Today was my last day with LittleMiss. She is heading off to school next week and will be greatly missed by all of us. Though I have known for a few weeks, I just told the kids on Monday and HomeAudio has cried almost every day this week. WeeklyAd will miss playing restaurant and school and piano and dress-up and many other things with her. It will be an adjustment for sure...for all of us.
I hate when life is hard. But God is always good! And we are so thankful for so many things and will pray about the things that we are not thankful for...like job hunting...and cutbacks...and the unknown.
And of course the best cure for me when I am feeling unthankful or angry is to get in the car and turn on the praise music. Seriously, how can I be inward focused, depressed, discontent, fearful, or anything other than worshipful when I am singing along to lyrics like this...
"The thought of You is baffling
My mind can't wrap around You
This human cup cannot contain
Heaven's glory flood
Who is like You, Lord
Who was and is to come
Forever worshipped and adored
We pour our hearts out
Here before Your throne
This is for You alone
The sight of You leaves me speechless
One glimpse and I come undone
This weight of glory stirs my soul
And I fall face down
Who is like You, Lord
Who was and is to come
Forever worshipped and adored
We pour our hearts out
Here before Your throne
This is for You alone
And all I can say is holy
All I can do is fall on my face
And cry holy
Who is like You, Lord
Who was and is to come
Forever worshipped and adored
We pour our hearts out
Here before Your throne
This is for You alone"
Meredith Andrews
Friday, July 31, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Photo Shoot
Here are a few pictures from our Photo Shoot last Friday. Sorry there are so many but Patti gave us a disc of 250 shots and it was so hard to choose between them all. I know most of you have already seen them on Facebook, but I thought I would post a few here too. Our friend, Patti, took them at The University of Michigan Botanical Gardens and she just did a fantastic job! The gardens are one of our favorite places to visit and we have had several photo shoots there over the last several years.
This was York and Patti's idea~
This was York and Patti's idea~
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Random 2
We had a photo shoot this morning at the local Botanical Gardens. It is such a beautiful and peaceful place! We had a lot of fun and I'll post some of the pics as soon as I get them.
We are currently in the beginning stages of planning a fundraising event for September. It's a horrible time of year for such an event but we are trusting that all will be well. Our last event was about 5 years ago, I believe, and was very successful. Praying and trusting that this one will go well too!
An update to my last post - I only made it to 12:20 with the teenage girls and HAD to go to bed. It was about half-way through the movie. However, I did stay up until 1:15 last night with Management and watched a movie. Oh well, at least he still thinks I'm cool.
My best friend and her family are coming into town tomorrow. I just can't wait!! I'm looking forward to some good laughs and games and just enjoying our time together. Counting the hours til they get here...
We are currently in the beginning stages of planning a fundraising event for September. It's a horrible time of year for such an event but we are trusting that all will be well. Our last event was about 5 years ago, I believe, and was very successful. Praying and trusting that this one will go well too!
An update to my last post - I only made it to 12:20 with the teenage girls and HAD to go to bed. It was about half-way through the movie. However, I did stay up until 1:15 last night with Management and watched a movie. Oh well, at least he still thinks I'm cool.
My best friend and her family are coming into town tomorrow. I just can't wait!! I'm looking forward to some good laughs and games and just enjoying our time together. Counting the hours til they get here...
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Riding in Cars With....
teenagers.
I was taken right back to high school tonight as I drove along with 2 teenage girls in the car. It wasn't the loudness, the laughing, or the excitement about life that took me back.
It was insecurity.
Picture this...one girl in the front seat with her cell phone all aglow as she texts away. another girl in the backseat with her cell phone all aglow as she texts away. Each trying to get in bits of conversations with me in between the vibrating alerts and the singing along to the radio.
Serious insecurity.
I am old!!
Old but super cool...cuz apparently knowing the Daughtry songs and having a huge crush on David Cook makes you cool these days. At least to them it did.
I think.
Although I can't be sure that they weren't telling me I was cool to my face and then texting about my nerdiness to their cell-phone friends.
sigh.
Perhaps watching one of the ten movies that they brought with them will solidify my cool-ness and put me at the top of the list as the Coolest Aunt Ever!?
Unless I fall asleep in the middle of it!!
Oh the pressure!
**Edit: I'm in serious trouble. After looking through the movies, one of them said, "who says we can't watch two?" I'll never make it!
I was taken right back to high school tonight as I drove along with 2 teenage girls in the car. It wasn't the loudness, the laughing, or the excitement about life that took me back.
It was insecurity.
Picture this...one girl in the front seat with her cell phone all aglow as she texts away. another girl in the backseat with her cell phone all aglow as she texts away. Each trying to get in bits of conversations with me in between the vibrating alerts and the singing along to the radio.
Serious insecurity.
I am old!!
Old but super cool...cuz apparently knowing the Daughtry songs and having a huge crush on David Cook makes you cool these days. At least to them it did.
I think.
Although I can't be sure that they weren't telling me I was cool to my face and then texting about my nerdiness to their cell-phone friends.
sigh.
Perhaps watching one of the ten movies that they brought with them will solidify my cool-ness and put me at the top of the list as the Coolest Aunt Ever!?
Unless I fall asleep in the middle of it!!
Oh the pressure!
**Edit: I'm in serious trouble. After looking through the movies, one of them said, "who says we can't watch two?" I'll never make it!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Random
It's been a week of bad news over here. I hate weeks like this. Please pray for us as we come to mind ~ pray for wisdom, peace, and direction. Thanks!
A few of you have asked for an update of the LifeWay news. Schedules did not permit a meeting this past Spring but we are still hoping to meet some time before the year ends.
For lurkerhv, I have been banned from Twitter by Management. Everytime I open it, our PC crashes. I can access it from other sources but very rarely do and therefore don't update as much. So, I'm stuck with the cult for status updates. :)
We started a new snack schedule this past week that seems to be working well for our family. I think I first saw this idea on SuperNanny several years ago? Each child has their own "snack box" and can fill it each morning with 4 snacks (3 snacks + 1 fruit/vegetable) for the day. We take about 30 minutes picking out snacks and preparing them (cutting fruits/veggies or packaging nuts/crackers/etc. into baggies or writing snacks on coupons for later such as Popsicles/yogurt) and then placing them into their boxes. They can eat their snacks anytime they want but that is all they get for the day. If they eat them before lunch then they have a long afternoon and evening ahead of them. The hope is that they learn self-control, learn to make their own choices, and the best part, I don't spend all day in the kitchen getting snacks. So far so good.
WeeklyAd was sent a letter in the mail by a friend of hers this past week. The letter turned out to be a "chain letter" for a sticker club. I actually thought this was one of the best chain letters I've ever received and so WeeklyAd and I headed to the store for stickers and passed on the letter to 6 of her friends. It was a fun project for WeeeklyAd and I really hope that her 6 friends participate!!
We are headed out of town this weekend. After the week we have had, I can't wait to get away!!
A few of you have asked for an update of the LifeWay news. Schedules did not permit a meeting this past Spring but we are still hoping to meet some time before the year ends.
For lurkerhv, I have been banned from Twitter by Management. Everytime I open it, our PC crashes. I can access it from other sources but very rarely do and therefore don't update as much. So, I'm stuck with the cult for status updates. :)
We started a new snack schedule this past week that seems to be working well for our family. I think I first saw this idea on SuperNanny several years ago? Each child has their own "snack box" and can fill it each morning with 4 snacks (3 snacks + 1 fruit/vegetable) for the day. We take about 30 minutes picking out snacks and preparing them (cutting fruits/veggies or packaging nuts/crackers/etc. into baggies or writing snacks on coupons for later such as Popsicles/yogurt) and then placing them into their boxes. They can eat their snacks anytime they want but that is all they get for the day. If they eat them before lunch then they have a long afternoon and evening ahead of them. The hope is that they learn self-control, learn to make their own choices, and the best part, I don't spend all day in the kitchen getting snacks. So far so good.
WeeklyAd was sent a letter in the mail by a friend of hers this past week. The letter turned out to be a "chain letter" for a sticker club. I actually thought this was one of the best chain letters I've ever received and so WeeklyAd and I headed to the store for stickers and passed on the letter to 6 of her friends. It was a fun project for WeeeklyAd and I really hope that her 6 friends participate!!
We are headed out of town this weekend. After the week we have had, I can't wait to get away!!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Man of the House
I've been having a great summer with HomeAudio! He is definitely a daddy's boy, which I'm very thankful for, but sometimes he felt the only way to display his loyalty to his dad was at my expense. Also, with Management traveling and the natural responsibilities that mother's take on like making sure they clean their rooms, helping with homework, and telling them to comb their hair (how dare I!?), I felt like there was a little resentment creeping in to both HomeAudio and me.
I have been reading two books, That's My Son and Parenting the Way God Parents, and have been trying to put the ideas and philosophies into practice.
I am so thankful for That's My Son! It is full of great thoughts and advice and practical ideas. I'm sure I will be referring back to it a lot over the next several years!
I could get into a lot of details and digressions with this post but the bottom line is that things have been great with HomeAudio. I have really noticed him relaxing and maturing and learning and respecting and responding so much more to me.
I have found myself, with the help of these books, relaxing and learning and respecting and responding so much more to him. And I've also learned to communicate better with him.
To encourage him in his boyhood and growth towards manhood.
Which leads me to this picture~
With Management away, HomeAudio was the "man of the house" and did several "manly" things. First of all, he made sure the garage door was closed when we went down to play at the neighbors home. This is very important as our garage (and our neighbors garages) is frequently invaded by raccoons. When I told HomeAudio how thankful I was and that I thought he was very thoughtful and responsible, I thought he would light up the night sky with his beaming face. In fact, when Management called later that night, HomeAudio's first words were, "hi dad, guess what, mom said I was responsible."
HomeAudio also closed the windows around the house, without being told to do so, the minute it started raining and as seen in the picture above, helped me with a very nasty job. He gladly (he really did gladly help but scowled about having his picture taken) helped me clean up the garbage in the garage that had been infested with maggots. GAG ME!
He took his role of "man of the house" very seriously! But I think he also was encouraged by my enthusiasm and my help in defining the qualities of a man and what a man does and looks like. He was full of pride at the fact that I was proud of him. Of course I've been proud of him before (a gazillion times), but this was something different. These were bigger and older tasks. His attitude and outlook are changing. He's growing up!
And of course his best buddy, daddy, couldn't have been more proud of him either!
I have been reading two books, That's My Son and Parenting the Way God Parents, and have been trying to put the ideas and philosophies into practice.
I am so thankful for That's My Son! It is full of great thoughts and advice and practical ideas. I'm sure I will be referring back to it a lot over the next several years!
I could get into a lot of details and digressions with this post but the bottom line is that things have been great with HomeAudio. I have really noticed him relaxing and maturing and learning and respecting and responding so much more to me.
I have found myself, with the help of these books, relaxing and learning and respecting and responding so much more to him. And I've also learned to communicate better with him.
To encourage him in his boyhood and growth towards manhood.
Which leads me to this picture~
With Management away, HomeAudio was the "man of the house" and did several "manly" things. First of all, he made sure the garage door was closed when we went down to play at the neighbors home. This is very important as our garage (and our neighbors garages) is frequently invaded by raccoons. When I told HomeAudio how thankful I was and that I thought he was very thoughtful and responsible, I thought he would light up the night sky with his beaming face. In fact, when Management called later that night, HomeAudio's first words were, "hi dad, guess what, mom said I was responsible."
HomeAudio also closed the windows around the house, without being told to do so, the minute it started raining and as seen in the picture above, helped me with a very nasty job. He gladly (he really did gladly help but scowled about having his picture taken) helped me clean up the garbage in the garage that had been infested with maggots. GAG ME!
He took his role of "man of the house" very seriously! But I think he also was encouraged by my enthusiasm and my help in defining the qualities of a man and what a man does and looks like. He was full of pride at the fact that I was proud of him. Of course I've been proud of him before (a gazillion times), but this was something different. These were bigger and older tasks. His attitude and outlook are changing. He's growing up!
And of course his best buddy, daddy, couldn't have been more proud of him either!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Color
According to this quiz, BLUE is the color that best suits my personality. Hmmmm...
"You are blue! You are a deep, sensitive dreamer. You are usually laid back and calm, though, like an ocean, you can kick up a good storm, too! You are probably a daydreamer, who has his/her head in the clouds. You love spending time with your friends, and probably just go with whatever they want to do (you're a go with the flow type of person, just like water!). You are emotionally inclined - unlike reds, who feel passionately and intensely, you feel things deeply and strongly. You are extremely loyal, and your friends can always count on you to be there for them. Blues are almost always very intelligent, and they strive for perfection in many areas. You may tend to beat yourself up for your imperfections. Other people admire you and strive to be like you, but you probably have a hard time understanding why. You can be light and fun at times, and other times deep and introverted. It just depends on your mood. Sometimes you throw people off with your random changes in disposition, but your friends love you anyways. You can be a very wise, intellectual person, but you have to pull yourself up out of your own thoughts first! You, in a nutshell: Deep, emotional, wise, loyal, slightly moody, feeling, sensitive, supportive, intelligent. BLUE!"
"You are blue! You are a deep, sensitive dreamer. You are usually laid back and calm, though, like an ocean, you can kick up a good storm, too! You are probably a daydreamer, who has his/her head in the clouds. You love spending time with your friends, and probably just go with whatever they want to do (you're a go with the flow type of person, just like water!). You are emotionally inclined - unlike reds, who feel passionately and intensely, you feel things deeply and strongly. You are extremely loyal, and your friends can always count on you to be there for them. Blues are almost always very intelligent, and they strive for perfection in many areas. You may tend to beat yourself up for your imperfections. Other people admire you and strive to be like you, but you probably have a hard time understanding why. You can be light and fun at times, and other times deep and introverted. It just depends on your mood. Sometimes you throw people off with your random changes in disposition, but your friends love you anyways. You can be a very wise, intellectual person, but you have to pull yourself up out of your own thoughts first! You, in a nutshell: Deep, emotional, wise, loyal, slightly moody, feeling, sensitive, supportive, intelligent. BLUE!"
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Putt Putt
Where oh where did the nice weather go??
Thankfully we took advantage of the sunshine last week and headed out for afriendly challenging game of golf. Putt Putt is one game that truly brings out the competitors in us!
Oh how I miss that sunshine! And heat!!
I love days like that where we are all together, laughing, playing, and making memories!
No memories for LittleMiss however. She slept through 16 of the 18 holes!
Thankfully we took advantage of the sunshine last week and headed out for a
Oh how I miss that sunshine! And heat!!
I love days like that where we are all together, laughing, playing, and making memories!
No memories for LittleMiss however. She slept through 16 of the 18 holes!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Good Attitude
I was working out to the Biggest Loser DVD the other day and working on the 35 minute cardio portion. WeeklyAd and HomeAudio were coloring in the room with me. About half-way through his picture and through my workout, HomeAudio said, "I will give you this picture if you finish your workout with a good attitude!"
Can you tell that we've been working on attitudes lately!?
Can you tell that we've been working on attitudes lately!?
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