Wednesday afternoon, I picked up Linda's boys (C1 and C2) and drove up to Rattlesnake Lake. I made little Nature Journals for each boy and gave them a plastic bag (for collecting things) and a pencil. On each page was an item they were to look for and draw. (This is a lesson in our Artistic Pursuits curriculum). Some of the items were:
water
fish (C1 drew a fisherman!)
clouds
interesting leaves
an insect
a neat rock
a bird
a stick or twig
an animal
a wildflower
something soft
Here are the boys drawing the lake (imagine a dark circle...)
Throwing rocks is mandatory!
'A' came to me and said, "mom, I am a scale and I am weighing these two rocks. Which one do you think is heavier? He then lowered his arm with the tiny rock to show that was heavier. He's pretty funny
Playing on a big rock.
Another piece of God's jungle gym...
The boys really tried to climb this rock. Maybe next year...
After playing around the lake, we hiked up the Rattlsnake Ledge trail for a while. My camera ran out of batteries and I was unable to get shots in the woods, but we enjoyed the hike.
This past Monday was a glorious day to be in our neck of the woods. It was warm, but not too warm, and it was beautiful. My friend Suzie, and I decided to take our kids to Twin Falls. I have been on the trail quite a few times with my boys, but we had never made it to the falls. Well, we did it! We had a terrific time!
'G1', 'A', and 'R'
Sweet G2...
Climbing to explore the root base of a fallen tree...
The first view of the falls...
Suzie and kids.
A very old fir tree in the back...
The lower falls! This picture was taken where we had lunch.
'G1' brought along a piece of rope. The boys had fun tying it to branches, pulling each other along, etc.
I knew we were on borrowed time with this weathe and am so glad we could enjoy this day!
'A' has been working really hard this summer to make it through the monkey bars. He did it!
(In the background, as 'A' is explaining how he did it, you can hear 'R' yelling, "and you also prayed to God!")
We ordered the boy's Halloween costumes and they arrived today. Their belts came in a separate shipment a few days later. We let them play in their costume for an afternoon, but they are now in a bag until Halloween.
My friend Lacey, and I decided to cut our hair...SHORT! We went to see my cousin who works at Gene Juarez in Seattle. I am thrilled with my cut. Lacey wants to go shorter in the back. We went for an early dinner after and shopped Michael's for art supplies. It was a great girl date!
Some friends of ours went in bidding with us on a wine tasting for 10, at a winery ,about 2.5 hours from us. We won the auction and spent last weekend with four other wonderful couples. 'A' and 'R' got to spend their own fabulous weekend at Dado and Dada's. They went to the Museum of Flight, learned how to salsa, and ate paella!
Here's how the 'big kids' spent the weekend...(Leigh, David, Scott, Liann, Christine, Steve, Lacey, Rob, Scott, Lisa)
We could only spend one night because everyone serves at church on Sundays. Because of this one night limitation, most of the properties would not let us make a reservation. We had two options. One was a plush resort, with rooms starting at $200.00, or a motel at $85.00.
With the spirit of adventure and thrift, we chose the motel (AKA "The Bates Motel" by the guys). The rooms were pretty horrid, BUT, there were two silver linings:
We literally had the whole place to ourselves. A family checked in around 1AM, Saturday morning (yes, we were still up), but until then, we were the only ones.
Since we were by ourselves, we had the whole deck to ourselves. And, here was our view:
Not bad, huh?!
Here we are, Friday night, for the wine tasting...
Apricot Tree
After the tasting, we had a tour of the property. Here is the guide showing us how they bottle and label the bottles.
We had planned on going out to dinner, but everyone wanted to get back to the deck and enjoy the view and friendship. So, some had already brought treats, others had to track some down. There was no grocery store nearby and our only option was the Shell gas station. Now this gas station was an amped up mini mart, with fresh produce, but our table was pretty ecclectic.
Scott and Liann...
Rob and Lacey...
The girls...(excuse my red-eye. I can't get rid of it!)
Scott and Lisa...
(Bummer, I thought I also had a couple shot of Steve and Christine, but I don't)
The largest jelly fish I have ever seen...
The next morning, we walked into town for coffee, then drove to a church fundrasier, a "Corndoggle". It was a rummage sale, and you could have lunch there (a hot dog and an ear of corn, etc., hence, 'corndoggle'). We chose to not eat there, and everyone went their own way home.
At the Corndoggle
David and I took a different road home. We crossed a bridge and saw a bunch of fly fisherman. We got out and walked around a bit, enjoying the view. The salmon were HUGE!!
We stopped for lunch at the plush resort that we chose not to stay at. The Alderbrook
Lunch was fabulous, and the server was slow to bring us our lemonade, so she comped the drinks and took 20% off the bill. No complaints here! We had this amazing appetizer, 'Sweet Chili Chicken Wings' with cucumber-peanut slaw. There was this unique breading on the wings, but the chef would not divulge more than 'flour'...
I would definitely recommend coming here for a romantic Northwest getaway. It is lovely.
Driving over the Tacome Narrows bridge. What's up with a $4.00 toll?! Whatever happened to $.25?? Mount Rainier in the distance to the left.
Fun weekend with great friends. Too much fun!
OK, this is a great story! Get the kids occupied with something, get a cup of something to drink, sit down for a while and read...
This is the story of Laura and Jordan. Laura is the youngest daughter of good friends if ours. The father of the bride, Scott, is a Worship Leader and the mother of the bride, Liann, is a Children's Ministry Leader. Laura has been our awesome babysitter for the past five years. We all love her very much!
Jordan is in the military and was away in Yakima for training for a couple of weeks. He told Laura he was returning last Saturday, but he actually came back two days earlier and surprised her with a proposal. He wanted her family with them for the proporsal, so they planned a "family dinner" at a place that has a private dining area. Jordan was on bended knee with a couple dozen red roses when she walked in.
SHE SAID YES!
Jordan is being deployed to the Middle East for a year on August 20th. This precious couple decided they wanted to be married before he left. So, a wedding was planned for one week later on August 14th!
I served as the Coordinator. Here are pictures I took from yesterday's events.
We had rehearsal at 11AM. Here are Laura and Jordan at that time...
The guestbook table...
Jordan wrestling with the boys. No one can wrestle with them like Jordan can. We will all really miss him.
The flower girls, 'A' and 'M'...
My girlfriend, Lacey, worked as a florist before staying home with her four babies. She did the flowers. They are even more beautiful that these pictures, (if that's even possible).
We asked guests to gift money or gift cards instead of registry gifts, since Jordan is leaving so soon. This is the basket for the cards...
Flower girl, 'M", and ringbearer, 'R' before the wedding... ('M's granfather had just passed away unexpectedly and she is wearing a memorial "tattoo")
Ringbearer 'A'...so dapper! He made sure to let everyone know that he was the best looking person in a tuxedo...
The flower girl baskets...
Flower girl 'A', showing the table where guests signed a picture frame with prayers and well wishes.
It was super hot yesterday and the church does not have air conditioning (we are in Washington, after all...), so 'A' is taking a break and the boys are fanning her.
L: Liann, MOTB R: Colleen, MOTG
Laura and Liann
Laura (being silly) and sisters, Amy and Sarai...
Cooling off with a fan...
Bridesmaids, Lindsay and Jessica...
The punch bowl and water fountain...
The cake..
The food...
The guys waiting before their cue. (Laura insisted that Jordan not see her until she was walking down the aisle, so they were all sequestered to their own rooms.)
The ceremony begins... this is a picture during the prelude. DH is playing guitar, next to FOTB, Scott, also playing guitar. There were about 200 guests.
The parents, grandparents, and family, lined up for the 'Seating of the Family"
While the family was being seated, a slide show played of Laura and Jordan...
The boys waiting for their moment...
There were three worship songs. All us girls were dancing and singing to "Oh, Happy Day" in the lobby, before the processional. (The guys were in a different room (the Family Room). During the processional, the groomsmen and bridesmaids walked in from different rooms and met at the aisle, to walk down together).
After the processional of the bride, the father of the groom gave words of wisdom. He told Laura and Jordan to always remember four things...(Honor, Esteem, Have Fun, and I don't recall the other one.) It was beautiful. Here is a picture of the boys, with the FOTG sharing.
Scripture readers Kara, Kelly, Leah, and Karen...
The boys needed to "take a break" during the ceremony...
Pastor John getting the blessing from the parents...
Unity Candle Ceremony. FOTB Scott and sister Sarai sang 'Center"
'R' had it. He came and laid down next to me before the ceremony was over. He is using the ring pillow as his pillow.
Presentation of the couple!
Cutting the cake...
The spread...
"Too cute for their own good" couple, Derrick and Jessie. He caught the garter and she caught the bouquet and both were VERY happy. So, I am guessing another wedding is not too far off...
'R', striking a "James Bond" move...
The bouquet toss.
Another "too cute" couple, Lindsay and Derrick!
DH and usher, Andrew...
'T' and 'R' looking up at the stars, (excuse me, constellations...)
Bubbles before the limo...
Our church hosted a Vacation Bible School-Family Style. It was 3 nights and families attended, not just the kids. The format was large group songs, the lesson in the form of a play, structured activities in smaller groups, then large group wrap up.
DAY ONE
Angela and Debi, our awesome leaders!
1st Activity:
We learned about combining influences. We took a bottle of Pepsi and a couple of Mentos. By themselves they don't do much, but look what happens when you combine the two. The lesson was how powerful the combination of intentional parenting and the church influences a child's life.
2nd Activity:
the boys had to throw a dry sponge and see how far it went. Then, they threw a sponge that was full of water. They were able to throw MUCH farther with the wet sponges. The lesson showed how much farther you can go being full of Jesus.
3rd Activity:
We made our own rocket; to be used on the last night.
'R's reaction to finding out he was going to get cotton candy on the last night... DAY TWO
Our friend, Jeff, playing "Grandpa Henry"
Activity 1:
We made smaller rockets. These are really cool! You take a 35mm plastic film canister and wrap paper around it, lid side down. Add the rocket top and flaps. Place a little bit of water in the canister, add one Alka Seltzer tablet, close the lid quickly, and place on the ground. The rocket pops up! After a while, the older kids decided it was more fun to remove the "Rocket" part and just play with the canisters. You could hear the kids shouting, "fire in the hole" and we'd all wait to see the canisters shoot into the air.
(Remember the cutie in this picture? This is 'M'. I babysat her a couple years ago during the school year when she was in half day kindergarten.)
DAY THREE
DH was a part of the Worship Team this night. He is Hawaiian shirt guy in the back...
Miss April stepping in for a sick Debi. WTG, girl!!
(?) on left and Michael P. on right...
The church created a carnival on the last night. There were blow up, bouncy toys...
A terrific blacklight room where the kids drew all over papered walls with highlighters.
DH and our friend, Alex, in the blacklight room...
DH and our friend (and pastor), John...(I think they are happy because they are talking "Maui talk")
We launched our big rockets...
We also participated in a service project, filling backpacks full of school supplies, to be donated to a local community/social services organization.
I was blessed to get to spend a weekend in Portland with two of my long time friends, Lola and Kim. Kim flew in from Indiana and drove down with me. (We have known each other since 1989!)
Lola made a delicious lunch for us upon arrival. After that, we drove to this area called "Trendy 3rd" (cross street is 23rd) for boutique shopping.
After that, we saw the movie Mamma Mia! A better "chick flick" there could not have been!
Saturday, we went for a morning aerobic walk along the river. Then, we did the Saturday Market. We all walked away with some unique items.
We had lunch at this amazing deli called Elephant's. This place is a feast for all the senses.
Walking off lunch occurred at the International Rose Test Garden. It was such a beautiful day and many of the roses were in full bloom.
White roses for my KD sisters :)
I saw this patch of dahlias near the Japanese Garden. This is for my friend Heidi...
After the garden, we shopped in a neighborhhod called 'Hawthorne', then had dinner downtown at a restaurant called Mother's. Fine comfort dining.
We went home, made shakes for dessert, and watched 'An Ideal Husband"
Sunday, we took Kim to the airport to fly back standby. Lola and I picked up breakfast in case she could not get a flight. She couldn't and we picked her back up. We went to Lake Oswego and shopped some more. We had an early dinner at St. Honore Bakery. I ate this awesome panini. The panini was called "Brie Bartlett". It had brie, pears, carmelized onion, and prosciutto. It was so good! I told my friends that if I were to ever go into a witness protection program and had to change my name, they could track me down, because that is what I would change my name to...
Brie Bartlett
It was time to drop of Lola and Kim drove back to Seattle with me. She wanted to try to fly out of Seattle for the red eye options. (Did not work. She left Seattle Monday at 7am.) Such a fun time packed full of memories and goodness. Looking forward to next time, ladies!
My friend, Kathy, and I decided to take an early morning hike (5:30am) to Rattlesnake Ledge, a 4 mile round trip hike.
As I was driving to the trail, a small herd of elk crossed my path. I slowed down and three decided to stay near the road and eat. Then, one left and two trotted along side me until I got to the trail! It was incredible!!
Just as Kathy and I began the hike, the cutest little brown rabbit hopped in front of us. The jumped and did some sort of flip turn midair. It was adorable.
I had tried this hike with the boys before, but had never made it to the top. I could always see people at the top and wanted to be up there. I was determined to make it up there and we kept a pretty steady but fast pace. Kathy, an avid gardener, was cracking me up because she said it was taking everything in her power to not pull up the weeds on the side of the trail!
We made it to the top in an hour. The view was amazing and we had it all to ourselves!
I had the worst heel pain later in the afternoon and hobbled around. I need to get some better footwear. But, I hope to get a few more of these early morning hikes in before the days get shorter.
My friend, Sundy, has been doing an amazing job updating her house. She had some finish work with painting and I offered to watch 'T' and 'E' for part of the day.
Here we are walking to our neighborhood lake. (Nicknamed 'Leech Lake')
The trail connecting the river to the lake...
'E'. What a cutie!
Yay! We made it!
KK ran into some friends, so she ditched us for greener pastures :)
The boys...
Julie, Liz and I walked with kids to our neighborhood river. Everyone enjoyed wading in the water, playing in the sand, climbing trees, and sharing the snacks we provided...
Julie and Liz. Both are expecting #3 pretty soon!
'J' is a fantastic climber!
Miss 'V'...TOO CUTE!!
Me and my posse...
Picking salmonberries and red huckleberries on the way home...
I wish I was faster with my reflexes. It could have gotten a close up of the doe and two fawns! This was taken at the intersection of 202 and the road leading to Snoqualmie Ridge...
Our good friends came by for a vist a few nights ago. Rob plays bass with DH in their band. Here are Rob, my sweet buddy, Lacey, and their precious packages. (3 girls and 1 boy).
I just adore him. Of course, I adore 'A', too, but I want to take this time to share just a few of the many reasons why I not only love my son, 'R', but I LIKE him as well.
'R' loves all things of beauty, especially in nature. He is the first one to mention someone's beautiful garden, or lovely house. He will point out flowers and trees; items I often never give a second glance. He is constantly bringing in buttercups, dandelions, forget me nots, and colored leaves from our yard. He even found a five leaf clover on his own!
He will endlessly watch an insect or spider, and adopts potato bugs as pets. Here is a picture of a dead moth he found on the window sill. He kept it with him for a good part of the day, gently caressing it, and stating how beautiful it was.
My favorite bouquet...please note the colored leaf as well. I get ALOT of those.
He is still in what I call the "puppy" years. You know, the awkward, clumbsy phase where they end up with so many scrapes you lose track of how and where they got them. He also has a habit of wiping his nose upward with his hand, creating a smudge on the tip of his nose. It's the classic 'R' look.
He STILL has an obsession for cars and will constantly call out car brands when he see them. He does it with such a passion and enthusiasm, you'd think he 'd won a car for himself. He also will repeat the car until you acknowledge that he saw it. (HERBIE! (VW Bug), JEEP! HONDA! CHEVY! CONVERTIBLE! MUSTANG!...)
Whenever 'A' is injured, 'R' is the first one over to give him a hug.
'R' and 'A' both love to play with Legos and draw. They entertain each other by creating fire stations and police stations in Legos, and create (, OK, I will say it), violent drawings of princes, knights, and kings killing the "bad guy" or "bad dragon". They enjoy drawing stabbings with swords and when I try to encourage them to draw something less traumatic, they assure me it's just pretend, or that it is just a little "poke" and "the bad guy did not get hurt, but went to jail."
He is such a joy to be around and I feel so blessed to be his mom!
A few years ago, some friends of mine began an after school party for moms and kids on the last day of public school. I am grateful to be included with the fine friends of mine. Here are some shots of this years party. The weather was amazing and the kids has a blast getting each other soaked! (Yep. This is my baby niece, K...She needs to stop growing up so fast!)
We are wrapping up swim class for the year. This is where the boys are now skillwise. They are just learning the overhead crawl, and working on swimming without using their arms; just legs.
'R' is CRAZY for cars. And Legos. He could happily play with these two toys all day, every day. The first thing he typically says in the morning is, "Daddy, do you want to play cars?"
One morning, he led us into the living room to show us what he did. He created a set of Lego cars and they were racing on the windowsill (Speed Racer is big in our house right now...)
TOSPUBLISHER posted about a news article that just breaks my heart! You can read about it here.
In an attempt to bring something positive out of this, a card drive is being organized that will send cards to the little boy named Alex, reminding him how special he is.
If so inclined, you can send a card to the following address. They will box them up and forward them on to the family. We sent one and included our family picture and an invitation to exchange postcards or letters with us since my boys are the same age.
Alex is Special
c/o Barbara Curtis
15648 Britenbush Ct.
Waterford, VA 20197
I have a new computer (YAY!), but DH has not set up the ability to upload pictures. Hopefully this will change soon because I have some fabulous pictures to share with you!! Are you intrigued?? Come back soon...
For those of you who do not know Beth Moore, she is an outstanding Bible
teacher, writer of Bible studies, and is a married mother of two daughters.
This is one of her experiences:
April 20, 2005, at the Airport in Knoxville , waiting to board the plane,I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I'd had a marvelous morning with the Lord. I say this because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you.
You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise.
Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons not the least of which is your ego.
I tried to keep from staring, but he was such a strange sight. Humped over in a wheelchair, he was skin and bones, dressed in clothes that obviously fit when he was at least twenty pounds heavier. His knees protruded from his trousers, and his shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt. His hands looked like tangled masses of veins and bones.
The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy, gray hair hung well over his shoulders and down part of his back. His fingernails were long, clean but strangely out of place on an old man.
I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face.
As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting. Then, I remembered that he was dead. So this man in the airport... an impersonator maybe? Was a camera on us somewhere?
There I sat; trying to concentrate on the Word to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity served on a wheelchair only a few seats from me. All the while, my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him.
Let's admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man.
I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall. I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, something so contrary to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be embarrassing.
I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. "Oh, no, God, please; no." I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven and said, "Don't make me witness to this man. Not right here and now. Please. I'll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don't make me get up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord!"
There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, "Please don't make me witness to this man. Not now. I'll do it on the plane."
Then I heard it..."I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair."
The words were so clear, my heart leap into my throat, and my thoughts spun like a top. Do I witness to the man or brush his hair?
No-brainier.
I looked straight back up at the ceiling and said, "God, as I live and breathe, I want you to know I am ready to witness to this man. I'm on this Lord. I'm your girl! You've never seen a woman witness to a man faster in your life. What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if he is not redeemed? I am going to witness to this man." Again as clearly as I've ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write this statement across the wall of my mind. "That is not what I said, Beth. I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to go brush his hair."
I looked up at God and quipped, "I don't have a hairbrush. It's in my suitcase on the plane. How am I supposed to brush his hair without a hairbrush?" God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came to me from God's word: "I will thoroughly furnish you unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:17)
I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even as I retell this story, my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies.I knelt down in front of the man and asked as demurely as possible, "Sir,May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?"
He looked back at me and said, "What did you say?"
"May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?"
To which he responded in volume ten, "Little lady, if you expect me to hear you, you're going to have to talk louder than that."
At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out, "SIR, MAY I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?" At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. I was the only thing in the room looking more peculiar than old Mr. Long Locks. Face crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and say, "If you really want to." Are you kidding? Of course I didn't want to.
But God didn't seem interested in my personal preference right about then.
He pressed on my heart until I could utter the words, "Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But I have one little problem. I don't have a hairbrush."
"I have one in my bag," he responded.
I went around to the back of that wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees and unzipped the stranger's old carry-on, hardly believing what I was doing. I stood up and started brushing the old man's hair. It was perfectly clean, but it was tangled and matted. I don't do many things well, but must admit I've had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two little girls.
Like I'd done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I began brushing at the very bottom of the strands,
remembering to take my time not to pull.
A miraculous thing happened to me as I started brushing that old man's hair. Everybody else in the room disappeared. There was no one alive for those moments except that old man and me. I brushed and I brushed and I brushed until every tangle was out of that hair. I know this sounds so strange, but I've never felt that kind of love for another soul in my entire life. I believe with all my heart, I - for that few minutes - felt a portion of the very love of God. That He had overtaken my heart for a little while like someone renting a room and making Himself at home for a short while.
The emotions were so strong and so puret hat I knew they had to be God's.
His hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant's.
I slipped the brush back in the bag and went around the chair to face him.
I got back down on my knees, put my hands on his knees and said, "Sir, do you know my Jesus?"
He said, "Yes, I do." Well, that figures, I thought.
He explained, "I've known Him since I married my bride. She wouldn't marry me until I got to know the Savior." He said, "You see, the problem is, I haven't seen my bride in months. I've had open-heart surgery, and she's been too ill to come see me. I was sitting here thinking to myself, what a mess I must be for my bride."
Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment whenwe're completely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in details
only He could have known. It was a God moment, and I'll never forget it.
Our time came to board, and we were not on the same plane. I was deeply ashamed of how I'd acted earlier and would have been so proud to have accompanied him on that aircraft.
I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline hostess returned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She said, "That old man's sitting on the plane, sobbing. Why did you do that? What made you do that?"
I said, "Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!"
And we got to share.
I learned something about God that day. He knows if you're exhausted, you're hungry, you're serving in the wrong place or it is time to move on but you feel too responsible to budge. He knows if you're hurting or feeling rejected. He knows if you're sick or drowning under a wave of temptation. Or He knows if you just need your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual. Tell Him your need!
I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like that one had I missed along the way . . all because I didn't want people to think I was strange. God didn't send me to that old man. He sent that old man to me.
John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Life shouldn't be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather, to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly shouting,
A good childhood friend of my brothers passed away unexpectedly from a pulmonary embolism during back surgery. We attended his funeral yesterday. It was obvious he was dearly loved. The church was standing room only and out the doors.
I knew Dan since we were about 4 years old. We all grew up together. Even though I rarely saw him our adult years, there is a fraternal tie that binds that cannot be broken. Dan and his brother Mike will always be brothers to me. I will always remember his incredible sense of humor and love for others. It was mentioned more than once at the service, that Dan was everyone's best friend. That is how he made you feel when you were with him.
It was surreal to see a bunch of people I have not seen since high school (that's over 20 years...). I even saw our old babysitter, Doreen. It was great seeing everyone again, even under such sad circumstances.
My love and prayers go to the Twito family. Dan will be remembered in the best way.
A group of Dan's friends (my brother included) had a memorial tattoo done in Dan's honor. It is his last name 'Twito' vertical in what looks like Japanese brush strokes. It is a beautiful tribute. You can see the art on the picture below. My brother has it running down his inner forearm.
It was DH's birthday last week. The boys drew pictures of Maui for their Daddy.
'A's is on the left. It is a palm tree and a rainbow. Please note the blue coral beneath the sea.
'R's is on the right. It is a palm tree with a ladder for someone to climb and chop down palm fronds. There is a bench beneath it. Also note on the lower right corner, there is a ladder that has legs. It is running away because it does not want to work that day.
This is another picture 'A' drew. It is another picture of the four of us beneath a palm tree. I am keeping this one for myself!
DH belongs to a Worship band called, 'Center Deep'. The bass guitarist, Rob, invited the band to join him for a non-profit auction. We had a fun night, getting all dressed up, eating a delicious dinner, and bidding on items. We teamed up with our friends, the Carters, and won a wine tasting for 10 at the Hoodsport winery. We hope to make it a fun couples weekend some time this summer.
Here we are before heading on our way to the event in Everett. This is me and Lisa in her sporty convertible...(It's kind of 'Thelma and Louise-ish'!)
The 'Center Deep' gang and spouses... Drummer Steve and wife, Christine
Lead singer Lisa and hubby, Scott
Bass guitarist Rob, and wife, Lacey
Me and my beloved. David is a singer and lead guitar for the group.
I started compiling a list of all the things the boys would like to do or see someday. Whenever we read about something during homeschool, or watching TV, whatever, one of the boys will chime in, "can we do/see that someday?" So, it goes on the list. Here is what we have so far:
The "A" Family List of Things
to Do and See Someday
This was in our MOPS newsletter. It's too beautiful to not pass on.
The Invisible MOM
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the
phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being.
I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please." I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disap peared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty
pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Carol , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave
their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything. A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the
cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees."
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my daughter to tell the friend she's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want her to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to her friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Great Job, MOM!
Share this with all the Invisible Moms you know ..... I just did
After Tuesday School, Megan and I decided to take advantage of the good weather and take the boys to the park. My poor kids did not eat lunch until 2pm, although, in my defense, they did have a hearty snack at Kathy's.
This was a few weeks ago, and my niece had a delay in school, so we got to have her play with us. They decided to play in the back yard for a while. So cute!
DH and I were talking to each other, making plans about something.
'A' says: "Mom and Dad, I need you to be quiet. I am on a very important phone call. (as he plays with the toy cell phone Ama gave him the day before).
Dad says: "Are you talking to the President of the United States?"
'A': No; more important than that?"
Dad: "More important than the President? Are you talking to God?"
'A": No; more important than that?"
Dad: "Who is more important than God?"
'A': "I am talking to Heidi Cogle."
(That's for you Heidi! Don't let it go to your head :))
I love this age. The kids jump at the chance to help me with the household chores. I pray that this will always be the case. Here they are cleaning the sink...
Yes, it takes four times longer than if I did it, but as adults, they will know how to clean the sink...
I spent a week on Maui, this time without kids! DH and I decided this year to divide an conquer so we could each have a week of solid rest and reflection. DH went to Maui in December and I went last week. I stayed with my aunt, uncle, mother, and cousin in a condo. Here is the view from our lanai. This was taken about 6:30am, and that is the moon! This is Napili Bay...
We spent a morning in the Iao Valley. Here is the Iao Needle. I am on the left, my mom in the middle, and my aunt on the right.
This area has a Heritage Garden, with gardens honoring the different cultures that settled there. This is from the Japanese garden. I love this water plant.
The Heritage Garden had a banyan tree that we had fun exploring.
This was the hut in the unmarked garden, but I assume it was for the 'South Pacific.' The first picture is the roof, and the second is a closeup.
We attended a botanical garden. How do I pick which photos to share? There are so many gorgeous plants and flowers!
I spent one night with my friends, Linda and David (Linny). This is the view from their timeshare. Yeah, I feel bad for them too...
Linda and C4
We had lunch at 'The Flatbread Company' in Paia, and drove through upcountry and west Maui.
The restaurant gave the kids dough to play with. Great idea! (Check out C3's braids!)
My mom, aunt, cousin, and I drove to Hana and spent the night. Here are just a few shots from the many I took. Photos just do not do this drive justice. You have to go to really appreciate it.
Rainbow Eucalyptus
Some tame peacocks in 'The Garden of Eden' Botanical Gardens.
This is the rock from the ope
Not bad, huh?!
(Yep. This is my baby niece, K...She needs to stop growing up so fast!)
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Drummer Steve and wife, Christine
Lead singer Lisa and hubby, Scott
Bass guitarist Rob, and wife, Lacey
Me and my beloved. David is a singer and lead guitar for the group.
