Goodbye, Old Friend

On Monday, we had to put down our dear dog, Tee Off.  Tee was 14 years old, and we loved her.  But she was getting so bad she could hardly move.  It was a really hard decision, but we know she was not thriving anymore.

Noel and Elise were a little sad, but they really didn't do much with Tee, since she was so old. To be honest, none of us has done much with her in the last couple of years because she just laid around.

 After we got over the initial sadness of saying goodbye to her, we have been spending the week remembering the fun times we had with Tee.

*She used to bark like crazy at every sound, especially people knocking on the door.
*She would go nuts if you said the word "squirrel".
*She was always on the hunt for something out in the back yard.  One year she caught a bunny, and she and a neighbor dog had a feast.  David found out later it was someone's pet rabbit that had gotten loose!!
*She was a great sidekick to run with in her younger years.  She would pull you along faster than you wanted to go, which was what I needed.
*She was definitely a city dog.  Whenever she had a chance to go to the farm, she inevitably found something dead and/or rotten to roll in.  Delicious!
*She didn't like me at first.  David was hers, and she didn't want to share.  But when the kids came along, all was forgiven, because she got every item of food that was dropped from the table.

Tee was a loyal, loving, friendly dog who will be missed.  We are grateful that we got to be her owners.  Love ya, Tee Dawg!

The Joy is in the Journey

This past Friday and Monday were Noel's "fall break", so we decided to make a vacation of it.  We had not gone anywhere as a family (except the farm) since the spring, so we were excited.

Our first stop (after lunch at Jason's Deli, which was delicious!) was Legoland in Schaumberg, Illinois.  I had heard some mixed reviews, but our kids loved it.

 They love anytime we see Sponge Bob stuff, because I won't let them watch it, so they think they are getting away with something naughty.

Legoland was perfect for kids Noel's age.  There was a lot of interactive entertainment, and even a couple of rides. Dave and I were particularly entertained by the workers there.  They all looked exactly the same--males, mid-20's, shaggy hair, and hipster glasses.  Was this a prerequisite for working at Legoland?  Hmmmm

My friend's sister lives in Schaumberg, so I got lots of restaurant suggestions from her.  We heard that Lou Malnati's was the place to eat pizza.  And it definitely was.  We had to wait a long time (it was Friday night), and I was getting a little nervous about how the kids would hold up, but it was sooooo good!!

Saturday was our big adventure day.  We took the train from Schaumberg to Union Station in Chicago.

(Sidenote:  Elise and Noel made a little friend at the train station, who was staying at our hotel and we saw numerous times.  She was about 2, and was with her mom at the station.  Mom had her on one of those harnesses --aka a leash.  And when the kids were playing with her, she got herself all wrapped around a lightpole.  Did anyone out there see the Modern Family episode where the little girl was on a leash?  Yeah, it was just like that.)

The kids loved the train.  It was really fun, and we had a great time telling knock knock jokes and laughing on the way in.  Once we got to Union Station, we met a nice man who helped us catch the bus to Navy Pier.  Noel said the bus was his favorite mode of transportation that day.

We spent the next several hours taking in everything at Navy Pier.  We rode some of the rides, including this big ferris wheel, and ate some hot dogs.  We just tried to enjoy every moment and take it all in.

One thing we didn't get any pictures of were the street performers at Navy Pier.  There were people all dressed up/painted as cats, lizards, puppets, etc.  It was really weird.  I think the "cat" woman really thought she was a cat.  Who says all the crazies live in Kokomo?  But we did see an act from a guy dressed as Frankenstein that was really impressive, and the kids loved it.

I would say that Elise's favorite part of the trip was getting her own Build-a-Bear.  She loved the whole process, and of course found the only pair of high heeled bear shoes in the store for her new friend, Little Princess.  Noel was a really good sport about it, and was generously rewarded with a pop gun.

At the end of the day, we took a water taxi home, which was perfect, because we got to see all of the buildings from a great perspective and just relax.

The last day of our trip was heading home, plus a stop at Fair Oaks Farms, which is a dairy farm with all kinds of exhibits.  It was the most beautiful day, and we really had a good time.  We got to see a cow being born, which was kind of neat, but also really gross.

All in all, we learned that our kids are much more flexible than they used to be, and that traveling can be fun if you can roll with the punches and have lots of snacks on hand.

And the pics just keep coming!

August 15th was a monumental day for our family.  Not only was it Noel's first day of kindergarten, it was our official "moving" day.  We figured, why not cram all of the emotional stress into one great, memorable day!

And so, this is why Noel's first day of school picture is him standing on a trailer.

Thinking back, I was more overwhelmed with getting everything packed and everyone ready to actually be sad.  Now that I look at this picture, I'm a little teary thinking about all of the memories we made in that driveway and on that porch.  So many firsts.  So many greats.  And so much more to come.

Not to be outdone, Elise had to do a little posing of her own.  Her official first day was the next day.  I think she's been ready for preschool for about 2 years!

They really do like each other.  I kid you not.  Yes, they have some nasty moments, but when it comes down to it, they are crazy about each other.

And this is the new house that we now live in!!

I used to be pretty good at blogging

and then this whole moving into a house-selling our old house-craziness began.  But I've finally gotten my pictures all downloaded from, oh, summer until now.  So bear with me as I try and backtrack through the fun I have not posted about.

Who stole my babies and replaced them with much bigger kids?  Wasn't it just yesterday they could stand inside the wheels of the big combine at the fair?  Wow.

One of the highlights of our summer was getting to celebrate my in-laws' 50th wedding anniversary in July.  Almost every family member came, including my wonderful nieces and nephews.  They are such a fun group of people.  As soon as they see my kids, they grab them and love on them, take them on four-wheeler rides, play games with them, teach them new things, and just have fun.  

Everyone worked long and hard to pull off a great open house for Ed and Linda, and at the end, we had a bonfire to relax.  Definitely one of my favorite memories of the whole summer.

Above are Josh and Lauren

Jacob, his girlfriend Breanna, Abby (beautiful!), and Steve

Tye

Liz, Becca, and Elise

In other news. . .

Who needs toys when you can just raid your dad's closet?

I had to post this picture, because I love that a)he worked so hard to put David's hat, jeans, AND shoes on and b)he is working that camera pretty hard, too.  Do you think he's had his picture taken a time or two?

More pictures to come!

Dying All Over Again

Okay, so the truth is, I have watched You've Got Mail about a million times.  I can quote most of the lines.  I know it's corny, but I just love it.  Most of the movie is really funny, but there is this scene near the end when Meg Ryan's character has to close her book shop.  She has this line where she says that closing the store feels like losing her mother all over again.  And. . .cue the tears.

So, what does this have to do with me?

I just finished a biography about David Foster Wallace:

If you don't know anything about DFW, he was the author of several books, many of which had critical acclaim.  But to me he was one of my English professors at Illinois State University.  I took a class on prose from him, and it was one of the hardest classes I ever took.  When I took the class I had no idea that he was a quasi-famous author who was trying to stay away from the spotlight by living in the midwest.  Now, as I have just learned through his biography, he was a recovering drug addict who had several major bouts of depression, a couple of which caused him to be put in an institution.  I had no idea that while I was trying to get an A in his class, he was trying to climb out of a pit of depression and addiction.

In September of 2008, after trying to get off of some medication because it was taking a toll on his body, he hit rock bottom and hung himself.

When I first found out he had died, I was incredibly sad.  Not because I loved his writings (many of them are intensely graphic, and I wouldn't recommend them--although his nonfiction is AMAZING), but because I felt that he was a lost soul who had struggled with so many things his whole life.  It made me think about how many other people out there are struggling with depression, or addiction, or something else, and they look like they have it all together on the outside.

And now, four years later, as I read the final pages of his biography, it's like he's died all over again.

Life is short.
Time is a gift.
People are hurting.  Everywhere.  Hurting.
And if you are hurting, you are not the only one.  I promise.

Turning 6

Dear Noel,

It takes you two hands to show people how old you are now.  That makes me take a big gulp.  Those nights when you wouldn't sleep seemed like an eternity.  But now, I feel like I blinked and you're all grown up.

You are quirky and funny.  Sometimes this makes us crazy, but usually it makes us laugh.

You love to figure out how things work.  You study something and look at details most people wouldn't even notice.  It never ceases to amaze me.

You are becoming more and more independent, but still want a hug and kiss from me when I drop you off at kindergarten.  Let's keep it that way for a while.

You love your little sister, and she adores you.  When you two go somewhere alone, it practically melts my heart when I see you take her hand or make sure she's right next to you.  I am not naive enough to believe you won't have some knock-down drag-outs as you grow, but I hope you will always find comfort and solace in each other.

You are constant energy.  Filled with questions.  Concerned about fairness.  Learning about the world.

I am so privileged to be your mom.   It's overwhelming at times to know that I have such an influence on you.  I pray that God will use me to show You the right way.

I hear a lot of people say they want their kids to be happy, and I do want you to be happy.  But more than happy, I want you to be holy.  I want you to be a follower of God and know the plans He has for you.  To understand that what we do here on earth makes a difference, and that loving others, although not always easy, is what we have been called to do.

Thank you for being my son.

Love,
Mom

An open apology to my students

On Thursday mornings, I tutor high school students who are trying to graduate after being kicked out/having dropped out of conventional high school.  On Thursday afternoons, I work with an after school program for middle school students who are struggling in and out of school.

Some days I leave with the weight of the world on my shoulders.

I leave thinking about how unfair some things are for these students.
About how I wish I could take them home.
About how glad I am that I know them.

But when I leave them, I go home to my cushy house in the country with my 2 healthy kids, my husband who  loves us and provides for us, physically and spiritually.  I am not afraid at night.  I have not lost my childhood because of someone else's decisions.

Dear Students,

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry that adults could not get their crap together.  I'm sorry that you have to deal with situations that nobody should have to deal with, let alone a young child.  I'm sorry that choices others made have tainted your view of what it means to be a father, or mother, or a family.

I'm sorry that the church has not been there more for you. To walk alongside you and your family in hard times.  To care for you when nobody else was caring for you.

I'm sorry that, for the most part, we believers are so caught up in our own lives, our conveniences, our schedules, and our "problems" that we don't look for ways to help you.

God says that true religion is looking after widows and orphans.  Many of you have been "orphaned" in one way or another.  May we, the church, rise up and look after you.

Some Randomness to Celebrate Friday

I really did have all kinds of intentions to blog this week, and SERIOUSLY it was not my fault this time!  Our internet has been down all week  And while I have learned how much time I waste on the world wide web, I am grateful it is back and I can find the recipes I need, email the people I need, and of course listen to Pandora Disney Princess station (okay, that last one was for Elise.  She could do that for hours.)

So, in honor of this beautiful fall Friday, I now present some random thoughts that are bouncing around in my head:

*I was talking to our neighbors last night, and was curious about the house next door to them.  They have a shed in the back yard, but also a smaller shed really close to the house.  I asked if it was a playhouse for a child or something, and my neighbors said some words I would never forget.  "Oh, no.  It's a cat house."  You read that right:  a cat house.  These people built a playhouse for their cat.  Cats, actually.  And now they let raccoons in there and feed them, too.  And here I was, starting to miss my old, crazy neighborhood. . .

*I'm so glad the new seasons of some of my favorite shows are starting up again.  I'm loving Parenthood, although I'm not sure I'll be able to watch it if it gets any sadder than it already is.  A girl can only take so much.  Parks and Recreation was on last night, and it was great.  I can't decide which character I love more, and I love that.  It's one show that both David and I enjoy watching, so that's a double bonus.  Now, I'm just waiting on The Mentalist and Castle, and tv enjoyment will be complete.

*I've been experimenting with green smoothies this week.  I've tried spinach, kale, and now radish greens.  So far they haven't been too bad, and they give me so much energy (and vitamins).  I've been trying to make them ahead and have them ready to drink for breakfast.  My kids have tried each one, and nobody has complained about it, but I'm a little nervous to give them a whole glass.  Last time I did that their little bodies weren't used to all of those veggies, and they were running a little "loose", if you know what I mean.  Baby steps to good nutrition, right?

*Do kids ever get tired of riding on lawn mowers?  This question has yet to be answered "yes" at our house.  It the best entertainment at our new house by far.

*Speaking of my kids, my daughter is going through a whiny spell that is about to drive me to the brink of insanity.  It is exhausting!  Seriously, this morning the whining started because she wanted a treat AT 8:45 IN THE MORNING!!  When I said no she started crying.  Seriously?  Seriously?!!  Advice?  Help?  Babysitters?  I'll take all three

*I can't seem to keep our new house clean.  Ever. 

*I've been reading way too many sad books about death, divorce, murder, and whatnot.  I need some sort of lighthearted reading--any suggestions?

And there is your randomness for the day.  Happy Friday!!

I want to blog. . .

Here's the thing:

This whole moving/two houses/kids in school/working on Thursday/trying to exercise some more/my family wants to eat EVERY DAY thing has really thrown me for a loop.

Almost every day, I have sat down to blog about something interesting (or at least mildly entertaining), and it never gets done.

I have things I want to share

about meeting the neighbors

and moving to at tiny town

and learning about my new students

and going to the farm for Labor Day

and running a 5K

and all kinds of stuff

but they just haven't gotten done.

I'm not quitting the blog.  Really, I'm not.  I just need to get it back into my routine, so I can share more.

And while I'm on the subject of sharing, let me tell you how amazing jalapeno poppers are.  Seriously amazing.  And so easy.  You just slice jalapenos lengthwise, take out the seeds, and put a little cream cheese on them.  Sprinkle them with a little shredded cheese, and pop them into a really hot oven (425 or 450).  Cook for about 12 minutes.  Wonderful.  And if you want to kick it up even more, go ahead and wrap those puppies up in some bacon before you put them in the oven.

Seriously, I'm drooling right now.

So, if you're reading this blog, thank you for not giving up on me and my words.  I will return with more mundane-ness very soon!

Settling in

Well, after a whirlwind of packing and sorting, unpacking and resorting, cleaning, cleaning, and um. . . . cleaning(!) we are settling in to our new house.

*Sidenote:  If this were a really good blog, there would be pictures right now of our new house, but since I can't find the cord to hook the camera's memory card in, that is not happening.  However, I HAVE taken pictures, so it's a small step in the right direction.

So far, we are really liking our new place and the area.  I am kind of going through Meijer withdrawels, since it's now a 20 minute drive there instead of a 90 second drive.  But we are all adjusting.  Being out in the country is so nice and peaceful.  I went for my first run on Saturday, and it was beautiful (the scenery, not the run--THAT was ugly).  Our neighbors are really nice, and the kids have even made some friends.

I was curious how Noel and Elise would feel about leaving the only house they knew, but surprisingly, they didn't really care.  They were so excited about having new rooms right across from each other and getting to ride on  lawn tractor that nothing else mattered.  The third or fourth night we were here, Noel shuffles over to me and says, "I like our new house.  I really do."  And that pretty much sealed the deal for me.

I am trying to make every moment count with my children, and through this move one of my goals was to teach that stuff is just stuff.  We have some of it (too much, honestly), but we can't hang on to it too tightly.  It doesn't matter in the end.

I'm also settling in to my new "work" opportunities.  On Thursday I tutor in the mornings at The Crossing, which is an alternative school for high school students looking to get their diploma.  It has been such a great experience so far.  Most of it involves one-on-one work with students who are taking classes through a computer-based program.  There are lots of different reasons a student is at The Crossing, but almost all of them have realized in some way that education is essential, and so getting through their classes takes on a whole new meaning.  I especially enjoy the "family time" they have in the middle of classes, where we sit and have some great discussions about life, God, goals, struggles, and triumphs.  I feel blessed to be a part of it.

I've been reading through Genesis these past few weeks, and every time I do I take something different away.  This morning I read about how God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, his son, and because he was willing to do it, God blessed him.  To be honest, I still can't really explain this passage, but it does convict me to make sure that everything---everything is second in  comparison to God.  I think about how 6 years ago I left the only career I knew, teaching, to stay home with my kids.  It was really hard for me, but I knew that for us it was the right decision.  And now I see so many blessings that have come from me giving up my comfort for the unknown.  If I hadn't done that, I would not be a part of The Crossing or Bridges.  I wouldn't have had these amazing times with my children.  Has it all been good?  Of course not.  But has it been worth it? Yes.

I don't know what God has asked you to give up or give over, and I can't begin to say I understand, because each of us is unique, but I do know that the times I do surrender are the times God uses me the most.

May God find ways to use each of us today.

Change is good. . .right?

I feel like I haven't written a blog post in forever, which is almost true.  And this will be my only post for at least a week, as we won't have internet after tomorrow for a while.  We are in the process of moving to another house.  We're about 60% moved in there, but there is no hot water, so we've still been living at our old house until the gas gets turned on.  So life is a little crazy.  When I am at our old house I can't find the stuff I need, and when I'm at the new house I have no idea where to put the stuff I have.

First world problems, right?  Too much stuff!!

Oh, and there's that whole thing of Noel starting kindergarten tomorrow and Elise starting preschool on Thursday.

I"m in a little bit of an overwhelmed state.

But I know it's good.  I know God is good, and I trust in Him.  If Noah can live on an ark for a year, I can live out of boxes for a few weeks.

And so if you don't hear from me, I'm not dead. I may be lost trying to find my way out of the construction by my new house, though, so give me a call. . .

Heroes and Villians

Forgive me if I have written this before.  I am getting old and forgetful.  Plus, I'm just too lazy to read all of my old posts and see if I've ever written this before.

So, stick with me.

Something has happened in the last, oh, 10 years or so.  I believe it is partially due to our media overkill of every topic/event/person, etc. But it seems to be in every area of life now.

Heroes and Villians.

We tend to move people into one of those categories.  It starts with movies.  Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?  (of course, Jacob for me.  But I digress).  And then it moves to celebrities.  When a celebrity couple gets divorced, we immediately pick a side of who is amazingly wonderful (Katie Holmes) and who caused so much trouble that we can't stand them (Tom Cruise).  Although he hadn't been a villian before, even though he had left 2 previous wives (and children) for younger women.  But TomKat was sooooo in love!  And don't get me started on the Olympics!  I even caught myself cheering for the Russian gymnasts to fall off the balance beam last night, for crying out loud!

And all of this is kind of fun and silly (kind of).

And then we turn to the elections.  All of a sudden, if you vote for Obama, you are a socialist.  If you are a Republican you hate gay people.  Mitch Daniels is the devil.  No, wait, he's the best governor ever.  No, wait.

See what I mean?

I don't want to get into political arguments on my blog.  But I want to remind everyone that people are just that:  people.  They are not perfect, but they also aren't evil either (for the most part).  Do I agree with everything our President has done these past 4 years?  No.  Do I think he is out to destroy our country?  Absolutely not!

And then this gets really personal when it is our friends and family.

We have somehow taken this hero/villian mentality and moved it to our personal relationships.  We find out that someone said something a little unkind about our family or one of our friends.  Immediately they are a villian.  "Oh, I always knew they were like that!" "I never trusted them for a minute!"  Or we take someone's word and follow them, even though what they are doing is completely wrong and hurtful. We fail to address problems because we don't want to turn into the villian.

But I want to remind all 3 of you who read this that the only villian is the devil, and the only hero is Jesus.  None of us is perfect.  None of us has never hurt a person or said something mean or done something out of selfish motivation.  But none of us is completely evil and hoping for the worst.

And this has given me some perspective in the past few days, as I am struggling with some disappointments in some people.  The easier thing would be to write them off and say, "I'm done with them." But is that what God wants me to do? To make them a villian?  God wants me to forgive.  To make things peaceful.  To build bridges, not burn them.

To pray for those who are hard to love.

Will you join me?

Life with Noel

I love having a 5 year-old.

Honestly, I feel like I deal much better with a child at this age than with a newborn.  I was not a good newborn mom.  But one thing I was not prepared for in having a 5 year-old is all of the questions.

From the minute Noel wakes up until we leave his room at night, his words are filled with questions.

Why do we have earwax?


What makes warts?


Why do we whisper before we go to bed when nobody's asleep yet?


Why do they use the 5 rings for the Olympics? What do they mean?


Why do you and Daddy keep getting older, but not any taller?

This goes on.  For hours.  Every day.

I love it and it drives me crazy all at once.

Noel is such a curious little boy, and he knows it.  He wants to know how everything works and why everything happens.  I love that about him.  But sometimes it makes my brain cramp up from working on answers.

Noel definitely keeps me on my toes, and that is good for this old brain.  I hope that he keeps this curious spirit his whole life, never stops wondering and asking.

What traits do your children have that you hope they keep forever?

Thankful Thursdays

I am sitting here in the house we are about to sell (#591), getting things ready for closing on our new house (#592) while my children play Where's My Perry on the Kindle (#593 & 594).  It's been a crazy busy week, thanks to VBS (#595--but not sure if we'll ever do it again!) and fun afternoons filled with library time (#596), adventures in the park (#597), and swimming with friends (#598). Also, I started my new work at The Crossing, (#599), which is an alternative high school for students who have previously struggled in school for various reasons.  I'm excited about working there and what God has planned through that.  We are still recovering from the party on the farm (#600) to celebrate my in-laws' 50th wedding anniversary, where my kids and all of their cousins answered the question:  Does riding a four-wheeler ever get old?  (The answer is no, if you're wondering).

What are you thankful for???

Without a hitch

David turned 40 on Thursday.  If you know my husband at all, you know that he does not like lots of attention.  He likes being with a few friends or family members and doing fun stuff like golfing or playing basketball.  But I wanted to do something special for him.

Well, hello, Pinterest idea. I think I will finally use you!

I took an idea from Pinterest to celebrate this special day.  Instead of a party, I asked people to send letters to me to give to David.  I was a little nervous how it would all turn out, because people don't really write letters very much anymore (one of our nephews ended his letter with ". . .and I think this is the first letter I've written in like 5 years. . .)

But the letters came in.

From family

from friends

from co-workers

from former youth group students.

It was perfect.

We got up  Thursday morning (David's birthday) and packed to go to the farm for his parents' 50th anniversary party.  I drove so he could read the letters. I wish I could have taken pictures of his face as he read letter after letter (43 in all).  He was so shocked, touched, and excited that so many people took the time to write him.

Some were hilarious, and some were tear jerkers.  David's brother, Mike, wrote down a bunch of stories from their childhood that involved manure spreaders, swamps, dangerous 3-wheelers, etc. Dave's high school friends also shared stories of their adventures back in the day.  Our friend Phil included pictures from over the years to really take us down memory lane.

The common theme throughout the letters was that David is so special to all of them.  He may not be the most outspoken guy or have an over-the-top personality, but that is what makes him so special.  He has a quiet strength, a quick wit, a wise mind, and people have been changed because of it. When the group returned from Haiti, several of the people on the trip said to me how much his words meant at different points during the trip, and I was so glad that I got to share him with others.

If there is someone in your life who has made a difference for you, let them know!  Write a letter, call, whatever you need to do, but tell them.

Oh, yeah, I have a blog

Oops!

We are in moving limbo right now.  The scheduled closing on both houses (which was supposed to be last Friday--the 13th) got postponed.  There was some oversight from the lender of the person buying our house, and it all fell thru.

So, while we are not quite back to square one, it is a huge step in the other direction.

Not selling our house means some changes with the loan on the house we are trying to buy ourselves.  Pluse we are going to be out of town for a few days (please don't rob us!), so closing is just some mirage out in the distance that I can see but can never quite touch.

Meanwhile, half of our things are already in boxes.  I went to pour my coffee this morning, and realized I didn't have any coffee mugs because I had packed all but 2, and they were in the dishwasher!  My only hope is that we get into our new house before we need warm clothes, cause they are boxed, taped, and stacked right now.

So, while we anxiously wait for our new "home", we just enjoy every day we have in the place we have called home all these years.  Noel says he will miss eating popsicles on the front porch.  Elise will miss the sidewalk that she can dance on.  I will miss the people watching :)

And maybe we'll end up with a summer home after all. . .it just may be this one!  Ha!

Nadine Update

Several months ago, maybe even a year, I started writing about Nadine.  Nadine is a young lady I met on my trip to Peredo, Haiti.  She had a huge growth, which made her look nine months pregnant.  Because of this, she was basically an outcast in her village.  Her mother didn't want her to go to school.  She had minimal contact with the other children.  

But over the course of this past year, my friend Ginny, along with countless others, have worked to get her the medical help she needs.  Now she is living in Columbus, Ohio with an amazing family, the Tatas.  Her medical procedures have been long and tedious (lots of draining and dealing with blood pressure issues), but Sheree (her host mother) says Nadine has been incredibly brave and positive.  Sheree says she is a member of their family.

Last week, David went with a group of students and adults from our church to Nadine's village.  As I was sticking pictures of the kids in his backpack, I had the quick thought to throw in some pictures of Nadine here in the states, happy and healthy.  

I'm so thankful I did.

The top picture of the post is David with Nadine's mom and brother.  David was able to share with them the pictures and explain that she is doing very well.  He said Nadine's mom kept putting her hand on her heart and saying "Mesi, mesi" (thank you).  She even blew him a kiss when he left.

A trip to Haiti can be overwhelming.  There is so much chaos and heartache.  It's hard to even wrap your mind around where to begin. 

But God is bigger.

And we do what we can.  One soul at a time.

There are sometimes questions about why people go on short term missions trips.  And I do believe that some trips are not always handled correctly (ie. they are more work than help for the long-term missionaries).  But as I look at Nadine and know that if we had not gone to Haiti, we would probably not be a part of this plan  God had for her, I cannot help but be overwhelmed again, but this time with thankfulness and joy.

What can I do today that will make a difference in someone' life for God?  That should be our question every day.  Everywhere.  Every. Time.

Thursday Thank Yous. . .on Friday

This week I am thankful for. . .

581. air conditioning.

582. the city pool.

583. friends and family who check in on us while David is away.

584. closing the house we are buying and our own house ON THE SAME DAY NEXT WEEK!  And to think I had fretted!

585. hearts that are broken by the things that break God's heart

586. the first zucchini out of the garden.

587. WiFi, even in Haiti, so I can get an email or 2 from him while he's gone.

588. Redbox.

589. slushies.

590. old friends whom you can completely be yourself around.

What are you thankful for?

Slowing Down/Speeding Up

It's Thursday.

(Sigh)

David's been gone since last Friday night.

We've had a lot of fun, but we are ready for him to come home.

Every time I've ever gone on a missions trip, the first few days seem to go really slowly, and then the last 2 days fly by.

Every time I've stayed home while my husband has been gone, the first part seems to fly by, and the last few days before he gets home come to a screeching halt.

So that's where we are.

We have some fun things planned, and hope that the weather will cooperate.  And we had a really good time celebrating Independence Day with friends last night.  I even broke down and let the kids stay up to watch fireworks, which is something I haven't done ever with my kids.  I kept trying to convince them, "See?  Sometimes Mom can be fun!!"  (After 2 days of yelling at them and being completely grumpy and impatient.  I'm sure it worked beautifully.)

I used to make comments when David was gone about how I was being a "single" parent, or that now I know what it feels like to be a single parent.  But I read an article once from a real single parent, and I realize that my husband being away for a week is so far removed from being a single parent that I will never say that again.  There is such a huge difference between missing my husband because he's out of the country for a short time and missing my husband because a)he left for good b)he was never around to begin with c) he is gone for months at a time.  Perspective is a hard pill to swallow sometimes.

So, while these last 3 days creep along, we will try to enjoy every moment of the days we are given (even if they are face-melting hot), and try to focus on the good stuff.

Halfway there

Tonight (Tuesday) is the halfway point of David's trip to Haiti.  Sunday after church we loaded up the old Honda Van and headed to my old alma mater:  Lincoln Christian College University (I'm not sure I'll ever be able to call it that.). My dear friend Jenni was there with her kids, and we hung out with them until Tuesday morning.

Some highlights:

*Watching the four kids play together.  They ran, rode bikes, walked trails, played with Legos, and became masters at hide and seek.

*Catching up with Matt and Jenni.  I miss them terribly, and it was so nice to have 2 full days to spend together.

*Not having to be alone with the kids for a few days.

But I'm not gonna sugar coat it:  some of it was been bad.  It is incredibly tiring to travel with two little ones alone.  There were some tears (mostly mine) and some screaming (mostly the kids).  But we headed home today, and are getting ready to go to bed (I'm hoping I won't fall asleep while reading bedtime stories, I'm so tired.  Could it be the combo of staying up past 1AM with Matt and Jenni and waking up at 6:45 AM to 2 children right in my face?  Probably.).

I am praying that tomorrow is a better day.  A day where I see my kids as the true blessings they are.