Counting our blessings while exposing some of the scary contents of my head and heart

Lately, I have been reminded of how completely FALSE the notion is that God will not give you more than you can handle.  Those who choose to follow Him will absolutely at some point in their lives receive more than they can handle.  Often crushing burdens are what it finally takes to bring someone to the point of crying out to God for salvation in the first place.  The Bible verse that is so often misapplied does offer encouragement, however.

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

When we are tempted, He will provide a way of escape and help us to endure. (Gift #425) It is His power that frees us from the temptation and helps us through times of great sorrow or hardship.  And as we rest/trust/rely in and on Him knowing that we simply cannot handle what the world lays upon us, we experience His loving power.  Those times of crisis when we reach the end of ourselves are watershed moments that build our faith as we are filled by Him. 

When I enter periods of melancholy over the circumstances around me, it is imperative that I give thanks because even the darkness is a gift.   (Gift #426)

"Someone I loved
Once gave me a box
Full of darkness.
It took me years
To come to understand
That this, too,
Was a gift."
--Mary Oliver

We must remember that we are refined by fiery trials and that God does work all things together for His good purposes with the emphasis on His good, not what the carnal self defines as good.  The world thinks "goodness" is getting what we want, regardless of who ends up paying for it.  The carnal mind thinks only of itself and applauds entitlements.   Modern culture (and the flesh since the fall of man) says, "I am entitled to everything I want".  But God knows that the only thing we are entitled to is death.  But because He is perfectly loving and merciful, He does not give us what we deserve. (Gift #427)  He offers us a way of escape.   He sent his only Son to pay our death sentence in full.  By His grace, He gives unmerited favor. (Gift #428)  We must simply choose to trust in Him completely with every area of our lives.

Psalm 103:10-12 (NIV) 
¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve

    or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

God is the embodiment of goodness. (Gift #429)  His goodness is eternal and immeasurable.  A.W. Tozer described the goodness of God as "that which disposes Him to be kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of good will toward men." He delights in our happiness, but our greatest good comes in being conformed into His likeness, and trials work that transformation in us.

Romans 8:28-29 (NASB)

²⁸ And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

So as dear friends wait for biopsy results and other friends seek God's healing when doctors can't figure out what is wrong with their infant daughter who they say may never see, hear, or walk and as other friends say good bye to loved ones or respond to the loss of a job, health, or a marriage, then we must cling to the truth we may not feel at the time but know to be true.  The darker the valley, the brighter His light shines.  Thank you, Lord, for your light!  (Gift #430)  Please let it shine through me.

John 1:4-6 (NIV)

⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

No progress has been made on our house in the past four weeks, so we continue the lifelong process of learning how to wait while residing in the apartment.  Our rate lock expiration date came and went seeing as how we were supposed to have been in the house by now.  The builder offered to pay for an extension, so I will count that as Gift #431, but a 30-day extension will not be enough, so we will need to extend it again.  With rates having dipped back down lower than they were before, I was content to let the lock expire and then wait the 30 days as required and then re-lock at a lower rate than before.  But our lender purchased the rate extension assuming that was what we wanted, so I'm not sure if that is a gift or not.  Omniscient God knows all the details and the outcome of every what-if scenario, so we are resting in His sovereignty.

My ninja style battles with the mold and mildew which keep seeping around the "renovations" continues unabated.  I wonder how all this mold exposure will affect us long term, especially considering that at least two, possibly all four, of us are allergic. My daughter and I have not been confirmed with the allergy, but we have both seen doctors for symptoms that would suggest it.

Yet, I am learning much in this apartment.  Despite our many troubles here, we are living in a very expensive place (not because we can afford it but because it is the only place in a convenient location that offered a short term lease which it turns out we will not be needing after all since the construction of our home is taking twice as long as we were initially told it would), so apparently money can't buy ease.   Our rent here is more than our mortgage will be in our next house which includes a yard and almost 4x more living space.  Yet, the difficult life circumstances we have seen here are sad.  I cannot even fathom what life must be like in the subsidized or low rent districts.  Short term mission trips here and there, sponsoring needy children through various Christian relief organizations, and maintaining regular communications with relief workers and missionaries working in the slums simply are not enough exposure to paint a full picture of what life is like for the disadvantaged.  And I'm discovering that the term "disadvantaged" seems to refer more often to home life than to income or net worth.

Speaking of short-term mission trips, this article (Do click on the link as it is a must read for missions minded people) is a depressing but accurate description of what is happening through short term mission efforts.  Full time missionary friends have shared similar stores as those mentioned here. I have a dear friend in Uganda right now trying to adopt three siblings that were not deemed adoptable because of their ages and a certain medical diagnosis.  This adoptive mom explained that government organizations in other countries send enough money to provide HIV treatment to every HIV+ child in Uganda, but only the children belonging to the wealthy white elite usually get the treatment required. They say one reason for the shortage is a concern that the meds will not be administered appropriately which could result in the development of resistant strains.  But a larger reason is simply the channeling of those funds to corrupt entities. It's heart-breaking!

The way I have responded to some of the kids around here who have been stealing our expensive equipment, lying, manipulating my son to trade lots of cash for a junk toy (until I intervened just in time...whew!), slapping innocent children who call their bluff, and slandering each other with cruel motives has me feeling ashamed, especially as I came here wanting to share God's love with them.  I have wrestled with how to "love my enemies" and set a Christ-like example for my kids and their lost neighbors without putting my children in harm's way.  I have failed miserably here as I have defaulted to protecting my own children before taking risks to offer loving hospitality to those who feel like a threat.  I am realizing more and more how much my missionary friends need prayer support, and how much I need my Savior.  We have had some great opportunities, too, but I tend to mostly focus on my failings.  Thankfully, my Bible study this morning took me to this verse: 

Isaiah 43:25 (NIV)

²⁵ “I, even I, am he who blots out
    your transgressions, for my own sake,
    and remembers your sins no more."   (Gift #432)

As I continue to ponder my role here and how to speak the truth in love knowing that the children here are likely role modeling what they see at home or simply doing what is natural since the sinful nature is not disciplined at all or in their homes, my daughter has come up with her own action plan.  She developed a sticker chart to inspire positive behaviors in one especially troublesome neighbor who happens to be three years older than she is. As the baby in my family, I'm having a hard time helping my firstborn understand that she is not in authority over others and especially not over older kids belonging to other families.  Still in my mama-bear mode, I confiscated this discipline chart before the recipient could consider slapping my daughter over it.

Discipline chart with "motivational" Bible verses

A criminal, guilty of both robbery and murder, has been lurking about our neighborhood, but the police have not apprehended him yet, necessitating increased security measures for our children.  This manhunt is probably the reason why I never saw a single trick-or-treater on Halloween. One of my daughter's neighborhood friends was quick to comfort me in this matter, however.  She told me not to worry because she learned how to be street smart from her father who spent several years on the street and that she would train our kids to protect themselves. So is learning to be street smart a gift?  Her courage amused me.  Yet, what was most encouraging was the headline on the front page of the next newspaper.

Background Info
After six years of trying to sell our house and praying over where to move next, we ended up selecting a suburb where we knew almost no one.  Our church and closest church friends live 20-35 minutes away in the capital city, and that location would have been closer to my husband's job.  Yet, the school we thought would be best for our kids was in this suburb, and we wanted more of a small town feel (this town has approximately 146,000 residents) where everything isn't so spread out, so we moved to the new town instead of moving closer to our friends.  Then we faced one problem after another in building the house including four different close date extensions, and our daughter's transition to the new school has not gone well at all.   While she loves the wonderful friends she has found there and the many opportunities, the strict rules and picky grading has her very frustrated, although my husband sees this training as very beneficial in the long run. (He certainly wished he had had this type of education when we arrived as a plebe at the USNA.)  The problems in the apartment have had us at our wit's end, but we know that is only a temporary situation, albeit twice as long as we initially anticipated.  But when I learned about the felon roaming about our community, I began to question again the safety and even sanity of moving to this town permanently.  Should we back out and find another school and house?  

The headline of the Sunday paper announced that our new town of residence was named the safest community of its size in America for 2012.  It has always had low crime rates, but apparently it is safer now than ever.  The timing of that headline and the fact that I even saw it because I rarely read the local news were gifts of encouragement to me from my loving heavenly Father. (Gift #433)

Throughout my failings and inadequacies, God has proven Himself ever faithful.  He never stops encouraging His children. Now that we are moving to a much smaller lot in a new subdivision where all the pretty trees were knocked down, I am more grateful than ever for the beautiful nature views outside every window in this dumpy apartment. (Gift #434)

 

The views outside most of the windows in our new house are of other houses instead of tall lush trees.  However, the two lots across from us are currently being held by the developer for his two children. If he continues to postpone construction on those sites, the view outside our front windows will at least provide some gorgeous fall hues.  (Gift #435)

View from upstairs front facing office of our new house

Beholding God's splendor in nature always brings me comfort. He gave us a beautiful day yesterday where we enjoyed a picnic with our family and other families from our church life class. (Gift #435)

While there, I got my baby fix by helping some friends hold one of their twins while they ate.  (Gift #436)

Laughter always encourages my heart, and I thank God for the daily humor my kids bring into my life.  (Gift #437)

6-year-old:  Mom, when are we leaving to go get my sister from school?
Me:             As soon as I can change into some decent shorts. (I was in workout attire.)
6-year-old:  But Mom, you are already wearing shorts.
Me:             Yes, but I would never wear these out in public.
6-year-old:  But we're not going to a public school.  Her school is private.

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The kids and I have been listening to the Left Behind series on audio CD. After listening to a scene in which 20-year-old Chloe laments over the guy she likes and works through all those silly games young girls play in their minds to determine if he likes her or not, my kids said the following:

7-year-old boy: "Let's be done with all the girl drama already!"
9-year-old girl: "Why can't she see that he likes her?"
Me: "You'll understand how she feels in about..."
Boy: (interrupting) "18 years!"

******************************* 

I hope my kids never realize how much I overhear in the backseat while I'm driving. The 9-year-old recently told her brother, "Don't use the pouty face. It never works with Mom."

*******************************    
Me:   Wow, son, you are getting taller. You almost come up to my shoulders.
Left-brained boy: That is true, Mom, but by this evening I will be approximately 1 cm shorter. 

Had I said that same sentence to my right brained child, she would have responded, "Really, Mom? Do you think some day I can touch the sky and slide down rainbows?"

*******************************  

While doing his reading assignment, I heard my sheltered 6-year-old say, "Thong, oh I know what THAT is."

So I asked with panic in my voice, "You do? Who taught you that word?"

He replied, "Dad!"

I responded, "He did now? And what did he say it is exactly?"

He replied, "It's a leather strap used to make sandals."

Then I realized the boy was reading Robinson Crusoe. Whew! 

Lesson: Don't always assume the worst.

*******************************   

I have been praying and thinking a lot about our new neighborhood while we wait for construction to be completed.  We have met several of our new neighbors already thanks to a first class "Meet Your Neighbors" luncheon hosted by the builder's sales agent. (Gift #438) I prayed for God to move us into a neighborhood filled with E/M opportunity, and He certainly answered that request (Gift #439).  I have also been hoping that the neighborhood would be full of children our kids' ages, and that request seems to be  coming to fruition as well. (Gift #440)  I sense that some in this community are "intellectuals" with strong atheist or pantheist religious convictions.  Interestingly, one of my dearest friends who seems to have a deeper intimacy with God than anyone I know developed out of a lifetime of trials and heartache, once told me that God has especially equipped my husband and me to shine His love into this particular demographic.  I am no intellectual, but the love I have for these neighbors I hardly know surely comes from God.  After failing so miserably here in our apartment complex, will I fail there too?  Will they allow me to be a friend to them?  Will I be faithful?  The neighborhood includes people from around the world.  Some of my most treasured friendships in college were with people from these parts of the world so I am excited for the opportunity to meet them and hope that I will be generous, hospitable, kind, and loving toward them.

I have been discouraged lately by the responses by some people I love dearly to the gospel message.  They have all the fame, fortune, and entertainments this world could offer (similar to, though not quite at the same scale as, Solomon when he wrote Ecclesiastes), so they see no need for God and choose instead to blame Him for all the problems in the world. So I was greatly encouraged today when I saw this testimony by Kirsten Powers. (Gift #441)  Her story before coming to faith is much like theirs, yet God pursued her relentlessly.   Never assume anyone is too far out of God's reach.

Another recent gift was celebrating our son's 7th birthday. (Gift #442).  This charming little man brings us so much joy.

Our birthday boy at 11 months old

I'm thankful for all the wild adventure he brings to our family and can't wait for the next "safari" with him.

We celebrated with a trip to his favorite kids' museum per his request and a birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese.  I'll do a separate post about his birthday and party, but here are a few pics from our day together at the museum with a few flashbacks from previous visits to this same museum.  What a privilege is is to be able to stay home with my children with enough time to play and make memories together. (Gift #443) Shame on me for taking that privilege for granted most of the time.

Our church's annual fall festival is always a fun tradition for us.  This year's festival was even better because a young friend from our apartment complex came with us. (Gift #444)

Once upon a time, the ridiculously long checkout lines at Walmart vexed me. Recently, however, the guy in front of me asked about my shirt which contained the words of Micah 6:8.  Soon we were discussing the implications of that verse, adoption ministry, some amazing friends of ours who are overseas right now adopting 3 siblings to become a party of 8, ways to minister to those with "special" needs, parenting, etc.  Next time, maybe I'll look for the checkout counter with the longest line and consider that long line to be a gift! (Gift #445)

I'm also thankful for books and for those who take the time to publish lists of quality classical literature for children by age since I don't have the time to proof the two dozen or so books our kids read each week. (Gift #446)  A recent conversation with my kids on this subject follows:

9-year-old: Mom, why did you make me read Caddie Woodlawn last year when you knew I would have to read it for school this year?

Me:  So that when you read it again this year, it will stick in your brain better.

6-year-old: Then why, Mom, wouldn't you let me read The Big Fat Cow that Went Ka-Pow! over and over like I wanted?

Me:  Because I don't want that book to stick to your brain!

I'm even thankful for the teaching tips offered by Miyagi in the movie The Karate Kid.  Since rust is a common problem in this moisture laden apartment, I decided to do a homeschool science lesson on oxidation and the chemistry of cleaning rusty iron by electrolysis.

 Keep scrubbing, buddy!

The teaching our kids receive through the Treasuring Christ curriculum (thanks to our church staff for following God's leading to develop this church/family resource!) is a beautiful gift, especially when the kids make connections between that Bible knowledge combined with what we teach them at home and with the world around them.   (Gift #447)

An ambulance recently passed us while I was driving. The 6-year-old saw the emblem of a snake wrapped around a pole on the vehicle and asked, "Does that symbol represent the bronze serpent on Moses' staff which he used to heal the Israelites when they grumbled against God and were punished with snake bites? Do medical people use that symbol because they heal people?"

Fall Frenzy (and HOUSE pics)

The days in this transient state of waiting for our house (scroll to the end to see pics!) to be built so we can move out of this apartment seem to drag on forever, yet I can't believe we're already well into October.  The purpose of this post is to provide some recent snippets from daily life as we have transitioned from summer to fall in the midst of so many other life transitions.

Work...Work..Work
Ever since before our move into the apartment, my husband's workload for his job has tripled. With employees leaving for various reasons, he's had to assume the roles of three different jobs all at the same time without any changes to his salary. Thankfully, he's been able to fill one vacant position (Gift #396), but the work keeps mounting.  It seems many other friends we know are also in a constant state of feast or famine with their work.  In this uncertain economy with health care costs soaring, many companies are laying off workers or at least cutting their hours to part-time, so they don't have to provide health insurance or pay penalties.  Those who are employed are being squeezed so companies can get more work out of each employee to prevent staffing increases.  Meanwhile, others are eager and skilled to work but unable to find any gainful employment.

So my husband isn't home as much as he was before, even with the shorter commute, and when he's home, he's often working. It's been a transition for all of us.  But we are thankful that he has so much work (Gift #397), for there have been many times during his years employed by this risky start-up when we wondered if the company would make it to the next month. We try not to take each new month of employment for granted and pray for God to prosper the company under my husband's leadership as He did under Joseph's leadership in Egypt.  Each time I consider various part-time employment opportunities, my husband's job demands seem to increase as a reminder that he still needs me focused full time at home to lessen his burdens there.  I'm so thankful that he works so hard for us (Gift #398), and what a rare privilege it is to have the choice to stay home. (Gift #399)  With so much uncertainty in the current economic/political environment, we are more grateful than ever for each day that we have that choice since we don't know what tomorrow may bring. (Proverbs 27:1)

Parenting & Educating the Kiddos
Our daughter, who is notorious for finding ways to stay up too late, recently took an epic bath after gymnastics class which always runs late. She stayed in there so long we had to announce through the door that henceforth, she will only be allowed to take two minute showers on school nights. Then while cleaning up the bathroom later, I found an open science book with water stains. Apparently, her bath took too long because she got engrossed in a study of atoms and molecules which was prompted by an analogy I had used to explain the probability of any man fulfilling just 48 of the 191 literal prophecies Christ fulfilled exactly. The kids have also been heard singing Latin and history facts while sitting on the toilet. If the bathroom provides such a mentally stimulating environment, perhaps I should set up a homeschooling/study nook in the bathroom.

The kids continually amuse. (Gift #400)  I recently found myself contemplating writing a letter to the security team of our favorite grocery store.  I did not send it, but had I, it would have read:

Dear Security team,

I'm sorry that my kids felt compelled to dance the hustle and the twist whenever they saw the security cameras, but I hope you enjoyed their moves. They learned theses dances at school last year.  My son asked if he would be shown on TV this evening, so he danced with a larger audience in mind. If your cameras follow me around the store next time, you will see that those two munchkins' appetites produce large revenues for your store, so I hope you can forgive them.

Regards,
A weary mama who picks her battles

I'm recognizing more now how important it is for me to remember that I am always role modeling for my children whether I intend to or not.   One morning, my 6-year-old asked me, "Mom, why are your knees so red?" And I replied, "Because I've been praying." 

And I thought to myself, "That boy has been around me almost non-stop for close to 7-years, and he is just now noticing my red knees?" I must not be praying enough. Lord, help me to be so characterized by red knees that my boy only takes notice when they aren't.

I think this stage with my daughter has been the most challenging yet.  In some ways she's growing up so fast and asking questions I'm not prepared to answer.  In other ways, she's still my baby, afraid of failure one moment and ready to conquer any challenge the next.  Of course, considering that my 6-year-old recently wanted to do his school work while sitting in a baby umbrella stroller and then the next day wanted to trek across the complex to a playground all by himself, I could say the same for him.

I recently tried having a serious conversation about internet dangers with my daughter to explain why we restrict her access so much. I referenced Philippians 4:8, and explained that while she may be searching online for that which is true, honorable, just, pure, and praiseworthy, she could accidentally stumble upon that which is harmful and vile which could etch images in her mind that could haunt her for years. Or she could be tricked into revealing identifying information to evil people.  Evil lurks like a lion on the internet.   So she replied, "Then maybe I should not look at vegetables anymore...just in case they turn into something wicked." 

Okay - so I guess we'll try that discussion again later.  And while our conversation ended humorously, the dangers of the internet are no laughing matter.  I'm amazed by the number of families that have been torn apart and how many lives of people of all ages have been ruined by online pornography.  It happens to kids raised in some of the best homes, too.  Vulnerable children will hear a word at school or in the media that they don't recognize.  Out of curiosity, a researcher's mentality, or a desire to be in the know, they will Google the word and stumble into internet pornography.  The addiction takes control, warping their minds, isolating them, and leading them to act out all sorts of weird fantasies on anyone or anything.  Read more here.

Apartment living has exposed my daughter to more than I was prepared for her to see or hear at her age.  With homeschooling, living in the country, and now private Christian schooling, she's led a rather sheltered life, I guess, although we do try to expose her to various life conditions.  So, it's been tough seeing her watch mean kids slap each other around, manipulative kids lie and steal, daring kids defy their parents and take inappropriate risks, or curious kids ask inappropriate questions.  On the day I grew most concerned that she was hearing too much which would necessitate moving up the time table for giving her "the talk", I was, strangely enough, relieved by the procreative activities of two spiders.  She ran inside shouting, "Quick, Mom, come and see...a daddy-long-leg spider is giving birth to a baby spider!"  What I saw was certainly not a birth experience but rather something that more likely involved fertilizing some eggs.  When I reminded her that insects reproduce by eggs, not live birth (a science memory fact from 3 years ago), she asked, "Then what exactly ARE they doing?" So I promised to tell her in a year or two.  I'm so not ready for THAT stage.

Our daughter is on fall break track-out for two weeks.  Since she says she wants to work with children as a career some day, I told her she could be my apprentice by helping me teach her brother. (He does not track-out from homeschooling until it's time to move into our new house.  At that time, I will hardly have time to breathe...much less homeschool him, so he'll get a full month off while I unpack boxes and decorate the new house.)   I tried to give her plenty of opportunities to teach him, although the mess that right-brained child made in the process nearly gave me a panic attack.  After an hour or so, she decided she no longer wanted to be a teacher.  I guess such weighty decisions should not be made based on such a brief experience with her sibling as her pupil.  Perhaps she appreciates my daily challenges as a homeschooling mom a bit better now. (Gift #401)

Trying to homeschool my son with my high energy daughter on track-out has been like trying to conduct Mass at Walmart on Black Friday.  She did help him dramatize his literature assignment which was quite the production (should have charged admission), but for the most part, it's been very hard to stay on task with her here.  I had some exciting field trips planned, but many of those venues are now closed due to the latest government shut-down which the POTUS seems to want to make as painful as possible.

Our girl has kept herself entertained in some unusual ways.  She took her brother outside to catch rain.  Apparently, we are all supposed to have that on our bucket list.

What I didn't realize at the time is that she also planned to catch some fish and amphibians from the creek out back to serve as her indoor pets.  Imagine my husband's surprise when he stumbled upon a bucket filled with nasty creek water containing some scary looking fish hidden in her room one night.  At least one fish died before she could return them to the creek the next morning.

I have often shared with my kids what a great privilege it is to live in such a diverse town and have encouraged them to embrace the opportunity to share God's love with people from all over the world who now live nearby. (Gift #402)  However, my right brain child's idea of embracing the cultural diversity around us is to eat her enchiladas with chopsticks. Ugh!

After waiting with MUCH anticipation for over three years, our son finally got to attend his first Y Guides meeting.  After every meeting or outing our daughter attended with her daddy during her three years as a Y Princess, he has asked, "How much longer until I get to be a Y Guide?"  His first meeting was last Sunday, and he was over the moon excited.  Just look at the smile on his face. (Gift #403)

Church
We are still very blessed by our church involvement.  My husband is into his 13th consecutive year as a member of the choir and praise team. The worship times at church seem to just keep getting better and better as God's nearness overwhelms us. (Gift #404)  My husband still serves as deacon, and I enjoy my role as deacon wife interviewing and encouraging new members, coming alongside baptism candidates to assist and encourage them before/after their testimony & baptism, praying with the pastors' families, and preparing meals for church members who are sick or suffering loss.

My daughter's  love for special needs ministry and helping teach younger classes continues to grow, and I see God given gifts in her (Gift #405) equipping her to work effectively with children (albeit not her brother much of the time). I still occasionally write devotions for the women's ministry, which is a passion of mine.  Our Ladies A.M. Bible study continues to be a highlight of my week, and I enjoy taking my son (and daughter during track-out) to the amazing children's program which runs at the same time and presents the same Bible passages and themes their mothers are studying.

While helping with the 1-year-old class at LAMBS (Ladies AM Bible Study) one week, I marveled at how quickly and easily it was to soothe those young children by simply picking them up and carrying them in my arms and mused, "If only all our problems as adults could be instantly solved that way." Then I remembered this verse: 

"He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young." (Isaiah 40:11)

How often do we, God's beloved children, wrap our arms tightly around our chests and refuse to be held with the false notion that we can fix it all by ourselves? I know how much mamas and nursery workers crave that cuddle time with little ones, so I can only imagine how much God, who is rich in love, yearns to hold each of us! (Gift #406)  So my lesson and prayer lately has been that we will simply allow ourselves to be held.

(I'm not saying that this will take our problems away, but it will certainly calm our hearts and give us peace & direction.)

Our daughter has joined a wonderful new ministry called Appleseeds at church. It's a discipleship program for tweens led by "grandmothers" in the faith.  With research indicating that teens who have more inter-generational mentoring relationships with people of all ages are much less likely to leave the church after high school graduation, I am especially thrilled to see our church providing this opportunity for her. (Gift #407)  After Appleseeds, both kids participate in BLAST, which is similar to AWANA.  I am thankful for every opportunity for people of all ages to sow God's word into their hearts.

And after four years of waiting for the children's choir to return to our church, it's back!  Our songbird children will be singing in the Christmas program.  Horray! (Gift #408) And they will be singing songs by their favorite recording artist, Toby Mac!  What a wonderful way to inspire our kids to make a joyful noise until the Lord!  (Gift #409)

Our life class continues to grow.  I was so thrilled when a family from our apartment complex joined us for the last class social. (Gift #410)  It was just a simple potluck in the courtyard, but what fun it was for everyone.  And after sitting through numerous basketball games for our kids, I was amused to see all the kids cheering on their dads as they played basketball and volleyball.  The kids got plenty of opportunities to play, too.

School
Helping our daughter adjust to the new school has been a major focus since we moved here.  When I do my voluntary janitorial service for her classroom each week, I chat with her teacher a bit to get a feel for how she is doing.  When I see low grades and papers marked up with lots of red ink, I assume she isn't adjusting too well (even though her answers are almost always technically correct, just not written in exact D'Nealian style or answered with correct spelling and punctuation each time).  I want to help her improve, but I'm not sure how since her handwriting looks beautiful to me, especially compared to what she turned in to me when I homeschooled her.  But her wise and calm teacher (attributes she likely developed while raising her seven kids who have blessed her with many grandchildren) assures me she's doing fine and that the best way I can help her is to simply relax.

I have enjoyed attending our Moms-in-Touch prayer group, school assemblies, and class socials. (Gift #411).  The room mom (not me this year) for our daughter's class apparently has a reputation for being the scrapbook queen.  Creative Memories sales ladies stand in awe at the scrapbook works of art she creates for her child's class each year.  Each parent can buy a copy from Shutterfly, too.  She takes thousands of photos which she uploads and shares on a private website.  So, for this scrapbook obsessed mama, I can't be more thrilled over the blessing that this room mom has already been.  Here are a few of her pics. (Gift #412)

Our girl is surviving at her new school and seemed to really enjoy her oral presentation on early Americans.   Each student had to choose a famous early American for his or her biographical report, so our girl chose a Native American in honor of her paternal relatives.  Special thanks to our young church friend who also reported on Sacagawea a few years ago and loaned our girl the costume she made for her report.   (Gift #413)

Her class also hosted a picnic social at the nicest playground I think I have ever visited. This playground was not funded by the government, but rather by a local homeowner's association. It was so large we had to take a panoramic photo to capture it all.  A childhood church friend, L,  recently moved into this beautiful community. What a privilege it was to spend several hours there on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon. (Gift #414)  Interestingly, while we were there we bumped into a couple we had recently met at church.  I just discovered the day before that they live near our new house and had mentioned to my husband that we should get to know them better. Then snap, there they were the very next day with their toddler and twin infants.  (Gift #415)

We fed the ducks and geese and looked for turtles.

And my son pushed me on both of the ziplines.

I'm feeling better about the school choice, although our daughter did not cry when school let out this time as she did at the previous school.  Rather, she did a victory dance down the school halls to celebrate surviving her first quarter.  We kicked off the beginning of her two week fall break with some games, face painting, and delicious pumpkin food at the Pumpkin Palooza held just 1/2 mile from our apartment.  I love living in the middle of town!

Celebrating Fall Break Kick-off with Scare Girl and Pumpkin Head

Apartment Life
Living conditions in our apartment have improved considerably. (#416 ) Nevertheless, new challenges present themselves each week.  Our latest maintenance issues have been another broken toilet, beeping smoke detectors, faulty water meter readings, paint peeling everywhere, and such, but most of those we just address ourselves now. It's easier than dealing with maintenance.  We have some neighbors who like to play loud music with deep banging base sounds late at night when we try to sleep, but we are trying to tune it out.  Another neighbor stole our two new tennis rackets but will not return them when confronted, so while we've tried to resolve that issue to no avail, we've had to give up the one recreational activity my husband and I enjoy doing together without needing childcare.  But compared to the first two months, it's been SO much better.

After tending to the hurts of my daughter's friend who got slapped by a bully in the neighborhood (what in the world?), my son found a baby bat on the patio that also needed some care.  Apparently he fell 30 feet from the eaves of the building.  He could wiggle, but he could not turn over or fly.  His screams were heart breaking, and that is the first time I've ever felt sorry for a bat.  We called my mother-in-law who rehabs all types of wildlife for advice.  We eventually just called the pros for help.  I have no idea if he made it or not after they removed him from the premises, but at least we don't hear those cries anymore.  And I got a nice chuckle when the removal guy nearly jumped out of his skin when the thing suddenly began wiggling around as if he just might attack.

So far we have found the following on our patio: wasps, slugs, dogs, cats, daddy-long-legs, mosquitoes, bunnies, frogs, froglets, fish in buckets our kids collected, lots of little neighborhood minions staring into our patio door to see if our kids are home and want to come outside and play (with no consideration of our own personal privacy whatsoever) and now bats, but apparently the lawn just past our patio is the gathering place for all the local geese for Sunday afternoon potlucks.

Speaking of geese...these Canadian geese are all over this town, and apparently the residents love them.  While stuck in a traffic jam one morning, I noticed that none of the other drivers seemed irate. People were smiling instead of honking horns or making rude gestures. This traffic stop wasn't caused by a wreck or someone with car trouble. It was caused by a brace of geese strutting one by one, ever so slowly, across a busy 4-lane street. I was amused but then considered what a pity it is that we people can be so courteous when inconvenienced by one of God's lesser creatures, yet fail to show any compassion whatsoever toward other sacred human beings, who were created in God's own image and bought at an infinite price, during their times of trouble when those troubles make us late.

House
The most exciting update for this post regards the house for which we we have been waiting for almost seven years if you count the time we spent trying to sell our last home.  After two months of no progress on the lot due to rain, the rain finally stopped!  (Gift #417) And then the realization that we really are building a new home kicked in, and my furniture shopping, decor planning, Pinterest pinning, swatch collecting, decor collage making, furniture and lamp updating activity went into massive overdrive.  Never before has this left-brained pragmatist ever been so excited about decorating!  While I've been super blessed with hand-me-down furnishings all my life (Gift #418), there is something very liberating about starting over with new designs and decor we selected according to our own unique preferences.  I am finding a creative side of me I never knew existed.  Thankfully, my left brain occasionally chimes in with reminders of budget constraints. (Gift #419)

Numerous grading problems were finally resolved, and they started building at last. (Gift #420)  Here are a few pics to show the rapid progress over the past six weeks.

September 1 - Footings poured (that's my family at the other end)

September 13 - Foundation complete

September 23 - 1st floor framing complete

September 27 - 2nd floor & a roof in process

As I rounded the corner to check progress on September 27, the kids flipped as soon as they saw the roof. After so many years of waiting to move, little things like this seem huge. And this is a just a standard, temporal home that will rot, rust, and break. Imagine how our jaws will drop when we first behold the finished mansion in Heaven that our Savior is building for each of His children now.

October 6 -Shingles, electrical, and lots of HVAC duct work in place

Now the plumbing and HVAC are complete, and the house is ready for inspections scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.  We have a walk-thru after inspections, and then insulation installation will begin.  We'll be living there soon!

Front view - Framed and roughed in

Rear view

Cody Chronicles #1

Now that we have possibly taken more photos since April of our new bunny than of our own children, I suppose a mini-series about our bunny is forming on this blog.  So henceforth, all blog updates about our first family pet will have "Cody Chronicles" in the title.  Or just click on the "bunny" label to the right to see all bunny related posts since he first came live with us.

Initially, I was looking forward to bringing our pet inside when we moved into the apartment.  Now, I can't wait to send that rascally rabbit back outside into his hutch as soon as we move into our next home.  He gets so dirty in that cage, and when we try to let him exercise indoors, he scatters pee and poo EVERYWHERE!  I have watched YouTube videos showing how easy rabbits are to litter box train, but I can't let him out long enough to train him lest he claw up my favorite furniture or pee on something that may become irreparably damaged.  In the new house, there will be more room where we could possible set aside a furniture free litter training area for him, but I suspect I'll be too protective of our new carpet, new tile, and new hardwood floors to even consider it.

So for now, he gets lots of baths and we change out his litter and clean out his cage every other day or so.  How could something that only weights 2 pounds, 11 ounces be so much work?  At least the kids are learning a little something about taking responsibility for another living creature.  He's quite scary looking when he's wet, and he sure can distribute water all over the apartment floors when he escapes from the sink during bath time, but when he reclines in my arms allowing me to rub his head and rock him to sleep, all is forgiven!

To his credit, Cody sure does make me laugh....like when he decided to shred all the newspaper my husband carefully taped ever so neatly to the bottom of his cage.  We have been trying to only put litter in his box, not his cage, to teach him to do his business in the litter box.  But apparently he didn't like that plan so he tore up the newspaper into tiny strips as if to spread litter for himself in the rest of his cage.  When I caught him tearing at the newspaper, he looked at me with pleading eyes as if he was imploring, "But Mom, I did not do it.  I promise you that I'm innocent."  Yet with newspaper stuck to his face (see lower picture below), I knew better!

He also does a great job keeping the kids entertained.  He patiently endures their playful shenanigans. The kids actually bought him some clothes for the winter. He's not too crazy about the bling on his black shirt.

At first, he would not even look at the camera.

Bunny bucks are domineering and proud like lions, so he did not like playing dress-up!

Yet, he will still allow ou kids to cuddle up with him, kiss him, and carry him like a baby, although I suspect his motives are purely selfish.

 This photo and caption (to the tune of "Little Bunny Foo-Foo") illustrate my point.

Little bunny Foo Foo hopping through girl's tresses...scooping up some kisses and hoping to be fed.

Cody even helps the kids with homework.  After having my son read Ox-Cart Man aloud, I suggested that he act out scenes from the book as a reinforcement activity.  His right-brained sister thought he needed some props, so they used an umbrella stroller (free to whomever will come get it) as the cart, spices and miscellaneous school supplies as the wares for sale, and bunny as the ox that pulled the cart.  Of course, Cody needed a carrot to pull his load.

Life in transition...an update

Now that I have finished playing blog catch-up from our travels in June, I guess I should pick up from where I last left off as it pertains to our family in transition.

Apartment Life
We have finally recovered from the two month deluge inside and outside our apartment although the effects of inhaling mold and mildew may be with us for the rest of our lives.  And instead of looking on our flooded porch for amphibious creatures shown in a previous post, the kids now have to go to the creek out back to find such treasures like this froglet (intermediate stage between tadpole and frog).

The apartment is finally somewhat dry, but apparently now our water service provider thinks we are the benefactors of new rivers based on the last water bill.  The billed usage was double what we used in our last two houses where we had 3x more space to pressure wash and 1/2 and 2/3 acre lots to regularly seed and irrigate vs. no land here.  Clearly, there has to be an error, so I guess that's our next battle.

Oh, and after all those wars with insects, my husband happened to see a gray mouse in the kitchen one evening.  So, we notified our landlord that a least one rodent had moved in and should either be evicted or start paying rent, and she promptly called a wildlife removal service and then let us know that the rodent had been removed. We were not here when this service company came, but we took her word for it.  A month later, I began noticing a foul smell in the kitchen.  I checked for old food particles between cabinets, cleaned the burners, emptied the trash, and cleaned out the trash cans but the smell persisted.  I suspected that our mouse friend had not been properly removed but had instead died a slow, agonizing death and was rotting somewhere beneath our stove.   I have very acute and fragile senses, so I asked my husband to check it out while I drove the kids across two counties for a few hours of gymnastics.  When I returned my husband's face was gray and pallid with an expression that cried, "I am forever scarred!"  He found our mouse friend, alright, covered by maggots and in a state so disgusting he could not describe it though that scene will be forever etched in his memory.  Yet, my brave veteran warrior was able to find the courage (Gift #376) to dispose of the mutilated carcass and disinfect the space before the rest of us returned home.  God bless that man!  After all the daily calls we have made to property management, dare we call again to recommend that if they send someone out here to set a trap, perhaps they should let us know those traps were set so we can check the traps regularly before an army of maggots come marching in for the feast?

Such fun times we have in this little apartment!

We are at least enjoying the pool....

...and the tennis courts

Another benefit of this apartment is that it is located smack dab in the middle of town, so when the alternator on my car decides to die, I can coast all the way back home.   And then when AAA comes to tow it away, we are within the 3 miles maximum towing limit for our AAA coverage.

At least our kids are still enjoying all their new neighbors.  I suppose I'm finally learning to be spontaneous (Gift #377)...like when I agreed to host a slumber party after our daughter invited people over..albeit without ever thinking to ask her mother and father first.  The following picture was taken at her first apartment slumber party with her neighborhood BFF whom we like very much and count it a blessing to know her parents. (Gift #378)

Aside:  For the one occasional reader who may find this next tidbit interesting, this gal's family attends the same church that my childhood pastor's daughter loves so much.  I can't wait to check it out and pray some day to have the opportunity to bring local seekers to that church.

One night, my daughter urged me to go meet the parents of a girl she had just met in the new neighborhood with the hope that I would approve and allow her to attend a slumber party there. When she described this girl to me, she said, "She's sweet, girlie, and adventurous like me!" The next day on my way to pick up our daughter from school, I just happened to see this same girl crawling into a large commercial dumpster. Later I learned that she and the other kids were jumping off the dumpster and landing on old mattresses that someone had left by the dumpster.  EWW!  So, needless to say, with memories of bed bug alerts on the news, we decided this new friend was much too adventurous for our fun-loving girl.

We are also now trying to remember to cook for extra mouths when preparing meals because when kids are still here after dark (currently, after 8pm) on school nights and have not once thought to check in with their parents, we might as well feed them.  We seem to be falling into a weekend routine, at least, with lunch served here as we provide all day supervision of neighborhood kids followed by dinner served at the BFF's house. (Gift #379) So, it's working out. Unfortunately, I'm also discovering how selfish I am with my privacy as there seems to be so little alone time available right now.

We're also learning to be spontaneous when it comes to party invitations.  Instead of sending out birthday party invitations by mail or e-vite several weeks in advance, around here, a knock on the door 20 minutes before the party begins is deemed sufficient.  I'm so thankful that God put the idea into my head to keep a "last minute birthday present stash"  (Gift #380) so that my daughter did not have to go to that party without a gift in hand.  And apparently, the attire for pizza parties around here is quite formal.  Our daughter looked especially snazzy in her sparkly dress paired with some very old croc flip flops that should have been thrown out years ago.   :(

Homeschooling
I love how diverse our new town of residence is and am enjoying the opportunities to learn about foreign cultures.  (Gift #381) Our kids have much to learn about those cultures, too.  Recently, my son and I have been studying the Hittite and Assyrian empires during our homeschool history and geography lessons, and we just completed a science unit on the desert biome.  While out shopping after homeschooling one day, we saw two men dressed in traditional Arab thawb (like a robe) and kaffiyeh (headdress) as is common around here, and my observant 6-year-old exclaimed, "Whoa! Look, Mom! Those guys just stepped out of the desert! How cool!"

I am especially appreciating how flexible homeschooling can be. (Gift #382)  Since I have so many commitments at our daughter's school and Bible study commitments and doctor appointments every week, I have moved most of those obligations to only two days a week, so that my son and I can dedicate three days a week to homeschooling and take the other days off.  It's working much better having a break every other day.

I'm also much more flexible with our lesson plans this year. (Gift #383)  For example, my son excitedly ran into my room early one morning with his new Bible telling me all about the New Jerusalem from Rev. 21. He was especially interested in all the gemstones that make up the foundation and city walls, so that day we replaced the previously scheduled lesson on animal classification with a geology unit on gemstone classifications. I guess one reason homeschooling is growing in popularity is because it provides the flexibility to tailor course of study to the students' interests which enhances love of learning vs. adhering to a federally mandated scope and sequence for the purpose of helping students pass EOGs...which I would think takes away much of the fun for both the students and the teachers.

My son's spelling has improved a lot this year (Gift #384), and he's using that new knowledge in manipulative ways. While attempting to eat a veggie snack, he said, "I can't eat these carrots because we should not trust a company that can't spell 'love' correctly." 

Now that's an excuse for not eating one's veggies that I had not heard before.

Both kids regularly impress me with some of their Bible retention (Gift #385)  They may act like they aren't paying attention at all during family devotions, but so much sticks to their brains and hopefully their hearts as well.  Having this same information reinforced during Sunday School, LAMBS, and BLAST helps, too.  Here is a recent example:

During our family devotions, my husband asked, "Who was Timothy?"

6-year-old: He was a kid Paul picked up during his missionary journey and then dumped off in Ephesus with instructions on what to teach the people there.

9-year-old: He was a young man, who in his youth, learned lots of Bible verses that his mom and grandmother taught him. Later he traveled with Paul teaching people about Jesus.

Our son's retention of those basic table manners he knew so well at age 3 have taken a sharp downward turn, however.  One day my chiropractor, upon observing my son wait patiently during my weekly appointment, said, "No one can ever say anything negative about your boy's fine behavior".  Then the very next morning, that same young boy provided breakfast time entertainment by making the stevia on top of his oatmeal dance by carefully blowing air through his nostrils.  In truth, he is probably in need of some remedial etiquette education. 
 
New School
Our daughter's adjustment to school has had some highs and lows.  It's been brutal watching a girl who skipped a grade at her last school, has always made straight A's, and has been scoring post high school grade equivalent on standardized tests for the past few years bring home Cs, Ds, or worse even after we decided to have her repeat the 4th grade so that she would go through the remainder of her school years with kids her own age.  She isn't making lower grades for lack of knowledge.  She read all the books and learned to solve all those problems years ago.  However, she has not gained the discipline to slow down with her work and make sure every letter is slanted at a perfect angle, every t is crossed, i is dotted, and punctuation marks are included correctly.  She can ace a spelling bee but fails to spell words correctly on her papers because she works too quickly and makes careless mistakes.  At this school, if the handwriting isn't perfect or if the spelling or punctuation is in error in any way, the answer, though technically correct, is scored as if it is wrong.  So, she has entered boot camp, and it's been tough to watch her struggle.  Humility is good for anyone, and I do see it working some fruit in her behavior, however. (Gift #386)  

This new school is incredibly strict with behavior, too, even requiring students to assume various positions (as in ballet with a 1st position, 2nd position, 3rd position, etc.) for each educational activity like listening, answering questions, taking tests, etc.  Manners must be faultless, and there is no tolerance for disrespect or speaking out of turn.  She can't even talk to her friends during carpool.  I am amazed at how well she has adapted to uniforms and the strict rules at this school.  Her behavior has been better than mine would likely have been had I been in her shoes, so kudos to her for excelling in what matters most.  (Gift #387)

After enduring the intense discipline of plebe summer at the U.S. Naval Academy followed by four strict USNA years and five more years as a naval officer, my husband appreciates the strict training provided by this school and feels that it will have lasting value for her.  I understand the benefits but have struggled with fear that it will crush her spirit and destroy her love of learning.  As I learn more about visual sequential learners (VSLs), I only grow more concerned that this school does not match her learning style at all.

Colossians 3:21

Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Yet, I know she needs to learn to do all things as unto the Lord, so I'm grateful for the school's insistence on nothing less than her very best.  (Gift #388)

Colossians 3:23

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Surprisingly, one of her best subjects is Latin 2, and she has never had Latin 1, although we did attempt to start Latin 1 this summer through wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Thankfully, my husband helps catch her up in Latin 1 on the evenings he isn't working late or at choir or deacon meetings.  (Gift #389)  Of course, considering that last night when they were supposedly studying Latin, I heard them conversing in Pig Latin, I am wondering which "Latin" she is actually learning.

Socially, she is thriving!  (Gift #390)  She has so many wonderful new friends at school and finds much happiness in their company.  And I have loved meeting all the other mothers.  I am amazed at how involved most of them are.  I am enjoying our Moms-in-Touch group most. (Gift #391)  Not only do we meet to pray, but we also plan mother/daughter socials every other month during which the moms and daughters make crafts together which we share with needy children around the world and participate in a devotional style Bible study.  I hope that I can help write some of those devotions tailored toward whatever struggles the girls may be having that month just as I have had the privilege of writing devotions for our church's women's ministry.

Then there are other students with whom I would rather she not associate...like the guy who grabbed her flip flop when she accidentally stepped out of it during a game of tag and then threw her flip flop into the woods after dark during a football game.  So, she had to walk the field, through the parking lot, onto the shuttle bus, and into our car in only one shoe. The boy never offered to buy her new shoes.  He never even apologized, and his mother totally covered for him. If the Old Testament law could not make people behave, I guess I should not expect a school, regardless of how many rules it enforces, to make kids behave either.

My daughter and I had a blast before the game practicing our gymnastics skills on the playground equipment.  She and I may be wired very differently, but we at least enjoy some of the same activities, from horseback riding to flipping upside down. (Gift #392)

 

Her school's football team lost in a bad way that night to a team from a school in a small farming town with maybe one stoplight, but it was still nice to be attending a high school football game for the first time in 23 years.

Front view of the 3 or 4 story field house

Maybe our little gymnast will cheer for this school some day

Game On!

Church
I have enjoyed watching our daughter's love for all people, regardless of age, ethnicity, socioeconomic background or developmental label expand as we have moved into a more diverse community. (Gift #393)  She is especially gifted in connecting with and getting inside the worlds of those with autism, Down's syndrome, or whatever other "special need" doctors identify in these precious children created by God for His glory.  She is always eager to help me with the special needs ministry on Sunday mornings.   We recently took her to a church life class family social at a gorgeous horse friendly community park and swim club with 45 other children from our life class.   There were so many dear young friends there with whom she could do a number of fun activities, but she chose instead to first spend a large amount of quality time with her buddy from the special needs ministry at church.  I love the way she loves him and how much he enjoys her company. (Gift #394)  And she loves to half-jokingly remind me that he likes her more than me.

During this life class party, I noticed that the pool had a diving board.  Diving platforms are rare these days due to changes in insurance.  So when I saw that board, I just had to take my kids out on it to show them how to dive correctly.  Before I knew it, I was 11 years old in my mind and doing flips, jack knives, swan dives, and every other stunt I can remember from my many years at summer day camp.   And while I may have felt 11, my ears are 40, so I spent the next two weeks trying to dry out my ears with every home remedy available only to finally see a doctor and complete a week of antibiotic ear drops.

Toothless
We have celebrated some milestones over the past month.  Our son is STILL missing his 4 front teeth (incisors), and now our daughter is missing all four canines.  So we're short eight teeth in this family, and the tooth fairy is so broke that she just doesn't bother visiting us anymore.  Seriously, our 9-year-old daughter who will hold out hope for anything that is to her benefit has left her last tooth out several days hoping the tooth fairy will appear, but her 6-year-old too-smart-for-his-britches pragmatic brother keeps telling her that Mom and Dad must not have any cash on hand.  She got her money eventually, however, which she immediately used to pay restitution for crimes committed against her brother.  Sibling quarrels have been a problem lately.  I'm convinced the kids got along better when both were homeschooled.  But even then there were the same number of quarrels in the house, just not between siblings, but rather between student and teacher.

Determined to get that first annoying wiggly canine out of her mouth, our daughter tried tying one end of some string to her tooth and the other end to a doorknob, and slammed the door. Her home version of myth busters was a bust because the string kept sliding off her tooth.

Grandma's 60th Birthday
A major milestone that occurred last month was my mother-in-law's 60th birthday. (Gift #395) Grandpa and her favorite sons (the three that live within 20 minutes of her house in Oklahoma, not the eldest who fled here for better weather, prettier landscapes, greater business opportunity, and the southern gal who authors this blog) really came through for her.  Grandpa surprised her with hilarious and thoughtful cards every day of her birthday week.

 

She is a gifted artist and the daughter of renown sculptor whose work has only increased in value and popularity since his untimely death.  So, her sons planned an art themed surprise party for her with a brilliantly creative art idea for the party.  They hired an artist to create a paint-by-numbers representation of one of the sculptures their grandfather created for the birthday girl when she was a young child.  This artist's representation was drawn onto 36 8x10 canvases with paint by numbers to guide each guest at the party in creating a gift of art for the birthday girl.  Each piece of the canvas puzzle did not look like anything the guests could make out, but when all the canvases were placed together in proper order, an image of the original sculpture could be clearly scene in the same bright colors Grandma often uses in her decorating.   So, in that sense the surprise party for my husband's mother was a surprise for all the guests, too, as they waited eagerly to determine what the collective painting would be.

My brothers-in-law (most likely their wives) were thoughtful enough to include us in the collective gift. (Gift #396)  They sent us paint and a canvas to contribute to the project since logistics of travel and time off from work and school could not be arranged in time to attend the party.  Our children really enjoyed making this gift for Grandma.

During her early childhood, Grandma was a bashful but studious observer of her father as he worked, so he sculpted her bashful feet to capture the shyness and curiosity of a child who loves her daddy and his work.  Here is the completed composite piece hanging over her fireplace mantle with a miniature bronze of the original piece in front of it.