Finishing April, preparing for May

Happy to enter into conversations with my children about how to love people and yet hold strong to Biblical standards. Disturbing events in a television show they follow serve as a springboard for honest conversations of how not everyone is going to agree with God on what morality is. I am glad that they will come to me and process how to respond to friends with differing opinions.

Studying God's word, focusing especially on watching my thought patterns

A talent for the theatrical...singing in the shower, twirling in the kitchen,

can't stop the beat going on in her heart

Brother-sister bonding? I'll take a moment of companionable silence any day over bickering.

ALERT houses: landscaping model work-in-progress

 

 

Paintball wars and helmet hair

 

Finding new resting places for collected things

Antique rug cleaned, ancestors identified, home goods cleaned and sorted

 

Thai food mother-daughter GNO

 

Selective sharing of an after-concert treat...These same sisters later got into a fight over carrots.

Go figure!

Learning the ropes at Quidditch

 

Yearbooks and lit magazines published by the journalism students. First bylines.

Garage re-org, cleaning up seven years of handprints

 

 

 

More laps, gearing up for race day

Flag football games...lessons in perseverance

Saturday exam prep sessions: baking for the "smart cookies"

 

Naming a stress-ball, exploding it in one day, back to customer service

 

Recital preparations: to sing or not to sing, that is the question

Sparkleberry Fair

 

 

 

La Vie Quotidienne

Today I taught a yoga class, a Zumba class, and a Pilates class.

I drove three carpools.

I did three loads of laundry.

I drove a kid to cello lessons, picked one up from a Young Life gathering, and said hello to my husband for approximately three minutes.

I tried healthier pea crisps and organic gummies for snack. I realized I have developed a bad habit of snacking in the car as I drive around all day. I thought about keeping bags of carrots or apples in the car instead.

I drug three plants out from under the house to see if they would spring back to life in spring. I bought some new ones from the garden center. I scolded Della for eating my plants.

I tried three allergy remedies.

I ordered beard oil, a magnet that says clean/dirty for the dishwasher, and some breath-freshening mint crunchies for our dog.

Nothing notable to speak of, but each moment lived in gratitude in light of eternity. Sometimes I am bored. Sometimes I am stressed and over-scheduled. I cut coupons and collect words, and sort photos while I wait for kids to finish up rehearsals or practices. I clean out closets in a rhythm not unlike going to the gym....maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. But, in my forties, I am enjoying these little things like walking the dog on a springy day, or watching my daughter's theatrics. May I live even the ordinary, mundane ones well.

Giving the Easy Bake oven one last hurrah before sending it to the thrift store.

Natalia celebrating a friend's birthday tea

Keeping the home fires burning with messages spelled out in Cheezits and talking an evening stroll instead of a cardio walk. Happy to be married to a man that the lady across the street can call to help her jump her car in a bind.

 

 

So, so, proud of my baby, learning to act, sing, and dance so that others can consider Jesus

Will earned a patch for perseverance, running hard

Gratitude for being able to work shoulder to shoulder with others in our church to help our community.

"There may be no trumpet sound or loud applause when we make a right decision, just a calm sense of resolution and peace." - Gloria Gaither

 

La Vie Quotidienne

In between perusing vegan cookbooks and consulting with nutrition chefs, we interrupt this healthy living pursuit for a weekend of Mimi's southern fried goodness.

 

Long hours of after school rehearsals paid off in a wonderful district orchestra concert

Happy to have grandparents in attendance as I watched my friend hold a phone up during the concert so that her mother could hear the grandkids perform.

Saturday was spent with our church family collecting and sorting 123,000 pounds of food donations for our local food bank.

Mary Jayne's chorus had their spring production and field day

Three of our kids went on field trips- art museum, college tours, and environmental camp

We cooked breakfast for and feasted upon God's word in our Sunday school community

We celebrated one of our friend's birthdays with couples night, and celebrated being in the life stage of not having to pay for baby-sitters and not yet having to pay for new drivers insurance.

We saw Peter and the Starcatcher at a local theatre and had a girls-night-in watching Brooklyn.

 

In between football games, work, teaching, carpool, and music lessons, we had a very full week. I was tired all week after our trip, but thankful for each any every life experience a day can bring.

 

 

 

Guatemala Images

Pimp my bus, Guatemala edition

Growing some scruff... In seventeen years, this is the first time I've seen my man keep some facial hair.

Beards are back.

Some kid always feels the need to do this

Photo-journalism moment

We hope to still be trekking mountains when we are seventy-three

Negotiating the return trip price

My saddle came with a macheté

Balance

Festivity

Faith

Flora

Laurel took this one of a fellow hiker. It is my favorite.

 

 

He is Risen!

 

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

We began celebrating Easter on Saturday night this year. Our church's tech team created beautiful "stained glass windows" for Easter week. I love all things about modern worship, but I was especially moved by beauty that hearkened back to simpler times. I could imagine myself sitting in a European cathedral even while fog swirled and blue lighting glowed, and the band belted out amped songs of praise.

 

Our youngest has taken up the tradition of writing riddles for a treasure hunt to find the baskets on Sunday morning. Her poems at age 10 are much better than mine now. I am proud of these young minds and the things that they are learning to do.

#2/6 I am locked for the night. Bars surround me. Only a human can set me free. Where your BFF lies.

 

 

This year's baskets included less candy and useful things like hammers, work gloves, and measuring tapes. We leave for Guatemala at 3 am Monday morning. What better way to celebrate Jesus than by helping to tell his story?

At Sunday School we delighted in meeting again with chaplain friends who had moved on to other assignments across the nation, but who were in town to celebrate with us. Such reunions make me think of how sweet it will be to one day be reunited with those we love who have gone on before.

Della claims the mulch pile as her new resting spot. We will miss her as she heads off to the trainer for a week of obedience school. She still thinks she's top dog.

Della uses our hammer as chew toys. Maybe she wants to go too?