Racing Fun

Derek used to play with balls. For hours at a time he would throw balls back and forth across the living room -- with someone else, all alone, whatever. It didn't matter. He just wanted to throw balls. Now, however, he's into trucks. Trucks of all sizes. He is constantly pushing them around the house. Our house is like a big circle on the main floor: the front "foyer" (it's not really that big, but I don't know what else to call it) leads into the living room, which leads into the dining room, which leads into the kitchen, which leads to the hallway, which takes you straight to the front door, which leads to the....you get the idea. Since this is his new hobby, I thought I would get a few shots of him and his cohorts. ;)

Lauren getting in on it.

Daddy stopped home to grab something and took a few quick trips around the circle with Derek. Da-d-ee, Race. 'Ruck. :)

Derek's look says, "Isn't my dad just the best? He raced trucks with me!"

I've had so many random thoughts going through my head lately as I try to think and meditate on my word for the year, Patience. I must admit that I'm still struggling so much with it. I think there are a couple of reasons for this struggle. First, there is a physical reason. I have a systemic yeast problem, and I love sugar and have been eating quite a bit of it lately. I have to cut it completely out, and this is really hard when you're married to a man who loves sugar as well. But...I must do this for the sake of my family. It's amazing how much more patience I have when I haven't had any sugar for a few days. And how much more energy I have. And how easy life seems....

Second, there is a spiritual reason. I'm not sure if my thought process is completely finished or logical, but try to stay with me. When I was growing up, I was an only child. Not much stood in the way of me getting what I wanted. Pretty much all the time. I also experienced what I felt to be a good deal of success. I got straight A's in school, did well at piano playing, sang in choirs and groups (our girl's group won the state competition our senior year), did well at playing the flute, did oodles of baby sitting, saw many souls saved, etc. When I went away to college, I slipped a little, and then got right back up. I went for years without eating sugar of any kind, kept myself from getting angry for several years.... I could go on, but my point is this, if you're still with me:

I did all of those things. Even though they were good things, I myself did them. I never prayed about any of it. I never asked God to help me with those things. I never leaned on Him. I was fully capable all by myself of doing anything and everything that I needed to do. And all the while, unbeknownst to me, my flesh was growing stronger every day. There is something to "pulling yourself up by your boot straps" so to speak, but then there is an entirely different concept of leaning on God and allowing Him to do a great work within you.

For years my focus has been on me doing what I need to do. Me changing what needs to be changed. Now it's time for me to stop trying to do things by myself and allow God to do His work within me. Having children and being married has shown me one thing: My flesh is strong. Paul said, "I die daily." So easy to say, yet so hard to do. I think this year will be one of great revelations, insights, and, hopefully, growth, not just in the area of patience but in every other area as well.

Finding Joy...In the Simple Things

I have been home all day again with a sick little one. Derek woke up with a very high fever this morning. To be honest, when I woke up this morning, before anyone else was awake, I thought, "It sure would be nice if someone were too sick to go to church this morning so that I could stay home." It's not that I don't love to go to church; I just have not been home at all this week. Even yesterday, we went out to eat with two of the teachers from the school, so it was still busy.

After getting both boys down for an early nap, I played around with our Wii (my parents bought us one for Christmas, and we are really enjoying it!). I really got quite a workout playing around with that. Then everyone came home from church, and we played together for a little while, and then I made dinner, and what a delicious dinner it was! Simple and delicious. Just my style.

Potatoes boiling for two-cheese mashed potatoes. I added some parmesan cheese and some cream cheese, along with the standard butter and milk. My goodness, they were good. Thick and creamy. Yum!


Of course, we had to have some greens! Meagan and Lauren have recently decided that they only like the bottoms of the broccoli -- the stems -- the part that the rest of the family really can't stand! ;) So, Lauren and I have a little arrangement where she eats the stem and puts the "tree" on my plate for me to eat! Works for me! ;0)


The best part of the meal was barbecue pork tenderloin. This is soooo easy if you can find pork tenderloin - not loin - on sale. Trim the white off the pork. Place on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Rub (I really like to cake it on!) with McCormick Barbecue spices. Bake at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads between 150 and 160 degrees. So yummy!

Last night, I did a little experimenting with Lauren's hair. I divided her hair into little sections, twisted the hair around my finger loosely, and secured against her head with two bobby pins per section, crossing the bobby pins so they would stay in place.

Here is a close-up of what each section looked like.

I wasn't sure what to expect this morning when I took out the bobby pins, but this is how it looked after separating the curls a bit! Lauren wasn't sure she liked it, but the rest of us thought she looked just like Shirley Temple did when she was small. After Lauren went to church and heard from "outsiders" that she looked adorable, she decided she would let me do it again sometime.

Life is so busy for us that it's nice to just be able to take a step back and enjoy life. Elisabeth and Lauren built this "park" Friday afternoon. Aren't they so creative?!

A couple of weeks ago in my Bible reading, I came across a little phrase that I haven't been able to get out of my head: "Thou God seest me." I love all the implications of that little phrase. No matter where I am in my life, God sees me. When I do wrong, yes, He sees me. But He also sees me when I'm doing right. And He's encouraging me to do it again. Just like I do for my own children. What comfort in those four little words: Thou God seest me.

Practicing Patience...

I haven't posted in so many days...ah, life has at last overtaken me! ;) Things have been so very busy around here. Let's start at the very beginning...

First, Dominic. There is talk of moving Dominic this week sometime down to Ann Arbor to a rehabilitation hospital. Dominic is very determined to walk again. He is in a tremendous amount of pain in his feet, which, I hear, could be a good thing or a bad thing. We are praying for the best! Carrie, Chad's secretary, has spent the last ten days with Dominic. She just came home last night.....engaged! Yes, Dominic "popped the question" from his hospital bed! Isn't that a hoot!? I love it! She'll never forget it, and her ring is absolutely gorgeous! Please continue to pray for Dominic as he has a long road of recovery ahead of him.

Second, me, the fill-in school secretary. Since Carrie was away for over a week of school, I filled in for her Monday through Wednesday. I never went until 11:00 a.m., but, since the children and I are not accustomed to that schedule, it has taken quite a toll on us. Even now I am supposed to be on my way to a staff meeting, and I just cannot bring myself to awaken my little ones yet again to cart them off to a nursery. I will in a few minutes, I guess...

Third, Chad and Elisabeth. They are right now in Washington, D.C. at the Right to Life rally/parade "thing." I'm really not sure what it is they are doing, but I do know that they boarded a bus yesterday afternoon around 4:30 and arrived in Washington this morning around 7:00. I think Elisabeth slept the entire way, but daddy had a bit of a sore back from trying to sleep on a bus. They will board the bus this afternoon around 5:00 or 5:30 to head back, once again sleeping through the night on the bus. Whew! What a trip! What a memory for father and daughter to share together, though. One they will both treasure for years to come, I am sure.

While they have been gone, I went in to the school to show Carrie what I did while she was gone (I hope I didn't mess things up too much!) and to meet with some of the high school kids who wrote "Right to Life" speeches. There is a contest coming up soon, and Chad and I are helping the kids to do their best. I love helping out like that where I can. A dear friend whisked the children down the hall for me for a couple of hours so that I could meet with the kids.

When I got home, the furnace kicked on, or should I say "sputtered" on? It sure is making a weird sound, so...I called Chad to see what he wanted me to do. I have a call in to a local heating company, who should be coming out sometime tonight. We are praying that it is as simple as needing a new belt or bearings on the blower.

So, my year of Patience has started off with a grand ta-da. Patience. Cheerfully accepting whatever God chooses to send my way in a calm, unruffled way, without murmuring or complaint. God sure has sent much my way this week. I am learning and growing. Only once this week did I call my husband a nincompoop. Yep. You read it right. As soon as the word had escaped my mouth, I though, "You idiot. What did you do that for?" But I wasn't sure how to go about apologizing. A few minutes later, Chad said, "Did you really need to call me a nincompoop?" "No," I replied, "I have been sitting over here feeling so guilty. I am SO sorry." My man is so forgiving that he readily accepted my apology and even chuckled over the whole incident.

Patience with others is love.

Patience with self is hope.

Patience with God is faith.

Childhood Memories...

of chocolate-covered raisins. Every time my dad and I went to the mall, he would stop and buy some chocolate-covered raisins at the bulk candy store. That is the only time that we would ever eat them, but now I love them and just the thought of chocolate-covered raisins reminds me of my dad.

I could not have asked for a better childhood. I grew up with just my dad - no mom - but I loved my life. I never one time was upset about the fact that I didn't have a mom, though there were a few times I wished I had one (like at the outset of becoming a young lady). I attribute the fact that I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything to my fantastic daddy! He's awesome!

Tyler with Ice

What happens when someone leaves a large cup of ice water on the floor? Well, the baby finds it, of course! He finds it and also dumps it out and plays with it and never once complains because he's cold! He probably played with that ice for 30 minutes. He loved it!

I love that little pointer finger!

Gettin' those pinchers goin'!

I know the quality of this picture is sorely lacking, but the look on his face is just too precious to pass up.

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Dominic is in a tremendous amount of pain right now due to a burning feeling in his toes, which, apparently, is a good thing! Praise the Lord!

Please pray for Dominic's mother especially today. Her name is Bonnie, and she is struggling a little bit.

Life Is Precious...

cherish each moment. At my parents' house, the children were all blowing in Tyler's face to get him to stop fussing. He still can't catch his breath in wind, so it was very amusing to them. ;)


Don't take life for granted. Don't waste even one minute being selfish. Don't say one unkind word. Speak every word as if it were your last with that person. Always hug and say "I love you" when someone leaves your presence. Life is too short, too precious, and too precarious to treat it carelessly.

Treasure the moments.

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Dominic had surgery late last night to remove the bone fragment that was lodged in his spinal column. It was causing him much pain, and they had hoped that it had not already cut through the nerves. Carrie texted around 5:00 to tell us that he was out of surgery and doing as well as could be expected. Keep praying.

Update on Dominic

Well, the news is not as good as we had hoped. Dominic fractured the L1 and L2 vertebrae and completely crushed the L3. He also has a small piece of vertebrae in his spinal column that they might have to do surgery on. There is quite a bit of pressure on his sciatic nerve. He will be in the hospital for awhile, it looks like. Please continue to pray.