One very hard week: Them stones, them stones, six kidney stones....

Last week was busy and down right hard. But there were blessings interspersed through each new day reminding me of God's loving presence and marvelous mercy and grace in my life.

Monday, April 13
My husband flew to Boulder, CO on a business trip.  The kids had SAT testing for three days that week, so I drug myself out of bed early to make them a hearty breakfast.  I burned the eggs.

A carpenter we had hired showed up without notice while I was exercising in my private home gym. He walked right in, having my house key from a visit last week which he was supposed to have returned.  I was only wearing a jog bra and shorts, so I had a sudden charge of cortisol shoot through me as I rushed to put on a shirt.

My tutoring client for the day stood me up yet again, and school was taxing.  I still managed to get the kids to all their activities after school (a job which usually requires two parents), signed off Monday folders, graded quizzes (more students failed than ever before), settled for frozen pizza for dinner, and stayed up too late doing school work.

Tuesday
We were up early again for SAT Testing.  My daughter made the eggs this time. YAY!  My son loved them, but he sure did wake up with some serious bedhead. He often looks poorly groomed at our school, which has a strict uniform/grooming policy, but if his teachers knew how he looked before we combed his hair, they would see a marked improvement.

Tuesday Bed Head

I sat through four hours of thesis presentations that morning and was delighted to witness my students speaking so articulately, persuasively, and passionately about their difficult, controversial subjects.

Even my students who struggle most were able to defend their positions with well researched data and logical arguments when the panel tried to bury them with counter arguments.  I was so proud of them all as they chose complex topics requiring much research and thought.

I did not feel well when I taught later that afternoon, so when students asked me if I would be attending their thesis presentations the next day, I told them I wasn't sure as I may need to see the doctor.

After tutoring, I took my kids to Tae Kwon Do and continued working on school work. My stomach started hurting with some nausea and back cramps, so I ate snacks to settle my stomach.  It did not settle.

Then the pain increased, like back labor but possibly worse.  I was convinced it was indigestion, but it just would not go away.  I thought about taking myself to the ER around 1:00 am, but since the kids had SATs that week, they needed their rest, and I had no one to watch them, nor could I drive.  The pain continued to increase until my life was flashing before me, and I thought I might die.  So I called my parents, waking them up just after 4am, and then sent a text to our headmaster's administrative assistant who I consider a wonderful new friend about getting me a sub for the day, and she was already awake and began praying.

My parents got here around 5:30am.  Mom stayed with the kids while Dad took me to yet another ER. (Seeing every ER in our county must be a bucket list item this year!)  By then I was convulsing with alternating sweats and chills and curled up in a fetal position trying not to cry in front of Dad.  When they took me back, it took four tries to get the IV in, so by then I screamed.  Dad heard it out in the lobby.  I got to take a $5300 ride on a roller coaster (they called it a CT scan) where they learned I had six kidney stones.  Joy.

But praise God for the pain meds they finally gave me through that IV.  I was released and got home just as my kids were getting ready for school.  I spent the day filling my four prescriptions...being questioned by the pharmacist as to why I needed Flomax which apparently is used for male problems....but thankfully never needed a single pain killing medicine.  I even got in my weight lifting workout for the day called "The Challenge" for good reason.  Praise God I needed no more medication at all after that IV filled with Motrin because I had to be in good mental condition to drive my kids all over town all week long, a two-parent job.

As I did kidney stone prevention research and followed-up with a urologist later, I learned that my best prevention regimen involves a reduction in sweat inducing vigorous workouts, nuts, spinach, and chocolate (my primary staples), and I'm not sure how nice I am without my beloved endorphins and chocolate.  So when the urologist handed me a low oxalate meal plan and then said, "Here's some propaganda for you....just drink a lot of water", I was relieved to know that even the specialist didn't expect me to follow that diet.

Thursday
Thursday was extra busy with make-up work to do from what I failed to do during the kidney stone episode.  I got stood up again for tutoring after having spent hours preparing, but it worked out for the best because I had to leave early to take my son across town to a marketing research firm (while awesome friends took our daughter to gymnastics for me) where he would be interviewed for 2.5 hours on behalf of the Lego company regarding new products they plan to introduce.  I think he enjoyed having a heads up on toys that might come out next year and helping to influence their design.  They gave him the Ninjago 70750 - Ninja DB X Lego kit as a thank-you for participating, and he had that 756 piece thing assembled within an hour after we got back home (instead of studying for tests at school...but this whole school year has been a review anyway so he hasn't needed to study). 

Friday
I told the kids that we needed to leave a few minutes earlier this morning since I had to meet with the headmaster (about some new programs we will be offering), and my son said in a most serious parental voice, "Be nice, Mom, and try not to get kicked out of school." In his mind, people only go to the headmaster's office when they've done something really bad or gotten their name of the board three times in one day, and the punishment he gives for such offenses can be harsh - like expulsion from school.

Both of our kids had big field trips...aviation museum for her and the zoo for him.  My son kept getting sicker all week, so I had to take him to the doctor.  Apparently, he now has full blown asthma (not just the kind induced by the most seriously viruses), and he has a terrible cold.  I know he must long for summer with all the pollen making him feel worse, so I found these summer throwback pics to give him something to look forward to soon.

Saturday
When my husband finally returned home after all those crazy happenings, it was after midnight, and while my usual bedtime is rarely ever before 1am, I could not even stay awake until midnight to greet him, so I welcomed him home when I woke around 10am the next morning!  I was so tired.  While I was able to manage most of the crises and big decisions that past week, there were two action items I left on a "honey-do" list for him to take care of when he got home.  We women have our limits.

I spent Saturday at school preparing lesson plans part of the day and at a home preparing a meal (a very costly and time consuming one at that) for another teacher who lost a loved one recently, but as I was carrying the creamy lasagna, salad, and bread to her on my cart, it tipped over and spilled all over the concrete.

I called my husband saying, "You will never believe what happened!"  And he assumed I had totaled the van or something.   I was distraught over losing all that time and resources to a spill, but he was joking at my over-reaction. That week had taken a toll.  But at least I got a pleasant surprise in the form of an edible arrangement (fresh fruit and chocolate covered fresh fruit) that afternoon from my loving in-laws.

Sunday
I supposedly celebrated a birthday on Sunday.  It was all a blur to me.  My daughter began serving as a mentor in the special needs ministry at church (a grown-up job) that morning, so I was nervous for her and filled in during her Agape service time, but she did great.  I nearly crashed during church and piddled around all day, completely worn out.

The kids asked me what I wanted for my birthday, so I told them a day without any chores, so my daughter cleaned the half bath (wish she had chosen the master bath instead) while my son vacuumed the van (well - his side of it anyway).

It poured down rain all day which made for a very bad hair day, so I think next year's birthday wish will be a day without humidity!

The birthday wasn't all storm clouds, however.  From catching up with old friends and reliving childhood memories to having one day each year in which your inbox is filled with more messages from friends you know and love than from marketers, it was nice receiving so many birthday greetings via social media.  Family members also sent nice gifts and cards, and my parents serenaded me according to tradition.

For my birthday dinner this year (a homemade dinner is a birthday tradition, but the menu is always a surprise), my husband prepared my "usual" order at a popular restaurant in my hometown, Harrison's. His chicken was close but still not Harrison's, while his Greek salad put Harrison's to shame. My Oklahoma man has only been with me to Harrison's a few times, but he loved it and knows how significant that place is to my heritage.  ‪#‎WellKeptWoman‬

My birthday meal served on the "You Are Special" plate

He also made me a triple chocolate brownie "cake" which my daughter "decorated".  The icing tube exploded as she was writing, and the candles were so sad looking, but I guess it was all par for the course that week.

Monday, April 20
On the following Monday I got some really bad news at our school....not so much for me and my job that was getting cut due to enrollment rates falling (to put a bigger course load on full time staff while cutting part-time staff), but for the other teachers and students who would suffer as a result.  I wasted long days and nights fuming, writing out actual events & anecdotal evidence, trying to pray, and finally calming down enough to present my concerns and recommendations regarding our students in a kind way which I hope will result in positive changes.  That day after I was told they could not afford to hire me next year, I was asked to come work for a home school ministry 30-40 minutes away, so now I am pulling my hair out trying to decide whether or not to pull our son out to home school him again (homeschooling is a better fit for him) since I will have the time and have a teaching role in both schooling communities.  It was a hectic week filled with crises and changes indeed.

Finished at Last

The disadvantages of buying a house bare bones and deciding to customize/upgrade it yourself to save money and make it unique are that you make a lot of mistakes and have to be very patient. As soon as we bought this house in December 2013 we began searching for cabinets for each side of the fireplace. My husband and his brother worked hard in January on the base cabinets. For Valentine's Day 2014, my valentine bought me a marble slab which we had installed on top of the base cabinets. After adding the hardware, my husband was burned out, so we waited to build the upper shelves. Finally, we gave up on ever finding the time, so we decided to outsource. The most popular carpenter in our area told us what we had done was horrible and that he would not allow his name to be associated with this project unless we pulled out all the oak cabinetry and marble and started over with his MDF version. Completely insecure in my left brained ability to design anything of beauty, I debated what to do and continued to wait. 

Then we found a skillful carpenter who listened respectfully and agreed to finish our plans while offering helpful suggestions. He took our mistake and turned it into something I think is lovely. We still need to do some paint touch-ups, install recessed lighting over the cabinets, and place our "stuff" on the shelves, but I could not be more pleased with this long awaited birthday present.

While the built-ins are only material things which will one day be destroyed, they represent something more significant to me. Never let what anyone says about you affect your valuation of yourself. The one who made you knows your true value. The fact that you don't look like every popular person who manufactures herself to look like something she's not (like MDF vs. wood) does not lessen your value. You are genuine and unique, different from others because no one else can take your place or fulfill your purpose. You make mistakes, but your all powerful Creator, like our skillful carpenter, continues to refine you, making you stronger and more like Him each day. The longer the wait, the more you will appreciate the changes He is working in you. You are beautiful no matter what anyone else says, for the Creator of the universe made you perfectly for His good purpose and pleasure.

We also had our carpenter add crown molding downstairs and add a closet to the man cave.

Crown molding in kitchen, breakfast nook and family room

Picture molding in music room

Senior Skip Day

For Senior Skip Day our seniors get to decorate (aka vandalize) the rhetoric hall (but they have to clean it up later). They usually incorporate a theme when decorating each teacher's classroom.

This year's class began their decorating at the school entrance with a spray painted old car. Solo cups spelled out "Seen Yor" on the field fence.  Balloons and streamers were everywhere.  The door to the men's restroom was converted into a set of swinging saloon doors.

 

The math teacher I know best who recruited me to the school once mentioned to her class that she thought The Lego Movie was annoying. Her words may have sounded like treason to them, but they think everything (about her) is awesome, and they showed their love by decorating her room elaborately according to the Lego movie motif.

Mrs. Awesome's Math Class

Each teacher got a different theme.  One of my favorite's was the chemistry teacher's lab.  She once mentioned that she could not dance at all, so they wrapped the room in aluminum foil, added disco balls, techno lights, and put a periodic table dance mat on the floor with all sorts of chemistry puns around the room and hilarious signs on the walls and doors.  Now the chemistry teacher has to groove in her disco lab.  I did not have my phone with me when I visited the science teachers downstairs, so I do not have photos. :(

The men's restroom was converted into a saloon, and the girl's restroom was over-the-top in freaky haunted house decor.  Rubber duckies and slime filled each toilet.  Spiders and snakes were in the sinks. Toilets and sinks were lined in Seran wrap, and the handicapped stall even contained a dummy. It was a nightmare indeed.

Girls' restroom

The lobby area had a jungle theme with snakes covering the headmaster's assistant's desk.  The jungle area eventually led into an aquatic area.

Along the rhetoric hall they had pictures of each senior's mugshot glued to an animal or famous figure for the guys or to a flower for the ladies.  Each senior received an appropriate superlative.  The creativity expressed in these superlatives captured each student's passion and gifts. They were all hilarious and so much better than the standard superlatives we selected my senior year.
One of my brightest students is driven like no one else and has read extensively about cancer.  She will be majoring in medical engineering and then go to medical school where she will without a doubt become an oncologist.  So it is no surprise that she was named "most likely to cure cancer."  Another student wants to study marine biology and save endangered sea creatures.  Her superlative was "Most likely to save Willy".  Each superlative has a personal story which shows how well these students know each other.  Most of my females students are shown below.

After decorating the night before, seniors got to take the day off.  Leaders in the senior class organized all these decorating efforts and an elaborate cookout at a nearby lake.  No wonder they are failing to turn in homework assignments on time!  They've been having too much fun designing all these elaborate decorations.  They certainly are creative and responsible when it comes to activities they enjoy, however.  They finished off senior skip day by returning to the school to clean up all the mess they had created the night before so that we will be back to business as usual on Monday.  Well...the junk car was still at the front entrance when I came to work at school on Saturday so we'll see when that gets towed away.  Students, you sure do make me laugh.

Spring Piano Recital 2015

For his spring recital, he played Blue Scales and Wash Day Boogie.  He did a fabulous job!

This year's piano recital was held at the most luxurious retirement center I've ever seen located on the edge of a golf course community that is famous across the nation. Of course for a $300,000 down payment and $4000/month in rent, I'm sure the amenities are just as nice as the building and landscaping. 

State Gymnastics Meet 2015

Our daughter hasn't had the best year for gymnastics.  We left the gymnastics studio we loved for it's Christian staff and ministry mindedness when we moved, and I wrestled for months over which gym to send her to next, for she wanted to compete, but we did not want to move up to the full USAG competitive schedule.  AAU had been the ideal league as it is competitive but tailored more for multi-sport athletes requiring only 9 hours per week of gym time with fewer and less expensive meets each year.  But the only gym nearby offering AAU was not impressive at all, so we sent her to a gym about 4 miles further (though closer to school) to try out the Xcel Program USAG offers.  It's still a lot of hours in the gym but doesn't have quite the rigor of full scale USAG.

We did not like the way the owners ran the gym and grew frustrated when she kept injuring herself. She would be out for over a month for an injury, miss a meet, and we still had to pay gym and meet fees as if she was still attending. We lost over $2000 due to injuries this year.  She never really got back to full strength for any of the meets, so she was disappointed with her placements, but her competition in this program was much tougher. Nevertheless, she rose up to be a leading member of her team by the end of the year despite only making about 65% of the practices due to injury.

The meet day started only about 2 hours after I normally go to bed, so with only four hours of sleep, I felt horrible all day.  I just can't pull all-nighters like I did too often back in the day.  Thankfully, my husband drove, and my parents generously agreed to take our son so he didn't have to drive two extra hours and then sit through a four hour meet on hard bleachers just to watch his sister perform for two minutes for all her events combined.

We were delighted to see some of our favorite church friends there who we don't get to see nearly as often as we wish.  Their daughter was competing for another gym in a different age group. Their daughters and our daughter have so much fun together.  If only we all lived closer.

Family seating was up in the balcony with railing blocking our view and people standing all around and in front of us since there wasn't enough seating.  So we did not get the best photos, but  I still enjoyed watching our little girl perform.

She started this meet on the beam.   She won 1st place at the AAU meet in beam last year after a season of falls and beam battles, so we weren't sure how it would go.  She got off to a great start with a 9.225 score on the beam.  She has scored better, but she had also added in more difficult elements at this meet.  She took home the 4th place medal for the beam.   I think her form is just lovely!

The floor event has never been best or a worst for her.  She had to take out some of the back handsprings during her last meets due to a knee injury but put them back in for the state meet.  I don't understand how the scoring works at these meets, for I thought this performance was her best yet.  Her score, however, was one of her worst at 8.925.  She did not place.  While I can't tell what her score will be while she is competing, I can tell as soon as she comes off the mat by the look on her coach's face.  She's learned a lot of new floor skills lately, so I'm sure her next routine will be very exiting.  Tucks, double back handsprings, aerials, and front handsprings are all in her tool kit now.


We didn't get any decent pics of her on the uneven bars since she was so far away from us and she spun so fast, but her routine was impressive with split spins and a high dismount.  She scored 9.275 on the bars, her 2nd highest bar score ever, and took home a 3rd place state medal for bars.

Her coach thought she might take 1st place in the vault as that was her best event, and she won 1st place at the state meet last year.  But something went wrong during both runs, so she scored a very disappointing 8.6 on the vault.  Her coach says she's got to stop predicting wins for these girls as it must put more pressure on them. I think her predictions resulted in unexpected bloopers for several others on the team as well.

Her beam and bar scores were high enough to offset the other disappointing scores, so she managed to finish 7th overall, and much to her excitement, she qualified for the regional competition.  I'm not sure her team will be going as it tends to be cost prohibitive for most athletes such that only those who think they have a chance of advancing to nationals typically go.  Yet, our daughter is begging.  It isn't in the budget, so if it's at a decent location, maybe we will call it our vacation for the year.

In the picture at the lower right, she is looking for me with her eyes crying out, "PLEASE take me to regionals.  I want to go more than you know!"

After any big performance, we like to take our kids out to eat to celebrate.  Her tradition has been to request Dairy Queen, so we celebrated with grilled sandwiches and blizzards. 

I was tempted not to post these pics since I got up too early to bother with my hair & make-up, but this blog is not a facade. It's our reality, and I look this awful more times than not. :-)

The day before the meet we talked about motives. Is she competing for selfish reasons or out of gratitude and love for God?  At this gym there is no mention of Christ, so she had begun to lose that focus, but after our talk, she did some thinking and realized that nothing we do has any meaning if we do it for ourselves.  When I asked her what is in the middle of the word, "Sin" she said, "I is in the middle because sin is rooted in selfishness."  It was a good talk and I think her heart got the message, but then I said, "When we act out of love for others, not for ourselves, any good we may receive in return is merely icing on the cake." And my dear daughter replied, "But the icing is my favorite part!' ‪#‎TeacherFail‬

Devotion: Clanging Symbol?

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. (1 Corinthians 13:1)

During our church's devotional series on agape love, I have noticed that the world often reflects quite the opposite.  Horrific acts of violence fill the news. Persecution, oppression, injustice, greed, lies, corruption, abuses of power, and divisive politics permeate our culture breeding hatred and division not only in communities, but also in families and the church.  Wounded, fearful, people respond angrily and defensively with bitter words and hurtful actions with the result of escalating the hatred.  So how do we infuse Christ’s love into such a lost and hurting world? 

As a passionate, vocal Christian, I have felt like it was my responsibility to defend the church, the Bible, or our nation's constitution so that I can hand over a safe and stable political, social, and economic environment to future generations. Yet, as I have stood for all that I believe is good and right, I had convinced myself that I was speaking in Jesus name while at the same time depending upon my strength instead of His and fighting as if God needs my defense.  When I pondered how to balance God’s sovereignty with man’s responsibility, I pictured God’s sovereignty on one side of a scale, and my best efforts which are like filthy rags on the other side.  There is no balancing a God who is always completely sovereign. (1 Timothy 6:14-16) Our responsibility is simply to follow and trust Him, for He has already won the battle.  His greatest work is love, so we are commanded to love others. (John 13:34) To love others, we must see others as God sees them.

Every human life is infinitely valuable as we are all created in God’s image.  When God looks at us, he doesn’t see our political, social, or racial labels.  He sees directly into our hearts.  When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, she pointed out the racial divisions between them, but Jesus ignored those trivial differences and spoke straight to her heart at her point of greatest need.  (John 4:19-26)  Do we as Christians care more about our divisive politics or about lost souls?   Are we more loyal to our country or to God’s kingdom?  Do we thirst more for our political platforms or for the word of God?  While it may be easy to give the right answers to these questions, do we consider that our politics or prejudices could be isolating the lost from the church and from God’s redeeming word?  Are we willing to lay down our politics, pride, bitterness, self-reliance, and defensive attitudes for the sake of another sacred soul in need of Christ?  Are we more like the Jews who prized their national freedom without even recognizing how enslaved they were to sin (John 8:33-36), or are we more like the apostle Paul who was willing to lay down his freedoms to become all things to all people so that he might reach more for Christ (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)?  Which do we prize more highly, spiritual freedom from the bondage of sin which only Christ can give and which no one can ever take away (John 8:31-32), or earthly freedoms given and removed by the whims of imperfect, ever changing governments?

As a student of Biblical apologetics, I take the command to always be prepared to make a defense for the hope that is in you seriously.  However, as we study to articulate God’s truth clearly, we must be careful to read that verse fully and in context. 

^14 “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, ¹⁵ but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3: 14-15)

When we are persecuted for Christ or when God’s truth is attacked, before speaking, we must remember that a blessing will come out of the persecution. We should calm down and stop worrying because Christ is our King! As we honor Christ with praises for His Holiness and power, our fears are put to rest.  We are instructed to make a defense to anyone who asks, but this verse doesn’t tell us to attack everyone we encounter with our platforms and platitudes.  Few will ask us until we have shown them unconditional love.  When we have valued others regardless of whatever labels they may wear, and they know that we care about them as individuals rather than as evangelistic projects, then they are more likely to notice the way we love and ask us why we have such hope.  Our most articulate, apologetic speech will fall on deaf ears or worse, sound like the noise of clanging cymbals if we speak without a foundation of love.  While we certainly must be ready to give a defense, the hearer will be more apt to listen when we respond at the right time with gentleness and respect. (Proverbs 15:23)

Prayer:

Dear Father, we desire to love others unconditionally as you love us. Please help us to lay down our biases, anxieties, labels, and bitterness to see others as wounded souls loved lavishly by You.  Give us hearts to worship You, trusting in Your sovereignty and power. Please help us to focus intently on building each other up in love instead of arguing over issues that do not ultimately matter.  Equip us to make a kind, respectful, accurate defense rooted first and foremost in love. 

“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

He is Risen! (Easter 2015)

As I pondered the power of the cross of Christ in preparation for Easter this year, I came across this old photo from May of 2000.  It made me think of Easter, and so I tried to caption it for an inspirational Easter post.  Instead the words that came out became a poetic metaphor which told the love story behind the picture as a way of pointing to the greatest love story every told, the story that changed the world and all mankind forever.

When J returned after eight long years
To me and to God who had bottled our tears.
I took him here to behold God's splendor,
And we marveled at His love so pure and tender.

Sin creates a chasm between God and man.
It's never enough to be the best that we can.
Only His suffering could fully atone,
To bring us back so we're no longer alone.

With our eyes fixed on Him and this beautiful sight,
We forsook the darkness to embrace His light.
With Christ in our hearts, we could truly unite
With God as our king, J could be my knight. 

It was here that we knew I would be his wife.
Because of the cross, we have received new life.
Our marriage is bliss with God at our side.
But the best one is Christ's with us as His bride!

On the rugged cross, our agony He bore.
So the curse of sin would be no more.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for paying the price.
You have risen, victorious, glorious Christ!

Happy Easter!

He is risen indeed!

I was challenged & touched by glimpses of my 5th grader experiencing Easter today. Examples:
- After church, she joyfully shouted, "God's not dead, Y'ALL!"
- She shared Christ and His love with an unbelieving friend and sorrowed when her friend could not see the point or the need.
- She explained to others the futility of "looking for the living among the dead" which in her words is "seeking what only God gives in the things of this world."

We celebrated Easter with my family at my home church followed by a delicious home cooked meal by my sweet mom and desserts by my aunt.  It was a very nice visit. Mom had gifts for the kids and even a present for Muffin.  The kids came home to more Easter goodies, playtime with neighbors on this gorgeous day, and our annual cross cake tradition.

Freezing Birthday Weekend for the Oldest Member of Our Household

My husband is only 21 days older than I am, but he knows how I like to tease him for being older during those brief three weeks.  So today it begins again as today is his birthday!

I don't think he spent his birthday weekend quite like he could have hoped, though he loves spending time with his kids.  He and our boy went to a campground near the coast for the Y Guides Spring outing, and the weather turned bitter cold on Friday with lows in the 20s each night and highs in the 40s.  That makes for some rough unheated, uninsulated cabin camping.  Even so, they tried to enjoy all their outdoor activities.  Highlights for my son were the gnome hunt, collecting hundreds of fireballs, biking, and riding the zip line.  This zip line, however, runs over a river which was icy cold this weekend.  That brave little boy insisted that he and his dad both drop into the cold water from the zip line to earn a polar bear claw, so they experienced a degree of cold I have never known and hopefully never will.  The love a father has for his son is a beautiful thing as it drives a man to make great sacrifices for another, but I'm wondering if it doesn't make the man a little crazy too.  :-) Here are some pics from their frigid weekend.

I could not possibly recount all the ways my husband has sacrificed for our family, for he puts us before himself on a daily basis.  He does the same for others, and he is such a wonderful gift. (That makes gifts #1000, so I have now completed my 1000 gifts project, but may I never stop recounting all the blessings God places in our lives even though His presence alone should always be more than enough.) 

With those thoughts  in mind, I posted the following birthday wish to him on social media today.

When I first met this handsome guy, he was only going to be in town for two days before finishing his spring tour with the USNA glee club and then heading back to the USNA where he was a plebe. I didn't think I would ever see him again, so I asked him for a photo by which to remember him (no smart phones or selfies back then, kids), and he gave me this picture. Even though we rarely spoke over the next 8 years, I thanked God for him and prayed over him whenever I saw this senior photo which I kept on or in my desk. 

Now I don't need a photo by which to remember him, for we are one, and when he is not next to me, my thoughts are constantly with him. Today, he celebrates another birthday, and as I have done for the past 23 years and as his kids have done since they were old enough to pray, we are thanking God for the gift of this wonderful man. Happy Birthday!  (Read our full story here.)

"We always remember you when we pray and thank God for...you. When we pray to God our Father, we always thank him for the things you have done because of your faith. And we thank him for the work you have done because of your love. And we thank him that you continue to be strong because of your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. " (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3)

 My daughter was apparently very excited about his birthday.  Waking up to find professional looking signs designed and printed by my daughter to distribute around the neighborhood, school, church, and basically the entire town inviting people to our house for a surprise birthday party for her father in which there would be food, live music, and dancing on a date & time she chose was quite a surprise indeed. She even generously shared my personal email address under the RSVP. I do love her heart for hospitality, and she knows how much her mama enjoys having guests over, but even so, asking permission first is usually better than seeking forgiveness later. And while she is an extrovert who thinks the more the merrier, the birthday guest of honor may have a different preference, especially after spending the weekend in a tiny cabin surrounded by 16 guys.

Our daughter wanted to make her daddy a birthday cake, so I laid out a bundt cake pan and the dry ingredients on Friday night and went to bed.  She was baking when I got up Saturday morning, but we were surprised to see how small the cake was after baking.  When your daughter makes a lemon pound cake for her daddy, and it looks more like a 1/2 pound cake (or a doughnut), you start to wonder how much of the batter she ate in the process.

I think the recipe she ended up using called for a loaf pan instead. Oops!

We told him that she put a lot of effort into making sure the cake had 50% less fat, 50% less sugar, and 50% less calories (in other words, 50% less cake) per slice. lol

In addition to cake, he has been receiving gifts from family members throughout the month and lots of cards including one signed by all my students who think he is the best ever after all I've told them.  The girls gushed over how well they had heard he could sing and over his smooth dance moves.  One guy drives the exact same car my husband previously drove (silver, manual transmission, Acura TSX), so he mentioned his great taste in cars.  One student even called him a "stud", and most said they really wanted to meet him.  I loved their comments.  I hope my husband did too.

The boys didn't miss much around here while they were gone.  We spent hours cleaning milk my son must have spilled in the refrigerator that left a horrible stink. I literally worked from 12 noon until 3am on lesson plans while my daughter played, read, went door to door raising money for the Stop Hunger Now project, created more freaky images she will regret some day....

....and created psychedelic back handspring videos like this one.

Oh, and I did take a break on Friday night for a mother/daughter yoga party with my favorite girl.  If we ever get serious about our workouts, however, we cannot invite Muffin.  She tends to get in the way. :-)

Muffin's 1st Birthday

Muffin's 1st birthday was on Sunday, March 22, and the way we celebrated and took lots of pics was almost comparable to our kids' first birthday parties.  That is one loved and spoiled rotten bunny.

Before and After

Cupcakes Anyone?

"Why bother blowing out the candle when whatcha gotta do is knock it down and outta da way?" - Muffin

One-Year-Old Cake Smash!

"All those humans busting around doin' crazy stuff tryin' to get people to notice um, and allz I gotta do is eat me some cupcake, and they be rubbing my ears, scratching my back, and letting me know that I am the queen around here." - Muffin

"Seriously, though, can't a bunee just nibble in peaz?" - Muffin

"Lawsy, people...have you no boundaries?" - Muffin

Birthday Party Games

Balloon stuck to the left

Balloon stuck to the right

On the top, be sure to hop

And dance right out of sight

Muffin didn't like this birthday party game very much. 

Obligatory 1st Year Easter Basket Photos

(With Commentary by Muffin)

"Oh brother, not the basket again!"

"The things I put up with in this family for some good eats."

"Whatcha lookin' at?"

 Party Decor by the Kids

 "What is it with these people? Rolling my hutch for my birthday is so yesterday, more like the 80s, people." - Muffin

Ordinary glimpses of the sacred and the humorous in any given day

A Bunny Funny
When a strong and stout home improvement contractor came by and opened our door, he was extremely startled when he saw an animal whiz by him. When he regained his composure, he could not figure out what it was for he might expect a dog or a cat, but it was smaller and moved in a very different eerie way. When I went and grabbed Muffin who had gotten loose from her cage and was now hiding from the stranger who had uttered a loud yelp, he heaved a sigh of relief to see it was only a bunny. So now I am wondering where I can get a large "Beware of Bunny" sign to warn newcomers.

Beware of Bunny

Finding Humor Through Trials
This past week has been a long series of most unfortunate events and false alarms, but I was at least hoping to receive good news when I go for a routine, non-invasive wellness check today. So imagine my surprise when I received a voice message informing me that my doctor has scheduled me for a colonoscopy today at 11. I followed up to see if they had the wrong number, and the receptionist laughed as she said, "Are you sure you don't want a colonoscopy today?" Overhearing, the kids asked, "What is that colon word you just said?" So I told them it was a very unpleasant medical diagnostic procedure. Still, they wanted more details, so I gave them the best clinical definition I could. Then the kids looked at each other while grimacing, and my daughter said to her little brother, "Sometimes, it's just best not to ask."

Access Ministry for Mom and Daughter
Speaking of trials and medical diagnostic testing, this little girl pictured below has been through more than most adults.  Her mother had some sort of infection during her pregnancy which resulted in Zoe being born with cerebral palsy, other brain issues, and severe eye nerve damage making her legally blind.  She was adopted from Taiwan into an amazing family with a tremendous passion for children with special needs. They currently have 2 biological children, 3 adopted siblings from Uganda and sweet Zoe from Taiwan.  Zoe's parents have since had another child, a son, and this family will be adopting him as well.  We love this family.  Before they ever had any children, they started a special needs ministry at our church, and my daughter and I have enjoyed serving as buddies to children with special needs as they are integrated into classes with all the other children in our church their same age.  This Zoe is a doll, and her smile melts my heart.  Despite her many challenges, she seems to relish her life and seems to know just how adorable she is in her new glasses.  But what is just as precious to me as sweet Zoe is watching my daughter love on her, care for her, and entertain her.  Thank you, Lord, for gifting our daughter with such compassion and love for all children, regardless of their color, background, need or gift. 

Y Guides for Father & Son
The guys recently enjoyed a fun afternoon of flying kites with hundreds of Y Guides from across the county.  They had much better weather on kite day than they did while camping.

Prayers For and With our Children
Sometimes we can peak into the hearts of children when we pray with them. Apparently our kids have a heart for missions because every evening at dinner when we choose a missionary for our prayer focus, the kids fight over whose turn it is to pray first. Okay, so perhaps that is an evidence of selfish, quarrelsome hearts, but at least they like to pray! And I have often told them to "pray first about everything".

Both kids regularly pray that we'll have a good time doing whatever we have planned the next day, so they must have fun-loving hearts (or they aspire to become party animals). But I'm not sure what to make of my son's most frequent prayer request, "Lord, please help all the kids in my class to NOT get their names written on the board tomorrow." I'm hoping it means he is a lover of righteousness and peace, but he could just have a big heart for troublemakers. I'm so glad Jesus has a heart for troublemakers like me. Pray on, y'all.
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I love what Ruth Bell Graham wrote as her standard for a husband.  I want to be faithful in praying that my son and my daughter's future husband will become this type of man, and I'm so thankful for the way my husband regularly models so many of these attributes for them.