She finally did it!!!!

I've learned that life is never going to give me a chance to catch my breath. It seems that we are flowing from one project into another. I can't keep up.

I do want to make a comment in regards to the email my sister sent me. The photo is too gross to show on this blog, (It looks like a Jayhawk had a toxic accident with a Powercat--the horrors!) She thought she was funny but I, not so much.

I am so proud of Je today. She tied her shoes by herself for the first time this evening. We have been working on this for a while now, since that is an important kindergarten skill. Not having a lot of luck. I saw in the book order from Jo's preschool, a book that would help teach shoe tying. I decided to splurge. It is a two sided board book. On one side it teaches the bunny ears method, with laces to practice with and a step by step photo guide for the whole process. The other side is called the Rocket method. It has a weird lacing style but you tie the laces the regular way, cross the two, bring one under, make a loop and finally go around the loop and through. That is more advanced tying. Je started playing with the book tonight and the first time through was a bit frustrated. I left her alone to see how she handled it. I could see her over there working the bunny ears method. She was looking at the pictures and doing the steps. She brought the book to me with the laces she had tied. Ta da! Then she put on her shoe and tried again. It was a bit loose and floppy, but it was tied!!!!!! Hooray!!!! She used the pictures in the book to remember the steps. The best $10 bucks I ever spent. Yea Je!!!



***I will post some pictures of the redecorating we did at church in the next week or so after we are all done. We have painted two rooms and most of another, we just need to move the bookshelves. It is looking good.

We Crashed the Deacon Meeting

It's is parent teacher conference week in our district. We went to hear how Je is progressing in Kindergarten. She's doing fine. It also means my husband is working late. Last night he got home at 8:30 and tonight will be a bit later. The good news is he gets tomorrow off. So Mom and I took the girls out to supper. And sitting there we got to discussing the work day planned at church this weekend and some projects we would like to see done. She mentioned talking to the Deacons at their next meeting, and asked me if it was next week. They were meeting tonight, without the two people who had to be at conferences, Shan and Kyle. We decided to go up and talk to them about our ideas then. So we walked in to the meeting. Mom did most of the talking, and Deacon chair scribbled furiously on his yellow pad. After listening to our ideas, they went on a tour of the rooms we had discussed. We are going to clean out some old furniture and office supplies, strip out the clunky, to make the rooms easier to use and more attractive. It will be nice to have a little more room in the Secretary's office to function. Our pastor recently resigned and moved, so there went our youth group. The furniture in the youth room was old when I was in Youth group so we are thinking about redoing some of that room, and at least for now, turning it into the junior room. I was noticing tonight that the bean bags in their need some new beans, they are pretty flat. Since we had the car wash to buy those when I was in high school they are definitely in need of an update. I remember picking out the pink one.

When we moved into the building, 11 years ago, we painted everything a neutral color, linen white, and said, we will personalize each room in time, we'll start with this. Now, its been a decade and very little personalization has happened. The nursery, and the toddler room have had some touches as has the entry way, but no one has taken the initiative with offices, classrooms, etc. It's time to make each room attractive and inviting, with some thought to its use.

After we interrupted the meeting, showed them our ideas, they were very receptive. I applaud people who have no real interest in an area, ceding to those who do.

May I never get so entrenched in my area of authority, that I am reluctant to let people who have gifts and interests use them. The Deacons seemed happy to let us go forward with our ideas and with delegating responsiblity to us in this.

I am looking forward to the work of painting actually. It will be nice to freshen up the neutral rooms.

Sometimes the Answer is No

I've learned that I have to be open to God's direction. We ask for his guidance and pray for things. And while the answer always comes, sometimes the answer is no. Sometimes it is not now. Isn't that hard to learn? We want what we want when we want it. In a culture of instant gratification and me first, it is doubly hard to take no for an answer.

Today, I listened in Bible Study as Beth Moore spoke about the symbolic significance of the golden lampstand in the tabernacle. Each branch of the lampstand had buds, blossoms and flowers. This could represent the stages of the growing season. Springtime- we plant seeds, we see trees return from dormancy and begin to bud with new growth. Summer-we have a season of waiting for the plants to mature enough for harvest. Growth continues but it is harder to see on a daily basis. Fall-harvest, it's time to reap the results of the maturing summer. These could point to seasons in us. As believers, we are continually going through budding of new growth, a summer season of maturing and waiting for the fruit to be ready.

The hardest part is the waiting. Waiting for things to advance, for us to see results, for the answer to be what we want.

It is hard to understand when the answer is no or not right now. We cannot fathom the mind of God and we know that He works all things together for our good, but it is so hard to wait to see that resulting work.

May the Lord grant us an openness to His will, a contentment in His time. Even when we don't understand and the answer is no, it is the right answer. No matter how painful it is at the time.






*I am studying A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place by Beth Moore for my Bible Study this fall. I am loving it.

Happy Birthday Belatedly

some of you know that October is birthday extravaganza at our house. In the first four days of the month we have three birthdays. I am going to blame that for why I am so tardy posting my daughter's birthday post. Sorry Je! Really we've been BUSY! I'm not kidding. Six years ago, I was so ready to welcome you to my world. I remember looking around the house in the few days before you were born and wondering how my home would change. I didn't see any evidence of impending parenthood in the family room where we were watching football. I thought if someone came over, (unless they noticed the huge pregnant me) they wouldn't know these people are expecting. Less than a week later I looked again. The whole room was babied. We had added a cradle, a diaper changing basket, some toys (although why I can't say), the carseat carrier sat in the corner with the diaper bag. A boppie rested against my chair. Most of all, you were there, making us a family. You looked so cool in the tie-dyed shirt from Aunt Ne-Ne. I remember laying you out on the mat to change your diaper, and crying. You were not even a week old and I was mourning the day you wouldn't need diapers anymore. (Seriously hormonal folks) Your red hair was a surprise from the first. The nurse told me it was red during delivery. Where did that come from? I have loved it from the first.
I remember how sweet you looked on your first Sunday in church in the special dress a very pregnant Aunt Mindy and Uncle Seth looked so hard for, because Nana thought you should have a dress for church. It is upstairs in the baby chest; you were so tiny you wore it until you were six months old. Both you and Jo were baptized wearing that dress. We have loved watching you grow up with your cousin, and be best friends just five weeks apart. The day she was born, you weighed exactly the same thing, you were still so tiny.










You were such a climber, we had to teach you how to get down stairs since you often found yourself upstairs and stuck. You learned to walk early, wanting to get places. I can still see you crawling inside the Jefferson Memorial when we visited Washington, DC.








You have always seemed to like your baby sister and we are so glad you two play together so much.

Now you are off at school. Kindergarten is such a big step. I still miss you during the day and wonder about what you are doing. I am thrilled to see the big kid come out, but I am so glad when my baby crawls back in my lap, or wants me to tuck her in.

Works for Me Wednesday Works for You!

So over at Rocks in my Dryer, Shannon wants us to post our requests for tips. I didn't think I had one until ...

The Sock Problem

Ya'll--four people wear socks in this house. For some reason, socks disappear in the laundry. How exactly can I get socks to go through the wash together and still get clean? I need a system that will work with children (ages 4 and 6) and with my husband, who is organizationally challenged and a slob. Help! No idea is too stupid, trust me. If you have found a way to keep sock pairs intact, without buying 65 pairs of identical socks (remember, I have girls and girls like pretty socks that coordinate withe their outfits, or at least Mamas do), I want to know about it.