Welcome to our exceedingly messy, beautiful life: "a big world is OUT THERE WAITING for us to live in every day. Outside, you will find, there is love all around you... It's a beautiful life & it's a beautiful world & it's a beautiful time... to be here!"

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

Mother's Day 2009 started with a shower and a note under the door from Miss M (ahhh... Mothers are grateful for daughters!!!).

Followed by gifts from Dear Hubby (thanks Babe) and a beautiful handmade card from Miss M (did I mention mothers are grateful for daughters???)

A new hot pink ipod nano?  (To replace to one stolen out of car on driveway grrrrrr!!!)  
And all the accessories!
Lunch with the Fam at Islands... celebrating Mom!  (Thanks Grampie!)
And one more SURPRISE gift from Tiffany & Co.
THANKS BABE!!!
High five-ing the surprise.
With the new "S" necklace.
The Moms.
D's Mother's Day gift to himself?
A tattoo "wedding ring".
I got an "S" necklace and he got an "S" tattoo.  (Just marking my territory...)
xoxo

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Mother's Day 2009

"Mothers are fonder than fathers of their children because they are more certain they are their own." ~Aristotle


"Sweater, n.: garment worn by child when its
mother is feeling chilly." ~Ambrose Bierce
My Mother (Grammie) doing
 what she does best ("Top 5 bests"): 
Serving others and making them feel special.
"A suburban mother's role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car forever after." ~Peter De Vries

"You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his
parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back." ~William D. Tammeus

Grammie doing ANOTHER of her "Top 5 bests":
Making memories, perpetuating traditions,
 while also helping her kids (me) who are too overwhelmed to do it all.
"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." ~Elizabeth Stone

"If nature had arranged that husbands and wives should have children alternatively, there would never be more than three in a family." ~Lawrence Housman

"Setting a good example for your children takes all the fun out of middle age."  ~William Feather

Grammie, Grammie's Mom (Gram), 
Grammie's daughter (me), and Grammie's  granddaughter (Miss M)
"A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie." ~ Tenneva Jordan

"
Mama exhorted her children at every opportunity to 'jump at de sun.' We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground." ~ Zora Neale Hurston

"The moment a child is born, the
mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." ~ Rajneesh

Grammie also being a TERRIFIC Grandmother.

Thanks Mom!!!
Happy Mother's Day!!!

Monday, May 4, 2009

Assume the Position (COD 5)

Often, I will hear Deevs actively chatting away to someone.
I think he has a friend over or is talking to Lando.
I will walk in to peek in on him and yes... he IS talking to a friend... but that friend is not in OUR house.  That friend is at their OWN house, miles away and they are playing online x-box video games together.
Usually COD 5 (call of duty).
They are in a war together: sneaking around, covering each other, hunting down the enemy.

Below, a couple photos of Deevs "assuming the position".
This is the way we will find him when he has some down time and Landon is not trying to kick him off to play "Skate 2".



Renaissance Day 7th Grade

Miss M has been learning about the renaissance period in school in 7th grade.
She has learned about the art and the culture and politics and even some interesting thing like the people only bathed once per year!

The end this period of study with a large & fun Renaissance Day complete with May Pole dancing (which fit because it was on May Day), renaissance dancing, designing a coat of arms, doing illumination, a trial complete with a stockade, making flower bouquets, attacking a castle, catapulting and much more.  The students were expected to come in costumes (or they got marked down).  

I was surprised and impressed by the level of participation and the large amount of parent volunteers!

There were Bishops and peasants and royalty... Miss M was a gypsy:



Miss M at school with another gypsy friend!

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Kenya Believe It?

Please pray for Jade.
He has been called to go on a long short-term mission (or a short long-term mission, depending on how you look at it) to Kenya.
He is stepping out in faith believing that 'where God guides, God provides' and trusting that he will be able to make all the details come together to go.

He has already started a blog.
Go to it here and sign up to FOLLOW it (and get notified every time he updates it).

Pray for wisdom for him.
Pray for God's guidance for him in all the preparation & decisions.
Pray for provision (of money, insurance, housing, travel, etc.).
Pray for discernment.
Pray for health & safety (yes, even starting now).
Pray for travel details.
Pray in advance for all the people he will be serving.
Pray for the relationships he will make.
Pray for his Spiritual discipline and diligence (now and while there).
Pray to see if the Lord is leading you to support him financially, prayerfully, and/or emotionally.  (Your support letter will be coming SOON!)

Oh, and um... pray for his PARENTS (who love having him on the same CONTINENT)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would you trust this guy on a mission trip?
(hahaha!!!)

Friday, May 1, 2009

Fun with Friends

Em's birthday dinner (18 - woo hoo!) was a FUN event for all (hopefully most of all Em!!!).

BROTHERS!!!!!! (Lando & Jade)
Jade & Yazz

Em & Lando
So many GREAT young adults.
SOOOO exciting to see what God has in store for each of them...