Birthday Pictures!!

I have discovered a draw back to my precious lap top!! All of our pictures are on the main computer, so to add pictures to my blog takes an extra step. I know...complain....complain. Honestly, though, I'll take the inconvenience in exchange for my new toy!!

Tim downloaded pictures from Luke's party finally. We actually got to celebrate his birthday twice. On Saturday, bowling with my parents. Then on Sunday, we went to Tim's parents and celebrated again! I didn't find any of the bowling pictures all that exciting; but, I did enjoy the pictures of Luke enjoying his cake. He's such a cute little booger. He really does eke out every little bit of fun out of life....and then some.

It looks like my pictures are a little out of order. Last time I tried to move my pictures around on my laptop, I lost one....so I am just going to leave them as such. So...in this first picture....he is enjoying his cake. The look on his face doesn't look like he is enjoying it at the moment....but I remember that he did come back for more. Who can resist Wacky Cake?

This next picture is totally a Luke pose if I ever saw one. For a little boy who can really pump up the volume, he always claims that he doesn't like loud noises. He often tells me that something is too loud. The fingers in his ears???? That is the same pose he gives me when I am giving him a good talkin' to about something or other. (Grrrr.) So, I suppose that you can imagine that at the moment of this picture....we're singing Happy Birthday. Garsh....how embarrassing!!

Of course, I had to add this next picture. I love that captured moment just before the candles get blown. I think it captures just a moment of vulnerability that Luke displays every once in a while.....which totally cracks me up and stuns me all at the same time. He is so full of it....all the time. Then every once in a while, he pulls this shy, don't-know-what-to-do, can't-handle-all-the-attention thing...and what???? Cracks me up.

So there it is. Isn't he just adorable????

Reconnected for a Moment

I think I have been sitting here for about a half hour with a blank stare on my face. All weekend long I had things that I was going to sit down and blog about. Then, when I finally get the opportunity to write about them, I find that my mind is blank. I'll tack it up to either my advancing age, or......

Brain Freeze.

Tonight we had our Friends Women meeting. Once a year, we meet at Izzy's to have dinner before we listen to our speaker. I can't always say that I enjoy the food, but I really do enjoy getting together with the ladies in my church. The connection and sense of community that I have with them is so enjoyable and encouraging.

After I started the meeting, I could hear someone telling our guest speaker about my connection to my grandparents. I love that. The lady was very tender as she acknowledged that connection with me and I just wanted to hug her.

I had someone in my church ask me yesterday if my grandpa had passed away. He died a little over a year ago. I was a little surprised at her question. I could see that the news was pretty fresh for her. In some ways, his death seems like it happened yesterday. In other ways, it feels like forever since he has been gone.

When I think of how long my grandma has been gone, it feels like a lifetime has passed. So much has happened. I feel like I have "grown up." My grandma never met my kids....and in so many ways I feel like my complete identity right now is wrapped up in my kids. A whole life time, a whole new me has come about since my grandma's passing.

Tonight, as this lady told me how precious my grandparents were, I felt like my grandparents came near to me once again. That severed line that death brings about seemed to join again for that little flash of time. I reveled in that feeling tonight.

I miss my Grams and Gramps. I just needed to say that tonight.

Oh the Pure Madness.....

I don't typically like to get involved in the latest crazes of the day....why should I be just like everyone else???? I especially avoid crowds at all costs. The push of people...and the rudeness that typically surrounds crowds just really turns me off. Ugh. There is no quicker way to get me grumpier than a Mama Bear coming out of hibernation!

Today, I found myself surround by people consumed with the "latest" craze....and we were definitely a crowd. I know that I have mentioned before that my kids have gotten me caught up in the Webkinz craze. I really enjoy playing the games on line. And decorating the Webkinz rooms is kind of like have a virtual doll house. For whatever reason....I enjoy it. I'm finding that I am not the only other adult that is getting caught up in the craze.

Today started Webkinz Extravaganza. Certain participating stores were having a special event that was hosted by the creators of Webkinz. For whatever reason, I decided that it would be fun to take my kids down to participate in the fun. Besides....I kind of wanted to see what they were going to do. So, today, close to the time that the fun was to begin, we headed down there. Naively, I thought that it wouldn't be all that busy.

Whatever.

I was so completely wrong. It was a madhouse. A complete madhouse. People were grabbing webkinz left and right off the shelf. The checkout line wrapped around the store in a serpentine fashion....and supposedly the "event" wasn't even scheduled to officially start yet!! So, unbelievably here I was with my arms loaded with Webkinz (granted....some were Daria's, Caden's and Luke's. I will admit that a couple of them were mine!) standing in line with rude, crazy people all around me, sweating as my kids asked me question after question after question.

Unbelievable. I have no idea what possessed me to do such a silly thing. The whole thing had every ingredient that spells disaster, stress, and grumpiness for me.

I did get quite a laugh out of today's adventures into the Wilds of Webkinz Extravaganza, though. While we were standing in line with arms loaded, I noticed Daria's soccer coach in there with his daughter. I was a little embarrassed as I stood there with overflowing arms. Sheepishly, I had to admit that I was a Webkinz addict, too. He just laughed.....and then he admitted that he had two of his own. I did notice him later scouring the shelves as well. I don't know if he officially purchased any...but I did noticed that his daughter had about 4 in her arms!!

Ridiculous. Completely ridiculous.

I think I need help......

Pausing to Be Thankful

For whatever reason, I feel like my schedule of life has gotten a little out of whack. With Luke's birthday preps, I totally missed being thankful last week...and here is is late in the night and I am finally pausing to be thankful.

This week, I am thankful for:

• My three beautiful children, their health, their strengths....and for the joy I find in watching them grow.
• Luke. As we celebrated his life this past week, I am just so thankful that God placed him in our family. I think we would be pretty dull without him!!!
• That this is my 200th post!!! I am thankful that God keeps giving me things to write about....because I really do enjoy writing!
• For people who bother to read what I write!!
• For friends who totally spoiled me last Friday with a surprise get-together for my birthday. No one has ever done anything like that for me before. Embarrassing...but fun!

I am sleepy now....but it sure is fun to type away while I am in bed. (I'm thankful for my new laptop, too!!!)

Happy Thankful Thursday!

Finally.....We Meet

Tim and I finally met our newest nephew tonight. Our nephew, David Howard had surgery this past Monday. He is currently up at Doernboecher Children's Hospital in Portland. We decided to take the opportunity tonight to finally get to see him.

He really is an adorable baby. He was resting well when we got there and that was nice to see. On Monday, to correct the problems that were caused by Hershsprung Disease, the doctors removed 10 inches of his intestines. He seems to be doing really well and it looks like he will be discharged tomorrow barring any difficulties through the night. Tony, his dad, was saying that he also has some reflux issues with his kidney. They will deal with that at another time. The poor little boy has sure been through a lot in his short little life!!

I know that this has been a month of long days and short nights. It sounds like Tony and Rachel have been resting some while David has been in the hospital. There will times of adjusting for their whole family as they take him home and try to get back to a routine. Sam and Abby will also have times of adjusting to being back at home again, too.

Anyway, it sure was fun to finally see him. Hopefully next time I see him, I will actually get to hold him. I may have to fight off his grandmother....but....maybe.

Adjusting

Luke has been having a hard time, sometimes, adjusting to being 5. Getting older means more responsibilities.....school, getting yourself dressed, learning to undo your own seat belt, etc. For a little man that typically is out to conquer the world, he really surprises me at his stubbornness at being independent. Okay. I just clarified that thought for myself. Stubborn. Nuf said.

He cracks me up. When I ask him to try to unbuckle his own seat belt, he will scrunch up his eyes, grunts and totally acts like he is trying to do it himself. After I get past the theatrics and actually look at his fingers.....he isn't even pushing the button! Aggravating. It doesn't even phase him when I inform him that his sister was doing it all by herself at this age. He just screams all the louder.

Tonight, at bedtime, Tim asked him to put on his own pull-up. Let the drama begin. He is instantly in whiny mode wondering why he has to do it himself. We remind him that he is 5 now and it is time to do it yourself. Definitely not what he wanted to hear. So, the begging begins.

Mom....can't I please be this many (holding up 4 fingers) for just a little bit longer? How come I can't be this many (4 fingers) for just a little longer...then I will be this many (5 fingers)? Why? I don't want to be this many (5 fingers)! I don't want to go to school. And so the story goes.

Don't you just feel for the poor boy?

My Scoo-Doop Sha-Dooby Dooby

Five years ago today, a whirlwind of a blessing entered my life. How often do we get the opportunity to name the blessings that God has given us? I chose to name this particular blessing, Luke. Today is my Luke's birthday.

We have had a lot of fun this past weekend celebrating the birth, and life, of my precious Luke. We had a lot of fun watching Luke thoroughly enjoying himself when we went bowling on Saturday. "What a hoot" was the phrase of the day as we watched him fling the ball down the alley and rejoice with every pin that fell. It didn't matter if it was one pin or nine pins, he rejoiced with each one that he knocked down. When he deemed my particular efforts at bowling a success, he would wrap his arms around my neck and shower me with a thousand kisses. He is often content to allow me to shower him with kisses, but for him to initiate that affection is rare. I just soaked it up.

Life is full of joy for Luke. For him, the glass is almost always full. He laughs with ease and is quick to encourage those around him. I often hear him tell others, "Good Job. You're a genius!" Life is an adventure, and he is out to conquer it, taste it, experience it to its fullest. When Luke is in the house, the party has truly begun!! Even when he is angry, frustrated or defiant, he is pretty quick, for the most part, to snap out of it and find a new way to experience life around him.

Luke is full of energy. He is non-stop from the time he wakes up in the morning, until he is put into bed at night. When he was younger, that energy often led him into trouble. I was often exhausted and at the end of my rope at the end of his day. I remember a time in his younger days that I often wondered if he would settle down enough to not be perpetually labeled a troublemaker. What a joy it is to hear other people's positive reports of my little man now. A couple of Sundays ago, when I picked Luke up from Sunday School, his teacher told me that he was a treasure. My sentiments exactly.

I truly feel that where my Luke is now is a testimony to the power of prayer. I can not even begin to count the many nights that I would crawl back into his room after a difficult day to pray over him during those precious moments of sleep. The feelings of victory that I experience when I notice changes in the areas that I have prayed over are overwhelming. Talk about doing the Mommy Dance! A couple of years ago, God gave me Ephesians 2:10 as my promise for Luke and his life. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." I truly believe that God has some incredible plans for Luke's life. And I have front row seats for His grand show!

Happy Birthday, Luke. I love you, Sweet Little Man. You are a blessing.

From the Highest High.....

To the lowest low. All in a small span of less than 24 hours.

Yesterday I blogged about Caden losing his very first tooth. He was so beyond excited. He got up this morning and was thrilled to claim his treasure from the Tooth Fairy. I don't make any bones about who the Tooth Fairy is. He totally knows that it is me. So, he was pretty stoked.

As we were headed out the door this morning, he asked for his tooth back. He desperately wanted to take his "trophy" to school and show it all around. I highly advised against it. But, with a tooth in one hand...and his money in the other, he trotted off to school.

Surprisingly, he made it home with the tooth and money still in hand. He declared that everyone just had to look at it.

Somehow...throughout the course of the evening, that tooth somehow broke free from its baggie. Talk about devastation. We have scoured this living room looking for it. Of course, everyone is declaring complete innocence in the "misplacement" of that poor tooth. I sent Caden around with the Swivel Sweeper hoping that he would "catch" it. He was pretty stoked about that.....but once it proved fruitless, we were back to the drama.

Crazy thing. I feel sorry for the little man. I guess it is all a good lesson on taking care of your prized possessions. My kids seem to think that holding their treasures in their hands is the way to keep them safe. Inevitably, though, they put those treasures down....and POOF....they're gone.

Oh well. Maybe there will be a miracle in the next few days and that tooth will surprise us. Doubt it. But maybe.

Correction

In my previous post, I stated that Caden had yet to lose a tooth. Shortly after I wrote that post, Caden comes running out of bed: "Mom, I lost my tooth!" Sure enough, he now has this big hole in his cheesy little grin.

Check it out.


I stand corrected.

Luckiest Day Ever

One of the biggest burrs in Caden's first grade career has been his lack of lost teeth. It has been one of the most distressing things for him as he watches all his classmates, and his sister, lose tooth after tooth after tooth. Caden has yet to lose a tooth and there is nothing that bothers him more.

To make the matters worse, his Grammy Caroll informed him that his Uncle Tony didn't lose a tooth until he was in the second grade!! Tony watched his classmates all through first grade celebrate losing a tooth. The teacher made it quite a celebration. In second grade, losing teeth is apparently old news, and when Tony finally lost his first tooth.....no acknowledgment. Oh the distress that thought has caused!!

Today, Caden was beyond thrilled to realize that one of his teeth is actually loose. He has often told me that one was wiggly only for me to stick my finger in there and it is stuck as stuck can be. Today's Loose Tooth is actually loose!

"Mom, I can even wiggle it with my tongue! This is my luckiest day ever!"

The celebration has begun! He can hardly wait for Uncle Ken's arrival. I told him he has six days to get that tooth out.

Wiggle....wiggle....wiggle.

Getting' Down and Dirty

I am not sure if I have mentioned on here my lack of gardening know how. I consider myself a complete ignoramos when it comes to this area. I can't even keep houseplants alive. I bought a "Lucky" Bamboo plant fairly recently. It said that it needed low light and low water. Sounded like the perfect solution for this poor gardening ninny. I think it is currently in its final death throes.

Poor plant.

Somehow, through a series of what I can only call divine circumstances, I am in co-leadership of a community garden hosted by our church. What a complete laugh. I know that I have mentioned that I hate weeding....and weeding seems to be a huge part of gardening. Because I am in leadership over this garden at our church, I am also in leadership over the garden for my kids' school which is hosted in my church. (Hope you all made all the crazy connections there!) Because of all that....I am doing things and given "titles" that I have absolutely no right to claim!

Today was Planting Day at the kids' school. What absolute craziness!! Trying to hustle 120 or so kids through a planting experience is so far beyond anything that I feel capable of. I am so glad that God is faithful to give us all that we need when we need it. This planting experience always feels like it is one sandwich shy of a picnic run amuck. It is a whirlwind experience. I walked away from the garden today asking God to help that poor garden to grow. Please let that garden grow.

In the last week or so, I have to laugh, though, at the crazy titles that I have been given in regards to the school garden. Today, one of the teachers called me a master gardener. Wouldn't all those actual Master Gardeners be horrified at such a flippant use of their title!! So, what do you do with all that? I don't want so much credit laid at my feet over this garden. What if things go completely haywire? Maybe I am worrying too much over what people think.

I think my worry all comes from a conversation I had with a master gardener that we have in our church. When I first approached her for help with our school's garden last year, I made a comment about gardening was just placing the seed in the ground and watering it. She laughed at me when I said that! Yikes. What am I missing?

I think that planting all those seeds is really a leap of faith for me. Literally. I am always a little amazed when those itty bitty, teeny weeny little seeds actually turn into these beautiful plants. And these plants have value....we can eat them!! Isn't that amazing that God packs all the makings for those plants in a little bitty seed? AND....I think it is also very amazing that God takes those imperfect planting sessions, with crooked rows, helter skelter scattered seeds, and misplaced footsteps...and...still we have a pretty garden.

Honestly. I think God is pretty cool.

Matter of Perspective

Caden has been obsessed with money lately. He had been on a mission to earn half the value of a Nintendo DS.....though now he says he only wants to buy Webkinz. He has been hounding Tim and I for ways that he can earn money. He is like an elephant....he never forgets. I did tell him that we could go on walks and he could collect cans for money. He lit up like a firework when he realized that they were worth a big woppin' 5 cents a piece.

So, during this discussion about collecting cans, he wanted to know the method of acquiring the money that they are worth. Every time we go to Costco, he has been eyeing the Can-Do machines. Tonight, as we loaded the kids up to go to Costco, we noticed that Caden had each pocket, and each hand stuffed with pop cans to turn into the Can-Do machines. I rolled my eyes at him as I told him that he only had 20 cents there. After Daria realized what Caden was going to do, she ran into the house and came back with her arms overflowing with pop cans.

Goodness gracious!

On the way to Costco, the kids began tallying their booty. I could hear them in the backseat talking about how they were going to divvy up the money. (At one point, I heard that they were going to give Luke one cent. How generous!)

So, here we are on our trip to Costco, the kids holding about .45 worth of cans. (How embarrassing that is to turn in! ) The kids are beyond excited to turn in their cans. They decided that Daria would do 4 cans....Caden four cans...and Luke got one. Daria was pretty thrilled to get her little receipt worth .20. Caden threw his cans into the machine, and was so excited waiting for his receipt to be printed out. One can was rejected because it was an Albertson's brand can.....thus he only received .15. The melt-down that ensued because he refused to understand why only 3 of his cans were accepted was a sight to behold! Life is so not fair!!! That boy can rival any girl in the area of Drama.

Then, there was Luke. He pops his one single, lonely, little can into the machine. He is just about beside himself, bursting with excitement, dancing around while he waited for the machine to spit out his receipt. Finally, he has that precious ticket clasped in his little hands. He clutches it tightly with both hands, and he begins to jump up and down as he squeals: "I won! I won!"

It was an amazing contrast for me to ponder. The fun and excitement of a new experience was completely lost on Caden. Instead of being happy for the 15 cents he did have, all he could dwell on was the lost 5 cents of the rejected can. Then there was Luke. Completely oblivious about the true value of his ticket, but just thrilled beyond words that he had a ticket at all. In my opinion, he really did win. He experienced the whole thrill of the new experience all the way to its fullness.

Takes me to task. Should I whine about the lost five cents, or glory in the 15 cents I now have in my pocket? How often do I do that very thing? Grumble about what is lost and can't be regained, or being thankful for what I already have?

What did I do with that toothpick?

Thankful Thursday

I was snuggling down in my warm bed tonight, playing games on my new computer. Tim comes into bed and asked me if I was thankful for anything today. Yikes. I almost went to bed tonight without taking a moment to be thankful. I tell you.....I take one week off and my whole routine goes right out the door!!!

So, before I crawl into bed, I need to stop and take a moment to be thankful. God is good, all the time.

• I am thankful that tomorrow is going to be sunny and warm. As I am watching the forecast at this very moment...they are saying a high of 68....Saturday should be 74. Wow. I can hardly wait. I think my body is screaming for some sunshine!!

• I am thankful for my new toy. It is such a joy to use. Feels pretty awesome. Thanks, love.

• I am thankful that Tim's project at work ships tomorrow. Hallelujah. I am praying that this means that we can have a little more family life again. We've missed having him with us.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Friday.

Clash of Plans, Expecations.....Life

I remember back when I was working and pregnant with Daria. I had these grandiose thought that I would have all this time in my days to do so many things once I was home with my precious little baby. I remember my co-workers chuckling at me under their breath. Today? I am the one laughing out loud at my absolutely ridiculous thoughts!!

I was completely insane. Or just plain ignorant.

Even today, after being a mom for nine years, I sometimes find myself thinking I have all this time. I have so many things and ideas running around in my brain that I just feel like I should be able to get done. And when people ask you me to help, I just feel like I should, and can, say yes. I don't have an outside-the-home job. I should have lots of time to do things, stuff, projects. Right?

Then life settles in. School. Homework. Soccer. Piano. Haircuts. Dentist appointments. Doctor visits. Chess class. And all those things belong to the kids!! They don't include my life of: church, Bible class, volunteering for the school, Moms In Touch, Community Bible Study, and helping friends. In planning things, I also have to include in there my husband's work schedule; which for the last few months has been insanely overwhelming for all of us.

For the last week or so, I have been battling a thought in my mind. I had these grand plans of a spring event that I have been wanting to do. This last week, I finally have had to come to the realization that I really don't have the time right now to plan this event. It is a little discouraging, honestly. I had sort of made it public, and now I just don't see how I can do it. I just don't know how to juggle everything.

Today, I sat in a coffee shop with a few of my friends. Somehow we got discussing my "hours of freedom" that I will have next year once Luke enters kindergarten. I would like to think that I will have all this free time to do all the things that I am dreaming about now. I may just be the new up and coming Martha Stewart. (yeah, right!)

Yet, when I am honest with myself, I feel like I really have to be careful with my time next year. I can see my time next year easily gobbled up by all the things that will beckon me. I am going to make a commitment today to guard a day....just for me. I would like to think that that day will be full of self-pampering....but it will most likely be filled with Home Maintenance.

One of my friends, who has been working a couple of days a week, has quit her job. When she thinks about next school year, her thoughts were: "What will I do with my life now?" For me, I don't see myself asking that question. I can't say that I have exact plans for what I will do with my time while Luke is in school; but, I know that I will have no problem filling my time. I'm pretty sure that my time will be filled pretty quickly without my efforts.

It will be interesting to see where God will take me in the next year. I am anxious to have a little more time to be involved in church, in school, and in others' lives. It could be an adventure.

Should be quite a ride!

Oh What Fun.....Times 2!

I've never been very good at using the label function on my blog. Today, I realized the full benefit of it. I was looking back over my blog to see if I could find the post I made about sharing the computer with my kids. On that post, I yearned for a laptop of my very own so that I could blog any time that I wanted. If I remember right, I said that it would probably never happen and I just better buck up and deal with it. Well.....

I AM WRITING THIS POST WITH MY VERY OWN LAPTOP.

Sorry. I didn't mean to yell. But, it is pretty exciting!! I can hardly believe that my sweet Tim actually bought one. Even though I am sitting here on the couch, watching TV while I blog, I still feel like I must be dreaming. I am pretty sure that someone is going to wake me up in a minute and harsh reality will slap me in the face. I may have to sleep with it tonight to let reality set in!! It feels like my Tim is supporting my growing passiong for blogging/writing. I love that.

I did have hopes that once I had a laptop I could post whenever I wanted without fighting my kids for computer time. Luke has been just about desperate to get his hands on my computer....but...I've declared it Officially Mom's. I could be in for a few battles. The other drawback? I'm a little slow on the mouse action. Thus my on-line gaming is having some issues. I'm sure that I will adapt.

**********************************************************************

The other fun thing to report on was Caden's soccer game last night. He sure is having a fun time! He's doing pretty good, too. He scored two goals last night. It just cracks me up to watch him hopping across the "field" as he celebrates. I wonder if he could be a cocky little bugger. He gets this funny little walk/strut going on that makes his hair bounce so cute. I know...that doesn't make much sense....but how do I describe it? It is like he is this little man on a mission. So determined. He is such a little Man Cub!


**notice that I put labels on this post. Gotta get in the habit!

Art imitates Life....Again.

My kids are not the cleanest monkeys in the jungle, if you know what I mean. My biggest pet peeve right now is their blatant disregard for picking up the house. When they are done with the cups, bowls, or plates, they often end up on the floor. Wrappers randomly make it all the way to the garbage can. And if they should happen to put away something they were using, I would probably fall over from shock!! Like I said yesterday, I love my kids. They are so incredibly precious. They also never sees to shock my socks off.

I volunteered at the school yesterday. Part of my time was to help monitor the lunch time during Caden's lunch hour. Due to poor weather, the older kids were having P.E. in the "lunchroom;" thus, the little kids were having lunch in their classrooms. I was enjoying watching the kids eat, listen to a story, and talk quietly amongst myself. The room that they were eating in was Caden's classroom. Caden was eating at his desk.

As lunch went on, I noticed some kids would brush crumbs and juice box wrappers straight onto the floor. I wasn't horribly surprised by that. As Caden was eating his graham crackers, I noticed he had quite a few crumbs on his desk. I really didn't give it much thought, it was just an observation. During the course of time, I noticed Caden finish his lunch and start to pack up. This is where the shock value comes in. He takes a look at the crumbs, which I assumed he would either leave there or brush onto the floor. He does neither. He walks over to the cleaning supplies that I have seen them use in their end of the day routines, he picks up the little broom and dust pan, walks over to his desk, sweeps the crumbs into the pan and throws them away!!

WHAT????? WHO IS THIS CHILD AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY SON????

Clearly, I have never been more shocked in my entire life. Why is it that I never see anything of this magnitude in my home? I feel robbed and cheated. I demand a recount!!

Later that afternoon, I was reading the comics and I came across Baby Blues. I have often said that I think the creator of this cartoon has a window into my life. I relate to this comic more times than I care to admit. It was a little eerie today when I saw this:

Just call me Wanda.

Unexpected Bonus

I love my kids....a lot. They are the most precious treasures that I have. I am thankful everyday for them. They bring me a lot of joy.

They are a lot of work, too. They can be also be very trying. Just as with everything in life, it is good to have a little break from things. It seems like it has been a long time since I have had a break from my kids.....especially with Tim's schedule lately.

A friend of mine called me today and asked if Luke could come over for a play date. So, in between my opportunities to volunteer at the school today, I have almost 2 hours without any kids. What a bonus that feels like. Ever since I realized the possibility, I have been almost giddy inside with the possibility. Isn't that just crazy?

I hardly know what to do with myself. My mind has been reeling with the possibilities. All I know is that it feels like a breath of fresh air to have some moments to myself.

Thank you, Jesus!!

Not as I had planned....

Today was my day to be the Princess for the Day. Or so I thought, anyway. It all goes back to my weird thoughts for birthdays. All my well laid plans for my birthday got altered. Even so.....it was a nice birthday.

Today...Tim was going to take a half day off for my birthday. We were going to go to the Tulip Fields and enjoy the beautiful flowers. Yesterday would have been the perfect day with all sunshine. But...today...Fate was not in my favor. As I drove down to meet Tim at work, it just poured and poured and poured. So, we opted to not go to the Tulips today. Another day. Hopefully. Tim stayed at work.

The kids and I then went to Sleighbells and I bought my own Webkinz. My kids have gotten me totally hooked on them!! Ridiculous. The kids were actually quite generous and let me have some time on the computer first....without competition. That is a pretty awesome gift.

After Tim arrived home from work, we set out to have dinner at my favorite place, Red Robin. Crazy. It was just packed to the gills. Second choice for the night....Chinese food. Not too bad of a change. The kids actually ate their American food quite well....and Tim said he liked his as well, if not better, than Red Robin.

The kids are going a little crazy right now, with praise music blaring and races around the kitchen table. When I am done here, I am totally diving into this totally delicious-looking, yummy-smelling chocolate cake that my wonderful friend, Shannon, baked and dropped off for me. Wasn't that just the sweetest thing ever?

So, even though my Princess Plans didn't pan out like I had hoped for....it was still a great day.

No complaints.

Thankful Thursday

It seems like it has been forever since I sat down and did my Thankful Thursday. I guess skipping last week while we were at the beach makes a huge difference. So, here I am...getting back into the routine of things. Saying....Thank you, Jesus.

• Today I am thankful for Caden's first soccer game. He did great! He even scored a goal tonight and he was beyond excited. I was pretty excited too. So excited that I forgot to take a picture....of the goal....and his wild jumping after he scored the goal. He can be a pretty cocky little man....but he is awfully cute!!

• I am thankful for the fun, and safe, trip the kids and I had last week for Spring Break. Even though it had its stressful times, I am really glad that we went. I'm looking forward to doing something with my whole family sometime soon.
  

• I am thankful for the sunshine that we had this week. It does such good for my soul. Unfortunately the rain is coming back and that is a little disappointing....but I sure have loved the sun this week!!
  

• I am thankful for the health of my children, my husband, and myself. I am truly blessed.
  

• I am thankful that Tim is taking half a day off tomorrow. An amazing thing!!
  

Giving God the Glory

Today, Tricia got her call for her transplant. I can hardly contain myself in praying for her. The cry of my heart for her is that God would be glorified in her life in whatever comes from her transplant. I can only begin to imagine the thoughts and feelings that are going through Nate's mind right now. It is overwhelming to imagine!! He says that he will be posting some time soon about some of those thoughts.

In light of my post yesterday, and my thoughts and prayers for Tricia today, I've been wondering about the process of praying for God to be glorified in a stressful situation. How easy it is for me to pray that prayer for Tricia. I'm not personally involved in her story. I can objectively stand on the sidelines, praying for her. How God chooses to glorify Himself in her situation remains to be seen. He may deem it worthy for her to survive the transplant and go on to live several more glorious years with Nate and Gwyneth. He may also deem it worthy for her to come home to Him. For me, it is easy to pray for God to glorify Himself in her life.

In my own life, I find that to pray that pray is a little more difficult. I want to get on my knees and plead and beg for God to do things my way. I find myself, in praying for Tricia, sometimes suggesting to God what I think that He should do. I know that it is completely His prerogative to do with her as He wills. Just as it would be completely His prerogative to do what He wants in my own life.

One of the biggest quandaries of my Christian faith, is how do we really pray for someone in this situation? God asks us to ask. I find it so difficult to ask for things specifically. I'm not even sure why I find it so hard. I know that if I ask according to His will, then of course He will answer. And maybe that is where my struggle lies. For me, I'm not sure if I am ever certain of His will.

What is His will for Tricia? That, in my opinion, remains to be seen. My heart wants to say that of course, He will give her a full and extended life. But what if it isn't His will? So, how do we really pray in situations like this?

Ah...so much to learn. It may be one of those questions that I put in the pockets of my mind to pull out when I get to heaven. Does God offer a Question and Answer time when we get to Heaven? Will there be classes for us to bone up on wisdom? Will there just be a divine out-pouring of knowledge when we cross the pearly gates?

Things to think about while I continue to pray for Tricia, for Nate...and for Gwyneth.

When the Storm Rages

Another confession. Go ahead, roll your eyes. I will be the first one to admit that I have many faults. If anything, I am harder on myself than anyone else could ever be. It really sucks to be a Personal Perfectionist. I find myself even beating myself up over my messy house. (I should be cleaning....not blogging!)

I don't handle stress the greatest. I fantasize about a cushy life where there are no worries, no time demands, no schedules....just fun and relaxation. Clearly this is not reality. As my kids have gotten older, involved in school events and sports, I find that I can easily be on the go for most of the day. I can't imagine what life will be like when all three of them are involved in sports and school activities. I may need to see if there is an espresso bar attachment for my mini-van!! Anyway, this busyness spells stress for me. I need to start praying that God would change my definition of busyness. Does busyness need to be defined as stress? It may be a hard change for me....I love being home and just "being."

Today has been kind of a nice transition day for me. Last week was so relaxing not having a schedule to maintain. The only schedule we had was to have fun and enjoy each other. Tonight, soccer starts back up with practices back to back for Caden and Daria at two different locations. We will have homework, piano practice, as well as dinner and lunch preps to accomplish. The thought of the evening chaos wears me out even to type it out. Today, Luke and I have been home. I have been slowly accomplishing catch up of house duties, computer duties, and laundry. It has been quite nice. The calm before the storm.

Just a few minutes ago, I sat down to contemplate my blogging for today. I knew if I wanted to write anything, I needed to get it done before the kids got home from school. I took one more look at my beach pictures I posted yesterday. I love them. I think I did a pretty darn good job with them. (I wonder what they would look like framed???) Anyway, I was taking a look at this one:

As I contemplated the picture, I started thinking about my thoughts and feelings that day. I was struggling emotionally with taking a vacation without Tim. I could feel the worries nagging at the back of my mind. For some reason, I had this niggling dread that something horrible was going to happen while I was so far away from Tim, with the kids, by myself. When Caden fell in the waves, my knee-jerk response saw him being swept out to sea. As I watched the storm raging over the ocean, I worried that the waves would be stronger than normal; and as my kids charged and challenged the waves, what if thoughts danced.

How many times did I have to chastise myself for my fears last week? Every time the kids danced with the waves. Every time we set out on the roads while the snow flew. Every time the kids would climb and jump over the rocks. These certainly weren't the thoughts of a child resting in faith in the Father's arms. Thankfully, God would call me back to trust....but the thoughts still danced.

Today, when I looked at that picture, I saw an interesting contrast. Interesting at least to me. My kids were not concerned about the storm. My kids were not concerned about the raging, boiling sea. Instead, they leaped, they danced, they challenged.....and they laughed. Even Caden laughed....at first....when he fell in the ocean and the waved rolled over his head. Then there was me.....standing far up on the shore, antsy with fear that the ocean, and fate would be stronger than my ability to save.

Shouldn't I have the ability to rejoice, laugh, and rest while the storms of life rage around us? Can I still learn to dance on the edge of the mighty sea and take glory in the riches of beauty that God displays....through a storm? Interesting thoughts for me. Seems appropriate that my post title yesterday was that a picture is worth a thousand words.

Sometimes the words change.