Adventures that are Luke

There are certain words, when said in a certain tone of voice, that fill a Mama with dread. Luke spoke those words today.....and I swear my stomach did a loop-de-loop. The adrenaline rush that overcame me made me weak to my knees and a slight bit woozy. Those words?

Help me, Mom.

In hindsight, I have to laugh a little at my gut response. BUT....I say that in complete hindsight knowing what the problem was and the final outcome. But when those words are first spoken, oh my, there is nothing worse. A Mama's worst nightmare coming true.

Today, I was very thankful for whomever designed the shape of a Lifesaver candy. Actually, I curse them and I thank them.....all in the same breath. I am not sure where, but Luke found a package of Lifesavers. I decided that he could have a couple. The first one was no problem, so I didn't think much about it when he asked for another.

Then came those words. The panic. The loop-de-loop.

Quick as lightning, my brain went straight down the checklist to see how much distress he was in. Outwardly, I think I kept my cool pretty good....but inside I had more moves than a bowl of jell-o. I could tell he was distressed that he couldn't swallow the candy. He was breathing....so I was thankful for that hole in the middle of a lifesaver. Yet, after all those quick mental gymnastics, I was completely lost. How do you get a lifesaver to go down...or come up?

Wouldn't you know, our doctor's office was out to lunch. No advise nurse to ask. So, I loaded my boy up and we headed to the nearest immediate care clinic. I felt a little foolish....but I was still worried. Wouldn't you know....the doctor was out to lunch as well. Thankfully he was due back in about 10 minutes. So, we sat and waited. Luke sipped on some water. Pretty soon, he declares that he thinks it went down.

Mental gymnastic times again. Do you trust a boy who is a little bit nervous about seeing the doctor? Do you take him home, and give him something to eat and hope that nothing will get lodged on top of a stuck Lifesaver? What to do. These quandaries of life are enough to give me a headache. I decided to at least let the doctor run the gamet of tests to make sure. Not that he did much, which really burns the ol' mental pocketbook, but I felt better. How much is peace of mind worth?

Today...$20.....though I suppose that the insurance company will have the final say on that.

What to Do.....

Oh. My. Goodness.

Luke and I have been having some pretty good days together. Today, we even spent some time playing together and we had each other laughing pretty good. I couldn't have asked for a better day with him today.

Then the clock turned 3:30. The van door opened. Enters in Big Sister and Brother.

A while ago, I attempted an incentive program with my kids. The kids all started with a certain amount of dimes for the week. They could either keep them, earn more, or have them placed in my container. It never seemed to work well. If anything, it would make things worse when I would take a dime from their cups and place it in mine. Mercy. Today, Daria and Caden asked if we could start that little program again. Hmmmm.....could be interesting.

But you know, it was interesting. They want to be rewarded for their good behavior. Yet, within minutes of walking in the door from school, we have a full blown fight going on. Two kids are yelling at each other, fighting over toys and privileges. I am ready to tie them to the kitchen chairs and walk out the door.

What is it about all this? Why all the fighting and arguing? I don't know what I am going to do when they are home from school for the summer.

Oh well. I don't know what else to say. I hadn't wanted to get on here and vent again. I thought I would have a fun post for today. I think that went flying out the van door when the kids climbed in today.

Maybe I will just pray for a better day tomorrow.

Winding Down

Seems kind of like an oxymoron kind of thing to title my post tonight. Supposedly the school year is winding down. In reality, I feel like things are winding up. There is just a whirlwind of things to do, it seems, in this last few days of school.

I rebel.

That is exactly how I feel tonight. I know that I have claimed to love being a SAHM, but sometimes the demands on my "free" time are overwhelming. But, I need to remind myself to be thankful tonight that I can be involved. People are more important than things. Housework will wait. Free time will come in about 13 years....or more.

I crack myself up.

I have mixed feelings about the school year ending. Part of me will be glad for the change of pace. On the other hand, my kids have been on the verge of killing each other any time they spend more than 3o seconds in each other's presence. Oh glory....we have 3 months of Togetherness to look forward to.

There. I now have all that off my chest.

Brotherly Torture

My kids have a love-hate relationship with each other. One minute they are the best of friends. The next minute.....they have each other in a death grip and heaven help us all as they won't let go. The logic of your sibling always being there when your friends move on does nothing for them. They will still attempt to wipe the other out if the mood strikes them just so.

Yesterday, Tim and I were busy in the yard. We had 7 1/2 yards of mushroom compost delivered to put in my wasted flower beds. We spent most of the day hauling and spreading it around. Tim was The Champ who did most of the lifting and hauling. I was down on my hands and knees for most of the day spreading it around to look nice. We're exhausted.

Anyway, during the day, the boys were pretty much on their own to entertain themselves. For the most part, they handled that responsibility pretty well. Occasionally, I would hear a thump/smack/crash followed by a piercing shriek followed by more thumps/smacks/crashes. These little fiascos were clearly the times when disharmony ruled the roost and revenge was breathing fire down somebody's neck.

Daria was gone most of the day. In some ways, that was a good thing. As I saw it, it was one less person to stir up the pot, if you know what I mean. As Tim and I were winding up our project, Daria finally came home. She was tired from a all-night/all day event at her friend's house. She was more than a tad grumpy to find that her brothers had invaded her room and her stuff. The storm that rose out of that was a sight to behold. Lord help us.....

Last night, Tim and I were pretty wiped so we headed out to get some dinner at my favorite, Burgerville. We decided to take the car which places all three kids in very close quarters in the back seat.

Poke. Prod. Mom! Kick. Bump. Mom! Jab. Strangle. Mo-om!

AAA--rrrr---gggg---hhh!!!

Fun was had by all.

Then we decided to stop at Safeway on the way home for a few needed supplies. Instead of unloading the whole crew, Tim headed into the store by himself. Why did I not go in myself, I'll never know. You would be amazed at the amount of activity those kids of mine can accomplish in the backseat of that car. The boys were into a regular wrestling match as Daria threw her legs and feet into the mix. Chaos. Pure Chaos. Then Luke discovered the ultimate torture......

Kisses.

You should have seen it. Luke has Caden in a death grip. Legs wrapped around Caden's waist and his arms wrapped around his neck. While he's holding on for all he's worth, he tenderly plants kiss after kiss after kiss on his brother's head. Caden wasn't sure whether he should laugh or scream. Somehow, he managed to produce a combination of both. We were all laughing. Pretty soon you could hear Caden gasp: "Kiss Daria!"

"No......."

And so it goes. Even today as we climbed into the car again, Luke was torturing his brother and sister with kisses. He was chasing them around the house today, smacking his lips at them. I finally decided that I needed my share of the torture. So, when Caden is yelling, "Kiss Daria!" I was yelling, "No....kiss Mama!" Best torture I ever had, as he wraps his arms around my waist and gives me a big ol' kiss.....

Right on my belly button.

Before and After....for the record.

Jacki sent me before and after pictures of my planter outside. I didn't think to take those pictures. She took the "before" picture after she had already worked up the soil.....but it shows a how much work she put into it. The after was after all the little plants were in. I can hardly wait for things to grow into their full potential.

Here we are before:


Here we are after:

Big Blessing.....HUGE!!

The theme in the Bethel class that I have been participating in comes from the 12th chapter of Genesis. ".....I will bless you....and you will be a blessing."

Today I was blessed. Even as I sit here, I am still in awe of the big blessing that I received today. I am so excited to share about it.

I love a pretty garden. I love to admire all the beautiful plants and how they are artfully arranged. God did a really great job when He designed plants. So many beautiful varieties!! I have always wished for a beautiful yard....I just don't know how to get there.

Since we moved into this house 4 years ago, I have been slowly adding things to my vast, empty flower beds. I think I might buy 1-2 plants a year. I hate to spend money on things that I am not sure is really what I want for the areas that I have. When my mom is in town, I like to pick her brain sometimes to get ideas.

I mentioned my friend, Jacki, a couple of days ago. She is a vast wealth of information about gardening. Her yard is so fun to walk through....she really has done an amazing job. Talking with her, I find a freedom that I haven't felt before in regards to gardening. I usually find myself bogged down with my insane lack of knowledge. I enjoy listening to Jacki because she speaks with an ease and freedom that I don't possess.

Today, she came over to my house and just blessed me. She had arranged a couple of days ago, to come over to my house and work on my big planter in the front of my house. She told me to just trust her. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I have been at the thought of her coming and helping me. She arrived today about an hour before I did. I was at a meeting. She did all this grunt work in preparing the planter for planting. She did a lot of work. On top of all that...it was raining the whole time.

So, when I arrived home, I dashed in and changed my clothes....and the real fun began. She had brought a small basket full of plants gleaned from her garden and her personal "stash." She laid them all out there....and together we planted them in there. The whole time she is just telling me all about them. I only hope that I can remember all that she said. She did tell me that she would come over later and map it out for me so that I would know names and how to care.

Isn't that just amazing?? I am in awe of her today. To so willing give of her time, her energies, her plants, and her knowledge, it overwhelms me today. When I asked her how much I need to reimburse her for it all....do you want to know what she told me???? She suggested that I give the church an extra $10 or so. Amazing. What she did for me today was worth so much more than that. Not only that....but she has promised to continue to guide me. It makes me almost want to cry. Her attention is overwhelming to me today.

Hopefully in the next day or so, I will get a picture posted. Then, as the plants grow and things become even more beautiful, I will post some more. I can hardly wait.

Thank you, Jacki. You are a blessing!

Thankful Thursday

Another Thursday has come. Another opportunity to be thankful. Let's get down to business!

• Today I am thankful for the perfect weather that is coming this weekend. I can hardly wait.
  

• I am thankful that my kids are finally in bed. It has been a trying day with their attitudes. I forget how much it wears on me. I love the quiet in my house after they are in bed. It helps restore me for another day.

• Once again, I am thankful that I am a SAHM so that I can support my kids at their school events. I was amazed this week at my kids' Fun Run how many parents were not there. Really was a shame.
  

• I am thankful for friends who give above and beyond. I am in total awe this week. Hopefully I will have lots to report in on this in a day or so. Exciting stuff.

I encourage you to take a moment and be thankful too. It is truly a balm for a weary soul.

Pride

If you ever needed a picture of Pride. Here it is.



Caden's very first soccer season is coming to an end. He has one final game....but tonight was the pinnacle of the season as his team gathered to celebrate a season full of fun. He has been beside himself for about a week now in the anticipation of the celebration tonight.

Unfortunately for me, tonight was a busy night. I missed the grand celebration as I took Daria to her soccer practice. When I walked in the door tonight, Caden was thrilled beyond words to show me his very first soccer trophy. He is so incredibly proud of it. He wanted me to email the picture to his cousins, Alyssa and Kyle. When I told him that I would post it on my blog....and anyone could see it....you should have seen his eyes light up. Christmas in May. He could hardly contain himself.

So, there he is. He wanted me to be sure and tell everybody what it says on his trophy. So, to honor his request, the trophy says:

Smackers
Caden Brandt
2008

We are all very proud...to say the least.

Roller Coaster Day

Today has been all over the board. Struggles have brought me low...new passions take me high. I'm not sure that I will rest well tonight. Either that...or I am going to crash like a rock. If I had written this post a couple of hours ago, I probably would have drug us all through the frustrated wanderings of my poor brain.

It is fascinating to me how God works sometimes. Our Sunday school class is going through that book, Do Hard Things. Man, I was smacked in the forehead with it all today. In fact, while I was making dinner, I just wanted to throw a little hissy fit and say: "ENOUGH ALREADY!" At the end of my day, as I sit here in review, I have no idea how to proceed from here. Aaarrgghh!!

Last week, I sat at this very computer asking for prayer for my Luke and his swimming lessons. I was hopeful. Today did not go well. He went to his class reasonably well....but as I watched his lessons progress, I remember praying: "Lord, help him do hard things." There were just little glimmers of things that made me think that things weren't going as I had hoped. Sure enough, at the end of class, his teacher talked to me. Luke stood there with his arms crossed, with eyebrows burrowed deep. That little man has drawn the line in the sand....and it could be a nasty battle. I have no idea what to do. No. Idea. Lord help us.....

Then, my precious, gifted daughter. So very capable. So very talented. So very stubborn. That girl can sure dig her heels in as well. As she sat at the piano, with her arms crossed, and her eyebrows burrowed declaring that she was NOT going to practice, I had had enough. I gave her the riot act.

Quitters. That is what my children are. How do I teach my children to do hard things? It seems that as soon as something becomes mildly difficult, they quit. They don't want to take another step...and if you try and make them then they are going to scream, yell, cry, throw a fit. I so do NOT know what to do. Raising these children to be responsible, contributing adults is hard. Do hard things....I would....if I knew how.

I cannot tell you how much of a relief it was to walk out the door tonight. A precious friend of mine is offering me the best gift ever. The gift of her knowledge...and her time. I walked over to her house tonight to look over her garden/yard. She walked me through and told me bucket loads of information about plants that I thought were beautiful. Then, after quite a bit of time, she walked with me back to my house. We pondered through other people's yards and talked more plants. I am amazed at her wealth of knowledge.

After we arrived at my house, she spent so much time talking with me over my yard. She has ideas for my yard!!! She is going to help me know what in the world to do with them!! She can be so reassuring and makes me feel like I can actually learn to landscape my yard. Her confidence is spreading...and I feel a little liberated. My few, feeble attempts at what I would call "landscaping" have not garnered the "splash" that I have wanted. With that....I feel like I have hit a brick wall. Maybe now, I can get over that.

So, after a long, hard day...I feel a little glimmer of hope. It is so nice to end on a high note. I'm excited. I hope that I can just sleep. I am sure I will....as long as I don't dwell on how I am going to get my children to conquer the hard things in their lives.

Need to get praying......

Amazing Answer

The other day I posted about our Chinese students. We have email for two of them. Amazingly......we got a reply back from one of them this morning. I am in awe. Here is a copy of what she sent. The first part of her reply looks like a press release about the earthquake. The next part is her reply. Her written English isn't the greatest, but you definitely hear her story:

The Brandts,

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck mountainous western China on Monday.The quake struck 60 miles northwest of the Sichhuan provincial capital of Chengdu at 2:28 p.m., the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site. The area has a population of about 110,000 residents, according to Xinhua. According to the joint UN-European Commission's Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System, or GDAC, the quake struck in a sparsely populated area, but only about 50 miles from Chengdu. The city and surrounding areas are home to about 10 million people.
An earthquake of this magnitude can cause damage as far away as 60 miles from the epicenter, it said.
GDAC said a quake this strong could have a "high humanitarian impact" and spark deadly landslides.
In the Chinese capital Beijing, about 930 miles away, buildings swayed for more than two minutes but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

I'm okay.But we're all in danger now. We can't stay at home for long.

As you know,there is more than 3500 aftershocks.

On May 12th,when i was having the first class in the afternoon I feel the classroom building shocking hard.In fact,our class was having the P.E. class,but unluckily,i was doing my homework with my best friend in classroom.There were only 3 students in the classroom.My classroom is on the 3rd floor,so I felt it shocking violently.The other classmates of mine was playing tennis,basketball and football on the play ground.

I felt so scaried that i didn't know what to do at that time.And just a few seconds,we realized a big earthquake was happening,so we ran to the

wall angleto hide.It lasted for about 5 minutes.we could see the TV,cupboards,chandeliers,school desks and electric fans were rocking wildly.And many students were running to the play ground.so did we.

School reopens the day after tomorrow.

Thanks for your concern.i am safe now.

Albee.

Thankful Thursday

With the beautiful sunshine, the comfortable evening temperatures, and a few moments to myself (not counting the times that Daria comes out of bed....), I thought I would take a moment to be thankful.

• Today I am thankful for the summer like weather. It was so nice to pull my shorts out of the depths of my drawers and put them on. Never mind my lily-white legs. It just feels nice.
  

• As I looked out the window and gazed upon my yard with the green grass, green trees, I was pleased. I am so thankful for this house. It truly is a gift from God.
  

• I am thankful that I am a stay at home mom. I am thankful for the opportunities it grants me to volunteer at my kids' school. I really do enjoy being involved....though sometimes it take more of me than I really want. BUT....I love walking by kids from school, even when I am by myself, and hearing: "Hi, Mrs. Brandt!!"

It is good to be reminded today that I truly am blessed.

(since I started this brief post: Daria was out of bed 2 times, Caden 1 time, and Luke 1 time. Ugh. Don't they know that I'm off the clock?? Even so, I am blessed.)

Small World...so Very Large

This post isn't going to be as peaceful as the post that I just wrote. It has been something that I have been thinking about for the last day or so.

I know that many of us have been following the huge earthquakes in China that has been so devastating. At first, I didn't pay much attention to the information. The death toll was shocking...and maybe that was why I had the disconnect.....even though I am so thankful that I am not dealing with the horrors that that nation is having to deal with right now.

Tim made a comment to me last night that really made me sit up straight and pay attention. He thought that the earthquake took place in the province that is home to the 5 Chinese students that we have had in our house over the last 4 years. Today, I opened up the paper, and sure enough....Chengdu was one of the major centers of devastation.

Then I read the story about a high school that is about an hour from Chengdu. The story mentioned that they are guesstimating that the entire senior class was killed in the earthquake. They haven't confirmed that...because everyone is still buried in the rubble. I don't know if any of our students went to that particular high school. I do know that they were all students at schools that were a short ways away from their homes in Chengdu. That is just the way that it works there.

Tonight...as all this started to sink in...I began to wonder about the fates of our students. How do we even begin to find out if they are alright? Our emails to them have rarely been successful. Even if it were to go through, who is to know if they even have internet connections up and going amidst the chaos. If we were to send a letter....there is untold amounts of time before we could even hope of a response.

To think that we know several someones that could be involved in the devastation of China makes the world seem so incredibly small to me. Yet....when I think of the impossibilities of finding information about our students....I realize how incredibly huge our world really is. It all makes me look at the earthquake with a whole new set of eyes.

Pretty scary.

I am not very good at remembering our girls' Chinese names. While they were with us, they adopted American names...and that is what we used. If I were to get my lazy bones off the front porch, I am sure that I could dig up their Chinese names. But, I know that God knows who they are....even if I use their adopted American names. If you think of it.....please pray for:

Amy.

Yo-Yo.



Albee and Charlene.

Albee. (yes....we had two of them!)

Bliss.....

Oh if you could see my right now. I swear that there can't be anything much more perfect than the moment that I am having right now. All brought to me by my God, my husband, and a little laptop.

Thank you, God. For the absolutely perfect evening tonight. The handy little gadget on my computer tells me that it is currently 72 degrees out here tonight. The skies are perfectly clear and a gorgeous shade of blue. There is a faint little breeze that ruffles my hair every once in a while. There are birds chirping in the trees. A faint scent of lilacs captures my attention occasionally.

Bliss.

My dear husband took the kids on a short little bike ride. That currently means that there is absolutely no one else at home with me right now. No one asking for a drink, a snack, or a moment of my attention. No one screaming, crying, or whining. Silence.....except the sounds of spring and softball.

Bliss.

My laptop is sitting on my lap....as I am sitting on my front porch....savoring the sights and smells of a Perfect Spring Evening....all by myself. How fun to blog outside!!!! Love it.

Bliss.

Doing Hard Things

On Sunday, I was introduced to a book, concept, ideal that I am going to do some serious research on. It is a youth movement that I am going to do some serious praying that my children will pick up as they head into their teen years. From what little that I do know of it, it will require a lot on my part as well. Oh my. Grab those boot straps and hang on tight....

The book is called Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris. They are nineteen years old. On the brief start that we have had on their book, I am blown away by the things they have done....starting at the age of 16. Their book talks about the concepts that they had developed out of their blog called the Rebelution. Unbelievable quick, like three weeks after its conception, their teen blog was picked up by the New York Daily News. Their blog, now a website, has become a counterculture experience amongst Christian teens.

The battle cry for The Rebelution is Do Hard Things. I can't say it any better than they already have on their website, so I will quote them now. ""Do hard things" is a mentality. It's a mentality that flies right in the face of our culture's low expectations. The world says, "You're young, have fun!" It tells us to "obey your thirst" and "just do it." Or it tells us, "You're great! You don't need to exert yourself." But those kinds of mindsets sabotage biblical character and competence. "Do Hard Things" is just the opposite. It's how we build character and competence. It won't drop to meet the low expectations, it won't just do what comes easily, and it won't become complacent. It applies no matter who you are or what level you're on, because there's always something harder to do, something that will take you outside your comfort zone and cause you to grow." They are calling the youth of our society today to rebel against the societal norm of low expectations. Our society does not expect great things from our youth. Low expectations.

"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." I Timothy 4:12

In essence, these young men are calling our youth to rebel against rebellion. I so want that for my kids. I want them to have confidence in themselves and to desire greatness in their own lives. I am not entirely sure on how to plant the seeds of these thoughts in the hearts and minds of my children. I know that I am going to now start praying my heart out about these ideas. It is going to be hard. But, I think I must do hard things. (I think their ideas apply to adults...as well as our youth!) But....I am lazy at heart. Pure lazy. I love going the easy route. But do I want that for my kids? No way.

So...I guess...to start...I talk with my little Rebels about rising over the laziness, and fears to do hard things. To find success like an adrenaline rush. To find and experience the thrill of victories. I also need to start praying for a wisdom beyond anything I have ever had before.

Gonna have to do some hard things.

A Smidge of Validation

I was a little hesitant to write another post tonight because I didn't want to bury my prayer request that I just posted regarding Luke. But, I did a quick little hop, skip, and jump over to Ken M.'s blog that focuses on our children and youth programs at church. When I got there, of course I couldn't resist the post about The Greatest Mom Ever. I figured that if I took a small little peek, I might get a little grin from something that my kids had said.

Probably like most Moms, I sometimes feel like my life's work as a Mom is pretty pointless and meaningless. My days are often filled with dirty laundry, messy kitchens, clutter, grime, and things that defy recognition. (sometimes...you just don't go there.) Dealing with these daily issues is like being sentenced to forced labor....hauling a pile of rocks from one place to another...and then back again. Laundry, for instance, is never done. Your family is wearing your next load even as you fold the "last" washed item.

Anyway....I digress. I was saying all that to say that sometimes all the work I put in as a mother sometimes feels like the acts of the unsung hero. At times, it feels like all the hard work I put into things to make things "special" just never seem to matter. I certainly don't hear: "Well done, Mom. I will remember this act for the rest of my life." Though, I do often hear about the things that I forgot to do...or that fell short of their expectations. When I am tired and weary, I often wonder if the work I put into things is worth it. What's the point?

Anyway, Ken asked the kids yesterday, on Mother's Day, what was the greatest thing about your mother? Some of the responses were pretty mundane like: "She cooks." (oh joy...) Some were quite amusing. I'm sure that Wyatt's mom would like to know that her greatest thing is that she cleans up after his messy dad. (I'm still chuckling about that one!) As I read the list, my curiosity about what my kids said grew and grew.

When I first read their responses, I was, at first, a little disappointed. Don't we all yearn for great things to be said by our children....especially when they are about you? Daria said that I help them with their homework. (yippee! Isn't that exciting?) Then I read that Caden felt that the greatest thing about me was that I take them on camping trips.

At first, like I said, I was a little disappointed. Then I read Caden's remark about camping again. To remember those few camping trips in a pinch-hit moment like that seemed fairly remarkable to me. He remembers those trips. They certainly weren't very grand trips....but grand enough that he remembers. And that he remembered them enough to think I was great because of it.....well....

That made me smile.

Rallying the Troops

Last fall, I remember giving God the glory for Luke's desire and excitement for swimming lessons. He has still been doing pretty good with that. He has now progressed to a higher class that is demanding a little more from him than he has had in the past. He has had a really good teacher that I have been pleased with. A lot of progress has been made...and I am thankful.

Here's the rub. This teacher is not pussy-footing around with Luke any more. That is good and bad. I've seen this teacher knuckle under with him a little more about listening.....as well as stretching Luke and his abilities. Needless to say, Luke is finding that not completely up to his liking. Luke likes to be lazy and do things his way.

The last two Mondays, as we have headed to swim lessons, Luke has started to do his whining and complaining about not wanting to go. On the other hand, he has also been excited and has had a lot of fun when his lessons were over. He even threw a little fit about not being able to have his lessons on Friday, when Daria and Caden had their lessons. Luke and I had a little talk about his attitude this morning. I told him he could either do the lessons the hard way, where I drag his little reluctant body to the pool and he's miserable doing it. Or....it could be the easy way, where he goes willingly and has a fun time while he's at it. He wasn't too sure about all that.

We also talked about Doing Hard Things. I will probably blog more about that thought tomorrow...but I wanted to rally my praying friends around me over this silly little issue. I so do not want to go back to the knock-down, drag-out, ugly fights that we had last year. It was so not fun. But....these swim lessons are important to me. AND....this little boy needs to be stretched. He's too use to being the baby.

So, I am praying for good attitudes....a renewed excitment....a victory that he notices and experiences. It is hard to explain that last thought. I want him to notice the victory...to be proud of himself and realize his own abilities....to want to go out and conquer the next big hurdle.

I hate to say it...but I guess I am praying that my Little Man Cub grows up a little.

I can't believe I just said that.

To the Best Mom.....EVER

Happy Mother's Day!!

On this day when all Moms should be honored....I thought that I would take a quick moment to honor my own. I would love to spend more time on it....but there is a deadline on getting out the door on time for church. But, then again, that is a part of honoring my mother as well. As I take up the banner of teaching my children spiritual truths as my mother did for me, I am honoring my mother today.

Mom, I just wanted to take today to tell you how much I love you. I know that I was a stinker at times growing up....but thanks for not giving up on me. Trust me....I know now how tempting it can be to just walk away when the going gets rough.

Thank you for your sacrifices that you made. I particularly remembering getting fancy dresses for Easter....that I am sure came at a cost to you. Even so, I remember feeling like a princess in those dresses. I think even then, I knew that you were making a sacrifice to purchase those dresses.

Thank you for the cupcakes that I remember taking to school on my birthday. It really sucks that we can't take homemade foods to school anymore. I loved that part of birthdays. I am sure it was inconvenient to make them....but thanks for the memories.

Of course, I can't let Mother's day go by without by without tell you Thank You for the Grammy that you have become. Clearly your grandchildren love your stories. I love the thought of how those stories keep us connected to those who have gone on ahead. It keeps their memories alive.

I also love the way that my kids adore you. Even though we don't see you as often as they'd like, when they see you it like the just saw you yesterday. I think one of my fondest memories is when we met up to go camping at Hell's Gate when Daria was two and Caden a baby. To see Daria's excitement and her running to greet you did my heart good. You definitely are a grandkid magnet.


I can only imagine how exhausted you must be after a weekend with our kids. Maybe you can see it as an opportunity to stay young. The fountain of youth....you seem to have found it. The memories that you are making will last a lifetime. I can see my own children, surrounded by their own children and grandchildren, sharing stories of their crazy Grammy who laughed with them, played with them, and told them stories.


How much better could it get?

I love you, Mom. Happy Mother's Day. Wish I was there to give you a great big hug!

xoxoxo!!

There But for the Grace of God

Today, I was directed to another site that involves tragedy. The story is so incredibly tragic. A young mother, 24 hours after giving birth, collapses and dies from a pulmonary embolism. Now there is this young father left caring for his infant daughter....alone. His grief is extremely transparent. Heart wrenching.

Then, of course, I have been following the story of Nate, Tricia, and Gwyneth. Their story, at this point, has been hitting high point after high point. God has been revealing Himself in grand ways. How exciting to be in the sidelines, watching the way God moves. The only way to sum it up would be to say To God Be The Glory!!!

I was just struck again today how incredibly blessed I am. I may complain about the whiny voices and messy rooms.....but when I get my eyes off of me and look around, I am rich. Extravagantly rich.

My kids are healthy and strong. They do well in school and perform well in their sporting activities. My husband is strong and healthy. He does well at his job, and his job takes care of him. I have a wonderful home and plenty of food to eat. I live in the temperate Pacific Northwest, and I don't worry about hurricanes, tornados, or tsunamis.

I am blessed.

Very Brief Update on David Howard

Okay...this update is extremely brief. Tim and his brother are not necessarily known as Men of Many Words. That I have a brief update at all is amazing.

Tim emailed his brother yesterday about David. The response was that he is still in the hospital and they hope to bring him home on Friday.....which would be today. They also hope to bring him to my in-laws house on Mother's day.

There you go. That is the complete and utter sum of the update. Me...I have a ton of other questions......but at least it was something.

Being Thankful

Thursday is here again. Time to take a pause amongst the busyness of life to be thankful. I think today, I really want to acknowledge to whom I am thankful. All my blessings, all the richness of my life, is all due to the gracious of my Savior, Jesus. So....I am thankful.

• I am thankful for husband who knows so much. He is so very capable. He amazes me often. I am thankful for God's gifting in his life.
  

• I am thankful that I was able to finish up my PAC commitments today. I even have time to sit down and blog. How much more thankful could I be???

• I am thankful for new friendships and finding commonalities in surprising ways.

• I am thankful for the ways that God moves in our world today. So thankful that He doesn't leave us to our devices....that He intervenes.
  

• I am thankful for my kids' school. I am thankful for their participation in soccer...and their enjoyment of it. I am thankful for my kids. Period

• I am thankful for those precious moments when my kids will climb up into my lap and snuggle with me. Love 'em.
  

God is good. Thank you, Jesus.

He Loves Me.

My sweet TimJ has been a busy man. For me.

He must actually be reading my blog. I mentioned a couple of days ago on my blog, that one of the downsides of my laptop was the lack of accessibility to pictures.

I don't know how he knows what he knows....but somehow he linked our two computers and now I can access my pictures. Yee haw. He is really quite amazing sometimes.

Then, I batted my eyelashes at him tonight, asking him to help me change my blog template....again. What a sweetie. He just looked at me.....then said he would. He spent much more time on it than he should have...but he did a great job. He fiddled with it until things looked just right.

I don't know how he knows what he knows.....I tell ya....he's one good man.

Thanks, TimJ. I love you oodles and bunches. You're the greatest.

David Howard

My mother in law called tonight with a prayer request for our nephew, David Howard. He has been home from the hospital following his surgery for almost two weeks. Apparently, Tony and Rachel will be taking him back to the hospital either tonight or tomorrow.

The last I had heard, he was doing well, so I was a little surprised to receive this request tonight. He is currently having symptoms that are similar to the bacterial infection he had that bumped up his surgery plans. He is lethargic, not eating, diarrhea, and fever. I can only imagine Tony and Rachel's level of stress.

If you think of little David throughout your day, please pray for him and his family.

Thank you.

editing to add: Rachel just sent an email....they are taking him to the hospital tonight.

SwissleBean!!

Yesterday.

I swear that it was yesterday that I received the call from my sister that my niece, Alyssa, was born. How can it be that 14 years have now come and gone since that moment? I swear that I blinked. I remember getting off the phone that day and just falling apart because I had no idea when I would ever get to lay my eyes on little Miss Lyss....much less hold her. It seemed like it would be ages and eons...and she would change so much before I got the chance.

Through a wonderful gift from some friends of mine, I was able to fly down to California to see her when she was just a week or so old. Maybe her mom remembers how old she was, I just remember that she was just so very tiny. So very beautiful. So very perfect. I was in awe. How did someone so cute come from a father like hers??? From her mom, I can understand....but her dad????? :-) (Must be those Peterson genes.)

But what a joy it has been to watch her grow into a beautiful young lady. Being that we live 400 miles apart, I don't get to see her nearly as often as I'd like, but when I do, I continue to be amazed. She is becoming so tall and graceful. She laughs with a deep joy. She has a good sense of humor, too. She can be a little crazy and off the wall, like her dad and her brother. (Must be that random Redford gene.)


I am amazed at her patience with my crazy little monkeys. My kids absolutely think that she is the next best thing to anything. I am often asked: "When are we going to go see Alyssa and Kyle?" When I told them yesterday that today was Alyssa's birthday, Luke piped up from the back of the van: "Can we go to her party, Mom? Clease? Clease? (please.) " They adore her. Plain and simple.

It is fun watching her be herself. She is so confident. She does well in school. She enjoys doing Bible Quizzing. I think I have even heard that she does pretty good at it, too. She also enjoys playing volleyball (girl after my own heart!) She is also a good friend....and that is definitely a life skill!

What a joy it is to be her aunt...to stand in the sidelines of her life and watch. I believe God has marvelous things planned for her life. I can see the beginnings of it now.....and I'm enjoying the show.

Happy Birthday, Lyss. I love you.

How does YOUR Garden grow?

I think I have mentioned on here before that God has placed me in co-leadership over a community garden through our church. Every time I say that I chuckle to myself. Me and Gardening. Those two words exist together as the perfect oxymoron. When our small group started this project, we were encouraged to do a project that was bigger than we were and see what God would do with it. Let me tell you, this garden is way bigger than I am. Funny thing is....God still works through this gardening ninny.

Today we had our opening meeting for our third year of Community Gardening at our church. I am absolutely blown away by the response that we have gotten this year. Can I just say, Yeah God!! It is absolutely amazing. Due to the overwhelming response, we decided to add 6 spots to the garden. When we did that, I felt for sure that there would be spots left over.

Those 6 spots were gone faster than I could blink my eye, just about. The response was so overwhelming that we have about 5 to 6 people on a waiting list. We have encountered issues and procedures that we haven't had to deal with in the past.....like saving names for a waiting list. Or how to assign plots....really it should be first come first choice. Things we never had to think about before....we had to wing it and make a note of it for next year.

Isn't it amazing?

I was amazed this morning, as I looked around the group of people gathered for our meeting, at the wide variety of people that were standing there. We had a young mother with a 7 week old baby...all the way up to a couple of Seniors. We had people from our church, to people who asked me if it would disturb the church service if they came and watered on Sunday morning. Tim even noticed that there was an Obama supporter in the midst, not that that really means much...but definitely a different opinion than my own. All ages, all experience, all different points of view....all gathered for a common cause. Kind of interesting.

When I see that kind of mix of people....I wonder what God has in mind.

One of my pet peeves with our detached society is the general rudeness that I see. Common courtesy seems to be a dieing art. For example, when I back out of a space in a parking lot, I am often amazed how often I need to slam on my brakes as someone dashes on by without noticing me there. The opposite is also true when I watch someone back out.....the other driver often pulls out acting as if they didn't take a second glance backwards. Yet, today, with that interesting blend of people, I was struck by everyone's politeness. As we hadn't really planned out how to allow the "fair" choosing of plots, people were extremely courteous in the process. Why was I so amazed?

For a brief moment today, I thought that I would never be around to see the other gardeners as they worked in their plots. Then, in a flash, I remembered that I am in charge of our school's garden. I will have the opportunity to see how God develops this growing season when I go to care for those plots. I will be curious to see how often I run into the other gardeners. The last couple of years, I rarely ran into them. Maybe this year will be different? I don't know, but I'm kind of curious to see.

Exponential faith. That is how I see that garden this year. Exponential. Our first year had such a low response...that I wondered if our idea was a bunk. Yet, look! See what God has done in such a short amount of time. I am reminded of a phrase that I used in our church newsletter article that I wrote about the garden. I don't know if I will be able to remember it exactly....but it was something along the lines of "Come see what God will do in your life when all you do is plant a little seed."

As I see it, what God plans to do with that seed has yet to be seen. We may never see what that seed will become. But it is kind of fun to watch the process.

Budding Author

Since this is my blog, I have the privilege of deciding what will and what won't be put on it. Isn't that fun? So now I am going to take the creative liberty to share some Proud Mama Material. Caden came home with his own poetry book. I thought that he did pretty good, so I thought that I would "publish" a couple of his poems on my blog.

I know. Dance away.
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Soccer

Having Fun

Teamworks

Over an opponent

I am a professional

(Completely humble, right???)
***************************************************************************

Caden

nice perfect artist

son of Christine and Tim

soccer ds

Joy and Fear

Attention and food

Help and care

Soccer and dad

Oregon

Sherwood

Brandt

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Going to Idaho

I see snow.

I smell cold air.

I hear the motor running.

I feel colder and colder.

I taste sprinkles of snowflakes.

I think going to Idaho is fun.

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Mount Hood

Building an igloo

Ride down the Alpine slide

Sleeping Volcano

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Turtle

Take

Us

To

Lakes

Excellent pets

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Not bad for First Grade.

Needing to be Thankful

The last few days have felt like I have been on the battle field with my kids....particularly my daughter. I'm feeling a little battle weary which makes everything seem a little dark. As much as I just want to shut the computer off, crawl in my bed and let the world pass me by, I need to knuckle under and get this Thankful post written. Hopefully it will bolster my spirit for another hour or so until the kids are in bed.

• I am thankful for the attribute of God that we prayed over today in Moms In Touch. We praised God that He sustains us. Boy, I am needing that today. I am often amazed at how appropriate the attribute that we have chosen is for the day that we are in. God is good.
• I am thankful that Tim's project has been completed for the last couple of weeks. I am thankful that he is coming home sooner, and that he hasn't been working on Saturdays. It has been kind of nice to have him home.
• I am thankful for the the coming days of sunshine. It makes me just about giddy in the anticipation of the warmer weather. Yee haw.

Feeling better to be thankful. I needed that.