Well, my last blog entry was a bit of a downer, as I was feeling a little overwhelmed, so I thought I should probably update it again on a bit more "balanced" note. While I'm sure I will always struggle with balance, especially during this season of life, most of the time I can keep it all in perspective. I just had a little meltdown - they're semi-regular. :)

Josh is with a buddy and his family this weekend playing at a water park in the Dells. I'm sure he's having a great time, but I wouldn't want to trade places with him - I'm too old for cold water parks. (Yes, I know they tell you that the water is warm, but I'm here to testify to the contrary. :))

Jesse, Jer, and Joe spent last night with Grammy, who took them to see Alvin & the Chipmunks at the theatre. Fun for them! Chris and I went to Parent-Teacher Conferences for the younger three boys last night, and we took Jake to Pizza Ranch for dinner before the conferences. (Okay, while Pizza Ranch is overpriced, they make a really yummy Buffalo Chicken Pizza, and their dessert pizza if pretty rockin' as well.) The conferences were encouraging, which is always a good thing.

Hey, we sold out of the February Flavors of the Month and Bazzill kits this week. It's been several months since we sold out, since we increased our numbers this fall - but it happened in February. I am grateful to God for His providence. We'll see how He provides next month. Maybe we'll sell out and maybe we won't, but either way I trust Him with this. We updated our site with the March kits today - above is our March Flavors of the Month kit. I'm pretty jazzed about this month's kit; I love the blue in the Scenic Route Sumner and Making Memories Noteworthy lines (top two for those of you not familiar with the names of paper lines. :))

I'm going to turn off my computer tonight and go and work on some stuff I want to work on in my scrap space. And, maybe I'll even watch a rerun of The Office before I go to sleep. Ah, the bliss... :)

So much for regular blogging...

Okay, this is a picture of Josiah enjoying Cowboy Day at school, courtesy of Patty. I didn't attend Cowboy Day, and thus I am a sucky mom.

My list of things to "Be Better At..." just keeps getting longer, and I get frustrated that I can't seem to ever be able to cross one thing off of it. (I am reminded here that I need to "Be a Better Volunteer Mom at School.") I guess I get most frustrated that there doesn't seem to be enough time in the day and I never seem to have enough energy to move beyond the two biggies in my life... being a business owner and meeting those bare-bone needs of my children - (feeding them, hugging them, navigating my way through the myriad of papers that cross my path from the 3 different schools they attend, keeping their schedules straight and taxiing them from practices to games to lessons to appointment and home again.) I do not, however, seem to have any time to do anything else - to be a friend, a neighbor, a volunteer, a sister, a daughter, or even a Christian like I feel I should. I can barely get my kids shuttled around to where they need to be and keep everyone fed in a timely manner during the same evening. I'm not taking very good care of my spirit these days, and it's showing up in the resurfacing of my undisciplined "stress" eating habits, my inability to walk away from my job, and the over-scheduling of my days to try to accommodate all of those relationships and things that I'm striving to "Be Better At." I do believe that I'm now overdue to re-evaluate my priorities and activities and pare back.

I just think that I should be able to do it all - to add this relationship and that group and this activity into my life to "be a better Christian." I should join the Saturday morning "Prayer Group" and pray for my kids because what kind of mom and Christian am I if I'm not praying for my kids with the Prayer Group from 8:00-9:00 a.m. on Saturday mornings? Isn't that the least that I can do if I say that I love God and love my kids? And, I should start a BUNCO group for the ladies in my neighborhood so that I can begin to form relationships with my neighbors and be "Christ" to them because God put me in this neighborhood to be a light to this corner of the world, right? And, I should volunteer to serve coffee to the Seniors before their Bible Study every Thursday morning because I'm not volunteering in very many other capacities within the church, and I do have some flexibility in my schedule to be available in the mornings. And then I should probably join this small scrapbooking group here in our community so that I can get to know some women in my town who aren't members of my church. After all, it is good to make relationships outside of the church. Isn't that what we're called to do? And, of course I should still make time in my schedule to exercise for an hour 3-4 days each week and then keep attending my weekly WW meetings so that I don't gain back all of the weight I've lost. And, I can't forget to take the time to track everything I eat so that I can stay within my points for the day (yeah, right...). And of course, from time to time, I need to schedule lunches and coffees with the few friends that I have left or I won't have any left at all. And last but not least, there is my job, which consumes most of my thoughts and my energy - what Chris and I don't do doesn't get done. We are the visionaries, the planners, the labor force, the problem-solvers, the techno-wizards, the investors, the marketers, the innovators, the customer service specialists, the decision-makers, the "buck stops here." It's a lot, and I just wish that I were "Better at it..."

I have to ask myself if this is what God had in mind or if I'm missing it. I would really hate to find out too late that I missed the big picture while I spent my life managing the details. BUT, if I don't manage the details, then they are not going to get managed. So, how do I find that balance? Is it possible that this phase of my life honestly leave little room for anything except family and work? Is that okay? I am ever so grateful for my job, as I feel like it is a gift to me from the hand of God, so why do I feel like it is wearing me out? I find that I cannot be all things to all people, but I feel like I'm being selfish if I don't try...

Here I am, posting again!

Inspired by my brother-in-law, Mark, and my old friend, Chrissy King, Josiah and I have started a "PICTURE CLUB" for 2008. We are taking a photo a day with our cameras and I'll try to get them uploaded to the computer every week or so. So, after get them off of the camera, I will plan to share a few of them on our blog. I'll update this post with a "Picture Club" photos later today! (Josiah will be jazzed!)

The boys are out of school today, so it's a "Jammie Day" in our house. I was going to try to run errands later this afternoon, but it's really COLD outside today, and it's snowing again, so the chances that I will actually get dressed, bundle up, and venture out of the house is slim. I think I'll just have another cup of coffee instead. :)

One of my goals for 2008 is to cook more. We eat pizza and 99-cent double-cheeseburgers more often than I care to mention with our ultra-busy schedule, and well honestly, I'm not a big fan of cooking (and cleaning up the mess) that I'm always on the lookout for an opportunity to NOT cook. As a result, we're not eating as healthy as I'd like for us to, so I'm trying to cook more. Tonight, we'll be having taco salad. Coming up with the menu is the hardest part, so I'm feeling special-sporty since I already have a dinner plan before 10:00 a.m. :)

By the way, Mark, we tried the couscous on your recommendation, and we weren't big fans. Thanks for the idea, but I think we'll stick with rice, pasta and potatoes for now. :)

If anybody has any yummy and relatively easy recipes that I can add to my two-week rotation, please post them in the comments section. :) If they include couscous, then I'll know to substitute with rice. :)

More later!

The Three Signs of a Miserable Job

I read a great book this week about how to manage employees in a way that helps them find satisfaction in their jobs. The Three Signs of a Miserable Job, by Patrick Lencioni, is written in story format, so it's a quick read, and I learned a lot. Basically, Lencioni's premise is that people are more likely to be miserable in their jobs if...
1.) they have no way to assess their own progress and success
2.) they do not know who their work impacts and how
3.) they do not feel like the people they work for/with really know them or care about them as people

It gave me some good insight into how to help motivate and encourage those that I work with. It made the idea of regular-old-work seem like something that truly can be done for God's glory. I'm starting to feel like there might be more that I can do honor Him through my work at The ScrapRoom and through my volunteer work at the church - by helping others find satisfaction in their work. At any rate, the book opened my ideas to some new ideas, and I'm grateful. :)

Christmas Vacation 2007

What a fantabulous Christmas vacation we had! Of course we've been home for two weeks now, and I'm just now updating my blog, but that's just the way it goes. :) We got to see my dad and Judy for a couple of days in Wichita. On our drive down, we hit that nasty blizzard that swept through the midwest during the week before Christmas. BAD driving weather: blowing snow on top of a layer of freezing rain and zero visibility. I praise God that He has grace when we make stupid decisions (like forging ahead in spite of the weather). It was great to see Dad and Judy and to share a little Christmas with them. :)

Arrived at Chris' parents house in Colorado on Christmas Eve and had Christmas with Chris' family that night. The boys got some fun new Denver Broncos pajama pants and Broncos hats. Our family Christmas exchange this year revolved around the theme "Growing Up In the 70s" (courtesy of my husband). Chuck and Llana gave us the first season of the A-Team on DVD! What a hoot! Christmas morning brought the Wii and Rock Band for PS2, so our boys had plenty to do for the rest of the vacation!

We got to spend lots of great time with Chris' sister and brother and their families! The boys LOVE getting to hang out with their cousins, and as much time as they were together, I still don't think the boys got their fill. Of course, Chris and I always enjoy chatting and laughing with his family, and it is always humbling when they take time out of their busy schedules and spend it with us. We missed having all of Chris' sisters and their families back this year, but it was much less hectic with fewer people. :) I did get to go to Archiver's and Barnes & Noble twice, and we made our annual pilgrimage to Chick-Fil-A to consume our standard fare Medium Party Platter of nuggets (80-100) and three large waffle fries (just the boys and I since Chris is allergic to poultry). (Yes, the boys and I are unapologetic pigs when it comes to Chick-Fil-A.) We did, however, help form the shoveling crew for the church parking lot, and I'm certain that we worked off all of those calories.

Anyway, we slept in until we woke up (no alarm clock), we stayed in our jammies until noon most days, we read, we talked, we played games, we were able to step away from work (mostly :)). It was a good trip.

Thank you Grandpa & Grandma for keeping us and for feeding us and letting us move in and make ourselves at home for more than a week. And thank you Mark & Caren and Chuck & Llana for making us a part of your Christmas vacations. And, a special thanks to sweet Alicia for giving us our biggest laugh of the trip and a great story that no doubt will be retold for years to come. I now have an excellent snarky comment to make whenever the need for one arises... "Shut up, (insert name); nobody likes you!" LOL!

Popcorn Day!

We cranked out 36 batches of Kettle Corn (with a little cayenne pepper) for the neighbors. We packaged it up in gigantic ziploc bags with some cute toppers. It took (2) batches of Kettle Corn to fill up each ginormous ziploc bag, so we ended up with 17 bags to give to the neighbors. (Yes, if you did the math, you can safely assume that we ate the other two batches. :)) We all had jobs and worked together for (2+) hours to get everything made and assembled. Jeremiah said, "I like doing this much better since we're doing it for someone else."

It was snowing out - that super-beautiful kind of snow that you love to get in December. We bundled up, loaded up the popcorn onto the sled and tromped over to several of the neighbors' houses. We sang the chorus of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," and little Jeremiah stood in the front holding the bag of popcorn out for them to see while we sang and then walked it up to the door while we all yelled "Merry Christmas." It was a great night.

The best kids in the world!

I'm pretty sure that I have just about the best kids in the world! Josiah wore his new ScrapRoom T-shirt to school! He was way-braver than his brothers, who told me they wouldn't wear a T-shirt that said ScrapRoom in purple to school (even though the shirt itself is a very masculine brown). But, Josiah proudly wore his shirt to school, so I took his picture!

Okay, more reasons why I have the best kids in the world... if any of you know my 5th-grader, Jesse, you know that he is just about the calmest, most easy-going, go-with-the-flow 5th grader that you could know. He's cut from the same mold as his dad, which makes him pretty even keel. Anyway, last Monday night was Jesse's 5th-Grade Christmas music program at his school. Jesse isn't a big fan of music class at school, so it was no surprise that he didn't want to go. However, we didn't have a good excuse to not go, and Jesse hasn't scored a lot of "participation points" with his music teacher this year, so we thought it best to go. The music teacher is a big fan of hand motions and lots of movement during every part of the songs. Dramatic presentation is not exactly up Jesse's alley. So, I told Jesse on Monday morning that I would give him $5.00 if he was "over-the-top-animated" during every song of his musical. I told him he had to do all of his movements really big and dramatic and to act like he was really "into it" during the whole program to get the cash. And, I couldn't believe it - but that is exactly what he did! All of his hand motions were big and his arm movements were big and his gestures and swaying - all big! We were sitting in the back row of this huge performance hall, and we could see him "getting into it" clear from the back row. Oh my gosh... we were all cracking up at him down there "acting" like he was Mr. Musical on stage. And he did it throughout the whole program - every song - Jesse was in the second row (center) of the choir risers and he was just down there going to town like this was the performance that he was living for! We just hope his teacher caught a glimpse of Jesse participating with enthusiasm! Now, for most of the audience looking on, Jesse wouldn't have looked out of place - just enthusiastic - but if you know Jesse, even a little bit - it was a riot! I've never enjoyed a program performance more! Fortunately, Jeremiah taped the whole thing with our video camera, and as soon as we can find the cords to watch it on the TV, we'll enjoy it again! (Maybe I'll even learn to upload it to the blog someday!)

And another reason why I have the best kids in the world... I'm sitting at the table playing another defeating game of Spider Solitaire yesterday afternoon, and I complain out loud that I can never beat that game. My oldest, Jacob, pipes up with, "Oh that game is easy. I could beat that game every time." I look at him and say, "This is Spider Solitaire, not regular Solitaire. It's harder." His reply, "Yeah, that's easy. I can beat that." I tell him that he must be a genius if he knows he can beat it easy when he's never played it - and then I challenge him. (I'm thinking to teach him a lesson here since he piped up with how easy something is that he hasn't even tried yet. I'm hoping to teach him a little humility here - when it comes to shooting off the mouth... yeah... you can probably see where this is going, can't you? :)) So anyway, I say, "Alright Genius, I'll bet you $1.00 that you can't beat Spider Solitaire (at medium difficulty) the first time you sit down to play it." He agrees to give it a go - and I was prepared to collect on that bet. So he sits down at the computer and I give him a quick crash course on how to play and he starts. He sat there for about an hour and it took him over 350 moves (he used the Undo button a lot), but he beat that game! With me smirking at him from the side and $1.00 and his respect on the line, he was pretty determined. So, everytime he got stuck, he would undo until he could find an alternate way to play - and he actually won. Maybe he is a Genius! :) I paid up, and I'm not sure who learned a lesson in humility yesterday... (I'm thinking maybe it was me.)

Tomorrow is Popcorn Day at our house. The boys and I are going to make a ton of kettle corn to bag up and give to the neighbors. We'll get some sort of assembly line going and Jacob has volunteered to do the cranking on the Whirly-pop. I'm thinking we'll put on some Christmas tunes and pop popcorn for a few hours before we're through. I'll try to remember to take some photos so that I can post them to the blog!

Alright, I'm pretty sure that nobody is reading this anymore, but I'll post tonight just because I'm feeling so guilty about not posting for so long. I spent the day at IKEA with my friend, Patty, shopping for furniture for the school room. Decorating our new house has been a bit of a nightmare. Decorating just doesn't come naturally to me. I think and rethink and buy and return and buy and return and buy and return until I just don't care anymore. I'm getting to the point where I just don't care anymore. :)


The kids started school last Wednesday, and my laptop fried that same afternoon - so a pretty stressful day overall. The "mother-board" fried, and while I don't know a lot of details about what a "mother-board" actually does, I think it's a pretty safe assumption that it's never a good thing if anything with the word, "mother" in it is fried! But, life rolled on... the boys like school, and my computer is being repaired, and in the meantime, I bought another gig of RAM for the desktop, so we're just skipping along here.

Jake and Josh BOTH made the 8th grade soccer team for Stephen Mack. Josh was only 1 of 2 7th graders who made the 8th grade team, so we're really excited for him even though his 7th grade friends are giving him a hard time, calling him a traitor - kind of in fun, kind of not. Their first game is Tuesday, and we've got 2-3 games each week until the first part of October. It's a short but intense season. It will be fun. Jake is going to be the sweeper, and I think Josh is going to be playing mid-field, but we don't have the final word from the coach on that yet.

I was going through some old school papers tonight, trying to get some stuff cleared out, and I came across this short essay by Jesse, written about 2.5 years ago when he was in 2nd grade... does this not sound like Jesse - saying what we all only wish we could say! We all laughed, especially Jesse!

"When I grow up I want to be a nothing. I get to stay home.
I get to stay home and watch TV. I get to stay home.
I get to stay home and ride my car. I get to stay home.
I get to stay home and drink pop.
I feel good about being a nothing." (Jesse, age 8)

I got this little questionnaire below from Shirley's blog, and I'm copying and pasting my answers here, just for fun and because I don't have anything else at all that I should be doing right now except answering pointless questions for nobody to read. (roll eyes)
1. where is your cell phone? charging in the kitchen
2. your boyfriend/girlfriend? Chris, my handsome husband for 16 years
3. your hair? driving me crazy; I can't do anything with it. It seems to be fried, just like my "mother-board."
4. where is your father? sleeping in his chair in front of the TV by this time of night, I'm sure
5. your favorite thing to do? drink coffee and chat with my husband
6. your dream last night? ???
7. your dream car? a convertible Beetle :)
8. the room you're in? the undecorated schoolroom, sitting at the desktop because of the aforementioned fried laptop
9. who did you hang out with last night? Jacob, while we waited for Josh to finish up at his guitar lesson
10. your fears? failure
11. what aren't you good at? a LOT!
12. muffins? not when I can have a Panera bagel
13. one of your wish list items? for my house to be decorated and for my hair to NOT be fried
14. the last thing you did? emptied old files out of an old plastic filing cart
15. your computer? well, there's the fried laptop that is currently being repaired by HP and the newly upgraded desktop that is getting lots of love this week...
16. your pet? do I sound like I could possibly handle the maintenance that pets would require?
17. you are wearing? jeans and a black shirt and Adidas flip-flops that unfortunately, make my feet stink a LOT!
18. your life? "If God is for me, who can be against me?"
19. your mood? pretty content right now, looking forward to seeing my good friends, the Joneses in a couple of days!
20. missing? the Joneses!
21. your car? well, there's another story... do you want to know about the Ford Tempo that we can't lock because of the big dent in the passenger-side door and the side-view mirror that is literally flapping in the wind as we drive down the road... OR do you want to know about the Dodge Caravan that smells musty because the air conditioner is draining onto the passenger floorboard and the speakers that have some sort of "short" in them and either blare for everyone in the county to hear or nothing... (but both vehicles get us around; I believe that God uses them to help keep us humble :))
22. what are you thinking about now? that I should probably stop typing in answers to these stupid questions and get to bed - nobody is reading this blog anyway
23. your work? www.scrap-room.com
24. your summer? OVER!
25. your relationship status? Married with children
26. your favorite color(s)? red and black (but NOT together, like you'd see in a batchelor-pad!)
27. when is the last time you cried? last Wednesday, after my laptop fried and I didn't know if I was going to be able to save my files (photos, etc.) (Yes, I know I should "back up" more often. Thank you.)
28. when was the last time you laughed? about an hour ago, when reading Jesse's essay on his life aspirations (see above)
29. school? Thank God it's over for me. Thank God it's on for the kids!
30. favorite 90's group? I have no idea what any of the 90's groups were.

I should be doing some sort of yard work or something productive like that, but I'm tired today. I'm tired of the constant running. Maybe I could take a nap...but more likely, I'll have another cup of coffee, which might encourage a bit more productivity.

Okay, so we started Club Soccer with Jacob and Joshua last week and played our first games of the season this weekend. We knew the pace of our schedule was going to be kicked up a few notches, and suffice it to say that I'm not sure how long our family will be able to sustain this chaos. If our normal "Happy Chaos" becomes "Unhappy Chaos", then we have problems. Right now, this is what our schedule looks like...

• Monday: Jacob/Joshua Track Practice 2:45-4:30
• Monday: Jacob/Joshua Soccer Practice 6:00-7:30
• Monday: Josiah Soccer Practice: 6:00-7:30
• Tuesday: Jacob/Joshua Track Practice: 2:45-4:30
• Tuesday: Jacob/Joshua Soccer Practice: 6:00-7:30
• Tuesday: Jeremiah Soccer Practice: 5:30-6:30
• Wednesday: Jacob/Joshua Track Practice 2:45-4:30
• Wednesday: Jeremiah Soccer Practice: 5:30-6:30
• Wednesday: Everyone Church/Life Group: 6:30-8:00
• Thursday: Jacob/Joshua Track MEET: 4:00-7:30
• Thursday: Jesse Soccer Practice (Chris Coaches): 6:15-7:15
• Thursday: Jacob/Joshua Soccer Practice: 6:00-7:00 (Have to miss until Track meets are over)
• Friday: ????
• Saturday Morning: Jesse/Jeremiah/Josiah Soccer Games
• Saturday Afternoon: Jacob/Joshua Soccer Game (sometimes home/sometimes AWAY - and by AWAY, we mean that the games can be into the Chicago suburbs...)
• Sunday Morning: Everyone Church
• Sunday Afternoon: Jacob/Joshua Soccer Game (sometimes home/sometimes AWAY)

This craziness is in addition to the boys' schoolwork and homework and the school band and Chris' full-time job at NCC and our family business, with the tight deadlines and everything that has to be done before the kits ship on the 6th. We've always signed the boys up for recreational soccer in the spring (8-week season), so that is nothing new. But, Jacob and Joshua outgrew the league when they started Middle School. In order to get them into any sort of competitive soccer situations when they're not playing for their school during 8 weeks in the fall, we had to sign them up for Club Soccer. Now, I know that if anyone is reading this, you might be wondering why we have decided to impose this kind of schedule on ourselves. We have truly been resisting Club Soccer for years now, not wanting to succomb to the demands that it will place on our family. But, we decided to relent this spring and let Jacob and Joshua give it a go for a season or two. After Jake's yucky basketball season, it has become painfully clear to me that the boys won't have much opportunity to play any varsity ball in high school if we don't keep them playing and training in their chosen sport year round. The competition for spots on the high school teams is just going to be too tough when they'll be competing with kids who live and breath their chosen sport and have played every year all year since they were eight years old. It is a corrupt shame that athletics have come to this point in our society, but it is our reality. Soccer is probably our older boys' only option for any kind of team sports in high school, and I don't want them to miss out on that opportunity if they want to play. (Sigh...Sigh...)

We have struggled and continue to struggle with this decision. The boys enjoy playing and competing, but I just wonder what the ultimate price will be, and only time will tell. We're trying to preserve our family time together, and all of the boys are loving their opportunities to play soccer, which is unbelievably really fun for them (it just seems like a lot of hot and sweaty running to me :)). So, the verdict is still out. I hope we have made the right decision. I hope we aren't trading family relationships for soccer experiences...

My Grandpa Hawkins died on Friday. He was 94 years old. The last time I saw him was at my Grandma's funeral one year ago this month. I drove back for Grandpa's funeral this week and sat again with my Dad and Judy and my Sister at the front of the chapel, saying goodbye for the last time. I wasn't close to my Dad's parents. We didn't live very close to them most of my life and they were not easy to get to know - at least not easy when you're a busy young girl with things to do. There are a few things that I remember, though. I remember their little house in a sorta scary part of town. They always kept it nice, and Grandma always had flowers. My favorite flowers were all of those black-eyed susans that used to line both sides of their sidewalk. They were everywhere - almost growing wild - and I loved them! I remember how much Grandpa and Grandma used to love to have us come for a visit. They would meet us at the back door with enormous grins and hugs. We'd all sit down and talk about the weather. I remember their little front room, with the velvet pictures of the Mexican boy and his stubborn burro hanging on the wall above the desk, connected to one another by the thick cord. I remember their furnace in the corner of the room. I loved the sound of the furnace when the motor was running. It was loud and somehow comfortable - homey, I guess. I remember that they would often offer us a snack - usually some sort of store bought cookie or ice cream. If we stayed for awhile, Grandpa might play checkers with us, or we'd watch a game show together on TV. I always liked to look at the pictures that were all over their front room. Most of them were old photos of their kids and grandkids, and I couldn't help but think that most of those old photos should have been replaced with newer versions that somehow never got sent.

I remember that visiting Grandpa and Grandma generally involved some sort of meal out. We would usually go to Furr's Cafeteria, which was right up the road. I always liked eating there because you could get whatever I wanted, including dessert. I remember Grandpa would always get the chocolate pie for dessert. And, as I got older, Grandpa would slip me a $20 bill when I was leaving, and he'd smile and wink and say, "We love ya."

I remember my Grandma was almost always smiling. She didn't hear very well, so she couldn't always participate in the conversations, but you could just tell that she loved being with her family, and she was always smiling. She would sometimes comment on the fact that I was either gaining or losing weight (mostly gaining). I was always a little afraid to see her as I got older because I was afraid that she'd make another comment about me getting fatter and fatter with each visit, and I wasn't sure my "fat ego" could take it.)

I remember Grandpa's great big voice and his easy grin. Grandpa's voice was so big and so clear and resounding. Because his voice was so strong and clear, I always thought of my Grandpa as a strong man with a sharp mind, and I was right. I remember Grandpa's bald head; bald for as long as I can remember him. He often wore a hat when he went out. I remember a few of them. In fact, I have one of his dress hats and one of his working hats, but the hat I remember most is his Sherlock Holmes type of hat. I can't remember the hat's official name, but it was plaid and it reminded me an old-time golfer's hat. It just fit Grandpa; it sort of embodied comfort and contentment and a just a little bit of spunk - just like Grandpa. Everyone remembers him in that hat; everyone talks about him in that hat. I think everyone wanted that hat, but it was in Grandpa's hands as he lay there in his casket, and it was buried with him on Tuesday. In some strange way it brought me comfort that he had his hat with him. He didn't often leave his house without it, and it just felt right that he wouldn't be without it as he heads out to begin this new journey. I expect that when he is there to greet me on the other side, he'll have his dapper hat on. And when he sees me, he'll smile with a smile that spreads across his lips and goes all the way to his eyes and I'll hear in that stong familiar voice, "Well, Hello there Tammy. Come on in."

This photo was taken from our backyard one evening this summer. Sometimes when the sun sets and the light cuts through the sky just right and that "glow" is in the air, it just stops me in my tracks. I think of Heaven, and my heart longs for all that I have not yet seen but can only imagine from the previews that we sometimes glimpse here...

I read this quote at the YMCA a few weeks ago. It struck a chord with me...

"People are often unreasonable, illogical, & self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway."

-Mother Theresa

Our family vaction took us to Niagra Falls this year. It was the first time that any of us have ever seen this national treasure. I was immediately struck by the power of the Falls, but I became mesmerized by the fact that the water never stops. It just keeps on flowing over the edge of the cliffs by tens of thousands of gallons every day. It never dries up and it never slows down. I find that amazing. Being there, feeling the power of the water, watching something that is so much bigger and has been here so much longer than anything I can fathom - it is humbling. I felt like I was viewing and experiencing one of God's masterpieces; one of His displays of creativity and power and perfection; a gift from Him to us. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have seen it from every angle possible, to have felt the mist on my face, and to have heard the deafening roar of the water crashing endlessly over the cliffs. Nature does, indeed, remind me of the power of my Creator and the place that He has for me in His world.











All my "boys" standing in BOTH the United States and Canada at the same time!