12

On this day 12 years ago my firstborn son made his appearance in the world. His birthday should have been the 9th. But he had other plans and hung in there until October 10th. October 10th is also the first day of elk hunting season. On the 9th 12 years ago, I called my dad who was getting ready to head to the woods, and told him he might want to stick around for a few more hours (which turned out to be a lot more hours). Finally, October 10th turned out to be Josh's birthday. Through the years the clashing of birthday/elk season has caused me to have to be creative in planning birthday celebrations so that Pappy could be there like Josh wanted. But this year it's not just Pappy who's hunting. Josh turns 12 today and that means he is able to big game hunt. Big game = elk. Elk = October 10th. Which all adds up to mean that I will not be hugging on my new 12 year old today. I may not even get to talk to him depending on cell service where they're hunting. I'm a little sad about that, but I knew the day was coming (and actually the same thing happened last year even though he was just "hunting" with Pappy and not with his own gun). So here's what we did. Friday night was his family birthday night. We usually go out to eat on birthdays, but Josh chose to have his night at home with homemade pizza (pepperoni, mushroom, and black olives), ice cream (Blue Bunny wedding cake flavored), movies (Transformers and X-Men First Class), and presents (a new camera*). He declared it a great night and I agree. If he's happy, I'm happy. And when he gets back we'll have a party with his friends, so plenty of birthday celebrating will occur. Just not on the actual birthday. Tonight, though, my dad will unwrap a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and stick a candle in it and hand Josh a card from me wishing him all the happiness in the world on his special day and every day to come. So 12 years ago, I spent this day exhausted and amazed and happier than I'd ever been before. And this year on this day I will look back on that day, all the days since, and all the days to come and know that the happy just keeps coming.


Happy Birthday, Josh! I love you more than words can say.

*So my friend Carrie had the great idea to get Josh a camera for his birthday when I told her I couldn't think of anything to get him. I did a little research online and then headed to Target. I prayed that God would let me find a great camera for a great price since price would play the biggest part in my decision. I asked the lady in the camera department what she suggested and she took me to the Kodak section. She pointed out a few cameras that she thought would be good and then showed me a clearance camera and told me that since it was the last one, she could give me 10% more off. That would make the camera $45. Then I looked a little closer at the the description card and discovered that the original price of the camera was $199.99. I asked her if that was the real original price and she said that it was. Well, that made the decision a lot easier. I walked out of the store with the camera (which happens to be a lot nicer than my point and shoot), a case, and a memory disk for under $70. Nice. Thank you, God, for answering even the smallest of my prayers.

10 Things Thursday

10 things you should take on a trip...according to my kindergarten through 2nd grade Bible class.

1. clothes
2. toothbrush and toothpaste
3. gps
4. binoculars
5. tent
6. refrigerator
7. brain and heart--said in all seriousness because "If you don't you would die."
8. guts--said in all silliness after the previous answer
9. batteries
10. map

This was a discussion leading up to the story of God sending Abram from Ur to Hebron. He left without knowing where he was going or how long he'd be gone. He just went because it's what God said to do. Good lesson for me to teach. God often says to me, too, "Just go. I'll fill you in on the details later." Guess I'd better get my brain and heart ready.

Quote of the Day

The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug. ~Mark Twain

Help

As you might remember, our family sponsors two World Vision children. Lenah from Kenya and Vinicius from Brazil. Throughout the year we send them letters and cards and little gifts. I especially try to send something around their birthdays. The trick is, we can only send 6x9 inch envelopes. No big packages or boxes. Lenah just turned 9 in August. She's easy to shop for. Stickers, pencils, notepads, headbands, necklaces... There are tons of little things that would make a 9 year old little girl smile. And Vini's birthday is coming up in November. He will be turning 15. I have no idea what to send him. None at all. Any ideas?

Blessed Sunday

When the cutest little girl in the whole wide world says to me, "You're the best mommy ever,"...that's a blessing.

Really?!?!

A California student was punished by his teacher for saying "bless you" to a sneezing classmate. The teacher, Steve Cuckovich, says the punishment wasn't about religious beliefs, but about the disruption it caused. The school's principal says he talked with Cuckovich about the punishment. (More of the story here.)



So here's my thoughts on this story. As a teacher I understand classroom disruptions and being consistent and stopping trouble makers in their tracks. But saying, "bless you?" I would just be glad that my students were showing good manners, outdated or not. (Not, if you ask me.) Settle down, Mr. Cuckovich. Ignore it and pass the tissues.

Clean

If you go to my house right now, right this very minute, you can see it clean.* If you wait until we get home, don't bother because it won't last. But right now it's cleaner that it's been in a long, long, long time. I just wish I was there to enjoy it before we walk through the door this afternoon and instantly mess it up with lunch boxes and shoes and jackets and homework and life. But right now...right now it's clean.

*It's clean because the appraiser for our refinance is coming this afternoon. Maybe I should schedule an appraisal once a month.

Blessed Sunday

I don't know how many of you have gone to Blogs I Read and clicked over to meet Gitz at Choose Joy. I've been reading her blog for a while now and have been touched so many times by her joy, love, and exuberance for life...whatever that life might hold. At first I was sad to read her posts because I knew that her life, confined to her apartment in an ill body that didn't match her heart, wasn't what she wanted. I was scared to think that if someone like Sara could be given such a life to live, it could happen to anyone. But I kept reading. Sara's posts don't allow for her readers to be sad or scared. Each and every post lifts spirits and glorifies the Lord. Sara's love for God and acceptance of His plan for her ended up overcoming my sadness and fear and became inspiration. I can't even tell you how many times I was feeling sorry for myself and thoughts of Sara came to me. I can walk outside and feel the sun on my face and breeze in my hair. I can come and go in my life and not be afraid that I'll catch every little thing there is to catch. I can move and breath and speak and laugh without a second thought. All impossible for sweet Sara. Sara's trust in the Lord, his plans, and his timing became an example to me. And I'm reminded so, so often, because of Sara, to choose joy.

For the last few weeks Sara's already poor health had taken a turn for the worse. Her body began shutting down. I was a little sad knowing that the end of this life was so near for her. But I was mostly happy because I believed that she was ready to take the next step God had planned for her. And last night she took that step. I never heard Sara's voice except through her words on the screen. And we only emailed a few times. But I know that this morning Sara is singing and dancing and running like she's never done before. In the presence of the angels, her dad, and so many more who have loved her here on earth. So I'll say a prayer for her family and friends today who are already missing her. But I will also smile knowing that she is free. Absolutely free and loving every minute of it.

Weekend Continued

I know you've all been waiting to hear about Saturday at Women of Faith. So here it is.

Lisa Whelchel. Yes, Blair from "The Facts of Life." She is now an author and founder of MomTime Ministries. Her new book is called "Friendship for Grown-ups" and that is what she spoke about at the conference. She shared about how she had to learn to make friends as an adult since her childhood was spent working with on-screen "friends." The thing I took away from what she said was that to have good friends you have to be a good friend. Be a friend who gives, listens, and is gracious. Then those kind of friends will find you. Oh, yeah, I also learned that she got to kiss on George Clooney during his stint on her show. He seems like he'd be a good friend.

Sandi Patty. Well, Sandi Patty could just sing and not talk at all and I'd be happy. But what she says is almost as beautiful as how she sings. She talked about being on the edge of the divine. About how we can live in this life close to God and enjoy all His grace and goodness and love and mercy. And how she is learning to do just that. And I just have to say that if I could sing like this women I'd sing every word I ever spoke for the rest of my life.

Marilyn Meberg. Marilyn seems like the mom of all the ladies on the porch (even though a couple of them are older than she is.) She seems like the down to earth one. The one who could answer all of your deepest, darkest questions and love you along the way. She shared about being closer to God. And isn't that what Christianity is all about?

Debra Joy Winans. Debra Joy was the drama queen of the weekend. She performed several skits over the two days that touched the very heart of many of the women in the audience. She was a mom who literally wore so many hats that she had a hard time keeping track of who she was and who she was supposed to be. And she was a wife and mother who felt invisible in her life but realized that she was not invisible to God and that he saw, and appreciated, everything she did while serving her purpose in Him. The drama part of the weekend isn't usually a highlight for me, but this year Debra Joy made me think and I learned a lot from her performances.

Amy Grant. I've never been a huge Amy Grant fan. I couldn't even name one of her songs if I tried. But I really, really enjoyed her performance. It felt like we were in a small venue when we were in fact in a huge arena. She and her three-man band played several of her songs, both Christian and secular. She seemed very real and down to earth compared to the divaliciousness of Mandisa and the voice perfection of Sandi Patty. She just sang and told stories and was soft and sweet and authentic. I may just have to look her up on itunes and get to know her music. I think I'd like it...and her.

So there you have it. Once again Women of Faith gave me a weekend to remember. It really is a blessing and I'm already looking forward to next year.

10 Things Thursday

10 words (or phrases) for today.

1. school
2. field trip
3. Mudgie and Millie
4. long walk
5. lots of kids
6. head counts
7. laughter
8. fun
9. playground
10. tired

Wednesday WORD

Psalm 121

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Weekend

My weekend was spent with 7,000+ Christian women in an arena praising and praying and laughing and crying. And it was amazing. Women of Faith is always good, but this year was beyond great. The speakers were encouraging, wise, and entertaining. The music was just what music should be. The Spirit was moving and the Lord was present. It made me remember once more what it's all about, this life that I live. It has absolutely nothing to do with a clean house or money or what the world thinks of me. It has everything, everything to do with Jesus.

Each person who walked up on that stage this weekend touched my life in some way. I thought I'd share a thought or two about each one.

Patsy Clairmont. Can I just say first off that I love her. She is what my grandma would call "a case." She is a character with a capital "c." There's just something about her, the way she talks and moves and shares, that makes me happy. I found out this week that she was once agoraphobic. You know. She didn't leave her house and had extreme anxiety issues. I couldn't help but think, "there but for the grace of God go I." But to see her now, it's hard to believe that she was ever anything but her amazing, outgoing, fearless self. She spoke numerous times throughout the weekend and I especially appreciated what she shared about overcoming fear and accepting that change can be good. And I had to laugh out loud when she declared her opinion on medication for depression and anxiety: "Pop a pill in Jesus name." Amen, Miss Patsy!

Andy Andrews. I wasn't so sure about Andy when he first got on stage. He ran around while he talked and the poor camera men could hardly keep up with him. By the time he was finished speaking, I was exhausted. But what he said was really, really good. He spoke about being responsible for our choices and how those choices could and would impact our lives. One of the things I came away with from his words was how everything good in our lives comes about because of how we act. And everything great in our lives comes about because of how we act when the going gets tough. I can hardly wait to read his books, especially "The Traveler's Gift."

Brenda Warner. Brenda is a former marine, mother of seven including one special needs child, child advocate and philanthropist who came from nothing and now wants for nothing. Oh, yeah. She's also the wife of Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner. Brenda spoke about overcoming difficulties in life while still hanging on to the Lord. The hour spent with her gave me the impression that she is strong. Physically. Mentally. Spiritually. But she knows, and shared with us, that her strength comes from above.

Mandisa. I can't say enough about Mandisa. I saw her first on American Idol. Remember her? She's the one who told Simon that she forgave him for commenting on her weight after her audition. She didn't win American Idol. Which is probably good for her and better for me and all the women who are touched by her at Women of Faith conferences all over the country. Miss Mandisa rocked the arena Friday night. Her voice, her presence, her words move me to tears every time. Her music was a lifesaver during the darkest days of my life. It was literally something I clung to during those days and one of the things that pulled me out of the stormy sea and back onto the S.S. Savior. Still today I will listen to her cds over and over and sing along with hands in the air and heart full to overflowing with His love.

And that, my friends, was only the beginning. I still have Saturday to tell you about. Stay tuned.

10 Things Thursday

10 things I've been stressed about in the last week....is what I was going to write about. But instead I'm going to write about 10 reasons I feel blessed.

1. I have a house in which to live. It's perpetually messy and beginning to be too small, but it's warm and safe and full of love.
2. I have three healthy, happy children whom I love more than life itself. And they're pretty darn cute to boot.
3. I have a husband who loves me and our children and God.
4. Our family has stable, secure jobs. This is new for us and is truly a blessing.
5. I am going to Women of Faith this weekend. I will be surrounded by sisters in the presence of our Father. I will laugh and cry and sing and be filled to overflowing with His goodness and grace.
6. I was able to serve last night by helping our neighbor who just moved back to the states and is recovering from a broken back. Her husband is working in Afghanistan and she is trying to get her house in order. I went over there exhausted and a little less than cheerfully. I came home so very glad for the opportunity.
7. I work in a Christian environment surrounded by people I love and who love me. It's not always an easy job, but the support of others is undeniably there.
8. I have a new baby in my life and even though he lives at my sister's house with his family, I am completely in love with him. Being an aunt is only second best to being a mom.
9. I know amazing people. People who make my life better and make me better, too.
10. I am saved. Everything else is icing on the cake.

What We Do

Oh, what we do for our children. Sunday I took Adam to Silverwood. All three kids earned passes in the reading program at school last year, but Josh didn't want to go (I know, weird.) and Arrty didn't care either way. So I left Jules at home with him (even though I wanted to take her) to save us the price of admission for one adult and so that I could go on the rides with Adam. And boy did we ride! He loves all the rides and especially the roller coasters. So I went on all the roller coasters (except the Aftershock which Adam rode ALONE!) and lots of other rides. I got soaked on the bumper boats and log ride. I got dizzy on the Trabant. I got bored on the Ferris wheel. I got nervous before the roller coasters and was hoarse afterward from screaming the whole time. And yet I did it. Why, you ask? Because my baby wanted me to. I think even he was surprised that I did everything he wanted to do. But that's what mommies do sometimes. We do things we might not want to do so much just to be with our kids and make them happy.

When we walked through the front gates I declared Adam the boss for the day. He was in charge and I think he liked it. We went where he wanted. We ate what he wanted. We rode every ride he wanted to. I didn't complain or "suggest" or "guide." I just followed. Adam doesn't often have times like that. Being the middle child between two strong willed siblings isn't always easy. But for one day he made the rules. And what a day it was. One filled with fun and laughter and memories. At the end of the day he thanked me and said he really liked that it was just the two of us. So did I, Adam. So did I.

10 Things Thursday

10 things all kindergartners should be able to do coming into my class* (but sometimes don't):

1. recognize their name when written
2. sing the ABC's
3. recognize most of the basic colors
4. count to 10
5. recognize the basic shapes
6. hold a crayon or pencil correctly (or at least close to correctly)
7. put on their shoes (I'll do the tying for a while.)
8. go to the bathroom by themselves
9. know the difference between snack and lunch (Sandwiches are lunch. Goldfish crackers are snack.)
10. sit still for at least 15 seconds

*If they don't know these things I can teach them. It'd just be nice if I didn't have to.

Wednesday WORD

“Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.”

Proverbs 4:6-7

Already?

The classroom is ready. Name tags placed. Posters up. Desk cleaned. Door decorated. Papers torn out. Lesson plans memorized. Everything is ready. Except for the teacher. She wants one more week of summer. Just one week when she can lie on the beach or read a book or play with her kids. One more week to enjoy every minute of the sunshine and warmth. Just one more. No? How about one more day? Just one more day to breathe in summer. No? Not even one more day? Okay then. In that case I'm off to make lunches and lay out school clothes for tomorrow. Tomorrow? Are you sure school starts tomorrow?

10 Things Thursday

10 new things in my classroom.

1. Paint. Lovely blue and tan walls. Fresh coat of white on the doors. (Thanks, Arrty.)
2. Curtains. I took two panels and made them into four for the two windows in my classroom. (Okay, okay. My mom did it. Thanks, Mom.) (But I helped. Really.)
3. Rug. My friend Marci got a piece of carpet free from a garage sale and thought I might be able to use it. Arrty cut it to fit and it's perfect. (Thanks, Marci.)
4. Swivel rocking chair. I asked at church if anyone had a chair they'd like to donate to my class and I was offered two. One is already there and I'm making arrangements to pick up the other. (Thanks, Sylvia and Jo.)
5. Bookshelf. One that my dad made for me when I was a teenager that has been in the basement of my house. It's absolutely perfect for holding my book baskets. (Thanks, Dad.)
6. A new toy cupboard. Okay, so it's not new. But it looks new because I painted over the hot pink with blue to match the walls. I hated that pink. I called it red, but it didn't fool anybody.
7. Terrarium. A beautiful glass tank with a miniature dessert in it. It was kindly donated by my friend Alyson. (Thanks, Alyson.)
8. Two leopard geckos. To live in the tiny dessert terrarium. They are babies and so we don't know if they are boys or girls yet which is leading to trouble with naming them. I'm also concerned because I've read that two males can't live together when they are grown. I guess we'll see what happens. Any name suggestions? I suggested Samson and Delilah, but Adam vetoed it because Delilah was a "betrayer." Good point.
9. Crowntail Betta. Yes, that makes 3 class pets. Three. I'm a gluten for punishment.
10. Whiteboard. Mine got written on with permanent marker last year and I put up with it for the last half of the school year like that. But now I have a fresh, clean white board...that will have no permanent markers anywhere near it.

Bonus: My attitude. I'm going into this year with a goal to do the very best job I can do teaching my students while all the while remembering this: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord...Colossians 3:23

Wanna see...

the cutest baby in the world? Click here.

North Idaho Fair

There have been years when we have gone to the fair 3 or 4 days of the 5 day event. Before we had kids, Arrty and I would walk every inch of the fairgrounds and eat every meal there for days. Then for a few years we took the boys to motocross on Wednesday and went to the rodeo with the whole family on Friday. This year, like last, we went only on Wednesday mostly because I won free tickets from Dave at Huckleberries. I don't know if we would have gone if not for those tickets. (Thanks again, Dave.)

It was hot Wednesday, so the kids and I didn't get there until around 3:00. We walked through all the barns and saw the animals. Of course Julianna loved them all, especially if they were "babies." The boys even held some little rubber boa snakes in the Fish and Game building. Around 4:30 we headed over to the grandstand to watch the motocross heats. It was in the shade, so it was bearable. Arrty met us there shortly after. Between 5:30 and 6:00 we decided to eat before the actual motocross races started. Arrty and the boys got ribs, which is a yearly tradition and has been for my dear husband since he was a teenager in 4-H. He's very sweet to share his ribs with the boys these days. I even ate one even though I don't usually like meat with bones. I headed over to the food court to get fish and chips, my yearly fair meal. But there were no fish and chips! That booth has chicken this year. So I got nachos. I know. That makes no sense since I wanted fish, but that's what happened. We also all ate Hawaiian Shaved Ice which is a glorified snow cone but soooo much better. I had blackberry and strawberry. Mmmmm. After we all washed the rib grease off our fingers, we walked back over and found seats for the motocross.

You know, if you've ever gone to a county fair, that it's a great place to people watch. My dad taught me to people watch a long, long time ago and I enjoy that as much as whatever event I'm attending. This year was a little different though. These four teenagers sat down in front of us, two boys and two girls. I noticed one girl right away because when she brushed her hair to the side she had a four leaf clover tattoo on the back of her neck. I have no body art, but find others' body art fascinating. A four leaf clover is a cool tattoo if you ask this Irish girl. Then I noticed that the other girl had tattoos, too. Her right arm was covered from the elbow to the wrist and her left arm had some writing that wrapped around right above her wrist. Now body art (and piercings, which they also had) is not the least bit surprising these days, but what surprised me was how young these girls looked. They were maybe 17. I didn't notice any tattoos on the boys. One looked about the same age as the girls and the other looked younger, like maybe 14 or so. He was sitting next to the girl with arm tattoos and I thought, "Oh, that's nice. She brought her little brother to the fair with her." Soon after I could tell that the girls were going to get snacks or drinks and asked the boys if they wanted anything. They didn't. Then tattoo-arms leaned over and kissed her "brother" right on the lips! Not in a brotherly way! What?!?!? He's a kid! She's way older than him! And pierced and tattooed so young! First of all, he was way too young to be kissing on girls like that. Secondly, he was way to young to be on a date. Thirdly, she looked way to "worldly" for him with his baseball cap and baby face. I was disturbed. Highly disturbed. I was so distracted by this "couple" that I hardly saw any motocross racing. After I got over my shock and the almost irresistible urge to move down to sit between them, I got down to figuring it out. So here's what I determined.

1. He must be older than he looks. Maybe he's 16 and just looks like he should still be with his mama at the fair.
2. She must be younger than she looks. Maybe she just turned 17 and looks older because of her mature haircut and body art.
3. Their tattoos are temporary. I came to this conclusion when I saw the one covering the inner arm of the boy. There are booths at the fair that sell temporary tattoos and these were all black and white and pretty simple. Yes, temporary. Phew.*
4. They are nice kids. Other than that original kiss and a little hand holding, there was no other public displays of affection. And they did seem nice to each other and their other friends who came and went over the few hours I studied them.
5. They go to church. Her tattoo said "Psalms 23."** And his said "familia." (Not that only church goers find family important enough to get a tattoo expressing that. Just my thinking at the time.)
6. I was maybe a little sensitive about the whole thing since the boy involved looked just a little older than Josh. Just a little. And here he was with a girl. By himself. Kissing. Yikes. Just Yikes.

So I left feeling like the situation was maybe okay. I didn't have to rescue that boy and take him to the "lost child" booth. He would make it home safe and sound and not too kissed up on and be able to wash off that tattoo. Here's hoping.

*Just to reiterate. I have no problem with body art...on adults. If you make a mature decision to ink yourself permanently that's completely okay with me. Just wait until you're old enough to make that important decision. I'm 39 and still haven't made such a decision. But my 40th birthday is coming up...
**Shouldn't it be Psalm 23? No "s." Just asking.

Meow

My daughter has decided that she's a cat. At least for part of the day she meows everything. "Meow meow meow meow meow?" Which translates to, "Can I have some juice." (And yes, I can translate cat.) Last night she even made me be a cat. Have you ever sung Row, Row, Row Your Boat in meows? I have. How about the ABCs? I have.

But here's the thing about Julianna. She is so adorable that no matter what language she speaks or what she asks me to do, I have to oblige. Maybe it's because her little face can make me melt in a second or maybe it's that I'm an older mom this time around and so understand that I only have a short time to meow with her. But either way I let her meow. And I pretend to understand every word. And I even meow back. Am I crazy? Absolutely. But it has nothing to do with meowing. The meowing isn't the least bit crazy to a mommy in love with her kids.

How many of you are now meowing Row, Row, Row Your Boat? I know you are. Admit it.

Blessed Sunday

So, so, so many blessings to count today.

1. My sweet husband has spent two whole days helping me prep and paint my classroom walls. And he does such a good job. Way better than I would have done by myself. And now he is planning to paint the ceiling, too! How great is he?!

2. The boys are back from camp. Phew. We all made it through the week in one piece. They came back with stories to tell and memories made. (And one of them came back wearing "friendship" bracelets given to him by girls. Guess which one.)

3. I spent a whole week with my darling daughter. We played and talked and went to the beach. It was truly a blessing. She is something else, I tell ya.

4. Thursday was my last day of summer school. So that means I have two weeks off to enjoy the sunshine. (Well, except for the few days I have to go to school to get my room ready for the new school year.)

5. My boys are going to have the teacher they wanted next year. The one who goes on field trips. The one who doesn't lecture. The one who they've both had before. The one who happens to be my friend.

6. We are getting a new family member this week. My new nephew's birthday is Friday. I can hardly wait! My sister grows really cute babies. I just wonder if he has any hair? :)

7. We are having lunch at my parent's house today and celebrating my brother-in-law's birthday. He's chosen salmon for his birthday meal. And if you have ever tasted my dad's grilled salmon, you know it'll be like it's all our birthdays!

8. It's Sunday! May you be blessed today, too!

The Call

Josh called me yesterday from camp. I had been waiting since Sunday to receive "the call." You know. The one where he says, "Mom, come and get me. I miss you so much I can't stand it. I can't eat or sleep or have any fun because you're not here. Please rescue me." And yesterday evening the call came in. Only it went a little something like this:

Me: Hello.
Josh: Hi, Mom.
Me: Hi, Josh! How are you?
Josh: Great! Sorry I didn't call you sooner. I was going to call you yesterday after breakfast but I forgot. Sorry.
Me: That's okay. Are you having fun?
Josh: Yeah! Lots! I know all the counselors and junior counselors already and there's lots of fun activities. And we don't even need canteen money because they give us snacks and pop everyday at free time. And the food is really good.
Me: How's your brother doing?
Josh: Good. He's out playing basketball right now. He's in a cabin with Nate and Jacob and Grant. He's having fun, too.
Me: So, are you ready for me to come up and get you?
Josh: Ummm, no.
Me: Are you staying warm at night? Did you take enough clothes?
Josh: Oh, yeah. I'm fine.
Me: Okay. So you're sure you don't want me to come get you?
Josh: Yep, I'm sure.

You can't blame me for trying.

After a few more assurances and "I love yous" and "byes" we hung up. I was smiling. Even though half my heart is 3 hours away. My boys are growing and making memories. For 10 and almost 12 years they've been doing that with me. Now it's time for them to do it without me sometimes. But just sometimes...a very limited sometimes. Because little do they know that when they get back on Saturday they will not be allowed out of my sight for at least a month...maybe two.

What goes around...

When I was a kid and was about to go somewhere overnight with school or church, my dad would offer me $3.00 or a trip to Dairy Queen or both to stay home. I'm pretty sure I never took him up on it. I went on the trip. And I had fun and learned and grew. And rarely thought about mom and dad at home.

So today when the boys were getting ready to head off to camp for a week, I offered them $10.00 or a trip to Outback or both to stay home. (I had to take into account inflation since 1987.) They didn't take me up on my offer. So they got into the church van, waved goodbye, gave me the "I love you" sign, and left me for a week. And I know they will have fun and learn and grow. And rarely think of their mom at home. Even if I am thinking of them every minute.

TGIF

That's it. Just TGIF.

10 Things Thursday

10 numbers.

1. 10+--the number of hours I've worked every day this week
2. 12+--the number of children I have cared for each day
3. 3--the number of children I wanted to be caring for each day
4. 4--the number of hours I've spent outside each day on the playground
5. 27--the number of times I've closed my eyes and smiled at the sun
6. 3--the number of neighborhood hooligans I had to chase off our playground today after they set off firecrackers in the covered slide
7. 7--the number of Von Trapp children in The Sound of Music...which would seem really random if I didn't also mention that I am going to summer theater tonight and the show is The Sound of music
8. 6--the number of lists I've made today
9. 15--the number of days until I meet my new nephew
10. 3--the number of days I have left to work this summer

Weird

The strangest thing happened this morning. I went into Josh and Adam's bedroom to wake up my little boys and two half grown men had taken their place.

Dear Teenage Girls at the Movie Theater Last Night,

You are adorable with your trendy clothes, ponytails, and smooth skin. I'm glad that you enjoyed the movie even if you did figure out that she was his daughter early on. I'm sorry that the movie theater girl had to tell you to put your feet down off the seats in front of you.

But why, for all things holy, did you not wash your hands after you went to the bathroom?!!?? You look like smart girls. I'm sure you have mothers at home who love you. And I'm sure those same mothers taught you to wash your hands after you pee. But you didn't. Really?! You stood in front of the mirror to fix your hair and check your lip gloss. Would it have been so hard to turn on the water and rinse your hands? It kind of grossed me out and when I heard you say that your "next plans" were to go eat, I think I gagged a little.

Girls, please, please, make it a habit to wash your hands after using the bathroom. Because I'm pretty sure the boys you no doubt went looking for last night would be grossed out too if they knew you didn't wash your hands.

Sincerely,
Concerned and Disgusted Fellow Movie Goer

10 Things Thursday

10 things about August.

1. It's here. Why does summer get shorter and shorter every year?
2. It's busy. Our calendar has very few empty boxes.
3. They boys will be going to camp. For a week. Without me.
4. Our last summer theater show is the 11th. It's The Sound of Music. I can hardly wait. And since I'm in charge of the tickets, I'm putting myself next to Katrina because I know she'll sing along and that means I can, too.
5. The county fair starts the 24th. We like to go at least one day although we mostly boycotted last year because they were allowing beer all over the fair grounds instead of limiting it to one area. And it's soooo crowded these days. We'll see what we decide to do this year.
6. We will have a new member of the family. My new nephew who I can't wait to meet will be born in a few short weeks. Well, short for me, not for his mommy. He will raise our family dinner attendance to an even dozen.
7. We just finished Bible Sports Camp at church. I came to the realization while chasing 23 four year olds around and trying to get them to sit still for 5 seconds that I am a willing servant, but not a cheerful servant. I have to work on that.
8. I took the kids to the beach for the first time this year yesterday. They had so much fun and despite the sunburn on my right shoulder, so did I. I hope we can fit in a few more beach days this month. (Apparently spray sunscreen only works where you actually spray it.)
9. There are still a few things left on our "summer to do" list. The ones we hope to get to are garnet digging, a Spokane Indians baseball game, and at least one outdoor concert (for me).
10. The last week of August will be time to get ready for school. Do not remind me that we only have 32 days left of summer.

That's Me

I'm a lot of things...wife, mom, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, teacher, Christian, and more. But of all these things, one of them I am reminded of more than any other. Mom. Because at least a million times a day I hear the word. "Mom, I can't find socks/ipod/baseball glove." "Mom, what's for breakfast/lunch/dinner?" "Mom, where's my puppy/kitty/baby/book?" "Mom, I'm hungry/thirsty/hot." "Mom, can I watch tv/play video games/have a popsicle?" "Mom, he hit/poked/looked at me!" "Mom, can we go to McDonald's/the park/Pappy's house?" "Mom, do I really have to clean my room/brush my teeth/take a bath/ go to bed?" And on and on and on it goes. Some days I really don't want to even hear the word again. I want to say, "Ask your dad." Or, "Don't even think about asking me one more question today." But I don't. I answer the question or find the puppy or start supper. Because I am, 100 percent, totally and completely Mom.

Last night, after being asleep for a few hours, I heard over the monitor a sleepy, little "Mommy." I know to wait a minute because it's probably just sleep talk. And it was. But lying there awake and having heard that word again, I decided to take it and put it in a little box in my mind. A little box that I can pull out one of these days when I have a day where no one calls me Mom because my children are not living under my roof or dependant on me for all those little things. That day is a long way off since I still have a preschooler at home. But I also have an almost 12 year old, so I know all too well how fast the years fly by. That day will come. And I'll miss these days.

So today, after being called on a million times, I will smile and put the million and first one in my "Mom" box. And save it for a day when I need to hear it once again.

10 Things Thursday

10 things I've seen on the playground this week.

1. Spongebob Squarepants game where the kids chose the characters they wanted to be and then chased each other around the play equipment inexplicably.
2. An argument over who was going to be the abominable snowman.
3. Campfire building lessons with everything but the actual fire.
4. Bug catching...grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants, butterflies...
5. Scooter riding. Except for Julianna who rides a "cooter."
6. Lots of little bare feet. And even though it's totally against school rules to run around barefooted, I'm letting them. It's summer. I run around barefooted, too.
7. My daredevil daughter climbing everything in sight including playground ladders, up the slide, and monkey bars.
8. A rhino/squid. The big brother said the little brother was a squid while the little brother insisted he was a rhino. I voted for rhino.
9. Human and dragon sacrifices. Pretend of course. I'm still not sure why or to whom they were sacrificing but it was very near the fire building pit as to be more effective.
10. Lots of kids having lots of fun. Yeah for summer!

Ramblings

After over a week of no posts, rambling seems appropriate.

I've been working some extra days at school. The other teacher is in the process of buying a house and has needed some time for paperwork and packing. Anyone who has ever bought a house knows that it's a full time job getting through that.

Working this summer hasn't been too bad. The kids I care for are well behaved (mostly). My kids get to play with other kids. I have time to work in my classroom. I get paid. Except for the getting up early, it's pretty much win/win.

Although I have had the worry this week that without some time off, completely off, I may get tired of school before next school year is over. Maybe I'll try to get a whole week off before September.

Yesterday Julianna was wearing a little skirt/shirt outfit. Adam asked me if she had shorts under her skirt. When I told him "no," he said, "Mom, that skirt is too short to not have shorts under it." I'm going to be glad to have him around for her teenage years.

Josh went on a youth group outing on Monday. Swimming at the lake house of a couple from church. He had a great time. Loved it, as a matter of fact. I was excited for him to get to go and actually encouraged him to. Until about halfway through the day when I realized that my almost 12 year old was way, way, way too big. And growing up right before my eyes without me having a thing to do to prevent it.

I got to spend some time with my sweet sister yesterday afternoon. The busyness of life doesn't allow for nearly enough of those times for us. She is pretty amazing. Right now she is growing my new nephew and being a real trooper about being pregnant all summer. And her kids are such good friends to mine. I love that all the cousins adore each other. The boys play like boys and have such a great time together. And the girls...well, they are the cutest thing ever when they get together. The days when we went swimming together are gone. But now are the days when we watch our kids do the same thing. I couldn't help but smile when Aidan was showing me his handstand in the water...just like his mommy did all those summers ago.

And speaking of swimming, Julianna didn't have a swimsuit to swim in the pool in my sister's backyard so I let her go in her underwear and tank top. Which worked out fine, until her unders got wet and she decided to go without. Ummm...yeah. Let's not run around half naked.

The rest of today will be spent cleaning my house. Well, that and playing with the kids. And maybe a short nap. And the watching of So You Think You Can Dance. And starting a new book. Okay, so I'm going to spend 15 minutes cleaning. It is summer vacation after all.

Blessed Sunday

If you know me at all or have read my blog for even a little while, you know that I adore my children. They are a great blessing and one I have counted for Blessed Sunday on several occasions. For almost nine years I only had boys. And I love having boys. I don't mind at all the noise and dirt and bugs. I've even gotten used to Hot Wheels and Legos in every corner of the house. I was thrilled to be the mommy of boys and boys alone. Boys are energetic and curious and absolutely made of all kinds of snips and snails and puppy dog tails. And my boys make me so happy with their distinct personalities and quirks. Josh is smart and sensitive and is becoming a great companion in all kinds of activities. Adam is silly and thoughtful and completely hilarious and fun. They are amazing in so many ways and certainly a blessing.

And after all those years of mommying boys, I was frankly a little apprehensive about having a girl. What in the world was I going to do with a girl? I am not a girly girl. What if my daughter was? I didn't know how to put in a decent ponytail and hadn't painted a nail in more years than I could remember. Dresses and bows and tights and sparkles? Really? But of course I fell in love with my daughter before she was even born and all those concerns melted away. And on the day she was born, I knew she was something special. I told Arrty as we were contemplating her name on the day she was born, "Julianna is quite a name. It's going to take quite a girl to fit a name like that." But I knew looking into her tiny, sweet face that this little girl was going to be quite a girl. And she is. She is smart and funny and observant and just a little bit stubborn. She is, in fact, a girly girl. She wants to wear at least some pink every day and has very specific footwear and hair accessory requests. Which I do my best to fulfill. She loves her babies and stuffed animals and wants at least a million in bed with her every night. She loves to be outside and is curious about the world around her. She can't stay away from animals and hugs and often kisses any that will allow it. And she pretends. My boys never were much of pretenders. But Miss Julianna pretends all the time. To cook, to feed her babies, to be a cat or dog or frog, to be a princess or a mommy or a photographer. It's fun and fascinating to watch and sometimes she even lets me play along. Mommying Jules is so very different than mommying the boys. And I love it.

This difference was apparent once more yesterday. I was lying on my bed reading and she was in and out of the room playing and talking and climbing all over me. After a while she discovered a storage box sitting in front of my dresser and asked if she could stand on it. When I told her she could, she climbed up and immediately spotted my jewelry box. She then asked me if she could look in it. Now when I say jewelry box, you should know that I don't wear jewelry and therefore the box contains a bunch of stuff I've collected or been given over the years that pretty much only has sentimental value. So I told her that she could look in it. The girl spent a good hour looking at and trying on all the rings, necklaces, and bracelets. She whispered to herself and sat down and climbed up a hundred times enjoying her play. I spent more time watching her than reading and was amazed once again at this little girl that God has loaned me. Julianna Grace is a blessing. And having a daughter is a blessing. A blessed abundance of sugar and spice and everything nice.

10 Things Thursday

10 summery things I love.

1. Watermelon
2. Long days
3. Sunshine
4. Popsicles
5. Green grass
6. Butterflies
7. Sandals
8. Freedom
9. Sundresses
10. Porch sitting

Bonus: Lightning bugs. Even though we don't have them here.

7/11=19

If you are wondering about my math skills after seeing that title, don't worry, it will all make perfect sense soon.

You see, 19 years ago, on 7/11/1992, I got married. I was 20 years old. He was 21. We had known each other since I was in 5th grade and he was in 6th. We had been dating for 3 1/2 years not counting the middle school crush and silliness. We were both in college. We both lived at home. We were oh so young. And oh so in love. So on that 11th day of July with the sun shining and me in my JC Penney wedding dress, we said, "I do." And have been saying the same thing every day for the last 19 years.

We have been through the poorer more than the richer and our fair share of sickness. But the better has still outweighed the worse by a long shot. We have grown up together. Not just our shared childhood, but since we've been married. At 20 years old I felt plenty old enough to get married, but now when I think back I was still so very young. We were both in college and working close to full time. It was a busy time and a wonderful time. For 7 1/2 years it was just the two of us. Frankly it's hard to remember, or even imagine, those years before kids. It's all kind of a blur of growing and learning and becoming a wife. And being happy. Almost as happy as I am after 19 years.

And if I had to do it all over again, I would still walk down that aisle and say, "I do." I would hold his hand and know that he was my lobster. I would smile knowing what was to come for us. I would kiss him longer and not worry about what the old people thought. I would enjoy every second because I would know that that day was just the beginning of something wonderful.

10 Things Thursday

10 things you could find at our 7th annual 4th of July party:

1. Some of my favorite ladies sitting in the shade, drinking Diet Coke (or water or tea), visiting, and laughing.

2. Video games. Josh and Adam really hit it off with the exchange students from China who joined in our celebration. It was great fun having them there. Even if we had to communicate using sign language. And even though they put watermelon on their hamburgers.


3. Horseshoes. What's the 4th of July without horseshoes? Luckily we didn't have to find out.



4. Cotton candy. Warren and Lynn brought George's cotton candy machine and made all the kids (and some of the adults) very happy.

5. Happy kids. Happy, sticky kids.



6. Friends. Julianna loved playing with Katie. They bonded over cotton candy and bug boxes.

7. Did I mention sticky kids?



8. Kim. One of those "favorite ladies" I mentioned who was especially happy about the appearance of cotton candy.


9. Smiles. This is just one of the many smiles I saw that day. It was a good day.

10. Fireworks. Julianna had a love/hate relationship with the fireworks this year. She loved to see them, but hated the loud noises. She was thrilled to see her three favorite colors: pink, purple, and green. And she especially liked the "sfarkly" ones.

10 Things Thursday

10 things about this week.

1. It was almost, but not quite, summery.
2. I didn't really mind, but I will soon because we want to go to the beach and I need a hot day for that.
3. I have been falling in love with my children all over again. Must be all the time we've been spending together. Or maybe it's because they are just so cute.
4. I watched a few minutes of Eat, Pray, Love. It was the scene where an Italian man tells Julia Roberts' character something like "Italians have made an art of doing nothing." I like that. I've been trying to enjoy my "doing nothing" without thinking of all I should be doing instead.
5. Speaking of Julia Roberts, I want to see her new movie with Tom Hanks. It looks super cute.
6. I just finished reading Graceling. Tomorrow I plan to go to the library to see if they have the next book in the series.
7. I am now reading The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide. Guilty pleasure summer reading at it's finest. I loved the interview part between Stephanie Meyer and Shannon Hale.
8. I am so looking forward to summer theater tonight. One of the four nights per summer guaranteed to be spent with some of my favorite girls eating yummy food and enjoying musical theater.
9. My husband interviewed for and got a job. A full time, permanent, benefited job. The first such job in almost 4 years. Hallelujah!
10. I have been reminded this week of the power of prayer. And of all those who love us and have taken our family before the Lord in their prayers. What a blessing.

Artistry

On Tuesdays and Thursdays this summer I am teaching at our school's summer day camp. Yesterday we had a visitor. It was Abby, my adorable and sweet niece. Julianna was so excited when she found out her cousin was coming to play with her. One of the things they wanted to do was paint. So I broke out the watercolors and paintbrushes and they, along with all the other kids, painted and painted and painted. Here are Abby's masterpieces.

And here are Julianna's.

And here is when they painted their fingernails blue. Umm...whose idea was this, Little Girls?

They were mighty pleased with themselves. Luckily it was washable paint.

Week 3 of summer vacation:

Monday: chores and playing
Tuesday: work and playing
Wednesday: just playing
Thursday: work and summer theater
Friday: more playing
Saturday: preparations for our 7th annual 4th of July Extravaganza

I love summer!

10 Things Thursday

10 things about the kids' dentist visit yesterday.

1. They all have beautiful, straight, strong teeth. Yeah!
2. They have all gotten (and lost) teeth earlier than typical.
3. Adam has to go back for 4 sealants on new teeth that he's gotten in the last 6 months.
4. Josh needs 2 sealants and a tiny filling (which did not make him happy). The dentist wasn't sure how he even got the cavity they found, but it's there nonetheless. Not even big enough to require anesthesia.
5. Julianna didn't want to show off her teeth. She gets extremely shy around doctors and dentists. They did finally get a peek and were happy with what they saw.
6. She did, however, love the sunglasses they put on her and chose some similar ones from the treasure box after her visit.
7. Josh chose a sticky hand (which Arrty hates).
8. Adam chose a whoopee cushion (which I hate).
9. They all got new toothbrushes and Julianna therefore brushed both willingly and for a lot longer than usual last night. I guess she just needed a pink toothbrush with monkeys on it.
10. I am grateful that my children have access to health and dental care and that we have insurance to cover it.

"If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't
been written yet, then you must write it."

-Toni Morrison

Head for the cellar!

I'm working today caring for children at our school's summer day camp. We were outside for recess when some of the kids starting yelling, "Tornado, tornado!!" and running for cover. Either they all saw The Wizard of Oz at summer theater last week or think we moved to Kansas all of a sudden. I thought it was kind of amusing but had to laugh out loud when Julianna came running around the side of the play equipment yelling, "Tomato, tomato!!" I know she doesn't like tomatoes, but running from them is a little dramatic. :)

Hallelujah!

Just stopped by to say hello. No time for more because the SUN IS SHINING!!!

10 Things Thursday

10 things I don't need today.

1. sunscreen
2. popsicles
3. shorts
4. a tank top
5. a fan
6. air conditioning
7. ice water
8. sandals
9. sunglasses
10. a beach towel

10 things I do need.

1. an umbrella
2. galoshes
3. socks
4. a coat
5. hot chocolate
6. a hat
7. long pants
8. a space heater
9. long sleeves
10. a calendar--to prove that it really is the middle of June

The Last 12 Days

Since Julianna's birthday on June 2nd, our life has been crazy busy with birthday celebrations and end of school year stuff. Here's what's happened over the last 12 days.

June 2nd--We took Jules to her birthday dinner. She wanted hot dogs. So we went to DQ and had dinner and sundaes for dessert. DQ is not my idea of a special birthday meal, but then again I'm not 3.
June 3rd--I began birthday party preparations for the big party on Sunday.
June 4th--More cleaning and cooking plus some last minute shopping for the party.
June 5th--Church in the morning and then the party after. It was great fun with lots of friends plus cake, ice cream, and presents of course. We had a very happy 3 year old.
June 6th--Doctor's appointment in Spokane in the morning, work the afternoon, Bible study at our house that night.
June 7th--Kindergarten graduation. They are so very cute in their little caps with their bright smiles. It was wonderful and exhausting.
June 8th--Kindergarten movie day. I've finally decided once and for all that most, almost all, kindergartners cannot sit through a full length movie. No matter how much popcorn you provide.
June 9th--Last day of school and awards ceremony. Lunch with my coworkers. Dinner and first summer theater show (The Wizard of Oz) with the girls...and Marci and my Joshes. (My Josh loved the play. Lots of action and special effects. He wants to go again and doesn't quite believe me when I tell him that there aren't pyrotechnics and people flying around the stage in every show.)
June 10th--To school for some cleaning up--with a few yard sale stops on the way. Where I happened to run into my mom and sister. (Surprise, surprise.) Then lunch with them and my dad at Olive Garden. Then I finally made it to school for a few hours. Then shopping with Julianna to spend a Borders gift card she got for her birthday. She chose a princess book with little figures to play with and a stuffed dog. Then we went to the park that she spotted on our yard sale trail and would not forget about. She had such a great time sliding and climbing and running. She also met a new friend. They hit it off right away and played together for the longest time. It was interesting watching Jules at the park. The boys always had each other and never had to make friends with strangers. (The boys spent this day with their daddy in the woods. They had a great day, too.)
June 11th--BOOK DAY! The Book Man's sale first thing in the morning and then the Scholastic Book Warehouse after that. We of course found lots of treasures and books we couldn't live without, but the highlight of the morning was when Kathy stuffed $433 worth of books into our little "build-a-box." We paid $24.95 for that box. She is a master at the "build-a-box" puzzle. After we got back to town, Adam and I went to see The Wizard of Oz with my sister and nephew. So I got to see it twice. It was just as good the second time. And Adam loved it as much as his brother had. Aidan liked it, too, but said it would be better if there wasn't so much singing. :)
June 12th--Church, lunch, nap, ice cream. Ahhh.
June 13th--First official day of summer vacation. We spent the whole day at home. The kids playing and watching movies since it rained. And me cleaning and doing laundry. Then we had Bible study.
Today--My first day of Camp Cougar, our summer program at school. I will be working Tuesdays and Thursdays. Today I cared for 10 kids not counting my own. It went well, but after all my years of teaching, I'm pretty much undauntable when it comes to a room full of kids.

Maybe, just maybe, things will slow down now. A girl can hope.

Phew!

It's been a whirlwind of a week. One more half day of school then I'll have time to tell you all about it.

10 Things Thursday

10 things about Julianna.

1. She turns 3 today.
2. She was born at 8:04 on a Monday.
3. She weighed 7lb 14oz and was 21 inches long.
4. She was, and still is, absolutely adorable.
5. When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday supper, she said, "A hot dog."
6. When I asked her where she wanted to go for lunch, she said, "To the store to look at toys."
7. While at the store looking at toys, (Yes, I took her. How could I resist?) she chose a My Little Pony and a stuffed dog.
8. She can melt my heart with a smile or sweet word.
9. She can make me laugh out loud more than anyone else.
10. She is a gift. A true blessing from above. And I thank God for her every single day.

Happy birthday, sweet girl.

Overheard in Kindergarten

"I went on a roller coaster without even barfing!!"

10 Things Thursday

10 things about the Coeur d'Alene High School choir concert I went to on Tuesday.

1. It was certainly not like my choir concerts at CHS circa 1990.
2. Nowhere to be seen were the long, blue choir robes like the ones we wore. (I was assured, however, that they do in fact still wear robes at some of their concerts.)
3. It was "glee-ed" out. Popular music, funky costumes, choreography...
4. There was a lot of Lady Gaga. Now I appreciate talent and I believe that in her way she is talented, but isn't one of her songs enough for any concert other that hers?
5. There were some really good singers. Really good. I guess we had some good singers back in the day, but I didn't appreciate it like I do now.
6. Josh went with me and enjoyed it. He's turning out to be my music buddy.
7. I couldn't help but remember when I was 17 and singing with my high school choir. That was definitely my favorite part of each day and the part I remember best.
8. I also found myself wondering about my children as teenagers. Very daunting for me to think of it. I have a feeling I will be praying a lot. We've given them a good start and I trust that they will make mostly good choices in what they do. But this world isn't always an easy place to live a pure life.
9. Signs on the walls of the high school haven't changed. Still a big sheet of newsprint with one corner torn off painted with bright colors with the last word squished on at the end.
10. I'm old. I'm pretty sure I went to high school with several of the parents of the performers. And they are old. So I guess that makes me old, too. And besides that, only an old person would ever think there's any such thing as too much Gaga.

Bonus: I would not go back to high school for a million dollars. I don't even think I'd teach high school for a million dollars. Okay, maybe for a million I would.

10 Things Thursday

10 things that have happened this week.

1. The sun decided to shine two days in a row!
2. I figured out how to get Julianna to wear shoes...only buy sparkly ones.
3. The day came when my kindergartners declared school over by giving me the unmistakable sign of becoming unable to sit still. No more learning. They're done. Which is a great excuse for me to play with them more.
4. We counted how many days of school we have left. 13.
5. Our school administrator is out of town. When the cat's away...
6. We celebrated Adam's birthday with dinner at Outback. He had ribs.
7. I was enlightened on how to buy gifts for tweens. Take the brother shopping with me. He picked out Adam's birthday gifts and they were a big hit. I totally would have bought something else. Thanks, Josh.
8. I played with the dogs and cat out in the sunshine. I love them, but they make me sneeze and itch. Which is why they are outdoor pets.
9. Since visiting Marci's school last weekend, I have been contemplating my classroom for next year. Paint. Ceiling decorations. New library shelves. Comfy chairs. Fewer but better toys. Real art and more kids' art.
10. I've smiled and laughed a lot thanks to all of the above.

Adam D.

Today my baby turns 10. Now I'm fully aware that he's not my youngest child. But he was for 7 years until his little sister was born. He was, and still is, my blond, blue-eyed baby. Absolutely adorable and charming and funny before he should have been. Seriously. The kid has made me laugh everyday for the last 10 years. Sometimes by trying and sometimes totally by hilarious accident. He's smart, too. He has to work hard at school to overcome a major case of butterfly chasing,* but he gets great grades and remembers things better than I. Especially if he's interested in it. And frankly, I don't find multiplying fractions all that interesting either. It's hard to believe that I've been his mom for 10 years. This child who make his daddy and I look at each other and ask "where did this kid come from?" This child who can drive me to drink, or at least could if I drank. This kid who positively can melt my heart with a smile. He's something else, I tell ya. And I love him all to pieces.

Happy, happy, happy birthday, Adam!

*Butterfly chasing is when you are supposed to be going one way but see a butterfly and chase it in another direction. In other words, he's easily distracted by, well, pretty much anything.

Two For Tuesday

Two reasons I haven't posted much lately.

1. Blogger was down for a few days.
2. I didn't want to.

Morning Call

This morning while I was brushing my teeth, my phone rang so Josh answered it. I knew it was my sister because it was her ring that I heard. I heard his side of the conversation which was mostly "okay"s. When he hung up and I finished brushing, I asked him what she wanted. He said that she wanted to borrow "a loaf of bread or two." "A loaf of bread? Are you sure she didn't say a slice of bread or two?" "No, I'm pretty sure she said a loaf." I figured that she was out of bread and needed enough to make a sandwich for my nephew's lunch so I went to the kitchen, opened the bread, and got out a baggie all the while wondering why Josh had said "loaf." So I called her back. "Josh said you needed to borrow a loaf of bread or two," I said laughing and knowing she would say "slice." But to my surprise, after a brief hesitation, she said, "Umm, I asked to borrow a roll of toilet paper or two." I'm so glad I called. She really would have been confused if I had shown up at her house with two slices of bread.

Wednesday WORD

Matthew 6:34 (various translations)

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

Don't worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.

Confession

Here's today's confession. I watch reality tv. And I let my kids watch reality tv. We watch it together. We watch The Amazing Race, American Idol, Deadliest Catch, and Survivor every week. Josh and I watch So You Think You Can Dance when it's on. And the boys in the family watch lots of reality tv on Discovery like Swamp Loggers, Ice Road Truckers, Swamp People, etc. (Are those reality or documentary?) Usually these shows are just purely entertainment. I can't even tell you who last year's winners were or how much crab was caught. But it's fun to watch.

This year's Survivor, however, has proven to be more. There's a contestant on the show who is very open about his religious beliefs which happen to be very similar to mine. He's a Bible believing, praying, God fearing Christian. Which has caused trouble for him from the very beginning. You see, after the very first challenge when the other team won, he went over and congratulated them and shook hands with one of their competitors. A few members of his team didn't like that and voted him off first. They saw what he did as weakness and a threat to their tribal unity.

But this year there's a twist. When voted off, the contestants go to Redemption Island and get the chance to compete to re-enter the game. Well, Matt won every challenge and rejoined the tribe a few weeks ago. Where once again he was promptly voted off and sent back to Redemption Island. He was discouraged to say the least. But the show, on national tv, showed him praying and crying out to the Lord. Amazing. And guess what? He's still in the game. He has won his way to the last few weeks of the show and has a chance to join the tribe again. Which in itself is quite an accomplishment. But even more so is the effect he's had on the other contestants. When Julie lost her challenge against Matt, she was okay with it and said that he had inspired her to go home and find a church family to be a part of.

And last week, when Mike, one of Matt's opponents who he's been having Bible studies with on the island, had the choice to spend time with his mom who had been flown in or give this gift to the other contestants, the very ones who had voted him out, he talked about reading Matt's Bible and referred to the verse where Jesus tells us to love others more than ourselves. And then he gave his "enemies" his prize and they got to spend time with their love ones while his mom left without even getting to hug her son. When she was asked about it, she said she wasn't surprised. She was proud of his decision and thought he did the right thing. (Here it is if you want to watch. It's about 14 1/2 minutes into the episode. Matt's the young man with longish blond hair in the yellow tee shirt.)

I couldn't believe what I was watching. This young man competing on a tv show was living for Christ. He was sharing his Lord and Savior. He was saving others. And they were showing it on national television! The truth is, Matt has had times when he wanted to go home. He's wanted to be done since he's been by himself almost the whole game. But he prayed that God would keep him there as long as he needed him there. And he's still there. He's still there teaching others through his words and actions. He's teaching his fellow contestants as well as the Survivor audience. And he's taught me a few things as well.

So I just want to say, "Go Matt! May God bless you in this game and all the others you play in your life. If you continue to play for HIM, you will win no matter what."

Blessed Sunday

For Blessed Sunday this Mother's Day, I have had many ideas for the blessings I could write about. Obviously I could write about the blessing my children are. Or I could write about my mom or other moms I know. I could even write about the blessings of motherhood in general. But the blessing I decided on for today is what motherhood has taught me about God.

You see, for me motherhood has been the greatest catalyst in increasing my relationship with God. I feel like I know and understand him better. I feel like I love him more deeply since I became a mother. It started at the very beginning of my mom journey. I had a little bit of trouble getting pregnant with Josh. In my control-freak manner I prayed for a baby. My time. My terms. My plans. He said "no." Finally after a while I gave it to him. I literally prayed, "Okay, I'm giving it to you. Do what you want." Josh happened. That was my first lesson. One I still remember and am blessed by to this day. His time. His terms. His plans.

Since I became a mom I've also learned about God's love. The love I feel for my kids defies understanding. It's an instinctual, intense, amazing love. God's love for me, and you, is like that, too. Only his love is perfect in every way. Perfect and unconditional and so much more amazing than any love we can feel on earth. I also can finally understand a little better how God can love us all with that awesome love. When I was pregnant with Adam, I wondered how I could possibly love him as much as I loved Josh. And then I did. With Julianna I knew I would love her as much. I understood that love is in no way limited. There's always enough to go around. If I had 6 billion children like God does, I would love each and every one just as I loved the first. Each differently but equally.

And then there's grace. You know, when we're given something even when we don't deserve it. Over the last 11+ years I have learned a little more about God's grace given to me. And I've learned a ton about giving grace to others. I give of myself to my children 'til there's no more to give. And then somehow I find more. Most of the time they take it for granted. Most of the time they take advantage of it. Most of the time I don't mind. Beyond that, I sometimes don't give them something they do deserve. Like consequences or lectures or worse. That's grace, too. Just like God's grace. I don't deserve so much that he gives me. And I certainly do deserve so much that he chooses to not give me. Hallelujah! Amazing grace!

I truly count motherhood as one of my greatest blessings. For so, so, so many reasons. Honestly, I can't imagine how I could even begin to understand my Father if I weren't a mother. Josh, Adam, and Julianna are a part of me just as I am a part of him. The rely on me just as I rely on him. They are my greatest joy in this life. I pray and hope with all my heart that I can be a great joy to the one who gives all joy.

10 Things Thursday

10 things about Julianna.


1. She is getting over laryngitis and has a voice that has been described as sounding like a "small, 40 year old man."
2. She describes her voice as "broken."
3. She says words that start with sm and sp like they start with sf--sfile (smile), sfecial (special), sfarkly (sparkly), Sfarties (Smarties). And yes, the boys think that last one is hilarious.
4. She has begun naming her stuffed animals. They are all named Sweetie Pie.
5. She is a girly girl. She likes pink, clothes, and especially shoes. And if the shoes are pink and/or sfarkly, she likes them even more.
6. She is a "very mature 2 year old" according to her Bible class teacher.
7. She is bossy. She is perfectly capable, and more than willing, to keep my kindergartners in line when she joins us in the afternoon.
8. She knows what she wants. As in clothes to wear, food to eat, books to read, and especially shoes to wear.
9. She loves animals and if they are baby animals they are especially loved.
10. She will turn 3 in 26 days. Oh my goodness, how time flies.

Wednesday WORD

Proverbs 24: 16-20

For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity. Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him. Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of the wicked, for the evil man has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

Blessed Sunday--Easter Weekend

This post is a week late, but it definitely qualifies for Blessed Sunday.

On Saturday our church hosted an Easter egg hunt. Adam and Jules were very excited about it. (Josh chose to go turkey hunting with Pappy instead.) Before we headed out, I painted Jules' fingernails for her. Pink, or course. She loved it. She's trying to show me her nails in this picture.

The two cutest girls at the egg hunt--Jules and Abby.

Jules with one of her eggs. See the pink fingernails!

Jules coloring eggs.

So how many more years do you think I have when all three of my kids actually want to color eggs with me?
Nice!

Easter at Pappy and Grandma's. Cute girls in pretty Easter dresses.

JoJo and JuJu. She loves this dog and hugs her every chance she gets. Such a patient puppy.

The find at Pappy and Grandma's!

This is what happens when my sister, my pregnant sister, is put in charge of desserts. Yumminess to the extreme.

It was a good weekend. Family, fun, food, and SUNSHINE!