Project 365, Week 7

Better late than never, as they say....

February 6

  After church, the kids and I hung out...napping, taking pictures and jumping on the bed.  When Daddy got home from work the girls asked if he would take them out to eat.  Of course he couldn't say no, so we went to Friendlys.  Restaurants are pretty quiet during the superbowl. :)  We did catch the 4th quarter and were happy with the outcome.  

February 7

My friend Shelva and her kids came over to play and chat.  Later, Avery wanted to make a project so we pulled out all the beads.  Aiden was surprisingly good at stringing the beads.

 February 8
A brief snow with enormous flakes.  So pretty coming down.

 February 9
For two days Avery has walked around with my broken ipod, pretending to be listening.  She's getting so big.

 February 10
This morning was SO cold.  I don't ever check the weather, but the more we walked, the more I knew it was cold.  Later, Shaun told me it was -4!  The dog has no idea how much I sacrifice for him. :)

 After some time with Grammy, the girls wanted all their things arranged the same way when they went down for naps

 February 11
Warmer today...I've been a little obsessed with these ice-removing tools.  I go out in 15-minute intervals, working to clear the path from the door to the car.

February 12

In the morning we went to Symeon's 3rd birthday party and the kids had a blast.  Funny story about being a kid...we were about a mile into our trip and one of the girls asked where the party was.  I said its where we've gone to see Shelva before.  Avery said, yeah she lives in PA.  I said, well actually Shelva just moved to CO.  Avery said, oh, are we getting on a plane Mom?  Ha!  What a life....you get in the car and have no idea where you are going, how you are going to get there or how long you are going to stay.  (Shelva was actually visiting her parents, 20 minutes away).

As we were leaving, Avery spotted this huge snowman and took a picture.

Later that evening, I dropped the kids off at Pop and Kiki's and was the photographer for a Policeman's Ball charity function.

Wishing You Love

Happy Valentine's Day!!  

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, 

so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you 

are my disciples, if you love one another.

John 13:34-35

(P365 coming tonight or tomorrow am :)

My Prince

I've mentioned several times that I am a big fan of Rachel Ridge of Home Sanctuary.  Most days she has us doing a "small thing" to shine up our houses but often she will be on the subject of family.  Today was such a good reminder, I wanted to share...

I hadn't been married long when I began to hear what sounded like "ribbets" coming from within my Prince Charming's shiny armor.

Naaah.  Couldn't be.  Could it?

Uh, like, yeah. (I have teenagers, I must overuse the word "like")

Reality soon hit me.  My Tender Warrior, my Knight, my Beloved One, had warts--FLAWS, dangit!  There was a frog inside my prince, just waiting to get out!  And it did, oh it did.

As a young wife, I was eager to forgive those tiny flaws and missteps.  It was easy to look beyond the disappointments to see the man I knew he'd become.... with my help.

And the Lord's of course.

But the truth is my "help" has often undermined the Lord's help.  I've had to face the fact that when my man makes mistakes he doesn't need a prison (or dog house) to make him pay for his shortcomings, but a refuge he can draw strength from when he falls down.  Both places have four walls and three "squares," but one strips a man of dignity while the other restores, builds confidence, resolve and courage.  One tries to control his behavior through criticism, nagging, arguing and punishment, while the other accepts imperfections and loves unconditionally.

To be an emotional refuge, I need to assure my prince not just of my acceptance, but of my appreciation and respect.

Guess what?  He IS working hard.

He's TRYING to do all the right things.

And half the time he feels unequal to the task of being the spiritual leader/breadwinner/husband/father/coach/church member/bike fixer/problem solver/boo-boo kisser/landscaper/handyman and all-around great guy.

Will it kill me to give him the kudos he needs to hear, or will I refuse to offer it on the grounds that I think I'm the one working harder?

Forgiveness, acceptance and appreciation are three small things that go so, SO far, and how often I overlook the simplest forms of true love:

A "thank you."

A kind word.

A soft answer.

A gentle touch.

Being an emotional refuge to my froggy prince means letting go of my need to fix him.  God can do a better job without me.

Refuge is letting him know that I am on his side, ON HIS TEAM no matter what.

It is loving him in spite of the fact that he's not perfect.

Being my man's refuge means remembering that.............

Shaun, since I don't actually see you or talk to you these days, I will tell you here.  Thank you for tirelessly doing the best for our family.  Thank you for working these 80, 90 hour weeks without a word of complaint.  I love you.

Somewhere in the World

We've had some deep philosophical discussions around here lately and believe me, I haven't been the one to bring them up!

Today Avery declared that she wanted a husband.  I started asking her questions about what she thought her future husband would look like and be like.  

Do you think your husband is going to be tall or short?

Avery: Tall!
Amanda: Short.

Is your husband going to have black hair, blond, brown or red hair?

Avery: Black
Amanda:Blond

This went on and we got into what their husbands would be like.

Avery asked where her husband is.  I said, Well, he's a little boy right now growing up in another home.  He's maybe 5, 6 or 7 right now and living with his parents somewhere.  We might know him now or we might not.  We need to be praying for him that God would keep him and be with him.  Avery asked Why?  Well, you want him to love Jesus, right?

Avery said yes.

Then Amanda piped up and said, I don't.  I want my husband to steal.  And fight and bite.

Oh, that girl.  She certainly is an individual (and sometimes very obstinate) and I love that about her.  Don't think we'll have to worry too much about her with her peers. :)

Somewhere in the world today

A little girl will go out to play

All dressed up in mama's clothes

At least the way that I suppose it goes

Somewhere in the world tonight

Before she reaches to turn out the light

She'll be prayin' from a tender heart

A simple prayer that's a work of art

And I don't even know her name

But I'm prayin' for her just the same

That the Lord will write His name upon her heart

Cause somewhere in the course of this life

A little boy will need a godly wife

So hold on to Jesus, baby, wherever you are

Somewhere in the world out there

That little girl's learnin' how to care

She's pickin' up her mamas charms

Or maybe, swigin' around in her daddy's arms

Somewhere in the world to be

Through the future's not real clear to me

Theirs could be a tender love

Grounded in eternal love above

~Wayne Watson

Bas-baw (Basketball)

I'm so grateful these two have each other...

Aiden, you don't know it yet, but there is no better daddy for you than the one you have.  He will teach you anything you could possibly want to know about everything from sports, the Laws of Physics, politics and religion, car repair, to investing or building a house.  He will show you by example how to be an honest, faithful, hard-working man who loves his family more than life itself.  And most important he will point you to Jesus.  You are one blessed little guy.

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:11

Project 365, Week 6

Today is supposed to be close to 40 degrees and that is going to feel so warm...and so hopeful!  It snowed on Tuesday and my car got shoveled out Friday so we had a quiet, close-to-home week here.

January 30

Mimi took Amanda out to see a show and ice cream as part of her Christmas present.

 While they were there, we were party-crashing.  I was graciously invited to a mini high school reunion...a high school that I didn't go to. :)  Shelva, my best friend growing up went to an all-girls private catholic school.  All the girls were very close and I got to know several of them.  We've kept in touch in various ways over the years but don't see each other very often.  It was a treat to spend a couple hours with them and catch up and meet each other's children.

I was so surprised by how many YOUNG children were there.  Easily more than half were pre-school and younger, with many under one.  30 IS the new 20! :)  Thanks, Michelle, for organizing it and extending the invitation.  So good to see you, pretty Ladies.  And Shelva...we missed you!

January 31
Someone at the local high school updates this sign regularly.  I had to laugh (and turn around and take a picture :)) at the latest message.

The kids know right where Great-Grandpa keeps his stash of cookies and he delights in indulging them.  So sweet.

February 1
We arranged to have cousins come for a visit so we could be snowed in together.  After they'd gone out to play in it, it was time to settle down so the babies could nap.  When they started arguing about which movie to watch (12 years olds have different tastes than 4 year olds...go figure!) I had the bright idea to go ask our neighbor if we could borrow a movie.

They work in the school system so they were home for the day due to snow.  He said, why don't you just come watch it in the theater.  Madison's eyes lit up and after trying to politely decline we agreed.   The kids threw on boots and coats and walked across the street to their sweet home theater, complete with theater seats, popcorn and candy and a library of over 600 movies!  I stayed home with the sleeping babies so I charged Madison with taking pictures...she did great.

I was completely convicted and challenged by my neighbor's action.  I am NOT a drop-everything-on-my-to-do-list-and-watch-a-movie-with-six-kids-in-the-middle-of-the-afternoon kind of person, but I saw how very much that gesture meant to the kids.  They came back bubbling with stories and sparkles in their eyes.  Something to work on...

getting dressed...optional

 February 2
Avery was complaining about her food so I made her write five things she was grateful for.  In the process, she complained again, so I tacked on a sixth.

I am thankful for:
Mommy
Daddy
that cousins are here
that we have a beautiful house
that we have a nice warm fire
that I can talk

February 3
Oh, this dog!  Do NOT let that cute face fool you.

February 4

My nephew's hockey team had the opportunity to play a game in the civic center before an AHL game.  BIG time for a seven year-old.

 There's Nathanael...getting ready to break away. :)

 Later, we went to watch Daddy play basketball.  They lost but it was a great game!

February 5

Many times throughout the day Aiden brings a book to me to read.  Love the snuggle time with him!  This has been a favorite this week...What Snowmen Do At Night...really cute story if you are looking for new ones.

I am linking up this week at Sara's blog.

Scripture Memory #3

February 1st came and went yesterday and the fact that it was time for a new scripture never crossed my mind.  That's not to say we didn't recognize or even celebrate February, because we did.  Complete with donuts and singing Happy February 1st to you, Happy February 1st to you...though it was snowing outside we had faith in our hearts that we are one day closer to spring. :)


I love the verse this week.  

Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

I Corinthians 13:12

There are some things that I just don't understand.  People very close to me are walking through some hard stuff with no answers to the "why" questions.  And the bible tells us that we will NOT know all the answers.  


It helps me when I think of my own children.  Right now, though I don't know them completely, I certainly know them better than they know themselves.  At 5, 4 and 1, they still have a very small view of the world and the "big picture".  Even if I were to sit down and carefully explain some of life's weightier issues to them, there's just no way they could "get it".  They are left to trust me that right now I am making decisions that are best for them based on the more "complete" knowledge I have and one day it will all make sense to them.  And, oh yeah...I love them like crazy.

The Amplified version says For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma] 

If we can find peace with this verse, I think we can find peace in our lives.  I know things partially and imperfectly, but

God now knows me completely

and is making decisions for my life based on that complete knowledge.  And, oh yeah...He loves me like crazy.