Happy Birthday, Marine Corps!!!

Happy Birthday, Marines!!!

235 years of honor, courage, and commitment.

We did some celebrating for you.

Growing up with Friends

I was recently sitting in the hairstylists chair talking with a very young stylist... about her friends. She was referring to her closest of close friends. Talking about how important it is to be around those friends you've known for life, and how those are the friends that can complete your thoughts for you and know you better than you know yourself. I was telling her about you all. I said "We may not necessarily have known each other since we were little, but we've grown up together"

College
Marriage
Flight school
The first, second, third deployment
Having Kids

We've weathered it together

I was just laughing with Tammy, a dear friend, as we realized.... It's almost like now, we might, just maybe might have a little inkling of a clue what we're doing, finally.

So here's to all of you, the growing up we have left to do, and the unfinished chapters ahead.

"God chooses us less for our strengths than for our weaknesses, for they amplify our need for Him."

Sarah Young
"Jesus Calling"

Our Gentle Shepherd

It says in Isaiah that "He gently leads those who have young." A friend showed me that verse a few years ago. I have forever been changed by it (Thanks, Maggie). I cannot tell you how many times just in this last week I have felt absolutely overwhelmed by the task of parenting. It's a constant bombardment of what it feels like are pop quizzes on how to be a good parent, responding to your children with love and discipline, reflecting the attributes of God in a way they can relate. But I'm learning that God does just what he promises He'll do in His word. No matter the promise, He will fulfill it. In this case, "He gently leads those who have young."

And this is how He did it for me the other day.

Oftentimes, when we are getting ready to go someplace, Tink will exert her will by saying "I don't want to go." I've always tried reverse psychology, ignoring the behavior and acting like I'm leaving with or without her. The other day, we rehearsed the scene again. However, this time as I started to walk away a check in my spirit urged me to try something different.

I turned around went over to her got down at her eye level, and said...
"Tink, you're a Kaiser, I am a Kaiser, we're Kaisers. We are a family. We do fun things together as a family, and I want you to come with me, because we are a team and I want to be with you."

I paused waiting for her response.

Her eyes filled with unspeakable joy and relief. She stood up and threw her arms around me, and her entire demeanor changed.

I had been sending her a subtle message, I would be fine with or without her. She so needed to feel wanted and loved. That episode also was key in revealing that it seems quality time is her language of love. A very helpful insight to have in parenting her.

All of this wrapped up in a precious moment brought to us by the Shepherd who "Gently leads those who have young."

Smoke Signals

The three year old that lives at my house makes it her mission to keep my life interesting every day.

Her interesting mission of the week:
In her words, "Making clouds" by puffing the baby powder around the living room until it was all gone.

Now to those of you who may think much like my dad, that that must mean I am not attending to her, that is incorrect. I am just busy putting out the last fire she's started... in this case it was putting the care packages back together I was sending to her father... Meanwhile she's sending smoke signals to him... or was it distress signals? Regardless, despite the fact an ocean and multiple continents separate us, I think he got the message: She used enough baby powder for him to get the signal.

Life's Simple Pleasures

This is a public service announcement: Ben and Jerry's is now selling their Limited Batch of Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream in a freezer section near you. Okay, I am not sure where the cheesecake part of that comes in, all I know is that that stuff is . . . well, let's just say I ate 6 cartons last year, and I've started even earlier this year so who knows how many I will have! It's complete with graham cracker crust chunks swirled inside to add just one more dimension to that super awesome ice cream.

Ace Kickers, #19 "Bueller"

Okay so maybe we didn't exactly win... but I still got it, baby!!!!! Who cares that my hands were sweating and stomach had butterflies. Who cares that I didn't make it past first. I caught the ball got two people out, and made it to first. That is something, people!! And yes, those shoes need to go!! (The intervention can begin tomorrow, Hilary)

And they said it couldn't be done...

Speaking of Tink in all her glory.... today I discovered her standing on top of the toilet, straddling the seat. Okay, so who said girls couldn't pee standing up? Who cares if she clogged the toilet with the toilet roll. She peed in the potty, and the clog is nothing a plunger can't fix, right?

Coming soon to a doorbell near you . . .

Tink in all her glory!
Stay tuned . . .

It's pouring!!!

Sometimes rain comes from out of the clear blue sky, completely unexpected blessings begin to pour. Just when you think you could use some refreshment you look up and it starts pouring. '

Precious friends asked if we'd like to go boating on Monday. Tammy had an OB appointment, so Brad took the day off. She went to the doctor's in the morning and the rest of the day was spent out on the water.
Peter spent most of his time assisting the "Captain"
Tink cracks me up. She picked up this arms-behind-her-head thing from her dad. She does it when she's super relaxed.
The life preserver was not Kate's thing at first. She screamed all the way to our first stop... lunch. After lunch, it was smooth sailing!

As we sailed back to the marina, the sun went down and Ospreys flew overhead. There's nothing like a sunset to draw God's blessings into focus. As I held my girls close, tears of joy streamed down my face. Just because there's no rain in the forecast doesn't mean it won't rain. Today God's blessings seem torrential! Great friends, good times, and God's creation all around. A memory for a lifetime, and on a Monday no less!!!

Redemption Part II

You know that friends blog I keep referencing most recently in the Redemption post... Well she did it again. She's always posting stuff I chew on for weeks. I had to share this: the concept of redemption keeps blowing me away, such unbelievably good news. Thanks Jody.

“The big story really is actually being told through our little stories, and by sharing our lives, not just our sermons, we’re telling God’s story in as reverent and divine ways as it has ever been told. God’s story was told in Hebrew and Greek, and I believe that it’s also being told in whispers and paintings and blogs and around dinner tables all over the world.

——

We dilute the beauty of the gospel story when we divorce it from our lives, our worlds, the words and images that God is writing now on our souls.

And let’s stop acting as if religious professionals are the only ones who have a right and a responsibility to tell God’s story. If you are a person of faith, it is your responsibility to tell God’s story, in every way you can, every form, every medium, every moment. Tell the stories of love and redemption and forgiveness every time you experience them. Tell the stories of reconciliation and surprise and new life everywhere you find them.

——

And when we tell the truth about our lives—the broken parts, the secret parts, the beautiful parts—then the gospel comes to life, an actual story about redemption, instead of abstraction and theory and things you learn in Sunday school.”

(s. niequist)

Flowers in Heaven

Today as we were playing in the backyard, Peter asked if there were going to be flowers in Heaven. I was quite heartened by his question thinking maybe my love for flowers and gardening has rubbed off on the little man. I assured him there were probably flowers in heaven. Afterall, they're beautiful and heaven is beautiful. I wasn't expecting his response. He was quite disconcerted.
Me: "Peter, why don't you want flowers in Heaven?"
Peter: "Bees go wherever flowers are."
Me: "Well, what's wrong with having a few bees around?"
Peter: "Bees have forms."
Me: "Forms?"
Peter: "Yeah, you know like cactus have forms, bees have 'em too."

Beware of Bees' forms.

Picture of my garden courtesy of Peter

Redemption

"So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten. . . .You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God who has dealt wondrously with you."

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the concept of redemption. It all started when I was reading a friends blog who's walked a really hard road over the past year, and then wrote this entry marveling at God's blessing. It struck me. She walked that road out of obedience. It would have been so easy to toss in the towel and quit, but she kept on placing one foot in front of the other with the darkness surrounding her without one tiny ray of light at the other end, all she had was a promise she held to dearly. She may have doubted it, but she still clung to it: God would see her through. He would redeem this if she walked with him, so she carried on mile after mile, when slowly ever so slowly the clouds began to lift and the sun began to shine and with it a rainbow in full bloom. He redeemed all the pain and made something that looked broken into something even more whole! I don't buy into the prosperity gospel. It's not that God paves the road with gold, but his promises are golden. He will redeem the broken, painful, hard, and ugly. He will use it all and the story will end well. As someone once said "this life is but the title page to eternity." God promises to finish the work he began in us (Phil 1:6). We will never be an abandoned project on his craft room floor. "He will work all things together for good to those who love God and have been called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28). Our stories are not finished but if we keep putting one foot in front of the other, I do believe we will find the rainbow-- a giant check mark in the sky reminding us of another promise fulfilled! God has never failed to deal wondrously with his people, why would he would do any less now?

Katy...the family dog

It all started Christmas break 1998. I was home for college and out to dinner with my parents on our way out to visit the family ranch. I convinced them to stop by the pet store after dinner just to peek. Minutes later we were driving home with a 6 week old Malamute puppy. She wasn't something made in China or bought at Walmart . . . she was God's creation, and we treasured every moment we had with her. She died today in my parents' arms in the backyard, as they wept over her. Precious puppy, you were so loved. We will miss you!

September 4th

Peter,
As I mentioned yesterday, sometimes God loves us through our friends. However, a lot of times, God loves me through you! Every day you wake up in the same house as me it's like God is giving me one gigantic present after another. Your infectious laugh can bring me to tears. You brighten every day with your funny sayings and witty little comments.

Not only do you make us all laugh, but you love so freely. You are becoming quite the little man, with your heart for God. I hope that as you grow God will show you all the ways to express that love to those around you that are so hungry for it. You have so much love to give, and this world is hungry for the kind of love that you have. So in this coming year as you are starting kindergarten, and continuiing in Awanas, my prayer is that your love for God and others would grow in knowledge and depth. I also pray that your dad and I will have insight into how to nourish your little soul that someday you will stand as a man among men: a loving leader with a passion to please God by serving his people.

You're a friend for a lifetime, Peter, and I thank God that I get to call you my son!

Happy 5th birthday, little man!
Love,
Mom and (Dad)

Labor Day Weekend

Somewhere between the Pakistani relief effort, Dan's parents plane crash, and dad's chemo beginning next week. I was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed. One of the things that is the hardest for an independent minded Marine wife to do sometimes is admit that you need something. This weekend I needed ... to laugh... to get away... and to celebrate my little boy who just turned 5. And that we did, with our precious friends in Virginia!. 4 late nights, 2 birthday cakes, 1 Rennaissance festival, and 14 happy kids later, and my heart is full. Sometimes God loves us through our friends. I feel very loved!

Was there ever any doubt ...

This girl's got personality!

Peace on Earth

I could really use a little peace on earth right about now.

Unfortunately, this lump in my throat the size of Texas, and the sick feeling in my stomach keeps reminding me that it hasn't happened yet.

Images on my tv screen of those whose livelihoods have been washed away in the floods of Pakistan.

What do we tell the kids?

Daddy is going to go help them.

While he brings them food. We can pray that God would bring them His peace.

That man really is our live action figure hero... so what do I do about this darn lump in my throat?

TINKERBELL!!!!

It's almost too painful to mention... but Tink has taken to redecorating our entire upstairs. Apparently, she has given another medium, black sharpee marker a try! So in my dear husband's last week before he begins his heinous work schedule, he has been doing a bit of repainting in the kids rooms, in our room, in the hallway, on our door frames, along with cleaning the bathtub, the mirror, and the windows with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It all happened in five minutes after church on Sunday... I think it was premeditated. The sharpees are so not in her reach! I think the only safe option for us at this point is to get a gun safe to store all writing utensils in. I love that girl dearly, but let me just say: today, when she said she needed a little "piracy," let's just say I didn't oblige. And oh, by the way, the word is "privacy," Tink.

Waiting

We continue to wait on God with Dan's mom and her progress. If you would like to follow the details of her condition, my sister-in-law, Leah (Danielle), has set up a Caring Bridge page for her.

CaringBridge / barbarakaiser2010 / Welcome

To my live action figure hero . . .

8 years ago today we promised to hold on for dear life and be married forever, for always, no matter what. It's been the most transformative ride of my life. Nothing has shaped, matured, and enriched me like marriage. You have the most tender of hearts, and toughest of souls. I love you! Happy Anniversary!

While we're on the subject of Peter and his theology . . .

Yesterday, after Peter apologized for a bad attitude, I noticed he was moving his arms in an erasing motion. He's always making strange shooting motions with his arms, but this was a new one to me, so I asked.

"Oh, Mom, I'm erasing my mistake. You said you'd forgive me so I'm erasing all the warnings. I can start over now."

Alrighty then, lesson learned . . . Check.

Quotables

Peter: Ummm, Dad, I got kinda a hard question. How did God get made? . . . Oh, I know maybe the Lord made Him.

And so we are saving now for his all expense paid trip to Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he may ponder the deeper things of life.

You can't make these things up...

Tink has taken to a fascination with toilets and things pertaining to them. She's yet to have an accident since her introduction to Tinkerbell and Dora underwear, but that's not to say we are without our share of antics from Tink.

Like when we discovered a huge rock and a rubber duck in the toilet the other day. The Handsome Genius had to have that discussion with Tink. I was laughing too hard in the kitchen. It's another one of those conversations I never imagined overhearing when I first met that man 10 years ago. Never pictured him lecturing a three year old on the ins and outs of why we don't spend our time IN the toilet.

Or the other day when she used . . . let's just say a different "medium" for her wall art. It does come off the wall a lot easier than pink highlighter; I will hand her that, but between highlighter and this I am not sure which one I would prefer her use. I'm now thinking pink highlighters are nice option.

The Bottom Line

Dan's long hours are getting ready to get a lot longer at work, and his mom's health continues to hang in the balance.

There is so much I want to say and can't. My heart is full and empty, breaking while healing, hungry but satisfied. I don't really know how to put into words what I feel and so I can't. But I want to try because I want to remember this. I want my kids to remember this, and I want to share it because it's the essence of what I believe.

Dan's mom has been given 4-6 weeks to show some kind of cognitive response, or she will be removed from the hospital and placed into long term care. The family is begging God for a miracle, and we wait. We watch and we wait for life. The story is unfinished.

But I've read the Bible. Our God is a REDEEMER. He is GOOD. I know how HIS stories end. I know they are good.

The day the crash happened I was preparing to go to camp: bills to pay, a yard to mow, and a car to service, but in an instant none of it mattered. For some reason I keep thinking that's what Dan's mom feels right now as she gazes at our Savior's face in that space between life and death.

The fuss and noise of earth are now just a distant hum to her. She knows her Savior is better than anything this life has to offer, and none of it matters in light of Him. She will continue to fight for life in that hospital bed. She's a fighter, and we will fight for and with her. She has so much to live for.

But I also know whom she loves above all. I know that she is watching her Saviour's face and when He gives her the word, she will gladly dash into His arms.

I finally get what it means when the Bible says...
To live is Christ and to die is gain.

One glimpse of eternity with our Blessed Savior and nothing else will seem to matter.

"Long Live the Lollipop!"

Guess who gave up these...That's right our Tink... gave up these for lollipops and Tinkerbell underwear... If only I had known it would be so easy. We are on day three and there hasn't been an accident yet. There are so many wonderful uses for lollipops. Economy bag of dum dums . . . $2.50; Potty trained toddler . . . Priceless.

Obedience

If there's on thing I'm learning through this crisis with Dan's mom it's to step out in faith. About a year ago, we were asked to be part of a speaking panel at White Sulphur Springs, the camp for Officers' Christian Fellowship in Pennsylvania. We were to speak on the current challenges facing military families. We agreed to do it not knowing whether Dan's schedule would permit or not. As time drew closer it was apparent that Dan would be gone during our week at WSS. The panel encouraged me to come anyways, as that would only emphasize the current issues we face as military families. Adam and Hilary Thomas, a couple from our Bible study offered to come with me to help on the 8.5 hr car ride (according to mapquest = 13 with kids) and the week without Dan.

Little did I know that Dan would be gone for completely different reasons. Had I been planning on Dan coming, I would never have wanted to go without him on a moment's notice and our friends would not have already been planning on coming along.

I would be lying if I said I was eager to do it. I had nothing to offer but a muddled brain and 3 crazy kids. It was an act of obedience, and it wasn't as if the moment I got into my car it all fell into place. The kids whined for most of the drive; I got a speeding ticket, and sleeping with the kids in one room for the week proved to be quite a challenge. (They loved that part; I hated it.:)) But as we drove into the camp and were welcomed with open arms and compassionate hearts I knew we were in the right place. There was no other palce on earth I would rather have been, then tucked in that body of believers who uplifted us in prayer for most of the week.

At home the squadron had proved to be an unbelievable support along with precious friends I've always treasured. But this was a place where I was physically surrounded with support. All the logistics of meals and activities were taken care of so I could focus on supporting Dan in the crisis instead of figuring out what to feed the kids for their next meal (which is still my least favorite pasttime).

It was an act of obedience without real clarity as to why God would call me or what I had to offer, but on the other side it is blatantly obvious why he sent me there. He wanted to wrap his loving arms around me through the loving believers there. So in offering my widow's mite of faith, I'm finding God knows what he is doing and I'm learning to trust him.

P.S. Adam and Hilary: You are up for the sainthood! I am never taking another family vacation without you:). I'm serious!

The roller coaster

Never in my life have the highs and lows been so high and low. Doctors with mixed messages, hope and pain mixed with medical counsel and faith. Dan's mom has developed an infection that looks like it may be meningitis. They are gonna try to fight this at this point, two doctors with two totally different opinions helped the family make this decision. One gave them no hope for recovery (the neurosurgeon) and the other encouraged them to press on and give her a chance to fight (the chief of the intensive care unit). God is sovereign and we eagerly look to him for counsel, hope, and His glory to redeem this.

Thanks for the prayers

Those prayers are working and things are looking better by the hour. At first, Dan's mom was so unstable that they couldn't even do an MRI, but yesterday they were able to do an MRI and it looks like she doesn't have any serious brain damage. She's still in a coma, but they are gonna try to slowly wean her off life support to see what she is able to do on her own. Right after the crash the doctors said her injuries were not survivable, but now they are thinking she may even be able to make a recovery to the extent she could wake up from the coma and be okay. Obviously she has many injuries but we were really scared our only choices were a vegetative state or death. We are cautiously optimistic now.

Please pray!

Please pray for Dan's parents. They were in a plane crash in their private plane today. His dad needs ankle surgery but is okay physically. My mother-in-law is in very critical condition. She has swelling on her brain among other things and needs all of our prayers. Though the doctors are not expecting her to recover, we serve a very big God who has done far greater than this. He is able to redeem the worst of situations, and we believe he will redeem this whether that is on this side of Heaven or not.
kob.com has information on the crash. Click on two in plane crash near Gallup, NM.

Note to self...

When you drop your car off to get worked on... don't leave your child's lovey in the back seat. This will cause serious problems.

Camp Christy and Mary

Some more precious friends are moving, along with their 8 beautiful children, soooo I decided I'd be helpful. Instead of unpacking every box they pack (which is really what I'd rather do), my friend Mary and I held a mini day camp at my house... 2 days, 12 children and 2 adults. Toooottallly safe! We baked cookies, brewed sassafras tea, played starwars, ran a beauty shop, made a waterslide, watched movies, popped popcorn, and we only went to the ER once. Anna dislocated her elbow; that's all.:) We had a blast! Anna did too. 4 lollipops later, and she's good as new. As one friend said... "long live the lollipop."

Kate

And walking is this little cherub's favorite mode of transportation these days!!! That's right she started walking last week, and now it's hard to get a picture of her that isn't blurry cause she's a girl on a mission!

And then there's Tink

She may not have the faith of Peter yet, but she looks just like an angel sometimes.

While we're on the subject of Peter . . .

He became a Christian this year on February 3rd. I have it recorded on my iphone! It was one of the most exciting days of this mommy's life. When he asked about asking Jesus in his heart, I sort of hesitated at first, worried that he might not get the in's and outs and the gravity of the commitment he was making. How could a four year old grasp what a 32 year old is still working on grasping herself? Never under-estimate the faith of a little one, now I think he gets it a little better than I do . The next day we were at Subway and he broke off a piece of his cookie to share with Tink. Now if there is a sign of a major life change, that is one in and of itself. When I complimented him on his thoughtfulness, he said, "I have Jesus in my heart now, Mom. He helps me."

He's always asking one of the most important questions that I rarely ask, "Who else is going to Heaven, Mommy?" Yesterday, I gave him a Bible that my parents sent him. He was so excited he couldn't wait to sit in his daddy's chair and read through his Bible, page by page, just like Dad. Today we shared in his first communion. It was such a precious moment in time, whispering the simple gospel in his ear... "God died up on that cross and gave his life for you, Peter, so that you could be forgiven of every thing you ever have done or ever will do." It's a simple gospel, for a simple boy with a simple faith.

Uh oh, gotta go Pete wants to read some more of his Bible together.

Pete's new look

I cut Peter's hair. No son of a Marine can have hair that hangs over his ears... or shall I say my Marine. I digress. However, my Marine might have been a pinch disenchanted if he'd witnessed the gnashing of teeth that took place. You would have thought with each pass of the clippers that I was cutting his scalp instead of his hair. Until, the lollipops were distributed. Then he asked for another haircut. Thank God for lollipops, or there would be no way he'd come even close to those clippers again.

Tink is back

Well, true to form Tink makes life just a pinch more interesting. First day of Dan's "new schedule" and Anna has already decided to do a little redecorating. We now have a mural upstairs in florescent pink (her signature color). She also added a little color to her dad's snowboarding pictures because what picture is complete without a little pink? Phew what a relief! I was beginning to think life was getting a little boring.

P.S. Thank the Lord for Mr. Clean Magic Erasers they cover a multitude of magic marker moments!

And as I was scrubbing and discussing my frustrations with Peter as to why his sister continues to do this... His reply...
Yeah you would think her trouble instinct would tell her not to....
Where does this guy come up with this stuff.

Truly, life wouldn't be as precious without these little people! Magic Marker moments and all!

Just in case . . .

Just in case you start thinking it's all doom and gloom around here, Anna tells me there's smooth waters ahead.

Battles

‘Why does God allow us to spend so much of life in the heat of battle? Because He never meant for us to sip His Spirit like a proper cup of tea. He meant for us to hold our sweating hands over the fountain and lap up His life with unquenchable thirst.’

-B. Moore

Taken from a friend's blog. Who is going through quite a seasoning experience herself.

Frankly,

I am overwhelmed. It has been a rough few weeks, saying goodbye to some of my closest friends, preparing for a lot of tough transitions with a lot of responsibilities on my plate. The pace of Dan's schedule is gonna make life rough in the coming months. It's gonna be a stretching experience, and honestly, I'd love to skip this part and fast forward to the part when it's all over. However, that's not what God has for us. He has so much more for us packed inside the year ahead. I've always dreamed of becoming a rugged Christian who is unafraid and undaunted by trials, seasoned with wisdom from a lifetime of stories of God's unfailing love and faithfulness. There's no way to avoid the storm without sacrificing that person I have spent my life dreaming of becoming. There's no way to skip the weathering process if it's a rugged soul I'm going for. Those stones weathered by the sea are only soft from the friction of the tumbling process.

Now is the time for faith. Now is the time to watch for my Saviour who will deliver me when deliverance is needed, and rescue me when rescuing is needed, and challenge me when challenging is needed. He is my teacher. He will walk me through this syllabus of trials to get me to the other side rugged, time-tested, and seasoned with experiences to tell of His faithfulness. It's all part of the plan.

You know your husband is in a wild line of work when . . .

You have a phone conversation that goes like this...
"Hey Christy, good to hear from you, but can I call you back I just got out of the gas chamber."

It Rained Today!

Yes, it did! The forecasters said it was supposed to be hot and dry this week and forecasts for rain have been few and far between, but suddenly this morning it started pouring. I don't mean a few drops trickled, I mean it was like a tropical storm out there. So what did we do? We celebrated! Watering this yard is a tough job in the scorching heat, and my poor garden has been desperate for water. That's why rain from heaven is such a blessing! So we got out our boogie board, put on our rain gear and celebrated right there in the middle of the pouring rain.

With glees of delight, we celebrated this unexpected rainstorm and as we laughed, I was reminded of how inaccurate forecasts can be. The dog days of summer are ahead of us both literally and figuratively. My dad is starting chemo, precious friends are moving, and Dan's job is going to be increasingly demanding in the coming months. There isn't much relief in sight, but I am gonna use this monsoon from out of nowhere as a reminder: God pours out his blessings whenever he chooses whether it's forecasted or not.

Happy Father's Day, Dan!

I remember when I met you thinking a lot of things, mostly how much I would love to make you mine, but I never quite thought past that to how exactly you'd pan out as a father. Turns out fatherhood suits you better than I could have imagined even if I'd tried. I can't tell you how many times I giggle to myself thinking "Don't tell that 27 year old guy, that you once were, that you'd know all about Dora the Explorer, how irregular a two year old can be and the components to a well packed diaper bag." You have mastered the art of moving fluidly from Jedi to dragon to a date for tea in a matter of minutes. More importantly you have mastered the art of shifting from pilot to daddy in seconds. They'd never know the stress on your plate, because the second you step in this door at the end of a very long day you are ready to play. To them you are the king of buttermilk pancakes, sword fighting, and sand castles. You play with them in the morning and pray with them at night, and to them that's all that matters, but to me it means so much more. Thanks for leading this family in faith, and love, and a good dose of laughter. We love you!!!

Blowing Bubbles

Okay, here we have a study in contrast. Here we have intensity and levity all wrapped into one family: same genetic package, completely contrasting personalities.

Check out your face, Tink! Blowing your guts out to get one bubble.
Look at you, Pete, enjoying the many bubbles blown from gentle breaths.

Love the socks, Pete! Love 'em! Keep up with expressing yourself in little ways... or maybe it was just the last pair of socks left in your drawer thanks to your mom's excellent ability at keeping up with the wash.

See how well you can play together. Keep up with that! Your siblings can be some of the best friends you can have. They hold a mirror to your soul. They see the patterns of who you have been since you were little. They're the ones who rub off the rough edges to prepare you for The One, Lord willing, that you will spend the rest of your life with. I thank God for the treasure I have in my brothers and all the moments we've shared. I pray that you someday will feel the same way about each other.

Best Friends

I have friends! Beautiful, wonderful, precious, thoughtful friends!
They've shaped me, taught me hobbies, cared for my kids, door bell ditched cakes and flowers, and made me a better person. I love them like crazy and now 5 of them are moving. I knew when I married into the military WE would have to move, but I didn't consider the heartbreak of watching moving van after moving van haul my closest friends away to different parts of the country and the world. I think I want to go throw up now!

Rewind . . . junior high, greasy haired plain jane desperate for one friend. I remember a day in my living room praying with some close family friends for God to give me one friend. The man who was praying finished his prayer with light in his eyes, and said. God is gonna give you so many precious friends. Ohhhh and how he has!!!!!!!!

So this post is dedicated to those girls moving or not, who have shaped my very soul and made me a better friend and person. I treasure each of you!!! You all are an answer to a prayer that I prayed so many years ago. God does immeasurably more than we could ever ask for or imagine. I have the best friends in the whole world. And a message to the rest of the world: If you live in Virginia, Florida, California, or Taiwan I have great news for you..... the best friend you ever had is moving to a town near you.... snatch her up while you still can.

And now I want to thank God for email, blogs, unlimited phone minutes, and my friends who aren't moving!

Here's to your Health

True confessions: I feed my children McDonald's occasionally.

Please allow me to emphasize occasionally because, well, it is only on occasion! I never can be too sure who may be reading this mortified by this truth . . . Dan, and I don't want my halo to fall too far from my head

I digress. So I was pulling into the drive-thru at McDonald's today when I heard expressions of horror from the backseat. "Mom, McDonald's is very bad for you. Can we have something else for lunch?"

I found myself in the horns of a dilemma. I was hungry and a Happy Meal was sounding pretty darn good.

What an excellent opportunity to teach them the beauty of all things in moderation.

Peter didn't find too much comfort in that.

He wanted to call his Grandma to see if it would be okay to have just a little bit.

I refused him the cell phone and he devoured his 6 nuggets in five minutes.

Ohh, and apparently according to Pete, Chick-Fil-A has too much salt in their batter and fries.

Note to self.

Here's to his future wife.

The Man of the House

Yesterday, Anna offered her help making the bed, and helpful she was. I offered surprised praise with how truly helpful she was.
Me: "Anna, thanks so much! That is really helpful of you. When Grandma and Wolfie come tonight we can tell them that you helped Mommy make their bed."
Peter: "Mom, what about me? What can we tell them that I did?"
Me: "Well, when we're done making the bed. I'm gonna go pick a bouquet of flowers to put in their room. You can tell them you helped me pick the flowers.
Peter: "Well, actually, I think I'll just tell them I was the man of the house."
Alrighty then... thanks for the help, Pete!

Earth's Crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only he who sees takes off his shoes . . .

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

And I thought I had troubles. . .

Today I started to get a little overwhelmed with the amount left to. . . prepare for a visit from Grandma and Wolfie, pack for a trip to Charleston, and clean for Bible study tonight.
But just as I started to get swept under from another tide of laundry left to do, fold and put away. Anna shifted everything into perspective for me.
She mentioned to me that her nose hurt.
I asked her why, half listening while rapidly stuffing laundry into the wash .
"An alligator bit me."
Okay . . . and there you have it . . .
It could be worse.
(She has quite an imagination, that girl;))

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

I have a mother. . .
She is my hero.
She's a model of strong faith, hospitality, and a healthy marriage.
She's wise, discerning and loves a good laugh.
Her time is a gift and she generously shares it with others.
Her friends know they can call her no matter the time.
She opens her home weekly for meetings, Bible studies, and a bed and breakfast for whomever.
She listens, counsels, and says hard things sometimes.
She doesn't forget the special days.
She sends me Harry and David for Mother's Day, and humongous bouquets flowers for all other special holidays when Dan's not here. (Flowers and Harry and David are our love language).
She gets me, like no one else.
She's brilliant. Her husband knows she's wise and treasures her for it.
She knows more about the history and the political arena than most men. She uses her voice and her wit to empower others to use theirs and vote.
She loves her coffee and devotions in the morning with my dad, and a glass of wine in the evening as she recaps the day with that same wonderful man.
They are the best of friends, and the best parents ever.
I love you, Mom.
Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Birthday, Anna!

Dear Anna,
Today I watched you go outside to play. Time stood still for just a second as I put down what I was doing just to watch you in wonderment: watch you slide down the slide, swing on your belly and gallop across the yard in your rain boots. I wanted desperately to capture that moment in time; you are growing so fast. You were completely content playing alone in your made up world. You are such an inspiration to me in your element, not easily daunted or pressured to please, unphased by much, and determined to succeed.

You are a lot like your daddy. You are fearless and independent, spunky and strong, tough and sweet...so sweet. You love horses, your bear, your rain boots, your sunglasses, your brother, your sister, Dora, and your thumb. You love to sing, imagine, and climb. Your favorite song is "Once upon a dream" from "Sleeping Beauty" and you sing it all the time. We call you "Tink" because you are precious with just a pinch of a mischievous side.

You are our little girl; you are three today, and we love you so much!
Happy Birthday, Anna. May God use all of these precious qualities for His glory. I already stand in wonder!
Love,
Your Momma

Fudruckers

Tink and Little Man in the Fudruckers' arcade last night:


In one corner, we have Tink scaling the wall of the candy machine. Given enough time I am quite certain that she could find a way inside it.


In the other corner, we have our Little Man, playing none other than the shootout game. The game itself is not important. What he likes is the gun. He's aiming it around the room getting all the unseen bad guys, and saving the damsels in distress.

Entrepreneurs

In the spirit of entrepreneurship, Peter decided he'd like to sell lemonade during our garage sale this weekend. It wasn't much of a money maker. He was too busy giving his lemonade away. Attaboy!!! We'll let the Handsome Genius bring home the bacon for now, and in the meantime we'll look for a skill that involves not selling something for Pete. Besides, his interest in sales lasted for only as long as it took he and his friends to get a glass of lemonade. Tink and her best friend took their places at the stand after that.

Another satisfied customer.

The Weekend

You want to know ONE of the things I love about having the Handsome Genius home on the weekends... at 7:05 am when the Little Man enters our room to report his change in status from asleep to awake, he skips my side of the bed and heads straight to Dad's
4 year old: "Hey Dad, what about those buttermilk pancakes?"
Me: "Hey Dad, what about some coffee."
We do love him for much more than just pancakes and coffee, but these two items do contribute to his sainthood status.
Ahhhhh yes!!

2 year olds

I have a two year old who absolutely loves to excercise her autonomy. Fortunately for me, sometimes she asks for help. Like in the above picture when she exclaimed. "Mom, this is a little hard." What you can't see are the pants that are on backwards, and the matching sandals on the wrong feet. When I asked if I could help her with the pants and the shoes too, she said "No Mom, they're just right."
Alrighty then!

Friends

There is nothing like good friends. A friend showed up at my door today when I was feeling sick, watered the thirsty plants on my porch, traded me my kids for these flowers, and sent me back to bed. She brought the kids back bathed, fed and ready for bed four hours later! I have the most precious sisterhood of friends here, and they are one of God's biggest blessings! I could go on and on and on about the girls and their thoughtfulness. My friend, Kelli made me cry today, and just like the mess that is hiding behind the flowers in this picture, she made a hard day, beautiful.

4 year old trivia

Peter loves asking the classic questions of an inquisitive 4 year old, and this morning's question of the day over breakfast was:
"Why is honey so sticky?
My answer... "Why are you so cute."
Peter: "I'm made from God."
Me: "Well, God must have made honey sticky so that it would stick to the hive without spilling out."
Reasonable answer in my opinion.
His response: "Well, actually, I think it might be because God made bees like nectar and nectar is sticky."
Well, alright then. Maybe I should be asking the questions from now on.

C.S. Lewis once said...

It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or the other of these destinations....There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal...it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit-- immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.

A very convicting quote to read as a mother or even just as a human being in this fallen world. In which direction am I helping people lean today?

Theology of Star Wars

The other night Peter was talking with a friend from Bible study.
He asked: Do you think the guys from Star Wars have Jesus in their heart?
Our friend answered: Uh, I don't know.
Peter: I think they do, and do you know what that means? They go to Heaven when they die. Do you have Jesus in your heart, Captain Thomas?
Captain Thomas: Yes.
Peter: I can't wait to die can you?
Captain Thomas: Well, first we get to live for a while and then we die.
Peter: Do you know what the streets are paved with in heaven... GOLD!!!
All this days before Palm Sunday when he waved his palm in the air and yelled "Hawaii."
Ahh yes, the theology of a four year old, might need some fine tuning, but thank God he's got the gist of it.

Oh, and his new treasure of the week is.... a straw from Subway!

Decisions...decisions...

Laundry or garden....

Laundry or garden...

A beautiful spring day not a cloud in the sky and rain expected later.

I choose...

Garden.

Dan doesn't really need more black socks for his uniform until Monday (shhhh... I think he may be wearing white ones today:)))). Maybe I should buy some more this weekend. He always seems to run low on them... or maybe could it be that laundry always is my last choice of things I want to do when I'm doing my to-do's.

Treasures

Peter is the ultimate collector. It's his favorite pastime. He loves to keep his treasures with him at all times. That's why pants and shirts must have pockets. No clothes rank favorite status in his world unless they do. (except of course if it has anything to do with Star Wars but that's another subject for another time). No, he doesn't remember to bring his coat anywhere but he certainly remembers to bring his treasures everywhere. Today his collection consists of a couple orange nerf bullets, a few wooden spoons, a Chuck E Cheese water gun, a wooden cross necklace and, several chocolate coins (He could care less that the coins are chocolate. What's really important is that they're gold).

I am beginning to think this collecting trait is hereditary. My grandfather collected plastic gallon milk jugs in his basement. I used to think it was because he was raised on a farm during the Great Depression, but just the other day my dear husband was getting after me for all the plastic milk jugs that were blowing around in the backyard (they make great miniature greenhouses). Anyone who knows my mom, knows she's a collector too. Quite truthfully, in anyone else's eyes those things that Peter, my mom, my grandfather, and I so treasure might be considered junk, but in our eyes they're important. Come to think of it, God has a hodgepodge collection as well. We may be used and broken ragamuffins, but to him we're his priceless treasures. Maybe this collecting trait is not so bad after all

Politics

Between a double ear infection, late night news, and a Monday morning, I find myself greeting this day a little more reluctantly. Is it possible to have a political hangover? Could they have voted on this healthcare bill on a Friday? Was it really necessary to vote Sunday night? It sure makes for a depressing Monday. Oh well, just one more reminder that my citizenship is in heaven, and God's in charge. No president, speaker of the house, or momma of this house, can trump His executive decisions.

Speaking of Winter . . .

Coastal Carolina doesn't get much of this, but then again miracles do happen. Over President's day weekend we got this. It's Kate's first encounter with the white stuff.

Spring

I am one of little faith when it comes to gardening. It always amazes me that my perennials return each Spring. Every winter after a hard freeze I think, "oh no this time my flowers are gonners for sure," but those brave flowers keep coming back. Yep, they're back alright, each year bigger and stronger than they were before. I guess life is just like that. Winters will always come, but so will the Spring. But as a friend quoted... "Grace grows best in Winter." (Rutherford)

March 15th

FOR TODAY... from "The Simple Woman's Daybook"

FOR TODAY
Outside my window... Is a beautiful Spring Day.
I am thinking... I am so blessed to have my family to spend it with.
I am thankful for... God's mercies that are new every morning.
From the kitchen... Steak, roasted sweet potatoes and spinach is on tap for dinner tonight.
I am ... ambitious today.
I am creating... a spring garden.
I am going... to waste no time.
I am reading... "Parenting in the Pew" and Luke 8.
I am hoping... to become better with my time management.
I am hearing... the sweet sound of Kate chirping "ma..ma..ma..." and Peter and Anna playing race cars with their daddy.
Around the house... the dryer is going: more stuff is ready to fold, the dishes are done and meat is marinating.
One of my favorite things... my hilarious genius of a husband.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Enjoy this time Dan has taken off to spend with the family before things at work get a little hectic. :)
And here is a reward for a job well done....popsicles all around!


For the original daybook click here: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. Great necessities call out great virtues.
-Abigail Adams

Scenes from the Birthday Bash