Reminders

Anyone who knows me knows that crafting ain't my thang.  Really. Just thinking of sewing, knitting, scrapbooking and the like, I start to feel dread. I can spend an entire day in the kitchen chopping and creating wonderfulness, but give me paper, pencil, scissors and glue, and I can promise you disaster. Allow me to share an example of my ineptitude...

The really sad thing here is, I was actually trying to draw Harry Potter. Honestly, I was. When Maddy was younger, she liked to give us family art lessons (how cute is she!?) and this was my project.  With Harry's neck so thick, I decided to rename the book.

 All that to say that, in spite of my decided lack of crafting ability, I created a little something a few days ago. Ok, Kyra helped a bit.  She's marginally better than I when it comes to paper and scissors. As I was reading a post by a favorite blogger, I discovered a link to yet another blog (you know how that goes) with the most wonderful idea, a creative and beautiful way to celebrate Advent.  Take a look at it...it is lovely (she probably actually enjoys crafting.)

Here is our version---photos of some precious people (many are newly-made friends from Kyra's Rwanda trip) hanging at the foot of the stairs to help us remember to pray. Some nights we choose one to pray for as a family, but their beautiful faces are there for us to see many times during the course of every day, a reminder that there is so much more to this world than our little corner of it.  I love it.  Think I'll keep it up after Christmas, changing out and adding to the photos as God puts people on our hearts.

Thanks and blessings to Devi at My Daily Bread and Butter for the beautiful idea!

Oh, Boy...

 I read an blog post today about being a brave parent that made me think about the guys in my life.  I have often been asked how I can bear to "allow" my guys to do all of the various activities that they love to do.  My reply is always the same.  When they leave the house, I pray for them.  I honestly, and with all of my heart, can say that I trust God to take care of them.  So I pray and then I let it go.  I do not worry.

 Yes, we have had many injuries that range in severity from minor annoyances to major breaks and bonks on the head. There is also a rule in our house that I adhere to and so must they.  It goes as follows..."If you are going to go out and do all of these stupid dangerous things, then don't come home complaining, bitching or moaning.  Man up and deal with it."  I admit that I drafted this bill and voted it into law.  Perhaps it was more of an executive order. :-)


I do not understand them, but I know that both of them look at Kyra, Maddy and I with looks on their faces that tell me they are wondering what in the world we are about.  So the feeling is mutual.  We don't relate or understand, but we accept and love the other.  It's all part of the whole family, male-female thing. 

 Besides...my guys are fun.  Rarely is there a day that Shelby isn't laughing at something.  If you can listen to his laugh and not laugh yourself, something is wrong with you.  He is goofy and fun-loving.  One of my favorite traits of the hubby is his sense of humor.  Jay just makes me laugh and I admit that there are times when we both totally weird out and think we are soooooo funny.  Guys are good for those sorts of times. A good example?   While in Seattle, we went to see the Fremont Bridge Troll.  What did Shelby do?  He stuck his head up the troll's nose, of course.  Admit it, that's funny.


So, what to do about those boys?  Love them, laugh at them, accept that they aren't girls and aren't going to act like girls, try not to let them see your eye rolls, and the most important thing....pray like crazy!

Begin with a Blessing

"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Last night the hordes descended on our house. It was the best kind of horde, one filled with good food, kids and laughter.  Every Sunday evening we get together with some of our favorite people in the world--2 families that we have known for so long that we can hardly remember a time when they weren't part of our lives.  In our hearts, they are family.   The ones who know us inside and out, who've seen us at our ugliest and love us anyway.  Friends who have come to our house with a bag of groceries when we were going through hard times, that laugh and cry with us. Friends who will drop everything to pray for us. These are friends who love our kids, their homes a safe place for our family to just be who they are. What precious gifts to us, these loud, fun, loving families. 

Next week, our family will be part of the descending horde as we switch houses weekly.  It will be the same...the giant pot of soup, yummy bread and a little something sweet. Decaf  and tea will be served up with lots of laughter and love.  We will speak together of all kinds of randomness, of things we are struggling with, of good things that God is doing.  It will be loud. Kids will be running around, watching videos on Ipads, playing games, wreaking general havoc.  But at the end of the evening, we will all gather in one (very crowded!) room to talk about our Father.  There is no "Christian" book to discuss, no workbook to fill out, no dvd to watch.  It is just a time when kids and adults alike sit down to talk, share, vent, debate, laugh, cry and, at the end, to pray together before heading out the door for another busy 7 days.  What a wonderful way to begin the week.  Ah, the blessings of true friends.