What if...

Freezing. Did I fall asleep and wake up in January...February, maybe? This cold, gray weather seems a little early.

Warming up. Finally bought myself a pair of wool socks because I hadn't felt my toes in several days. Hello toes, nice to know you're still there.

Counting down. Christmas is just a week away!

Praying for safety. David is hunting today - a work thing. I personally think frozen fingers and triggers don't mix, but what do I know?

Remembering Tuesday! L7, I am blessed to surround myself with such an amazing group of women - our caroling may have been a little (lot) off key, but the rest of the night was right on! That's by far the most fun I have ever had unloading groceries.

Looking forward to the weekend.

I'm thinking my blog strategy for the time being will be "lightning round" style. Quick snippets. Little glimpses of what's going on around here...at least until life slows down enough to compose a complete paragraph.

Brrrrrr! It's cold! And wet. Nasty combination.

I am really enjoying Christmas carols this year. Usually, I tune into the two radio stations I can find not playing them, but this year we are listening to carols 'round the clock. I love hearing the kids sing along (getting most of the words wrong!). By observation, I think Lily's favorite is Silent Night and Luke's is Jingle Bell Rock.

Went to the urologist with David last week to follow up about his kidney stones. Nothing like seeing your husband manhandled - literally. Heeheehee.

Looking forward to Tuesday night with my favorite "book club"...or something like that!

We had a great Sunday. We stayed in PJs all day, I fried chicken for lunch, and we went to church as a family this evening. I love my family, and I love my church...and David loves fried chicken...family and church are a close second I'm sure! :)

Cinnamon rolls, my husband and the family dog were not exactly where I expected the "thankful" train of thought to stop last month. I had a few other things I wanted to mention - my kids, my church, my friends. But somewhere between a kidney stone and a miserable drive -this blog shuffled it's way from low on the list to last on the list.

The holiday week is a blurr of too much food and too little sleep, but through it all, thankfulness was never far. In an ER, at 4 a.m., you can't help but be thankful when you're husband, in excruciating pain, is given almost immediate treatment. You can't help but be thankful for clean medical facilities and health insurance. For drugs.

And though the kidney stone was the standout down side of the holiday, a not-so-close second was the miserable drive home on Sunday. Our ten hour drive became fourteen, and trust me, adding four hours to ten feels like you might as well add another ten. But again, the experience just provided more to be thankful for - we traveled fourteen hours in terrible traffic - and arrived home safely. It may not have been words of gratitude rolling off my tongue at 1:30 a.m. when the vehicle walls began closing in on me after more than 12 hours, but I was thankful none the less. The bright spot on the drive was Luke's attempt at describing his anxious anticipation of arriving home. I'm certain it won't translate as well in print as it did rolling off his precious tongue but he said: Whenever I walk in the door, I get a strange feeling...kinda excited. Think of your favorite thing - like swimming - that's how I feel, excited, like I'm swimming. I feel that way when I get home. Man, I love that fella. And my girl, well, she is my girl and her snarky response was, Ummm, so you're saying going home feels like swimming? Gotta be thankful for those two.

Just so you know - my little assortment of "thankful" posts are in no particular order - I haven't mentioned my children yet, but today, I'm posting about the dog! But when the kids are gone, and the house is quiet, I realize how much I appreciate her presence in our home. I have to admit, although you won't hear us gush about KC often, I am very thankful for her - she's a great, great dog.

Sunday, David and I headed to the mountains for a little day trip. We realized we haven't gone to the mountains together since our honeymoon - over 11 years ago! We now live only 2 hours from some of the most beautiful sights, I don't know why it's taken us 4 years to make the drive together!

We had a wonderful time. I am so very thankful for the relationship David and I have, so thankful for our friendship. He truly is my best friend.

Let's start simple. I am thankful for the weekend, and Saturday mornings in particular.



This week as I picked up a few groceries (key word - few, it's amazing how much less I need with the kids in Florida - I'm guessing my mom has realized quite the opposite about her own grocery bill!)...I grabbed can of cinnamon rolls with morning just like this in mind. Yesterday, each time I opened the refrigerator, that little Pillsbury Dough Boy gave me a smile and wave, and I could just hear his little hoohoo!

An unhurried Saturday morning, with a warm, gooey cinnamon roll and a hot cup of coffee with my favorite people in the world is heaven on earth. This particular Saturday, "people" is reduced to "person" but if I'm going to spend the morning with anyone, he's certainly my top pick. To top is off - today is our first day of sunshine in what feels like 40 days and 40 nights of rain, so the sun peeking through the blinds, as we sip our coffee and talk about the day ahead is icing. Icing on a warm, gooey cinnamon roll.

I've been struggling with consistent blogging for awhile now. But you already knew that, didn't you? The kids are in Florida right now, we created a new holiday break in the school calendar, something like "you never need a good reason to visit the grandparents" fall break. You might think that with no kids around, no "students" to teach, that I'd have all the time in the world to blog - I may have thought the same thing - but we were both wrong.

Regardless, I am here to force my own hand into blogging by saying that over the next few days, maybe even the remaining weeks of November, I am going to fill my blog with thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for. All of us. You, too. Be it watching several families I love struggle through difficult times, or our church's amazing series on joy, or just opening my eyes to the things around me, I am sincerely full of gratitude and I'd be negligent not to share it, especially as the holiday season approaches.

So check back soon for installment one of a thankful heart's thankful blog.

We have two more Halloween outings, and I'm afraid the costumes will never look as clean and intact as they did on outing #1, so here are some pics. I snapped these pics as we were headed out the door for a lunchtime party, but then we found out it had been moved to 4, so we've actually gone through the costume process twice already. Then once more tonight. And once again tomorrow night. We are squeezing every ounce out of the 19.99 spent on each costume this year!

I was recently reminded (thanks Judy!) that I'm a little behind in putting up pictures. I don't know where to begin because it's been so long since I've posted any pics, but before Halloween gets here and I have a whole new batch, I thought it best I at least get a few pictures up. These are from last weekend's trip to the mountains (beautiful by the way, we saw the fall leaves and snow, all in on one car ride!). We visited the Woolly Worm Festival in Banner Elk and returned home with two new pets, Thunder and Lightning, who survived in our household for about 2 days - may they rest in peace.

I taught the kids how to play "Hangman" last week on our whiteboard and we have been having the best time with that game. Sometimes, I'm intentional and select words that help the kids practice what we're working on, like words ending in "ck" or the silent "e," but most of the time, we just play for fun. Tonight we got David in on the action, which is a big deal because he's not much of a game player. But once he had that Expo marker in his hand, he was hooked...and as it turns out, he's a Hangman hog. He didn't want to take turns, he kept coming up with "just one more really good one."

Luke, gotta love him, has used "I Love Mom" over and over. There are only so many times I can pretend I don't know what it says!

Last month was Four Corners, this month, Hangman. We are bringing back old-school games with a vengeance - too bad we don't have enough family members to play Heads Up Seven Up!

The other night when we asked the kids if they had any problems they'd like us to pray about, they both said "school." I guess it's time for a little self-eval? I didn't realize they were having any prayer-worthy problems. Yikes. Actually, Luke specifically mentioned math, and I had noticed math doesn't come as easy to him as it does Lil. To be honest, the girls in the house kick butt with math, the boys not so much...so at least Luke has a father who can sympathize. Lately he's really been struggling with counting by twos. He memorized "2,4,6,8,10" in kindergarten, but seems to fall apart come 12. After realizing that he's bothered enough to want to discuss the math issue with Jesus, I decided I better get on the ball. I guess I really only have one authority when it comes to my day in, day out teaching performance - and it sounds like Luke is about to file a complaint to Him!

On another topic completely, our shoes are driving me bananas lately. Fall crept in quietly, and because some days are still flip-flop warm, but other days are damp and chilly, we've ended up with a shoe basket that's bursting at the weave with every pair of shoes the kids own. I pass by it thirty times a day and think "I gotta go through that basket" but find myself saying it again on bypass #31. All that to say, as I was thinking through the counting by twos issue, and my need to sort shoes, and I think I've decided we'll have a little twos and shoes fun by rounding up all the shoes we can find - I'll seize the opportunity to sort through shoes while giving Luke extra practice counting by twos. Or at least that's my intention - I guess we'll see!



One more thing that's been on my mind - I am so happy to trade my bad weather blues for blue skies! I really struggled to drag myself out of bed on the rainy, gray mornings that started our week (one more "pro" in the homeschool column - not having to get the kids out the door in the rain!). This morning I was greeted by beautiful blue skies and the park is calling our name.

Rainy Monday morning. Not the best way to start a week, but not the worst either - especially when you can stay in pjs all morning.

I had a speck of something stuck inside my eyelid for SEVEN hours Friday. Seven miserable hours. David removed it for me within minutes of arriving home. Eye love you, meye hero! :)

I *heart* fall! Spiced Apple or Harvest Pumpkin may be the fragrances of fall for some, but for me, bacon and onion sauteing a pan for a big pot of potato soup is my fall favorite - if only Glade would make that plug-in!

We took our first field trip last Wednesday - and we loaded that Explorer up just like an ol' yellow bus! I'll try to get some pics up this week.

We skipped school last Thursday, for no good reason. Being teacher and principal of the school has it's advantages.

Very relaxing weekend around here - until 5:30 p.m. yesterday when David and I became responsible for 13 children, ages 8 and under. Whew. Once again, David is my hero! He can hold a baby on one hip, while pushing a toddler in a swing, like it's his job - and I guess last night it was!

How 'bout them BULLS!?!

It may be that because we're homeschooling I have more time to notice, or maybe they've reached an age where their senses of humor are more developed...either way, my kids have been cracking me up lately. Just when I thought I couldn't love 'em anymore - they turn out to be really funny! And not just in the typical "kids are funny" untimely gas passing, tripping over themselves, silly kind of way. They're witty, they've got a great handle on language, and they find clever ways to bring out humor in the most mundane situation. I love to laugh, so I sincerely wouldn't be any happier if we'd just discovered a hidden musical or athletic gifting. If they're this funny now, I can only imagine the laughs we'll have as they learn more about the world around them and further develop their comedic skills. There are so many things I plan to teach them, but "real" funny has to come from within, ya know? So I am one happy mom, 'cause my kids are funny!

Stealing this post idea.

Unwinding after a long day.

Wishing it wasn't too late for coffee.

Forgiving my children for the milkshake incident at Chick-Fil-A.

Researching art projects for my classes.

Laughing at this video.

Thawing a roast for dinner tomorrow - we've had sandwiches 2 nights in a row.

Looking forward to our first field trip next week.

Praying for my husband.

Going to bed and hopefully...

Sleeping in tomorrow!

I've been on the go-go-go lately (another story for another day!) and while out and about, I've been asked more times than I can count, How's homeschooling? I don't mind being asked at all, in fact, I'm genuinely touched at how many people are inquiring about our transition, rooting us on, and offering encouragement. But the fact that I've been asked this question so many times in the past week got me to thinking...maybe some of you on the other side of this blog that haven't had a chance to ask are wondering the same.

Homeschooling is great. We certainly don't have it down to a perfect science and every day looks a little different, but it's working for us. Some days, as we gather our materials and sit around the dining room table, we're like a Norman Rockwell painting...other days we're so dysfunctional that even Fox wouldn't air our reality show. But that's life, right? Homeschooling has proven to be a piece of our life puzzle that fits into place beautifully. Even if the puzzle is far from complete, this piece fits perfectly in it's place. It fits our personalities and lifestyle so well, and Lily and Luke being so close in age is an undeniable benefit -it's as if they were literally born for homeschooling. This was a "big picture" solution for us, not a quick fix for any one particular problem, but a lifestyle change that we hoped would bring widespread balance - and so far, it's working.

Obviously, there is a lot this post doesn't include - so many things we haven't figured out about our life as a homeschool family. But all those things would make this a very long answer to a short question, so for now, I'll just stick with: We love homeschooling!

...Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19:11-12

Last month I read the words "expectation destroys appreciation" on a friend's blog. I really chewed on that statement, so poignant in the writer's context of failing to appreciate the simple pleasures in life, like time with family, because we tend to have expectations of perfection. That same expression came to mind as I mediated on the above scriptures. I've found myself returning to them daily, reading them over and over...wondering. In all the noise of life, with all the chaos of a young, busy family - clouded further by my own expectations - am I missing His gentle whisper? Am I expecting God to show up in one way and failing to appreciate, or missing all together, when He moves in a different way? The question hits me like a punch to the gut, because I am certain of the answer. Yes.

It would be easy to allow myself to spend time wrecked over the gentle whispers I am sure I have missed, the glimpses of God I have overlooked, the interventions I have failed to appreciate. But today my prayer is, rather than perhaps miss Him again while looking back, I'll open my eyes, I'll quiet myself, I'll watch and listen. Then I'll acknowledge and appreciate the ways He shows up today. And in doing so, I'll teach my children to do the same.

When I started dating David, my world was opened up to the phenomenon of multiple holiday dinners. Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving...three houses to visit. Sometimes the celebrations would be spread over the course of a few days, but other times, we would eat an enormous lunch, complete with all the traditional southern dishes, only to find ourselves seated in front of another huge spread just a few hours later.

That's how I'm feeling tonight - like I've just been served 3 Thanksgiving dinners. Two sessions of Beth Moore - last night and earlier today, followed just hours later by an awesome Saturday night service at my own church. I am stuffed! And now I've got so much to digest!

Hey Beth. Sorry it's been so long! I know, I know...after that trip to Boone to visit you in '07, I kinda became a stranger, didn't I? Well, don't think I haven't been thinking about ya! I am so excited to see you tonight, and to introduce you to my new friend, Teri. Well, by "new" I mean relative to me and you. Teri and I met about 2 years ago, but you and I, well gosh, I guess it's been over a decade! I was thinking back to the first time we met, I did the tabernacle study with a few women from my church....you had big ol' hair and I was just a wide-eyed newlywed, trying to make heads or tails of the real world. I'd never been involved in such an intense Bible study, and though I didn't think I'd make it through, your encouragement helped me persevere. Now, many years and many studies later, you have imparted your knowledge and love for God's Word in my heart like no one else. I'm so thankful we met during those formative years; I'm certain your influence helped shape my faith walk. Like the time you told me "Forgiveness wouldn't make "it" okay, forgiveness would make me okay," I really had to chew on that one, and before too long, I saw things God's way and let go. And then there was the day David moved to NC without me and the kids. I was doing the Believing God study, and you used God's word to show me how the "middle" is often the hardest part, and since we were right in the middle of the biggest faith step we'd ever taken, I needed that encouragement more than ever. You helped me find the strength to tread on to the other side, and you were so right! If I hadn't had the faith to keep going, I'd have missed the tremendous blessings on the other side.

So back to tonight...Beth, I know everyone's faith journey is different, and Teri has to walk her own path. To her, you may just be an acquaintance, a friend of a friend, I guess only time will tell. But Beth, if I don't get a chance to tell you later, thanks for being the kind of friend who can speak God's truth to me in such a way that pierces me, challenges me, encourages me and spurs me on to know Him more. And thanks for being the kind of friend who is always ready and willing to make a new friend, I think you and Teri will really hit it off!

See you in a few hours!

Your Friend,
Erin

On day 1 of homeschooling, I established two rules; two rules that I believed would be all inclusive. Rule #1 - Listen and obey your teacher, a.k.a. Mom. Rule #2 - Respect your classmate.

On day 3, I realized the "all inclusive" idea is apparently not a 1st or 2nd grade concept. We are adding new rules daily, just to clarify expectations.

Rule #3 - Pencils are for writing ONLY.
Rule #4 - Do NOT stab classmate with a pencil, refer to rule #3 for further pencil guidelines.
Rule #5 - Notify teacher immediately if you have been stabbed with a pencil.
Rule #6 - No drinks at the table. (Learned this one the hard way).

I'm thinking we'll be at ten rules by the end of the week, and at this rate, we'll have a ruleBOOK by the end of the year.

The kids and I were working on "All About Me" collages for the front covers of our journals, Pandora was on the computer and Somewhere Over the Rainbow by IZ started to play....the room was full sweet music, magazine scraps and the happy chatter of my children. I stopped and drank up the perfect moment...it was Kodak meets Hallmark, and I felt completely at peace with my world.

And then it hit me - it's only day two and I've already used up every cute, creative idea I'd managed to come up with this summer. With 178 days to go.

It didn't take much personal persuasion for me to decide to take Luke out for a donut the other night (as mentioned on previous post). On the way out, we had an amusing exchange. Here's a little peek into the life of a my mild mannered fellow, who's decided to express his individuality in an interesting way.

Luke, you gonna get dressed, or go in your pjs?

Yep.

Pjs?

Yep.

How about underwear?

Nope.

Luke has slowly given up wearing underwear over the past 2 years, a habit that began gradually, but has increased to a frequency of 95% commando status.

I guess I'm just not an underwear guy.

Well, son, I'm not really sure that's something you get to make a matter of personal preference. I think wearing underwear is like handwashing, it's just the right thing to do.

They don't feel good. My underwear are tight and leave weird marks on me.

Sounds like we need to buy you some new underwear, maybe you've outgrown your others. Want to go right now, while it's just the two of us?

No can do. No...can...do....sis-tah.

The house is a little quieter tonight, just Luke and I are tinkering around. David and Lily have gone on their first father-daughter date night. This has been one of those "we really need to start..." experiences that we've been talking about since Lily was 3. She's now 7, and I was determined that unlike the "journal the cute things she says" or "write her a letter on each birthday," I would not let this fall by the wayside.

When I first asked if she'd like her daddy to take her out, her reply was "Sorry, I've got plans," although I'd given no indication of when! But the idea rapidly grew on her. All day she's tried to hide her anticipation, although starting to get ready 2 hours before their departure was a dead give away! When I told her she didn't have to wash her hair she said, "I want to so I can do that blow dry thing that makes it look so cute." As I watched her prepare for the big night - picking out a "fancy" shirt, putting on lip gloss - I knew tonight was the start of something very special in her life.

Though she didn't want to admit it, Lily was thrilled at the prospect of having David's full attention, but of course Luke was less enchanted by the idea. Although we've assured him that special "Dad-time" will be set aside for him too, he struggled with them leaving him behind. He's asked repeatedly what he and I will do "fun" while they're gone. I'm torn somewhere between my desire to teach him the life lesson that not everything she does will be reciprocated for him, and my own hankering for a French Delight donut from the Dunkin' Donuts!

August already?!? With the end of summer quickly approaching, here are a few summer highlights I want to savor before summer is gone for good...

Beach! A visit to Carolina Beach in May, a visit to Fort DeSoto Beach in July, another visit to Carolina on the calendar for next month...I love the beach! (and three beach trips are hardly enough to satisfy!)

Cousins! This summer was full of great memory making moments for Lily and Luke with all their cousins, including the newest, Landon.

Donuts! I introduced my children to Britt's. Mmmmmmm.

Excited to homeschool! Lily asks to get started everyday, and I heard Luke say, "I can't wait for school to start!" and trust me, those are not words Luke has ever uttered before. There is a peace in our home as summer winds down, full of positive anticipation - and it feels great!

Friends! What would summer be without friends?

God With Us! Elevation released it's newest CD, God With Us, and it's a favorite around our house. David and I had a hot date (and by hot, I mean southeast in the summer hot!) to a cool party to celebrate the CD's release.

Happy Hour! Nothing beats the heat like a Lemon Berry Slush from Sonic during half-price Happy Hour!

Ice cream! David and I drove to 3 different places one evening to get ice cream, just the two of us. He wanted to give up after the first two failed attempts, but I didn't give up so easily.

Jaws! Refer to "U" for more information, but I certainly learned to never again talk my children into doing something they're scared to do! If only I'd had a Flip, I'd be $10,000 richer because 4 screaming children diving for my lap to avoid one large mechanical shark was a riot!

Kennedy Space Center! Aunt Lisa and Uncle Larry took the kiddos to KSC; they're now full of space travel information and share it with us at the most random times.

Landon! One of our favorite summer memories will always be meeting Landon for the first time. He took to Uncle David a little sooner than Aunt Erin, but I didn't take it to heart - I'm pretty fond of David myself.

Matthews Campus! Next weekend, Elevation opens it's first permanent facility. "M" could also stand for "Milestone," what a huge one this is in the life of our church!

No Kids! It's become tradition for the kids to spend 2 weeks in FL with the grandparents...without us! This year was probably my favorite yet. Now that the kids are a little older, I spend less time worrying and more time enjoying!

One more week! Our first day of school is August 24th; that give us one more week to soak up the sun and fun before hitting the books (although we may do so in pajamas if we please!)

Pool! I have an aversion to public pools. We had a family pool in Florida, so having to share a pool with strangers was foreign to me...until we moved here. But I have finally learned embrace the joy of a neighborhood pool - unfortunately our 'hood doesn't have one so we depend on the kind invite of nearby friends!

Quiet Time! B90x has brought back my "quiet time" with a vengeance. If I thought carving out 5-10 minutes for time in the Word was difficult before, I'll have no excuses now that I'm making it through a half hour reading assignment everyday.

Run Away! I started the summer off with a little running, can't say I kept that up at all. I'll put that in my "goals for fall" column.

So You Think You Can Dance?...Dance....Dance! What a fun summer obsession!

Teri meets Beth! Last week I won (by calling into a radio station for the first time ever) 2 tickets to a Beth Moore simulcast event that's taking place nearby. It was a no-brainer as to who to take with me; although I have many Beth Moore lovin' friends, Teri.does.not.know.Beth.Moore. (insert gasps here!) So I have to introduce Teri to Beth, and I get to do so at the end of the month!

Universal Studios! Papa Ron and Wissy treated us to a fun day at both Universal parks, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. The kids are still talking about it! I'm asked at least once a week what my favorite ride at Universal was, but I am not allowed to say Jaws!

Value! We have acquainted ourselves with the $1 theater...50 cent Mondays, $1 Tuesdays...best deal around. When the kids see a new release preview on TV, they ask, "Can we see that when it comes to the $1 theater?"

Walls! Chocolate Truffle paint transformed my kitchen from monotone to delicious!

X Games! Luke discovered the X Games this summer. He is such a boy...if it has wheels, he'd like to see it go off a ramp...and that's a guarantee on the X Games.

Yuck! Stomach bugs made a mark on our summer (and in the Exxon parking lot!). From Lily's terrible 4th of July bug that delayed our trip home, to Luke's explosion in the gas station parking lot last weekend, these are the summer memories I hope to forget!

Zoo! I'm cheating a little, it was actually spring when we made our first trip to Riverbanks Zoo, but our fun day was worthy of revisiting and there just isn't much else to do with Z!

There you have the ABCs of our summer...hope you've had a great summer, too!

You know how it feels to have something just on the tip of your tongue, and then you forget? Maybe during a phone conversation with a friend - and a little one interrupts for a sippy cup refill...or your husband comes home from work and as you're telling him about your day - the water on the stove boils over...and you find yourself asking, "Now what was I going to say?"

That's how I've been all week when it comes to this blog. I'm sure I've got something to say, then I sign in and find myself wondering, "Now what was I going to say?"

Oh well. I'm sure it'll come to me when the time is right. In the meantime I'll just live with that nagging little feeling you get when you've got something right there, on the tip of your tongue, and then you forget.

Nicholas Cage holding a guitar, talking to a spider about writing a song...and the spider talks back.

David, shirtless, wearing a bandana (Jeremy Fiske style), and wrestling an alligator (or maybe it's a crocodile).

Me, with gray hair and a buzz cut, wearing a tutu to a little league game.

Just a few snippets I can recall from some of the dreams I've had the past few nights. Anyone want to tell me what's going on? A sign of the end times maybe?

When Lily was a baby, anytime she was dressed in denim I called her Too Cool for School Barbie. I don't really have any explanation for the odd nickname, and I'm quite sure Barbie never thought she was too cool for school; after all, she's been a teacher, an astronaut and a dentist, so she's attended more than her fair share of classes. Often shortened to just Too Cool, the silly name came along well before school was really on our minds, back when Lily wore jeans with snaps between the legs. But apparently, it was prophetic. Lily is indeed too cool for school. Or at least she thinks so. And I guess we've come to realize our whole family is; school has been cramping our style.

So there you have the lighter side of our family's decision to homeschool. I could probably write ten posts on homeschooling and still not adequately describe all the hows and whys of coming to this decision, so instead, I'll just leave it alone. Traditional school is not for us. At least not right now.

We made the decision months ago, spring time. But with the summer months still ahead, fall and homeschooling felt forever away. Until today. August 1st. Can you believe it? August!?! Already?!? I'd better get busy! Much like Barbie, I'm taking on yet another a new career.

My "drafts" folder was bursting at the cyber-seams and upon sorting through and deleting posts, I found this post I'd written back in March but never posted. With the Tour de France wrapping up, and last week marking the 1 year anniversary of Luke's orchiectomy, I found it especially poignant when I reread it today. Not sure what lead me to write it or what lead me not to post it, maybe it was just meant for today.

I'm not really into "celebrity." Don't get me wrong, I love to thumb through a People magazine as much as the next gal, but I've never joined a fan club or followed a particular musician, actor or athlete enough to know much beyond what you'll find written in, well, a People magazine. However, I thought that might change in regards to one particular athlete, Lance Armstrong. I was even considering writing him a letter. Did you know our sons share the same name? Luke David. But that isn't really why he'd captured my attention.

My Luke David suffered from a severe testicular infection when he was 3 years old. In 2008, it was determined the affected testicle had not survived, and would need to be removed. So last July, my Luke became connected to Lance Armstrong in yet another way, as a fellow orchiectomy patient. Lance's battle with testicular cancer lead to a bilateral orchiectomy, whereas, thankfully, my Luke has one healthy testicle remaining. But the loss will no doubt be significant to Luke when he's old enough to understand. Because of Luke's love of sports, bike riding, and his natural athleticism, I've always kept the little bit I know about Lance Armstrong tucked in my back pocket. My thought was if, or more likely, when, Luke begins to struggle with his loss, I'd be able to use Lance's perseverance, success, and, quite honestly, his ability to continually win the affections of beautiful women (which might be important to a fella!?!), as an encouragement to my little guy. Testicular loss is not something that men are open about, at all, and so I can honestly say, I don't know any other man, young or old, that is in my son's shoes. I know they're out there, I just don't know them, and it's not exactly something I can ask around about. And that's why I was clinging to Lance Armstrong. Someone, anyone, for my little guy to look to and say, I am not alone.

So here's to ya for bursting my bubble, Google. I decided to surf the net to learn a little more about good ol' Lance. Of course, his remarkable Tour de France victories top the search results, followed by his inspiring testicular cancer battle, and contributions to the awareness of testicular cancer and research...all very admirable components of Mr. Armstrong's life. But then another word popped up: atheist. First, let me say, I am not making a call one way or another as to his spirituality, or lack there of. That's not for me, google, or anyone else to discern, and I have not heard with my own ears or seen with my own eyes any discussion on the subject. So recognizing the fragility of information gleaned from the internet alone, I still felt the word "atheist" was used in enough information on Lance to at least cause concern on my behalf. Most of what I read said Lance does not support organized religion, and I don't in any way equate an opposition to organized religion to lack of belief in God. Religion is not God. But several sites also attribute Lance to a 2004 quote in ET magazine saying "If there was a god, I'd still have both my ... (insert slang for testicles)" Hmmm, that's a bothersome comment from my son's would be role model.

There is a construction paper die-cut of a bat (think Halloween, not baseball) on our refrigerator. It's been hanging there for almost two years, the paper has faded from crisp black to a dingy brown. Luke made it in preschool; it has the words "I trust in God and am not afraid" typed on a white label in the center. The night after Luke's surgery, he slept downstairs with me. As we settled into bed, I began to ask him questions about his experience. I asked him if he was scared when they rolled him into the operating room and he said, "No, I just thought about my bat and knew Jesus was with me."

I still admire Lance's amazing physical feats and endurance. He has proven a man's a strength, worth, and abilities are in no way tied to his anatomy. I greatly value that lesson. I want Luke to have a confidence in knowing his strength, worth and ability were not lost to an -ectomy. But, more than that, I want him to know where, or Who, the greatness inside him does come from, and it seems that Mr. Armstrong may be unsure of that himself. Maybe Lance could learn a thing or two from Luke.

The kids have been back in my possession for less than 48 hours and we've already visited the pediatrician. Yep. Back in the full swing of motherhood.

But before I get so far into parenthood that I forget what the past two weeks were like, I thought I'd answer the number one question I'm asked every summer when the kids spend extra time in Florida with the grandparents...What do you do for two weeks without kids? A question best answered not by trying to describe the quality of the time, but rather, describing the time in terms of quantity.

I read five novels.

I didn't cook for nine consecutive days.

Bought one new dress (and shopped for hours, not because it really took so long to pick out a new dress, but because I COULD!).

Partied with dozens of friends at a fantastic no-kids-allowed party and spent zero minutes stressing over childcare.

Enjoyed lunch out with friends twice.

Two SYTYCD nights with KB and T.

One pool party at Het's, with six laugh-out-loud trips down the slide.

Rearranged the furniture in three rooms.

Painted four kitchen walls.

The extra hours of sleep are too many to count, I slept in everyday. Sometimes I went to bed late and slept late, sometimes I went to bed early and still slept late.

So I hope that gives you a rough idea of how I spend two weeks without kids. David would probably answer the question a little differently; I think he thinks in terms of quantity too, but I don't think it was novels or lunch dates he was counting. ;)

The original owner's of our home had apparently taken one thing to heart: neutral colors are best for resale. The kitchen's flooring was almost the same color as the pickled oak cabinetry, almost the same color as the mauvish counter tops, almost the same color as the pale walls that fill most of the house. Which made for one boring, slightly pinkish kitchen. A full kitchen overhaul is out of the question. And I don't know why it took me two years, but after a bold move at the paint counter and about $30 in paint and supplies, the kitchen walls are now Dutch Boy Chocolate Truffle. And the pale cabinets I'd come to hate have really grown on me in the past 24 hours as they pop off the chocolaty smooth walls. My camera battery is dead, but hopefully I'll post a picture soon. I couldn't be happier. Well, yes I could. I would be very happy to watch someone else finish the final trim work!

What is it about Mondays? Nah, forget I even asked, I know what it is: it's a crash from the high of spending two days with my favorite fella...sleeping in on Saturday morning, a late breakfast - the heavy kind that fills you up way past lunch, getting things done around the house -rewarded by dinner out ...a busy Sunday at Elevation - David and I going our separate ways but meeting up for an afternoon nap, as if we had a 3pm appointment with that bed and that floor fan, ending the day curled up on the sofa with a book, TV off...quiet house. Nice weekend. Then wham, it's Monday. And raining. And the quiet house feels more like a dungeon than a retreat.

But with these quiet moments to get a few thoughts in cyberspace, and a list of household "to dos" that can now go uninterupted by drink refill requests, whines of boredom, or sibling scuffles, I'm reminded anew not to take this current solitude for granted.

And the rest of the day looks brighter, if not literally, at least figuratively. An evening with some of my very favorite ladies, but with no book to discuss this month, I wonder if we'll have anything to talk about.? Yeah right!?!

Maybe it's because my father, and my brother, and my husband, not to mention many other loved ones, have served our country. Maybe it's just an area the Lord has tendered my heart, but regardless, when I read Chaplain Watson's most recent Facebook status asking for help, I couldn't just scroll by. Check out his site, scroll down and read the November post titled "Chaplain's Wish" and please do what you can. So often we think to ourselves, I'd help if I knew how. Now you do. Reading Tommy's wish list really choked me up, his requests make it clear how seriously he takes his calling to minister to our soldiers and he offers very simple, tangible ways we can help. I've copied his FB status comment below so you could read his request in his own words, I hope he doesn't mind. Please check out his site and send any of the wish list items you can, many things may be sitting unused in your home right now. I'm honored to know him and his precious, godly family. His beautiful wife, Jackie, was Lily's dance teacher, and both Tommy and Jackie are using their lives to serve the Lord by serving others in an inspiring way.

Thomas Watson I'm asking all my friends and churches to please take the time to send a care package to our soldiers in Iraq. Go to http://carolinachaplain.blogspot.com/ and scroll down to Chaplain's Wish list post. Choose what you will and send to my address at the bottom. I will make sure they get your packages. This is important to our morale. Many thanks to those who will respond.

Okay, so maybe "popular demand" is a stretch, maybe it's more like "triple demand" as in just three people (yes, one was my own mother), specifically asked me to return to blogging. But the other two requests were surprising. It is with great humility that I say, apparently, the Lord has used this blog in ways I did not know or expect. My reasons for taking an indefinite break from blogging seemed trivial when presented with the reasons to continue.

And I also missed it. Although my posts had become few and far between, it was comforting to know there was an outlet, my outlet.

It's only been two weeks or so, hopefully not long enough to have been deleted from too many feeds, but boy, did we jam-pack those two weeks! We spent ten days in Florida which included birthday celebrations (David and I, as well our good friend the U.S. of A., celebrated birthdays), camping, the beach, bowling, swimming, both Universal theme parks, a stomach bug, urgent care visit, fireworks, family portraits, and probably the highlight, meeting our new nephew, Landon. And to recover from all that, we returned to NC childless. Yep. David and I came home, the kids did not. For two weeks. I think I'll soon post an answer to the number one question I get every time this happens, "What do you do for two weeks without your children?"

Break from school. Break from alarm clocks. Break from schedules. Break from blogging? Yes, please.

I thought summer would present the opportunity for more posting, but instead, the blog feels like a drag. If a marriage can end because one partner "falls out of love," then surely I can break up with my blog because I have fallen out of like. I used to like blogging, it's been a fun way to chronicle life, and I have found it to be very therapeutic. I've never kept a diary, my journaling is inconsistent, and so my 2 years of blogging (I started on my 29th birthday, tomorrow is my 31st) is very meaningful to me, like a collection of home movies. I love to go back and read the posts that chronicle simple, daily events, like silly things the kids have said and done, things I might have forgotten by now otherwise. I'd like to print them all out one day.

But for now, keeping up the blog feels burdensome and distracting, so I'm taking a little summer break. But I think this break up is like a Ross and Rachel break up, sooner or later, we'll get back together.

I am not a sporty gal, nor do I enjoy breaking a sweat for any other reason, so only for my baby-daddy would I gladly spend a very hot, bright afternoon like this...

I guess I shouldn't have been so presumptuous as to end that last post with "guess I'm back to blogging." I have in fact not been back to blogging. Instead, I have been back to sleeping in, visiting the public library, hanging out poolside with G$ and the gang, staying up late, and counting down to our annual Florida trip. Our summer is off to a great start, and sadly, it's already flying by, I can't believe it's already Friday!

Hope you're enjoying your summer...stay cool, today is gonna be a hot one!

My intention to spend a few days blog-pondering submission and what it means in our home was delightfully derailed by a weekend of house guests. As it should be, the computer sat somewhat idle for several days as we enjoyed catching up with family. David's sister, Erica, and her husband, David, and their two children, planned to spend 2 nights with us on the way to the Smokey Mountains. (Yes, with two Davids, an Erin, and an Erica under one roof, things can get confusing!) Their plans changed (Uncle Rich's loss was our gain), and 2 nights turned to 4 which gave us a wonderful opportunity to catch up and of course do what families do best: organize our lives around good food! You know it's a great weekend when your greatest stress is trying to time the pizza delivery to coincide with television programming. Last night's hurry and get on your comfy clothes before Hannah Montana @ 7:30 followed by Food Network Challenge @ 8, with a brief visit from the pizza guy, had the children and adults equally excited. It was the perfect way to wind down a fun, low key visit. And low key would apply to all the moments that did not involve the chainsaw.

But now, with a quiet house and two worn out kids, I guess I'm back to blogging.

I just finished reading the book What's Submission Got to Do With It? with my fave group of book-readin' ladies, L7. Well, let me be honest and admit, with the break-neck speed of the past few weeks, I didn't read as diligently as I should have. But as always, I found the group's discussion times to be as beneficial as anything anyone else could write. As we wrapped up our discussion on the book, I realized most of our conversations had centered around our day to day application of submission. I also began to feel a tug on my heart to write a post about submission. Big sigh. Submission, really? Do I really want to go there - here?

As I contemplated sharing some of my thoughts, I was very hesitant. As hard as it is to vulnerably admit weakness in a public forum, I think there is significant risk in implying an area of strength as well. Will others begin to watch, pick apart, judge my words, my actions, try to "catch" me not doing what I'm professing to do? Quite possibly. So to subdue my fear, let me just say up front, I am far from the perfect wife. I do not have a perfect marriage. You have already, or will indeed, hear or see me say or do something absolutely contradictory to what I believe about submission. Call it hypocrisy if that's your bag. I call it trying. After 11 years of marriage to my perfect match, I have learned a few perfect lessons from the perfect Teacher; it's my application that is often imperfect. And in a marriage that is still relatively young, I'm sure I have a long way to go. But I live daily in a marriage improved by the benefit and blessing of trying.

For many years I allowed the world, both the big world "out there" and my own little world, to misrepresent what God intends for the submissive wife. To quote the book I mentioned above, "submission is represented as repressive servanthood, rather than a voluntary desire to empower a husband's leadership." Repressive servanthood? No thank you. Empowering my husband? Yes, please! But since I bought much of the misguided-mess the world was selling, submission was not a word I was comfortable with in the early years of our relationship. I knew our marriage was not exactly aligned to a scriptural picture of headship and helper, but with a passive, indecisive husband, and a bossy, strong-willed wife, weren't we just being ourselves? If it worked for us, wasn't it okay? From the selfish tactics I employed to "benignly" maintain control to the loving ways the Lord has opened my eyes, I could probably write my own book on this journey to submisison, and it would be a work in progress. But based on the conversations we as a small group of women were having, it seems what we really want to know from one another is practical application: what does submission really look like?

I am an opinionated, strong-willed, short-fused, 30-year-old Christ-loving woman. I have two young children and a husband on his own journey to fulfill his call to lead. As uncomfortable as submission can be for me, leadership can be for him, so I'm thankful we're in this together.

So what does submission look like in my home? I'll share over the next few days...

My "little" cousin Courtney just had a birthday. Nineteen? Ugh, I hope I'm off a year or three because I can't see how that could be right. Tonight as I was sorting through drafts and deleting unfinished posts, I came across this conversation from January. Not sure what direction I was headed with the original post, or why I never published it, but either way, it was one of those moments I'm glad I took the time to answer more than "I don't know."

Lily: Will Courtney still be in college when I'm in college, or will she be a grown up?

Me: By the time you're in college, Courtney will be my age, and she'll probably have a little one herself. And you'll love to play with her little ones, the way she loves to play with you, the way I loved to play with her when she was just a little girl.

Lily: Who's she going to marry?

Me: Well, no one knows; no one but God. He's made Courtney a perfect match, and she may already know him and she may not. Either way, she'll find him. God made someone just for her, with all the special things Courtney loves and wants and needs. And she's special, just for him. He's made you a perfect match too, and Luke, too. And you may already know them, or you may not, but God made them special just for you. Even though you won't get married for a very long time, you have a perfect match somewhere in the world, someone God created with you in mind. They could live in North Carolina, or Florida, or...

Luke: New York City or Mexico.

Me: Yep, even New York City or Mexico.

Luke: You found your perfect match, Mama.

Me: I sure did.

Lily (sounding annoyed): You know he's talking about himself, he thinks he's your perfect match.

Luke: No I'm not. It's Daddy.

Holly's post about the advance preparations she's made to help restaurant trips be more more successful this summer got me to thinking about things I've done to occupy, entertain, and soothe restless children over the past 7 years. One simple "trick" that has stuck for us is the "question game," as we call it. It comes in handy as both a minor distraction while waiting on our food in restaurants, or to burn miles of time on road trips. We started when the kids were just toddlers, so the questions were simple like "Luke, tell me 5 things that are red," or "Lily, tell me 5 things that are cold." As they've grown, our "questions" (although technically they really aren't questions) have increased in difficulty. Words that rhyme, things that need water to grow, words that begin with the letter "s," words that begin with the blend "st." The possibilities are endless. It may not sound all that exciting, but with the unpredictability of kids, we always have a good time (or at least enjoy the break from fussing). On more than one occasion I have kept an SUV full of restless children occupied as they anxiously awaited a turn to "tell me 5 things..."

Inevitably, Lily and Luke will ask for a turn being the quiz master, and although I'm always up for a round of the question game, I seem to be assigned the most ridiculous tasks like, "Mom, tell me 17 things that rhyme with donut."

Not quite a year ago, I picked up an unexpected habit. I don't think it's a bad habit, but not something I readily admit to, until today. I tried it just once, for a special occasion, and then before I knew it, I was hooked. Not everyday, but at least 3-4 times a week.

No more pencils, no more books, no more students' dirty looks!


It's official, summer vacation is here...for me at least. Too bad I still have to set that 6:11 a.m. alarm for the kiddos. But not for long!

Luke brought this book home from the school library today: A Mama for Owen, by Marion Dane Bauer. Seemed innocent enough. Until the drowning little hippo roars for his mama, until he can roar no more, as his family is separated by the flooding river. *sniff, sniff* That's when this mama could barely hold back the tears and was beginning to wonder why on earth someone would write such sadness for children. And trust me, after the beautiful and tender description of Owen's love for his mother hippo, losing her was sad. But Owen washes ashore and finds a 130 year old male tortoise, Mzee, who becomes his new "mama." A bittersweet story. But you know what they say, the truth is often stranger than fiction.
Imagine our surprise when we finished the story and read on the last page of the book that the precious story of Owen and Mzee is true. (Apparently, the story failed to capture my attention when it happened in 2004, but then again, I had a 1yr old and a 2 yr old at the time so not much in world news did catch my attention). Owen was rescued after the 2004 Indian earthquake and taken to a nature preserve where he met Mzee. Owen was still a nursing calf at the time, and normally would have spent 3 more years under his mother's care. Mzee showed Owen what to eat, where to sleep, and for a couple years, (until it was time to introduce Owen to a hipp-ette) they were inseparable. Owen and Mzee have their own website, BBC documentary and several books. Their relationship has even spawned more than one children's song.

We have officially entered the final countdown for school.

TEN more days of school.

Ten more 6:11 a.m. alarms.

Ten more car pool lines.

Ten more snack and/or lunch packings.

Then it's goodbye daylight bedtime, goodbye afternoon homework drama, goodbye lunch money, goodbye...

Hel-lo, summer!

Update: No luck with the missing monkey, but I did find a little time to work on the blog. Not sure that I'm done, but boy do I have a headache, so I'm done for now!


I decided I was tired of the old blog background, so I started playing around with the blog this afternoon...the background, the template, the pictures, etc. After several failed attempts at finding what I want, and stripping the page down to nothing, there seems to be a small child needing my attention (there's a situation with a missing monkey). I'll have to come back to the blog later.

Thanks Becky and Debra, for making a detour to spend the night with us.

Thanks Jenna, for waking up at 2 a.m. and getting in bed with Aunt Erin. Sweet memory.

Thanks Jackson, for telling your mommy you wanted me to open your poptart; made me feel like a million bucks.

Thanks Liam, for getting up so early; it helped us make the most of our short time together. And for peeking in the back door and saying, Uncle Erin, thanks for saying you'll take me in the front yard. It makes me happy when you say that. Makes me happy too, little man.

Thanks Pastor and Holly, for helping us make the most of a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Thanks Nicole, for letting me share in the major milestone of Evan's first hot dog!

Thanks lifeguards, for keeping a watchful eye on the blue-lipped little ones swimming in ice cold water, in the rain no less, so this momma could catch up with friends.

Thanks Dunkin' Donuts guy, who voluntarily added more sprinkles to Luke's ice cream after the first guy was so stingy.

Thanks Adam Sandler, we enjoyed your Bedtime Stories.

Thanks Lily and Luke for sleeping in so Daddy could have a chill morning.

Thanks Bill, for doing such a great job as Professor Beaker, I'd forgotten how much fun it can be to share the "stage."

Thanks Teri, (or maybe I should say sorry!), for letting me use your check-in clipboard for a good laugh.

Thanks to the 70+ preschoolers who helped me forget what I was so irritated about in the first place.

Thanks David, for keeping the kids occupied so I could take a 90 minute Sunday afternoon nap. All that singing, dancing and story telling can wear a girl out. With ribbons in my hair and my colorful clothes and sparkly accessories, I may be dressed like I'm 10 years younger, but by the time it's done, I feel like I'm 10 years older.

Thanks David, again, for getting up first this morning with our noisy boy, the early riser, and letting me stay in bed. Suddenly, I feel a little lazy, but grateful none the less.

Thanks Millers, for hosting us, despite the delayed race's attempt to ruin our fun...missed you Dooleys, wasn't the same without ya!

Thanks Jack, for finding such a big rock, and giving us such a big, but concerned, laugh.

And most importantly, thank you to all of the service men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. I am so thankful to live in a country where I can sleep peacefully in my own home, gather with friends at will, allow my children to play in open spaces without fear of harm, publicly worship God...all the things that added up to one really great weekend. Freedom is a huge blessing, made up of hundreds of little things I do everyday. May I never take these freedoms, or the ones who serve and protect, for granted.

Happy Memorial Day!

The sand is now securely inside the Dyson, no longer in the vehicle seats and floorboards. The bathing suits are fresh and clean, smelling of Gain, no longer stiffened by salt water, hiding sand in every crease. The tender red shoulders have faded to a soft brown. New freckles have emerged on fair-skinned faces.

The beach was what it always is, a familiar friend. Different beach, different sand, different surf, same old friend.

Not goodbye, just so long, for now.

Eleven years ago today, I woke up beside my new husband. I don't remember if we woke up early or slept the morning away. I don't remember what we ate for breakfast, although I do remember grabbing a bite to eat in the lovely hotel dining room. I don't remember exactly what I was thinking on that day, as I began life as a married woman girl. I was 19. Naive about so much of the world, yes indeed. But I knew all I needed to know about him, at least all I needed to know at the time. I knew he was mine. As far as all the other stuff I thought I had figured out, not much of that I can say I was right about.

So to you, the naive 19 year old certain you've got life and love figured out, I thought you should know...

...you think he's cute now, wait til you see him at 35.

...sex at 19 is not nearly as great as sex at 30, hang in there.

...thank him for how hard he works, don't give him grief for the long hours. His work ethic is immense, and his willingness to work long hours will help keep you at home with your babies. And it will mean the world.

...you think you're tired now, with your part time job and your full time course load. Puh-lease. You ain't seen nothing yet. Rest up, girl.

...he's right about waiting a while to start a family, don't pout like a spoiled child when he says he's not ready. The four easy years you share before the kids will keep you going in the years that follow that aren't so easy.

...you think he has the most beautiful blue eyes you've ever seen, wait til you see them on your son.

...you think his dry sense of humor is endearing, just wait until it pours out of your daughter's mouth.

...you're not always as right as you always think you are, and even when you are, being right won't always feel so good. So don't worry so much about who's right, just love.

...you think you couldn't possibly love him any more than you do right now, but you are so wrong. The hand that slipped that diamond ring on your finger will become the hand that signs your first home loan, becomes that hand that claps as you walk across your college graduation stage, becomes the hand you'll squeeze as you deliver a baby girl...then a baby boy, becomes the hand that helps change diapers and bathe babies, becomes the hand that pats your back and tells you things will get better when you can get a little more sleep, becomes the hand you'll grip tightly as you take a giant leap of faith, becomes the hand extended to introduce your family to new face after new face after new face, becomes the hand that holds yours to quietly worship or lead in new ways and new places you'd never imagined.

...you think by his side is your favorite place to be, well, you're right about that; it always will be. Enjoy every moment of it.

Happy-Same-Day-Same-Year-Anniversary, Teri and Kemp! Here's to eleven wonderful years, and many, many more to come! Let's celebrate our 25th in Hawaii together! (Let's start saving up now!)

I have to say, all the hype I've been hearing about the Flip video camera is right on! There is a 4th grader in a class I serve who's in the hospital, so the teacher used the school's Flip camera to record get well messages for him. (GET WELL SOON, BRANDON!) She's going to visit him this weekend and wanted to share the cheerful get well greetings of his classmates. It was a last minute idea, but with the handy dandy Flip, it all came together beautifully! Great idea, great camera. She'd never used one either so we were both amazed, and even took 5 minutes of class time to look up some Flip deals online. Within minutes of opening the box, we'd videoed the kids and then replayed them on the computer for the kids to see. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy as the 4th graders would say, and the video quality was wonderful. I could just see my red, white and blue tap dancer prancing across that screen (Lily's patriotic-themed dance recital is at the end of the month.) Our current means of video is the 30 second video I can capture on my digital camera, so the 60 minute Flip seems like an eternity of family fun footage. I thought Mighty Putty and ShamWow were still tops on my "wish list" but I think Flip just blew that list wide open! I'm usually not big into the latest techno stuff, but I think what I loved the most is how much fun Ali and I had using the camera, and what hams 9 year olds turn into when that red light starts blinking!

• The way you want us to go to bed together every night, sometimes even just to sleep ;).
• The way you let me know I'm running late...you look at me, then look at the clock, then look back at me, without saying a word.
• The way you miss the small of your back each time you towel off after a shower.
• The way you play outside games with the kids inside, then give me that little-boy grin when you've been caught.
• The way you brush your hair repeated strokes, even though the first two strokes do the job.
• The way you call me during the day, everyday, for nothing, even though the telephone is your nemesis.
• The way you laugh out loud, with your head tilted back, when you think something is really funny.
• The way you get sheet marks on your face, whether you sleep for 10 minutes, or 10 hours.
• The way you think I'm so much smarter than I really am.
• The way you keep your cool in high stress situations, but lose it over a lost TV remote.
• The way you eat the burned toast, close the open cabinets, pick up the shoes, and every other little thing you do to overlook my many flaws.

It's 5/11, and in 5 days, David and I will celebrate 11 years of marriage. I feel some listy-lists a brewin'...and it's been awhile since I've oozed my "isn't David dreamy?" mush all over this blog, so expect some of that to come your way soon!

I have a tendency to get a little weepy around holidays; I think because holidays cause reflection on the passage of time, which can be startling, I've had so many thoughts swirling in my head as Mother's Day approached, and now that I've enjoyed a wonderful day with my family, I'm even more full of sappy sentiment! I'll hopefully find the time in the coming days to turn some of those thoughts into posts, but for now, here is a quick Happy Mother's Day! to all the special moms in my life: my mom, my mothers-in-law, my sister, sisters-in-law, grandmothers, friends...and to my husband and sweet children. I am so blessed.

Oooh, just in case the days ahead get away from me, I don't want to miss a chance to say: Rock on, Holly! I am honored to call you a friend. You spoke a poignant word today, David and I just finished our "take away" discussion. As we unloaded the dishwasher together, we had a necessary conversation about that fear-risk-faith point you made and a specific area it applies to in our lives. Well said. Well done. Happy Mother's Day!

Before we moved to North Carolina, we lived just two houses down from my parents. You might think living that close is how you really get to know someone, and at the time, I probably thought the same. But move 600 miles and you'll find your viewing lens becomes larger, your vantage point grows, and as it turns out, the distance enables you to see more, to know more. To know better.

In the past 3 years, I have seen far less of my parents, and I know them all the better for it. I know they will travel 600 miles for a sick grandchild. For that matter, I know they'll travel 600 miles for a healthy grandchild, too. My dad will burn every second of his vacation time to spend time with our family here, or there, or anywhere in between. My mom will rearrange her schedule to be here for a birthday, or a surgery, or turn her quiet, "empty-nest" home upside down for weeks at a time for the kids to have an extended visit. My parents are not wealthy, and they will do without if it means they can do for us. And they have. Many times.

Not long after we moved out of the home two doors down from my parents and into a two bedroom apartment in NC, my parents came for a visit. One night as they were crowded in the kids' bedroom, with both kids of course, I listened in at the door. I heard giggles, and I love yous, and singing; then more giggles, and more singing. And in that moment a sadness I'd been carrying inside for months, a fear that my children would not have a close relationship with their grandparents, just melted away. Right then and there, I understood that the change in quantity of time did not have to mean a change in quality of time. Only, as it turns out, the quality did change, for the better.

Whether it was an unspoken commitment they made in their hearts, or a decision they sat down and made together, sometime in my parents' 30th year of marriage, they realized they had a new challenge to face: a 600 mile hurdle. Would they, could they, continue to build and maintain a relationship with their grandchildren? Children who had lived just two doors down. Children who now lived 600 miles away. Would the emails and phone calls and photographs and holidays and weekend trips and summer visits ever be enough? It would have to be.

Yesterday was my parents' 34th wedding anniversary. There are so many things I could say about their 34 years of marriage. Imperfections of course, funny stories galore, strange habits and oddities no doubt. Or I could applaud them for their amazing example of Godly generosity, love, and selflessness. I could praise them for their commitment to marriage and family, and the lessons David and I have learned. But tonight, feeling overwhelmed by the passage of time, and how fast my little ones have grown in our years here, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude.

Mom and Dad, for seeing the distance between us as a challenge, not an insurmountable obstacle, and rising to that challenge beautifully, thank you. Happy Anniversary.