Tiptoe

Through my tulips...did I mention they are my favorite flower?

What's yours?

"And whatever I do, may it always bring glory to you"

Not Me! Monday

• In a desperate attempt to not have to wash my hair (and dry it for 87 hours) I did not lay in the bed and ponder the thought of just washing my bangs so it would still look presentable.

• I did not head out the door only to discover it was raining...and that I had wasted 87 said hours of my life for nothing...because my hair looks like a dandelion gave birth on it when it's raining.

• I also did NOT go back in the house and get a plastic Publix bag...proceed to put it over my head...and walk out to the car...forever traumatizing my children with embarrassment.

• The bag did NOT have a hole in it.

And keeping with the spirit of husbands this week (like McKMama)...

• I did not discover that a certain freaksihly large poodle in our house had lost his lunch in one of the kids rooms...and then pretend not to see it till my husband found it...and cleaned it. That would make me a horrible wife...and an equally horrible human being in general.

"And whatever I do, may it always bring glory to you"

Every Girl Should Have a Pair

At Christmas my sister purchased these shoes for all three of my kids...and they love them...but Maggie's...there's just something about a pair of shoes a girl can make her own. Maggie's particular shoe was a blank canvas...meant to be created...made for her "inner artist"...you know, the one that leaves paint, markers, and papers remnants all over my schoolroom...all over my house? The one that asked for nothing more than her very own canvases and paints for Christmas. I love this girl...and I love the world that I get to see through her eyes...her imagination...and her hands.

She decided she would paint her Toms all different colors...one for each color she found in her closet...that way, no matter what she wore...they would match! Pretty darn clever I think. Although I'm pretty sure she added a few.

If you have not heard of Toms...I encourage you to visit their site. For every pair of shoes they sell...a new pair is given to a child without. Can you imagine if every company we purchased from would commit to this? I imagine less children would be without in our world.

before

after

"And whatever I do, may it always bring glory to you"

Haiti just may have changed my life

"So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead)." -James 2:17

It's Monday. And I'm just not up for blogging. Not up for trying to be witty. Not up for trying to be clever. Not even up for caring if anyone reads this. I'm not up for a lot of the things that typically bring me joy these days. Not even my camera. I am broken. The images. The people. The children. The pain. The devastation. The tears. The loss. Haiti.


I cannot sleep without picturing the crowds of people and children on the streets. I cannot eat without thinking of people trapped under rubble. I cannot take a Tums without thinking of the thousands that are receiving Civil War type medical care with nothing to curb their pain. I cannot close my eyes without the images racing through my mind. And the children...don't get me started.


So often it is easy for me to sing songs or pray prayers such as "Break my heart for what breaks Yours God"...almost wishing I could rope them back in as they leave my lips...fearful of what that might actually look like...knowing the whole time that my heart isn't 100% behind the prayer I'm praying...the words I'm singing. But it can become even easier for me to allow the fear and doubt to drown out my faith...get busy...become self absorbed once again...find it easier to change the channel and start going about my daily routine...and forget. Not this time. See, it turns out God is still in the business of answering our prayers...whole hearted or not.


This time I am at a place of pushing through the fear and indifference that sets in...a place of needing to experience authentic Faith...something bigger than myself...something that expresses true religion...the kind Jesus exemplified during His life on Earth. This time I want to be on mission with God...be ready to act...be fearless and full of courage...be ready to say "YES" to God without even considering the what ifs.


So my husband and I are digging deep into our pockets and giving...renewing our passports online... and positioning ourselves to be ready to GO should we be called. We are pressing into the fears (did I mention I hate airplanes?) and uncertainties...we are preparing our hearts to step out in faith. I don't know if any of this means that God will ever actually put us on the ground in Haiti...or any other foreign soil for that matter...I can only say that stepping outside of myself...getting out of my selfish flesh...stepping into the will of God...and knowing I'd GO in a heartbeat...gives me a peace that I could never explain this side of Heaven.....it feels good...it feels right. And I mean that...whole heartedly.

"And whatever I do, may it always bring Glory to You"

Come on Weatherman

"Come on weatherman, give us a forecast snowy white." -Amy Grant

Strangely enough, "Tennessee Christmas" was my favorite Christmas song while living in the frozen Northeastern parts of the country for a few years. Why do I say strangely enough you ask? Well, because Amy Grant has never been artist you would have found in my pile of tapes...or later, the cd visor in my van...or now on a playlist on my iPod.

But there was something about that song that would make me so homesick for TN ...and Krystal burgers with sweet tea...that I could almost taste it. So nostalgic I would become emotional even. Something about that line "come on weatherman, give us a forecast snowy white" would stir up the 8 year old within...the girl that would get up before light to watch the Snow Bird report hoping there was NO SCHOOL! The girl with buck teeth and feathered bangs...and a Trapper Keeper that sported a unicorn on the cover.

I never thought so much about it before but it was almost like we were putting all our hope in that man (or woman...sorry Lisa) in the funny suit/pantsuit posing in front of a blank green computer screen...extending their arms North South East and West...pretending to know what the heck the weather was or wasn't gonna do...Like he/she really could deliver the goods if we just wished hard enough. Funny. I don't think I'd like to be a weatherman/woman...too much pressure. Too many disappointed kiddos.

We didn't get a White Christmas here in Tennessee this year...shocker I know. But we did get some snow (and record breaking low temperatures) this week. Not as much as they had predicted of course. Again, we were all shocked by their inaccuracy. But we did get about an inch or so over a 3 day period of a light snow falling. Of course my kids were out playing in it before it even had time to accumulate...and of course I grabbed my camera. :-)

the lightest, most perfect little pellets falling...loving my 50mm lens by the way.

Nick just blends in with the scenery...

Maggie managed to make this little snowman early in the day...

then by evening they were able to shovel up enough to make this guy...it was a "packed" snow so the carrot wouldn't stay in..poor guy. :-/

Even Bo enjoyed the white stuff.

Look at that sweet face...you wouldn't dare hit your dear mom with that now would ya?

Aidan, sweetie..put the snowball...no seriously...see this camera mommy's holding? Yeah, the one mommy gets super protective of? You know, like bears protect their young? And never lets anyone touch? Riiiiight...not even daddy...Yeah, go ahead and put that down sweetie and no one has to get hurt here ...mmk?

I failed to get some shots of the end result of our little snowstorm here in Tn...musta been distracted by all that coffee/tea/hot cocoa brewing I was doing with the help of my little red- headed Barista friend "Kay" .

In other non snow related news...this is what Tyler's been up to over Winter break...making a Russian Faberge' egg for World Geography. We homeschoolers really are shameless...the lengths we will go to in the name of education is shocking...and disgusting...at times. In case you were wondering, you have to poke a hole at each end...and then proceed to blow the contents of the egg out. I told him he was on his own with this one.

Then when it's empty...and dry...

you paint it however you like...Tyler created a person out of his...I heard Maggie telling Tyler that he should name it "Yoko"...get it? Yolk-O? Ha!

"And whatever I do, may it always bring glory to you"

My floors were dirty....

...yet strangely enough the world did not come to an end when we had friends over for "Game Night" last night. Imagine that! All this time I've wasted...think of the fun I've missed by worrying over dust bunnies, smudged mirrors and sticky floors! All the laughs...all the swapping of recipes...hugging of freakishly large poodles...making of tea and coffee in "Kay" ...hearing the kids sound like a small herd of buffalo upstairs...telling of funny stories...all the making fools of ourselves playing Guesstures...all the memories.

Sheesh, why didn't someone tell me to "get over it!" a long time ago?!?!?

What about you? If you made resolutions, how are they going so far?

"And whatever I do, may it always bring glory to you"

I Resolve

In however many days I am given in the year 2010, I resolve...

to be more true to myself....

more in tune with who I am in my 30's...

more comfortable in my own skin...

less aware of the flaws and imperfections I see...

to see myself through the eyes of Christ...

to see others through the eyes of Christ.

to be more inclined to speak up for myself...

to have the courage to say "yes!"...

to have the courage to say "no!"

to have the patience to be still ...and just listen...

to be less inclined to care what others think of what I say or do...or don't.

to be more inclined to care what God thinks of me.

to worry less about the future and time I am not promised and worry more about living in the moment I'm given.

to love my husband better...

to love my children more intentionally.

to be content with what I have...

to be content with what I don't have.

to spend less time worrying over things that are unfinished...

or not accomplished...

or just not to my standard yet...such as my house...or the 15 pounds I need to lose.

to become even more intimate with my Savior...

to dig deeper into His word...

to increase my faith and my trust in Him.

to get a pedicure...never had one.

to be conscious of how much time I spend on the computer. time i can't get back.

to be less concerned with my own needs and more aware of others.

to be more obedient.

to take more baths.

to get up at 7am...except maybe for Saturdays.

to make more time to take care of myself.

dare to paint a piece of my furniture turquoise.

to go to the eye doctor. It's been too long.

make Creme Brulee.

have a yard sale.

to paint my master bedroom.

to go to an auction.

make a lemonade stand with my kids this summer.

to have company more often. And not care if I've cleaned.

help my kids make a tent in the living room...and play with them in it.

to be more thankful.

How about you all?...what are you planning to do or do differently in this new decade of your life?

"And whatever I do, may it always bring glory to you"