Sarah's Story

Pondering

2012-01-23T15:44:00.002-05:00

I was looking for some information a couple weeks ago..I don't even remember what. But I came across this quote during my search. And it's ponder-worthy (at least in my opinion):

"Change happens locally. It happens when people act where they are with what they have. Change happens gradually. It occurs when people do a series of little things well over a long period of time. As Christians, we love to talk but we don't necessarily like to get up and out and get it done. It's one thing to proclaim Christ on Sunday morning; it's another to get wrapped up in your next-door neighbor's life on any given day...What can you do? Place yourself in front of people. Put yourself squarely in the middle of their lives..."

Hmmm....

Second language?

2011-12-15T08:37:00.003-05:00

Our conversation on the way to church last night:

A1: Mama, I wish we spoke Korean at home.
Me: You do?
A1: Mm-hmm. Well, actually I really wish we spoke Spanish at our house.
Me: Well, we'd have to practice.
A1: No. I mean all the time.
Me: We'd still have to practice, to learn Spanish.
A1: No, Mama. I mean I want us to speak it. Not practice it.
Me: Ok.

If you're wondering where wanting to speak Korean came from, it's from a song we like. She also likes the singer, because he dances well and dresses "fancy." I'm glad she changed it to Spanish, because I know three words in Korean (yes, no, thank you). And I am totally confused by the characters.

While Abigail said all of that in passing, it probably would be helpful to learn another language while you're young. And she can count (to 11) and say some words, but I haven't actively worked with her. Probably because... Hablo español sólo un poquito. (And I probably really messed up the sentence structure there)

What's Ava been up to, you ask? Being my usual wild child. She busted her lip twice at school yesterday (on the playground)...it's really swollen. She yelled at the school's Santa ("HEY, Santa! LOOK AT ME!") but wouldn't sit with him (figures). In the line to meet Santa, she actually launched herself out of Barry's arms, over my shoulder (in front of them). Thankfully I caught her. I was one person closer to Santa, you know. She climbs on and flips over everything! She told Santa (from afar) to bring her the reindeer so she could ride them.

She has discovered the browser function on my phone and is very opinionated about what songs we listen to ("I want Justin Beiber, Baby" was yesterday's ~~demand~~ request. As well as Phineas and Ferb's Gitchee Gitchee Goo. And Ashley Cleveland's Nothing But the Blood) It still strikes me as funny to hear a two year old ask, "Is it buffing?" about a video.

In short, she keeps us on our toes and keeps us laughing.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-14T09:40:00.003-05:00

Long time, no post. But...Merry Christmas!

"I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. This will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough."
Luke 2:10-12 HCSB

Painting Pumpkins

2011-10-11T08:54:00.003-05:00

We painted pumpkins yesterday (the thought of carving pumpkins with my littlest wild child is enought to make my eye twitch!)

I thought they did a great job!

Ava mixed colors to attain just the right shade of blue.

Abigail painted individual scenes all over hers.

Mine had four sides/scenes.

I'm going to call these "virtual shirts"...didn't want to post any "nekkid" (as my kids say) pictures of the girls. But we had to take their shirts off....they had it everywhere!

Afterwards...we had to go straight to bath time...

But we had fun!

Made to Praise

2011-10-05T08:11:00.004-05:00

I intended to post this Monday so the title could be "Made to Praise Monday". It didn't happen.

This song has been on my mind lately. The verse that it brings to mind is one that among the first Bible verses I ever learned (after John 3:16 and The Lord's Prayer).

Artist: Jeremy Camp
Album: We Cry Out
Song: Not Ashamed

(I took the liberty of taking out all the "repeat X times")

You are the fullness of the beauty I seek
You are, You are

You are the healer of the broken and weak
You are, You are

Even though few may stand and proclaim Your great name
It's the life I want to live
'Cause I'm convinced there is none like You

Not ashamed of the gospel
Not ashamed of Jesus Christ
I will stand and boldly say
That this is my life

You are the author of salvation and faith
You are, You are

You are the victory that conquered the grave
You are, You are

Even though few may stand and proclaim Your great name
It's the life I want to live
'Cause I'm convinced there is none like You

Not ashamed of the gospel
Not ashamed of Jesus Christ
I will stand and boldly say
That this is my life

I'm not ashamed

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God
for salvation to everyone who believes..." Romans 1:16

You can listen to the song here:

A Senior?

2011-09-29T07:22:00.003-05:00

Have you heard that song, "Time keeps slippin', slippin', slippin' into the future...?"

Time has a way of passing while we're caught up in the every day tasks, so that if we're not careful it'll all blur together. Then one day we realize it's been days/weeks/months/years since _____.

I finished designing one of my nephew's senior yearbook page last night. It SO does not feel like he should be a senior. Wasn't it just a year or two ago we were taking him to play putt-putt with his Lion King hat and he was calling me "Sesha"? That simply could not have been 15 years ago. Could it?

I'd like you to scroll up and read the lyrics at the top of this page. Do you know the song? If not, I'd encourage you to look it up and listen. Then do what it says...make the most of the time you've been given. Make the days count.

Ecuador: House Church

2011-08-24T08:10:00.012-05:00

Worshipping with Believers in another culture was one of the things about this mission trip that I was most looking foward to.

Enter Jose & Maria.

Jose and Maria lead a house church on the top of a mountain. Seriously, we were level with some clouds. You don't get that kind of view in South Georgia.

The house we worshipped in did not belong to Jose & Maria, but one of their parishoners. I was so impressed with the hospitality of the people we encountered in Ecuador.

If you know me, you probably know that I'm not the person who loves to entertain. I'm not usually comfortable with people dropping by unannounced (unless they're family) because my house is almost never "company-ready". We're a typical busy family. I.don't.have.time.

But the people we met were so hospitable. It made me take a look at myself. And question, does it really matter that my house isn't company ready? Does it? Or is it about reaching out to friends and neighbors? Is it about being available? Honestly, I still would probably be uncomfortable for people that I didn't know to see my laundry basket of clothes that needed folding. Or toys all over the place. But I'm working on it. It may be a process, and not an overnight thing.

There is a freedom to worship there that I think we miss sometimes here. I don't know why. But it was a blessing for our team to experience.

Back to the house church. It was a cement block house (no insulation). There were 3 lightbulbs that I saw (kitchen, living room, restroom). In the living room, the only furniture was plastic chairs or wood planks and blocks made into benches. When we got there it was just our mission group; Jose, Maria and their children; and a couple others. But slowly, more and more trickled in. They all greated us warmly. At last count, I counted over 30 in all.

Despite the language barrier (and I will add here that I am so thankful for translators and people who are bi-or tri-lingual!), it was a very sweet service. The message was good. They encouraged us and they said that we couraged them.

I have a video of one of the songs we sang. What you will hear, besides us trying to place what the song was, is English, Spanish and Quichua. Three languages. United in worship to the only One who is worthy of our worship.

We call it "Do Lord" here.

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them.
Matthew 18:20 HCSB

Ecuador: Mudslides

2011-08-12T15:14:00.007-05:00

A couple of months before we went to Ecuador, the area we were visiting had some heavy rains that resulted in mudslides.

One of the not-so-serious results of this was that our group could not ride in a bus the entire way to our destination to help with Vacation Bible School. We got to a certain spot, left our bus and hopped in the back of a potato truck. There was a big plastic water container in the middle of the truck bed. I was told that it was to help provide traction for the truck going up/down/around the mountains.

The rides were actually fun to me, so I didn't mind the back of the truck.

Imagine my shock and surprise when a few weeks after getting back I receive this letter from Dailys:

There was a landslide in {province}. We trust in Jesus, but were so afraid that day. Big rocks, mud and wood came down. We live beside a gorge. The mud took my dad and my brother. Thanks God, they are both alive. Well, they are very sick. I pray that you never face a situation like that.

The letter goes on to talk of other things, but I had to stop. And re-read. And read again. And notice the date. May 2011. I feel so bad that I didn't know to say anything about that during my visit, but I suppose they assumed I had not gotten the letter yet.

I cannot imagine how Dailys felt watching that scene unfold.

I can only imagine how Adela (Dailys' mom) felt. I am pretty sure of my reaction: stark terror. To watch your husband and your child being swept away. That had to be absolutely terrifying.

As I have mentioned before, Dailys is quite an artist. She draws beautifully. She drew me the scene from that day (although she put smiley faces on her dad and brother, when I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have been my facial expression.)

I am so thankful that:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea

-Psalm 46:1-2

Would you pray with me for the continued recovery of Dailys' dad and brother?

Ecuador: Jose

2011-07-29T07:16:00.006-05:00

Today, I don't want to tell you about a place. I want to tell you about a person: Jose.
(photo: Jose in yellow. Cecilia (one of our translators) on the far right. And girls who sang for us on our bus. I bought dolls for my girls from them. Plus their baby brother on the oldest sister's back.)

Jose was our bus driver. But he was so much more than that. He navigated us safely through narrow winding roads. He jumped in to help wherever he saw a need, without being asked. He was an encouragement to our team. If I could put a face to the phrase "Christian service" it would be Jose's.

When we were at restaurants, he helped the wait staff serve our group (because we were a pretty large party, and that can sometimes fluster waiters/waitresses. Trust me. I remember these things.). When we were on the road, he was a comfort to us with his calm manner while driving (to most of us Americans, they drove in a somewhat crazy fashion). When we were at a hotel with no elevator, he would take the heaviest suitcases up the 3 flights of stairs for the ladies in the group. When we were playing with the kids at VBS, he jumped in to play too (and helped us out. Because the American team only had 2 adults and 1 kid who knew anything at all about how to play soccer.). When we were talking to people in the villages...if they were working (harvesting potatoes, or cleaning) he came alongside them and worked with them. When we were sharing the Gospel, he helped us translate and told people his "story."

It was impressive.
It was encouraging.
It was humbling.

I'm not sure how old Jose is, I would guess somewhere between late-30s and mid-40s. His oldest child (who joined us on the trip) was 10.

He showed our group what the phrase love in action meant and I wanted you to "meet" him.

Ecuador: Quito & Otavalo

2011-07-23T23:05:00.011-05:00

My flights to Ecuador were my first "big" plane rides. My brother-in-law has his pilot's license and I'd flown in a 4-seater with him, but nothing commercial. So this was a first. I'd never been out of the country. Another first. So I guess you could say I was excited! That would probably be an understatement.

Quito is a massive city. According to the stats I found online, approximately 1.3 million people live there. It's huge. Especially to the girl who's hometown population numbers all of 600.

From the air, the houses look stacked on top of each other.

The weather? Yeah...it was awesome!

On the streets of Quito, I saw my first "first-hand" glimpses of poverty. For the most part, Quito didn't seem all that different from large cities in the US - to me at least. But I don't think I'd seen anyone who was truly destitute before this. It was heartbreaking.

Our first stop after leaving the airport was to pickup the Bibles we'd ordered and eat supper. We were picking up the Bibles at a mall, so we ate in the food court. My first Ecuadorian dish?

Taco Bell. Yes, you can laugh!

We also went to a pharmacy there, where many antibiotics are over-the-counter. Which we found out later in the week would come in handy.

Saturday was sort of our touristy day. We went to the Middle of the Earth and stood on the equator. We also went to the Otavalo Marketplace. Both places I thought at the time that we had seen most everything. But after seeing other team members' pictures, I realized there was a LOT I missed!

In the marketplace, you learn to say "no, gracias" really quickly! The first booth Avis, Aaron and I stopped at a man held up a shirt. It was a pretty, hand embriodered. I was just trying to tell him it was pretty, but he took that as, "Yes, I want to buy this!" I ended up buying the shirt. We had been told to barter prices (Something I am NOT good at. It's why I hate yard sales!), so I'm sure I was given the "tourist price" at least a few times.

One thing that was definitely different from anywhere I'd been in the States... you had to pay for toliet paper (some places you had to pay to use the restroom). When we got our packing list, I saw toliet paper and thought, "Why on earth?" Now I know!

My Spanish is "poquito" (a tiny bit), but some signs didn't need translation.

Another difference was with toll booths. There were random toll booths (to raise money for road improvement). That's not all that different. But you paid to go in AND you paid to go out. That was different!

The farmers there - they rock. They farm some steep inclines. I'm amazed.

Okay, I know that was kind of random, hitting all over the place. But there you have it.

In all things, through prayer...

2011-07-22T09:47:00.004-05:00

Wednesday night at church, I was in the class that I now teach with three of the students. It's a young class, aging from 3.5 to 5.

At the beginning I asked the kids if they had anything we needed to pray about or people we needed to pray for. Requests included prayers for boo-boos and for an uncle in the hospital. After opening in prayer, we were about to get started on our lesson when the oldest child pointed to my lip and said, "You've got somethin' on your lip."

I explained to him that it's a fever blister that is going away. I've had it since the day we came back from Ecuador. It seems like every time my face gets sunburned, I get one. And apparently, SPF 50 isn't high enough for this fair-skinned chick when I'm that close to the equator.

This little boy questions me, "Why didn't you pray for yourself, for it to go away?"

Hmm. Why didn't I? I guess because I've had it a couple of weeks, it's going away, and it's just one of those things. Bottom line: I didn't think about it. So I answered, "Hmm. I don't know. I guess we could have, huh?"

To which he replied, "We can. I can do it."

Then the other children piped up that they could pray for it/me, too. So they did. One by one, they requested that my fever blister go away soon so I could feel better. It was very sweet.

And maybe I'm just imagining it, but it certainly seems like the healing time has sped up since then.

The teacher became the student Wednesday.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Philippians 4:6

Blessings at Bedtime

2011-07-18T23:00:00.003-05:00

{I am still going to do a series of posts about Ecuador. I am just waiting until after I talk to my church so that - if they stumble across my blog - they won't read any "spoilers."}

Our bedtime routine has been pretty much the same since Abigail was small. It works best that way. The last thing that we do before bed is pray. Each girl has their own prayer time. Ava usually goes first, because she's the youngest and therefore has the earlier bedtime.

With Ava, she likes me to pray and then sing Jesus Loves Me. She sings along, and it's just so sweet.

With Abigail, she usually wants to pray (and me to listen). With both girls, for the past month(ish) I've ended by saying a blessing over them from Numbers 6. You've probably heard it. It's the one the Lord told Aaron to say to the Israelites.

The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

Tonight, after all was said and done and I was getting up to leave Abigail's room, she says to me:

"Mama... may the Lord bless you and keep you and give you peace."

Took me by suprise and made me a little teary eyed.

Thankful and blessed.

Your letters are SO important

2011-07-12T08:57:00.004-05:00

During my trip to Ecuador, I was blessed to have the opportunity to visit my Compassion sponsored child, Dailys. It was an amazing experience.

If you ever have the opportunity (and I know it's not always that easy), I would encourage you to visit your sponsored child.

During the course of our conversation, I found out that one of her brothers is also sponsored. But he has only gotten one letter during his entire sponsorship. I could tell that they would have like to received more correspondence from his sponsor.

I'm not mentioning this to pump myself up. I don't write nearly as often as I should (I usually write every other month). But when her mom was talking to me, it made me want to write much more often.

Dailys' mom said, "We always know when Dailys has received a letter at her project. She starts running and yelling about a block from home, "I got a letter!!""

Talk about being choked up. Something that takes little time and effort on my part, but has the power to put a smile on her face.

Why aren't I writing monthly or weekly?

If you are a sponsor, I'd like to encourage you to write your sponsored child regularly. If you are not a sponsor, you can still write to a child by becoming their correspondent. You won't sponsor them financially, but you will be able to write to them. I'm not exactly sure how you sign up for that, but I'd bet you could find the answer at Blogging From the Boonies.

Finally, I leave you with a picture.

Processing

2011-07-12T08:49:00.003-05:00

I am back from Ecuador. I have a ton of pictures (which you may have seen on FB). I have video.

Routine returns. But I'm still processing everything. I will blog about it, and I will have a presentation for my church. But right now, I'm having trouble putting words to all that's inside.

In Congress, July 4, 1776

2011-07-04T07:00:00.001-05:00

The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

----
I am so thankful for these brave souls who were foundational in the establishment of our beloved country. It's something I sometimes take for granted, but I am thankful.

I am scheduling this post to publish while I am away. Hopefully it will work.

Wherever you are: I hope that your 4th of July / Independence Day is a blessed and happy one!

You just wait...

2011-06-27T14:30:00.004-05:00

One day my oldest is going to get beaten up...by my youngest.

I can see it in her eyes.

It won't be sibling rivalry. It'll be revenge.

Why, you ask?

For tattling.

Picture it. It's 2011, 7:45 a.m. A mother and two girls on the way to school.

Abigail: "Mama...Ava's taking her arms out of her carseat." [This has been an issue lately.]

Me: {looking back} "Ava, put your arms back in your seatbelt. Now................Thank you."

Ava: {giving Abigail her "mean eyes" while pulling her straps back up}

A few miles later:

Abigail: "Mama...Ava's pouring her chocolate milk out."

[She had figured out how to make certain types of "no spill" sippy-cups spill.]

Me: "Ava, hand me your cup, please...............Ava, han-...Thank you."

Ava: {openly glaring at Abigail while slowly handing me her cup}

I am quite thankful for Abigail being my eyes in the back of my head. However, This will be an issue one day. I can feel it down deep in my bones (to quote Trigger, from Disney's Robin Hood. Tried to find a clip of it, but the only one was in Italian.). I expect retaliation on Ava's part when she's bigger.

Already, I hear things like:

"Mommy! Tell A'gail to leave me 'lone!"
"Mommy! A'gail touching me!"
"Mommy! Tell A'gail: No No, A'gail. A'gail bein' mean."
"A'gail, HUSH."

Lest you think I'm trying to paint my children as the saint and the sinner, let me assure you that is not the case. I am thankful that Abigail tells me when Ava is doing something like pouring chocolate milk all over herself on our way to school (*sigh*) or trying to take her arms free from her carseat. But she will at times instigate things and then tattle on Ava. I wonder if it's a big-sister thing? My husband claims his sister did the same thing.

What are you reading?

2011-06-22T10:18:00.005-05:00

Right now, I'm reading...

Non-Fiction:

50 People Every Christian Should Know by Warren Wiersbe.

It's very interesting! I'm limiting myself to on person per day, so that I can "digest" instead of "devour" their stories.

I had no idea Martin Luther was even married before I started this book, much less anything about his wife (Katharina "Kitty" von Bora).

Fiction:

The Damascus Way by Janette Oke and Davis Bunn. This is the third book in the Acts of Faith trilogy. If you have not read these, pick them up, I doubt you will be disappointed.

This is biblical fiction at its best. The series takes place after the resurrection of Christ. Each book is very rich in history, the characters are well developed and intertwined between the books (so...don't start with #3. Start with #1.)

Prior to beginning this book, I had assumed -based on the title - that this book would be about Saul. So far, however, that is not the case. Actually, I'm enjoying it so much, that I keep putting it down just so it won't end!

Daily Reading:

The Bible. I'm working on reading through the Bible. If you're a eBook user, I've noticed that you can download the ESV & HCSB versions of the Bible to your Kindle, computer, or other reading device. Fo' free!

Also, CBD has The Message versions of Psalms and Proverbs available for free right now. I like free...

There are also some free devotional books available to download. I have Morning & Evening (Charles Spurgeon).

Kids:

I don't think I'll list all of the ones we read. I think we have SEVENTEEN children's books checked out at the library right now. Several of those are on their third (and last available) renewal. Most of them, the kids can recite with me. But they love them!

I read pretty quickly, so I have about 9 (fiction) books waiting on me at home and a queue full at the library, just waiting to be activated!

So what are you reading?

Last minute jitters?

2011-06-21T13:18:00.004-05:00

The trip is in less than two weeks.

I think I've got most of the things I need - except I'll still need to buy the present I'm planning to take to Dailys.

We got our room assignments today - I won't be rooming with my sister. Which isn't a big deal, except that I would probably be more comfortable rooming with her (and that I hope I don't snore!). No reason, other than she's my sister, she knows me better than 99.9% of the population. But we're expanding my comfort zone, right? This is good...

Lots swirling around, but nothing that I can really put into words.

I'm super excited...but nerves are trying to creep in as well.

Would you pray for us? Before we leave and while we're gone?

In ONE month...

2011-06-09T09:05:00.004-05:00

In one month...

...I will be on my way back from my VERY FIRST EVER trip out of the country.

...I will be on my way back from my VERY FIRST EVER mission trip.

...I will have met one of the girls I sponsor through COMPASSION and her mother.

...I will have experienced another CULTURE.

...I will have been to THE MIDDLE OF THE EARTH and stood ON the Equator.

...I will have toured an imploded VOLCANO.

...I will have experienced Vacation Bible School - in SPANISH.

...I will have given Bibles to people in their own language and had the opportunity to talk to them about JESUS.

...I will have missed the birth of one of my BFF's newest addition.

I am sure that in one month I will be changed because of these experiences.

ONE shot left to get.

(Just under) One month left to prepare...physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally.

ONE month.
TWENTY-TWO days.
528 HOURS.
31,680 SECONDS.

ONE month left.
ONE life to live.
Pray I live it in a way that honors the only ONE who is worthy of honor, praise and glory.

Birthday Week

2011-05-23T15:20:00.004-05:00

This week, my girls will be 4 and 2 years old. My, how the time has flown.

I found myself this weekend searching for this beautiful white Children's Place dress that Ava had. I had bought coordinating outfits for Abigail and myself, with the intention of finding something for Barry and taking some family photos. Only to stop, mid search and realize that the dress I was thinking about was a 12 month dress. And my Ava is 24 months. Has it really been that long? Apparently so.

I read a poem today. It's one I've read before. Even used it in a craft at church with the class I used to teach on Wednesday nights. But I didn't have kids then. And it's impact is much greater with today's reading. Lord, help me to remember the truth the poem contains and live my life in a way that teaches my children how to be instead of how not to be.

When You Thought I Wasn't Looking
When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I wanted to paint another.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I thought it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make my favorite cake just for me, and I knew that little things are special things.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I believed there is a God I could always talk to.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I felt you kiss me goodnight, and I felt loved.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it’s all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked … and wanted to say thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.

I will leave you with this excerpt from a photo book I'm working on...I hope the text is big enough for you to read.

Different as night and day, my girls are. And oh, how I love them both!

Rite of Passage

2011-05-13T12:26:00.004-05:00

Abigail's birthday (Ava's too!) is in a couple of weeks. There is something that she has been asking for...something that I'd planned to let her have closer to her 5th birthday than her 4th (because I wanted it to be an "event", a rite of passage if you will). But her daddy and I both feel that she is mature enough now.

So the plan was to take her ON her (their) birthday. But then we thought about their party the next day where water is involved, and decided it might be best to do it earlier.

What is "it"?

Earrings.

We'd prepared her as best we could, telling her that it would hurt. And once you have one side you will have to do the other side too, even though it hurt. We gave her numerous chances to back out. Kept making sure that she was sure that she was sure that she was sure she wanted earrings.

Green lights all the way.

So today I picked her up on my lunch break and we headed over to the mall. (I know all those parenting magazines say to have this done at a ped's office...tell that to the ped's here. It's not an option.) I narrowed her choices and her her have the final decision about which pair she'd have.

She is a girl after my own heart.

She got the 3mm yellow gold studs. Simple. Goes with everything. That's how we roll.

I remember my experience getting earrings. I was a little bit ~~of a crybaby~~ nervous. I remember crying and it taking several minutes before I was ready to do the other side. Which is why I hoped that us trying to prepare her would help.

She was such a trooper!

You'll see it in the video below, but she's so calm. After the first side was done she looked at the lady and said, "that hurt." All while continuing to sit very still, as instructed.

When we got into the car, she said, "I was very brave, wasn't I?"

Yes Baby, you were.

So I guess it was a rite of passage after all.

(Left: Before, All the others: After)

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T22:07:00.003-05:00

For those of you who are Moms (or Moms-to-be, or doggie-Moms or kitty-Moms)...

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope the day was a good one for you. That you were able to spend it with loved ones.

And tonight, I pray for all of those women who desperately want to be mothers, but do not have children yet. I've been there. I remember how I felt each Mother's Day that passed and we were still barren. It was hard. So if that's you, here is a big ole virtual hug from me.

This is me and my chickadees. Sorry it's blurry. I let someone take them for us, and they aren't used to my camera. So all the pics were blurry. My nephew took some with his camera at lunch (generational pics). I'm sure those turned out well. We'll see. In the meantime..

More Giddiness

2011-04-29T11:55:00.001-05:00

YEAH!!

Compassion called...Still have to do the background clearance (no issues there)...but they're going to try to set it up so we can visit the Student Center and/or children's homes.

*Happy Dance*

AWESOME!

Want to know more about Compassion? Visit www.compassion.com.

(ya'll may not be able to stand being around me by the time July rolls around...lol!)

Giddy.

2011-04-28T15:21:00.005-05:00

I just - and I do mean *just* - clicked "Submit" on my request to visit my Compassion child in Ecuador (Dailys).

I am GIDDY.

And nervous.

What if they say no? What if she doesn't want to meet me? What if the only available times for us while I'll be in her town are not convenient for her family? What if...?

Sigh. It does no good to "what if" a situation, I know.

It's just that I SO VERY MUCH want to meet her.

Also, would you join me in prayer? The letter I received from her mother this week said that Dailys has been "some sick". That doesn't sound serious and the letter was dated February 24...so hopefully she's over whatever sickness she had.

Still. Would you pray?

Tangled and Time-Outs

2011-04-12T07:33:00.005-05:00

We bought Tangled for the girls a week or two ago (whenever it came out). Since then we have watched it...multiple times. We also have the soundtrack, because I found it as a $5.00 download on Amazon and knew they'd love it.

Which means that now, at any given time, I might break out in song ~~and dance~~.

We've learned Life Lessons from Tangled, such as: "Mother knows best"...that's always a good one to learn. Although, what do you say to your child when she says, "Rapunzel should not have left that tower, should she? Mother Gothel told her no. And we have to listen THE FIRST TIME, don't we?"

"The first time" is Abigail's frequent reminder. As in, we should not have to tell her to do something 50 million times. When should she listen? The first time.

But what do I say to that? Yeah, she should listen to her Mother. But her Mother was evil. But wait, is Mother Gothel totally evil? Seriously?? I can't figure out if she actually loves Rapunzel, loves her a little bit, or is just using her.

ANYway (I warned ya'll I rambled)... We were listening to "I Have A Dream" (which will stick in your head for days) and the first dude (who sounds like Raymond's brother from Everybody Loves Raymond) says, "I'm malicious, mean, and scary..."

Abigail pipes up from the backseat, as serious as can be, "He's not malicious. 'Cause we don't eat people, do we?"

Me? I'm cracking up. "No, we don't eat people. You are a funny girl, Abigail."

-----------------------------------

At school, Ava has been slowly merging to the older class for the past couple of days (today is Day 3). They normally move kids up at 2 years old. Ava will be two in May, but the plan is to move her up sooner. She's a little wild for the one year old class and will fit better with the older bunch, I think.

In the two days she's been in the new class she's 2 for 2...two days in class, twice in time-out.

This makes me chuckle. You'd have to know my Ava. She is such a fun little girl, smart, sweet. But she is a ball of energy and never slows down until she's in bed at night. And I mean that quite literally, the child it ALWAYS on the go.

I think it amazes us because Abigail was so different. But that's what kids are...unique. And one day, God is going to take all that energy that's bottled up inside Ava and do something very special with it.

Until that time, her dad and I are content to be entertained and slightly mystified by her antics.

Inspired

2011-04-07T12:14:00.004-05:00

I am not an excellent writer. I fully admit to this. I ramble...a lot. I overuse commas...a lot. [I had to remove several from this post, in fact.] I am not a "storyteller". <--I hate trying to remember the rules for whether that period should have gone inside or outside of the quotation mark.

But - at the risk of sounding like Darcy's aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh - I'd like to think I know a great writer when I read her.

One such person is Melissa at Loving on the Edge. Melissa and I went to high school together. Her husband was killed in an accident a little over a year ago, when he fell from Stone Mountain. Her blog always touches me, leaving me inspired and encouraged. And more than a little awed at how well she's handled life this past year.

If I can't inspire with the written word...I'll try to point you to someone who can. Visit her blog and read her story. And see if you aren't inspired and encouraged, too.

Wait...Did you hear that?

2011-03-16T14:45:00.005-05:00

Lately, I'm pretty sure that God is trying to tell me something.

Why do I think that, you ask? Well, I'll tell you. I don't think it's any coincidence that in the past month-six weeks I have heard the same passage spoken on at least 4 times. Each time by a different speaker, through various venues. It's not like all these people conspired and said, "Hey, Sarah needs to hear this."

The first time, it struck a chord.

The second time, I raised an eyebrow.

By the third time, I was wondering, "So. Okay. What am I supposed to be learning from this?"

The key verse in the passage I've mentioned?
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. -Joshua 1:9

So I get it. Be strong. Be courageous. God is with me. But my mind keeps wondering, be strong and courageous about what? The mission trip? Something else? I am not yet sure.

***

As an aside, I was showing someone my personality profile booklet, as that person is interested in their church leadership taking this "personal discernment inventory" (actually, I recommend it. It does shed light on how you want to be seen, how others see you, and how you can better relate to others.). ....*back to topic*....

I was filing the booklet and I read a line from my "deep down" personality composite:
"You want to be venturesome, but have some difficulty deciding when to defer or defy, pause or persist, rebuff or befriend."

*crickets*

So.
Very.
Me.

Does that not embody this blog post? At least you know I didn't lie on my personality profile!

Excitement Builds

2011-02-22T23:05:00.004-05:00

The team that is going on the mission trip to Ecuador this summer met tonight.

With each meeting, I get a little more excited. In a way, I get a little more nervous, too. I'm just a girl from South Georgia, who hasn't traveled extensively. Or even moderately. With the exception of a few surrounding states, I've pretty much stayed where I was planted. Geographically is not the only way this trip will be a little outside my comfort zone. I don't necessarily think that is a bad thing. Sometimes, I think we can get a bit too comfortable in our little zones.

We talked about some of the details of the trip: who's going, where (exactly) we're going, flight arrangements, bag sizes and quantity, what we'll be doing while we're there, what to take, the importance of prayer partners, why (individually) we wanted to go on this trip, the importance of cardio exercise prior to the trip because of the drastic change in altitude we'll experience.

Regarding cardio, I am not where I want to be but I'm working on it. I definitely want to be able to breath easily - or at the very least not be the one who holds up the team 'cause she's not as in shape as the rest of them and she feels like she's going to loose her breakfast after climbing a flight of stairs. LOL! You know what I mean. We're talking thousands of feet in elevation difference, so I want to be prepared.

I'm starting to think of things I could take to my Compassion child. So if you're reading this and you're a sponsor and/or advocate...let me know if you have ideas.

I know this was a pretty boring post for most of you. Just rambling a bit.

So I'll leave you with a picture that was taken on the last team's trip to Ecuador (I was not a part of that team):

"Splendor and majesty are before Him" -1 Chronicles 16:27
The view is quite splendid, isn't it?

Princess Pictures

2011-02-01T21:11:00.005-05:00

I was wrong. It was not a Princess Pancake Party.

It was a Pirates, Princesses, and Pals Pancake Party.

And it was PACKED.

All the stars paraded in and around the tables. At that point, trying to get Abigail to actually eat the pancakes was an effort in futility.

She was wide eyed with a dash of giddiness for the rest of the day.

I wasn't sure how this would play out, as she FA-REAKS when the Chick-fil-A cow comes near. But, she did okay. Better than I thought. The first one she wanted her picture with and a hug from was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. She passed by Woody & Buzz (sorry, guys). She took a pass on Tigger and Pooh.

Can you believe - with all that alliteration - that we I FORGOT to let Abigail wear her princess dress? D'oh! She told me, "Next time, I'll wear my Rapunzel dress. Right?" Good thing this is an annual event. And next year, maybe I can handle Ava going with us.

She passed the Pirates - but she liked the girl's outfit.

She smiled with Mickey and Minnie. She wanted a picture OF Cinderella and Prince (Charming? What is the Prince's name on Cinderella?) but not WITH them. Don't know why.

She suprised me when she posed with Scooby ("Mama, where's Shaggy?"). I mean, he's not all that different from the CFA cow is he?

She.let.ELMO.pick.her.up. *jaw drop*

She wanted the photographer to take her picture with Hello Kitty - so I'll get that in the mail sometime, I suppose.

And she posed with her favorite...Belle. She went on and on about Belle. And chickened out TWICE for posing with her. Finally, on the third pass, Belle asked Abigail if she would take a picture with her and Abigail agreed. Crafty, that Belle.

Plays and Princesses

2011-01-28T12:10:00.006-05:00

Last night Abigail, Avis, Aaron, Mama and I all went to see the high school's presentation of "Hush Little Celia, Don't Say A Word". I didn't know much about it, other than what I learned from the newspaper article: it was a one-act play about a girl with selective mutism, a comedy.

I thought that it would be a good mommy-daughter outing. At the opening scene there was some yelling and I had a momentary not-quite-panic: "Oh no...what did I bring her to?"

Flashbacks of a play that the drama team did when I was in high school, flitted quickly through my mind. A play that remains my favorite presentation to this date (and not because of the rising star who starred in the high school play, doing an A+ job). It was "I Never Saw Another Butterfly". Great play, but not suitable for children. But, I need not have feared. Hush Little Celia... was not full of "heavy" content.

Abigail enjoyed it.

I winced each and every they said the "S" word (stupid). What do we teach our kids? Not to say "stupid" and definitley don't call someone "stupid". I guess all that teaching sunk in...Abigail told my sister afterwards that she liked the play, except for those mean kids who kept saying "stupid". Because: "They should NOT be saying that."

*angels singing as a ray of light breaks through the clouds*

Whew. She gets it. Yay!

Just in case anyone from the drama department runs across this post: My one - and only - suggestion concerning the play would be to put the list of characters in the program. All of the actors were listed, but I didn't know who-played-what-character.

Tomorrow, Abigail and I will enjoy another mother-daughter outing. We'll be going to a Princess Breakfast. A Princess Pancake Party, if I'm not mistaken. I haven't told her yet...but she'll be excited I am sure!

I can't wait to be able to let Ava join us on these adventures. But until then, she had fun with Daddy...Daddy gave her Lava Cake.

Hymns, Compromise, and Testing

2011-01-25T09:19:00.004-05:00

A hymn has been on my mind the past few days. It was written by Joseph Hart in 1759. I'm not very pleasant to listen to these days, as I'm still getting my voice back, but my kids don't seem to mind my nasal-y, croak-y voice. And somehow, I really don't think that God minds either.

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and power.

(Refrain)
I will arise and go to Jesus
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
O there are ten thousand charms.

Come, ye thirsty, come and welcome,
God's free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Every grace that brings you nigh.

Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Lost and reuined by the fall;
If you tarry till you're better,
You will never come at all.

Let not conscience make you linger,
Nor of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him.

I love that song. I love the way my church sings it (but I loved-LOVED the way my dad's family sang it when I was a child. I know I've posted about their style in years past.)

I remember as a child, singing that very last verse, "Nor of fitness fondly dream" and thinking, "Why? Isn't it good to be healthy? Doesn't everyone want to be fit?" I was thinking of physical fitness, of exercise and such. It gives me a chuckle now, how literal children - and we - can be. Now I can see that it's talking about spiritual fitness, of trying to "get your life straightened out" before coming to Jesus, and about how - honestly - we're never going to have it all together. Not all at one time! And Jesus doesn't expect us to.

Speaking of hymns, my dad made me a CD he wanted me to listen to. One of the songs is a hymn...Abigail loves it. It's "As I Went Down In The River To Pray" You may have heard Alison Kraus sing it or if you've watched (and I do not recommend this movie - I hated it) Oh, Brother Where Art Thou...you've probably heard a version of it.

Anyway, Abigail has wanted to listen to it over...and over...and over...

In comes the compromise.

This morning, as Abigail was asking to hear that song, Ava was trying to be heard over her. She wanted to hear "The Na na na song" (Every move I make...)

So the back seat sounded like this:

A1: Mama, can we listen to As I went down in the riv....
A2: NA NA NA NA NA NA!!
A1: Ava, no... Mama, can we listen to....
A2: NA NA NA NA NA NA!!
A1: AVA. NO. Mama, I want...
A2: NA NA NA NA NA NA!!
A1: A-VA! Shhhhh. Mama...
Me: We'll listen to your's first, Abigail. Then we'll listen to Na na na na na na. Okay?
A1: Okay.
A2: A-righ (A2 speak for "alright")
Me. Okay.

And they had just enough time to listen to both songs before we got to school.

In other news, my mom is meeting with her geneticist today to find out the results of her genetic testing. Namely, if the cancer is genetic/hereditary. She has to go to her radiation therapy before she can leave, so it will be this afternoon before she'll know. And I know that it would be mentally easier to get it all out of the way this morning. So, would you pray for peace for her today?

Come, everyone who is thirsty... Isaiah 55:1

Getting Organized?

2011-01-13T11:42:00.004-05:00

I've been working on getting my Compassion information organized. Until now, I've had everything in one file folder in my filing cabinet, somewhat sorted by date.

Then, I saw how Michelle did it. And I was inspired.

So I've been getting organized.

I am not an organized soul, by nature.

Which is one reason I think this system will really help me.

Each child now has their own section, with a cover sheet giving me a rundown of important facts about them.

After that, I have copies of their letters and [starting today] copies of the letters I send...so I don't keep writing the same thing over and over.

And hopefully they don't think, "Sheesh, woman - you've told me that 10 times already!"

What? It could happen. Easily.

On the back of the info page, I started (again, stealing the idea from Michelle) putting the date and a summary of what I wrote/enclosed.

1/13/2011: Letter about music/grace (Acts 15:11, Ephesians 2:8-9), paper crown and stickers [The photo below shows a folder, but I realized when reviewing the information for sending things to my child that the folder was too big. :( It wouldn't fit in the envelope.]

After I wrote letters to both girls, I put their name/ID and my sponsor number on all the goodies, bound each child's pack with a paper clip and stuffed the envelope.

We got a letter from Dailys' mom yesterday. Our first! We'd gotten a letter from her pastor, but this is the first correspondence from Dailys (her mom wrote, but Dailys was with her). It was nice (and exciting!) to get to know about her family, her interests...and she drew us a (very good!) picture.

Abigail keeps asking me when she is going to get to go see Mercy & Dailys, and doesn't quite understand the whole "it's-a-really-really-long-way-away" thing.

And she's not impressed that I am planning to go see Dailys this summer...without her. Apparently, that's not fair or something. And really, I would have felt this same way when I was a kid.

She was rather impressed with Dailys' art skillz, though.

____

Would you like to know more about Compassion International and/or sponsoring a child? Chick the banner to your right or visit: http://www.compassion.com.

A Month of Firsts

2011-01-10T08:15:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, Ava said her first real sentence. She'd been saying words and 2-3 word phrases. But this was the first real sentence.

Abigail's first sentence - she was about this same age, I believe - was "Please give the baby the papi (her word for pacifier)" or something very close to that.

Ava's first sentence?

"Mama, Abigail took my doll."

Don't you just feel the sibling love oozing from every pore of those words? Since that time we've had several "Abigail took it from me!" / "No, I didn't! She put it down!" scenes.

-----

The two have also had their first "fight". My parents got Abigail this computer for Christmas.

Abigail was playing with it.

Ava wanted to (she likes to click the mouse, and just generally make it talk to her).

Abigail wasn't letting her.

Ava takes the mouse out and runs off with it.

Abigail runs after her and gets the mouse back.

Ava has this expression that - I'm telling you - I could almost hear the "Oh, it's ON now." And then it was on...Ava tackles Abigail. And the two started rolling in the floor.

And I was just shocked. Shocked! I mean, I'm not an only child or anything, but my siblings are several years older than me. When I was their age, my siblings were babysitting me...there were no fights among us. I have no experience with this!

Of course, we broke them up and all that...but after, I did have to hide out in the kitchen and laugh.

I've been told that this is just the beginning.

What did you say?

2010-12-26T23:11:00.002-05:00

Tonight, Abigail did not want me to say bedtime prayers...she wanted to say them herself. Listen to this and see if you can guess where I had an internal "What did you say?" moment.

"Dear Jesus, thank you for my blessings. Thank you for my Christmas. Um. Jesus, I wish I had a baby brother. I want a brother. I think I would be happy if I had a brother...but I don't know about that. And thank you for Mercy in Kenya and Dailys in...Mama, where's Dailys live?...in Ecuador. Amen."

Hmmm...

Merry Christmas

2010-12-10T17:05:00.003-05:00

(This year's Christmas card)

This is us, wishing you a VERY Merry Christmas!

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2010-12-08T13:54:00.002-05:00

I've been loving all the Christmas music flowing through my speakers these days.

Silent Night
Joy To The World
Carol of the Bells
What Child is This
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Love is With Us
Such A Strange Way To Save the World
Mary Did You Know
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
A Christmas To Remember
God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman

The list could go on and on and on...There are few Christmas songs that I don't like. Barry and I are pretty much polar opposites on that.

Then there's the Christmas movies...some tv channels play movies each day {blissful sigh}. I love it.

My personal Christmas movie - and it's not really a Christmas movie - is While You Were Sleeping. I love the family. They crack me up.

Then one of the best Christmas cartoons - A Muppet Christmas Carol. The little narrorator muppets crack me up. (Are you seeing a trend - I like to laugh!)

There is however one Christmas movie that I absolutely, positively can NOT stand. One channel plays it 24 hours straight on Christmas Eve... A Christmas Story.

Abigail watched Mickey's Christmas Carol last night...another favorite from my childhood!

The Nativity Story
It's A Wonderful Life
How The Grinch Stole Christmas

Other things that make this season wonderful:
cinnamon
hot chocolate
traditions
sweaters
family
faith
clear, starry nights

Ahhhh...

Dream-versations

2010-12-02T14:38:00.003-05:00

The Man (aka Barry) came to eat lunch with me today. He had my vehicle, as the heater insisted on spitting out only cold air this morning. In July, this would be good. In December, on the first actual cold morning of the season, not so good.

Have I ever mentioned how thankful I am that Barry is quite the handyman? I am. There's no telling how much he's saved us in labor costs over the years. Dishwashers, hot water heaters, bathrooms, pumps, vehicles, electrical stuff, carpentering...yeah. It could add up.

So anyway, he had my vehicle and came to eat lunch with me. And told me about a little dream-state conversation Abigail and I had about 4:00 this morning. (She snuck into our bed sometime prior to that.)

Of which I have absolutely NO recollection.

{Reason #4,589 I could not keep something from him. All he'd have to do is wait until I was asleep and ask me. I can carry on entire conversations in my sleep. Apparently, my eldest is following in my footsteps.}

According to The Man, this is what transpired:

{Remember, we were both sound asleep.}

A1: Mama? Mama? Mama?
Me: What?
A1: Our new kitty died.
Me: What? We don't have a new kitty.
A1: Uh-huh. Our new kitty died.
Me: We don't have a new kitty. We only have Jasmine.
A1: It must've been Jasmine. Mama, Jasmine died.
Me: No she didn't, baby.

/end conversation.

Learning Time

2010-12-02T08:43:00.003-05:00

We have been listening to Bible stories in the car. (The cd linked is awesome, by the way.) Abigail particularly likes to listen to her namesake's story.

This morning on the way to school, one of the stories mentioned Jacob.

A1: "Mama! They said Jacob! My Jacob, at church?"
Me: "Well, there was a Jacob in the Bible and there is a Jacob at church."
A1: "And there's a story about me, too."
Me: "There is a story about a woman named Abigail. It's not you, but you share a name."

We drove some more.

A1: "Mama?"
Me: "Hmm?"
A1: "There's Abigail and Jacob...do you think there's a Sarah in that Bible book, too?"
Me: "Yes, there was a Sarah in the Bible."
A1: "What about Ava?"
Me: "I don't think there was a woman named Ava in the Bible. I can look, but I don't think so."
A1: "I can, too."
Me: "Okay. When we get home, you can look in your Bible."

{End of the conversation?}

A1: "Mama...we don't LOOK - we READ the Bible."
Me: {smile} "You are so right."

I don't think there is an Ava in the Bible (seems like it was a Greek name)...but I will ~~look~~ read to be sure.

Fourteen years...and counting

2010-11-25T10:37:00.002-05:00

Today, I am thankful for The Man.

Barry and I were high school sweethearts. We started dating in 1996. Fourteen years ago. We were sixteen when we started dating. We've been together almost as long as not. So when I say I cannot imagine my life without him...I am not exaggerating.

Barry is a blend of humor, sweetness, sarcasm, thoughtfulness, wittiness, seriousness, helpfulness and honesty. He knows me well enough to bring the proper element out for almost any given situation. (Of course, we have our moments...what couple doesn't?)

Somewhere around the time we started dating, there was a song by Shania Twain that said something like "they said we'd never make it, but look how far we've come". I probably don't have the lyrics exact, but you get the drift. The odds are stacked against high school sweethearts making it in the long run. But we're making it... (and so is my bloggy friend and cousin, Sabrina. She and her hubby started dating a few months before Barry and I did.)

For all the moments of joy, tension, comfort, anxiety, happiness, and more...I am thankful.

A Whole Bottle of Powder.

2010-11-24T06:56:00.000-05:00

Sunday night, my mom and I were cooking after church. My dad and Barry had gone to the store to get sugar. The girls were entertaining themselves in the cardboard-box-turned-playhouse/castle/tent/hut.

Everything was rocking along nicely. I looked in on the girls every so often. All was well.

Then I noticed that the laughter had turned to giggling, and was a little higher pitched. Edging toward hysteria.

I glanced toward the living room and thought, "Is that smoke? I don't smell smoke. What is that?"

As any mama would, I went to investigate.

What I found was two lily-white faced kids. The eldest immediately assumed the "I didn't do it" expression.

I was not born yesterday, but thirty years ago. So I was not convinced.

Those two shook and shot an entire bottle of baby powder into the air. Onto the floor. In the cardboard-box-turned-hideout. On the daybed and pullout mattress. Onto their heads. Onto their clothes. In the potted plant.

Abigail admitted that she knew she should not have done that...after a brief "blame it on the younger sister" excuse.

Her/Their correction was twofold.

(1) To clean the mess. Abigail clearly did more of the work on this. She used the handheld vacuum and sucked away all the powder. Took about 10 minutes. Ava helped, or tried to. Mostly, she played with the broom. But she was trying.

(2) To replace the powder. The bottle of baby powder will be replaced and given to Nana with funds from Abigail's piggy bank.

A video of step 1.

Today, I am thankful for my two children who are full of energy, sweet and sometimes mischievous. Because there were years where I was not sure I would ever have the opportunity and privilege of being a mother. God blessed me above and beyond what I asked for (1 Cor 2:9). I asked for a child. He gave me two. And I am thankful. Even when my hands are full.

A Letter From Mercy

2010-11-23T09:20:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we received a letter from one of our sponsored children, Mercy.

Mercy is six years old. She lives in Kenya with her siblings and their grandmother.

Because of her age, she dictates letters and a Compassion worker writes them. She draws us pictures.

Want to know something humbling?

Mercy said in her letter that she had a verse for me. One that she believed would bless me. Wow.

Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:6-7

At six, I had plenty of toys, plenty of clothes, plenty of everything. But I can guarantee you that I was not in the habit of sharing Bible verses with people.

Yet this little girl, who in the world's eyes has so little, has so much more spiritual maturity than I had at that age.

Today, I am thankful for Mercy and Dailys. I became a Compassion sponsor because I wanted to help children. Yet I have been blessed by their prayers and letters. Through our sponsorship, we have had the opportunity to teach Abigail (and one day, Ava) that we should try to take opportunities to help other people. That, even though some would tell us otherwise...it's not about "me" all the time.

Give Thanks

2010-11-22T09:18:00.003-05:00

In classrooms (and homes) all over the nation, children will be learning about "The First Thanksgiving" and the feast between the Native Americans and the Colonists.

Parents will be reminding children (and themselves) that we have MUCH to be thankful for.

In church last night, the pastor spoke out of the Psalms:
"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so..." -Psalm 107:1-2a NASB

I like the way the King James words it: "Oh give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for his mercy endures forever..."

Mercy that endures forever? Lovingkindness that is everlasting?

Definitely something to be thankful for.

As I listened to the radio this morning, I was reminded of Corrie Ten Boom, a woman from Holland, whose family home was a Hiding Place for Jews and others needing to escape the Gestapo. Eventually, they were arrested and sent to a concentration camp.

At one point, Corrie and her sister, Betsie, were in a camp (Ravensbruck, I believe). Their cell block was experiencing a lice infestation. Betsie told Corrie that they were going to thank God for the lice. Corrie reacted much like many of us would: WHY would I be thankful for LICE??? (And talk about them taking the verse about being thankful in all things to heart!)

In time, she understood why. The lice infestation was so bad that the guards did not want to go in the building. They were able to have Bible study (which was against the rules) as Corrie had smuggled in a Bible (her account of how that transpired is nothing short of miraculous). I'm sure they were also spared many other things with the guards' absence.

The program reminded me to be thankful. Thankfully, I have never had to face circumstances that the Ten Booms faced. But their family has served as an inspiration to countless others since then.

So today I will choose to be thankful.

This week, I will give myself a writing assignment. Let's call it, "Today, I am thankful....".

Today, I am thankful for the alarm clock that rang at 5:15 a.m. because it means that I have a job to get to. [And icing, it's a job I love!]

Sarah's Snazzy How-To Guide

2010-11-12T22:20:00.005-05:00

(Or not-so-snazzy. We shall see.)

I don't know how many of you are familiar with the ministry of Operation Christmas Child (a project of Samaritan's Purse). This organization shares Christmas with children around the world, through a simple shoe box. It is an easy way for us to show love to others.

Next week (November 15-22) is National Collection Week. So if you haven't heard of OCC or you haven't had a chance to shop - there is still time! You can find the nearest drop-off location here. Chances are, there is a business, organization or church in your area participating as a collection site.

It doesn't matter if you/your family pack 1 box, 2 boxes, 10 boxes or 50 boxes (or more!)...the child who receives your box(es) will just be thankful that you participated.

The past two years, my personal policy (that I wouldn't assume to extend to anyone else. It's just for me, personally) has been to pack as many boxes as I bought over the past year. This past year I bought 4 pair of shoes. Therefore, I packed 4 boxes. I'm not really a shoe diva (although I believe my children are headed that way!), so this has been a feasible policy thus far.

If you didn't buy any shoes this year - or didn't save the boxes - don't sweat it! Many collection sites have OCC boxes available. If they do not, you can get one directly from Samaritan's Purse or beg one from a local shoe store. If those methods do not work you can buy a plastic bin that is about the size of a shoe box and use it.

So how does it work?

1. Decide on the number of boxes you want to pack, and if they will be for a boy or a girl.

2. Buy gifts to fill the box. (A detailed how-to guide can be found here.) The easiest way for me to do this has been to buy things along and along. 1-2 items each time. And to look for sales. For example, this year I snagged several good deals. Twenty-four count crayons for $0.24, flip flops for $0.25, and princess crowns (halloween clearance, 75% off) for $1.25. Then I store them away from my children, who might otherwise assume these gifts were meant for them. ;)

Be sure to check the link above, as there are some items that are not allowed, like liquids or war-related toys.

Tip: If you include a photo/note with your mailing address, you could possibly get a letter from the child that received your box. My cousin, Sabrina, got a letter a few years ago from India.

Here's what mine looked like this year. Each box has basically the same items (easier for me, no deciding which item for what box). That black thing on the top of the box in the bottom left corner is a dress up skirt. Sadly, I was only able to score two of those (halloween sale again. 90% off at WM)...and my girls claimed one.

3. Wrap the box (optional!) and pack it with all the goodies you've picked up.

4. Put the OCC gift label on top, indicating the gender and age group the box is meant for.

5. Include $7 to help cover the shipping costs. You should watch the video showing how they get these boxes from place to place - it's amazing!

A new feature this year, is the option to follow your box and discover its destination. Very cool!

6. Drop your box off at a collection site. You are done!

"Discover the Power of a Simple Gift"

Veteran's Day

2010-11-11T08:25:00.002-05:00

This morning on the way to school, I was trying to explain the meaning of Veteran's Day to Abigail. As part of it, I pointed out the flags displayed in parking lots all over town.

Me: Do you see the flags flying {pointing} over there?
A1: No.
Me: You don't see them? Look right there {pointing}.
A1: Where?
Me: See where my finger is pointing? Look right there.
A1. {frown} But they're not "flying". They're just sitting there on that stick.

Okay, so I see how that was a poor word choice on my part.

But veterans...thank you.

Daddy Daycare

2010-11-05T10:35:00.004-05:00

{Yes, I know it's not "daycare" when the Dad is keeping the kids. But please, allow me the use of the phrase.}

This week has been a little stressful. You know how things are funnier when you're stressed? Perhaps because you just really *need* that moment of hilarity.

Tuesday was a particularly stressful day. I wanted to go visit my sister-in-law, but Ava wasn't feeling well (sinus/allergy stuff and she is teething) so we settled for talking over text/phone. Since we weren't going to be going to the hospital, I decided to go ahead and go to my Bible study class.

This is where the fun begins.

I was happily unaware of the chaos at my house. Barry feeds the girls supper. And as usual, Ava made a HUGE mess. Almost always, it is necessary to go straight from the table to the tub.

So he runs the water, and calls for the girls. He gets them stripped down and into the water. Gets the bath toys down. Is about to start washing hair when... Ava squats.

Moms, I can hear the "uh-ohs" now. You know where this is going.

Realizing that he doesn't have time to get Ava out before she sullies the water, he grabs Abigail from the tub. Followed by Ava.

Wrapped in towels, he sends them to the living room while he fishes toys and more out of the tub. And then soaks the tub and toys in bleach water.

Crisis passed. Right?

He shuts the door, leaving the still-soaking tub/toys to be finished later. Enters the living room, just in time to see Ava - now minus towel - squat. Directly over the vent in the floor. He rushes to get her, but doesn't quite make it. Now the floor and all down in the vent is soiled.

At this point, he thinks it's proably best to momentarily leave the floor - with instructions for Abigail to stay away from it {no worries there, as she is all, "that's disgusting!"} - and diapers Ava.

He then sends them to play, so that he can clean yet another mess.

He gets several gold stars for not calling me to come home by this point.

Now he is cleaning the floor, and the inside of the vent. Knowing him, probably mumbling beneath his breath as well. Not that he's mad at the girls - he's not - it's just one of those days.

So he's cleaning the floor...

And he hears "whoosh".

Ava has climbed up to the table {Remember, they were eating before all this started. He has had no chance to clean that up.} and managed to pour Abigail's entire glass of RED kool-aid all over herself in an attempt to drink it.

Red kool-aid stains. Did you know that? Well, it does.

Now her night clothes are soaked red. It's soaked through the night clothes. Her stomach and legs have streaks of red on them. It wouldn't come off of her skin completely. Like I said, kool-aid stains.

He cleans her up, changes her. Cleans the table.

It's about this time that I come home. He just looks at me and says, "I'm done. They're yours." After he recounts why he is done, I'm almost rolling in the floor.

Perhaps not the best reaction when you're in the moment, as these things tend to be funny later. But the funny is that much funnier when you're in desperate need of stress relief. He didn't hold it against me.

Another gold star for him.

The next day when I'm picking up the girls from school, Ava's teacher mentions her excema rash.

Teacher: "I see that her rash is coming back..."
Me: "Yes ma'am. We're treating it."
Teacher: "Some of it didn't look like excema, you might want to check it out."
Me: Okay, I will.

It wasn't until later that I realized what the "some of it" was.

Faded red kool-aid stains over and around the excema making the stain appear to be another kind of rash.

And I'm rolling again.

Surgery Day

2010-11-04T07:06:00.002-05:00

I am sitting here, sans contacts - so forgive any misspellings, the screen is a little fuzzy - about to get ready to meet Avis and begin the two hour drive to the hospital.

If you're a friend on FB, you know my mom is having surgery today. What you may not know is that she's having a partial mastectomy. I didn't post her diagnosis there, and I won't link this post over there. She doesn't mind people knowing, she just doesn't want it broadcasted. And while this is the internet, I don't think I have so many "followers" that this would be considered "broadcasting."

I think my mom is a little nervous, as I'm sure anyone would be. Who wants to hear the Big C mentioned in regards to their body? My mom, however, is the 4th of her 7 siblings to receive a cancer diagnosis, so you can see why she might be nervous.

Would you join me and my sister today, and the coming days, by praying Psalm 34:1, 4 for my mama?

I will praise the Lord at all times, my mouth will continually praise him. / I sought the Lord's help and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Please pray God's comfort and peace for my mom today.

Everyday Blessings

2010-10-19T10:16:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, we were on our way home, listening to a cd of our favorite songs.

Ava was rockin' out to Britt Nicole's song "The Lost Get Found". Girlfriend was rocking left to right, bobbing her head and swinging her arms. lol!

Abigail didn't seem to be paying much attention to the music. We were just having our afternoon chat. You know, "What did you learn today?" "Who did you play with?" type questions.

And then her favorite singer, Travis Cottrell, came on. The song is called "2000 Years". It's one of both of our favorites.

And she starts singing, arms outstretched...

Will I fall down and worship?
Leave all that I treasure behind?

Emotions bubble up, even now. This is my baby girl (she would tell you she is NOT a baby), singing out praises...

It made me think of this verse (and there are no doubt a multitude of others on the topic):

And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples." -Romans 15:11 NIV

Making it through the Maze

2010-10-09T23:19:00.006-05:00

*as told by Abigail's mother, pretending to be Abigail

When you get to the farm, and buy your tickets, the first thing you will do is take a hayride. This will be a promising start to your maize maze adventure.

You will stop at the pumpkin patch, where you will get to choose your VERY OWN pumpkin. This is cool!

Your little sister will try to stomp all the pumpkins. You will will not succumb to such childish ways, because you are a big girl.

Your parents will insist on taking family photos. This is boring. But you smile anyway, because you know how your mom is about pictures.

After the hayride, you'll go through the maze. You will not get lost, because your dad is the Map Master and is really good at that kind of stuff. You will say a prayer of thanks that your mom is not navigating. While you are in the maze, you will walk some...and ride some. You will have to stop and beckon your mom to "come on", because she is lagging behind with her camera.

Sweet success! You will complete the maze and head over to the play area. You will debate whether or not to ride the cow train...but in the end you will pass it up (and the huge trampoline thing behind it) to pet the animals.

Some of the animal will let you pet them, but some will stare you down. You don't pet those. Instead, you will go to the play area for "6 and under". You sister, of course, will head straight for the sand. You will play in the house.

You both will jump. When mom asks you both to smile, only you will comply. Your sister will growl, then head off to jump again.

You will remember the huge pipe slide from last year. Your sister is big enough to slide this year, as long as daddy helps her start and mama catches her. You do not need help. You are a big girl.

You will ride the various bulls that are around. 8 seconds? No problem!

You will play in a corn bin. Your sister will try to eat some. (She tries to eat everything!)

Mom will take more photos. But she will declare these to be "frame worthy!".

You and your sister will race ducks with a water hand pump. You totally win.

Your parents will want to measure you against a big pumpkin measuring stick. Even if they already know how tall you are from your checkup with Dr. J. You think this is silly, but you will stand there politely. Your sister, however, will not.

Your sister will fall asleep on the way home. You will not, because you are a big girl.

XX

2010-10-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

Barry is overrun with girls.

He married one (obviously - moi!).

He procreated two.

We sponsor two.

So recently, when I was picking up stuff for Operation Christmas Child, he asked me what ages/gender/how many we were going to do (he leaves that up to me!) and I told him. He investigates the shopping cart, and says,

"Oh, com'on! All girls?"

Me: "Well, yeah. Girls is what I know. What do I know about what boys like??"

Him: {mock grumbling} "Had girls. Sponsor girls. Now we're doing boxes for girls. Can't we get stuff for boys!?"

Me: "Well, um, sure. As long as you help me pick stuff out. Like I said, I don't know what they like!"

So maybe we'll pack a box for a boy this year. As long as The Man helps. 'Cause I really don't know what they like. That Y chromosome throws everything out of whack, if you ask me.

I'm planning to have a "Packing Party" sometime in the next 6 weeks. I need to iron out the details and get things rolling...

{Mental Meanderings}

2010-10-05T09:58:00.003-05:00

Abigail has strep throat. Plus a rash, which I'm told equals scarlet fever. She's on antibiotics, she'll be okay. Poor little bug, I wish she didn't feel bad. I wondered about the rash, whether it was from strep or the antibiotics. Because she's had reactions to other things (sunscreen, strawberries). But apparently it's from the strep.

I'm hoping Ava doesn't get it (or any of the rest of us, actually!). Yesterday morning, as I was dressing Abigail, I looked over and Ava had taken Abigail's toothbrush and was brushing her teeth. *groan* Great, huh? Time will tell.

---

Abigail and I always pray for Mercy, and since we sponsored Dailys, we've added her to our prayers. Abigail keeps telling me, "But I don't know Dailys. Does she know Mercy? Mercy is my friend." I guess it can be a hard concept to grasp, how far away they both live, yet they don't know each other.

---

Abigail and Ava's costumes came in last week. They look so cute in them!

---

This morning, it was 53 degrees. I *LOVE* it. Fall is my very favorite season. The smells, the breeze, the crisp morning air...ahh. I love it. Fall makes me want to listen to mellow, melodic music (like that alliteration?) Or classical music. Fall makes me want to grab a book and eat lunch outside.

I can't wait to take the girls to the corn maze this year. I wish I knew where a real pumpkin patch was (you know, where the pumpkins are still on the vines?). The ones I see around here are "patches" of picked pumpkins.

---

My sister and cousin have been making homemade bread (it's yummy). My sister tried a new recipe recently and gave us about half a loaf to try because it is supposed to help with -ahem - slow digestion issues. Which Abigail has, and has always had. She loved it (like I said, it's yummy!) AND it helped - whoop, whoop!

So now the question is, do I beg or buy more? Or do I try to be Betty Crocker/Martha Stewart/Sara Lee and bake it myself? Do I have time to make something from scratch??

(Although, you should be proud to know that I did make honest-to-goodness from scratch mashed potatoes last week...which the family loved! It was easier than I thought it would be. And tasted better than box, amazingly enough.)

Once in a Lifetime?

2010-09-28T09:58:00.004-05:00

A while back, Barry and I began talking and praying about sponsoring an addition child. We sponsor a little girl, Mercy, who lives in Kenya. But we wanted another.

Time rocked on, and we were still talking about it, agreeing to do it, but had not done it. I ordered and received my supplies for Compassion Sunday. I checked to be sure that everything was in order. One little face stuck out for me.

Now some backstory: I have wanted to go on an international mission trip for a long time. It has not happened to this point, in part because of timing and circumstances. But more that Barry wasn't ready for me to go, to leave the girls with him or relatives for 7-8 days. Especially last summer, when I absolutely could.not.go, as Ava was still nursing and itty bitty...but I really, really wanted to.

Recently when I posed the topic again, Barry was on board and supportive of me going. This, my friends, is answered prayer. I am SO excited!

Back to that little face. As I was setting up my display at church Saturday. Praying for the service and the people who would be at church. Praying for each little face, that they would be chosen to sponsor.

I looked down. Saw that little face that called to me a month ago. Picked up her packet.

Do you know where she lives?

She lives in the very place I will be going to next summer.

Are you hearing me?

She doesn't live 3 or 4 hours away.

She lives in the city where we'll be at least one of those days.

Coincidence?

I think NOT.

So I talk to Barry - he doesn't think it's coincidence either - and we agreed that this girl must be the one for us to sponsor.

I am planning to try to arrange to meet her when we go. You have to set that up a couple months before you are planning to be there. But if there is any way possible, I want to be able to meet her face-to-face.

I don't care if we only have time to play in the park for a couple hours, or eat at KFC (which I'm told they do have!).

But to be able to be on an international mission trip and meet one of my sponsored kids? Awesome.

Once in a lifetime experience?

I pray not.

Meet Dailys:

(I am working on adding Mercy's and Dailys' to my sidebar. Soon, I hope!)

Moments of Chaos and Calm

2010-09-27T10:44:00.003-05:00

The Chaos:

My sister dubbed my youngest, "Hurricane Ava". Because she is a force to be reckoned with. She can "destroy" a room in less than a minute. And because she ~~never~~ rarely sits still for more than 10 seconds. I am not exaggerating. The child is wild. Lovable. Cute. Funny. But wild.

After eating with the family last night, we were driving home, and I heard Ava cough in the backseat. Now, it sounded like her fake coughs. It wasn't. She'd thrown up all in her carseat.

My sister stopped to watch the girls while I unloaded the carseat. (Cleaning puke from a carseat has to be one of my very least favorite tasks as a mom. Sorry if that's TMI.)

Then I herded them into the bathroom. Everything was going nicely, until Ava decides to climb her way out of the tub. Where she slips and almost falls out head first. I caught her a couple inches from hitting the floor. Then she whacks her head on the tub (standing again!)

I deicded it was best to keep the bath short and sweet. So after drying and dressing, I gave Ava her pre-bedtime sippy of milk. Which she promptly threw down after taking a sip. She and Abigail were sitting on the couch. I walked to the washing machine and back. Probably took 30 seconds. Maybe a minute. Come back in to see that Ava has decided to climb the couch. Just as I was opening my mouth to tell her to sit down, and walk over to "help" her sit down, she falls. Does she cry? Nope. She gets her previously discarded sippy o' milk, and climbs back on the couch.

Next thing I hear is "OUCH!" followed by Abigail's assurance that "Ava didn't mean to. It was an accident." Abigail's nose was bleeding. Ava had whacked her in the nose with the sippy o' milk.

At this point, I'm thinking, "let's just get this girl in bed before anything else happens!" So I go get a diaper, so she can be fresh and clean before bed. And wouldn't you know it, she bumps her head on the table!

Let me just pause, reflect and give thanks that she hasn't yet learned that one could climb out of a crib.

(Though my day may be coming, as she tried to climb out of the pack-n-play yesterday.)

The Calm:

I heard Abigail talking to her babies after "lights out". I contemplated going to "shush" her. Decided not to.

What was she saying? "Cinderella, did you know that Jesus loves you? He does. And God loves me, too."

{big warm fuzzy feeling inside}

Disclaimer:
And so that you don't think I'm sterotyping my kids, let me just add that Ava does have her moments of calm. Her moments that give me that warm fuzzy feeling. I treasure those rare minutes she lets me rock her, or snuggle. And Abigail can be just as wild as Ava...she just doesn't keep it up as long.

Want to see something cool?

2010-09-27T00:02:00.004-05:00

I was making the little photo frames for the right column -->

Opened up the picture I wanted to use for Abigail.

{Original}

Zoomed in.

Noticed Ava in her eyes.

{Close up}

Compassion Sunday: Follow Up

2010-09-26T21:51:00.004-05:00

We had our Compassion Sunday emphasis today. I think it went well.

My biggest fear was that I would have to send all of the packets back unsponsored. That was probably not a rational fear, but fears are not always rational.

Thankfully, that did NOT happen. I do have 7 child packets left. But I am going to take them back to church with me Wednesday, as there were several people who took information, but wanted to know more first. I understand that. Who knows, maybe I won't have to send any back unsponsored. Wouldn't that be great?

So I am counting the day as a success. Thank you, Jesus!

I saw a video online yesterday of a little girl finding out that she had finally been chosen. That she had a sponsor. The little girl was so overcome, she looked a little like she was going to cry. I can only imagine.

And I'm thinking tonight about all the little children over this world that will soon be finding out that someone chose them.

Awesome.

Costume time!

2010-09-24T09:53:00.003-05:00

Almost.

A little over a month away. That's practically tomorrow.

Every year I look forward to ordering their Halloween/fall festival/etc costumes. I love it. Maybe it's residual anticipation from my dance recital costume days. Call it whatever you like.

I like for them to coordinate. So I began looking for a theme. I found a cute little zookeeper outfit for Abigail. But all those cute, fuzzy little animal costumes for A2? Oh yeah, she could totally pull off being a monkey. But in October, it's still entirely too hot for that type of costume here.

So I kept looking.

When I came across the Little Red Riding Hood costume for Abigail, I knew that was it. But then we were back to the animal thing. Plus, I didn't really want Ava to be a wolf. So then I thought I'd go with a fairy-tale theme. Couldn't find anything I really wanted Ava to be that would fit that description, either.

Then I saw it. The little flapper girl costume. And the little "ding, ding ding! We have a winner!" alarm went off.

Of course, I still wanted them to coordinate. For pictures and stuff. And for my enjoyment.

So our theme?

RED

Grasping at straws? Maybe. But it works.

See:

It begins with a child...

2010-09-22T11:38:00.005-05:00

Did you know that one third of the world's children live in extreme poverty?

That approximately 143 million children in the developing world (that's roughly 1 in 13) are orphans?

Or that every day, 1,600 women and more than 10,000 newborns die globally due to complications that could have been prevented?

This Sunday is Compassion Sunday. Our church will be having a presentation during the morning service and there will be packets available for children just waiting to be sponsored. You may see a few more posts about Compassion from me between now and then.

Would you do me a favor? Will you join with me in praying that many children are sponsored this weekend, in my church and all the participating churches?

It begins with a child...

Jesus loves the little children
all the children of the world
red and yellow, black and white
they are precious in his sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world

Cristo ama a los niños
cuanto en el mundo están.
No importa tu color
a Jesús el Salvador.
Cristo ama a los niños por doquier.

It begins with you.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defent the rights of the poor and needy. -Proverbs 31:8-9 NIV

Wordle

2010-09-19T00:32:00.002-05:00

So...do you?

2010-09-11T20:59:00.006-05:00

As we were driving home this evening, Abigail suddenly says, "Mom." She's started occasionally using "Mom" instead of "Mama" or "Mommy" now. Not sure I like it.

She says, "Mom - my pants are in my booty."

We're driving. She's in a carseat. Not much I can do except sympathize. So I say, "Oh no! I bet that is not comfortable."

She replies, "No. It's not. Do you like your pants in your booty?"

"No ma'am. I do not."

There was a pause. Then, "So, do you dig them out of your booty?"

I laugh. "Yes, I do."

Come ON! What else are you gonna do? "Dig" doesn't exactly sound discreet (and I didn't want to get in to pant-digging etiquette), but it is what it is.

She heaved a sigh of what sounded like relief, and said, "So do I."

Then, "Does Daddy like his pants in his booty?"

"No, I don't imagine he does."

Of course, then, it was imperative that we know who likes their pants in their booty and who does not.

So. Do you?

I'm not touching her!

2010-09-08T10:44:00.004-05:00

Does anyone remember that Sunny D commercial with that kid who kept bugging his sister by saying "I'm not touching you" in this annoying little sing-songy voice? With his finger like an inch away from her? I couldn't find a video.

But I did find the Lilo & Stitch video of the same general action:

This was my children yesterday. And actually the past few days. Abigail really gets a kick out of it. Ava screams this shrill ear piercing "I'm annoyed with you!" scream.

So, Ava climbed up on the couch to sit beside her sister...because she wants to do everything her sister does. But she didn't want to be messed with. Abigail leans on her. Ava screams. I tell Abigail not to mess with her. Abigail replies "I'm not touching her." Rinse, Lather, Repeat.

It's funny. For the first minute. After that you just want to say, "Ava, don't get up there if you don't want your sister to mess with you. Abigail, STOP touching, leaning on, or otherwise pestering your sister!" Maybe you say it. Maybe you let them hash it out themselves.

This must be a timeless sibling tradition.

Edited to add: OH.MY.GOSH. I *know* where Abigail got this mess from! They JUST watched Lilo & Stitch at school last week. I'd be willing to bet that's where she got it. *head bang*

Catching Up

2010-09-07T08:00:00.002-05:00

To answer your question: Yes, I did wear the pink extension to pick Abigail up. I don't think it's really "Me", but Abigail thought it was rather cool.

Today we have purple (Halloween purple) toenails to match.

Here's a few photos to catch us up:

Top left: Ava "hiding" in Abigail's toy box. She also has figured out how to climb on the book shelves. Uh-oh!

Top Right: Smile!

Bottom Right: Me and Abigail before we left for the first wedding Abigail attended. There's another one in a few weeks, and she is excited to go. Towels are now veils, by the way.

Bottom Left: Abigail gave TinkerBell (Barbie and Aurora, too.) some tattoos. This is her removing those tattoos. Even if TinkerBell liked them, as I was assured she did, she just was too young for tattoos.

Secret Revelation

2010-08-31T12:06:00.005-05:00

Even with the appointment card in my wallet. Even with the date written on my calendar.

Even with both of those things, I managed to tell my daughter that our hair appointment was TODAY, when it's really next Tuesday.

But Miss Lisa {Bless her!} was kind enough to fit Abigail in during lunch today so that she wouldn't need to wait.

We amended our original plans, when we realized that Abigail's request was going to be a little more permanent that we anticipated.

This is what she wanted.

This is what she got.

Pretty close, right? And it's extensions, so we can take them out. Or put in the Hot Pink that we bought. Or the Royal Blue we bought. And it is the same length as her hair, but the camera angle/head tilt made it look longer.

[We originally planned to let her get actual highlight/color, but the world bleach made us pause.]

I think she looks really cute!

She wants me to be wearing the pink one when I pick her up. Because in her words, "That would be SO cool!"

Request

2010-08-25T14:40:00.002-05:00

My eldest daughter (do people still speak that way in casual conversation?) - Abigail - has made a request.

A hair request.

Her daddy has given his approval.

Our appointment is in two weeks.

I've contacted our stylist to see if we can work it in (as we were scheduled to only have trims).

If it works out, there will be photos.

She is excited.

Confession

2010-08-24T13:23:00.002-05:00

I put Wuthuring Heights down.

*wince*

Not permanently. Just long enough for me to read another book. Or two.

I will be back to it.

I did watch the PBS movie - which convinced me that that the main characters are the definition of a toxic relationship. Crazy.

I am waiting on a Thomas Hardy book from the library (Under The Greenwood Tree). Anyone read it? (That PBS movie was quite good and enjoyable.)

...

That's actually not what I had in mind to post when I opened this post...but it's what emerged. Hmm.

Revisiting the Classics

2010-08-03T08:05:00.004-05:00

I love to read. If you know me at all, this is not a surprise. I usually have several books going at one time. The breakdown is usually like this:

-One that I read at home while getting ready in the mornings. (What? You don't read while drying your hair?)

-One that I read during lunch break at work.

-One that I read at night.

I've been trying to work in the classics in with fiction and non-fiction selections. Because, you see {this is confession time} I didn't always thoroughly read our selections in high school. Some I read quickly and loved [Night by Eli Wiesel, a haunting but moving book]. But some, well, I hated. [Catch-22 by Joseph Heller]. And others, I just could not get into the language or writing style of. Those I usually skimmed. Read enough to get by.

It's that last category I've been revisiting. A personal challenge of sorts. I can only handle one classic at a time. Otherwise, my eyes just film over and my brain checks out. I prefer books that I can really immerse myself in, become one of the characters and live the book. (Which may be why I usually steer away from frightening tales.) But...I'm on a quest to be a more well-rounded reader. I'm even reading some non-fiction {gasp}.

The last classic I read was Pride and Prejudice, which I love. But before that, the last challenging {for me} book I read was The Scarlet Letter. I had the hardest time getting into that book. But once I finished, I was glad that I did and really liked the story. I read The Scarlet Letter when I was pregnant with Ava. It took forEVER. But it's time to start on another.

The book this time: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

Wish me luck.

______

I'm even trying to raise the next generation of readers. Abigail particularly loves Peter Rabbit, Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type, and The Poky Little Puppy. At this time, Ava only cares to slap the pages and hold the books BY HERSELF with no help from Mama.

Everyday Chaos

2010-08-02T15:53:00.002-05:00

Life is never boring anymore. It may be filled with random chaos. YOU may be splattered with random unknowns (Is that blood or ketchup? Who's bleeding? Ava, don't wipe snot on Mommy! I don't have time to change!). But it's never boring.

My sister has nicknamed Ava, Hurricane Ava. For good reason. She whips through the house - any house... mine...yours - leaving all kinds of chaos in her wake.

Take last night for instance. It was just me and the girls. I needed to make dinner. (In hindsight, I should have just gone through "MissDonalds" like Abigail would have liked. Much easier. Not as healthy. I was trying to be a good mommy and cook.)

The girls were playing nicely in the living room and Abigail's bedroom. I kept checking on them every few minutes. Abigail is a good ~~tattle-tale~~ helper and will usually tell me when Ava is getting into something.

Last night, however, Ava slipped by me. She got a bag of cat food (which should not have been out. I know. It's too late now.).

She took that bag of cat food - thankfully DRY food - into the living room. She poured that entire bag of food on top of just ironed clothes (which she apparently pulled out of the chair, where they were waiting to make it into closets).

This was all in the span of just a few minutes.

And then I had to fish cat food out of her MOUTH. I mean, I know her taste buds may not be completely refined, but gee, that stuff does not smell appetizing.

So I got her situated...in the high chair, because she was throwing a fit when I wouldn't let her eat more while I was trying to clean it up. Maybe it's better than it looks? (eww)

During this process, Dora (DORA!) has come on the television. So that's where Abigail is now.

I clean up the food. I put the clothes (did I mention that they were just ironed?) back in the wash. I vacuum the floor.

I ask Abigail, "Baby, did you see Ava pour the cat food on the floor?"

"Yes, ma'am."

(baffled) "Why didn't you tell me she was pouring cat food?"

(perplexed in that "why would I?" way) "Umm...I don't know."

(chuckle) "Okay. But if you ever see Ava pouring or eating cat food...please tell me."

"Okay, Mama."

I start back to the kitchen...

"Mama?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"You're a good cleaner. You did a great job!"

....

"Thank you, Abigail."

Every day is a gift

2010-07-26T15:35:00.002-05:00

I found out this morning that a child who had been in my daughter's class was killed in a vehicle accident this weekend.

It is a tragedy that I'm sure the family will be grieving over and working through for...the foreseeable future.

Intellectually, I know things like this happen every day. But when it happens to someone that you "know"...and I didn't really know this boy. I saw him at the breakfast table in the mornings when I dropped my children off. Sometimes I saw him when I picked them up. I know my daughter played with him. Still, even that connection makes it really hit home...

Life is a vapor, a mist.*

Take the advice of Chris Rice that appears at the top of my blog.

Every day is a gift you've been given. Make the most of the time, every minute you're living...Teach us to count the days, teach us to make the days count...life means so much.

*Reference James 4:14

Cooking Tips...from Sarah???

2010-07-23T07:07:00.005-05:00

I don't claim to be a chef. I don't even claim to love cooking. So why would I be sharing cooking tips?

Because this is just too easy and for me to horde the secret to myself would just be selfish.

First, I did not come up with this recipe.

Second, I must admit that part of the reason I'm so happy about this is that eggs are a challenge for me. In the last year, I've finally semi-mastered cooking over-easy/over-medium eggs. My parents insisted I did not have a good "egg pan." So, that was a Christmas present to me from them last year. Apparently, they were right. (And I did look up "how to cook over-medium eggs" on the internet, though it pains me to confess it.)

Back to topic.

Last night I really wanted an omelet. So I looked up how to cook one. Let's just say that Jamie Whateverhislastname cooking dude makes it look much easier than it is.

My attempt at an honest-to-goodness-real-deal omelet looked like this:

Do you want to eat that? I don't. It looks more like scrambled eggs with veggies than an omelet.

Then we remembered that a neighbor had given us a "easy, no mess" recipe for omelets. We decided to try it.

First you put a pot of water on to boil. While it's heating, you prepare your omelets.

In a quart "zip" bag, crack two eggs. Put in whatever fillers you want in the omelet (we had cheese, pepper, tomato, mushroom, onion, and ham). Add salt and pepper. Close the bag, and "smoosh" it all up.

When the water is boiling, put the bags in the water.

After 10-15 minutes, your omelet will be done. We could tell they were done because they started turning loose from the bag.

Open the bag, pour the omelet out.

And you're done.

(We had tater tots with them, because my attempt at hash browns was a complete disaster. Another story for another time...).

So maybe I can't make "real" omelets. And I'll certainly never be a world famous egg chef. But my family had a complete meal in 15 minutes. And that, my friends, is very satisfactory to me.

Updates

2010-07-21T09:16:00.002-05:00

Abigail (while praying for Aunt Heather and the new-baby-to-be): "Aunt Heather doesn't have a new baby"

Me: "She will. She's in Aunt Heather's tummy right now."

Abigail: "She ATE it???"

Me: (wondering how to explain) "Um, no, baby. Remember when Mama was going to have Ava, how she was in MY tummy...?"

Abigail: (pouting) "Mama, did you know that Shawn wouldn't let me kiss him?"

Me: "Who...is Shawn?"

Abigail: "You know. He lives in P's class at school."

Me: "Oh. Well...then don't kiss him."

Abigail: *grimace*

Ava uses non-verbal expressions more than verbal ones. She can talk. She doesn't say as many words as Abigail did at that age, but I think part of that is because she doesn't have to...Abigail will help her out ("Ava wants....") But she's very animated. When she shakes or nods her head, her whole body moves with her...it looks like a spastic dance, actually.

She likes to tell us "no". She's a daredevil...climbs on everything. She has busted her lip 3 or 4 times, to date. And it doesn't phase her. I'm freaking out and she's batting my hands away.

She is finally getting the tiniest bit of hair...it's white-blonde.

She doesn't want to be cuddled. She is 90-to-nothing from the moment her feet hit the floor in the mornings until the moment we lay her down at night. Seriously, she does.not.slow.down.

We have started weaning. On the advice of friends who've been there, I started "don't offer, don't refuse" last night. She did fine. Perfect, really. It's a little bittersweet. But I'm fine. It's just the thought of, "my baby, my last baby, is growing up!"

Did I ever upload photos from their birthday? I don't think I did...

Gone

2010-07-20T10:31:00.002-05:00

There will be no baby birds. There is an empty nest. No mama. No babies. No shells.

I suspect they were eaten.

Just singing and dancing in the...mud?

2010-07-05T23:47:00.005-05:00

I've a smile on my face

I walk down the lane

with a happy refrain

just singing',

singing in the ~~rain~~ mud puddle

Now that I've got that song stuck in my noggin'...

This past week we, like many areas of the country, had quite a few summer showers. Which left us with a nice puddle in our driveway.

Thursday afternoon, we came home and Abigail said, "Oh...can I play in it? Can I?"

She wanted her Daddy to play with her. Please note, that is not a look of stark terror. Rather, it is one of absolute screaming delight.

Ava is not one to be left out. In case you didn't know, she is just as big as her sister (or so she thinks).

They all ended up quite wet. And quite proud of themselves.

Audio Books

2010-07-01T10:21:00.003-05:00

What are your feelings on audiobooks? Love them, neutral, hate them?

For me, it depends. If it is a fictional book, I don't want to listen to the book just being read. I want an "audio DRAMA". For example, the kids and I are listening to C.S. Lewis' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. We're listening to the audio drama produced by Focus on The Family (available at cbd.com). There are different actors for each character, there are sound effects. It's like a play. It's awesome.

I don't want to listen to one person read a fictional book. Unless they do the voices. When I was in third grade the teacher's aide, Mrs. Betty, read to us each day. The two books I remember reading were Charlotte's Web and one of the Little House books. Little House in the Big Woods, I believe. She was an excellent narrator and story-teller.

She is one of the people who helped nurture my love of reading. She also set the standard for me. When I read to Abigail, I am always trying to capture the tones and inflections of the story, to give characters their own "voice". I may not do it well...you'd have to ask Abigail...but I do try.

Getting back to the topic of audio books and moving on to non-fiction. I don't mind one person narrating an non-fictional book. I guess because I'm listening to them for information rather than entertainment. I have the audio book Radical by David Platt and I don't mind at all that he is the only one reading it.

What are your thoughts?

Suprise, Suprise

2010-06-26T21:07:00.005-05:00

Barry bought me some ferns that I'd been wanting for our porch for Mother's Day. I knew that they needed to be repotted, but I'd been putting it off. I finally got the potting soil and the time to repot them today...

I think I waited too long to repot one of them. It was quite root-bound. Even a novice like me knew it, so that's not great. The other one I didn't repot.

Why?

Is that Robin eggs? Some sort of bird anyway. I didn't want to move them out of the plant, because I know the mom will abandon the nest if she were to smell human on it. So this particular fern will be sacrificed so that the baby birdies will live.

I'll buy another fern.

How to Successfully Take a Family Photo

2010-06-25T07:01:00.003-05:00

1. Dress children before leaving home. That way, the clothes can be suitably wrinkled for the photos.

2. Schedule a late session. Make sure to cut it close to at least one child's bedtime.

3. Ask the photographer to run behind schedule a bit - about an hour will do. This will make your already late session occur even later, thereby ensuring that the session will occur after bedtime.

4. While you are waiting let the children play, getting more wrinkled - and tired.

5. When you go in for your session, be sure to pinch at least one child, so that there are tears in nearly every photograph.

6. Just as everyone involved is about to pull out their hair, rent their clothing and gnash their teeth...get ONE photo with everyone semi-decent.

7. Count your blessings that you got one and call it a day.

***Obviously, this is said in a joking manner. No one pinch their children. Please.

We had family photos taken at my BIL/SIL's church last month. They were doing a church directory and needed some "fillers" to take open spots. We said we would be a filler family. Our session time was at 7:00 p.m., which is when - at that time - Ava started winding down. She liked to be in bed by 8:30 then (she goes a little longer these days).

Ava is a stickler for routine. When Abigail was little and we were out and about, if she got sleepy she would just lay her head on you and go to sleep. Ava suprised us. She is not that way. When she's tired she wants her bed - by gosh - she wants to be laid down with her smart toy that sings bedtime music. She wants you to leave her alone and let her sleep. She's not going to sleep in a stroller unless she is 3 steps beyond tired. She's not going to let you rock her to sleep.

So what that means is, when the time started creeping up to/past 8:00 p.m., I was getting a "I'm ready for bed" vibe from Ava.

By the time our session was underway, she was in full screaming mode. Our photographer - bless his heart (it was his first day on the job...guess we were his "worst case scenario" family) - kept trying and trying and trying to get us a variety of shots to choose from.

Finally, we just told him "Look, we appreciate your efforts. But whatever we've got is what we've got. We're going to have to take her home." That's not how I said it...I was nice...but that's what it meant.

And - by a miracle - he was able to capture one family shot where no one was crying, everyone had their eyes open. It's not "the best picture ever!"...but it's pretty good.

And then to top it off - and this one was just icing - there was this sweet shot of the girls. Everyone say "Awwwwwww".

So, I'm happy with how it turned out. But if I do that again, I will be sure to schedule a EARLY session.

(these were "pictures of pictures", sorry about the quality!)

Compassion

2010-06-08T08:31:00.002-05:00

Everyone needs compassion
A love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me

Have you seen the (re)posting status on a popular social network that compares the recent earthquake in Haiti to the oil spill in the gulf? The one that wants to know where all the coverage, the fundraisers and such are for the families affected by the oil spill?

Have you seen it?

That one gets under my skin, to put it as politely as possible.

Because...

It's NOT the same.

Don't mistake me. I'm not saying we should not help in whatever way we can to clean up the spill, help the families and areas affected. Obviously we should. If you feel you should send monetary donations to help with that effort...DO IT. Absolutely. We should help when we are able. Always.

But it compares a disaster here to a disaster in a place that was already poverty stricken. We don't know poverty like that. I'm sorry, but we don't.

I'm thinking of the missionaries from my area who are in Haiti. I'm thinking of the little girl that was brought to their center last month who was the same age as my Abigail and weighed less than my Ava. A three year old who weighed 11.5 pounds.

I'm thinking of a place where many of the homes were made of mud, cardboard, twigs - for the walls. Where children may or may not have clothes to wear or food to eat.

I am all for helping when disasters happen in our own country. I am not saying otherwise. But to imply that it should be to the exclusion of somewhere else chafes me a little. You are obviously entitled to feel however you feel, and express that feeling however you feel you should. Just as I am.

It was not my intention to be offensive, and I hope you will not take it that way. I just ~~wanted~~ needed to express my confusion and frustration.

Family

2010-06-07T09:46:00.002-05:00

We're taking a family vacation this week. The WHOLE family. My brother (and his family), my parents, my sister (and her family) are all on their way down to Orlando as I type. We're joining them later in the week.

I'll have to take - and post - pictures.

My sister-in-law (brother's wife) saw Ava for the very first time this weekend. :)

My sister-in-law (husband's sister) found out she is having a GIRL! That means my inlaws will have 4 female grandbabies and no baby boys! Someone should try for a boy, huh? Don't know that that will happen.

Friday afternoon I had to pick Ava up from school early. They called and said she'd had 11 BM's (You moms know what that means. All of you who aren't probably don't want to know.) since LUNCH. Holy cow. So I picked her up, of course. She went on to have TWENTY-TWO BM's Friday. Poor Baby. Saturday, she was a little sedate (recovering, I imagine) but the tummy problems seemed to have passed. Sunday, she seemed much better. I didn't take her to church, just in case. I don't want any other babies to be getting that mess. This morning, she was pretty much back to normal.

By the way, I did take birthday party pictures, I just haven't downloaded them from my camera. I will. I promise. Eventually. :D

I hope that you are having a great Monday morning this first full week of June.

Longing

2010-06-07T09:38:00.002-05:00

I've been listening this song lately, it's on a musical CD that accompanies a Bible study that we have in my office. It's called Longing (Abraham's Song). As you can glean from the title, it's written from the point-of-view of the patriarch, Abraham.

It's the music. It's the tone. It's the lyrics.

It's haunting. And relevant. And I can relate.

Longing (Abraham's Song)
words by Beth Moore
music by Travis Cottrell

(Chorus)
I am longing, longing,
For a place I cannot find
A place no one has told me
A land of a fairer kind.

You have kept Your promise to me
I have all a man could want
Yet I stare into the distance
I ache and still I long.
I'm surrounded by Canaan
Laughter echoes loud
I've loved and lived and followed
Built altars and I've bowed.
I'm longing.

(chorus)

O foolish man, O dreamer
ungrateful in my lot
Am I not here?
Is this not dear?
What else could yet be sought?
Where are You, Lord, where are You?
Where is the home You keep?
You came and wakened longing
Then You hid within the deep
And I'm longing.

(chorus)

I yearn to hear Your voice again
To feel Your presence near
You showed me there is
So much more, so much more
then left me longing here.

Somewhere beyond the stars
I counted one by one
A better country calls me
"Come home, true Canaan's son."

Happy Birthday, Girls!

2010-05-27T09:00:00.017-05:00

This will be long. But it will also be mostly pictures. I'll keep my words few.

Walk down Memory Lane with me. My girls are three (Abigail) and one (Ava) today:

I will try to keep them in chronological order. So we'll start with Abigail...

{so fresh and new}

{first birthday}

{second birthday}

{last day as a "singleton"...night before Ava was born}

{Ava...so fresh and new}

{Today. Third and First Birthday}

Why?

2010-05-17T15:58:00.002-05:00

Why do we (read "I") feel guilty about not doing something that I shouldn't even have to do to begin with?

Why do we get caught up in "I guess I should do/invite/make/etc this for so-and-so, because so-and-so did that for me/us/you"? Is that like "Keeping up with the Jones'?"

Why do I always get confused about whether the ?/. goes inside or outside the ""? (or should that be "?")

And keeping with the theme,

Why have birthday parties become EVENTS?

Signed,
Stressed out in the South

Lucy

2010-05-14T08:57:00.004-05:00

We had to put our 13.5 year old dog, Lucy, to sleep this week. She would have been 14 in September. Rest in peace, Lucy. You were a good girl.

Angel Band

2010-05-07T08:02:00.003-05:00

Several times lately, I've had dreams that recounted family gatherings. In each one, my dad's family was singing an old song called "Angel Band" (sometimes titled, "Oh Come, Angel Band"). It's bluegrass-y, and they did it so well.

I don't listen to bluegrass unless I'm at a family gathering or something (like this) sparks a memory. But growing up, my dad's family always, ALWAYS ended each family event/reunion/dinner by gathering around on the porch and singing. They were/are all "old school" and were used to singing a capella, and they harmonized beautifully. It usually included my dad, his dad, 4 of his brothers, and his 3 sisters.Others joined in as well, but they were the main voices. All of the men played instruments (banjo, mandolin, guitar, harmonica, fiddle, upright bass), but most of the times were spent without music.

It could and did go on for hours...

I remember joining in the singing in my younger years. Harmonizing with the women...

I remember sneering at the gathering in my teen years, wondering why we always had to sing at every.single.family.function...

I remember alternately enjoying the music, staying inside to catch up with cousins, or just going on home in my twenties...

Now, beginning my 30s, I miss it. Because it is pretty much a thing of the past. My grandfather has passed. Two of my dad's brothers have passed. And I guess that makes it harder for them to keep the tradition up. Because we don't gather as much now (it's been a year or more now)...and there's not always music when we do.

Anyway, this song has been on my mind a lot lately. It's been in my dreams. It's been on "repeat" in the back of my mind for weeks. I find myself humming it.

Right now I find myself with a lump in my throat, the sheen of tears in my eyes, longing to hear the entire group lift this song up as praise again.

It could be thought of as a sad song, but it seems peaceful - and longing - to me.

Angel Band
Rev. J. Haskell, arr by J.D.V.

My latest sun is sinking fast,
My race is nearly run,
My strongest trials now are past,
My triumph is begun.

Chorus
Oh, come angel band,
Come and around me stand,
O bear me away on your snowy wings,
To my immortal home,
O bear me away on your snowy wings,
To my immortal home.

I know I'm near the holy ranks
Of friends and kindred dear,
I brush the dew on Jordan's banks,
The crossing must be near.

Chorus

I've almost gained my heavenly home,
My spirit loudly sings;
The holy ones, behold they come!
I hear the noise of wings.

Chorus

O bear my longing heart to Him
Who bled and died for me;
Whose blood now cleanses from all sin,
And gives me victory.

Chorus

Silence

2010-05-06T08:11:00.002-05:00

Lots of silent days on my blog lately.

No excuses.

Just feeling very introspective lately, and not apt to voice the thoughts.

Will try to post more.

Do hope you are having a wonderful week.

Where has the time gone!?

2010-04-28T07:45:00.002-05:00

Man, this year seems to have flown by!

In less than one month, I will be mom to a one year old and a three year old!

W.O.W.

And now my brain's shot and I can't think of anythng to write today.

I mean, I haven't even started planning the party! Ack!

I'm not ready!

2010-04-16T07:40:00.004-05:00

Ava wouldn't nurse this morning. She's breaking two more teeth, and has a low grade fever. I'm not sure if that contributes, but whatever the reason, she just wouldn't nurse. I have to say - it hurt my feelings. (As irrational as that is...it's not like she was trying to, she just didn't want to nurse.)

Hear me on this:

I. AM. NOT. READY.

So I am hoping this was a fluke and she just didn't feel well, because I'm not ready for self-weaning.

If this was all TMI (too much information) for you, feel free to back away slowly and pretend you never read it. I wouldn't want to scar anyone for life! ;)

Always

2010-04-13T15:26:00.005-05:00

(By Building 429)

I was standing in the pouring rain
One dark November night
Fighting off the bitter cold
When she caught my eye
Her face was torn and her eyes were filled
And then to my surprise
She pulled out a photograph
And my heart just stopped inside
She said “He would have been three today
I miss his smile, I miss his face.”
What was I supposed to say?

But I believe always, always
Our Savior never fails
Even when all hope is gone
God knows our pain and
His promise remains
He will be with you always

He was living in a broken world dreaming of a home
His heart was barely keeping pace
When I found him all alone
Remembering the way he felt
When his daddy said goodbye
Fighting just to keep the tears
And the anger locked inside
He's barely holding on to faith
But deliverance is on its way

'Cause I believe always, always
Our Savior never fails
Even when all hope is gone
God knows our pain and His promise remains
He will be with you always

Friend I don't know where you are
And I don't know where you've been
Maybe you're fighting for your life
Or just about to throw the towel in
But if you're crying out for mercy
If there's no hope left at all
If you've given everything you've got
And you're still about to fall
Well hold on, hold on, hold on

I believe always, always
Our Savior never fails
Even when all faith is gone
God knows our pain and
His promise remains
Always, Always
He will be with you always
He will be with you

The story of the song:

What a tease!

2010-04-12T08:33:00.003-05:00

I haven't been able to get this on video yet, but I'll keep trying. You have to see it. You can tell by her tone and expression that she KNOWS what we want her to say, but she's just not going to.

And she *can* say "mama". She just won't. When I'm home. The one night I have a weekly engagement, she'll say it when it's just Barry and the girls.

Us: Ava, say "Mama."
A2: da-da.

Us: Say "Ma-ma"
A1: No! say "Abidale!"
A2: da-Da!

Us: "Mama. Say Mama."
A2: {squeal/laugh} DADAAAAAA!

Such a tease.

But yeah...she will try to say "Abigail."

No, I am NOT pouting.

Maybe just a little.

More adventures in Prayer...

2010-04-09T09:37:00.003-05:00

Last night, while we were saying our prayers, Abigail wanted to pray "first". "By herself" (a recurring theme of late)

And pray she did. First. By herself.

"Thank you, God, for savin' the day..."

Ahem. I may have chuckled just a bit at that part. I mean, it's not as if He didn't save the day, I'm not saying that. It's just that it was such a funny phrase choice! It brought to mind superheroes...

I have been thinking about and reading about praying blessings on your children. In the Bible, there are many examples of parents praying a blessing on their children. Or a family blessing. Or a blessing for future generations.

I have been praying that my girls grow up to be godly women, who love Jesus with their whole hearts, and always strive to do what is right. I pray this out loud with Abigail (and plan to with Ava, when she's a little older). Because I think it's important that she hears me pray for her, as well as with her. Know what I mean?

I want the blessing I pray for them to stand throughout the years, so to that they will always know what their mama is praying for them...which is why it isn't full of specifics that relate to her stage right now.

So last night, I was praying for Abigail and Ava, that they would grow to be godly women...

Abigail pipes in...

"What's Daddy going to grow to be?"

And she prayed a blessing on him, that her Daddy would be a godly woman. (I did have to tell her that her Daddy would be a godly man, not woman. lol!)

Duke

2010-04-09T07:18:00.003-05:00

So...we have a new puppy. His name is Duke.

Lucy isn't so sure about him. (Lucy is our 13.5 year old sweet-as-can-be yet deaf-as-a-door-post mutt. She sneezes every.single.time you pet her.) Duke tries to pull on her ears, tail, and generally rough-houses with her. Lucy is an old woman, you see, and has no time for such nonsense. She tells him this repeatedly - getting more crotchety each time - but he is a typical male (sorry guys!) with selective hearing and refuses to take the hint. This results in his being put into his place quite often.

Meet Duke:

Unfailing love

2010-04-06T10:15:00.003-05:00

I saw this picture online today (linked to NBC from Yahoo), with this caption:

Brothers traveling in Mexico during Sunday's deadly earthquake photographed a surreal sight: The power of the quake lifting a layer of dust off a mountain range.

The dramatic photographs were shot by Roberto and Adrian Marquez just after the 3:40 p.m magnitude 7.2 quake. The pictures show the area around La Rumorosa, the highest point in Tecate.

Wow. Brought to mind the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 54:10):

"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

So gross.

2010-04-02T09:29:00.004-05:00

Abigail slept with us last night. This morning, this is what she said...

"Mama, I put a booger - 2 boogers - on your wall."

{Me} "Why did you do that? That's nasty!"

{Abigail} "'Cause I didn't want them in my nose. Them were bad boogers."

{What logic. I did make her wipe the wall down with a wipe...then I "checked her work"}

Attempt at being the "Crafty Mom"

2010-04-01T09:00:00.008-05:00

Martha Stewart, I am not.

However, Abigail has an Easter party this afternoon, and I had this cute recipe for Lion & Lamb cupcakes (originally intended for the month of March, which goes "in like a lion and out like a lamb"...but they work for Easter, too.)

I made these cupcakes once before. Before kids. I'd forgotten how time consuming they were. Abigail didn't get to help with everything (I finished them and went to bed around 12:30 a.m.), but she did get to help beat and bake.

She also helped me sort the "eyes" and the gumdrops. (Actually "spice drops." Are spice drops somehow different from gumdrops?) She did it very well! Girlfriend knows her colors!

Yeah. She promised me...promised me, I tell you!...that she would not eat them. (We sorted while supper was cooking.) Little stinker. Barry came over and was like, "What's wrong with those gumdrops?"... Half of that plate had drops with one bite out of each. Ha!

When we questioned her on it, assuring her she was not going to get in trouble but to tell us the truth, she said,

"Well. {sigh} Sometimes... {exaggerated sigh} Big girls, they just have to."

I lost it. She's hilarious!

You see the apron she's wearing? It was my grandmother's. Still terribly big for Abigail (although my grandmother was a small woman.), but I love that she wore it. I didn't get too many things when my grandmother passed - my choice - but this reminds me of weekday mornings with her.

I'd like to say the cupcakes turned out perfectly. They didn't. Still, they're cute.

But come party time, the kids will be eating eyeless lions and lambs. You see, I'm a doofus. While I knew the following, it didn't dawn on me while buying the supplies for this project:

Reeces Pieces = Peanut Butter. Peatnut Butter = Peanut. Peanut = Allergy risk.

D'oh! There are no peanut allergies in her class that they know of. Still. Better safe than sorry. At the time my train of thought was, "Can't find mini-m and m's... Oh, mini-reece pieces! That'll work."

Oh well. There's enough sugar on the rest of those cupcakes to more than make up for it.

And so that I don't leave Ava out:

{...}

2010-03-31T16:00:00.002-05:00

Head...aches.

Ears...ring.

Mind...shot.

Stress...mounts.

Sun...shining.

Breeze...blowing.

Ever just want some peace and quiet with your spouse, just doing nothing. Just being together. Outside. In the sunlight. "Recharging batteries".

Anyone {else}?

Great is Your Name

2010-03-30T15:13:00.001-05:00

(written by Danny Davis)

Great is Your name, God
Great is Your name in all the earth
We give You praise God
Great is Your name

The heavens all praise Your wonders, Lord
The trees and the mountains bow before You
Let all creation shout for joy
And sing with one voice

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Great is Your name

You are the Bright and Morning Star
You are the Everlasting Father
You're the Beginning and the End
Almighty God

I hope you are having a blessed Holy Week.

The Girls

2010-03-22T14:19:00.003-05:00

Wonderful Words

2010-03-21T21:29:00.002-05:00

were uttered tonight...

"You're my best friend, Mama."

{sigh} All is well.

[Disclaimer: This blogger is fully aware that this will not always be the case and understands that this is not her ultimate goal as a mother. However, this blogger fully admits that for the time being, it is a nice perk.]

What I'm saying...

2010-03-18T15:07:00.003-05:00

I don't know if I've mentioned this, but Abigail likes to think that all of the car wash places in our area are hers. If they are, we haven't received any royalties from them. :)

Anyway, this morning she says,

"Mama, let's go to the car wash, 'kay?"

I told her we didn't have time this morning, but maybe another day. To which she replied,

"What I'm saying is, I want to go to the car wash."

{crickets chirp}

{blink}

I explained, again, that we did not have time. Maybe later.

Quite exasperated, Abigail slowly explained,

"But Mama. What I'm saying is, I want to go to the car wash."

Mercy!

We did not go to the car wash. What I ended up telling her (and the inflection was nice, not mean!) was,

"Abigail, what I'm telling you is that we're not going."

But I had to laugh. Mama just doesn't understand.

Accidents

2010-03-17T07:39:00.002-05:00

My daughter had four, count them - 1 2 3 4, accidents at school yesterday.

That is very unlike her.

She then had two accidents at home.

While that is not unheard of, that has not happened since she got Gigi.

This morning, when I woke her, she had filled and overflowed her nighttime pull up.

That has never happened.

What. in. the. world?

{could this be a UTI?}

"I want to save some, Mommy"

2010-03-15T07:40:00.003-05:00

Lately, almost every morning, Abigail wants to save some of her chocolate milk. With the intent purpose of drinking it when I pick her up from school, of course.

Some days I hear "Mama, I forgot to save some!"

And other days, I hear "Here Mama, I want to save this."

On days that she remembers to save some, she usually gives me this reminder, "Don't forget it at your office, okay Mama?"

Because her Mama has been guilty of forgetting it. Oops. At least it's in the refrigerator, right?

When she saves "some", let me show you how much "some" usually is...

Truth and Kisses

2010-03-12T10:21:00.004-05:00

I get weekly e-newsletters from Baby Center about my kids' stage and development. You may, too. If not, you can. Click here.

Anyway, sometimes there are little comic thingies in the one I get for Ava.

I loved the absolute truth in this one.

And I wanted to share with you, in case you didn't see it on FB, my family blowing each other kisses. HOW cute! Ignore my slightly congested, southern twanged laugh.

I was thinking this morning. Back before I had kids, when I would see people taking photos of their children with their phones I would (rather smugly) think, "I will not do that. I will take quality photos of my children."

HA!

Crow...is not a nice meal.

So, if I thought that about you in the past...I apologize. I obviously did not have a clue.

Sometimes you just have to accept that any photo is better than none.

And when you're already carrying a diaper bag, a purse, children's shoes/cups/jackets/whatever-else-their-hands-are-too-full-for (Abigail loves to tell me, "Mama, I got full hands."...like I don't), plus if you breastfeed a "pumping bag"...the absolute last thing you want to add to that list is a camera bag.

{Gasp} I cannot believe I just admitted that.

Me. Miss "Photos are memories frozen in time" herself.

Yes, I did.

And I won't apologize for it. Alright, I likely will. But seriously, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to get out the door.

Thankfully, the quality of camera phones have improved in the past few years. They are not as good as they could be with an SLR (or even a point-n-shoot) camera. But they are better than relying solely on my memory.

Some of my camera phone pictures from last night:

Compassion Bloggers in Kenya

2010-03-10T11:14:00.004-05:00

A group of bloggers, who are also Compassion sponsors, have been on a trip to Kenya. I believe they are coming back (or are back?) today.

I would like to encourage you to stop by the Compassion Blog and read some of their stories. Look at their pictures. Pray about how you may be able to help.

Two posts that I would like to especially point you to:

Brad Ruggles tells the Eliud's story. And sheds some light on the situations that some of these children are living in. It's one thing to read these things and think "how horrible!". It's another to see it and know that, as much as the photographer captured, there was that much more that was not. And I'm sure (though I have no first-hand knowledge) that it's quite another altogether to actually walk on that soil, and visit these children. To see what they've dealt with. To see how God has intervened. To see the work that Compassion is doing and how it is helping. Wow.

MckMama tells Dismus' and Maureen's stories. And has a bonus not-to-be-missed video of one man, who was a sponsored child, meeting for the first time ever his sponsor of 19 years. You will not want to miss this. She talks about the notion of being "released from wealth." What a concept. After reading these stories, seeing their photos, it makes me stop and think.

Don't stop at those two bloggers. Read on.

A Day in the Life

2010-03-04T08:47:00.002-05:00

Life with a toddler is fun. Challenging (as I mentioned in the last post), but fun.

Moms, have you ever wanted to laugh when you had to discipline?

Sunday evening I had nursery duty at church. Abigail and her friend, Jacob, wanted to color. So we got out the construction paper. Got out the crayons. They colored in peace and harmony...for a few minutes.

And then Abigail decided that Jacob could not color with HER crayons.

Me: "Abigail, we have to share the crayons."
A1: "No, they're mine."
Me: "They are not. They belong to the church. Share with Jacob."
A1: "No."
Me: "If you cannot share, you won't color at all."
A1: "I will."

At that point we had us (how's that grammar?) a heart to heart. After, I asked her to tell Jacob she was sorry for not sharing. What she said?

"I'm sorry for getting in trouble."

It was all I could do not to laugh...because that is exactly what she meant.

----

When do the messed up pronouns straighten out? I enjoy those. Maybe more so because she is usually so growny, that I enjoy little evidences that she still is, in fact, a toddler.

If you thank Abigail for doing something, she follows with a happy, "I welcome!" (after all, we tell her "you're welcome". LOL!)

----

Ava said "mama" again. And again I did not hear it. I wasn't even home this time. What is UP with that?

----

Ava's 9 month check up is today. She was just at the ped's office Monday, but they said they couldn't combine her sick visit with her checkup for some reason. So, Daddy is taking her.