Summertime, Summertime....

I am loving summer!!! I am off of work for just about 6 weeks and am home! It is such a happy time for me. I honestly feel like there is some invisible balance that has been restored in the house because of it. (it could be my imagination, but I promise that's how I feel.) I have been very blessed by my boss at work who let me have some time off this summer and found a school teacher who wanted to work this summer have my class and then is letting me come back to work in August after the kids go back to school. I worked all of June because Jim was home recovering from his back surgery. He is back to work and doing great!!! The kids and I are just hanging out...playing, whatever and it is great! I am working to get the house in order. Something happens when you work, it just isn't the same kind of cleaning when you have so little time to do it in. I don't really like to clean, but I have found myself enjoying it. HONESTLY!!!! We are taking a small trip to Ohio in a couple weeks because Jim's grandma is going to be 90. His mom is having a party for her and she doesn't even know we are coming....hopefully she will love her surprise...US!! Hopefully I'll find some time to blog a little while I am home, but you never know.

Mourning Doves....

Prepare to be shocked....2 posts in one day!! My friend Jennifer, blogs everyday, and I am just amazed by that, I have trouble finding time to get something written once a week....but anyway, this I thought was worthy of an extra post today. =) We have had a nest of mourning doves that we've been watching for a while now. Mourning doves are one of the few species of birds that mate for life. They are very sweet birds, but their nests are terrible. We googled it because it looked so bad, but apparently that's how they make them. Anyway, we have been watching our eggs and in the whirlwind of the last month, see previous update post, we missed a lot. However, yesterday appears to be "pushing out of the nest" day. (or maybe they fell out because it was so crappy. =) ) We found the 2 babies on the ground yesterday afternoon kinda wandering around. The kids were fascinated and wanted to sit on the grass and watch them. Here is a picture of them.

We have a play set in the back yard, and we finally saw mom and dad bird up on the play set cheering on their children to get to the safe place that they had found for them. It was so sweet. The one bird was pretty brave and flew off right away. The second, was a little more timid and kinda hopped around aimlessly for a long time, over an hour waiting on someone to come and get him. Jim finally got too close and he flew a little bit. He almost skimmed the ground it was so low and he was just not sure of himself. But he eventually got back to his family and hopefully they will find another home away from the neighbor's cats.

Update...we're back!!

It has been almost a month since my last post...thank you Susan...but what a busy month it has been!!! First let's talk about Jim's back. He sneezed one day and literally could barely walk afterwards. I guess it was just the straw that broke the camels back....no pun intended. So off to the doctor he went. They did another MRI and decided rather quickly, like 4 days that surgery was needed. So we scrambled to get things in order so that we were prepared for him to be out of work for what we thought was about 2 -2.5 weeks. The surgery went very well. The doctor told Jim later that he was surprised at how big the rupture was...about the size of the tip of your thumb....and couldn't believe that Jim was still walking!! Thank you God for small miracles even when we don't know about them!! Well, the recovery is going well and Jim had his follow up this week. The doctor told him that he was going to be out of work for at least another 2-4 weeks. Yuck....he is already bored. Also he will have to go on temporary disability and that doesn't pay the normal pay rate, but it is better than nothing. =) Since it looks like he is going to be home most of June, I can continue to work full time until he goes back to work and he can stay home with the kiddos. Not our original summer plan, but it works, so we're going to go with it!! Keep his recovery in your prayers and us as well....thanks!

On to the kids....school is almost out!! They are so ready, and so are we!! They have had a great year, but are ready for a break. I honestly hope that Shelby Co. Schools never again make us go after Memorial Day, this is just plain stupid. The kids really haven't done anything all of the past week, and aren't going to do anything next week either. They are supposed to have Field Day Tuesday, but it is also supposed to rain, so we'll see what happens there. We found out that Taylor didn't make APEX, and she is ok with it. A little sad, but she is better. Bradley is doing well too, still thriving on his new meds. We thought that he was going to need an IEP, but he was tested and it was decided that he wasn't in need at this time...praise God! The school will keep his file open and in the future if it is decided that he needs one, then we will already be ahead of the game.

Bradley celebrated his 6th birthday!! I can't believe my baby is that old and almost a first grader. We celebrated at Incredible Pizza. It was our first visit and it was really fun! It was not crowded, clean, and reasonably priced. We went on a Thursday, and spent around $60 and we all ate at the buffet and had $50 of game cards to play with. It was a good deal on Thursday, they double your game card money so that was really nice. The kids had a blast riding the bumper cars, playing mini-golf, mini-bowling, games, skee ball, and spending the tickets they earned.

Taylor finished up her 4th year of Girl Scouts and got to bridge to the next level, which is Juniors. She has been in the same troop of girls since kindergarten and they have a great time!! Her leader, Ann and assistant leader Susan are just the best!! They really work hard to make it fun for the girls and I know Taylor wouldn't love it as much if they weren't part of it!!

I think that is it for now!! Have a great weekend!!!

The wet fleece...or placemat in our case.

This morning after my walk, I am making coffee, and I notice that the place mat that the coffee pot sits on is totally soaked. Nothing else around it is wet and I found it very curious. So as I cleaned it up, my mind started to wander, as it does sometimes, and I found myself thinking of Gideon. Here's a guy who is literally fighting God every step of the way. God calls him, and he says no, not me, but if it is really me then let me go and prepare a gift for you and you stay here and wait...guess what that's what happened.

Then as if that wasn't enough, he says, this out of Judges 6: 36 Then Gideon said to God, "If You will deliver Israel by my hand, as You said, 37 I will put a fleece of wool here on the threshing floor. If dew is only on the fleece, and all the ground is dry, I will know that You will deliver Israel by my strength, as You said." 38 And that is what happened. When he got up early in the morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung dew out of it, filling a bowl with water. 39 Gideon then said to God, "Don't be angry with me; let me speak one more time. Please allow me to make one more test with the fleece. Let it remain dry, and the dew be all over the ground." 40 That night God did [as Gideon requested]: only the fleece was dry, and dew was all over the ground.

It's kinda unreal when you think about it, but then when you do...ouch...that's us. We have so little faith and confidence in Our Lord. He is sovereign, He's got things under control. Yet we question that small voice inside our head....we listen to other things and other people and miss what God is telling us. I know I am so guilty of that. I love to hear that Voice, but sometimes to just do not want to be still enough to listen to it.

Just like in the story of Gideon, God will get the eventual Glory, in His way and His time. I love that, just like in Matthew when Jesus tells the disciples in Chapter 17 20-21: Because of your little faith," He told them. "For I assure you: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting. Here's my thing: I want God to move, but sometimes I want Him to do all the work and I try to skip out on the prayer and fasting...ouch again. =) Something to work on even now. =) That's my thoughts for today. In case you were wondering about the water and the place mat: Jim went downstairs last night to take some medicine, he dumped a glass of water on the place mat. It was late so he didn't clean it up. But I still got something out of it.

Legalism and Dieting.....

I am pretty sure that this title caught your attention and you are wondering how those to things could possibly be related. However, for me they are. I have been giving this some thought recently. Last May, I started exercising. Most weeks 5 times a week I walk with my neighbor. We made it through the winter cold and are still walking, most mornings in the dark. I have come to enjoy, if not crave my exercise. This is a weird statement for me to make, but it is so true. Anyway, I am feeling the need to lose a few pounds. For once in my life I am fairly comfy with the skin I am in, but because I have started this quest to be healthier, I think I could go on a diet or something. Here's my thing, and where legalism comes in. I have done weight watchers in the past and have had huge success. After Taylor was born I weighed about 75 pounds more than I wanted and with WW I took it off and have kept 55 of it off for almost 10 years now. I was a great legalistic dieter. I just told myself to follow the dieting rule, I just couldn't eat certain things any more. By golly it worked. However, since I have given way to a new way of life and love of Jesus, most of those legalistic ways are melting away...which has been so cool. But now, I have no idea how to go on a diet. By the way, I hate the word diet.....I would rather figure out a way to make a lifestyle change that doesn't involve me giving up ice cream, bread, or pasta in order to become healthy. If I figure something out I'll let you know. If you have a suggestion, let me know.

Happy Birthday Baby!!!

42 years ago today, God sent a wonderful man down to earth. He is sweet, loyal, hard working, sometimes too hard working, =) loving, and kind. I am so thankful that God put our lives together and blessed us with 2 beautiful children. Yep, the road has not always been easy, but it has show us grace and mercy and most of all love!! So today as I wish the love of my life a happy birthday, join me for a few shots down memory lane. Thank you for being you!! Have a great birthday! I love you!!!!

Jim at about 18 months

Jim and his brother aren't they cute!!

Jim, his brother Steve, sister Jen, and dad Steve.

Jim with BIG Hair!!!

Our Family December 2008

You didn't know I was so computer savvy did you????

Chris Tomlin!!!

Last Tuesday night, we and members of our small group and lots of other people headed to the Forum to see Chris Tomlin!! It was really awesome!! I just loved being able to worship with Him in that place. It was just what I needed. It has been a C-R-A-Z-Y couple weeks and this night of down time was just what I needed. We took some pictures and Jim even recorded some of the live worship, maybe we may even get them posted! =) Life has slowed down a little bit which has been nice. That's it for now. Looking forward to a long weekend and Easter!!

Being Different

1 Peter 2 7-12
7Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, " 8and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message--which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Our daughter comes home the other day and is upset. Some girl in her class told her she didn't like her because she was different. Taylor was crushed. She is almost 10 and just wants to have friends and fit in. As the adult, looking back, I am struggling on how to teach her it's ok to be different. The above passage struck in my mind, that we are called to be different. I've spent most of my life just trying to do the same thing....fit in. With my family, with friends, with people who don't even really matter in life but yet, there are days where I wonder why, just like Taylor. I believe this is where faith plays a huge role in life. When we give our lives to Jesus, there is not a promise of this easy blessed life that will follow. We are expected to stand out, to be different, in action, thought, and word. I am proud of Taylor, for whatever reason, she is different, and her friends can see it. She is letting her light shine and I can't ask for more than that.