Moment to Remember

A conversation I had with Davis this week warmed my heart to overflowing. I know I will forget it if I don't write it somewhere. So, Blog, here you go!

I was relaxing on the couch in our quiet (what!? does that really happen?!) living room with just Davis (ah-ha! NOW I know how it could be that the living room was quiet...!). Davis saw my empty lap and said, "Oh! I think I need some cuddle time." Not a common request by him, I was glad to oblige. Up he climbed, rounded himself into a nine-and-a-half-year-old ball in my lap and just sighed a big contented sigh. I sighed happily with him and said, "Davis, you are turning out to be a really wonderful young man. You know that?"
"Well, YOU raised me, Mom."
"Aw," (big smile) "I had something great to work with, though."
Then he smiled just as big, hugged me tighter and said, "I love you, Mom. I really love you."

What a Beautiful Mess!

I will not pretend to be embarrassed. This mess in our basement is for a VERY good cause.

And now you see the cause. This poor excuse for a bathaundry room saw its last winter. Bye-bye crazy shaped counter. So long non-existant under-the-sink storage. Au revoir shower that violently sprays out the door if you open it - even quickly - to get in once the water has warmed up. See you never again, toilet that hardly bothers to flush.

You will (NOT) be missed.

Hello soon-to-be functional bathroom.

Hello laundry room with a laundry shoot. I think we are going to be very, very good friends. I still won't iron, and I don't plan on spending quality time with you, but I will think of you fondly while I fold laundry in front of the TV.   Oh, and hello new half-bath-that-Ryan-is-so-excited-to-use-when-he-is-covered-in-mud-from working-in-the-yard. Drywall is up. Mudding will begin soon.

 

And I cannot neglect the widend hallway. Hello hallway. The cupboards which we removed from you to make this space feel less like a dungeon are the REAL reason the basement is such a disaster. Can't wait to install some IKEA magic along your wall!

So, there is the progress for anyone who was DYING to know. We patiently await the return of our hard-working crew. This job expanded beyond what anybody thought when we opened up walls and discovered the ABSURD plumbing situation. Sorry to all their other clients who were put on hold while that mess was sorted out.

Friendly Update

To My Dearest Girlfriends,

I am typing two-handed (something I do not take for granted – yet), but I am typing amid a HUGE pile of receipts and bills. And they call my name (albeit in a rather annoying, nasal voice). Yes, it is another exciting Friday night at the Glover’s. But actually, it is a bit exciting. Ryan has been working all day (over 12 hours now) alongside our construction guys, putting insulation and drywall up in our remodel project. We are re-doing a hideous bathroom in our basement, and converting a portion of our garage in order to add a mud/laundry room (as in, making our garage smaller in order to give a portion to the inside of the house). Following the completion of that, we will replace all the interior doors and trim, re-floor the basement common areas (we re-carpeted the bedrooms down there late last year) and that will conclude the near COMPLETE remodel of the entire basement. We bought this house with a lovely upstairs (well, some of it was lovely anyway) and a gross downstairs. Admitting all vanity, I was always embarrassed when a guest saw that portion of the house (sorry I made you to SLEEP down there Heidi…) but now it will be simple but updated and definitely not gross.


Kids are all good. Basketball season ends Saturday for Jackson, baseball season started last Thursday for D and J. I do a little jig when I remember that this year, the two big boys will be able to share the same team and the two little boys are too young for sports. I take a deep cleansing breath when I think about next year, when they will be separated again and we will re-live the chaos of Spring 2009. And I shudder to think of life when all four are participating in sports. I have already determined that T-Ball is outlawed (what a colossal waste of time) and that if you are too young (scared) to stay at practice without a parent there THE WHOLE TIME, you will likely be sitting on the grandstands with Mom, not the dugout with Dad. One mom cannot be in four places at once: sometimes she HAS TO go deliver another child somewhere in the span of your practice.

We have been in a really fulfilling small group this year. Our pastor and a friend of ours co-lead it. It has been good to get back into a small group after not participating for 3 years. This year has been The Year of Friendship Development and Enhancement for Ryan. He has established or deepened many relationships with other men, and spent a great deal of time with them. It has been wonderful to see this in his life, even if it has meant that I have had to be home alone with the kids a little more often here and there. One thing that has bonded these guys together the most has been “The Biggest Loser” competition that one of the guys has put together. It was offered up to the whole church and there are a couple dozen people participating. They all line up after service to get “weighed in” and there are prizes each week for the man and woman who lost the most weight (on a % basis). In the 13 years we have been married (actually all 17 years we have been together) Ryan has NEVER dieted. He is serious about it (grumpy, but serious). I am so proud of him for his discipline in eating and exercising. It ALMOST makes me want to exercise, too! Maybe I will when the remodel is over and we can uncover our fitness equipment from the piles of junk waiting to be put in their newly remodeled places.

We opened another clinic this year. This time we assisted another therapist in opening her own. That has been good but has added quite a load on to my plate. We are just about through the worst of it… perhaps just in time to add another one (that we would own). Ryan has two more “in the hopper.” Hopefully they won’t BOTH be in 2010. I might fall over.

Me, I am just balancing it all. And enjoying it, though I miss being able to just sit and do nothing from 8:30pm when the kids are all down until 10:30, when I fall into bed and do my Bible read-through daily assignment. I am enjoying this read-through. By the year’s end I will have read the OT once and the Psalms and NT twice. It does not take much time each night but it is wonderful to have the discipline back in my busy life!

I must sign off for now. (Those bills are STILL calling…can you hear them, too?)

I Love That Man

Ryan and I got to work together all afternoon today. It was really wonderful. Tiffany took our two big boys, and the two little boys took monster-sized naps. In the mean time, we laid down our new laminate flooring in our family and dining rooms. We were in a groove, working so well together, solving the few problems that came up, but mostly just diligently laying those boards and chatting. Ryan told me what to do and I did it with a genuine, smiling, willingness. I wish I was always so pleasant to him... he deserves at least that much.

The only thing I like more that working together with Ryan is watching him laugh with our boys. It absolutely delights me! And that's was I was treated to during a break from the flooring. The boys had returned to us and we dined together on Pizza from Sparky's (notice I capitalized "pizza," as though its place in our family rises to the level of proper noun...) in our basement, the last bit of square footage that is not in total disarray. Aw, who am I kidding; it was a disaster area, too, but at least it was free of sharp edges and fascinating tools.

Thanks, hun, for a great day and for being such a wonderful daddy.

Funny Jackson

Jackson usually pipes up in the car, when Davis is not around to fill the air with his sound-waves. And when he pipes up, it usually is in the form of questions. And the questions are so strange - so bizarre - that I am at a loss to even know how to answer them. You know how some kids will ask questions that may not make sense to anyone else but because you are mom and have so much context and are familiar with so much of their world, you can usually work your way through the maze that is their brain to answer their question.

Not so with Jackson. He is a thinker, I think. And he processes a ton in his head before anything makes it out of his gums. (He gets this from me - poor Ryan suffers in our marriage because of this trait of mine.) For a while now I have been trying to collect a handful of my little Jackson's crazy questions. I had a really nice list of them and then - sadly - lost that list. I only have two now. And of course Jackson seems to be in a phase of asking fewer-than-normal questions so I have not been able to start a new list. But I will treat you to the two I do remember:

"Are cars better than rocks?"

"Can you still walk when you are flat?"

Even if I have a hint of context (which i usually do not), HOW ON EARTH do you go about answering him? I usually say something brilliant like, "I don't know, what do YOU think?" or, "Hummm...GOOD QUESTION."

And then, to change the subject but still focusing on my middlest son, he contracted Shingles this week. After the bumps had shown up, but before the pain was severe he showed me the bumps saying, "I think maybe its leprosy." Leprosy, huh? We laughed about it but then later the pain hit. Poor guy. This is not a fun one to get. We went to the doctor on Tuesday to check it out. Before I go on, i just have to say that I am not one to take my kids to the doctor (I know, I know, we earn a living off the medical field). The last time he was at the doctor was easily a year ago. I pretty much assume that whatever ailment is circulating, it will blow over. "Here, drink a couple glasses of water. That will help. And soak in a hot bath to get your pores to sweat out toxins." That's pretty much my solution to everything. But Jackson - active, playful Jackson - did not unbend his little leg all morning. Did not even attempt to walk, for the pain was too great. After four hours of this non-activity and strict adherence to the no-leg-straightening routine, I figured he was not exaggerating the pain and I took him in.

Thanks Lori and Lindy for encouraging me to do that.

I gave him his first dose of antiviral medicine, he licked his lips, looked up at me and, with his big brown eyes filling with tears, said, "My leg STILL hurts!!" A little earlier in the day he asked if we could pray to God to heal him (I was ashamed that I had not been the one to suggest prayer of some sort). We hugged as we prayed and when we said our Amen's he was TERRIBLY disappointed that his leg was still so painful. What a tough thing to try and explain to a tender and trusting heart.

Today he is finally back to his usual self (only with 500% more energy than usual since he has laid low for so many days). "My shingles are going out of me!! God is healed-ing me!!"

Thank you God, for "healed-ing" Jackson, and for making the people that came up with that marvelous antiviral for my little boy.

Simple conversations

Out of the silent, silent blue...

Jackson: Mommy, is Jesus for pur-tends?
Me: Oh no. Jesus is not for pretends at all. Everything you know about Jesus really, really happened.
Jackson: Oh. I just thought he was a book.
Me: No. He was really a man that lived on earth a long time ago.
Jackson: Oh. I never knew that.

Really, it is in the spaces that life is lived and parenting is done.

MOMMMMEEEEE! WIPE ME!!

Little Jackson has taken to wanting me to wipe him again. He has been potty trained for over 2 years and is fully capable of performing all functions quite well (well, decently at least). And its a good thing, too, since kindergarten looms in a little less than a year. So this new request to be wiped was fine for a couple of toilet episodes but I could see the writing on the wall: it was not going to end anytime soon and with a baby on the way and a nearly two-year old still in diapers, I will be dealing with my fair share of poop with the unable-to-wipe-themselves variety of children. This convenience needed to be nipped in the bud.

So I used a little tid bit from Tiffany and started wiping him with a bit more vigor and intensity than necessary. Nothing torturous or painful, just a bit harder than that sensitive area prefers. "OW-OW-OW! Mom, why are you doing it too hard?" Because that's how a mom wipes a four-and-a-half-year-old that already knows how to wipe himself, sweetie.

And let me tell you, it did the trick. The very next day I asked him, Do you want me to wipe you, Jackson? I'd be glad to!! "YES! Wait. Are you going to do it hard? No, nevermind. I can do it, Mommy."

Yes, you can. You are such a big boy!! Independence is a very good thing, my love!!

Transitions, Galore!

All of you on-top-of-it Moms posted your kid's first day(s) of school within moments of kissing them good-bye. I, on the other hand, am slightly more neglectful. But in my defense (since you must think me a terrible mom, I therefore defend myself) we had several transitions going on at the same time.

Transition #1: "Binki on a Hook"

My binki boy is constantly sneaking his binki out of his crib and sucking on it during non-sleep moments. And this pregnant mom is tired of the battle. Thank you, O Brilliant Ginger, for the idea of putting the binki on a hook high above his reach. Upon waking up, he puts the binki on the hook and we wave good-bye to it until the next sleep period. And the transition away from the binki completely has now begun, as he associates it only with sleep. (And car trips. And diaper changes. But that's it. Really.)

Transition #2: "Operation Make Room for Baby"

While we were unraveling poor Weston's world, we thought we may as well move him to a big boy bed. Shall we potty train him this week too?? We'll give him a month or so, then maybe... Here you see night one and night two of the transition. His sleeping positions were a crack up.

It has been a rough adjustment, mostly because I chose to start him sleeping on a toddler mattress on the floor. It was just too easy to slink off to sneak a toy or book. He already takes FOREVER to fall asleep so this added temptation did not help. I have spent many hours so far sitting in his room while he tries to fall asleep. I finally moved him to a twin bed and box springs but before I could do that I had to break down and buy a bed rail (I had previously just borrowed them but that dear friend gave hers away leaving me high and dry - just kidding Lori!). Sleep since then has been improving.

Transition #3: Davis Goes to First Grade

Far more sentimental than I, Davis said: "Be sure and take a picture of me in my backpack, Mom. And then put it in my baby book, alright?" It took some convincing before he was willing to turn all the way around and face me for even one picture. And then the school bus wisked him away for SIX WHOLE HOURS.

Upon arriving home, I asked him how his day was. Unlike most all kids in the world, his answer was more than the standard one or two word answer. No, this boy is his father's son (believe it or not, Ryan talks more than I do). How was school? "It was good. My classroom is small. We have play centers. I know four kids in my class already. Mrs. Baker is nice. I ate everything in my lunch...." I should not have been surprised to get so much information, but I was.

Transition #4: Jackson's Playmate is Gone All Day

This transition was much more dificult than I expected. Poor little guy was at a loss, missed his brother so much, and was generally an emotional mess. He had a regular scream-fest nearly every day. Everything was a travesty, all day long. Everything was a defiance. Now, the end of week two, he has made the transition and a delightful bi-product of Davis' absence has surfaced: a brand new relationship between big brother Jackson and little brother Westen. So endearing. Here are the two boys, spontaneously reading side-by-side. I look forward to watching Jackson step up to the plate as "the biggest brother in the house," and the development and growth of this friendship.

Thanks!

Thanks to everyone who prayed for me in preparation for the talk I gave today. I slept incredibly well the night before (better than I have in about a year, I would say). The points I wanted to cover I feel like I covered. I did not run over-time. People smiled me through the entire 50 minutes. And I HAD A BLAST! And if you were there and one of the ones smiling at me, THANKS!!

I'll stay employed

Every so often, I have to remind Davis that he is not the mom... He gets "big brother syndrome" and adds a very mommy-esk tone and then lets Jackson know what his current offense is: "Jackson, you KNOW what happens when you fuss..." or "I am not going to let you have this banana unless you ask nicely..."

I let Davis know that I am the mommy and that his job is to be "the encouraging older brother." Sometimes, when he is being particularly thick with mommy words and tones I tell him tongue-in-cheek that he is going to put me out of a job - that he better stop doing my job or I will have to find another family that needs a mom since he is doing my job for me.

So tonight, I had my hands full with my two younger ones. They were both fussing at everything in the worst ways. One was so out of control that I eventually had to put him in the shower - fully clothed - and cool him off. In the middle of it all Davis, who was quietly playing trains while I was alternating between tantrumming children, said "I guess they are making sure you have a job today!"

Ha!

Poker and Project Night

As I sit at my breakfast counter I am tickled by the strange mix of activity going on around me. To my left is an impromptu Texas Hold 'Em game played by all adults living here (minus boring old me). And behind me is a huge hole in our wall - two talented men are here replacing dry rot in our floor and in the floor beneath our french doors.

A funny twist of events with this construction project... Jay did not want to begin this project until we had ordered and received replacement doors, since we really did not know the state of things under the floorboards. (He suspected a need to replace the doors and did not want to leave us for days on end without a door.) So you can imagine the dilema we found ourselves in when it was discovered that the door we ordered was nearly 4 inches too large for the existing opening. A half-day project quickly grew, hence the hammering at such a late hour (9PM and still going strong).

Thank you, Christy and Julie, for loaning out your respective husbands. I hope bedtime with the kids went alright at your homes without your men. (I was pleasantly surprised that the activity and energy in this house did not impact the bedtime of my three little guys...I wonder when I get to hit the sack.)

Amazing Day at the Beach

We took a day trip to the beach this weekend so that Jolita could put her feet in the Pacific Ocean. I can honestly say that it was the best day we have had at any beach in a very long time. The sun was shining, it was warm, no wind, lots of activity like surfers, beach volleyball, people hanging out all over the place, It was everything that the Oregon Coast is NOT known for - like we were transported for the day to a small slice of California's beaches. So taken-off-guard were we by the wonderful weather conditions that we arrived without towels and Ryan had jeans on. We actually bought swim trunks for him and a couple of towels for all of us to share so that we could really take advantage of the day.

Here are a few photos for your viewing pleasure!

Jolita, Davis, Jackson, and Ryan running in the waves. (I did a lot of sitting and photographing.)

Playing in the waves. Davis was fearless, actually swimming in the waves. Jackson was more tentative (thank goodness!) and stayed below the knee level.

Jolita with our boys. They have fallen in love with her. It will be hard to say goodbye!

Davis, recovering from one of many crashing waves. He did not stop running for the whole 3 hours we were there.

Jackson, posing like a surfer. Very serious business for him.

Weston, loving being covered in sand (big surprise). He did not get a nap this afternoon and was cranky in the car as we arrived but as soon as we let him put his toes in the sand and water he was in heaven. (And then 30 seconds after being placed in his car seat - at 5:30pm!! - he was in dreamland.)
What a marvelous day! Thanks, Jolita, for giving us a reason to go!!

Feeling a Bit MIA

I see now that it has only been eight days since my last post, but for some reason it feels longer. And this post does not promise to be particularly thought-provoking or comical. Just a "yes, I'm still breathing but life is unusually busy."

Soccer practice started up the week we returned from vacation. My seven year old is playing in what has turned out to be a very competitive league. The coach is very open about the fact that he coaches this age group because this is the time to "catch the kids for greatness," when they are learning the basics. Needless to say, I am a bit leery of the gotta-be-the-best flavor of conversation. He's a first grader, afterall, and we are just out for a bit of fun. I'll (try to) suspend further judgment until at least mid-way through the season.

The other adventure awaiting us when we returned from vacation was a missionary from Lithuania. She is staying at our home for a total of 3 weeks (less than a week left now - wow that went FAST!!). She has been a complete blessing to the household as she raises support for herself so that she can return to minister to people in her home country. If you think of it, be praying for the ministry in Lithuania. It is a dark country, still recovering from Communism and headed straight for full blown post-modernism. The country is very poor since they joined the European Union, and with the hopelessness that Communism left, the lack of true Christian churches, and the recent war between Russia and Georgia, Jolita (the missionary) has her work cut out for her!). If you have a heart for the Eastern Block countries, or some un-tagged missionary money, leave a comment. Every $20 helps!

We will miss her dearly when she leaves and have relished the time she was here.

I could say more, but a list of tasks awaits. Hope all you faithful readers have enjoyed the first 21 days of August!

Yes, It was me

Yes, it was me that you (perhaps) saw, but (more likely) HEARD in Target this morning. To be more precise, it was not ME you heard, but my three screaming children.

Uh-huh. I was that mom with the three kids and the swollen belly ("Come on now, young lady, do you really think you can handle another one?! Get that girl some prophylactics!") in the 14 foot long cart made so that two bigger kids can sit and have foot and leg wars right where my sensitive shins hang out while I walk the aisles. Yes, that same cart that has no place for a one-and-a-half-year-old child except the part of the cart that houses all the precious items to purchase. (Why did I let the kids talk me into getting that dreaded cart this time?)

Yes, it was me you saw chasing after a tiny basketball that the baby kept throwing out of the cart. The fact that it still had its square-ish packaging did not squelch its bouncibility as much as you would think.

And as you walked the diaper or shampoo aisle, you could not avoid the ear-piercing screams that said baby was belting out - all because I just could not chase after that ball one more time. I put it, instead, under the cart on that bottom part meant for over sized or overweight items. So this poor, deprived child could SEE the beloved ball, but could not touch it. And OH MY how that angered him. MY, OH MY!

It is quite possible that, because of the screaming, you did not hear the bickering in which my older two children were engaged. Oh, you missed a good set of arguments, let me assure you. "I want the red seat belt!" "No, you have to have the BLACK one. I have the red one. Get your legs out of MY AREA!" "Mommy! why can't IIIIIII-EEEEEE get soccer shoes?!" "Get your legs off of me! Quit it!!"

So, sorry about that. I did not mean to make such a scene. I actually intended to have fun getting the soccer player of the group new cleats, and a ball for each of the still-too-young ones. My mistake.

Incidentally, the baby lost all interest in the ball once he got home, and middle child - the other ball recipient - had a major melt down later that evening on the way to big brother's practice because - you guessed it - he could not find his new ball that he so desperately wanted to play with during practice.

And on my kitchen counter is the verse I have been thinking on and memorizing: Romans 12:9-10 "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil, cling to what is good. Be devoted to each other in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." There is a lesson in all this.....somewhere.

Cultus 2008

It was a REAL VACATION! Yes, you heard me. In stark contrast to our 4th of July camping trip, I got GREAT sleep camping with my kids (my own bladder issues aside, of course). It was wonderful to watch my kids enjoy the one place on earth that I have memories of enjoying 32 out of 33 years of my life. I could go on and on about so much, but as you will see at the end, I have some laundry to do. Jackson spent 12 out of 13 awake hours pretending he was skiing or surfing. He actually got up on two skis this year (at 4 1/2!! years old). It was just the impetus Davis needed to dig up the courage to ski, too. Nothing like little brother skiing first to get you on the water, too.

Weston. He was a trooper. I did not bring nearly enough swim diapers or dry clothes to keep this guy well-cared for and clean. Not surprisingly, he was in the water and sand at all times. He ate enough sand (on accident) to actually make an impressive showing in his diaper. By the end of the week he was making sure that when he had food in his hands and dropped to the ground in a tantrum (few and far between) or to just have a seat, he dropped to his palms, keeping his fingers sand-free.
I mentioned i did not bring enough swim diapers, right?
Davis. what is to say about this guy? He has really grown up and Cultus was proof for us. For starters, he was a help to us as we loaded and unloaded everything, He took care of himself, and he skiied - really skiied - around the lake.

And now, I must go. Here is what awaits me everytime I walk downstairs. The picture really does not do the mounds justice. I am guessing 10 or 11 loads. But as I told my aunt as we were swapping laundry stories, it is all worth it.

See you next year, Cultus!!

A Virus Hit

Just when I was feeling better, I was hit this week with a terrible virus. It was not one I have ever had before (I have had worse), but it so filled me with exhaustion I could do little more than lay in my bed. (Do you feel sorry for me?) Anyway, since it was such a strange sickness with none of the usual fevers, vomitting, or the like, I wondered if I was losing my baby - a thought that sends me into a deep sadness that reminds me of the longing I had for a child when we were trying so hard to get pregnant with our first.

I made an appointment with my OB at the same time - so it happens - that Ryan had an appointment to see if a relapse of cancer would have us starting chemotherapy the following Monday. I wanted so badly to be with Ryan at that appointment, and had made all necessary arrangements to do so, but if what i had WAS a virus? Showing up to an office with cancer patients whose immune system is seriously compromised would be unkind and unethical. So instead I sat in my OBs office, just a building away, to hear a heart I prayed was still beating.

The Doppler thing-y that they listen to the heartbeat with immediately picked up little peanut's heart and I breathed easier for the first time in a few days. As I walked out of the office, my cell rang. It was Ryan. We were really preparing in every way, shape and form for Chemo to start. The mass that was detected was so suspicious as being a recurrence that we did not hardly dare to hope it was something else. But we did pray it would shrink on its own. I could not believe it when Ryan's voice came over the speaker: "It did not grow. It's the same size. We'll do another scan in three months, but for now at least, no need to do chemo. The doctor said it might not even be cancerous" WHAT?! THANK YOU FATHER! We were both in complete shock.

It was so cathartic. In less than 15 minutes time, we learned that our baby was preserved and that we had escaped the mess that is chemo. It was a good day. A good, good day.

Silence...

Yes, I have been neglecting my blog... sorry to those faithful lookers. I just moved into my second trimester and am starting to feel just about normal. And you know what that means, right? Time to play major catch-up in absolutely evey area of life. Blogging just happens to fall below a number of other priorities.

And that is only half the story. The other half is that I am sans inspiration. So, I am up for requests and suggestions...

INSPIRE ME!

Today's Conundrum

What would you do with this napping child? Move him (and risk ending the nap) or leave him (and risk the nap ending prematurely due to uncomfortability)?Talk about your classic lose-lose situation!

New Skin

I exchanged emails with one of my wonderful sister-in-laws and she was briefly sharing with me the adjustment that she is undergoing with the addition of her second little baby girl. Oh, how I remember how challenging it was to care for just one baby and myself. Then, when the second came along, i remember thinking, "Why did I ever think just ONE was tough?" That really is how life is for me: in each new phase of life, the Lord is preparing me for something bigger, more challenging, but also more rewarding. In light of her email, partnered with some recent news we got around our house, I got philosophical really fast. It was good medicine for my soul to put things in some new terms. I don't think she will mind if I share with you the words I wrote to her, as they could be an encouragement to others. At the very least, I need to read them a few more times, myself.

"Parenting and marriage, and LIFE really is a process of shedding the skin of our youth and replacing it with new skin that is more mature, less self-focused. And with each new phase of life, I feel like I shed another layer of skin and beneath it is revealed something more Christ-like. That newer skin is less selfish, more compassionate, patient, and persevering. I think of the kind of parent I was nearly 7 years ago, and the kind of wife I was ten years ago, and am so thankful for the work the Lord has done in my life.

"I honestly never like the shedding process, and I always think that the skin I have now is just fine, but on the other side of the process, when the painful shedding process is over and done with and I see what new thing Christ has done in me, the skin I newly find myself in is a closer reflection of how Christ wants me to look.

"In each phase, I have the choice to “lean into the wind” and embrace the challenge, in order to become the Mom and wife I am called to be, or I can wail against it and be blown away, leaving me embittered, resistant, and no wiser. I have to be honest that I often times spend too much time fighting against the change, wishing that I could somehow escape from the current parenting or life situation. But deep inside, I know that is not going to be the best for me or my family. So I lean in and embrace."

I continued in my email to my Sister-In-Law, "I know you are encountering situations that are exponentially harder than you have encountered in the past, but I encourage you to lean into it, embrace where the Lord has placed you right now and allow him to do a work in your heart and in your family. I really think that is why we are allowed to be parents: to grow us up. And we have all sat on the floor and cried right alongside a wailing infant and a tantrum-ing toddler. It is a miserable place to be. But God (I love those two words) will give you the wisdom for each situation if you ask for it. That has gotten me through so many endless days. I pray you will find the same measure of grace and help!"

Of course today I am looking with some trepidation at the new skin the Lord might be revealing as we face a new challenge in life. I am thankful for the opportunities He allows into our lives to show us that He is Faithful. I cling to the promise that the Lord will carry on to completion the work that He began in us.

A Little About Me

This is a fun little thing that I first saw on

my sister's blog and thought it would be kind of fun. Hope you enjoy it!

Age I will turn this year:

The instrument I would like learn to play

My favorite food:
That's Mizithra Cheese over a plate of spaghetti noodles at The Ol Factory, baby!

My favorite dessert: I do wish the Spag Factory served Mile High Mud Pie

Something crazy - er STUPID - I did once

in

Yeah, and by God's grace, an airline pilot picked me up and drove me straight to my destination (a quick but frightening trip as I contemplated how vulnerable I was.)

Something stupid I did today:

(I burned my finger.)

I singed the epidermis of my left index felangy, dorsal side, perhaps in the hyperaemia zone (ha! like I know what I am talking about). Incidentally, the pics that pop up when you type in "burn hand cooking" in Google are extremely graphic. Makes my little white mark look pretty pathetic. But try typing without that finger. It's not an easy task. Poor me.

A favorite movie

Currently reading (well, actually I finished it last night, right after I wrote this post)

and one chapter a night before Davis heads to bed in:

On deck:

but I am tempted to slip in "A Wrinkle In Time" first...

My some-day hobbies?

and

Now you know a little bit about me... how about you?