At Home

We are spending the day at home. I so want to paint, but with rain in the forecast for the next few days, the primer would stay sticky. We'll find something else to do. In the meantime, I will find joy in the things that have been marked off my list.

::cracky plaster has been scrapped off the ceilings::

::it wasn't as big an area or a mess as I had been anticipating::

::legs have been put on our bed::

(I just won't think about how unstable it is and how much they need to come back off)

::our bedroom has been rearranged::

::Abigail has declared her readiness to put her bed in a frame::

(my sister and I had matching frames growing up. 

she sleeps in my sister's bed when we stay with my parents. 

she has been known to fall out of that bed)

::distant thunder::

::birds singing defying the thunder::

::sleeping bags on the floor for stormy (physically or dreamily) nights::

::seeing Thor last weekend for our anniversary::

::looking back at the last 11 years--good and bad::

::knowing I'd spent them with the one person I am meant to spend life with::

::liking him eleven years later::

What is on your list today?

Ooops....

I forgot that it was my turn to blog yesterday!
I think I was getting TOO pumped for the "Amazing Race 15401!"

"oh what fun it is to ride in Neely's Chevrolet...HEY!"

For those that were not able to make it to MOPS last night, we had a GREAT time!!

After MOPS was over a few of us hung around and got to talking. Our conversation sparked an idea for a question...TWO parter!

Name three positive things about your husband?

Why do you compliment each other?

Life is Short...

The other day, I heard a neat message on Klove radio (it's a nation wide Christian radio station if you've not heard of it. Find your local station here!) about a very cool video that has recently been released by the David Crowder Band. The song is called "SMS Shine" and the video is a compilation of thousands of hours of Lite Brite Pegs put into a stop action photography story.

Apparently, the David Crowder Band, along with over 80 people helping from their church, spent thousands of hours making over 700,000 Lite Brite pegs turn into over 120,000 different photo frames for the story told.

Curiosity had the best of me, and I watched the video. The first time I saw it, I spent my viewing time in awe of the work that was done. And since it was so good, I had to watch it again... and this time I paid attention to the story. It blew me away.

Have a look:




Did you see it? Wasn't it cool how they incorporated things from outside the Lite Brite coming into the story? Isn't it neat how the whole band attended the wedding in the background? As a designer, I was just drooling over this whole video concept. Story wise, I already loved this song from hearing it on the radio, but watching the video was more than moving.

David Crowder posts on his own blog that this video about the hope and comfort that God can be in the midst of the worst possible aches. "God shares in the suffering of life and brings redemption for everything that is broken, and this revelation causes, no, demands, that those of us who have experienced and participate in this great rescue, display such a thing to those who live unaware of a balm, a fix, an answer to and for all that is bent." (read his whole story of making the video)

When I watch this, which I've found myself doing a lot lately. I am reminded of two things- one is how short life really can be. Even if we're not experiencing exactly what this family does, isn't even 80 years a short amount of time to be here? It doesn't take tragedy to send us to heaven, am I making a difference for Him while I am here? James 4:14-15 says "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

The second thing I am reminded of is how amazed I am at the strength of people who seek refuge in the Lord through the toughest of times.

There is such a hope in Him! Proverbs 3:5-6 have been great verses for me to lean on these last few months of uncertainty in our lives:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.


I yearn to make my life so that my path is indistinguishable from His path for me. I want to to a better job of seeking Him during both the tough and the good times. I want to give him space to shine His light so I can see it and for him to hold me close so I can feel love, too.

Too cute...

Quote of the day...

Me: (as I am getting Pizza on plates) "What did you eat at Grandma's?"
Ethan: "Nothing. I just had a drink...( a 5 second silence) ... and Ice Cream."

Typing it does not do it justice. Alex and I had a very good laugh over that for a few minutes. It's a memory that will last a life time!

I love being a mommy!!!

He Cares for You

I Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you."

How often I need this assurance - there is a place for me to take my anxiety and leave it! That place is with the One who cares about it even more than it do! No matter how many years I've been praying and seeing God do amazing things, I am still in desperate need of His help and comfort each day.

This is one of the first Bible verses I ever learned and it continues to have an impact on my daily life. Because I don't have to carry the weight of the world, I can have a light and thankful heart.

Today I am thankful for...

a Friday - one of my favorite days. The Carnegie Science Musuem is coming to do an in school field trip with our kindergarten class and I'm almost as excited as the students!

Mother's Day weekend - it is always fun to be appreciated and it is also a happy time as I think about my own mom and all she means to me.

the people God has given me - family and friends who make every day worthwhile. Our grandson, Liam, is a special joy in our lives.

answered prayer - first, God brought my son-in-law, Aaron back safely from Afghanistan. Now he has given Aaron and Christy a safe and memorable trip across the U.S. and back. What an amazing country we have.

a quiet heart - being able to clear my mind of all that weighs on me as I give it to Him. Then meditating on some promise of God that soothes and refreshes my soul.

"Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live." Psalm 146:1,2

~Joy Herman

Mommy & Me...it's getting deep in here!

It's a chocolate chip cookie for breakfast kind of day!

Sometimes you need one of those. I think the kids do too! Actually, the kids are the ones having the cookies for breakfast. I better not. You know I will though, with a nice cup of tea.

Parenting has gotten pretty "deep" the past few weeks. What I mean by "deep" is H A R D! Questions that I never thought would come out of the mouths of my children. How do I answer them?! My children are 6 and 5 ...when did they start to THINK like bigger kids?! When did they stop being toddlers?!
Oh and the attitudes! I remember before I was a mother, observing other mothers and children and knowing 'my child will NEVER act like that!' And 'can you believe they are letting them act that way?!!'

On this "Mommy & Me Thursday", I am going to take each question that comes my way with a prayer. Each attitude that creeps it's ugly head I am going to take with the knowledge that it is NOT only my child that needs to learn through this, but perhaps even more so it's ME that God is trying to teach.

Last night we had Family Game Night. We try and do one thing each week that is special. We alternate between Game Night, Movie Night, or going somewhere and doing something special. Cell phones and computers are off. It's wonderful! We bowled last night, Daddy won.
There is so much joy just spending time with your family and your family alone. We loved watching our childrens faces and become aware ONCE AGAIN, that they are NOT babies anymore. We need to cherish the moments, while doing the hard job of raising them to be who He wants them to be!