyday. Thank goodness she goes to a school where they are required to wear a uniform. On a recent shopping trip, I was showing off a few things on the rack. I was hoping she would give me some input on what she would like to wear, and was thinking it would be a time to catch up on her likes and dislikes. Also, I don't have the faintest idea on how to dress an eight year old girl. So, the fact that she relies on me to dress her each day is quite ironic.

(Little girls are easy. They wear dresses or super cutesy outfits, or play clothing (read: sweat pants and t-shirts). At age eight, I don't think that flies anymore. However, other clothing seems a bit, well, too old, too flashy, or down right wrong for a little girl.)

So in an attempt to help her feel like she looks cool and fits in, I was hoping she would share with me what she would like to wear based off of what she sees her friends wearing.

This would require that she notices what her friends wear.

Guess what? She doesn't.

And she doesn't give a rip either.

However, when I held up a shirt, just plain and simple, in a hot pink, she said, "NO WAY!"

Shocked by her actually having an opinion, I asked why.

"It's pink, mom. I'm not really a pink kind of girl."

Really?

Really.

I started thinking about what a "Pink kind of girl" is. And then I was thinking about who my girl is.

You know what? She's not really a pink sort of girl.

But it's not as easy as saying she's more of a tomboy type. No, she's still girly...in her own way.

She is super nurturing, and loves to take care of stuff. Stuff like bugs, worms, and animals (as long as she can get into to the dirt she's pretty happy). She is one heck of a bug mom. This past winter and spring, she kept a Ladybug like a pet in our garage. She was constantly checking on her, caring for her, and making sure her every need was met. I honestly didn't know it was possible for a bug to live that long in a plastic tube.

While she loves bugs, dirt, and climbing trees, she doesn't lean all the way into the traditional tomboy role either because she totally draws the line on things like sports, video games, or any sort of competition. Instead, she would prefer to read or do some sort of art or craft.

She likes dresses, but only if she can wear bike shorts underneath so she can still play on the monkey bars.

She likes to play in make-up, but leans towards the punk rock look.

And today, I was reminded that while she LOVES pedicures and having her nails done, NEVER, and I really mean never (in case the all capital letters were not clear enough) has she ever chosen pink, red, rose or any color slightly resembling a traditional nail polish color. Today's pick:

I love everything about that girl.

It's About to get Personal

2011-05-25T14:34:00.003-06:00

I have to admit, this post is ~~mostly~~ for my kids.

I hope one day they read this and are encouraged, and feel their faith and love for the Lord deepen.

I recently finished up a Bible study on Isaiah. It was by no accident that I was in this nine month intensive study. Of course, I thought I had signed up because that's what I do. I like to sign up for Bible studies, but this one was different. At the end of the study we all got a chance to reflect on what we learned through the study. Since the past six months have been ~~some of~~ the most difficult months of my life, I had a lot to reflect on.

I know that I have mentioned in a very vague way a few times that our family has been going through some suffering recently, but I have never put a real name on it. While I feel like we are not completely out of the woods yet, I do feel like I am in a spot where at least my head is above water.

In December of last year, The Hubs became ill. Pardon my continued vagueness, but I feel like I should be protective over some of these details. He had shown some symptoms as early as November, but we kept blaming other things and sweeping symptoms under the rug. By January it became clear that he might be in trouble, and by the end of January and into February, it was clear that he was very ill. His very life was threatened, and our old way of life, doing things, of living was totally gone. Each day was very scary, and was a major battle. He could no longer work, and I spent tons of time caring for him, caring for our children alone, trying to keep our lives as normal as possible, and many, many hours on my knees.

The Lord walked each and every step of this journey with me, just like He has promised. Some of the things I had to see and hear, my heart was not made to take. I found out that I am not as strong as I would like to think I am, and that is exactly how I am supposed to be. Weak. Desperate. In need.

All along the way, each and every step I took, God carried me. Instead of feeling tired and useless because I wasn't feeling like I was coping well, I felt peace, comfort, and relief as I allowed God to carry me instead.

Here is some of the dialogue I would have with Him in those desperate times/days/weeks/months:

(Remember, I was studying Isaiah at the time, so that's why most of the dialogue come from there)

When I would tell him, “Everything is out of control. Is this your plan? I think something has gone wrong.” He assures me “I am the Lord, the Lord God Almighty.” “...Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen.” (Is 14:24)

But I insist, “I am scared. I have no peace. This doesn’t feel right.” and He patiently responds, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because He trusts you.” (Is 26:3)

And when I continued to seek peace from advice, research, or tried to work harder at fixing things myself, He reminded me that it is He who “establishes peace for us, all that we accomplish he has done for us.” (Is 26:12).

“But Lord, I am so weary. I don’t know how I am going to make it even one more hour.” He whispers back to me, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Is 40:29-31) “For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” (Is 41:13)

“For how long, Lord? Will you always help me?”

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” (Is 46:4)

“Lord, the uncertainty of all that lies ahead has me terrified. I don’t know what to expect.” He comforts me with, “...do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Is 41:10)

“But I feel like this is too much. I think I’m drowning.”

“...“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior...” (Is 43:1-3).

“But, Lord, will we ever see healing? Is it your will to leave us broken?”

“I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.” (Is 41:18-20) (These are the verses that I claim for The Hub's healing)

“But, Lord, nothing is working. The Doctors don’t know what to do next. The medication isn’t helping.”

“See, I am doing a new thing! ... I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Is 43:19)

“When, Lord?”
“In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land...” (Is 49:8)

“Oh, I hope it comes soon. I hope this test result will show what we need! I hope this is the medication that will make things better. Oh, I hope we can get our family back to normal.”

“...Those who hope in me will not be disappointed.” (Is 49:23)

“Lord, I think we have done too much wrong. We have strayed from you. We’ve been angry and frustrated with you.”

“I have seen your ways, but I will heal you...” (Is 57:18). “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” (Is 54:10)

“He’s not the same on all of his medication. Lord, I miss my husband.”

“For your Maker is your husband— the LORD Almighty is his name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.”

“Lord, I need to know what to expect. What will tomorrow hold for us? Will he be better next month? Will he ever work again?”

“Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.” (Is 46:9-10).

“But, Lord, why? What is this all for?”

“Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with sapphires. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.” (Is 54:11)

“This life is too hard. I need hope.”

“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind...the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more...for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” (Is 65:17, 19, 23-24)

So I have hope. Hope in the destruction he has allowed because He is in control. He will bring peace, and I will not walk it alone. He will bring healing in His time and for His glory, we are not forgotten, and He will restore us with a sure foundation, as beautiful as it is strong. And when this life gets hard, and I find I am uncomfortable here, He promises that this isn’t the end. I will have a new life, where the troubles of this life will long be forgotten, and there will be tears no more.

My Sweet Babies,
I know that circumstances of these past six months have been hard on your hearts and difficult to understand. Life is hard. It wasn't made to be fair. It wasn't made to be easy. Please know that when you find yourselves in over your head, you are not alone. You are never alone. When it seems like no one understands, or when friends have proven they can't understand or deal with all you are going through, you have The Lord. He knows, He's sees and He cares. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Keep relying on Him and He will sustain and meet your every need. Open His Word, get on your knees, and get ready to be carried through the fire. He loves you so much!

Another One Bites the Dust

2011-05-18T10:00:00.000-06:00

This is the last week of school for The Girl. I can't believe it's already here!

I can barely stand myself.

We've already done the last field trip, the last day to wear uniforms (the last week of school is always spirit week), the last day of homework, and today is Field Day.

This year, we decided to opt out of Field Day. Had you told my nine year old self, all those years ago, that one day I would opt out of field day, there is no way I would have believed you. In fact, I would have probably cried myself to sleep that night. Better yet, I would have sworn up and down that I would never ever become old and boring.

Never.

Ever.

*ahem*

So, we decided to skip field day this year. Truth be told, I was hoping I could convince The Girl to skip Field Day, but totally expected that she would completely freak out at the notion and act like, well, like my nine year old self. However, as I gently brought up Field Day the other day, she quickly asked, "Mom, do I have to go to Field Day? I don't want to go and spend a day outside in the cold, gloomy, rainy weather playing games I can play any day. I'd rather stay at home in my jammies."

That last statement right there, the "I'd rather stay at home in my jammies"comment, was when I knew I had accomplished one of my most important parenting jobs.

My kids love jammy days.

My job is done.

Seriously though, there was nothing enticing about Field Day for me today. Field Day today just isn't the same Field Day of yesteryear. Tag, bounce houses, face painting would have all been laughed at and not acceptable in my younger days. Those where things we did on summer break. OK, not bounce houses because they weren't invented yet, and frankly, if one were to show up when I was nine I would have flipped. My. Lid. The end. OK, OK, even as an adult, I find myself lured by the bounce house. They are fun.

I digress.

The point is, there are no competitions, no relay races (with winners at least), no tug of war against classes, no 50 yard dashes or hula hoop contests. Field Day these days is mostly like a carnival. Don't get me wrong, carnivals can be fun. However, on a rainy, gloomy, cool day? Notsomuch. I'll catch the next one on a warmer day.

So here we sit, relishing in our first day of "Playing Hooky" ever, on this, the last week of school.

Feels pretty amazing.

Way better than winning the 50 yard dash.

If they had one.

New Perspective

2011-05-16T20:59:00.000-06:00

It's time for Scripture Memory again! I am loving my verse for this next two weeks. First, it's short. YAY! Second, it shifts my perspective.

Which, I need help with.

A lot.

I tend to be a person who focuses on two things: The Bad, and Myself.

Not a good combo.

Here's what God's word says about perspective:

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spiritdries up the bones."
-Proverbs 17:22 ESV

Finding joy is what I want to work on. Not just for this next two weeks, but I'm going to go all hog wild, and try for the rest of the year!

Seriously, though, it has been our (The Hubs and I) prayer that we would have hearts, minds and mouths that are full of joy, praise, and gratitude despite our circumstances. Truth be told, it ain't roses over here, but we've been in the muck long enough to know that a "crushed spirit dries up the bones."

Yup, it's dry alright.

We're ready to stop surviving, and start living again. This verse reminds me that I must be full of joy or else I'll surely dry up.

It's easy to find joy when I take my eyes off of us/our circumstances (me) and place them on the others around me (family and friends), the simple gifts in my life, and the one who sustains (The Lord Almighty).

Because It Warms My Heart (And it's COLD Outside)

2011-05-16T20:43:00.000-06:00

me: Oh, you have lunch plans tomorrow?
The Hubs: Yup, at a yummy Mexican restaurant.
me: No fair! I want to come (in a fake (OK, not so fake) whiny voice)!
The Hubs: Nope, it's just me and Joe.
me: I can totally hang with you and Joe.
The Hubs: No, we need to talk insurance.
me: Well, I use insurance! I'll just eat chips and salsa. You guys won't notice.
The Hubs: Sorry, ain't gonna happen.
me: (Pouts a fake pout because no amount of chips and salsa would be enough to cover up talking about boring insurance.) You're mean!
The Hubs: Sometimes.
p: (who's been watching/listening to the whole conversation, but not really picking up on the fake emotion/lack of emotion) Yea, Dad! That is mean.
me: See!
p: Don't worry, Mom. That just means you can stay home with me!
me: Oh yea?
p: Yea, we can stay home all lunch time and snuggle.
me: Sounds perfect!

What am I going to do when he goes to Kindergarten?

I'm already FREAKING out.

Get Out Your Wands, Robes and Wizard Hats

2011-05-03T20:55:00.000-06:00

I've been meaning to blog about this for a long time now, but either don't have the time, or when I do, it's time for a Scripture Memory post. (Not that this means anything, but for some reason I always feel like I should have an excuse for my lack.)

For the last couple of months, the kids and I have been reading the Harry Potter series together. I know. Gasp. I have heard from some people that A) The series is a little too intense for younger kids. and B) Some people disapprove of the wizard/witch thing. Here's the deal: My kids are totally OK with the intensity level (so far) of the series. We talk about the books a TON. I mean ALL. THE. TIME. I am well aware of what my kids find frightening and what is appropriate for them to hear, and, as of yet, we are all good in the hood. Secondly, the whole witch/wizard thing. We talk about that too. Actually, there wasn't too much talk about because the way the books are written, I feel, they are very clearly fictional. The kids don't even second guess that what is going on is fiction and not something that we aspire to do or hope for in real life. Again, we talk about the books A LOT so I know what they are thinking, and am able to nip anything that needs nipped, in the bud. All this to say, I understand that there is questionable material, but we are doing fine with it, and I am thankful that it's me that they are working through some of these things with and not reading them on their own.

Some of you are probably thinking, seriously? is it that big of a deal. Well, some think that it is, so I'm just laying it all out there.

Anyway, I was wanting to do something different with bedtime routines, and since we read every night, I thought maybe we could shake things up a bit in this area. The Girl is always in some sort of novel, and it's difficult to keep up with the story lines of all the different books since she is a bit eclectic in what she likes to read. And The Little Man? well, there is only so much of the easy readers a parent can handle. So, we needed a break. Something to look forward to, and frankly, something we could all do together. So, I am reading the books aloud while the kids listen. I was skeptical at how well The Little Man would be able to listen without having pictures, but once the action started to pick up in the first book, he was totally into it. After we watched the first movie, he became obsessed and listens so well sometimes he straightens me out on what's going on.

I have just loved the special time this has created for the kids and I. Like I mentioned before, we talk about the books all of the time. We discuss characters, plot lines, foreshadowing, and their ideas on where/what/who is going to happen next. Then after each book is complete, we watch the movie. And, get this, sometimes we choose to read instead of watching TV. I know. Now, I will say, that the movies have been a bit intense. There were times in the second and the third movie that we've had to pause the movie and remember how things happened in the book, recall how things turned out, and remind ourselves of why this event is important to the whole story. Once we work through some of those things, they seem to be OK with the scene. Rest assured, there have been no nightmares. This has also been such a good way to show the kids how important it is to read the book and not just watch the movie. They have shared with me some of their disappointments in things that were either left out, done out of order, or done in a totally different way. Their appreciation for reading a story has definitely grown, which I think is saying a lot considering our family's affinity for the tube.

I can hardly wait for the summer when we will have ample time to delve deep into some of the longer books in the series. Long lazy days are perfect for reading. If there happens to be a pool nearby, well then, even better!

This has been such a fun time for our family. I can't believe how much I (and they) love it. Our hope is one day (after we've completed the series) to be able to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter with all the rest of the Hogwarts ~~nerds~~ fans.

Not Much Else to Say

2011-05-01T14:46:00.001-06:00

It's time for a new Scripture Memory for May.

First, I can't believe it's May. The Girl has a mere THREE WEEKS left of school! Oh happy day!

Second, the scripture I picked for the next few weeks needs not a lot of explanation.

(I can hear the collective sigh of relief.)

((I'm cool with it.))

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." -Philippians 1:6 NASB

I took a little break from the personal verses two weeks ago so that I could prepare my heart and mind for Easter. I loved having that time, by the way. Now, I am back at it again, and picking verses that speak to my heart. This one, like the one before it, speaks encouragement. It simply reminds me that I need not worry that all of this suffering is for not. I can be confident that He who began it, will not only finish it, but perfect it. He doesn't start anything without the intention of bringing it to full fruition.

As some of these days have turned into weeks, and now months, I can have full confidence that even though I don't see the work He is doing, it's there. He is going to bring this work to perfection for the day of Christ Jesus.

I, for one, can't wait.

In His Own Time

2011-04-22T09:37:00.002-06:00

When will I learn? Honestly, I am shocked at how long it takes for simple things to sink into my brain. The kids are now almost six and eight. You would think that I would have learned by now that saying, "They will do things in their own time". That's what parents say to one another to encourage each other when one set of parents is worried that their child isn't keeping up with the milestone markers. "Maybe they are late bloomers?' they will say in a way that says "Don't freak out just yet."

The Little Man has had that said about him a lot in his six short years. He's been that "Late Bloomer" in many physical milestones. He sat up late, he barely crawled, and didn't take his first steps until close to 16 months old. Considering The Girl was right on target with everything, I was constantly freaking out with all of his tardiness.

Last summer, when he turned five, we thought it was time for us to remove the training wheels off of his bike and get that kid riding a two wheeler. After all, isn't five the age that kids do that? Yup, The Girl rode a two wheeler at five, so it was time.

This did not go so well. I video taped day after day of practice. Day after day of tears. Day after day of tantrums. Day after day of failed attempts.

(Yes, I still have videos of these attempts. Yes, I thought about posting them just so you could see the transformation. However, I won't be posting them. After watching them again, I realized how traumatized he was. There is no need to humiliate the guy.)

Finally, after a few weeks, The Hubs and I shut 'er down. We both had lost our patience. The Little Man was only getting more and more fearful of his bike, and feeling more and more defeated. The bike went away.

Sometimes The Little Man would talk about it, and sometimes he would even entertain the idea of trying again. Each time he would back away when the rubber would meet the road. Fear would just seize him.

He got a scooter for his fifth birthday. He rode it all over the place, and absolutely loved it. Still does. The kid is scootering fool. After a while, the bike in the shed never crossed our minds. Until yesterday.

Yesterday the bike came out again, and The Little Man was very eager to try again.

Here's what happened:

Yup, My boy is a late bloomer, but when he does something, he wants to do it right.

If someone hears me getting frustrated about how long it's taking for my son to get something again, smack me. Then remind me that, "Kids do things in their own timing"

Thanks.

Elation, Money Makin', and Disney Celebratin'

2011-04-20T21:09:00.000-06:00

(OK, that is a corny title. You have to do that sometimes.)

I know I have mentioned on here several times how much I love having time off of school. More so than the kids,who are the ones going to school, I love days off. So you can imagine my sheer delight when, on Monday, we got notice via email that school was going to be let out of session early this year. Yes, instead of going until the end of May, The Girl will be done with her second grade year on the 20th of May.

Elated doesn't quite cover it.

I was so hoping that I was going to be the one who got to break the news to her and the boy we carpool with. I imagined a car full of hoops and hollers. About 100 or so "Are you serious?"'s. A car ride full of joy. However, the rumor mill runs fast, and both kids had already heard the good news. It was still fun to talk about it, though, even if it couldn't be me who gave the good news.

I can hardly wait for the week I get to spend with The Girl. The Little Man will still be in school (although, he only goes for 2.5 days a week), but I am praying that during those times when he is gone, she and I will have a sweet time of bonding. It's been a while since we've had some time just she and I.

The Little Man gave me a few giggles as he came up with some "good ideas" the other day. Recently we've had to establish a "No read, No TV" rule in our home. You know how much I love the tube and the kids do too, but The Little Man has gotten a little unbalanced with his screen time. So right now, there is no TV unless he has done some reading. As you may imagine, this new rule was not warmly accepted.

p: I have a good idea!
me: Really, what is it?
p: You know how I don't like to read that much, right?
me: Oh, bud, you like to read. You're just being a stinker about it.
p: Well, I would like it a lot more if maybe you could pay me a quarter for every book I read.

Nice try, but not going to happen.

Besides avoiding reading, The Little Man has been talking a lot about going to Disney World.

It's probably all the commercials he's been watching.

Somehow he got it into his mind that the reason we aren't going is because there is some sort of time issue holding us up.

p: Mom, I have a good idea!
me: Really?
p: Yea, you know how we are going to go on Summer Break soon?
me: Yup, just a few weeks left of school and we are on break!
p: That's when we should go to Disney World!
me: What?
p: Yea. Because if we go on Summer Break, we don't have to worry about getting back to school anytime soon. We can stay as long as we need to have the most fun we can have.
me: What?
p: Yea. You know how we always have to go from places because we have school to get back to. Well, if we are on Summer Break we don't have to worry about that because we don't have school for a long time. We can just stay there however long we want and do everything we ever wanted! Wouldn't that be great!
me: That does sound like fun, but we would have to pay for all those days we were there. We can't stay all those days for free, right?
p: Yea, but that's fine. At least we wouldn't have to leave.

As much as I would love to run away to Disney World, somehow I think there is a kink in that plan of his.

Because It's Nearly Easter

2011-04-17T21:19:00.000-06:00

I am fully aware that I am a couple of days late for Scripture Memory, but since I was late with it at the beginning of the month, I think that means I am right on time. Right? Anyway, it's been two weeks, and it's time for some more scripture.

I decided that this time I would focus on Easter since it's around the corner. I have perused several scriptures that reference the free gift of salvation that comes from Christ, as well as reading the different gospel stories about the crucifixion and the discovery of the empty tomb. So much to consider. I decided to go a different route and chose, instead, scripture that prophesied the ultimate sacrifice of the Lord's Servant. Hundreds of years before Christ came into the world, it was prophesied by Isaiah that the Lord's Servant, Christ, would give of his life, a perfect life, as the atoning sacrifice for our sinful lives.

"He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
   and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
   nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
³ He was despised and rejected by mankind,
   a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
   he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
⁴ Surely he took up our pain
   and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
   stricken by him, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
   he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
   and by his wounds we are healed.
⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
   each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
   the iniquity of us all."
-Isaiah 53:2-6 NIV

I wish I could say that I will be memorizing all of that. However. I think I am going to take on the last three verses (4-6). Still a healthy chunk, I think.

While all of chapter 53 is full of amazing prophecy and wonderful truth, I like that these three verses hit the heart of it all: He undeservedly took on our suffering and pain (vs 4), took the punishment that is due for sin so that we would be healed and have peace (vs 5), and just in case I get all high and mighty and think that I'm not that bad, verse 6 reminds me that ALL have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own ways. The punishment he took was because of me, and for me. My sin has nailed Him to the cross. My sin has put a crown of thorns on His head. My sin pierced His side. Mine.

*Lord, allow the gravity of what your Son did in my place to sit heavy on my heart. Let the truth of what He did in my place fill my heart and mouth with gratitude and praise. Thank you, Lord, for this free gift of salvation. Not because of anything I have done, but because of what you have done. You have created me anew so I can do the good things you had planned for me long ago. Thank you, Lord for this gift. -Amen.*

"⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."
-Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT