The Long & Short of It

Even though the summer is half over, Abby & Lily made up their minds that they wanted their hair cut.  Of course this had nothing to do with some friends of theirs recently getting theirs cut as well :).  So, Saturday, they had it cut.  Lily had 10 inches cut, which was enough to donate, so that was nice.  They're getting so many compliments, I may cut mine off next!

Boston

This summer we finally made it back to see our family in Boston.  We had not been there for 4 years (yikes!).  Lily was a baby the last time we went, so it was definitely time.  We were busy the entire 8 days, running the roads & having a great time with Granny & Pappy.  One of the days we visited 3 states.  Here is a slideshow of a few of our adventures:

And here's one last picture of Dave & Steve Carell in the airport. Yes it's the real one, not another Tiger Woods story :). It's so blurry because Dave just grabbed some kid & asked him to take the picture. I missed it because we were getting ready to board :(

Hi, All.  I just thought I'd post a little picture of the kids & say that we hope everyone is having a great summer so far.  We have been very busy ourselves & it's going to get busier soon.  Grant & Abby go to camp next week, and then it's more summer fun after that.  I'm already spoiled from having them home & letting them sleep in.  We've already totally lost our normal routine--almost.  But, I don't mind.  I just want them to have a fun summer.  Without fighting.  Emphasis on that last part. :)  Check back with us soon for updates!  Enjoy your Summer!

The Yorktown

Last weekend, Grant & Dave traveled with the Scouts to Charleston, SC for an overnight stay on the Yorktown.  It was an experience that I'm sure Grant will remember for his entire life. They toured the ship all day Friday, then took a boat over to Fort Sumter.  They spent the night in the sleeping quarters on the ship & ate their meals in the mess hall.  And all of this was especially significant for us because over 60 years ago, just after WWII, my grandfather was on this same ship , walking around, working, eating and sleeping, and serving for a short time while he was in the Navy.   He died 6 years before Grant was born, but I can imagine the stories he would have been telling about it.  I guess those stories will just have to wait. In Heaven, when they finally meet each other, Grant will have his own stories to share about the Yorktown, and they'll have a long, long time to talk about it.

A note of thanks:

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for my dad through his most recent surgery.  The procedure was successful & he is at home recovering.  We thank the Lord for His blessings on our lives.

Good Friends , Good Times

Last Friday, school got out & we took a long weekend to Cincinnati which is the half-way point between us & our good friends, the Wisers.  We have been close friends since college & have been careful to keep in touch through the years.  Over the years, we have grown from just the 4 of us to 10 of us!  Last year, we got to see Scott & Jenny on our "no kids" trip to Disney, but we had not seen Audra in a few years & had never met Alex!  Many of you helped us pray for little Alex thru his adoption & then while he was battling Leukemia, and we were so happy to finally get to meet him  & see how healthy & sweet he is.  His life is a testimony of answered prayers.

We had a great time together while we were there.  One of the highlights was the Creation Museum.  The kids especially loved that. Here's a little slideshow!

Last night was Lily's little graduation from her preschool.  The same preschool that I spent hours contemplating whether to enroll her in.  The same one that would cause me to have to share her with others for two days out of the week for the entire past school year.  But I made the choice to let her go after my mother advised me to stop thinking only of myself & think of how much Lily would enjoy it.  And she did.  

But last night, when the dreaded Pomp & Circumstance began to play, and the short row of pint-sized graduation caps lined up for the processional, I tried as hard as I could to fight the feelings of panic that started to well up inside me.  A year from now, she'll be in the Kindergarten graduation at the academy & I will be a wreck.  

I really never have liked Pomp & Circumstance.  I think I've cried almost every time I've heard it played.  I can't explain this phenomenon because I couldn't wait to graduate from both high school & college & get on with life.  Yet, in the PCC graduation video (yes, video-not DVD) you'll see that they zoom in on me as the tears stream down my face.  Maybe I'm just not good at closing chapters in life.  

So a year from now, when I'm crying at the Kindergarten graduation, you'll know it's the Pomp & Circumstance.  It gets me every time.

Our Little Mozart

Abby's piano recital was this past Thursday night.  This was her 5th year of taking lessons & we are proud of her & her accomplishments.  Here is a little clip from the recital.  (You may want to scroll down & pause the playlist in order to hear the clip.) 

And that's about all I can think of to say right now :)

The Glad Game

Since my last post was a little serious, I have decided to try a little lighthearted experiment based on the "Glad Game" from a movie I used to love when I was little.  (Does anyone know the movie I'm referring to?  I mean beside Amy & David?)   Basically, if things aren't going well, or even if they are, you think of something you're glad about.  Today I'm glad the sun finally came out & it actually resembles Spring.  And I'm glad about too many other things to mention at this time.  But, I want to hear what you're glad about, too.  Post it here so everyone else can share in it, too. 

Today

Today we have missed another deadline with the Metropolitan Planning Commission which holds the power to approve our property development & allow our plans to go into motion.  I'd like to rant and rave about circumstances out of my control & the frustration I feel toward people who disregard desires of others, even when they're getting paid to do the opposite.  But, it wouldn't change anything except my blood pressure level because I am fully aware that it's really God telling me to wait.  And so that is what I will do.  And I will thank the Lord for a lifetime of reminders in every other maddening circumstance that was out of my control when other people (usually my parents) taught me that God is never caught off guard & is fully aware of and allowing what's happening to happen.  And so I'm sitting here in the "waiting room" writing this to remind myself  & maybe someone else reading this who may be waiting for something that's important to them.  God knows I'm here.

Psalm 52:9 "I will praise thee for ever and ever, because thou hast done it:  and I will wait on thy name;  for it is good before thy saints."

An Easter Egg Hunt & Tiger Woods

Yes, I thought that would get your attention. No, this wasn't a crazy dream I had. It's just another page in our very adventurous & exciting life. And it went like this:

The girls & I just spent a few days visiting my sister, Amy, & her two girls in Greenville, SC. While we were there, we decided to do an Easter egg hunt in a little children's garden in downtown Greenville. It was the perfect little place for it, and there was no one there at the time either. That was probably because it was cloudy & only 50 degrees, but anyway, it was adorable. All the girls had fun searching & finding until they were finally too cold to stay any longer, so we left & went to lunch.

Enter Tiger Woods. Amy & I were sitting at a table in Salsarita's, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible, which was difficult since we had 5 little girls & Amy is expecting another one in one more month. We were getting lots of smiles & comments as the lunch crowd poured in. And then I noticed at the table diagonally across from us a guy that looked exactly like Tiger Woods. I pointed him out to Amy who totally agreed & suddenly we were obsessed with finding out if it was really him. I must say that I probably would have totally dismissed the thought right away had Amy not told me that Tiger Woods actually owns a home in a golf community near there, so from then on, we were on a mission. We knew our brother would kill us if we saw Tiger Woods & didn't get a picture or an autograph, so Amy & I began immediately to plan our course of action. Amy first went to the restroom & came back to see if she could get a better view of him from the front. This only confirmed her suspicion that it was him. By now, I was starting to wonder if he & the 2 men that he was with were noticing that we were staring at them, but it didn't deter us. I began to look around & wonder if we were the only ones that had recognized him, and it seemed we were. We noted that he was wearing a blue baseball cap, so we tried hard to see if it was a Nike. If it were, we would know it was him.

We began to get worried that our time was running out, so I sent Abby to our truck parked right outside to get my camera. I knew this might raise suspicions, but I had to do it. Finally, Amy took the little ones out & I made my approach. With Abby & Lola in tow, I walked straight up to him & asked as graciously as I could if anyone had ever told him that he looked just like Tiger Woods. He was a little surprised to see me at first, then without saying anything, he just smiled. His friends laughed as well & then I explained that Amy & I were debating on whether it was him, & how we only wanted a picture for our brother, and yadda yadda. Since he had never answered my question, I asked again if it was really "him" & he finally said no, but that people tell him that a lot, and all the while he was still smiling, which made me wonder if he was telling the truth. After that, he agreed to a picture with me so that I could at least try to make David think it was really him.

So, Abby snapped the picture & then we left as soon as we could. When we got in the truck to leave, Amy told me she overheard someone coming out of the restaurant say to another person, "I told you that was really him".

By the way, David wouldn't buy it when we sent the picture. He says he knows Tiger Woods like he is his brother. Yeah, well, Amy & I still say it could've been him, and maybe he just wanted to protect his privacy. We may never know...:)

And The Winner Is...

ABBY!

  We ended our "Win A Date With Mom" contest on Sunday, and although the decision was very difficult, the winner turned out to be Abby.  Here is a little picture of us on our way out the door to Ruby Tuesday.  We had a great "Girls' Night Out" together, laughing & talking.  Stay tuned in the future for a possible rerun of this contest!

There's Only One Lily

Lily turned five almost a week ago & I am just now finding time to post about it.  She had a little party with her friends on Monday, then on Wednesday, sandwiched in between days of someone being sick at our house, she had her birthday. 

The past five years with Lily have been nothing but fun.  She is an extremely creative, helpful, funny, smart, & sweet little girl.  For her birthday this year, she asked for her own cleaning supplies.  Did I mention she is a gem?  If ever Lily disappears for a few minutes, I know she is either at the craft table creating something, or she is somewhere cleaning something.  From this description, you may think she's a little Domestic Diva in training, but let me assure you, she has announced for some time now that she plans to become a doctor when she grows up.  She reminds me of this every time we drive by our pediatrician's office as she announces "There's where I'm going to work when I grow up!"  She has informed me that she does not want to get married OR have children when she grows up.  I don't take offense to this.   I remember saying the same thing.  As a matter of fact, the last time I said it, Dave told me to snap out of it & get busy making dinner.  (Just kidding :) ).

I consider it a personal favor from the Lord that He chose me to be Lily's mother. In fact, I feel the same about all my children.  But, there really is only one Lily.  And now she's five. 

Ignorance is Bliss.  :)

This is a phrase that is sure to get a little laugh from Amy & David and my parents, as it is one we came to use often on each other when we were growing up at home & wanted to take a "jab" at someone in the family for being a little clueless.  But for the past couple of days, it's had a little different meaning to me, but one that still makes me want to smile when I think of it.  And so I thought I'd share it with you.

On Sunday, a man gave his testimony in our Sunday School class.  He and his wife have been coming to our church for several months now, but not many of us in the class have taken the time to get to know them well up until now.  His story was very interesting, as he told how his family was religious when he was growing up, but not sincerely Christian.  Then, when he was older, he made the choice to reject religion & try to become an atheist.  During that time, he humorously described how he sought peace in philosophies and art and music.  He further explained how he had developed an utter disdain for Christians & truly considered Christian people to be ignorant.  He said that he, like so many others in the world, viewed Christians as simple-minded & weak, always in need of something to hold onto.  He went on to tell of how he embraced drugs & alcohol, living for himself and living for the moment.  Then, finally, through unique circumstances, met Christ, who had all long, been waiting for him.

As I listened, God brought to my mind those familiar three little words.  Ignorance is bliss.  And I thought to myself how ignorant I really am!  If I had met this guy on the street a few years ago, before he met Christ, he would've thought I was ignorant!  It's a hilarious thought that just makes me want to praise God.  Once again, I think of how spoiled rotten I am (for those of you who wonder if I am aware--yes I am).  Then I thank God for yet another reminder of His mercy toward me.  I've had such a wonderful life.  The path of my life has been like a beautifully paved walk lined with fragrant flowers.  I can't bring myself to even mention the minor bumps in the road I've encountered.  I've been so ignorant!  I'm ignorant of what it's like to be enslaved to so many terrible traps that Satan tries to use.  Thank God I don't know what it means to be addicted to any kind of drug or know what it's like to be tempted by alcohol.  I have no idea why God has blessed me so much & prevented me from falling into pits along the way.  I know that much of it is due to my parents praying for me throughout my entire life.  It's so much more than I deserve.  I can only thank the Lord. And I thank my parents, too.

Update:

Sorry to keep you wondering about the winner of the contest!  I have actually extended the deadline with the kids due to a few "snags".  Plus, as of right now, I am having a hard time choosing because they have all done pretty well.  I will post the results soon...

Thank you, Mr. School Superintendent!

Last night, before church, we found out that we were getting an unexpected winter break for the rest of the week, due to so many people being sick in our county.  And I have to admit I wasn't nearly as excited as the kids were, at first.  I had to break my lunch date with my husband & forget about the other things I was planning to accomplish today.  We just had a break on Monday for President's Day, and my "rainy day" resources are almost all used up!

So, I was asking the Lord for help this morning with ideas for motivating them to live peaceably together & have fun at the same time.  

So, that's why they're now all competing to "Win a Date with Mom".  All of their faces lit up a little when I told them the rules:  the person who is the most helpful, best behaved, and most kind by the end of the day tomorrow will get to go out with me (all by themselves).  

It's going pretty well so far.  There were a couple of moments when things started to get tense with one person (I won't mention his name:) ), but so far, so good.  I'll try to remember to announce the winner on here &  maybe a picture of the two of us on our date after it's all over.  It's anyone's game at this point.  We still have a day & a half left!  Just don't be too surprised if the winner turns out to be Dave!

Love is in the Air...

(mingled with cigarette smoke)

We are two days away from my second favorite holiday of the year.  I love Valentine's Day.  All my heart decor & Valentine garb has been out for a couple of weeks now.  And the kids & I spent the night designing & constructing the annual Valentine boxes for school.  My lip still quivers when I think back to Grant's 2nd grade Valentine box that was made into a rocket, complete with a little astronaut and a conversation heart glued on that read "You Send Me".  It was unforgettable.  

But anyway--in preparation for this year, I've been thinking of all the ways we're going to celebrate.  I have some special little Valentine gifts for all the kids in my Bible Club at the TN School for the Deaf, and even though I was very busy today, I made time in my schedule to stop at a drugstore & pick up some Valentine candy for them as well.  I went in the store, Lily & Lola in tow, taking care to pick a type of candy that I thought the kids would enjoy.  It really wasn't convenient, but I didn't mind because I know it's for my ministry.

So, after a few minutes, Lola decided she didn't want to be there anymore & Lily got tired of helping me hold some things, so we went to the register where I saw Her.  This woman was standing there, blocking the counter where I was supposed to be.  I heard a cashier telling her to step back & wait as they tried to resolve the problem she had, but the woman never moved.   Meanwhile, as I stepped closer to her, my nose almost burned with the smell of cigarette smoke, and then she coughed in our direction.  I waited for her to step aside, but when she didn't, I was forced to squeeze up beside her to reach the cash register.  I began to think about how we were going to smell & what germs we were probably being exposed to that very second, and my frustration began to escalate.  Lola began crying, and I was just dying to get out of there & away from this woman who was so getting on my nerves.  And then she looked at me, smiled, & with a raspy voice, commented on how I had my hands full, but was doing a great job handling it all.  It was then that I finally saw her.  She was a person. She was a soul for whom Christ died.  I was struck with the awareness of my hypocrisy.  I was so busy doing "good", sacrificing for my ministry, that I was ready to trample whatever got in the way. 

Why do I so often say I care about groups of people, yet forget that individuals make up those groups?  I even notice other Christians I know doing this same thing, even risking losing their testimony over ridiculous things, yet sometimes I do the same things.  

So, as of today, I've added something else to the list of ways to celebrate Valentine's Day:  Love. 

Disney World 2008

We just spent 5 days at the "happiest place on earth" & had a great time, as usual.  Most of you know I am such a fan of Disney World and have made some great memories there throughout my life!  I was Lola's age the first time I went & I'm glad my parents were able to take me & Amy & David several times as we were growing up. Out of 773 pictures, I picked out a few for this slideshow.  I'd love to post some pics of our past trips someday, but that would take time that I don't have right now.   I think every family needs to go at least once together & maybe these pictures will inspire you!

The Next Martha Stewart

Many of you know I am a fan of Martha Stewart.  When I have time, I try to watch her show or visit her website & marvel at her never-ending perfection.  Because I, too, have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, I understand how gratifying it would be to live in a house where every project undertaken has ample workspace, every drawer is beautifully labeled, and every tool has a matching handle.  But, alas, I don't live with Martha.  I live here in the real world, where not only are my tools un-coordinative, but usually found left under the kids' craft table, or some other non-labeled location.  

But Martha & I are alike in so many other ways.  Take her assistants, for example.  Everyone knows that she would be nowhere without them.  Well, I have assistants, too.  Mine just happen to be around 3 1/2 ft. & 2 ft. tall.  

It was so unfortunate that there was no video camera on this morning to tape me packing up a box to ship.  I had my shortest assistant helping me, and while Martha could do a great segment on what it would be like to pack a box at her house, I could have done one for the rest of the world.  I'll try to describe how it went.  

First, I went to the computer to print out the label.  My helpful assistant was at my knee the entire time. When it was printed, I cut out the label neatly with the recently-found scissors & placed the label on the desk while I finished packing the box.  Once the box was packed, I turned to retrieve the label, but my assistant had beat me to it, label in hand, now nicely crumpled and slobbered-upon.  No matter--in the real world, little obstacles will come.  So, I flattened it back out & dried it off the best I could.  Next, I went to get the packing tape & returned to find my little assistant sitting in the box. So, I carefully removed her & began closing the flaps neatly just as she snagged the tape & took off running with it.  This is where I demonstrated remaining calm in moments of mounting frustration.  There would have been some great footage here of me chasing her thru the house & finally getting the tape only to find she had caused the roll to come off the dispenser & the tape closed onto itself.  Here is where I would have had to cut to commercial break while I spent several minutes trying to find the start of the tape again.  

So, after that, I knelt down, using my knees to hold the box together while I taped it closed, all the while with my assistant trying to climb on my back.  Finally, I finished the box, which showed no evidence of the fiasco that had just transpired.  It really would have been a great segment.  So sorry you missed it.  

As I said, I am big fan of Martha.  But I could teach her a thing or two.

My two shortest assistants hard at work.

"I know my imported spices are in here somewhere!"