My very first post here at HSB was in 2005... My illustrious writing career (snort) began with some banter about a trip to Wal-mart and crayons being on sale!
Much has changed in my life over the past 4 years, but one thing has stayed the same. I am still homeschooling! And seriously, that is a big deal! We all know that homeschooling is quite a commitment and a huge responsibility. It is easy to get overwhelmed and have the occasional dream about sending our kidlets on that magical yellow bus that comes down the street every morning.
I am thankful for all of my friends here at HSB and in bloggyland! Y'all have been such an encouragement to me in my homeschooling journey over the years. And honestly, it is just plain FUN to hang out with other homeschooling families, even if it is a virtual living room.
I have decided to take a new direction with my blog here at HSB-- and that is to post ummm... well, about HOMESCHOOLING! Shocking, isn't it?
So here is where you will find a greater focus on Our Homeschool, rather than Other Such Happenings. :)
David and the boys have been on a Lucky Charms kick lately.
Back in the old days, I remember the ensuing hullabaloo when purple horseshoes were added to the mix. How could they even think of changing the classic marshmallow composition like that?!
But they did.
Then they massacred the recipe even more when they added more...
And to make it worse, they are trying to distract us with phrases like "Good source of calcium and vitamin D" and "whole grains."
WHATEVUH.
Three weeks of Lucky Charms for a bedtime snack inspired me to conduct a possibly frightening quasi-quackish-scientific experiment.
Just call me a health nut.
QUESTION: What is the marshmallow to cereal ratio in a typical bowl of Lucky Charms Cereal?
HYPOTHESIS: Approximately 8 years ago, I conducted a similar test with Frankenberry Cereal. My hypothesis is that Lucky Charms will yield similar results of a 50/50 ratio of marshmallows to cereal.
(Note to self: Do not audition to be a hand model unless it's for a robot hand.)
(Post-note to self: Be weary of saying or writing all of your spontaneous thoughts out loud lest people think ye are whacko.)
EXPERIMENT: Carefully separate the marshmallows from the "whole grain" cereal pieces, while exercising great caution as to not eat the materials.
Hmmm... I wonder which bowl is hiding the "calcium and vitamin D"???
Halfway through the bowl, the ratio is neck and neck.
DATA ANALYSIS: My family's typical bowl of Lucky Charms contains more cereal than marshmallows.
CONCLUSION: I hereby conclude that Lucky Charms is healthier than my initial supposition. Consumption of said cereal at the Drews house may continue.
It's a lifestyle of learning, y'all.
And you thought Saturday nights at my house would be boring! I bet you are totally kicking yourself right now.
1. I put Thursday Thirteen in the title but my tired brain cannot remember if that is a for real linked-up thing to join or something that I am just imagining. My tired body says no way are we going to mess with the clicks and typing it requires to actually look it up.
2. I am missing my cutie-patootie nephew Caden. That is one happy, smiley baby that loves his bath!
3. I am halfway watching Clint Eastwood in Escape from Alcatraz while I am typing this post. It makes it harder to come up with 13 things.
4. We will be having our first day of the new school year on Monday! While I know what material we will be using, I have ZERO plans or schedules written out. Not good. I hope to remedy that soon, preferably before Sunday night.
6. While at MD Anderson for treatment, my uncle developed pneumonia, contracted West Nile, and has some other issues. I would greatly appreciate your prayers for his recovery and for strength and encouragement for his sweet wife.
7. Before we left for DC, I realized that our dog Snowball was pregnant. Last night, she delivered one puppy. The scrawny white puppy died late this afternoon. We believe that it was a little underdeveloped and born prematurely. I didn't think I would be so sad about it dying, after all God made creatures to live and to die. I am glad that Austin and Noah didn't get attached. I guess I got a little attached while trying to warm the poor thing and stimulate it with some glucose water. (Please pardon this choppily written paragraph. Could there be less flow to it?)
8. Skip-Bo is a fun and addicting card game. For the record, I was the CHAMPION of the game last night against my mom and dad. (Let's not mention that I did not win a single game the night before.)
9. Are you intimidated or offended by my wild and crazy Tuesday evening? (see #8)
10. Old Navy (in-store) has an extra 50% off their clearance items right now. I'm just sayin'...
11. I'm thinking I should have put this post off until Friday so I could participate in 7 Quick Takes Friday instead.
12. Has anyone tried this alarm clock? It's a bit pricey for a clock but might be worth it if it would help me to wake up in the mornings. But then again, laying off the caffeine and going to bed at a decent hour is practically FREE. Maybe I should try that first instead.
13. I wish we had tetherball. Even though David would school me in it. Just call him Napoleon.
We visited the breathtaking Library of Congress today. Yes, breathtaking! See for yourself.
Recognize this from National Treasure 2?
We were really wanting to go in there but it is only open to those doing research. They will, however, let you take a peek if you do the library tour. Speaking of which, our tour guide was s-c-a-r-y!
Calm and peaceful on the outside but man, this one older guy did something to make her mad. She stopped mid-sentence and told him that if he really didn't want to be a part of this tour, he could exit the library immediately. But she said it with an intensity that was surprising and with a mean voice. ::shudder::
Okay, back to beauty...
And then the ever-so-shocking...
LIBRARIAN ACTION FIGURE!!! And not just any lame old action figure, but one with SHUSHING ACTION!
bwahahahahahahahaha! Isn't that hilarious?!
I've been laughing all day about it.
Because yes, I am that dorky.
So, do you have a fear of librarians like I have a fear of clowns? I have always loved the librarians that I have known. They were always knowledgeable, helpful and kind. The only fear I have ever had was with this one tour lady librarian person. And the clowns are a whole other post!
It went something like this: wake up, breakfast, wait, ride bus, wait a really long time, ride bus, arrive at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, refuse to eat the slightly overpriced $10 burger at McD's (said with great sarcasm, can you see the sarcasm?), repeat the waiting and buses on the way home (only I'm starving). Zzzzz...
Waiting is boring.
But once we were done with the waiting, David was like a kid in a candy store! He was so excited about seeing the Enola Gay, the Space Shuttle Enterprise, the Concorde and the beautiful chromeClipper Flying Cloud. It was amazing just how much history they fit into this giant hangar museum.
Look at how enthusiastic he is. The joy on his face just makes my heart sing. :snort:
I was drawn to the amazing artwork on the planes.
David would probably roll his eyes at the contents of yesterday's memory card. He is interested in the heavies and I kept laughing and being distracted by the smaller didn't-quite-make-it-into-mainstream-commercial-aviation planes.
I'm all for DIY, but I don't think I would ever order a kit and build one myself. This Bede BD-5B kit could be bought for only $3,000 in 1970. Except if I had put it together, I'm sure the wings would be on upside down or maybe I'd forget to include the gas tank. Y'know, little things like that.
And my oh my, forget the Jetson's! I think it would be great fun to have this...
But it would only be fun if you ignore this scathing-yet-amusing article about the 1957 Waterman Aerobile.
Or better yet, THIS!
Eeeee! Isn't it adorable (in an odd sort of way)?!
Look, it even has a license plate!!!
We give the museum a big thumbs up!
But the endless bus ride and overpriced McD's a big thumbs down.
(Yes, I am being whiny about the burger but price gouging at eating establishments are a huge pet peeve of mine. I expect it from airports and amusement parks, but the Smithsonian? Not cool.)
When visiting our nation's capital, you expect to see certain things like...
...The White House
...the US Constitution
...the Declaration of Independence
...the bald pilot facing his worst fears
...discovering your old history project from elementary school.
What? Didn't you ever make a pyramid out of sugar cubes? I guess I made mine on too small of a scale. But this guy... this guy did it right! (Or so "they" say).
Okay, on to a couple more masterpieces from the sculpture garden.
Hey, what do you think this is?
I thought it was a pizza cutter.
I thought wrong (apparently).
I know, you are kicking yourself right now. You SO would've missed that Double Jeopardy question! Anyone with half a brain can see that it's a typewriter eraser. Duh!
Maybe we really aren't smarter than a 5th grader?
And lastly but not leastly, we came across THIS.
Do you look at this and see art?
What if it was making some sort of profound statement?
Can't think of one?
Maybe this clue will help.
"Puellae" which means "Girls"...
It's okay if you still don't get it.
Because neither do I. I just think this is CUHREEEEEEPY!
THE END.
At least of Day 1. I wonder what we're going to find tomorrow!
Last night before bed, Austin came to give me the requisite hug and kiss goodnight. He took one step back towards his bedroom and then turned around to give me a second hug. With his spindly arms wrapped tight around me, he began to cry "I miss Christian!"
It broke my mommy heart, y'all.
*sigh*
There was nothing I could do or say to make the pain go away. No band-aid or popsicle could fix the wounded heart of this 10 year old boy missing his baby brother.
So I did the only thing that I could. I hugged him back. Hard. I gave him a kiss. I told him that I miss Christian too. I held him close and prayed for God's comfort. (Only God can be the true Comforter to him.)
I asked Austin if he wanted to sleep with Christian's dog-- this giant of a stuffed animal that Christian used to lay and climb on. I was surprised when Austin answered "No."
Instead, he asked if he could sleep with this... a token that a friend left at the cemetery on the 26th of last month.
Of course I said yes.
I watched my tender-hearted boy grab that bear that is half his size and haul it up to the top bunk. He keeps several pillows up there and carefully laid the bear on its own pillow. He scooted his pillow close so their heads would be touching. Then he took the comforter and gingerly covered up the bear first and then himself.
(This is the point where I just about lost it.)
There was something about the way he covered up that bear. I knew he was imagining it to be Christian. Wishing it to be Christian.
And quite frankly, so was I. Why does that bear and Christian have to share a similar hair color?!
I sucked in my breath, gave him another kiss, and held myself together long enough to make it to my own room. Then I fell on my bed and wept.
I am so glad that God hears my cries. I am so glad that He speaks to me in the midst of my tears. I am so glad that He reaches out His scarred hands and wants me to give my burdens over to Him! God does care for us and tells us to cast our cares upon Him (I Peter 5:7). When we do that, He gives us... peace.
That is what I can encourage my precious Austin to do. Because God cares for Him and hears his heart's cry too.
And not only mine and his, but yours as well.
My heart has cried out to God before. Twenty one years ago to be exact. I'll never forget that night, that moment when I saw my true self. Others saw me as a "good" girl but I knew the sin in my heart. I knew that I could never get to Heaven on my own merits. I saw how holy God was and knew that I could never ever be in His presence!
But then there was Jesus. His perfect life, his spotless heart, his endless love, and his great sacrifice on the cross. For ME. His glorious resurrection. His perfect example. For ME.
I asked Jesus Christ to save me from my sins that night. He gave me the gift of eternal life... and He gave me a new life.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. -II Corinthians 5:17
I gave my life to Jesus Christ. And for as long as I have breath, I want to live for Him and for His name to be glorified-- in good times and bad.
God hasn't called me home yet. But when He does, I'll be ready.
Are you ready?
I hope to always sing with sincerity "Glory to His Name"...
I think boys are non-boring by nature. They are always up to something-- and it's usually not a "good idea."
But sometimes they surprise you by just being normal (and I use that term very loosely).
Noah was being normal the other day... just sitting on the back deck doing nothing in particular.
And it made me nervous.
(This is his new rabbit face that he thinks is amusing.)
Noah often finds joy in the little things-- eating dinosaur egg oatmeal, watching Scooby Doo, and the real source of all his super powers...
...Superman socks!
Anyhow, he was just sitting there.
Do you think he was up to something?
Or are you swayed by his heart-melting expression?
Oops. I mean this one.
It really is hard to be mad at him for anything. And it's not just because he has puppy dog eyes either. He is one of those precious kids that truly is repentant for the wrong that he does. He is a peacemaker with a sweet spirit.
I could learn a few things from him.
It is all too easy for me to be critical of my boys (and nervous for no reason-- at least this time). I find myself jumping to (the wrong) conclusions when sometimes I just need to pay a little closer attention.
When I need to remember to be still and just observe them... how they talk, interact with one another or just play. That is when I learn the most.
Is there something in particular that youcan learn from yourchild? What about them can you find praise?
Now would be the perfect time to tell your child how much you appreciate that particular quality about him. Go on now. Start your Monday off with a hug and a smile! And maybe donuts too. :)
I have never ever had a pedicure. Something about people touching my feet totally grosses me out. Ack! Blech! Yuck!
I just don't get it... if pictures of feet are ugly, then real feet are really ugly!
Actually, feet reality is more like this picture:
This observation does not apply if you are a baby. Cuteness in regards to feet is directly proportional to the size of the feet-- the tinier they are, the cuter they are. Proof of said theory:
Okay, now back to my own appendages.
I did have a manicure once when I was in college. While I was driving back to my dorm, it smudged. That was the last time I ever paid someone else to do something I am fully capable of doing myself.
Let me rephrase that... That was the last time I ever paid anyone to slap some polish on my nails.
Today, I had a plethora of choices when painting my tootsies.
Since I was in a hurry, Pronto Purple won out!
I'll let you know if it makes me any faster in the course of my day.)
Am I in the minority for never having had a pedicure? Are you a mani-pedi kind of girl? Or do you paint your own nails? Do you have/do fancy artwork on them too (y'know, like flowers and mutli-colors and rhinestones)? What color are you wearing right now?
These are the deep, probing questions I ponder when breathing in the toxic fumes of artificial nail colorants. That and sometimes I wonder if the bottom line is that I am very cheap conscious of my finances.
I labored not on this Labor Day. I partied with friends instead.
One very special friend is Sister Doris from my church. (And no, she's not a nun nor my sister, although she is my sister in Christ!)
She is one very sweet, thoughtful and interesting 90-something year old woman. I always enjoy her company whenever I have the opportunity to pop in for a visit.
This past Friday, I stopped by to say hello. And guess what she likes to watch on TV on Friday nights?
WRESTLING!!!
I kid you not. Isn't that a hoot? I wonder if she was also a fan of the Von Erich's back in the old days. Back when wrestling was REAL, y'all. :snort:
Awww... I just love her. She is just fun to talk to and full of surprises!
Is there anyone in your neighborhood or church that you could befriend? Don't be shy! This is one of those things where it really is more blessed to give than to receive. You always get back sooo much more than you give.
Remember when I planted those nectarine trees a while back? I purposefully tried very hard to not plant them in honor of Christian, no matter how much they reminded me of him and his love of nectarines.
You see, planting things in honor of someone you love and cherish is rather risky because everything dies sometime. Especially when you're not exactly living in the garden of Eden. Come on, summer in Texas is brutal! Downpours and drought turned this...
...into this...
It would be easy to focus on what was lost-- over a dozen plump little nectarines. The wet and then intense heat was too much for the tree. Now it's a goner, with no life left in the branches.
So I can focus on what I don't have or I can focus on what I do have.
(Look! He does smile!)
We will never forget Christian. We could never replace Christian. He is alive and well in our hearts, our memories and best of all-- with Jesus! I can't wait to see all that he's explored and hear about all of the adventures he has experienced so far.
Are you dwelling on what you do not have? Or what you do have? What is your focus?
Even though I added caffeine back to my diet. (I ran out of decaff and the idea of going coffee free is quite distasteful and completely ludicrous to me.)
Wanna hear about my day? Wanna pretend that you want to hear about my day?
You are such a good friend. Thanks!
- I went to the oral surgeon today for a consultation about my wisdom teeth. They need to be removed because I am too smart and it intimidates people.
- At said oral surgeon's office, I was tortured by having to wait (and wait and wait) with the waiting room TV being set to some sappy, stupid soap opera. I despise soap operas. But it was kinda like an old family reunion to see some of the same characters from my childhood.
My G-ma's favorite show was Days of Our Lives. When we stayed at her house, we knew that after lunch we had to be quiet so she could watch "her story". Then she would take a nap. If we were good (and quiet), we would often be rewarded with ice cream sundaes when she woke up.
- Hi G-ma! I know she's reading this because she has a computer and webcam. Pretty high tech, huh? She's come a long way since I first showed her how to use a mouse and play solitaire 13 years ago. :)
- I am despondent about language arts. Although I have always told myself that grammar is not that important until at least 4th grade, it really bothers me that proper nouns, adjectives and adverbs are relegated to short term memory. My boys remember it really well one day and then are completely clueless the next.
It makes me feel like a failure.
LA has always come naturally to me, but my boys really don't like it-- no matter how Charlotte Mason-y I make it. I'm considering doing Switched-On Schoolhouse just for language arts. I had been hesitant to use it before because I thought it would end up being... well, relegated to short term memory! But if it's going into that category anyway, it might as well be easiest for me in the process (and fun for my computer loving boys). I will still continue to use Sequential Spelling and IEW and a selection of historical readers.
Any suggestions? Thoughts? Chocolate to share?
- My friend Ali is raising money for her family's adoption. Wait, that sounded weird. She is raising money so her family can adopt! You can bless and be blessed by sponsoring a puzzle piece for only $5. She will write your name on the back of each puzzle piece and the completed puzzle picture will hang on the baby's wall. It's not often that you can have a direct hand in bringing a child into a loving home. Would you mind hopping over there and spreading the word on your blog, Twitter and FB? And if you can't help financially, you can still leave a comment and pray for her family. Because prayers are priceless. Trust me, I know.
- And lastly but not leastly, is this not a smug expression or what?!
Too bad I don't have an after pic. Poor kid has been on a losing streak of late.
Well, it does look creepy when you see it out of the corner of your eye (on the counter, by the microwave, in the hallway...).
If you don't believe me, scroll back up to the top picture and then scroll down really quickly to the end. Did it look real for a minute there? Okay, at least for a second?
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
Thank you, dear God, for the life of my littlest man Christian.
Thank you for letting me be his mommy. I wouldn't trade the 1,384 days with him for a hundred times the amount of days with any other child in the whole wide world.
Thank you for sacrificing your Son Jesus Christ so that I have assurance of being with my son for all eternity.
Thank you for peace and comfort when my heart is torn and flooded with sorrow.
Many of you know that Christian had quite the fondness for fwogs.
Did you know that he was also fond of visiting Great Grandma?
Not only did she always have ice cream and soft peppermints, but she had these guys...
When I was little, I was scared of chickens (pretty much all things pecky and feathery) mainly due to a mean goose that frequented the nearby marina.
But not my Christian!
He had zero fear of feeding great grandma's chickens or going into the henhouse to gather eggs. Even I had never gone into the *gasp* henhouse. The boys would often fight about who would get to gather the eggs on our visit-- and you could always be sure that Christian would not let himself be overlooked!
I find it a little funny that whenever Christian tried to say his name, it sounded more like "Chichen" or "Chicken". In fact, his church buddy Dustin couldn't say "Christian" either. He'd walk around asking "Where's Chicken? Is Chicken here?" (But you have to imagine it coming from the mouth of a 3.5 year old boy with cowboy boots on.)
Anyhow, I just had to share that memory.
Sometimes I am fearful that I will forget the little details and special moments like that. When I remember them out loud or relive them in my mind, it makes me sad but happy at the same time. I think it's important to be thankful for those precious memories that we did have, rather than focus on not having those moments anymore (not always the easiest thing to do).
Thank y'all for listening/reading/youknowwhatImean. Your encouraging comments and e-mail's on my last post were a real blessing.
I also want to thank you friends for all of the cards, notes, and special gifts that you have sent to me and my family this past year. I am a personal, handwritten thank-you note kind of a girl but have simply been too overwhelmed to individually acknowledge every thoughtful expression and blessing. I hope you will forgive my rudeness. But please know that I have taken special notice of your acts of kindness and do appreciate each of y'all from the depths of my heart!
After supper yesterday, the skies turned cloudy and the temperatures dropped into the 80s. The slight breeze was a pleasant change to the insufferable heat that we have been experiencing for much of the month.
While David and the boys played baseball in the front yard, I decided to do a little mowing in the back and side yards. I walked around the corner of the shed and stopped as soon as I saw this.
Wow. It has been over a year since the last time I mowed the lawn.
And it had been with Christian.
In fact, Christian spent that last Tuesday morning mowing the lawn with David.
*sigh*
He loved to sit in between our legs and ride around the lawn-- even with the bumps and dust and heat. No matter what we were doing, he just HAD to be in the thick of things and right at our side.
I climbed on the mower and sat in the seat. I put my hands on the handles and remembered Christian's little hands on them-- always trying to steer and be a big boy. He'd laugh and squeal with delight if I took my hands off and let him steer ALL BY HIMSELF.
"...'cause I big boy, mommy! 'member?! You fowgot!!!"
Oh baby, I could never forget you! Or how big you were... because you were always sure to remind me. And every time I'd pick you up, I could tell that you had grown just a little more.
My heart has been heavy all week (all month, all year...). Please pray for me and my family, especially as we go through this next week that will mark the 1 year anniversary of Christian's passing from this earthly life into eternal life.
Honestly, it will be nice to just get it over with. Every birthday, change of season, holiday and activity this past year has been met with the bittersweet thought of "...this time last year...".
It has been very difficult at times to put into practice Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
But why should we think on these things? Well, that means we have to read the next verse:
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
While many of you can empathize with my hurt and sorrow, I wish I could show you some of the blessings and lessons of being wounded-- to see and KNOW the grace and peace that God gives. When your heart is crying out to Him and He clearly speaks to you-- sometimes in a whisper and other times clear and loud, like He is right in front of you.
If you have already believed that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died for your sins and that he rose the third day... If you have already asked him to forgive you of your sins and accepted his gift of salvation, then I encourage you, I implore you to practice that verse up there right now. Read the Bible and put into practice what it says. Do it now while things are going well for you. Do it now when things are difficult for you. Then you too will see and know exactly what I'm talking about, you will see and know the peace that only God can give you. Turn your fears, troubles, worries-- no matter how big or how small, over to the Lord.
And since you're going to read God's Word and practice what it says, how about living your life for the glory of God, rather than the glory of yourself? Because that is where true joy and fulfillment lies. After all, isn't that why God created us in the first place?
And if you, my dear friends, have not given your life to Jesus Christ, then I beg you to do it now! You can't piggyback your way into Heaven on the life of your parents. You can't get into Heaven by doing good things, by being baptized, by being "religious", by going to church all the time or by being a better person than so-and-so who says he is a Christian.
The Bible says that "by grace are we saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph. 2:8 KJV, emphasis mine).
Don't let that one hypocrite or that one joyless person (who claims to be a Christian) be the reason that YOU don't get to spend eternity in Heaven. Don't let that "bad experience with religion" be the reason that YOU don't accept this gift of salvation. And for crying out loud, JUST DON'T DIE. Because when you do, YOU will spend eternity in one of two REAL places-- Heaven or Hell.
You know what? I don't know why Christian died when he was only 3.5 years old. I don't even know how he took his lifejacket off (which he never did before) and managed to circle back from the house to the pond without anyone seeing him (not the adults or my other boys who were swimming right there). I don't know why this had to happen us when we love and care for our children, when we serve God, when we help others, when we are diligent in our parenting... But that is where FAITH comes in! Faith is believing without seeing. Faith puts to death all those unanswered questions. Faith is taking God at His Word. And Faith is not turning from the truth of God's Word when life gets hard.
Jesus said "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." (II Corinthians 12:9).
I won't deny that I am so very weak. And I will shout that He is so strong!
It is through His gift and His grace that I KNOW that I will see Christian one day. I KNOW that I will spend eternity with Jesus. I KNOW that this life is fleeting (way too fleeting on the good days and way too long on the bad!). I KNOW that I can grieve differently than those who have not given their lives to Him.
And it is through His strength that I can face each morning.
How will you face each morning? How will you face eternity? And if you were to die today, do you KNOW where you will spend eternity?
Because we have no guarantee of tomorrow. Or even tonight.
If you would like to leave a comment, please do so over HERE. (It's easier for me to reply from my OSH site).
My little brother is in town for a job interview. For being a punk brother, I sure do miss his mug.
He looks normal, I know.
But don't be fooled. He's not called Crazy Uncle Stephen for no reason!
I thought it would be fun to interview him for my blog.
(Ha! When I started "thinking" is precisely where I messed up.)
Anyhow, take the following with a grain of salt and consider the source. This information is from the same kid who tripped me ON PURPOSE in our parents' driveway when he was in high school and I was in college. I had to have bandaid's y'all. It was that bad.
ME: Hey Stephen, I want to interview you for my blog.Just because.
BRO: 'kay.
ME: Whatdo you think about when you think of us growing up together?
BRO: Honestly, you were the only sister I was scared of... the only one. That and you were the best farter.
ME: What?!I was the best burper!I could burp on demand and burp the alphabet. I didn’t fart.
BRO: Are you kidding?You were the worst by far.
ME: Okay, I’m ending this interview right now.
See what I mean? I was tormented by him! And HE LIES.
But I'll forgive him because he did give me a cutie-patootie nephew and all. That's gotta count for something, right?
Aaah... Who am I kidding? I'm going to miss him when he goes back to Washington tomorrow. He is funny, kind, intelligent and just plain fun to be around. I also give him points for being the only boy out of five siblings-- and living to tell about it.
Even if the telling sometimes includes lies and all.
PS Are you offended that I used this "f" word? I hope not, though I will be the first to admit that it is quite an unladylike term!
I can't believe it's already here-- the birthday de double digits!
HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY, AUSTIN!
I made his cake on Friday night in anticipation of an early celebration with David's parents. But since the cake smelled so yummy and the homemade frosting was beckoning, it was a unanimous decision to celebrate early!
So we had cake (red is Austin's favorite color) and gifts that very night. Even though his birthday is today (Sunday)! :)
Oops! The icing was stickier than I thought!
(Ack! Ignore the gross and disgustingly dirty trashcan.)
Happy Birthday, my Austie-bostie! I am so glad that *I* am your mommy!!! Your hugs, sweet smile and tenderness makes my heart melt. I love you!
When he's not working, David will most likely be wearing athletic shorts and a t-shirt (solid color- because tall sizes in a graphic shirt are hard to come by... well, except this Game Over one apparently!).
I often wear a skirt and t-shirt in the summer and jeans and t-shirt in the winter. While my skirts are printed or boldly colored, I prefer to play it safe when it comes to shirts.
My favorite color?
Yup, the good ole standard black shirt. See, I don't have too many do I?
(Oops. That's not counting any tank tops, long sleeved shirts or sweaters that might be lurking in my closet. Oh, and that one v-neck in the laundry basket.)
Sometimes my friends and family laugh about my penchant for the dark side, but I really think it's a flattering color on me and when I wear it, I feel confident and comfortable.
I had to make a conscious effort to put on that blue shirt the other day!
So, what's your uniform? Do you have a go-to color or style? Maybe I want to shake it up a bit around here.
On the way to church, there is one building that constantly gets some sort of remark from my boys-- and that is the "Country Club."
Lest ye think, ahem, that it is a high falootin' sort of place, it is the Country Club Bar. As in a seedy cinder block building set right nextto the railroad tracks (because drunks and train tracks are always a stellar combination, y'all).
When my boys were younger, they'd ask about it and what people might do there.
They asked questions like "So what kind of drinks, mommy?" And I'd tell them that people would probably be drinking beer and liquor in there. When explaining liquor, I told them it was stinky, tasted bad and I'm sure burned their throats.
That's when they started whispering to each other "*gasp!* Look! That's where those people drink hot drinks instead of go to church!"
If that wasn't funny enough, conversation took a more interesting turn when we added three little girls to the mix last Wednesday night.
Upon passing the Country Club, this was overheard:
"You can't get drunk from drinking root beer because it's just soda."
"What do you think they do in there?
-I bet they play pool and drink beer. -And smoke cigarettes!"
"And there are women in there too! And they show their bellybuttons!"
This is the point where Austin, who will be 10yo on Monday, loudly sucked in his breath.
One of the girls turned to him and said "It's not funny, Austin!"
He replied, "I don't think it's funny! I think it's DISGUSTING!"
And all five children concurred that it was indeed sinful and disgusting to be showing your bellybutton.
We tackle deep, spiritual subjects in our devotional time, can't you tell?
This is a much littler Noah on a trip to The Children's Museum. Every time I looked at him, I smiled.
Okay, it was more like busted a gut!
Hmmm... perhaps I should use this tactic with my boys on one of our not-so-great days? I think it would be impossible to be angry if you had to look at a face like that all day long!
It just so happens that the very brilliant Beth from Pages of Our Life shared this very handy-dandy tip with me.
"If you place the subject just inside the door of a house where there is no wall behind them, and you stand outside with your camera looking in, it creates dramatic lighting right on the subject."
Since I wanted a picture with my boys (as in a picture of ME and MY BOYS-- AT THE SAME TIME), I set up my camera on a tripod and used a remote. If you don't have a remote, you can try using your camera's self-timer feature and use the *gasp* auto feature. It's probably the only time you would want to hug the auto feature. Ahhh... room to breathe.
Then it got a little crowded. And I liked it.
Oops! Sorry about that Noah. We scooted over a little and tried to make a pirate face. Some more successful than others.
And got to spend time with my two fabuloso friends Sprittibee and Rachel.
They're real, y'all!
I have to add that babyBee is adorable and he is blessed to have such an awesome big sister that adores him! And Rach, it was great to finally meet your other half.
I wish we could've hung out longer but am very thankful for the time that we did get to spend together. :)
I popped in to visit EspeciallyHeather's blog tonight and read this post.
I read it, moved on to another one, and then decided to go back to it and read the comments. I don't know why I actually read the comments this time (versus skimming or skipping them altogether)-- it's not something that I usually do.
Heather wrote about the name Jehovah-Jireh, meaning "God will provide." It got my wheels turning about how God really does provide.
Peggy in the comments section got me thinking even more.
When my Christian passed away almost a year ago, I had a great fear of something happening to Austin and Noah. They must have slept on the floor of our bedroom for over a month! We just wanted to see them, hear them, feel them, be with them.
I kept thinking to myself, "What would I do if they were taken from me? How could I bear it?"
It was a strange battle in my heart and mind-- God telling me I need to trust Him with them and me telling God that I don't want to-- not yet and maybe not ever! (I can be such a brat sometimes.)
But God is much nicer than I am.
He didn't punish me with the silent treatment. He has more than proved himself to me this past year in His capacity to comfort, to guide, to bless, to hold up, to give much grace when much grace was needed.
And you know what? I finally laid that fear of losing my boys-- and even losing David-- at God's feet.
See? I trusted God.
So what's the problem?
It's not my fear of something happening TO them, but my fear FOR them if something were to happen to ME!
Would they be okay without me? I don't want them to suffer, to grow up without a mommy (or wife), to hurt so badly, to go through that dark valley yet again!!! How could they possibly bear it?!
As I read Heather's post and Peggy's comment, God spoke to me.
He will provide.
He will provide. If God can speak Heaven and Earth into existence, He can certainly handle the lives of my husband and boys!
He will provide. God doesn't lie and He keeps his promises 100% of the time! If God said it, He's going to do it.
He will provide. We cannot even comprehend the thoughts and ideas of God. I would never want to limit God with my lowly ways when His ways are so much higher! I don't have to understand the how's and why's of His provision in order for Him to be fully capable.
It's also rather absurd to think that God would only provide for me and not for my husband and children too, don't you think?
I have to trust God. I have to trust that God will take care of them. I have to let go of that fear, that worry, that anxiety. He will provide a way of escape. He will be their comfort. He will bind up their wounds. I have to trust Him.
I have no idea why that dragonfly (or damselfly?) flew from that vibrant rose over to this one...
Ewwww!!! Maybe there were more bugs to eat on the dead plant?
I have never been very good at bug or animal identification. Not even with a simple guidebook, y'all. Is there a studious entomologist out there that can help me?
It was fun to see that my sister Coco had the same idea today! But she was smart enough to keep it wordless. I have always been know to let my big mouth get me in trouble and prove my ignorance.
Ms. Susie had a baby,
his name was Tiny Tim
She put him in the bathtub to see if he could swim
He drank up all the water,
He ate up all the soap
He tried to eat the bathtub,
but it wouldn't go down his throat!
Ms. Susie called the doctor
The doctor called the nurse
The nurse called the lady with the alligator purse!
And I have no idea how the rest of the song goes. But what got that song stuck in my head was this super great find at the store the other day. Look what I got for $10!!!
The bright green color is just the perky-pick-me-up that I needed!
I. love. it.
I am not a purse switcher. I am a devoted purse owner... if I love you, dear purse, I will be committed to you. I won't change purses to go with different outfits. Once I have found you, I will put my arm through yours no matter what I happen to be wearing-- even if it doesn't match and even if it clashes!
Since you deserve honesty, I must confess that once your good looks have spoiled or you begin to weigh so much that my shoulder and neck begin to hurt, I will have to discard you. Never to be used again.
Not ever.
(Well, unless you're this one clutch that I really like, but let's face it.. a clutch isn't a practical everyday kind of accessory for a momma who needs her hands to be free. It's more for certain occasions.)
So what are your purse habits? How many do you have in your closet?
Although our year-round homeschooling selves won't be finished with the 2008-2009 school year until the end of September, I've already been making plans for this next school year.
One thing I am definitely keeping the same is our BLOCK SCHEDULING. This basically means that we are not doing everysingle subject every single day.
Every day: Handwriting, Math, Spelling
Monday/Wednesday: Language Arts, History
Tuesday/Thursday: Science, Latin, Art, Music
Also noteworthy is the fact that Austin (10yo) and Noah (8yo) are at separate levels in Math and Language Arts. All the other subjects, however, are taken together. With my time being at a premium and the two of them being so close in age, it just doesn't make sense to do otherwise!
While I detest assigning grade levels, for simplicity's sake we will say that Austin is going into 5th grade and Noah into 3rd grade.
P.E.:
Seriously? They are BOYS. They like to throw water balloons, dig holes, ride bikes (with homemade ramps), play baseball in the yard with daddy, shoot hoops, go to the driving range, play soccer, ride scooters, catch frogs, go camping, fly kites... need I say more?
To see what others have lined up for the new school year, visit Blog Hop central at My3Boybarians.
And don't forget to add your own post! FYI, schedule for the rest of this month:
I was in the third grade when I finally "got" what my dad meant whenever we had this conversation:
Kids:Daddy, we're hungry!
Dad:Nice to meet you Hungry, I'm dad.
Yup, hilarious.
Not.
He said this quite often so it truly was a lightbulb moment for me when it clicked in my head! When I explained the revelation to my younger siblings, only one of them "got" it too. Oh well. They all figured it out eventually (I'm assuming).
(I must have no shame in posting this picture. For the record, I was younger than this in the aforementioned trip down memory lane. Also, those are my pj's... not real clothes. It's embarrassing either way though.)
To carry on the sad tradition (and because it's a fact that you always end up saying things your parents said), I'll do that to my boys sometimes.
Mommy, I'm hungry.
Glad to meet you hungry, I'm mommy.
They haven't gotten it... yet. They just kind of tilt their heads and laugh at me. Because I am apparently so very silly. But one day, they will laugh (or groan) because they'll realize that I am so very clever.
I read this old Quaker saying today. Something to not just meditate on, but to take action!
What am I to do? I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good work, therefore, any kindness, or any service I can render to any soul of man or animal, let me do it now. Let me not neglect or defer it, for I shall not pass this way again.
Sometimes we get too busy in the course of the day (or week or month) to stop and think of others. It is easy to get caught up in our own needs and wants, and we forget how easy it is to encourage others, to just be a friend. And often it takes up far less of our time than we think it will. It is more a matter ofresolve than schedule!
Is there someone around you that might need a friend or a listening ear? Perhaps someone crossed your mind and you thought to yourself "I should send her a note" or "I should have them over for coffee." Many times it only takes a minute to let them know that someone cares about them. That life does not have to be lonely. That they do matter. That God does love them. That not everyone who claims to be a Christian is a hypocrite.
***
It isn't the thing you do, dear,
It's the thing you leave undone,
Which gives you the bitter heartache
At the setting of the sun;
The tender word unspoken,
The letter you did not write,
The flower you might have sent, dear,
Are your haunting ghosts at night.
The stone you might have lifted
Out of your brother's way,
The bit of heartsome counsel
You were too hurried too much to say;
The loving touch of the hand, dear,
The gentle winsome tone,
That you had no time or thought for,
With troubles enough of your own.
These little acts of kindness,
So easily out of mind,
These chances to be angels,
Which even mortals find--
They come in night and silence,
Each chill reproachful wraith,
When hope is faint and flagging,
And a blight has dropped on faith.
For life is all too short, dear.
And sorrow is all too great,
To suffer our slow compassion
That tarries until too late.
And it's not the thing you do, dear,
It's the thing you leave undone,
Which gives you the bitter heartache,
At the setting of the sun.
When a boy has a splinter in his foot and tweezers don't work, daddy must then bust out the old needle.
And when a needle is produced, you get gigantic crocodile tears and one very sad boy...
Noah was yelling "Daddy, don't hurt me!" in the middle of the aforementioned operation.
David calmly replied, "Noah, the last thing I want to do is hurt you!"
Ahem. Insert BIG misunderstanding by Noah and even larger tears being produced.
Why?
Well, after I did this for him...
... we had this conversation:
N: Daddy really wanted to hurt me!
Me: No he didn't. Why do you think that?
N: Because he said he did! He said"The last thing I want to do is hurt you." See? It was the last thing he wanted to do! He wanted to do it!
Me: Noah, when daddy says that, it means that hurting you is the very last thing in the world he would ever want to do. Y'know, like he would rather poke his own eye out before he would ever want you to be hurt.
N: Oooohhhhh.
I speak boy talk, as evidenced by my poke-his-eye-out analogy that Noah obviously related very well to.
This is my little brother Stephen (pronounced Ste-fun) and his son Caden during our visit to Oregon this past May. I just can't get enough of Caden's kissable cheeks and those bright blue eyes! I think it's funny how Caden looks so serious while Stephen.... well, my boys call him Crazy Uncle Stephen for a reason. It just fits him.
I hate that my sisters, brother and I are spread all over the country. I have hopes that everyone will come back to Texas for good one day, but I won't hold my breath. ;)
It's a happy day when I get a rare glimpse into the mind of my mysterious Noah. Much of his life, he has been the quiet one of my boys, often keeping his thoughts and emotions inside. Every once in a while he would ask a profound question, but only after he had sufficiently pondered it.
Nowadays he can be quite the chatty-McChatster with his words and thoughts spilling out of his mouth, barely able to catch his breath for the excitement of having to tell you what's on his mind!
This morning, the silliness and funny that is Noah came out in the magical moments just after he woke up.
I had a weird long dream.
You and daddy were FAMOUS!
Y'all had your own restaurant! And it had your own picture on it and the picture was made out of lightbulbs. I saw all of this when I flew over in a little airplane.
Daddy, you, Austin and I were on a boat in the sea. There were a bunch of tires on the boat. We'd repair the tires but daddy kept getting seasick. Every time he got seasick, the tires would break again.
Me: Why did you have tires on a boat? What did you need them for?
I don't know mommy-- I told you it was a weird dream!
Let's see... We even took baths. We'd jump into the sea but it would be just like bathtub water... nice, warm bathtub water!
Then this storm suddenly came up and lightning struck right next to us.
We had to take the boat and go hide in a cave. And you know what? There were scorpions and bats and spiders on the ceiling of that cave!
It never did rain.
If your kids ever wake up remembering their dreams, write it down! There's something fun about saving odd and ends of a childhood like this... remembering the little moments, the little dreams (even especially if they're weird!)
We finally got some rain these past couple of days. It's amazing how a yard can transform from brown, scratchy grass to green and overgrown and full of these guys:
One day last summer, Christian and I were under the big swinging tree in the backyard where we spied a giant of a mushroom. It was seriously h-u-g-e, unlike that piddly thing you see up there. Christian was quite excited about the strange, squishy growth that was most definitely not there the day before.
Being the 3 year old that he was, examination and scientific study was not going to be on his agenda. Instead, Christian quickly ran to the garage and came back with...
... his favorite golf club.
Fooouuuuurrrr!!!
Does it get anymore redneck than yard golf? Oh wait. Around here it does. :)
I wish I had a picture of him from that day. It was his last afternoon here in our earthly home. But God knew then and He knows now that maybe I didn't really need pics from that day. Perhaps I'd look back on them with sorrow instead of remembering the joys of that day?
As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
~Psalm 18:30
Anyhow, I can't help but think of Christian whenever I see a mushroom-- be it in the yard or at the grocery store. :-) He's the only one of the boys (including David) that would even take a taste of my homemade cream of mushroom soup. And I make good soup, y'all!
Oh, before I forget, I know David would appreciate me mentioning the fact that Christian hit that mushroom steady, straight and blew it to smithereens. He had some mad golfing skillz!
I laid (lay?) awake in bed last night until 3am just thinking about stuff like...
I really hope our washing machine is fixed for real this time. Repair attempts (under warranty) have been made three times in the past month. I've been too chicken to run a load to see if it works. While laundromats are an option, they are not my favorite for several reasons-- the chiefest being that I used to work at one while I was in college. Laundry by the pound for college kids is gross.
There are a couple of elderly widows at church that I would like to become better friends with. Not only because friendships are a blessing that runs both ways, but because old people are just fun, y'all. They have the most interesting stories and will often surprise you with a sharp and quirky sense of humor!
My sister Lele is prego and due in January. Her and her husband have taken to calling the baby different names according to its growth-- names such as sesame seed, blueberry, garbanzo, and lemon. The only problem with that is that I keep picturing her having a lemon in her belly!
I know that is an absolute impossibility because I've seen her ultrasound pictures.
When I was prego, we simply called the baby "baby" until we came up with their name.
(Try to not be in too much awe of my creativity-- I know it is simply astounding.)
1.) Did you have any special names for the little peanut-chicklet-baby in your belly?
2.) Do you ever speak in baby talk? Y'know, that annoyingly high pitched ridiculous voice that no baby could possibly understand? Once in a blue moon I catch myself speaking like that and must teach myself a lesson by washing my mouth out with soap.
It's a wonder I ever get any sleep around here, what with all the profound and intellectual contemplations that bombard me in the dark hours of the night.
Yesterday, my Noah celebrated his 8th birthday. Although we spent half the day driving to visit my parents, it was still a very special day that we celebrated together as a family. Balloons were hung in his doorway while he was sleeping, notes hung on the mirror, gifts wrapped... and ice cream cake from Coldstone at halmonee and grandpa's house!
The BIG day for the boys, however, was today when we took them to Six Flags! It was a scorching 102+ degrees but there were NO LINES!!! As in zero. We got there when they opened at 10:30am, rode all the rides (except the Tony Hawk ride which was broken), and left around 3pm. The boys even admit to be roller-coastered out!
Strange Confession: I can ride the Superman, Batman and almost every roller coaster. But what really scares me? The swings.
You can stop laughing now.
Really. I mean it.
Back to the purpose of this post...
Happy Birthday to my sleep-loving, goofy grinning, army man loving, Scooby-Doo PJ wearing, says he's a daddy's boy (but I know better), 8 year old Noah!!! You make me so happy and I love you very much!
(Don't worry, I won't make you wear a hat like that ever again. Unless you're in BIG trouble or something.)
(This was definitely the year of lost front teeth. I'm going to miss that wonky-pirate grin... it's already changed into something more.. ummm... normal?)
I also want to wish my very awesome (older! bwahaha!) sister Coco a very happy birthday today!!! I love you Coco! (We need another pic of the two of us together-- this is the only one I could find!)
David and the boys went to the dentist yesterday. According to the dentist (because doesn't everyone go to the dentist to get weighed and measured?) Austin has grown 4 inches this past year. And with the 4 inches, he's only gained 4 pounds!
THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED. Congrats to ze winners that have been contacted via e-mail!
And lest I forget, from now until midnight on Monday, July 13th, they are having a special "buy 1 get 1 free" sale-- so you and a friend can attend for only $12.95!!! That is a pretty dang-diggity good deal if you ask me!
To enter, simply leave a comment here. While not required, I would be much obliged if you would also spread the word on your blog, twitter or facebook! I thank thee kindly for thine assistance, my friends.
Two weeks ago, David and I spent a few days in San Antonio with our good friends Tim and Laura. The Riverwalk area is a romantic place to stroll hand in hand-- interesting people, delicious dining options (well, except for this one Italian place that was super yucky. note to self: stick with Mexican food when visiting SA!), and picturesque areas to sit and relax.
Look! David is smiling in this picture! :) He's not as mean as his bald head makes him look sometimes.
When strolling about hand-in-hand in the aforementioned romantic Riverwalk, people smiled at us and were just super friendly. At first I didn't see the glances and smiles by complete strangers for what they really were.
This one couple laughed and asked David to stop so they could look closer at his shirt-- that's when I KNEW.
Hey, people think we're NEWLYWEDS!!!
It would've been a-okay if this were due to how young or in love we look.
But nope. That wasn't the reason. Wanna see the real reason?!
Yup, the old "Game Over" shirt given to him not by his old buddies back in the day, but from some certain boys at our church who know that David loves him some Xbox 360! How sad is that?
It is kinda funny though. Especially how the groom is frowning and the bride is smiling.
You'd think that a day like today wouldn't be a big deal. After all, it's just Independence Day... it's not like it's Christmas, a birthday, Mother's Day, Father's Day or anything like that.
We were blessed to be able to hang out and have dinner at a dear friend's house today. We had a marvelous time! After dinner, swimming for the kids, and a movie, it was a quiet ride home-- David trying to get comfortable in his seat (he had his appendix taken out this past Tuesday) and the boys just sitting and looking out the window at all the fireworks stands.
Their favorite was always one close to our house. While we never actually bought from them, the boys would comment year-round on the perfect name of this stand: Po-man's Fireworks. Only, they never said "poh" or "poor"... they'd always laugh hysterically and call it POO man's fireworks!
It's almost as if David and I could read each other's minds. We couldn't help but think of this time last year. When we still had Christian with us. When he'd look at his big brothers and laugh at the word "poo" with them! :)
I still remember the giant bag of fireworks we got from our friend Loren. Man, my little pyro's LOVE fireworks! This set of pictures makes me smile fondly every time I think of fireworks.
David had been outside with the boys shooting a few off when Christian walked in the door. All I could see behind his black smudged face were these bright blue eyes! Talk about dirty! They would light a black snake, watch it "grow" and then he'd insist on picking it up. The snake's powdery black body would disintegrate in Christian's hand, and yet he would never give up on the impossible taks of trying to hold the thing!
It is just one of many memories that are etched in my mind. And I am glad for it.
I really really really miss him. Like Austin said the other night, it just isn't the same around here without him.
To keep the very long week from turning into a very long (and dull) post, here is a not-so-long rundown of the past week:
- This past Friday, Austin and Noah attended a very special bereavement camp for children called Camp Agape. Not only did they have fun with all the activities (swimming, kayaking, horseback riding, archery), but they saw that they are not alone in their grief. I might have to make a whole separate post about this camp-- it was that good.
The boys really enjoyed their time at Camp Agape and were able to work through many of their emotions concerning Christian's death. They are also still talking about how much they enjoyed their buddies for the weekend. So Dennis and Phil, if you happen to be reading this, THANK YOU for taking the time to care for my boys. You have impacted them positively during a very difficult time in their lives. I don't think they will ever forget you!
- This past week also marked the passing from this life into eternal life for a good friend of ours-- Zared Zajicek. He was seriously injured when he fell through a roof. He is survived by his sweet bride April (they were married in May), amazing parents, four sisters, one brother and many friends. I could say so much about Zared and his family-- how they have been such a blessing to David and I over the years, how much we will miss Zared and how our hearts are heavy with sorrow for his family. And yet I have no words. It's like they are all somehow crammed into my heart and I can't get them to come out. *sigh*
You can read more about him at www.a-zupdate.com. If you feel led, please make a contribution to help April with her living expenses until she can sort out the next step in her life.
- The morning of Zared's funeral, my husband David woke up with a tremendous pain in his upper abdomen and chest. He was really hurting, y'all! I rushed home, saw that he had been vomiting since 8am, and took him to the ER.
After an insufferable wait, ECG, ultrasound and CAT scan, they determined that it was his appendix. It is hard to believe that they could take that out laporoscopically! Three little incisions and that poisonous thing was removed. The good thing about that kind of surgery is that it is not only fairly routine nowadays, but you get immediate relief from the pain. We are so glad to be home now and very thankful for modern medicine and health insurance!
- I am so happy that my mom and dad came to visit! I really am blessed with wonderful parents and in-law's.
I was hoping to make this witty and interesting. Oh well. I think just getting it all written out without falling asleep was an accomplishment in and of itself!
Fourteen years and 2 days ago, I walked into the Federal Building in Dallas, TX to take the Air Force Officer Qualification Test. I sat next to this handsome, confident and funny young man. We had lunch that day. A week later, he finally asked me out by saying "So when are you going to let me take you out?"
We were engaged 3 months later. Here's a pic of us at our first Christmas together a la Sears:
Brrrr... doesn't that realistic background give you the chills and make you want to drink some hot chocolate and sing Christmas carols?
That's what I thought.
I graduated college in May and we were married in June.
Anyone want to tell me to say Cheese and smile? I was a tulle princess marrying my prince (that looked like he had a mullet in many a wedding photo courtesy of bad lighting and poor photography skillz). Look how young we all look!
David was already working for Continental Express and made Captain by that Christmas. We honeymooned in Cancun and began our married life in Cleveland, Ohio.
When we first got married, I would wake up every day and be amazed that this was my life-- how blessed I was! I couldn't believe that I got to spend the rest of my life with this wonderful man. That we could be together all the time.
And you know what? I still feel that way today.
HAPPY 13TH ANNIVERSARY, MY LOVE!!!
Maybe next year I won't wait so last minute to make our anniversary post and be able to wax a little more eloquent about just how much I love thee! :)
Next to the Father-Son campout in the fall, Austin and Noah's favorite Master Club (like Awanas) activity is the Pinewood Derby.
POP QUIZ: Can you guess which car up there belongs to Noah?
The Derby is a fun time of food and fellowship with friends from church. Since this is a race, the goal for many is to build the fastest car. We are not quite there with the car building skillz to win first place (or any place!) when it comes to speed. Our enjoyment comes from building a car from the boys' imagination and shooting for a win in the Most Creative category.
Oh and it is always a good idea for the car to make to all the way to the end of the track! I am ashamed to admit that this year, we had a vehicle stop cold right in the middle of the track. Not once, but TWICE! Sorry Austin! But look, him and his yummy car forgive us!
Doesn't his car look delicioso?
Austin worked with David to make the dish part of the car. He made the ice cream, banana and toppings with Crayola Model Magic. Neat-o, don't you think? Slow car but still fun!
**Did you figure out which car up there was Noah's?**
It seems whenever Noah is concerned, an army man must always be involved. In fact, I had to get on to him tonight for hiding army men and Lego's in his bed so he can play with them at night! Silly boy. At least this guy has his arms-- they purposefully maim their guys in battle sometime. To make it more real. Ummm... okay.
Noah was double blessed this Derby because his car not only made it to the end of the track every single time, but he also won the trophy for Most Creative. Congrats Noah-boah!
He is very proud of his trophy. What is it with kids and trophies anyway? Maybe I should make myself a trophy. Y'know, like "Queen Mother of the Year" or something.
Austin was happy for Noah to win. Austin actually won Most Creative for his police tank car back in his first Derby. And Christian even won a trophy last year for 2nd place in speed. :) Courtesy of Luke-- thanks, Luke!
So big smiles all around-- with or without trophies!
And if that thin young man with shades and a motor scooter wasn't enough, he wrote this on the back of the photo:
"In case you don't recognize this handsome, debonaire, playboy. It's me. Show this to Dan & all pretty girls."
I admit it... I totally busted a gut when I read the back of this picture-- especially the part about showing it to all pretty girls! Oh my oh my oh my! How funny is that?!
This is completely opposite of what I know my dad to be like. Not that he isn't handsome or anything... he's just a rather quiet, devoted man that has been married to my mom for over 3 decades. So it's hard to see him as a "debonaire playboy". It does make me think that I need to ask my dad a few more questions about his childhood and young adult life. Maybe even bring out the old voice recorder.
Are y'all surprised by old pictures of your parents or how they used to be back in the day?
This also makes me wonder what my boys are going to think about David and I when we were younger. Or even if they were to look back to how we are right now... would anything be surprising to them? Would we seem like normal parents or like old fogey's? Maybe I should ask them when they wake up in the morning. Or maybe I just don't want to know.
David just walked into the room with a stack of mail in his hands. He says "Uh-oh. IRS for..." and then proceeded to name our business name.
I'm pretty much thinking this cannot be good and had that pukey feeling in my stomach.
Thoughts of a previous letter from the IRS saying we owed $13,000 ran through my head-- fortunately, that incident was simply a clerical error and easily fixed (whew!). But this time?!
He continues to read "Blah blah blah... please notify us of where to send... the overpayment..."
Overpayment?! He is just lucky I didn't have something in my hand to throw at him-- a fistful of coupons just wouldn't have caused the appropriate amount of damage!!! Okay, I'm going to calm down now. Maybe.
Seriously though, IS IT EVER A GOOD IDEA TO KID ABOUT THE IRS?! I think not. And this is definitely not something that is easily forgotten just because you say "I love you, baby!" with a smile on your face. In fact, perhaps the smile is not a good idea. And that he laughed? Yah, not a wise move either buddy.
Ack! I still feel my heart racing and all weird in my stomach. And someone needs to give David some marriage tips here. Y'know, like a top 10 list of things NOT to do!
David definitely balances me. I am not a prankster by nature, but he is. He usually holds back on playing tricks on me because the benefits don't always ever outweigh the consequences. :) I guess this time he just didn't have enough self control!
I need to go walk 10 miles or do the super hula hoop on the Wii fit... anything to get unfrazzled.
When I was little, we used to check out all the Garfield and Peanuts comic books we could find at our rinky dink base library. But that was back in the old days. Nowadays, however, look what the latest comics have turned up!
Yup, we are schooling through the summer. Actually, we hope to finish up the current year in, ahem, well... let's just say summer should be officially over by then! You can read more about it on my latest post (and leave some comment luv) over at Heart of the Matter: http://heartofthematteronline.com/summer-school-isnt-so-bad/
-Look! I'm finally in 2007 or something and enabled the RSS thingy-ma-bob where you can type in your e-mail address and get my blog in your e-mail. Better late than never in catching up with last year's (or is it more like 3 years ago?) technology! ============>
-It's not too late to sign up for the A Woman Inspired Conference! The current conference is about online ministry-- although it covers topics that I know many of you would be interested in (Facebook, Twitter, updating your blog, and more).
-And lastly but not leastly, Austin and Noah are currently at Jr Bible Camp until Friday morning. I must suffer a week without them at home with my dear husband who is off of work. I know, you're crying a tear for me. :) I do miss the boys though. It's kinda weird (and sad) being here without the noise, laughter and presence of my little guys. But you can bet that I'll make the most of my hubby time!
I have the very best friends and family-- thank you all for your prayers, love and encouragement.
You. bless. me.
I had heard Andrew's Song by Mandisa before and forgotten about it. My sister Coco sent it to me the other day and I had the pleasure of listening to it again. The words are wonderful and Mandisa's voice is amazing.
Y'know, I definitely don't cry for Christian, I just get a little sad for myself sometimes. And that's okay. This world is temporary and when I get to the real world, I cannot wait for Christian to show me around! He couldn't be in more loving arms-- the arms of Jesus. And those same arms are around me and my family as well. I am eternally grateful for those arms and the nail scars on his hands that he bore for me. He suffered for ME! The very least I can do is praise Him for all that He has done and for all that He is!
But thy lovingkindess is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
[Psalm 63:3-5]
I was riding a bike with my oldest son Austin. It was a tandem bike that went surprisingly fast for having two riders on it. As we approached a small playground adjacent to a building, something made me slam on the brakes. HARD. We skidded across the sidewalk and the rear part of the bike flew up in the air, hurling Austin across the pavement and head first into the sand. I immediately knew that he must be desperately injured. Disentangling myself from the bike was no easy task, but the panic rising in my chest urged me forward.
I ran to the sandy playground to see if Austin was moving, breathing, alive! But for some reason I couldn't focus. A child, a little boy was yelling or making some sort of sound effects in play. I could see him out of the corner of my eye. Man, he was being really loud, forcing me to move my eyes away from the sand and over to him.
Hey, do you mind being quiet over there?! Someone is really hurt over here!
As I heard myself screaming out these words, the boy looked at me. He was wearing a purple shirt and these little red knit shorts with a navy stripe down the side. I looked a little closer and noticed that he must be close to 4 years old, yellow hair, blue eyes dancing, and a mischievous little grin on his face.
It finally hit me. I began yelling at the top of my lungs "Look!!! That boy has yellow hair and blue eyes! It's my boy! That's him over there!"
It was already too late. Christian was gone.
Despair swept over me and I began to cry. The kind of crying that reaches deep within as if it were pulling out the last breath, the last ounce of hope from me.
I woke up with this crying. Weeping out loud. David asked me what was wrong, but all I could think to say was That boy had yellow hair! It was him! But then he was gone!
I honestly have not had many dreams about Christian this past year. The first dream I had of him after he died, I was walking through an airport terminal. He came from behind me on a little scooter-- he just kept on going way ahead of me. It was like he was on his way to a particular place. I think we were heading to the same place, but at his speed he was definitely going to get there before me. :-)
There was one particular week that I was have a rather difficult time with things-- being sad and just missing him terribly. God blessed me with this amazingly clear dream where I was holding Christian-- holding him close with his legs wrapped around me. He'd kiss me and then kind of sit back a little and look at me and LAUGH. I woke up that morning feeling like I really did get to hold him and kiss him-- I could still feel the weight of him on me and the softness of his cheeks and how his lips were kinda boney feeling because when he'd kiss you, he'd always smile and you could be sure to feel his teeth right behind his stretched out lips.
This dream, however, was very strange, don't you think? I still haven't figured it out yet. I know we don't always have to figure out things-- like why I have dreams about a gorilla hanging underneath my car as I'm driving down the road. But honestly, whenever I have a dream about Christian, it usually ministers directly to my hurting heart (like the hugs and kisses) or tells me something (like the airport- he reached Heaven first, a real place!).
You know what else is weird? I can remember exactly what he was wearing in my dream. This purple-ish shirt:
And these red shorts:
Not the best pictures of my littlest man, but they still make me smile-- ugly painting clothes and all!
I really don't know why I'm even posting this. Maybe I just want to cry because it reminds me that Christian was really here. Because some days, it feels like those precious years with him were just a dream... a figment of my imagination. Others days it feels like he is just in the other room and I think that maybe this is the dream and that is reality (oh if it were true!). *sigh*
Thanks for reading down this far, y'all. I'm sure I have made zero sense here, but it's been good to get it all out instead of saving it as a draft only to delete it a couple days later.
And since I still have ya here, I might as well force a family video on you. Y'know, like crazy Uncle Charlie that corners you and forces you to listen to that same old story he's told a dozen times? :-) Here is one of monster-spiderman-Christian whooping up on his villainous big brothers (July 2007).
If my boys were to rewrite history, there would be less yawning and much more drama.
Maybe the heavy artillery is required because there's gold in there? Who knows what kind of treasure is being safeguarded? If I ask the boys, it seems that the answer changes each time or they suddenly don't remember (which is code for: Hey mom, will you stop asking us these questions and just let us play?).
For the record: I'd hate to be the soldier that has the dinosaur doodoo duty.
Sometimes a little lazy goes a long way-- at least when it comes to a fun breakfast. Because if it requires a lot of effort when it's early in the morning (okay, DO NOT look at the clock in the background!), then we will never get fancier than a bowl of cereal. :)
This past week, the last "loose end" was tied when we received Christian's marker.
I know that many people feel guilty about not having a marker made right away. But really, what's the rush? It's hard enough to sum up your precious loved one's life in so few words without having to worry about a timeline. Besides, the marker is not for the person who has died, but for the people that are left behind-- for us! The final product was worth the wait and not rushing into decisions that we might later regret.
See the little oval on the right? There's a custom bronze frog right in the middle of it. When you lift the cover up, you see this:
There just doesn't seem to be enough years between those two dates up there. It reminds me that a successful life isn't the number of years lived, but that we fulfill God's purpose for our life in the time that we are given! It is not my place to question God-- He is The Creator and I am merely His creation. But I trust Him and I take Him at His Word.
It's not goodbye... it really isn't. It's more like see you in a little while.
I Thessalonians 4:13-18
"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
In honor of temperatures in the 90s, I give you this yummy recipe that is neither too sweet nor too heavy. And the best thing is that this one recipe makes two pies-- so you can be neighborly and give one away, or be a happy hog and keep them both to yourself. :)
Creamy Blueberry Pie
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups whipped topping
2 (9 inch) pastry shells, baked
1 (21 ounce) can blueberry pie filling
Prick your pie crusts with a fork and bake according to package directions. My favorite is Mrs. Smith's Deep Dish (although the deep dish will give you shallow pies). Let cool.
In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Pour mixture into pastry shells. Spread with pie filling. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
I thought it was perfect just as it was. Then I flipped it over to see this...
My first glimpse of those bright blue eyes literally took my breath away. I cried a lot after opening this unexpected gift, but it was a good kind of crying.
I'm in northern California visiting my baby sister Debbie (aka Bobo) and her hubsy-wubsy Aubrey. They are a tres cute couple.
Today was our first full day here. Although the temp was in the 90s, it was still gorgeous outside! Our exciting day started off with a visit to the Jelly Belly Factory.
They had a pretty neat-o tour and gave away lots of free samples. While the boys were impressed with the soda flavors of jelly beans, I was rather engrossed with the nasty flavors of jelly beans-- the likes of skunk, toothpaste, and dirt. I even thought that the Rotten Egg flavored jelly beans weren't too bad. My little sis, however, almost puked it out. Sounds gross, doesn't it? But not as gross as Vomit flavored jelly beans!
We then made a quick stop at the Golden Gate Bridge...
...before we arrived at Muir Woods.
Even though I had these on my feet...
Boy did I feel silly clomping through the forest in these shoes! It made me feel like the girl that would show up to a pool party wearing makeup, giant hair and lots of jewelry. Silly and high maintenance.
The slightly sore feet and high-maintenance image were worth it though!
We leave on Thursday. I have a feeling it's going to get here all too soon!
*The reason I'm wearing those ridiculous-for-the-woods shoes is that it was a very last minute trip and there was no time to go back to the house to put on sensible tennis shoes. Just for the record and all...
+ You can sit in the same hotel room and still have a group chat going in googletalk.
+ You kinda laugh at how dorky you are for the aforementioned chat but do it anyway just because it's fun.
+ Even though you had never met "in real life" before, you will still travel from far away and be super excited about staying in the same hotel room together.
+ Gifts of matching sassy tinkerbell socks, Pringles and chocolate makes you happy.
Goodfriends are a blessing! What a blast we've had so far!
And although we're not rooming together, I am SO EXCITED that I got to hang out with Eeeemommy for a little while today! Look at how cute and very pretty she is!!! And tall. :)
What a fun convention it has been so far here in Cincinnati!!!
I have shingles. There's a big stabbing pain in my neck... I'm okay though. Sure it hurts, but it's not debilitating or anything. I wonder if I just don't have a severe case of it? Or maybe I have a high tolerance for pain?
Could be the high tolerance thing. Speaking of high tolerance for pain and pains in the neck, that makes me think of my little brother Stephen (pronounced "steh-fun"). When we were little, my sisters were scared of my punk of a little brother. Scared of him because he was weird, mean and would hit really really really hard. But never fear, Marsha is here! I would go up to him and fight him even though I KNEW that it would really hurt me. It was just worth it and I learned to cope. Now that we're older and can talk about such things, I am happy to report that I also caused him much physical pain-- hooray for me! LOL
So I guess I should thank him for training me to be tough or something. Too bad he doesn't have a blog so I could send all of y'all there to harass him. I am very thankful that he turned out to be a pretty cool little brother-- although that didn't happen until he was almost 18 years old! Now he's a man and all-- husband to Terri AND father to my cutie-patootie nephew Caden (who is much fatter, rounder, noisier and busier now than he is in this picture).
You turned out pretty good for a punk of a little brother, Stephen! I guess I should cut you some slack though for being the only boy with 4 sisters. You can't exactly survive that and be completely "normal".
And my daddy up there? Yup, he is O-ficially re-tired! Congrats, daddy! My mom and dad have been spending their hours of free time on the Wii. They totally *heart* Wii Golf. So much so that my mom can use the terms par, bogey and birdy correctly! That's just weird, y'all.
On a final note, I have learned much and been quite encouraged from the A Woman Inspired Conference this week. But since I am not in a serious, self-reflecting mood, I would like to pose this particular question that I have been pondering since Shelly Ballestero's talk on beauty:
How do YOU choose a shampoo?
Are you swayed by commercials? Would you NOT buy a particular shampoo b/c the commercial or ad campaign is completely annoying a la Herbal Essences? Do you choose one strictly for its smell/scent? Do you still hold out hope that the claims on the packaging will be true? What is your favorite shampoo/conditioner of all time?
Because I just need some light-heartedness (lighthearted-ness? lightheartedness?) around here, I thought it would be fun to do this note that I read on my little sister Bobo's Facebook profile. :)
Let others know a little more about yourself, re-post this as your name followed by "ology"
FOOD-OLOGY
What is your favorite salad dressing?
Homemade Ranch
What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
Korea Garden-- YUMMY!
What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of it?
Asian (can't say just Korean because I do get rice-d out after a while).
What are your pizza toppings of choice?
Cheese, pepperoni, bacon, and veggies (no olives-- they just taste gross and salty!)
What do you like to put on your toast?
Butter and grape jelly, although I occasionally get wild and slap on some red plum jam.
TECHNOLOGY
How many televisions are in your house?
Oh man, this is embarrassing. We have 4 tv's in the house and an itty-bitty one in the trunk of the van that I've been toting around for the past several months because I keep forgetting to give it to my friend Nancy (Nancy, do you still want the tv with the built-in VCR?)... but the other day I forgot that it ended up in the trunk again and I hit the breaks and heard a not-good breaking kind of sound back there. Too chicken to check it out.
What color cell phone do you have?
Black
What does the first text message in your in box say and who sent it?
I have no idea. I think it's from my friend Linda and we were talking about getting together for lunch sometime this week- Vietnamese, hopefully.
Who was the last person to call you?
My daddy.
BIOLOGY
Are you right-handed or left-handed?
Right.
Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
No, but my sis Coco did have this tumor the size of a grapefruit removed once... and now I really want a full body scan to make sure there aren't any baseballs somewhere inside me.
What is the last heavy item you lifted?
My big fat wallet full of money. (Oh, I kid. It was the boys' penny jar for our church penny drive-- they are hoping to beat the girls this year. They have been saving up since the VERY NIGHT they lost last year! LOL)
RANDOM-OLOGY
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
Absolutely not! But I think it's always a good idea to start each day asking yourself "Is this the day?" and live accordingly.
If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
I don't really like my name. While there are some beautiful names out there (Abigail, Christine, Leah, Deborah, Adeline, Isabella, Hope, Grace, Ava...), I couldn't imagine any of them being ME. So I guess I'll stick with what I have, thankyouverymuch.
Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
Nope. My luck, I'll get 3/4 of the way through and have a heart attack or something. All that trouble and to not end up with the money-- that would really stink!
DUMB-OLOGY
How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
Believe it or not, only 1 measly rough-looking pair. I had these fabulously comfortable gold-ish ones but the dumb dumb DUMB dogs chewed them up!
When is the last time you had a run in with the cops?
David got pulled over last week by a state trooper. But I wouldn't say they were the cops.
Last person you talked to in person:
David- he was conveniently located next to me just a minute ago. :)
Favorite Month(s)?
April (spring weather and my birthday!)
CURRENT-OLOGY
Missing someone?
Absolutely! Christian... man, that boy is always on my mind! I cannot wait to all be together again one day.
Mood?
Kinda sad even though we had a very good day today-- A Woman Inspired Conference, smell of fresh cut grass, lessons with the boys (and we FINISHED them!), 2 cappuccino's and both of the bathrooms are completely clean.
What are you listening to?
KSBJ radio station- the song I Can Only Imagine
Watching?
My computer screen? duh!
Worrying about?
Nothing. :)
RANDOM-OLOGY
Last movie you saw Prince Caspian with my boys.
Do you smile often?
YES!!! Even when I'm sad or moody, I have lots to be happy about! Speaking of smiling, if you saw this: >D Does that make you think "fish" or "smiling asian"? Just wondering..
Do you always answer your phone?
No. Not if I'm busy or if I'm just not in the phone-talking kind of mood. I also try to keep the phone off until after lunch so we can be sure to get school done.
It’s four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it?
It better be my friend Linda going into labor with her first child. She's due on my birthday this month!
If you could change your eye color what would it be?
I always wanted green eyes...would have loved to have inherited my dad's eyes! (Hey Bobo, we wished for the same color!)
Do you own a digital camera?
Yes- I *heart* my NikonD80
Have you ever had a pet fish?
When I was little we had LOTS of fish...but they all died when Diana Noel (a friend of the family) fed the fish TOO MUCH food!
Favorite Christmas song
O Holy Night (especially when you get to the part "Fall on your knees! Oh hear, the angel voices!")
What’s on your wish list for your birthday
I really really really want a birthday cake with 34 candles on it! Nothing else really (boring, huh?).
Can you do pushups?
I can, I just choose not to.
Can you do a chin up?
I wish I could, but I can't even do ONE! I am such a wimp. And the Presidential Fitness Award was not in the cards for me.
Does the future make you more nervous or excited?
I try to take it one day at a time, but I am definitely more excited than nervous.
Ever been in a car wreck?
Yes.
What is the last song to make you cry? Be Still My Soul. The words ring so true for me... read them sometime if you get a chance.
Plans tonight?
Just need to clean out David's closet and sort through the overabundance of junk in this house.
Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
Yes, although I'm sure it wasn't rock bottom... rock bottom is when you have no hope and can't see a way out. I am thankful for the hope that is found only through my Lord Jesus Christ!
Name three things you bought yesterday.
I went to the grocery store so I bought a whole lot more than just 3 things!!!
Have you ever been given roses?
Yes
Do you have an accent?
Yes, but it only comes out when I leave a voicemail for someone or when I say certain words, y'all!
Current hate right now?
Poison ivy.
Met someone who changed your life?
Yes, several!
What were you doing at 12 AM last night?
Reading a couple of blogs. I am such a party animal.
I have been pretty emotional all month long. At times, there has been a heaviness in my heart that is impossible to explain. I am not sure why this past month has been so difficult, perhaps the absence of Christian is beginning to sink in... it just seems a little more real that he is not here.
I was in this state of heart and mind the other day when I came home to find this in the backyard:
You start chasing a PEACOCK through your backyard and see if it doesn't give you a change of heart! It made a horrific sound when our dogs started chasing it-- it ran, honked and then flew straight up into a tree!
Just when I get in a funk of feeling sorry for myself, God does this. :)
I'm sure I looked quite comical chasing this bird from who knows where all around my backyard, camera in tow (obviously). As I was chasing and laughing and seeing the ridiculousness of the situation, I realized something... I can't predict the future and I can't control everything around me. But God can and He DOES! God has some amazing, interesting, funny, unimaginable and just plain good things in store for me and my family. Most likely given when I least expect it... and just when I need it the most.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusted in thee. ~Isaiah 26:3
As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. ~Psalm 18:30
Sometimes I drive myself crazy wondering if any of our homeschooling lessons are actually going to stick. Will my kids really remember the scientific method or this history lesson by the time next week rolls around? Will they even remember any of it tomorrow?!
Please follow me to HOTM to read the rest of my post! Oh and leave a comment over there, I lerve me some comments! :)
Earlier this week, the boys' bedroom received a fresh coat of paint and some furniture rearranging. As I was cleaning out their toy box (because they didn't do a good job of it themselves), I was surprised to run across several of Christian's Treasures... waaaaay down at the bottom of the toy box. I thought I had already put away most of his things, but wouldn't you know it? There they were just waiting for me... and waiting for just the right time to be discovered! In fact, I didn't even realize these things were lost. I guess I had forgotten about them or thought they were tossed long ago.
The first thing I found was...
...Christian's birthday frog! It's squishy and rubbery and feels gross when you hold it-- all the things he loved most about it! This was perched atop his 3rd birthday cake and I remember him laughing and squealing with delight when he first saw it. He also enjoyed showing it off to his friends when they would visit.
The next treasure I discovered was this...
...Christian's once upon a time it was clean stuffed elephant. I think we acquired this when he was a baby-- perhaps a baby shower gift? I honestly don't remember. But I do remember Elephant keeping him company in his pack and play (ummm... we just didn't do a real crib this time around). And as Christian got older, this little guy was soft and worn and dirtied up just like his buddy Blankie. Except I just know Elephant was quite jealous of Blankie-- he just couldn't compete!
And as if that weren't enough blessings bestowed upon this mommy in one evening, God had this very last little guy waiting for me...
... Christian's bear! Yup, it's one of those cheap, tiny, and useless Happy Meal toys. (Please excuse Bear's nekkidness-- he used to own a little red shirt and only be half nekkid. I hope he's not embarrassed.) Some of our IRL friends and family might remember Bear. Christian carried him everywhere!!! I couldn't believe how attached he was to Bear. Maybe he liked it so much because of its small size and the ability to shove him in a pocket. Bear... wow, I wish I could adequately express the adoration that Christian had for him. It just really was his favorite buddy, y'all!
So where are they now?
Well, Elephant can be found lounging around my desk in the living room. Bear has endeared himself to David and imagines a life of travel to some exotic (and not so exotic) locales.
And frog? He sits on the kitchen windowsill just taking it all in and helping to remind me of one very real and important thing...
I have picky eaters in this house. They get it from their daddy. I have decided that each week, we will try to learn to like something new. This week, we are learning to like celery.
How did the boys respond to this today?
THEY LOVED IT, Y'ALL!!!
That was much easier than I anticipated. Now to think of what we'll work on for next week. Perhaps broccoflower might be pushing it... at least for now (and especially since I don't even know if *I* will like it!).
Did your parents make you learn to like certain foods when you were growing up? While my dad didn't exactly make us learn to like cow tongue when we were little, he did force us to try it! Blech!!! Although I do believe that my sister Lele threw a fit or maybe ran away or something to avoid having to eat it. She was always smart like that. There are definite drawbacks when grandma and grandpa have a farm and cows.
I saw this over at Darcy's blawg and thought I'd give it a go. I'm sure I was sent this on Facebook but well, I never quite get around to the tags and notes from there. One day I will, but not today.
Without further ado, here is an interview about mommy with my boys Austin (Dash) and Noah (Tank). To keep them from influencing each other's answers, I took them aside individually and asked them these questions.
FROM AUSTIN (9.5 yo)
1.What is something mom always says to you? Uhhh… what do you mean?I don’t know. That’s a tough one.
2. What makes mom happy? Flowers. (said in a whisper)
3. What makes mom sad? Thinking about Christian. (I love my boys. They are so sweet.)
4. How does your mom make you laugh? Tells funny jokes.
5. What was your mom like as a child? Laughs and says “I don’t know! I don’t remember what your picture looked like.” (I explain, not what did I look like as a child, but what WAS I like?) “A servant?” (yah, I felt like that sometimes too! Hehehe)
6. How old is your mom? Uhhhh… 33?
7. How tall is your mom?
Uhhhh… 6 feet 2 inches?
8. What is her favorite thing to do? Chat with popcorn? (Amy, he's talking about you!)
9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Get on the computer.
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? A famous cook. In our family, you are!
11. What is your mom really good at? Kicking daddy’s butt in Scrabble and cooking.
12. What is your mom not very good at? WordTwist.True!
13. What does your mom do for a job? The Grocery Game and Heart of the Matter
14.What is your mom's favorite food? Kimchi
15. What makes you proud of your mom? Her cooking.I’m always hungry.
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? Goldilocks?Wait, no… that’s a fairy tale.Hmmm… that’s really tough.I’m trying to think but I’m more good at fairy tales.
17. What do you and your mom do together?
Go shopping and cook.
18. How are you and your mom the same? I can’t think of one for that.
19. How are you and your mom different? You’re fully Korean and I’m only part Korean.
I remind him that I am also only part Korean. He says “Ohhh… then erase that.”
20. How do you know your mom loves you? Because she’s nice.
21. What does your mom like most about your dad? He’s bald.
22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go? Suzanne’s house.Am I free now? FROM NOAH (7.5 yo)
1.What is something mom always says to you? I love you.
2. What makes mom happy? Me laughing!
3. What makes mom sad?
Really nothing except for when Christian died. (I love my boys. They are so sweet.)
4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Tickles!!!Aggghhh!!!
5. What was your mom like as a child? I don’t know!I never looked at a picture of you. I’d just say weird.
6. How old is your mom? Easy. 30!(Let’s ignore the fact that he’s the only one that goes to the eye doctor on a regular basis).
7. How tall is your mom?
I don’t know.10 feet tall?Okay, let’s just say 5.
8. What is her favorite thing to do? On the computer!
9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
On the computer!On the computer!
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? I don’t know.Money!M-O-N-E-Y.It’s all about the M-O-N-E-Y, isn’t that right?
11. What is your mom really good at? Scrabble.I mean, Pathwords!
12. What is your mom not very good at? Playing with our dog Snowball.
13. What does your mom do for a job? That’s easy.The Grocery Game.Oh, I meant shop! For groceries!
14.What is your mom's favorite food?
Spaghetti.
15. What makes you proud of your mom?
I love her.What else?
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? I don’t know.
17. What do you and your mom do together?
Sit around.
18. How are you and your mom the same? We’re not the same!
19. How are you and your mom different? We each do different stuff. And we each have a different hobby.Yours is on the computer hobby and mine and Austin’s is on the xbox hobby.
20. How do you know your mom loves you? She always says it.
21. What does your mom like most about your dad? I have no idea.
22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go? Kroger?Okay, I’m done.Oh, I meant Starbucks!
It's hard to believe it's been 6 months already. When I start feeling down at night, I can look forward to the morning and another day full of God's mercy and grace.
Often times, God won't let me wait until morning to be encouraged! He is good to bring crazy 3yo stuff to my mind to make me smile. Tonight's episode is about pumpkin pie pineapples. Thank you, dear God, for giving me these many precious moments with Christian (and for capturing them on video)!
PS At the end when he says I can hold it... that's when I realize I have this gigantic grin on my face. I just can't help but smile! The way he said it, the way he looked up at me... it was all classic Christian.
Every Wednesday for 8 weeks, Heart of the Matter will publish a collaborative article brimming with tips and advice to help you organize all aspects of your homeschool life. Anyone can submit!Sift through your archives for posts that you would like to share, old or new.
Everyone who submits a post will be entered for a chance to win an amazing prize package, currently valued at $100! For an additional entry, simply tell your readers about the carnival and share our button and link on your blog. The winner of the giveaway will be announced at the end of the carnival on April 24th.
What is a blog carnival?
**From Wikipedia: A blog carnival is a type of blog event. It is similar to a magazine, in that it is dedicated to a particular topic, and is published on a regular schedule, often weekly or monthly. Each edition of a blog carnival is in the form of a blog article that contains permalinks to other blog articles on the particular topic.
Weekly Topics
Organize your physical space: cutting clutter, ways to store books and supplies, tips for small spaces, etc. Due by 3/4, posted 3/6.
Organize your morning: morning routine, time with God, chores, breakfast, getting off to a good start, etc. Due by 3/11, posted 3/13.
Organize your school schedule: schedules on paper, reviews of planners, time allotted for subjects, etc. Due by 3/18, posted 3/20.
Organize your records: grades, tests, attendance, etc. Due by 3/25, posted 3/27.
Organize your projects: storing paper, lapbooks, notebooks, and old projects. Due by 4/1, posted 4/3.
Organize your kitchen: menu planning, recipes, etc. Due by 4/8, posted 4/10.
Organize your activities: field trips, co-ops, etc. Due by 4/15, posted 4/17.
Organize your heart: priorities, good attitude, etc. Due by 4/22, posted 4/24.
To Submit
Please email the following to carnivals@heartofthemattermagazine.combefore the above due dates at 9:00pm EST. You may send all your information in one email or in separate emails as the weeks go on.
Your name (first name only is ok)
Name of your blog
Title of your post
Direct link to your post
Brief summary of your post
Week you are submitting for
For an extra giveaway entry: the link to the post in which you told your readers about the carnival
While folding laundry this evening, I came across an extra extra thick pair of socks. Size medium, ankle cut, Hanes, blue stitching on the toe. Further investigation led to the discovery of not one, but three pairs of socks--all neatly tucked within one another.
While the sock monster has been known to mysteriously eat a stray or weak sock that lagged behind the herd, it had never before been known to carefully place socks within one another.
This could only mean one thing.
Onion Boy has been wearing at least three pairs of socks at the same time! Hillbilly-Pirate Boy is too picky about how clothes feel to ever try such an uncomfortable stunt. Besides, his socks have green stitching on the toe.
When confronted with the aforementioned allegations of sock abuse, Onion Boy responded with a giant, prideful grin on his face.
What, mommy? Didn't you know that the other day I even had on FOUR shirts?!
Ummm... no, honey. Mommy does not notice such things when they are worn by a skeleton boy! He seriously is deficient in the muscle mass department-- talk about skin and bones! The boy eats and gets taller and his feet even grow, but his waist, arms and legs never ever get wider. I wish I had that problem.
So dear friends, do your children wear multiple layers? And remember, I'm not talking about cold weather layering (it's been warm here). This is dressing like this-- four shirts, 3 socks and who knows what else--just because!
At least it wasn't like 2 pairs of shorts with 6 frogs shoved in the pocket, which has happened before courtesy of OB and HPB.
I think it's safe to say that spring is here since it has been quite warm for the past couple of weeks. Even the nectarine trees that we recently planted in the front yard have blossomed and filled out with bright green leaves. While these trees aren't officially planted in honor of Christian, I just can't help but smile when I look at them.
This past summer, Christian decided that he absolutely loved nectarines. I would have to sternly tell him No, you can't have another one-- you've already eaten 4 today!!! Yup, he probably would've eaten ten if I had let him. Do you know what that could do to the... umm.. bowels of a 3yo? A 3yo wearing big boy Red Power Ranger underwear?! Yah, not exactly pleasant if he's distracted on timing or something. ;-)
*sigh* I think about Christian all the time. Everything reminds me of him. I just miss him, y'all. I hope you don't get tired or depressed from hearing about him, but talking about him just makes me happy-- even if I cry at the same time.
(I know this isn't a nectarine, but he also starting having a major crush on pineapples too!)
Okay, back to nectarines! I really don't believe that Christian loved nectarines solely for their juicy, sweet flavor. He loved them "fo' da big giant seeds mommy! Wooook!" Then he'd proudly hold up the large, sticky seed for me to examine and laugh his little head off at how amazing a discovery he held in his hand. He did this every single time. I just love how simple (and silly) boys can be-- give them some dirt, rocks, shovel, waterhose and anything unusually large (or small) and they are entertained for hours on end!
I hope the trees survive my lack of a green thumb. And wouldn't it be a blessing to actually have fruit on that tree? But if for some reason it shrivels up and turns a crispy brown before I get even one plump nectarine, it's okay. It's just a tree.
If our life doesn't turn out exactly like we expect this side of Heaven, it's okay. There is more to real life than the here and now.
Sunshine and rain and life and death, they are not in our hands-- those things are in the hands of GOD! We are simply the creation and He is the Creator... a Creator with a plan, a perfect plan. A tree might lose its leaves in the winter but that doesn't mean it is dead or broken. God planned that in the glorious spring that same tree would bring forth blooms that are fragrant and beautiful; and in the summer, be full of delectable fruit. This life is not all that there is-- after the here and now comes real life, the life that truly matters-- eternity!
I am determined to make the most of this here and now, this side of Heaven.. to soak up the Sonshine (sorry, couldn't resist that one- hehehe) and use this trial to grow. It sure hurts at times but I know that in the end it will be worth it. Actually the more I pray and seek God, He is so good to give me comfort and blessings (and grace and love) right now-- without having to wait for eternity.
Whatever trials and worries you have in your life, lay them at God's feet. He wants to carry your burden for you. He wants you to know Him and to know His Son Jesus Christ personally! Won't you let Him bring light to your winter? You don't have to walk alone.
We don't do much for V-day, but we did start the day with Tank's first soccer game of the season where he scored 2 goals! And the second one? Wow, it was amazing- my boy has his daddy's soccer SKILLZ!
So how did you spend your day? Have you made yourvideo yet?
Oh and fret not, I was mistaken on the deadline for HOTM's fabuloso giveaway- you have until Monday, Feb 16th. So go enter!
This week's meme at Heart of the Matter Online is about "Why I Love My Spouse"... and it's a VIDEO meme! If you don't have the technology (or energy or time or are embarrassed about a pimple or something) to do the video part, you can still participate by writing on your own blog and leaving a linky over there. Sometimes the old-fashioned way of doing things is nice and refreshing. I love old-fashioned things... books, handwriting, donuts... but I draw the line at outhouses. You may (or may not) notice that I have not participated yet.. but I will! At least I really am planning on it.. just not this morning as I have to be out of the house in an hour.
Speaking of fire, am I the only one who has NOT seen Fireproof? I have heard great things about it from many of my friends. But I have to be honest here. I think one of the reasons why I keep forgetting to add it to my Netflix Queue is that the main character is played by Kirk Cameron. I have a lot of respect for the work he does for the Lord, but umm... yah, Growing Pains... Micheal Seaver... my sister Coco totally had the hots for him back in the old days! And quite frankly, I just haven't gotten over that.
Love,
Marshie
PS Please pray for the families of the people on board Flight 3407 that crashed last night. We've been on that flight before.. that last great weekend in Buffalo/Niagara with Christian. Death is not something we usually expect, but it is inevitable for all of us.. we just have to be ready. Either that or just don't ever die. Are you ready?
Below is my post for Heart of the Matter Online. Feel free to pop on over there and leave me a comment!
There are many things in which I have a love/hate relationship… my cell phone (chatting with my sister- good, ringing during my nap- bad), our dog (protector- good, poop on my shoe- very bad!), and, dare I say it?… Valentine’s Day!
I love it y’all.
There is something about this day that brings out the best and worst in me. The best in that it forces me to not be my usual self and to just spoil my boys… even if it’s just a little spoiling. For example, giving them a heart shaped box of cheaply made, cheap tasting chocolate and letting them eat it for breakfast. Some mom’s are really good about throwing caution (and health) to the wind by letting their children eat ice cream for supper- just for fun (as in, it’s not just because it’s someone’s birthday!). I, however, am not one of those “fun” mommy’s! I’m a rule making, slightly uptight, bossy, drill-sargeant type of mom. Yes, my children know that I love them, but there’s nothing like V-day to make me purposefully think and do outside my normal box.
I hate it, y’all.
One of the things I despise the most about Valentine’s Day is the tremendous pressure on a man to woo, romance and spoil his wife. There is an over abundance of commercials, music, and movies hounding them (and us) to believe that gifts and glitter are true tokens of love and affection.
In my pre-married days, I would have defined romance as a horse driven carriage, candlelit dinners (prepared by my man, not me of course!), diamonds, roses and poetry. But alas, I did not find such things back then… and I certainly haven’t found them since! Those things can only be found in soap operas and novels! (If I am wrong, please don’t burst my bubble and just count yourself lucky for having found such a romantic mate.)
Such expectations going into marriage… My oh my, I think my dear husband did not have a chance! But even without the outward trappings of overbearing and hit-you-over-the-head “romance”, he wooed me with his handsome self, his sense of humor, his easy-going personality, his purpose and drive, his intelligence and many other fine qualities. Oh wait, he also brought me roses. Back then he did. Now? Not so much. And that’s okay.
I have come to appreciate the other romantic qualities in my Mr. Drews. How is he romantic? He does little things. Many little things.
Calls me just to tell me he loves me.
E-mail’s me when he’s on a trip.
Let’s me sleep in… AND keeps the kids quiet! (which is better than what *I* do for him!)
Leaves me quick little love notes around the house– in my jewelry box, my purse, the garage door, the closet, on the mirror, on the computer monitor before he leaves on a trip (on Word with the monitor on sleep, waiting for my fingers to touch the keyboard after the kids have gone to bed).
He opens doors for me– car door, house door, or to any building.
He makes up songs about how he loves his “wifey” (I hope you’re not embarrassed David, at least I didn’t make a video clip of your song to share with everyone, right?)
He always thanks me for the meal and compliments my cooking.
He praises me in front of our children.
He praises me in front of his parents.
He even praises me in front of his friends! (and I blush and get embarrassed… but I like it, I really do.)
So yes, I suppose my husband is romantic. But not the opera and picnic under the stars kind of romantic. It’s the everyday kind of romantic. It is the loving me even when I am not so loveable kind of romantic. Yup, that’s MY MAN.
How is your husband romantic? Are your expectations unrealistic? Does he show you his love and affection in his own way or are you disappointed because it is not what you imagine it should be like?
Perhaps now would be a good time to make a list of all the things that you do appreciate and adore about your spouse. And ta-da! If you use your best handwriting- or even color ink in the printer- you will find yourself with a mighty fine homemade Valentine’s Day card!
I don't need a Valentine to shower me with chocolates, diamonds and romance. Who needs that when I have the most beautiful cup of flowers and weeds given by a young man who thinks I am the bestest cooker in the history of the whole world?
So what are your V-day plans? Are your expectations realistic? Will you remember to give and do without the hope of receiving anything in return? (Although a payment in kisses and hugs can go a very long way!)
I think the days of genuine smiles and normal teeth are long gone. When they are really young, you think it's a good thing when they learn to smile for the camera... until you realize it's the fake, cheesy camera smile that they just can't seem to get rid of!
Then there is our current dilemma-- Tank's pirate smile. The loss of additional front teeth makes him a special pirate- a hillbilly pirate!
Glimpses of genuine smiles are hard to come by, but I can still occasionally capture certain facial expressions that are just "them". Okay, well mostly them.. my boys are too dorky to be looking so serious and normal. But I say that with as much love as a proud mommy can!
Speaking of cheese, that brings me to the subject of the cutting of cheese. There is an inordinately large amount of noxious greenhouse gases floating around the Drews house. And I am not the one responsible for the hole in the ozone layer that lies directly above our abode!
I will give my boys an "A" for creativity though... whenever they fart, they smile or laugh and say "Howdy!" And Dash once cracked me up by telling me "It's a jailbreak mommy!"
I do love my boys. Pirate teeth, stinky bootays and all.
With David's crazy work schedule, we sometimes have Saturday school.
Public school kids don't have to have Saturday school...
Before you boo-hoo for my kids, public school kids also don't get to drink an italian sweet cream steamer while doing their math. And if for some reason they have this magical public school a la Starbucks in a far away land that I can't relate to, I doubt that their teacher asks them halfway through their math if they would like to have their drink re-steamed!
hehe Can you see his milk mustache? I suppose since he's already 9 years old, he's actually going to want some espresso in that cup before long. Hey, does this count as a "school" post?
This song by Mercy Me makes me think of when I will get to go home one day. If it still matters to me then, I can ask God about all the why's in life. And Christian will run up to us and tell us about all that he's been doing...
Their newest video for this song was released on GodTube today but I couldn't get the flash to work on my blog. So youtube it is instead.
I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe for Alfredo Sauce before. It's not exactly healthy, but it is delicious! I usually serve it with linguini and some diced chicken or grilled shrimp. My fam also loves it over manicotti stuffed with chicken and mozarella (bind it with one egg). This is enough sauce for 8oz of linguini or double the recipe for a 9x13 pan of manicotti. No pics this time because... well, we ate it all!
ALFREDO SAUCE
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup shredded parmesan (I've found that the kroger brand of parmesan works as well as fancy stuff from the deli- but I'm not exaclty a parmesan expert) white pepper to taste (can sub black pepper)
Place all in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisk until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Keep a close eye on it so the bottom doesn't burn. Serve immediately as sauce will start to separate.
Toss in ideas: grilled shrimp, diced chicken, fresh tomatoes
My baby sister Bobo (her real name is Deborah, we call her Debbie- or Bobo) is GETTING MARRIED ON SATURDAY!
Take a look at the coolest cake topper ever:
Do you see the resemblance?
Okay, so perhaps the above picture is not the most representative of Bobo and Aubrey. But the topper does look a lot like them, don't you think?
So not only does she get a cool cake topper, she also gets an awesome new last name: Mrs. Sterling. Yup, lucky-ducky girl she is.
What did you have on top of your wedding cake? I had doves... with feathers! (I'll leave y'all to interpret the exclamation point to mean "I loved it!" or "What was I thinking?"- your choice).
Oh and did you do the whole smear-cake-on-the-face thing or not? We most definitely did not. I'm not footloose and fancyfree like that. Besides, you don't go messing with an expensive dress and a bride's makeup, especially when it's over 100 degrees outside!
Here are a couple of short poems from Streams in the Desert that have ministered to me the past couple of days:
When nothing thereon to lean remains;
When strongholds crumble to dust;
When nothing is sure but that God still reigns,
That is just the time to trust.
'Tis better to walk by faith than sight,
In this path of yours and mine;
And the pitch-black night, when there's no outer light
Is the time for faith to shine.
***
God is in every tomorrow,
Therefore I live for today,
Certain of finding at sunrise,
Guidance and strength for the wayl
Power for each moment of weakness,
Hope for each moment of pain,
Comfort for every sorrow,
Sunshine and joy after rain.
And one of the benefits of pain is that the sunshine is so much brighter after the rain!!! :-) If you're feeling down and out, tell God all about it. Sure He already knows what's in your heart and what's on your mind, but tell Him anyway! Give your burdens over to Him and let Him carry them for you. He's listening and waiting for you right now...
I had a difficult time going to sleep the other night- just up thinking about Christian and missing him.
I woke up the next morning and decided to get on the schoolroom computer for a minute. I opened up a file folder and ran across this:
I remember almost every video clip or picture I have taken... but I don't remember this one. Isn't God so good to have remembered it and saved it for me to find the very next morning?! :-) He offers grace in His time, just as we need it.. moment by moment... And do you know what else? I ran across a bunch of untitled video clips of Christian. God sure does love me.. and He is very much in the details!
+ I am sad that Irona is very underappreciated and relatively unknown to y'all. *sigh* Ah well, it's a good thing her feelings aren't easily hurt.
Oh please make the dorkiness stop.
+ TOSGA! TOSGA! TOSGA! Thanks for participating, y'all. I wish I had enough coins and castles to send to everyone. Since I hate to play favorites, I random number thingied the comments and the winner of the ancient coins is homeskool and the winner of the castle building cards is Angela at Becoming Me.
+ I forgot to thank y'all for voting for me in the 2008 Homeschool Blog Awards. So THANK YOU! :-)
+ Did you know that Heart of the Matter has weekly giveaways? This week you can win a book on the "S" word by the great folks here at The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. And for you newbies or non-homeschoolers, the S word is socialization-- this is a family friendly blog and TOS is a family friendly mag!
+ I had a fabulous visit with my friend Leslie in Arkansas. And the lucky-duck that I am also got to meet another bloggy friend. You can meet Amanda too- right HERE. I promise you'll like her, I sure did! And next time, I'll give a little more notice so I can meet up with Chickadee too. (Don't be jealous!)
Sorry Leslie, I have NO idea why we look so sparkly in that picture! Something happened when it uploaded to HSB.. ah well, too bad it makes us look like we have white hairs tangled in there... And Amanda, I should've put my foot down and taken a pic of you.
Well, there's nothing much to report from here. I think my next post will have to be school related- just to remind everyone that we do actually get some learning squeezed in every now and then! I did finally unlazy myself and update the books on my sidebar.
*sigh* I miss him. Christian was so excited when we gave him his own big boy bike. Funny thing is that he never figured out how to pedal it! He'd sit on it and want us to push him around.. or he'd just walk it around and around and around the driveway. It makes me smile just thinking about it.
You can see him on the front cover, inside front cover and inside back cover. :-) Thank you dear Amy and Amy for remembering Christian and celebrating his life with me! Y'all are the bestest donut-loving-cajun-talking-mind-reading-fun-loving-separated-at-birth friends a girl could have.
Anyhow, back to the magazine! We are very excited to announce that you can now view our magazine in THREE ways:
Click here to be taken to the flipbook version, where you can click and turn the pages as you would a print magazine. Be sure to turn your sound on.
Click here to download the magazine in pdf format.
Or you can visit HOTM to see the articles in blog format.
(The flipbook version is my absolute favorite! I just love the sound it makes when you turn the page... oddly satisfying.)
Anyone who knows me well, knows that I have all sorts of stuff stashed away in a certain closet and a certain cabinet. But really, how can I resist 75% off on such neat-o things? The downside of course is changing plans and deciding to not cover world history for another 2 years. And who wants to hold onto something in their closet for 2 YEARS?!
How to Build Castles comes with a deck of 58 beautifully illustrated laminated leaves, perforated to break into 150 cards in four different shapes. Every card is notched to fit neatly and securely with every other card. Assemble the cards any way you want to create freestanding fantasy fortresses. The book gives specific guidelines for creating walls, floors, roofs, towers, spires, bridges and other architectural elements, along with inspirational photos of some of the zillion variations possible. Altogether, there are enough cards in one deck to build a small village or one satisfyingly towering castle big enough to cover a school desk. Written by Doug Stillinger. For ages 8 and up.
To enter, say howdy to me in the comments section and I'll pick a random winner on Saturday, January 10th. Don't forget to leave your e-mail addy too so I can get in touch with you. International entries are welcome. :-)
In honor of Heart of the Matter Online's 1st Birthday, we are having a TOSGA (The Old Stuff Giveaway)!!! To see the rules and what not's and if you would like to participate, additional info and links to other TOSGA's can be found HERE.
I really wanted to say TOSGA! TOSGA! TOSGA! but wasn't sure if y'all would just think I'm one egg short of a dozen. But you get it right? Like TOGA! TOGA! TOGA! Okay, nevermind then...
I am giving away a brand new Pouch of Ancient Roman Coins. My boys got some for Christmas and have really been fascinated with being able to hold such history in their hands!
All you have to do is serenade me with your very own creative happy birthday HOTM song and it must be double spaced with iambic pentameter. Okay, since I don't really know what that means (I totally flunked it in high school English), just say hi to me in the comments section (with your e-mail addy too)!
I'll pick a winner on Saturday-- and yes, I'll even ship internationally (I *heart* my international friends too!). Don't forget to check out all the other TOSGA's too!
In my reading this morning from Mrs. Charles Cowman's Streams in the Desert. God encouraged me and showed me that it IS going to be a good and blessed year! Why? Because no matter what it brings forth, HE WILL LEAD US. And so it must be good. And we must TRUST HIM... even when we fear, even when we doubt, even when we sorrow.
Instead of just giving a snippet, I thought I'd just show you the entire devotional for today, January 1st.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, Y'ALL!!!
Love,
Marshie
JANUARY 1
The land whither ye go to possess is a land of hills and valleys and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: a land which the Lord thy God careth for: for the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.
(Deut. 11:11-12)
Today, dear friends, we stand upon the verge of the unknown. There lies before us the new year and we are going forth to possess it. Who can tell what we shall find? What new experiences, what changes shall come, what new needs shall arise? But here is the cheering, comforting, gladdening message from our heavenly Father, "The Lord thy God careth for it." "His eyes are upon it away to the ending of the year."
All our supply is to come from the Lord. Here are the springs that shall never dry; here are the fountains and streams that shall never be cut off. Here, anxious one, is the gracious pledge of the heavenly Father. If He be the source of our mercies they can never fail us. No heat, no drought can parch that river, "the streams whereof make glad the city of God."
The land is a land of hills and valleys. It is not all smooth nor all downhill. If life were all one dead level of dull sameness it would oppress us; we want the hills and the valleys. The hills collect the rain for a hundred fruitful valleys. Ah, so it is with us! It is the hill difficulty that drives us to the throne of grace and brings down the shower of blessing; the hills, the bleak hills of life that we wonder at and perhaps grumble at, bring down the showers. How many have perished in the wilderness, buried under its golden sands, who would have lived and thriven in the hill country; how many would have been killed by the frost, blighted with winds, swept desolate of tree and fruit but for the hill-- stern, hard, rugged, so steep to climb. God's hills are a gracious protection for His people against their foes!
We cannot tell what loss and sorrow and trial are doing. Trust only. The Father comes near to take our hand and lead us on our way today. It shall be a good, a blessed new year!
Have you checked out Heart of the Matter Online's new look? It has been updated before but WOW, it is looking extra schnazzy right now!!! (Is schnazzy even a word?) So please GO CHECK IT OUT, join in the new chat feature, and leave some comments!
Tomorrow, David goes to work for a 3-day trip so the boys and I are going to be hanging out with my friend Leslie and partying like it's ummm... yeah... almost 2009. So if you live in the Cabot/Little Rock area, e-mail me if you might want to get together for coffee or something. It's only going to be a short visit so I can't promise, but I sure can try! :-)
Speaking of 2009, did anyone else think that surely by the time we got this close to 2010 that we would have those cars that folded up into a briefcase a la The Jetsons? (And didn't I most likely post about this very thing last year-- when oh when will I just get over the disappointment?!)
Ooo... and I still want that neat-o machine that will instantly give you food... along with the one that will brush your teeth for you, change your clothes and fix your hair. Apparently, I am very lazy.
And since you are dying to know, if given the choice, I would want to have Irona from Richie-Rich as my maid instead of Rosie from The Jetsons. Irona was very strong and could turn into all sorts of useful contraptions. Whereas Rosie... well, poor Rosie didn't do much did she? What say you?
We are officially done with having our first Christmas without Christian at our side. It honestly was not especially difficult... emotionally, it was just like any other day in that we just miss him. David and I thought about Christmas last year and how Christian would've really loved the tree and gifts and special time with grandma and grandpa this year.
But I know that he isn't really missing out on anything down here! Can you imagine the amazing celebration in Heaven?! Yup, our little artificial tree, white Christmas lights and made-in-China nativity scene couldn't possibly compete with the tree of life, light from God himself and hanging around the real Jesus!!! He is such a lucky-ducky!
Nevertheless, Christmas would've definitely been more fun with an energetic bundle of 3 year old boy running around. So I'll just have to choose... choose to be joyful and thankful for the Christmases past and look forward to celebrating in the future with Christian in Heaven. :-) And I am VERY thankful to have the gift of these two joys to wake up to every day!
Speaking of gifts, Tank up there did get a really cool remote controlled car... that goes UP THE WALLS! Wanna see?
I would also like to thank my wonderfully dear friends from Five in a Row (FIAR) for the beautiful Dozer quilt they made for me. When Gwen dropped it off at my house two days before Christmas, I was surprised at how very personal the quilt was!
(and here's the back)
Each square is precious and close to my heart-- from fwogs to Christian's Good-Night Song to the hand-stitched rainbow... When I opened it up, it immediately brought me to tears. I spread it out on my bed, fell on it and wept... I'm not sure how long I cried but it was deep and heavy... and cleansing. I had been so emotional all month long and felt like I was teetering on the edge of a cliff... on the verge of tears every single moment. I'm telling you, God's timing was PERFECT in this gift! After that good cry I felt so much better. I know that was instrumental in keeping me from being a basketcase on Christmas Eve and Day. THANK YOU, my dear FIAR friends for your timely and very blessed gift!
I also want to thank all of you dear friends and family for your prayers, gifts, comforting cards, phone calls, instant messages :-) , and encouragement. You have truly ministered to our hearts.
Love,
Marshie
PS When writing this post, I was blessed by finding an account of Christian's first prayer tucked neatly away in my blog archives. God is so good!
I'm not sure who wrote this beautiful poem (I don't even know the title) but I think it's one that I will keep in my Bible.
I cannot do it alone;
The waves run fast and high,
And the fogs close all around,
The light goes out in the sky;
But I know that we two
Shall win in the end,
Jesus and I.
Coward and wayward and weak,
I change with the changing sky;
Today so eager and bright,
Tomorrow too weak to try;
But He never gives in,
So we two shall win,
Jesus and I.
I could not guide it myself,
My boat on life's wild sea;
There's One who sits by my side,
Who pulls and steers with me.
And I know that we two
Shall safe enter port,
Jesus and I.
It's almost Christmas... the boys are in bed (maybe sleeping, maybe not)... the house is quiet... too quiet. Any day and every day, let alone Christmas day, is less exuberant (and full and busy and noisy and fun and exciting and sweet) without my littlest man Christian around. This Christmas is so very different from the one we celebrated last year.
Last year, we were all together-- not only my amazing husband and three fabulous boys, but my parents and siblings and in-law's and niece and nephew to boot! This year, David's parents are with us (and what a blessing they are!) and it is my husband and two boys-- all still amazing and fabulous, just one number short than what we wish it to be. It's hard to believe that almost 4 months have gone by without my little blue-eyed boy to kiss and hug and hold and tickle.
But God has been faithful! He has been consistent, ever-present, ever-loving... He has shown us in big and little ways just how much He loves us. However, we still struggle and tend to forget these little gifts from Him as we go about our day or when we are sobbing and missing Christian and basically feeling sorry for ourselves. It has not been easy, but we are still here, still together and have a strong marriage. We still have happiness in our home-- definitely different than before, but happiness nonetheless.
We have much to be thankful for... because you know what? It's not all about me or my family. CHRISTmas is about Jesus Christ!!! Because if all were taken away from me-- my home, my health, my whole family-- I would still have Him, I would still have Jesus!!! And therein lies my joy, my peace, my future-- Jesus can never be taken away from me! Eternity with Jesus, eternity with Christian, and I pray eternity with each of you if you will only believe and receive Him! (Please go HERE to read more about how you can be absolutely positive about where you will spend eternity.)
This is why we celebrate. This is who we celebrate! Today, we celebrate your lowly and magnificent birth... Happy Birthday, dear Jesus!
I read this a couple weeks ago (yes, I read ahead!) from page 376 (December 25) of Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman. I encourage you to read all the way to the end-- it's worth it and will give you the proper perspective of thanksgiving today.
A few years ago a striking Christmas card was published, with the title, "If Christ had not come." It was founded upon our Savior's words, "If I had not come." The card represented a clergyman falling into a short sleep in his study on Christmas morning and dreaming of a world into which Jesus had never come.
In his dream he found himself looking through his home, but there were no little stockings in the chimney corner, no Christmas bells or wreaths of holly, and no Christ to comfort, gladden and save. He walked out on the public street, but there was no church with its spire pointing to heaven. He came back and sat down in his library, but every book about the Savior had disappeared.
A ring at the doorbell, and a messenger asked him to visit a poor dying mother. He hastened with the weeping child and as he reached the home, he sat down and said, "I have something here that will comfort you." He opened his Bible to look for a familiar promise, but it ended at Malachi, and there was no gospel and no promise of hope and salvation, and he could only bow his head and weep with her in bitter despair.
Two days afterward he stood beside her coffin and conducted the funeral service, but there was no message of consolation, no word of a glorious resurrection, no open heaven, but only "dust to dust, ashes to ashes," and one long eternal farewell. he realized at length that "He had not come" and burst into tears and bitter weeping in his sorrowful dream.
Suddenly he awoke with a start, and a great shout of joy and praise burst from his lips as he heard his choir singing in his church close by:
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him, born the King of Angels,
O come let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.
Let us be glad and rejoice today, because "He has come." And let us remember the anunciation of the angel, "Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11).
I can't believe it! I found out today- ahem, while playing too many rounds of WordTwist on Facebook- that wot is a word!!! It is the 3rd person archaic form of the word wit or wat (depending on the source), meaning to know or be aware of. Hmmm... go figure. Sounds deep and thought provoking, huh?
So Christian singing "everybody wants to WOT" kinda sorta made sense.
I find that to be quite hilarious this morning and just had to share! :-)
This week's Heart of the Matter Online Meme is on the topic of: Where I Find My Christmas Joy. "Eggnog, Christmas music, decorating cookies, going to church… each of these things bring me joy for one reason–they all include my family. Each moment is imprinted as a permanent part of our family Christmas legacy. Where do you find your Christmas joy?"
During the Christmas season, I find much delight in having a good excuse to give gifts to those closest to me-- be it a toy, game, baked goodies, making things together (like crafts or cookies, especially with kids)... The best part is that they (hopefully) will not give me anything in return other than the joy and satisfaction I gained in the giving. It really is more blessed to give than to receive!
Besides gift giving, I am also quite fond of eggnog (not a la southern comfort or whatever some people put in it to make it icky!), singing Christmas hymns, beautiful lights on the trees and houses, and gathering with friends and family... especially family. It takes exceptional people to know me so well and yet still choose to be around me! Right, Coco? ;-)
Christmas 2007 at our house.
JOY, however... wow, that's in a category that is leaps and bounds over "enjoy" or "delighting in".
Like the old acronym goes, you can have JOY by putting Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last. It's a mighty fine recipe!
Jesus- Can you imagine life if Jesus had never been born? It literally makes me shudder. It is through His sinless life and sacrifice on the cross that I have hope in this life and assurance of eternal life! Without Jesus, funerals would be very different, wouldn't they? It would be ashes to ashes, dust to dust... no hope, no rejoicing, no peace... No assurance of seeing Christian again-- what a miserable existence that would be!
Others- God has been gracious to give me many wonderful friends-- true, trustworthy, fun, caring, devoted friends... not only in my family(!!!), at church and around town, but in other parts of the country as well as in the cyber world. :-)
Yourself- I am my most miserable (read: joyless) when I think too much about myself:
*I* am tired.
That's not how *I* wanted things to turn out.
*I* want the house to be spotless.*I* want things done right this second.
*I* would never throw dirty clothes right next to the laundry basket (instead of in it!).
Me, me, me! Waaaaah! Poor pitiful me. The *I*'s usually become more prominent during times of stress or busyness (ahem, like Christmas and any other major holiday or time that I overscheduled or don't learn to say "no" enough). What a big baby I can be sometimes! I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I have learned over the years that I most definitely cannot change other people. Or control everything around me. But I can choose to change my attitude, my outlook, my response!
Will you choose JOY in your house, in your mind, in your heart? As a mom, you will set the tone and mood for your entire family. The choice is not always easy, but with God's help, you can do it!
I had been dreading putting up the Christmas tree and going through all the ornaments (as well as Christmas stockings) for quite some time. Each year, the boys will either make a special ornament or I'll let them pick one out at Hallmark. The plan is that when they go off on their own one day, they'll be able to take their ornaments with them-- as well as all the years of memories associated with each one. It's always a special time of reminiscing with my boys as the ornaments are hung on the tree.
As in all the other difficult things we've had to face since Christian left us, God's grace has been more than sufficient! Tonight really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We didn't even cry as Dash and Tank took turns hanging Christian's ornaments on the tree. Instead, it was a fun and precious time together as a family-- just like it should be. God is SO good!
The tree is filled with tons of airplanes (I try to get David one every year), homemade ornaments, and three very special "Baby's First Christmas" ornaments that have the boys' pictures on them. These special baby ones are only allowed to be put on the tree by mommy (hooray for me!). :-)
Right up there in the special ornament category is this one that we got in 2006 for our little Linus:
Don't you just love it? I thought it totally had the Awwwww! factor the moment I set my eyes on it. This year, Dash hung it on the tree. The boys and I smiled when we thought about how Christian loved to suck his thumb and carry his blue blankie around. I'll admit that I did get that choked up feeling inside, how could I not? But I'll say it again, I wouldn't trade my 3.5 years with Christian and all the wonderful memories, special moments, laughs, hugs, kisses and even tears for anything in the whole wide world! I'm one very blessed momma!
Love,
Marshie
PS Psalm 100 is a good passage to read each day. It's a reminder to praise God no matter if your day is easy or difficult. It encourages me to set my mind not selfishly on myself, but on God. It's amazing how my heart is blessed and my countenance changed if I will just listen and obey...
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
~Psalm 100
This is my favorite pound cake recipe-- dense and delicious! It calls for being baked in a 10 inch tube pan, but I like to make mini loaves with it instead. You can also add in blueberries to the batter to make it extra yummola or slice it and eat with strawberries and whipped cream. (Christian preferred it plain with whipped cream). :-)
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour (or use a spray like Pam for baking or Baker's Joy) your pan(s).
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy.
3. Add eggs two at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour all at once and mix. Add vanilla.
4. Pour into 10-inch tube pan (or mini loaf pans) and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes (less time if you are using the mini pans). Check for doneness after 1 hour with the toothpick test.
Will wonders never cease?! When we landed in Houston, we looked out the window to see big, giant, beautiful snowflakes! Dash and Tank were SO excited. We could hardly believe our eyes!
This just never happens here in Houston... although people say it snowed here 4 years ago, it never did at our house... so that time didn't count. :-)
Edited to add: I just had to add that the boys did not own heavy jackets or gloves or hats until last week. I hit a few thrift stores and Target to purchase the too-warm-for-Houston items in preparation for our visit to Spokane this week (where it did not snow!). Lest ye think that the weather has gone topsy turvy, the forecast for Houston tomorrow is 71! C-R-A-Z-Y!
Geeze, I feel like I have been gone FOREVER! I'm sure it hasn't been as long as it feels like (or has it)? Things have been quite busy here in the Drews household. There is so much that I have on my heart right now and would like to share, I just need a little more time to discern exactly what I should share. In the meantime, let me get you up to speed with other exciting happenings:
+ My baby sister Bobo is now engaged! I am a bit bummed that I won't get to meet her fiancee until the week of ze wedding, but he seems like a great guy-- has to be for my sister to be smiling nonstop with that goofy I'm in love sound to her voice! Plus my parents like him. Let me say that again.... my. parents. like. him. A. LOT. My mom will pretty much love you or hate you in about 15 seconds... she's just funny like that. So Aubs, welcome to the familia! I hope you know what you're getting yourself into.
Don't they make a lovely couple?
+ Thanksgiving was spent at my parents house. In addition to the feasting (ham, no turkey-- because it's easier, y'all) and staying up too late so we can talk and play board games, we also looked at a wedding chapel, nailed down a menu for the reception, and helped finalize the fun wedding dress decision. Hmmm... it's kind of sad interesting how your tastes can change over the course of a decade(+)! I don't think I would pick the same dress if I had to do it over again. Would YOU? What was your dress like back in the day? And for crying out loud, if you have a picture, PLEASE SHARE! :-) I don't have a wedding pic handy at the moment but scanning one in is on my list of things-to-do.
+ And if that weren't enough fabulous news for a holiday weekend, this past Saturday was also my parents anniversary, my little brother's 30th birthday, AND the birthdate of said little brother's first child!!!
HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY STEPHEN! AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my newest nephew CADEN MARK! My sister-in-law Terri couldn't have planned it any better. Y'all sure do make beeeeautiful babies!
We are actually heading up to Spokane to see little Caden (and his mommy and daddy too, of course!). Then we'll swing over to Portland to visit my sister Coco for a few days. So it's busy busy busy around here- and that's not even including anything that's remotely related to Christmas! Oi. I think it's going to be a quadruple shot latte kind of month. I can't wait! :-)
Back from Disney-- zero lines, cold weather, fun fun fun! While I collect my thoughts on it all, I swiped this fun tag from Emily for y'all to check out. She makes everything seem exciting, even checking the mail!
1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? Xbox 360's Call of Duty 4.
2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Ranch dressing. But he won't actually eat it-- silly you for thinking such a thing! He might take one measly bite and then he'll push it around the plate/bowl until you are done with yours. He's polite but doesn't partake.
3. What's one food he doesn't like? Anything green. Unless it's grass to mow or money to be had, his life has no green... zip, zilch, zero.
4. You go out to the bar. What does he order?I wouldn't be at a bar in the first place but if for some reason he were, he would get a Dr. Pepper. But only if they gave free refills. We're frugal like that.
5. Where did he go to high school?MacArthur High School in Irving, TX.
6. What size shoe does he wear?10.5-11 Wide
7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Tools, video games, and he has this fabulous collection of model airplanes!
8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? Grilled Ham and Cheese (with mayo)
9. What would he eat every day if he could?Nasty Hamburger Helper Double Cheeseburger Macaroni. He's also a big fan of pizza.
10. What is his favorite cereal? He's not much for cereal but when he does eat it, he eats either plain Cheerios or Peanut Butter Crunch cereal.
11. What would he never wear?Pink! No way!
12. What is his favorite sports team?Texas Longhorns.
13. Who did he vote for? Definitely McCain!
14. Who is his best friend?ME. But since that's a boring answer and sort of a given, I would say his buddy Tim. They are like brothers!
15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?Put my cold feet on him. 16. How many states has he lived in? Four: Texas, Ohio, Georgia and then back to Texas (home sweet home!)
17. What is his heritage? German.
18. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what would it be? Yellow cake with homemade cream cheese frosting.
19. Did he play sports in high school?He played soccer from the time he was 4 years old all the way through college. His dad was his coach for most of those years. :-)
20. What could he spend hours doing?Playing Xbox or working around the house. He is quite the handyman and always has some kind of project going. He recently put in recessed lights in our schoolroom and will soon be making some shelves for the boys' closet.
21. What's something cool about him? Cool is such a relative term! I suppose what is the coolest about him is that he absolutely loves his family. The guys he flies with at work always remember him for being the guy that looks at pictures of his wife and kids on his laptop all the time. He doesn't do that as much at the present since he's still having a difficult time being without Christian, but there is NO DOUBT where his heart is. He doesn't have the problem of being propositioned by ahem... flight attendants like many of the other guys. Wedding rings are rarely a deterrent but a joy and genuine love for family? That always works!
Let me know if you end up doing this tag as well. I'd love to hear more about your hubs!
+++ We're going to DisneyWorld!!! It is a complete and total surprise for the boys. :-) We're not telling them anything until we get there... although I imagine they might figure it out when we get on the plane to Orlando. David and I had talked about going for a while but thought it best to wait until Christian was older. Y'know, so he'd actually have a shot at remembering it. *sigh* But there's no better time than the present (and the uncrowded week before Thanksgiving) to just do it.
Is there anything that you've been meaning to do (big or small) with your kidlets (big or small) that you might just go ahead and do NOW?
+++ Voting is going on now at the Homeschool Blog Awards! I am truly humbled and honored that some of y'all would nominate me for a few of the categories (Best "Live-What-You-Believe" Homeschool Blog, Best Cyber Buddy Blogger and Best Encourager)-- thank you! Voting ends at midnight on November 21. You do not have to have to homeschool or have a blog to vote! SO GO!
+++ Save the date of Tuesday, November 25th for the Houston Homeschool Bloggy Joe-down!!! Get it? Like hoe-down and cup of Joe? Okay then... so it's really just an uber-good time at Panera with the likes of moi, Sprittibee, Rachel, Semicolon (Picture Book Preschool), Kelly (sorry, I don't know your blog addy), and anyone else in the area that wants to come. We're thinking about meeting down in the Westheimer or Galleria area around 10am. If you're in the neighborhood, let me know and PLEASE come join us!
+++ And last but not leastly, my friend Angela will the speaker at Heartbeat Live tomorrow at 3pm CST. She will be speaking about hands-on learning in a LIVE, online, interactive style.
Fine Motor Manipulatives Around the House: Hands On Learning Do you have a child struggling with fine motor skills? Has handwriting become a chore that you both dread daily? Join Angela DeRossett as she shares ideas on how to strengthen your child’s fine motor skills with items you already have while introducing you to ways to make this type of learning more fun.
It's FREE, it's fun and I hope you'll join in-- just hop on over there to register and get your login.
Allrightythen... it's 1:41am and I need to go to bed for our flight in a few hours. Have a wonderful week, y'all!
Love,
Marshie
PS Thank you so much, dear friends, for all the e-mails and cards and prayers regarding Christian's birthday this past Wednesday. It was a very good family kind of day! We only cried a little that morning when we reminded the boys about it being Christian's b-day. Then we prayed, ate at Denny's and watched Madagascar Escape 2 Africa at the theater (a rare treat for our Netflix kind of family). God has given us so much grace at the perfect time... without fail! But He's like that y'know... loving, trustworthy, consistent, all-knowing, faithful...
PPS Have any of you read that book by Randy Alcorn called "Heaven"? I've listened to the shorter abridged audio version and found it to be encouraging and very interesting. I'm thinking about getting the hardcopy or perhaps the unabridged audio version. Anyone have any thoughts on that book?
This past Christmas, we had a birthday cake for Jesus with a candle for each child to blow out (my niece and nephew were not in a candle blowing mood apparently). *sigh* I just love this picture!
Today would have been Christian's 4th birthday. I know they won't be having a birthday cake in Heaven, but if they were to have one, I imagine that Jesus would be the one to help him blow out the candles this year.
While we miss Christian in a mighty way (oh my, do we ever miss him!), we do not grieve as those who have no hope!
And where does my hope lie?
It lies in Jesus Christ and the gift of salvation that is offered through the giving of his life on the cross for our sins and His victory over death when He arose on the 3rd day. That is how I KNOW that I will see Christian in Heaven when I die!
When I was 13 there was a specific time and place that I realized I was a lost sinner, asked God to forgive me of my sins, and gave my life to Him. My eternal destination is not determined by scales that balance my good and bad when I die-- surely I could never live up to that no matter how "good" I am! Salvation is a GIFT. All we have to do is believe, repent and accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. That is how I KNOW where my eternal destination lies. Heaven is a REAL place, y'all!!! God doesn't just say it in a book to make us feel better.
Where will you spend eternity? We are not guaranteed tomorrow. And we certainly don't know how many days we have on this earth-- it might be 44 years or maybe just shy of 4! I sincerely pray that each of you would make a personal decision to give your lives to Jesus Christ. Christian and I would love to meet you there-- walking the streets of gold, worshipping God, rejoicing in a (REAL!) place where ...God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away (Rev. 21:4).
I'm not sure what else to say about Christian's birthday. I do ask for your prayers for my family. I know that God will carry us through it and that His grace will even bring us joy in the midst of our tears today.
If joy isn't easy to come by for you today, FIND IT. Choose to be joyful, choose to be thankful! I am. I am very thankful for this day 4 years ago that Christian was born. And I am very thankful for this day-- TODAY-- 4 years since Christian was born. I would do it all over again for the joy of having been his mommy. Even when it hurts.
And if you really can't find joy, maybe you're trying to fill up an emptiness all by yourself or with other things? I encourage you to look up, look to Jesus... He is the only one that can give you the peace that you seek. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)
Okay, quit reading this and go enjoy some time with your kids!!! Not just next to them, but with them. Savor the moment, savor the day. Be thankful for the little messes, constant interruptions, and even dramas that may play out from time to time. The things that you will miss the most one day are always the little things, rarely any single big thing.
And because I just love pictures of my littlest man, here are a few of my very favorites.
Love,
Marshie
PS I added Christian's slideshow to my sidebar if you'd like to see more pictures =========>
I was doing okay this past weekend, really I was. It was a strange mix of feeling sorry for myself, missing Christian terribly and also some fun with friends. Y'know, I think about Christian every single day. Sometimes it's little things like how one of the first words besides "mama" and "dada" that he ever said was "Icee". (It's the honest truth that when he saw that Exxon sign when he was 1yo, he looked at it and said Icee!-- we'll just say that the consumption of Icee's is a male bonding thing in our family!)
But this time my thinking of him was different, it was more. I ventured into the Family Christian store to pick up a card for the sweet 16 b-day party we were to attend this past Friday night. They had already brought out all the Christmas items-- books, CDs, advent wreaths, and ornaments. It was the ornaments that got me thinking....
One of the traditions we have around here is that each child gets their own ornament every year. Sometimes we make them and other times we buy them-- last year, they got to pick out their very own Hallmark ornament (talk about a splurge!). The plan was that when they got older and had a place of their own, they would take "their" box of ornaments with them. It's always a lovely time when we put the tree up, unpack the ornaments and talk about the "remember when's" behind each one.
That's when it hit me.
While I have packed up most of Christian's special things, there are still those ornaments and his stocking tucked away in the Christmas bins. I kind of mulled those thoughts all day, culminating into a good cry later that evening. It was like every fiber of my being was missing my littlest man!!! His hugs, his mischievous grin, the way he'd make shooting sounds with anything that could resemble a gun, how he'd come to me and say I'm humry, mommy!, how he'd sneak out of his room after bedtime and say I can't sweep- boys make too much noise!,how he always insisted on sitting next to me, his excitement at finding a race car shopping cart at Kroger that actually had a steering wheel still attached... so many things... so many things that I won't ever get to see, hear, feel or touch again...
As we were driving home from the birthday party, the boys and I got into a conversation about Christian. For some reason I can't remember how it even came up in the first place; but it ended with a discussion on heaven and how we'll see him again if we give our lives to Jesus Christ and ask him to save us from our sins. We have the promise of everlasting life-- eternity! We will be together f-o-r-e-v-e-r!!!
Tank said, Well, I know that I'll see him again in heaven! I bet he's having a good time on the streets of gold and hanging out at the crystal river. When I get to heaven I can't wait to see him. Oh and Jesus too! That would be cool to see Jesus. I bet they're having all kinds of fun up there!
I just love how children can see things so clearly. My boys not only bring me JOY, but remind me of where my JOY truly lies-- and it is not here, my friends!
And just today when I was beginning to feel sad about Christian's birthday coming up next Wednesday, I received a lovely and extremely encouraging card from JenIg in the mail. She reminded me that Christian will be having his best birthday EVER! And it's true. What better place could you possibly be on your birthday than in the presence of the Lord? And as far as Christmas, what better place can you be to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ than at His feet?! In the presence of the King of Kings?!
Yup, that's what I thought. There is no better place for Christian to be... no matter how much we miss him here on earth.
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
~John 14:1-4
Please join us for the launch on Tuesday, November 11 at 3:00 CST, as we welcome Mrs. Amy Grant Bayliss as our first speaker.
So if you are tired of the same old stuff on the radio and you crave a serving of encouragement with a side of laughter, please register HERE. Simply enter your name and email address and you will receive log in instructions within 48 hours. You only have to register once to access all the weekly events. And since you should never keep fun to yourself, be sure to tell your friends so they can join us too.
As a very special treat everyone who attends Amy’s session will be entered to win a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com!!
I thought about posting about the election, but I'm going to try to practice the old addage If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, we had 4 friends spend the night last night. GIRLS. Ages 4-10. Anyhow, Dash, Tank, the girls and I all had a great time together. We painted our nails (well, the boys opted to skip that part- which I am very happy about!), did some crafts and made some sweets. Friends are such a blessing, even if they are girls!
Yesterday 9yo Dash and I were discussing the differences between an abstract noun and a concrete noun.
Me: Give me an example of a concrete noun.
Dash: A pencil!
Me: Give me an example of an abstract noun.
Dash thinks for a couple of seconds.
Dash (in a calm and matter-of-fact voice): Christian.
Me (after regaining my composure): Why do you say that?
Dash: Because I can't see him or touch him.
Me: Ummm... okay. That's a very sweet answer although I don't think that is what the people that made this workbook quite had in mind. But I guess you're right... How about we just skip this and move to the next one?
Dash: Okay, mommy.
It's always interesting to see when Christian will come up in our conversations. Usually it's out of the blue and an unexpected surprise! I am so glad that the boys are comfortable talking about Christian. Sometimes we cry but other times it's very matter-of-fact with hardly a tear (okay, maybe just a little choking up)... remembering and laughing and talking as a family. I am so thankful that God has kept us close-- close to Him and close to each other!
Easy, gooey, delicious, warm and perfect with a cold glass of milk (or hot cup of coffee in my case)-- we had these for breakfast this morning!
Caramel Crescent Pull-Aparts
1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine (I prefer real butter)
2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1/4 c. chopped pecans (optional)
1 (8oz) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Combine brown sugar, butter and syrup in an 8-inch round cake pan. Bake at 375 for 5 minutes until butter melts; stir gently to blend ingredients. Sprinkle pecans over butter mixture.
3. Remove dough from package and DO NOT unroll! Slice roll into 12 slices. Combine 1 Tbsp. sugar and cinnamon. Dip both sides of each slice of dough into the sugar mixture. Arrange slices, cut side down, in prepared pan. Sprinkle any leftover sugar mixture on top.
4. Bake at 375 for 18 minutes or until golden. Invert pan immediately onto a serving platter, and serve rolls immediately.
Ten (or so) timely facts about me (ugh, makes me feel totally self-centered!):
1. I am a Mar-sha, not a Mar-cia. The Brady Bunch? Yup, she was a Marcia. I am a Marsha.
2. My favorite flower is a peony.
3. My favorite dessert is creme brulee.
4. When I was in college, I worked part-time as a laundromat attendant and as a professional notetaker (selling subscriptions to my notes for the semester).
5. In the aforementioned college experience, my weekly treat to myself was a Happy Meal from McD's. Yup, I was a high maintenance kind of girl.
6. My favorite thing from McD's when I was a kid was a Big Mac. Maybe it was because that's what my dad always ate? Now I have to fight the urge to get a McRib whenever they are advertised. Those have got to be one of the nastiest sandwiches of all time... and yet they always look good on the commercials! But this year, I will resist the McRib b/c I know it's gross... along with Grape Nuts hot, Campbell's Tomato Soup and Malt-O-Meal. Blech!
7. My fav drink at Starbucks is a white chocolate mocha, although the last drink I had there was a Pumpkin Spice Latte.
8. If my hairs continue to turn white, I am seriously considering dyeing my hair a plum color.
9. When David is gone and I go to sleep with the TV on (to mask the creepy noises), the channel will either be on Discovery Health (200lb tumor anyone?), the Weather Channel (your local on the 8s!), or the classic tv show M*A*S*H.
10. Speaking of M*A*S*H, did anyone else really envision living in a mansion, apartment, shack or house when they were little? Weird how you could be totally bummed when you got stuck living in the shack... like it was real or something!
11. I wish I knew how to double-dutch jump rope. And I wish I knew how to jump on a pogo stick. Oh and while I'm at it, might as well learn how to ride a unicycle too. How fun would that be?!
I thought I wouldn't have a problem posting this for Heart of the Matter's Friday VIDEO Meme... but ummm... yeah (or yah or yea or whatever!)... Here is yours truly in all my goober glory!
I hope y'all will join in on the fun!!!
Pleeeeeease?
PS Do I really sound like that? I think I'm louder in real life. Oh and I mumble and talk MUCH faster!
Many of you know that this was to have been Christian's first official year to be homeschooled-- even if it was just preschool. Although our plans were not to be, I can look back and see God's blessings.
One tremendous blessing was this special morning when Christian was very excited about his new desk, very own notebook, pencil box, triangle crayons, and even a couple of Kumon workbooks. He just HAD to get started-- and I even took pictures! God is so good to have given me this day as a gift... and I didn't even know it at the time. You see, the big boys were still finishing up last year's work and we weren't planning to start until the very end of August... But God already knew... and He gave us this beautiful day...
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
+I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading your comments on my last post! I would like to point out that my friend Teresa practically dared us to guess her and her hubby'sit's been a secret for18 YEARS nicknames for each other. The clues are PPB for him and BLT for her... anyone care to venture any guesses? Maybe she calls Neal her Precious Pooky Buns and he calls her his Big Loving Tater-- because y'know, terms of endearment almost always involve food, y'all.
And then there is Amy in Peru's Chubby Chumchocks... what's a Chumchock anyway? Yup, nothing says loving more than calling someone Chubby... and not just any old chubby but a chumchock to boot-- fo shizzle!
And SisterLisa? I'll just be thankful for the non-creative nickname bestowed upon me by my other half-- because Round Bottom, it doesn't exactly give me a warm fuzzy feeling!
+Now it's time to play a little tag. HomeschoolingKatt and Misty have both asked me to name 6 "unspectacular quirks" about myself. Hmmm... isn't "quirky" the polite person's way of saying "weird"? And unspectacular... might as well just say lame enough of an oddity to keep you in the realm of the uncool. Nevertheless, here goes.
1. I consider a trip to the Grand Canyon as the ultimate torture. The mere thought of those heights and edges make me want to puke.
2. I have been prone to ticks since I was a kid. Not the blood sucking bug variety of ticks, but spazzy body things like tapping my teeth together, clenching and unclenching my jaw, and the current irritating flexing of my left arm and leg muscles.
3. One of my favorite snacks is dried fish, especially the sweet tasting filefish. Eat with a side of toothpaste because it gives you some majorly nasty breath. (Makes you want to be close to me, doesn't it? Hey, does anyone else remember that old mouthwash commercial where the guy says Heck of a hot tub, huh Heather? Okay, just checking.)
4. (Amy, this ones for you.)
I was never the type of girl who had crushes on people. But in my (much!) younger days, I had a major crush on this guy.
Let the laughter commence.
Okay, cease the laughter.
5. I like to iron shirts. But not the German white linen kind of shirts with the millions of pleats all over the front.
6. Lastly and leastly, I can't for the life of me think of a number 6. Anyone, anyone? Beuller???
So how many of you really think I call David my hubsy-wubsy-pookey-bear in real life?
Well, I don't! I usually call him David, babe or occasionally Dash's real name if he's frustrating me somehow (which ummm... let's just say does not make him very happy-- although it really is accidentally done-- honest!).
Today, David turned the big 36. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!!!
David's parents came to visit, we ate a yummy lunch at Chuy's and then came home for birthday cake (with homemade cream cheese frosting). After having this old Kodak camera for years, I finally tried the self-timer button so we could have a picture with everyone in it:
Not too bad, eh? Although I can't for the life of me figure out why David never smiles in pictures. He looks kinda mean, don't ya think? But he really is nice and super fun! Even if he doesn't have a nickname like sugar-baby-fluffy-buttercup.
David has always called me babe. For some reason, he decided earlier this year that he would start calling me Marsha. Marsha! Can you believe it? Not only did it totally freak me out, but I kept feeling like he was mad at me for something. I finally forced him to quit calling me by my real name and asked him to please call me what he always calls me-- which is babe (and most likely more appealing than the alternative which would be "My Queen"). I also promised not to give him a hard time about whether or not if he knew what my real name was-- or if he was scared that he'd accidentally say his girlfriend's name instead of mine. (Oh I kid! Like he'd have a girlfriend. We are very secure in our relationship and there is no need for anyone to worry. Thankyouverymuch.)
So, do y'all have nicknames for each other? Please share. And be HONEST! I promise I won't laugh. Too hard.
There have been so many times that I've wanted to write a post, but then I'd either not know how to word things, or I'd change my mind for one reason or another or I'd just decide to be l-a-z-y. Here is my semi-lazy bulleted post for your perspicuous perusal:
+ The boys started soccer this past weekend with 2 games a piece. It was a full day (hopefully with pics to come soon) and they really enjoyed playing with their teammates- both old and new. The kids always get to choose the name for their team. This season, Dash plays with the Dynamos and Tank plays with the Bombers. It's always fun to see what they'll come up with each season-- past teams have been Blue Thunder, Longhorns, Jets, Hurricanes, and Wild Panthers. This is definitely one of those times that I'm glad it's not a co-ed team. If the girls ever outnumbered the boys and decided to call themselves something pansy like "Fairies" or "Ladybugs", I would have to stay silent on the sidelines or just walk away from the field!
+ I finally packed this in the box. And I've only pulled it out once... just to squeeze and smell.
+ Friday night, I was invited to my friend's daughters' (12yo & 15yo) birthday party. It was a fun girls night out of pizza, cake and ice skating! It was a fun but late night and I am proud to report that I did not fall down on the ice. Hooray for me! Not bad for someone with negative skating skillz!
+ I was driving down the road the other night when a beautiful a capella version of "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" came on the radio. I was thinking about Christian and singing out loud when I looked up into the night sky. Just then, I saw a shooting star-- it was only the 2nd or 3rd one I had ever seen in my life! The timing of it was perfect and I thanked God for sending that star across the sky at the exact moment when I was looking UP!
+ I know I have been throwing out lots of book titles lately, but I have always loved to read. In the past 6 weeks, God has shown me so much through the written word. My dear friend Laura (aka ice skating queen) gave me a book called Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman. Let me just say that there were several occasions where the devotion for that day was exactly what I needed! If you are going through difficult times, I highly recommend this encouraging devotional book.
+ And lastly, I had the most vivid dream early this morning! I was at some sort of large public pool and I looked across the water to see Christian smiling and jumping into the waiting arms of my mother. I quickly ran to where they were and started yelling "Christian!" He smiled really big and jumped into my arms. I was holding him in front of me with his legs wrapped around my waist. I kissed him, squeezed him tight and then just kept looking at him and smiling. He wrapped his arms around my neck and gave me the biggest hug and kiss ever! I'd lean back to take a better look at him and he was just looking back at me, grinning and laughing and hugging me. I was so surprised to be holding him and loving on him-- and I yelled for David to hurry and come over. David came and Christian gave him a big hug and kiss too. As I was watching the two of them, something didn't seem right. I was smiling but also questioning How could this be? Maybe this is real and the other vaguely distant thought is the dream.
And then I woke up. Crying. I cried because I began to realize that this is reality and that was a dream. I wish I could show you how REAL it all was! I didn't cry for long because I honestly could FEEL Christian's hug... his soft skin and lips, his squishy belly and arms around me. Even while I'm typing this, I feel like he really did give me a hug and kiss this morning! I could see the twinkle in his eyes and the big grin across his face. I count it a wonderful gift and blessing that Christian visited me in my dreams! Thank you, dear Lord, for letting me love on him again... even though I woke up here, I KNOW that he is in the presence of God and living a life in Heaven beyond our wildest imaginations. How can one ever compare the streets of gold to the cracked and buckling concrete driveway?
Dash is a very loving boy. He has always been huggy and emotional, walking around with his heart on his sleeve. The aforementioned sleeve, however, is beginning to SMELL!
Aggghhh! I'm not talking about stinky-outside smell but stinky-body-odor-because-I'm-growing-up smell! He's only 9 years old for crying out loud. Is it really time for that already?!
So daddy gave him a lesson on proper deodorant usage (not anti-perspirant... just deodorant).
For some reason I have an odd feeling of boo-hoo-he's-growing-up mixed with some sort of maternal-pride. How weird is that?! Anyone else feel like that sometimes?
Lest ye think that it is a sign of maturity-- trust me, it isn't! When I pointed out the body odor, he laughed and proceeded to stick his arm pit right on my nose. Yes, he definitely has his daddy's sense of humor (if that's what you want to call it)!
One of the books I'm reading right now is Holding on to your faith even...When God Doesn't Make Sense by Dr. James Dobson.
What stood out to me today is how God's presence is not inconstant. It is our perception of Him that comes and goes. We cannot rely on our emotions, as they often change with the wind. His Word, His promises are always true and right and unfailing!
Another encouraging thought for today-- we must never forget that this separation is temporary.
I cleaned out the boys' closet today. I have bags of clothes that Tank outgrew and also all of Christian's clothes. I set aside a handful of shirts (okay, two handfuls) and put them in a plastic bin with some of Christian's things (his piggy bank, 2nd place trophy from the Pinewood Derby races at church, his red Converse tennis shoes that I loved, our fav knit cap, Spiderman backpack...). His blankie is under a pillow next to my nightstand-- I'll put that in the bin very soon... but not just yet.
I'm not sure what I'll do with some of the things in that bin. I know that these are just "things" and are not my littlest man. But maybe I'll make a memory quilt down the road one day... or maybe I'll open the box a couple years from now and then decide that I don't need to hold on to this or that... or maybe it'll just go in the attic and I'll never open it again. I'm just glad that I don't have to decide all of this rightthisverysecond!
Thinking about doing all of it was actually much more difficult than the actual doing of it. (Does that make sense?) As I cried some and put the things away, I kept reminding myself that "He doesn't need these things in Heaven." (Thanks for reminding me of that a few weeks ago, Lele!) And it is SO true! I am comforted by that thought... even when I miss him like crazy. Everyone says I am being strong, but if they only knew how God has been holding me close and speaking so very clearly to me (actually, I think He is speaking the same-- I am just being more receptive than before!). Then they'd know that it is He that is holding me up... I am really not doing anything at all other than just trying my best to LISTEN to Him.
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." - Isaiah 41:10
"The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower." - Psalm 18:2
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." - Ephesians 6:10 (emphasis mine)
Speaking of listening, have y'all heard of Rita Springer? My friends shared a very cool song by her called "I Have To Believe"-- let me tell ya, she sings with soul! The live version snippet on her myspace page isn't as good as the one from her CD. (Ugh... now I have to get that image of the sooouuuuul train chugging across the screen out of my head!)
I have been reading a daily devotional book from Voice of the Martyrs for the past few months. This book called Extreme Devotion is by far one of the best devotional books I have ever read (not that I've read all that many to begin with!). The stories and testimonies that I've read so far have really helped me see life with an eternal perspective-- a perspective that seems so much more real to me now than ever. God knew when I started this book months ago, that it would be an encouragement and blessing to me.
While we have noticed every Tuesday that has gone by so far, I realize that today is the 26th. One calendar month since Christian left us to be with Jesus (why is it easier to say out loud than type out?). Here is an excerpt from what I read this morning...
II Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, "My grace is sufficient for thee..."
Day 148
"It has been said God will never lead us where his grace cannot keep us. We must realize that sometimes his plan does not include a miraculous deliverance from illness, death or oppression. Yet his grace is sufficient, and he has not abandoned us... Sometimes his plan involves simply seeing us through an ordeal instead of delivering us from it. Have you come to a point where you are willing to entirely rely on him? You'll likely never say that God's grace is all you need until his grace is all you have."
And since I can't help but read more one day, this is from Day 149:
"...Your life will go on far after your body is destroyed. Your true future is what happens in eternity, not what happens here on earth. What fears do you have about the future? Can you entrust them to God and face the future without fear?"
Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
And these words are always encouraging:
Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
I Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
God's Word is always true!!! Not just some of the time, but ALL of the time. When things at times seem more than we can bear, we just have to TRUST HIM. I am so thankful that we don't have to go through this alone and that God sends an encouraging word right when we need it.
It is SO hard to be wordless-- especially if you know me! LOL
It's amazing how David+Me could equal three very different looking boys! Some people think Dash and Tank are twins... but I think it's just that they have similar haircuts-- buzzcut a la mommy. ;-)
PS These are pictures from our recent trip to Buffalo, NY. God truly blessed us with a wonderful family trip! I don't think I'll ever forget it... not just because it was with Christian (striking a muscley pose), but because it really was THAT FUN!
I think David and I might have said "Well, when you're a grown-up one day, you can do whatever you want" a few too many times.
As my sisters Lele and Bobo were driving the boys to church the other night, 7yo Tank related this rather matter-of-factly:
I'm never gonna get married. Wanna know why?
I don't think my wife would like it very much that I went to Chuck E Cheese every single day.
And then I believe there was some under the breath comment about having to kick her out.
Yup, I'm glad my boy is thinking long-term! I know I have trained him well when at the very top of his "Things to look for in a wife" list is a love for Chuck E Cheese! LOL
What an emotional roller coaster these past two weeks have been. It's amazing how you can cry and laugh at the same time. Christian had such a big personality, his infectious joy (and did I mention his temper that shouldn't have been hilarious but was anyway?) would fill up an entire room. *sigh* So many things-- okay everything-- reminds me of him!
It's still hard to believe that he is gone... and yet in my heart of hearts I rejoice that he is far happier in the presence of Jesus right now than he ever could have been on our most perfect family day. I say rejoice because it does give me a measure of comfort in my grief and is a very vivid reminder to have an eternal perspective. I say rejoice because a parent always wants what is best for their child-- for them to be safe, happy, content... and right now, Christian is that and so much more!
But we miss him. A LOT. My heart and arms ache for him. Then when I feel overcome with tears and that huge pain in my chest, God comforts me. My eyes dry up and I feel better.
I don't really know where I'm going with this post. Sometimes the day drags on and other times I can't believe time has passed so quickly.
I do want to throw in here that when I look at Austin and Noah (aka Dash and Tank), my heart swells with love and I realize how very BLESSED I am! While our lives and family are changed forever, we are not destroyed. I look at their faces and see that my joy in life is not over. It is so tempting to stay in bed and not get up... but then I see their faces. Thank you, Lord for blessing me with them!
Earlier today, I was looking through a hymn book with my sisters and I couldn't believe this beautiful song that I ran across (see below). I cried, I smiled, I thanked God for His encouragement! Even the title of the song-- The Christian's Good-Night by Sarah Doudney-- WOW. It was like God was giving me a giant hug.
I'll say goodnight to y'all now. And THANK YOU again for your prayers and sweet words!
Love,
Marshie
The Christian's Good-Night
Sleep on, beloved, sleep, and take thy rest;
Lay down thy head upon thy Saviour's breast;
We love thee well, but Jesus loves thee best--
Good-night! Good-night! Good-night!
Calm is thy slumber as an infant's sleep;
But thou shalt wake no more to toil and weep:
Thine is a perfect rest, secure and deep--
Good-night! Good-night! Good-night!
Until eternal glory lights the skies,
Until the dead in Jesus shall arise,
And He shall come, but not in lowly guise--
Good-night! Good-night! Good-night!
Only "Good-night", beloved-- not "Farewell!"
A little while, and all His saints shall dwell
In hallowed union indivisible--
Good-night! Good-night! Good-night!
Until we meet again before His throne,
Clothed in the spotless robe He gives His own,
Until we know even as we are known--
Good-night! Good-night! Good-night!
Just a quick note to say THANK YOU to all of my friends-- both new and old-- y'all have been a tremendous blessing to us. Your cards, visits, phone calls and especially prayers have really ministered to us.
And Emily, thank you for the iPod... and friends, thank you for the songs! Sometimes we forget how a song can speak to and soothe our hearts. Some are familiar favorites and others are new-- all are amazing. When Rachel brought a box of cards and this gift over, I had no idea that this thing was so itty bitty! I'm glad it already had songs on it and was charged up! My sisters were laughing at me when I was quizzically looking at the package-- after I opened it. I feel like an old fogey when I looked at that thing and wondered There are songs on that?! And here I thought myself familiar with technology and all... I do have a blog, after all! LOL
I'm at the point now where there is so much to say but I don't know where to start or how to get it all out and have it make sense. I imagine I'll just do a handy-dandy bulleted post later. :-) But for now, I'd like to share this rainbow with you. My sister Bobo (okay, her real name is Debbie... just like Coco is Christine and Lele is Leah... oh and Marsha... well, it's just Marsha or Marshy). But I digress...
This beautiful rainbow is from this past Friday evening, the night of Christian's viewing. It was right behind the funeral home... hard to tell in the first picture but it's right above the roofline.
I know it sounds hokey to some or coincidental, but *I* know that this rainbow was for me and my family. This rainbow without a drop of rain (at least where we were) was God reminding me that HE IS FAITHFUL. And that HE KEEPS HIS PROMISES! And let me tell you, my dear dear friends, He really does!!!
This is Leanne. Marsha is my very dear, dear friend, and she asked me this morning if I would update y'all on how they're doing....I can only pray that God would give me the words to do this update justice.
I talked to her this morning on the phone. First of all, she wants everyone to know how much they have felt all of your prayers! They are very, very grateful for you all. Please keep praying, don't let up, as today is Christian's funeral and as many of you know, that is going to be hard....
She talked to me about all of those whom they had spoken with in this that do not know the Lord, and how her heart is grieving for them. She has told me that what they want out of this valley is that many would come to know the Savior through this. Please pray for those of their family and friends who do not know our good God. Pray for salvation for many. Marsha said that she hopes they're ready to hear the Gospel, cause that's what they're going to hear today!!
At the sound of Marsha's voice, I knew, deep in my heart, that they are going to weather this. God is and has been very present for their family thus far. She talked to me about how she had seemingly "babied" Christian a whole lot more than the other two boys. Now, she says that she has absolutely no regrets. We looked back and saw how God had been preparing them for this day for years, and especially the past month.
I choose for myself, especially after talking to Marsha, to believe that God is so infinitely good, so much more and above what our tiny brains can fathom. He does all things, all things, well....
Many of you may remember that they lost Christian's favorite blankie about a month or so ago. That blankie was nowhere to be found. Wednesday Marsha told me that she just knew, she just knew, that God was going to let that blankie show up when they needed it most.....and lo and behold, it has been found!! Coco found it! Our good God knew who needed to find that blankie and exactly when! Marsha said that Coco felt as though she had won the lottery!
We talked about what it was like yesterday, at the funeral home for the viewing. She spoke of how it was driven home to them that that was just really not Christian laying there. It was just his earthly shell, and it was such a huge measure of peace to David and her to know in their hearts that it wasn't him, just his husk. Christian's beautiful and joyful spirit is in Heaven, where he dances and sings for his Savior!
After they were done, apparently someone shouted, "look! A rainbow!!!" Marsha grabbed a little girlfriend by the hand and ran out to look, and sure enough, there was a perfect, beautiful rainbow arching its glorious colors directly over the funeral home!!! God's promise!!!
Thank the Lord that David and Marsha have the eyes to see God's goodness in the midst of this valley!
Please, prayer warriors, do not let up in praying for David and Marsha! This is just the beginning of this journey! Please be specific and very intentional in your prayers. Come against the enemy with all your power, as he would like nothing better than to destroy the beautiful witness of the Drews family.
Maybe you could leave a comment here for Marsha, and in that comment, include a scripture that has been meaningful to you, that you have clung to. I know Marsha would appreciate that.
Hi everyone, this is Marsha's friend Amy. She asked me to update her readers. Marsha and David offer their heartfelt appreciation for all the prayers and thoughtful emails from her cyber-friends. Her family continues to be blown away by the support she has received from friends she has never even met face-to-face.
Marsha says God has been very good to them and they are doing well. Although they understand the days will get harder as time goes on and they re-settle back into daily life, they feel very blessed that the Lord has held them in the palm of His hand through this tragedy. She says that it is so amazing to see God's handprint when she looks back on the events of the past few weeks. She feels that God had been preparing her family. She is excited to share those details with you in the future.
Just last week they were able to take a vacation together and she is so grateful for the precious time and memories that they shared as a family. David's company has blessed him with an entire month off. The boys have been understanding, and have been trying to keep themselves busy.
Christian's viewing and funeral are this weekend. Please continue to pray for Marsha, David, and their sons. If you are interested in honoring Christian's memory, Marsha asks that in lieu of flowers you consider a donation to her church's missions program. If you would like more information, please email me at amy@heartofthemattermagazine.com. If you have written a special post in honor of Christian, please add your link to the tribute to sweet Christian at Heart of the Matter.
Today's Heart of the Matter Meme is about what we are currently using in our homeschool. Yes, I know it's shocking-- a post about homeschooling on this blog!
Although we are currently on a mini-vacay to Niagara Falls, we are planning on starting our lessons on Monday, August 25th. And here is what we will be studying:
This literature-rich program is scheduled like Sonlight but more hands-on, and has helpful suggestions on DVD's, crafts, games, websites, etc. We have really enjoyed the adventure readings (read aloud's) as a family. This past year, we studied the first half of American history and actually did a timeline for the first time ever! Both Dash (9yo) and Tank (7yo) do this program together. WP also has middler packs where you can add an older student to this program.
Language Arts:
WinterPromise Language Arts Grade 2 and Grade 4..
The Readers used in this LA tie-in to the time period/theme we are studying in history. They also use a great variety of workbooks that we have been very pleased with in the past like SpellWell, Wordly Wise 3000, Explode the Code, Grammar Puzzles and Games Kids Can't Resist, etc. This past year was the first year that I was completely happy with the thoroughness of a Language Arts program. Oh and did I mention that they schedule the days on this as well? Man, I totally *heart* a written out schedule-- even if we usually do 2 days worth of work in a day... thereby only having to do LA twice a week. But maybe that should be another post altogether...
Math: Math-U-SeeBeta and Gamma (and Delta if they move quick enough!)
This is honestly the only curriculum that I have been 100% thrilled with! I have yet to use the teachers manual or actually go over a lesson with them. I completely love the DVD lessons and the boys have never ever given me grief about doing math! If they don't quite get a concept, they just play the lesson again on the DVD player. I am available for questions and reminders but the teaching credit all goes to MUS!
All I can say is WOW!!! I received this to review (to be posted soon) and cannot speak more highly of it. It has catchy songs, covers quite a lot of vocabulary, and is for Grades K-3... Yes, K-3! I am planning to use this with all of my boys-- 3yo (minus any writing of course), 2nd grader and 4th grader. I think it will be a fun introduction to Latin for all of us. The next program we'll use (unless they come out with a second volume of this!) is Prima Latina... but I never used it this past year because it intimidated me. Song School Latin-- I am confident that we can actually do this twice a week without fail!
Scheduled daily just like the other WinterPromise programs (can you tell that I need someone to plan for me if I really want to get it done?). I've got lots of picture books to add to the bunch and he has his desk and pencil box ready to go! :-) He has been SO excited about "doing lessons" for the past two weeks so I started him with a few books from Kumonlike their book on Tracing and one on Cutting.
(I was not the one filming this sideways... my dear husband realized the error of his ways at the end. Also, please note that while my boys cannot sing harmony, they have no problems tweaking classic songs to suit their tastes and style-- hence the smelling, zoo, and cha cha cha references.)
Wow, was that a long blogosphere absence or what? That's what happens when I get too busy... I go off-grid. Wait, I take that back. That's what happens when I get too busy AND cranky at the same time!
The highlights and lowlights of the past two weeks:
+We went to the lake for a few days with friends.
There were about 4 momma's, 1 David for part of the time, and 30 kids (give or take a few). It was fun and relaxing and I was too lazy to take any pictures.
+Oh blankie, where art thou?
Somehow 3yo Dozer has learned to cope without his buddy and has even confiscated other pieces of fleece around the house to compensate. But what about ME?! What about Mommy?!!! I am SO saddened at the disappearance of his little buddy... his shadow... his companion when he sucks his thumb at night. I even offered a reward to anyone who finds it-- scissor rips, green paint stains, fuzzballs and all-- nothing beats the original! But to no avail. I am in mourning over this.
That blankie has been there for many things... bedtime, camping, double black eye, hide and seek... *sniff* *sniff*
+Dash celebrated his 9th birthday this past weekend!
NINE YEARS OLD! That is halfway to an adult!!!
I have been a bit anxious about this day for much of the year. Not that I boohoo the loss of the early childhood or anything. But the responsibility of raising a child into a young man has weighed heavily on my mind. A reminder that while he is a good kid and we have a great relationship, I question whether we as parents have done enough? Have taken advantage of opportunities to talk about God? To live out a good Christ-like example? Aggghhh! I'm running out of time!
Okay, back to the birthday. With all the rain and it being the Tax Free weekend here in Texas, we opted to stay HOME rather than go out! Friday, we did venture out to Chuck E Cheese first thing in the morning (coupons in hand, of course! LOL), to have our family day. We usually reserve the actual birthday day for just family-- no friends and no party. We'll do something together as a family and have a cake and presents. In the early years, I found myself being so busy taking care of everyone else, *I* never had the time to reflect and really enjoy the day with my children. Now, celebrations of the party magnitude are held on a different day.
Anyhow, it rained but we were cozy inside with our little men.
+Our dog got bit on the face by a copperhead snake.
She's doing okay now but her face did swell up pretty big. We took her to the animal ER almost right away (as soon as we could find an open vet on a Saturday evening!).
One thing to say about that-- better the dog than a kid.
She is pretty much all the way recovered. I don't think any of my kids would've been so fortunate. Ditto when David was stung by a swarm of bees on his face and head last week. He was mowing the neighbors lawn and in the far corner of their property was a tree FULL of bees. I guess they didn't like the vibration of the mower! I have never been stung by a bee or wasp-- although my kids have. So the mere thought of it makes me shudder!
+3 year olds are so fun!
They speak their own language,
they laugh hysterically when you kiss their bellybutton,
they say funny things like Mommy, I bumped my forehead
and just when I am surprised that he used the word forehead,
he ruins it by saying and then I bumped my other head. What?! You have two heads?
And as he touches one side of his forehead and then the other,
he replies Yes, I have dis forehead and then dis head over here.
Ummm... okay then.
And that, as best as I can remember, wraps up my life up to this point.
I have to write this down so I don't forget. At 7 years old, I wonder how many more funny things a kid can say. Because y'know, sometimes when they're much older, weird or wrong things they say just aren't quite funny as much as they are reason to question how well you lernz em in homeschool! LOL
David and I went on a date yesterday-- and we didn't go to Sam's Club! What were we thinking? That's okay because the roster of places we went included the likes of Academy, Ross, Starbucks for me, Exxon for him (for an Icee!), Best Buy, IKEA and Korea Gardens restaurant (YUMMY).
When we got back we were talking to the babysitter. She was laughing when she told us that Tank was excited about going to the lake on Monday (we're going with several other families from church next week).
Tank was hopping up and down and said:
I just can't wait to go FISHING!!! Oh it's going to be so much fun! And you know what else? If we catch enough we can cook them up for supper and have fried chicken! I LOVE FRIED CHICKEN!!!
Okay, now you just tell me that wasn't hilarious talking up there. Go ahead. It was funnay, no?
David and I... we've been married for over 12 years now. We are an institution! There is no just Marsha or just David... It is David and Marsha. Marsha and David.
***cue cheesy music***
No matter the decade, baby... we are SOULMATES!!!
(Love triangle? Hmmm... which one will I choose?! *snort*)
This was from Yearbook Yourself. During the HOTM Conference, I saw Dawn post something similar and it just CRACKED ME UP! I'm going to regret (maybe) staying up until 2:30am doing this... but it was my sister Coco's fault (definitely). It wouldn't have been nearly as funny if we weren't IM'ing and doing this together!
So what do y'all think? Let me know if you do this too!
Are y'all excited about the upcoming 2008 Olympics?! The opening ceremonies will be at 8pm on 8-08-08. And if I was really feeling on-the-ball, I'd tell you what time that was over here in USA and some other schnazzy links.
I think the boys and I will track different events on the map and maybe do a medal count. Who knows? Maybe they'll find a new sport they like!
So are y'all going to be keeping up with the Olympics at your house? If you don't have TV, you can always keep up online right HERE. Nifty, eh?
(David and I at the Great Wall in Beijing, China in 2006)
I don't have a lot to complain about. It's weird though because I feel like I'm cranky, whiney, complainy and in a bad mood... at least on the inside. But I'm not really. I know, it makes ZERO sense, doesn't it?
I knew I was feeling out of sorts when I had a sore throat all day long. But that in and of itself isn't too odd. It only became wonky when I couldn't figure out if I had a sore throat because I was getting sick or if it was because I yelled at the kids. Y'know the kind of yelling I'm talking about? The lose your temper, scream at the kids and then just know you're going to have to apologize later because it was THAT bad kind of a yelling.
Only, I didn't think I got mad at the kids for anything today. Did I??? I spent much of the day trying to remember if I lost my temper or yelled at any of the kids for any reason at all this morning. But apparently I didn't. (Hooray for me! Hooray for them!)
I am getting sick though. I'm one of those low-temp kind of people. If I ever get a "normal" temp of 98.7, I'm probably coming down with something. My throat is sore, I'm exhausted (did I mention that David has been working since this past Sunday and has been gone?), and I have a fever. WAAAAHHH!
The good news is that after tomorrow, he'll be home until Wednesday! As in WE GET TO SPEND SUNDAY TOGETHER! I can't even tell you the last time that has happened. And last Sunday, well, I just kind of lost it and cried because it is just so hard to do the whole Sunday school, church, lunch, dinner, church, bedtime thing by yourself... again... like last time... oh and the twenty million times before that... Oh I exaggerate about that last part... but only by a little!
The End. Not of this post. Just of my pity party.
Hey, I finally attended my very first homeschool Conference this week... in my pj's... with coffee in hand. It just couldn't get any better than that! Wait, it did when I got to chat for a while with mi amiga Amy from Trujillo, Peru!!! I had to throw in the Peru thing so she could be distinguished from the manyotherfabulosoAmy's that I am tremendously blessed to know. :-)
Speaking of Amy from Peru, here's a picture of us together when we had coffee together during her visit to Texas a (too long of a...) while back.
It was really hot that day. But never too hot for a latte! Am I right or am I right?
Anyhow, I don't know where I was going with the post. It had been a while since I had last posted so I wanted to say howdy and let you know what was going on with the Drews clan, er... ME (especially since I didn't really mention anyone else, huh?).
We are so excited and from all of your emails and posts we know that you all are too! This is the last day that you can get the tickets for the price of $29.95. Starting Wednesday it will go up to it's official price of $39.95 and will remain that cost for the duration of the conference.
The speakers and vendors for our conference have been very generous with their donation of freebies and door prizes. Our freebie package alone exceeds $170 and it is worth every penny of the cost of that ticket!
Some of the freebies include:
Author's Project-Pak: five projects rotating around twenty four 19th and 20th century authors from Home School in the Woods.
An autographed copy of one of Kelli Crowe's books…Designing with Details: A scrapbooking idea book or DW Recipe Book: Recipes for great scrapbook pages.
One of five signed copies of Luke Holzmann's children’s book Time for Friends.
A $25 Amazon coupon gift certificate from Tiany Davis, founder of The Homeschool Lounge.
A $50 gift card to Blue Thistle Book'sonline store.
A $50 Amazon gift certificate from the team here at Heart of the Matter.
...plus much more! So hurry up and get signed up to listen to our motivating speakers and to receive all of these great freebies AND chances to win these awesome prizes before the cost goes up.
It all started with this horrid rust stain inside my toilet. (I never thought I'd begin a post with those words!) You see, we have well water and it is quite hard. No matter the amount of toilet cleaner, Soft Scrub with Bleach and Daivd's elbow grease applied, this stubborn ring around the water line in my toilet would remain.
After my mom came to visit last week, I was quite embarrassed about this nasty stain... and it really was a clean toilet, it just didn't look like it!
Well, wouldn't you know it, just as soon as she left I found this product at Wal-mart: Whink Rust Remover.
After about 20 applications-- pouring it on, letting it sit, and then flushing-- a little light scrubbing made that horrid, ugly ring of nastiness disappear!
Oh it really IS a sad day when I post about this, isn't it?! Then why oh why am I so happy about it all? Good grief, I am such a dork. I better stop before I start sounding like an infomercial.
And I won't mention the excitement when I found these XLT undershirts online... and that David actually thought they were super comfortable. Have you tried finding undershirts in Tall sizes lately? Hard to find and super expensive. But these were great.
Okay, I'm going to go now. I don't know when I turned into an old person that would get so excited about these kinds of things. Maybe I'll think of something fun to post about tomorrow to redeem myself from the depths of dorkdom.
Today's meme from Heart of the Matter is about Meal Planning. More specifically:
Welcome to the Heart of the Matter Online meme. Every Friday we will feature a different topic for our meme. Mr. Linky is set up below so please share with us your How Do You Meal Plan? We would love to see recipes of all kinds! I would especially love to find some new homemade bread, crockpot, and meatless recipes.
Well, first of all, my days always go better when I have a plan! But a plan is exactly what I do not always have. Typical problem, I would say.
This is especially true with David's ever-changing work schedule. Either he's home for a meal or he's leaving for work a couple hours before it's actually mealtime. Sometimes I'll cook him his own dinner at 9pm... it's not that he makes me or something, but the poor boy has to eat so much fast food with his job, it is nice to have a home-cooked meal whenever possible. When I was little, I never thought the words "I'd rather eat at home" would ever come out of my mouth!
If it's a normal week (as in not expecting any sort of company), I usually just shop with The Grocery Game and buy whatever meat is on the List and plan my weekly menu by what is on sale.
Whenever I have extra chicken on hand (and the super yummy freshly made tortillas from Kroger-- mmmm...), these are pretty tasty and good on-the-go. I think when soccer season is upon us once again we will be eating a lot of burritos...
Chicken Burritos
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (1.25oz) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16oz) can refried beans (can use whole or black beans but these are nice and sticky)
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 (8oz) package shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Salsa (verde-- the green kind is good, can also use regular red)
Chopped plum tomatoes (about 3) and 1/2 c. minced onion if desired (my kids don't desire it, thankyouverymuch).
-Place chicken and seasoning mix in large ziploc bag, seal and shake to coat chicken.
-Spread beans evenly over tortillas. Tope each with chicken, cheese, tomato and onion; roll up. Wrap each burrito in foil; place in 5-6 quart slow cooker.
-Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours (it steams in those packets and the flavors meld nicely). Serve with salsa and if you're like me-- sour cream. :-)
I'm Marsha...proud Mrs to David, mommy of boys, home educator, chief cook and chaos coordinator...
There's always something going on at my house-- not always good, but always something!!!
Marsha says God has been very good to them and they are doing well. Although they understand the days will get harder as time goes on and they re-settle back into daily life, they feel very blessed that the Lord has held them in the palm of His hand through this tragedy. She says that it is so amazing to see God's handprint when she looks back on the events of the past few weeks. She feels that God had been preparing her family. She is excited to share those details with you in the future. 
The speakers and vendors for our conference have been very generous with their donation of freebies and door prizes. Our freebie package alone exceeds $170 and it is worth every penny of the cost of that ticket!
We also have some more than 25 fabulous door prizes to award to some lucky attendees. Just think... you could be the lucky winner of:
