Our summer is rolling along smoothly and a bit too quickly for all of our tastes. We have discussed trying to find a worm-hole in town that would cause our days to loop around a few more times. I must admit that this summer has been so much more enjoyable than last year since I am no longer trying to balance working part time and all that the kids want/have/need to do.
We've been swimming a few times (not as much as we'd like due to rain) and caught a few movies. The kids have slept in....one day until 1pm and have stayed up late...one night until 2 am. We have bought ice cream, make ice cream, consumed ice cream and maybe even screamed for ice cream--that one was probably me.
We have attended a couple of concerts...free wonderful concerts with positive messages and joyful people. Sleep overs have been hosted and also attended. Fireworks were the source of awe and applause as desserts were consumed by friends that are as much as family. The husband has been making dinner at least three times a week, due of course to his new wonderful grill and we even finally bought a new patio table--which of course we've only used once since it's rained almost daily since we bought it.
All these things are good, wonderful and even needed. But even more needed has been the time. As summer...how we longed for you and are enjoying your stay. Please don't hurry off!
Monday, June 28
This weekend I scrapbooked (yes, I have made a noun a verb. I'm aware of it and OK with it. ;) ). Not my digital way, but the tactile hands-on with adhesives and paper scrapbooking. Its been years since I actually put scissors to paper and created something other than a card here and there, and it felt good. No, scratch that...it felt GREAT. My friend Kim C (Hi Kim!) asked me to go with her and to be honest...I went mainly for the fellowship. I enjoy spending time with friends and figured...hey, it's not expensive, it's close by the house and breakfast lunch and dinner (plus snacks) are included-I'm in! Once I was there it took me a couple of hours to settle in and do something...it was probably the freebies that hooked me or maybe the small class we did or perhaps it was the old photos of me and my family in front of me...but whatever it was I began working on my parents albums and talking and just settling back into "me". I wasn't always creative, sometimes I was merely slapping pages together and calling them done, but I was getting stuff done. In all, I finished 40 pages.
In this recent experience I grasped onto something very important...TIME. Not only do I need that time, but time is fleeting. I was sitting in front of photos of myself as a child, photos of my parents when they were my age...and they are now just memories in a scrapbook. If I want to have more for myself, my husband, my children, my friends...the time is now while I am able to do more than just write a date and place of occurrence. I have always had a mentality of "someday"...but all things should be "today". Today I will spend more time with God. Today I will spend more time with my kids. Today I will spend more time with a friend. Today I will. Today.
When my children and I take walks together it is often without a set path, we just start walking. We may head out the door to see what is happening at the playground behind our home and then end up following the path that leads behind the school ending up down by the creek. We will meander along, sometimes seemingly in circles and other times we may stay along the path until we find something that MUST be photographed. I had only been lost once in my life before I was a mom and knew that I couldn't allow myself to let this happen when my children were with me. I enjoy these times with my kids, but i am also mindful of the direction we will need to take to return home, always with the "this turn then this turn" will get us back to familiar ground. I enjoy the wandering but also crave the safety of being where I belong. I am an adventurer with very distinct homing senses; sometimes there are obstacles along these paths. The creek may be swollen, not allowing us to cross. Someone might stumble and fall, requiring a stop to treat the pain and the tears. Sometimes the canopy of trees may block out the sun, making it hard to see the path. Still other times there might be a dangerous situation arise-a mean dog, a suspicious shadow or such. All these problems may require us to redirect, to rethink and replan our route, but the destination remains the same--HOME. My children have learned to trust me to get them where we need to be even if they are afraid or can't see the path.
In life we also have paths that we are walking, paths that have a distinct destination, but there often arises obstacles, distractions and dangers that may require us rethinking that path we are taking. Sometimes it may just be that we need to stop, treat the pain and treat the tears and others it may require us stopping, turning around and going back to a different pathway. A few weeks ago there was a stumble in my heart, my spirit. Circumstances brought pain and loss into my life via the loss of one of my dearest friend's husband and child, a family to whom my heart is deeply and eternally tied. My heart broke, my mind was seized with fear and my spirit quaked. I could no longer see the path and I couldn't see the Son in all of it, I was swathed in shadows. I have spent some time questioning the path, doubting the path and even sat down for a bit needing to tend my pains and tears.
Finally I am finding the light on the path again, I do not understand why the path took the turn it did but I'm choosing to trust my Father to get me where I am supposed to be going. I will stay on the path, continue to walk and believe...for who else can I trust if I don't trust the One who created my path.
Today we celebrate. Today we celebrate my youngest daughter's birthday...she is now 7. SEVEN! She, in all her seven-ness, has requested for lunch a McDonald's cheeseburger-ketchup only. She has asked to have Dr. Pepper for her lunch drink. She has chosen Krispy Kreme for the class snack (her's being the only one that is chocolate iced and custard filled) She has chosen to wear her new outfit that Daddy took her to buy yesterday on their special Daddy/Daughter shopping trip. She fell asleep listening to the iPod her bought for her...it is, of course, PINK. She has another loose tooth, this will be her 7th lost tooth. She told her Daddy last night, with a choked up voice, that "Today was terrible, and then there was you and it was all great" and then she hugged him. And held him and she teared up. And he teared up. And then she smiled a glorious and loving smile and put in her earbuds and walked off to bed. Yep, she's a bit dramatic...nothing bad had happened that day, but she couldn't find the words to say how special her time with Daddy....terrible to great was the only analogy that she could find. It got the point across. :)
Happy Birthday sweet girl! I'm off to buy a webkinz, book a party and then call Stacey for a long ago promised cake.
I've been very busy, even though this is my first week off of work, with projects and of course birthday breakfasts, lunches and dinners. :) I'm not complaining, but I am busy. As I type I am squeezing a few moments for myself before I pick up kids, drop off kids, pick up different kids, run one to cheer, pick another up from practice and somewhere in there make dinner, update a couple of web items for a project, upload and order some prints for an art show and, and, and.......
But right now? I'm etching out a moment for myself with a cup of coffee. I hope to post more later, but if not...well, I think you'll understand.
Our pipes have decided to revolt this week....and spread their watery deluge upon our ceilings and wall and carpets. Not once, but twice. Yep. Twice. Two different pipes in two parts of the house affecting four ceilings and two rooms of carpeting. The leaks were both caught rather quickly, so damage was minimized...but damage was done. The amazing part is that we were actually home saw the damage done, was able to trace the water to their originating places and get them handled quickly. Because of the first leak, all the necessary items for repair was already on site. The first leak was in an obvious location, the second could have gone on for a prolonged time since it was in a mostly unused area of the house...which could have caused a great deal of damage and cause us to incur a rather large expense. Because of the first leak, we knew who to call, where to look and was actually more aware...more open and ready to spot a problem. The work will take a week or two to repair, but once finished, all will actually be better than it was.
Our spiritual lives are often like these leaks. We see the damage, the outward signs of trouble, but sometimes we have to do some work to find the leak. There is, sometimes, two leaks going on at the same time, but without the awareness of the first, the second might not be caught as quickly. Without the first, the second issue might not be noticed at first. My husband and I have been reading a book calledHumility by Andrew Murphy. It's a good book, one that has been touching our lives in different ways. I've enjoyed the book, it's been good...but my husband, well he has been deeply touched by it. As we have been discussing things I've noticed his countenance changing and his mindset switching. It's as if there was a leak going on and with God drawing his attention to one area he's become more aware of the other areas that He wants to tweak. I get it, God did this with me when I read "Hinds Feet in High Places". I had been struggling with life and all that I had been through. I had lost my trust that the path He had me on would take me someplace good, someplace that would make my life better. As I read that book I began to see the paths were there to make me more aware, make me more compassionate and at times make me stronger and more resilient. It took me becoming more aware of the path and the stones that were tripping me up that kept me from falling the next time. As I walked the path of learning to trust God revealed to me a second leak that had a greater potential for damage, left unchecked could have caused a great deal of damage to my spiritual life and marriage...I had not released my heart from a hurts in my past. But God, in His mercy, brought my heart to the place were I was looking for the "leaks" in my life and was ready and willing to fix that problem once I knew that it was lurking there. There was some tearing out that had to be done, some patching that was needed, but end the end...I came out on the other side better than I went in.
Outside my window...a winter storm has moved in, bringing with it snow...continual snow and an early release from school.
I am thinking...that my in-laws are going to have rough drive here tonight.
I am thankful for...warmth, health and the plan that God has for our lives.
From the kitchen...last night chili was made ahead and tonight going to prepare chicken...can not have enough prepared ahead when the in-laws are coming
I am wearing...my favorite hoodie, jeans and my hubby's slippers
I am creating...much...much...much
I am going...nowhere! Everything has been canceled due to the weather.
I am reading...Humility by Andrew Murphy and Rule #1 (STILL...a lot to take in)
I am hoping...always
I am hearing...Dr. Phil in the background..he's talking about people who have a need for others to know their lives (rather ironic as I blog)
Around the house...a new Eden Pure heater (love it), freshly cleaned carpets and the impending arrival of the aforementioned in-laws.
One of my favorite things...my wacom tablet. Its so handy and helpful with photo editing and designing.
