Project 365, Week 8

And we close on another week...time is going by alarmingly fast!  We had a treat for the latter part of this week with temperatures getting above freezing, even to 55+ degrees.  SUCH a treat!  You might even say I am a little over-the-top excited about it all once you see the photos.  Alas, its back to frigid air...my computer says its 14 right now.

February 13

We held our annual Valentine's Day Murder Mystery dinner at our house with five other couples.  It was a great time of laughing and sleuthing. 

 While we were doing that, the kids were getting spoiled at Pop and Kiki's house.

Corsages for the girls to wear to church...just the necessities. :)

February 14

If you can believe it, no picture.  Shaun being a tax preparer has put a damper on certain special events.  My birthday opens tax season, his birthday closes it and Valentine's Day falls during the very busy part...he got home at 8:30

February 15

School time!  Looks like an old one-room school house...got the woodstove and everything. :)

 February 16
Ah...we got to go outside.  It wasn't exactly balmy, but we weren't complaining.

February 17

Another day outside, warmer still!

The girls had their dogs on "leashes" and when Aiden saw it, he wanted one, too.  So Avery found him a "dough-dough" of his own and tied a ribbon.  He was completely proud of himself and sat right down so I could capture the cuteness.  They played for hours like that.

February 18

This is an open window...hallelujah!

This is where Shaun spent quite a bit of his game...no surprise.

 February 19
After church there was a "meeting of the minds" so the kids and I ate in the cafe while we waited for Shaun.

 On the way home we all thought the moon was pretty cool...

And that was our week...how was yours?  I'm linking up with Sara today...

A Meltdown

 A rare February treat for us to have temperatures in the 50s!  Wednesday was more in the 40s but still felt warm.  We all went outside for some fresh air and for just a moment I felt like Noah and his family getting off the ark after 40+ days.  It was great to stretch our legs and fill our lungs.  With bright eyes, Avery said, the Groundhog didn't see his shadow so that means spring is almost here. :)

Avery and I worked on snow and ice removal.  Won't be long now before we will be able to access both sides of our car in the driveway.  We'll dip back in the 30s tomorrow and stay there a while and undoubtedly there will be more snow, but right now we are just grateful!

 Yesterday was warmer still and I can't even describe the feeling.  Hope!  Happiness! to not have freezing cold temps meet us when we opened the door.  Didn't take Amanda long to go from this...

...to this.  Silly girl.

This morning when we walked outside Avery stopped abruptly and stuck her nose in the air.  She said, Mom!  It smells like Florida!  Doesn't it?  It smells like Florida!  I immediately thought of another day she said that and said a quick prayer of thanks for my blog that allows me to remember.  The other post is HERE.  That girl has a crazy memory.  Crazy.

As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.

Genesis 8:22

Its a Mystery

Oh my....its Friday?  I had a post planned for everyday, and clearly that just didn't happen.  Well, it is what it is....

I can hardly believe it, but we had our 8th Valentine's Day Murder Mystery dinner.  This is pretty much the highlight of February for me and a fun tradition.  We had the usual crew and though you may disagree with me when you see the first couple, the characters and costumes were not nearly as outrageous as usual.. (here's last year and the year before).  It was so much fun to host it and to spend a special evening with good friends.

 Chris: Eugene "Rocky"-victim's son, with a degree is botany

Bethany: Alice - Rocky's fiance

 Amy: Susan - victim's daughter

Colombo: Hector - Susan's husband

 Connie: Barbara - school friend of victim

Eric: victim's ex-husband

 Sienna: Wanda - a consumer

Micah: Umberto - victim's escort to functions

 Shaun: Willie - man on a mission, and host

Me: Rose - victim's cook and housekeeper

 Nathan: Bert - newspaper reporter

Laryssa: Francine - victim's frequent companion

 Much laughter and merriment could be heard throughout the evening and we all ate til we were full.

As always, Shaun did a great job picking out the game (MUCH harder than you would think) and hosting the game.  Thank you, Friends, for spending your Valentine's day with us....you are very dear to us!

...Celebrate with me, friends! Raise your glasses—"To life! To love!"

Song of Solomon 5:1

Scripture Memory #4

For me, this is one of those easy-to-memorize-not-so-easy-to-do kind of verses.  Especially the compassion part.  I think I take the suck-it-up route with people far more often than I should.  You have a cold?  We all get those, suck it up.  You are going on too little sleep?  We all have, suck it up.  You are busy and don't have time?  We all are, find a way.

Yeah, where was I?  Oh, yes.  I was saying this is the verse I am memorizing this time around.  Good thing, huh? :)

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Colossians 3:12

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.