Happenings

Here's what's happening now:

Anna is sick. I suppose it's the flu, although I doubt it's the "pig flu" as we call it around here. She "just" has a fever. Nothing slows her down though. I kept her home from school (obviously!) and she just about talked my ear off! I thought she would sleep. Silly me! We watched Winnie the Pooh's Very Merry New Year and Veggie Tales Madam Blueberry. Then we read, then worked on a craft. The neighbor girl stopped by this evening with the school work she missed. I thought that was really nice.

Ethan has a loose tooth. I noticed about a week ago that his upper teeth were spreading out, so I've been watching for something to get loose. Tonight I noticed one front tooth was lower than the other so I asked if he had a loose tooth. He stuck his finger in for a couple of minutes than joyfully announced "YES! My left tooth is loose!" Funny - I don't think he ever would have noticed if I hadn't said something. No wonder the first two came out so quickly - he just probably never noticed until they were almost out.

That's all there is. There isn't...any more. (Any one know where that is from? I don't, but it's a tune stuck in my head. Probably some kids cartoon.)

I've had a grand idea to take a family photo and use it for our Christmas cards this year. The colors are so beautiful right now that I've been waiting for the right moment to gather everyone together for photos. The right moment is not coming. Yes, the colors are beautiful. They seem to be especially beautiful when the sun shines which, for the past two weeks at least, has been on week days. Problem is, no one is home on week days. Weekends? It rains. And rains.

This morning was a little overcast but it wasn't raining so I jumped in the shower and afterward (gasp!) put on makeup. I hauled out every one's matching colored clothing and ordered them all to put them on. Eric dug out the tripod. I read up on how to use the timer thing-a-ma-jig on the camera. After Ethan (aka Mr. Grumpy Pants) dawdled through brushing his teeth and putting on shoes and socks we headed out. We were just going into the back yard because we don't have to go any further to find beautiful color. As I stepped out the front door I observed the sky with trepidation. The clouds were looking more serious. We found a spot and fumbled around with the tripod for a bit. Got it all set and took 1 picture. It began to sprinkle. I took another. (I wanted to take a lot to increase my chances of getting a decent picture.) I suggested we move to a different location so I didn't have 10 identical pictures. As we started walking the sprinkling turned to rain and... that was it! We were done. We had to run for the house. I got just 2 pictures. I doubt very much that anyone around here is going to cooperate for a second try, so we may have photo Christmas cards, we may not.

Seasons Change

I am thankful to be able to say that although the past 6 months have been very difficult ones, through it all Jesus has been present - so much that I have thought anyone who doesn't have problems is MISSING so much! As I write this, part of a song's lyrics go through my mind: "You will find the blessing is worth the pain." At the bottom of this post I will include a youtube "video" which has the entire song. There is actually no video, it just plays the song. ("Seasons Change" by Ray Boltz.)

I can honestly, wholeheartedly say the blessing is worth the pain. The blessing has been the presence of Jesus, assuring me He is here, He cares, He knows, it is not for naught - it is for His glory.

What an interesting thing this is. I would not wish the pain I have gone through on anyone, and yet... yet... I wonder, is it possible to experience the love of Jesus without the pain? Because I would wish for everyone to experience the amazing, gentle love of Jesus that I have experienced.

I believe I have crossed the river of pain and come out on the other side. I feared it would take much longer, although I was assured at the beginning that "surprisingly soon it will end". I had no way of knowing what "surprisingly soon" meant - a week? a month? a year? What is "soon" ("surprisingly soon"!) to God?

There was a time when I thought I was going to drown in the river. I thought I was failing the test - whatever the test was. I remembered the words I had read on May 2nd (which I shared in an earlier post) said "surprisingly soon it shall end...if you", I couldn't remember the rest. If I what? What was I supposed to DO, because I was pretty sure I wasn't DOING it, whatever it was. I was failing, failing. I was going to drown, I was almost sure of it. I found the book and rifled through the pages looking for the part I had read on May 2nd. What was I supposed to be doing? Was I capable of doing it? Was I going to fail?

"Surprisingly soon it shall end in victory for you also - if you endure faithfully." God! You are so amazing! All you want me to do is ENDURE??? I am doing nothing else, but I am enduring! I can endure!

What an amazing comfort that was! ALL GOD IS REQUIRING OF ME RIGHT NOW IS THAT I ENDURE!

And then, practically as quickly as it began, it was over! The swirling mess inside of me was gone. I was ready to put it in the past. Actually, suddenly I felt that it WAS in the past and I was ready to get on with life.

Another part of the song is "Just believe and let the season's change." That's what it was for me. I didn't have to work. I just had to endure and believe that God was working. The seasons have changed for me now. How appropriate. The season of my soul has changed just as the season is changing from summer to fall. Come to think of it, all of this began as we were changing from winter to spring. Seasons change...

The unthinkable has happened.

Anna has discovered tennis shoes. Yuck. I hate tennis shoes.

They are ugly.
They make my feet feel all closed in.
They are ugly.
They are not fashionable.
They are ugly.
They are not girly.
They get stinky.
Did I mention they are ugly?

I signed the kids up for running club, which I think is really just some after school exercise 1 day a week for 1 month. The enrollment form stated the kids must have "proper running shoes". I took that to mean Anna's High School Musical shoes with the rubber bottoms weren't going to cut it. That, along with the facts that her feet have grown like crazy recently and they had "field day" on Monday prompted a trip to the store last weekend for "proper running shoes". Then I thought "If I have to get her ugly proper tennis shoes I may as well get good ones and see if we can correct her turned in foot. (Anna is beyond pigeon toed. She has one foot that turns in severely. I asked the doctor about it more than once when she was a baby and toddler, but was told they don't correct things like that anymore unless it impedes their ability to run, jump, etc. I think I should have pushed it and gone to an orthopedist because her case is SEVERE. It has never impeded anything, but it sure does look funny.) So we bought her some New Balance shoes - size 3-1/2!!!! (The shoes she wore to the store that day were size 1. See what I mean when I say her feet have grown like crazy?!)

Well, she wore the ugly darn things to school on Monday, for field day, and she fell in love. She says she is going to wear her tennis shoes every day because they are so comfortable. WHAT???! What about all of your pretty shoes? The ones that match outfits and look girly? I may have to send her to live with her cousin for awhile; the cousin who sells shoes and owns about 300 pair of pretty, girl shoes. The cousin that Anna idolizes. No wait, the cousin lives in a dorm now so that probably won't work. What am I going to do? WHY did I ever sign her up for running club?

All I can say is these shoes better correct her turned in foot or I will forever rue the day I introduced her to tennis shoes.

(By the way, if you are the above-referenced cousin's mother, I made up the part about 300 pair of shoes. I have no idea how many pair she owns but I'm pretty sure it's not 300. 250 maybe, but not 300.)

Fall has arrived here in Northern Virginia, and it is beautiful. The leaves are beginning to turn colors. Looking at the woods in my back yard this morning I was inspired to create this card which, I am guessing, will look horrendous next to my beautiful blue blog background. (I dare you to say that 3 times fast! "Beautiful blue blog background.")

This was a lot of fun to make. I smeared fall colored inks all over white card stock then stamped the leaves and embossed them with clear embossing powder. I then brayered brown ink over everything. I'm guessing that most people reading this will have absolutely no idea what that means! Sorry! I think I will make a bunch more of these and try to perfect my technique. Look for one in your mailbox soon...