7 Quick Takes

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— 1 —

Out of the blue Abbie nearly slept through the night last night. Only woke once. I am walking around wide awake in disbelief this morning. 


— 2 —

Second beautiful daughter became a teenager this week. What is the sure sign that half our children are in or beyond their teens? There is never any coffee left in the pot for us anymore. I didn't see that one coming! 

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See this?? No coffee. This is serious. Have mercy y'all. 

— 3 —

I like doing laundry. Really, I do.  I like washing and drying and even folding. Who wouldn't with this kind of help. <g> They fight over who gets to help switch loads. Fortunately for them there are plenty of opportunities around here. 

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— 4 —

Time it takes to cure the common cold – 3 days this time around. I heart GSE.  

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— 5 —

"To err is human, to forgive is divine."

Remember, remember, remember.  Seventy times seven…. 

— 6 —

Wondering how many pairs of these (the shoes and the tights) we have owned in the last 15 yrs.  Thinking it is a LOT. And glad of it. : ) 

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Last but certainly not least, it is March for Life today.  I won't be marching since it is the first day we have been home this week. Colin will 'represent.' However I am blessed to be sitting here listening to a ten-year-belt out

"He is all the strength that I will ever neeeeeeeed!" along with the ipod and thanking God we chose life ten times over.  It is sometimes blissful, sometimes wrenchingly painful, and always, always a miracle. Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord, for every single minute.


God bless you all and have a wonderful weekend.  : ) 


Simple Woman’s Daybook

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More Daybook entries at Peggy's


FOR TODAY…  Jan 18th

Outside my window… dark yet, though the eastern horizon is becoming fiery.  Expecting colder weather this week.  

I am thinking… "What occurs tends to recur." Some recent events brought this saying of an old pediatrician of ours to mind. Wouldn't say it is inevitable but wish we were proven wrong on this one more often than we usually are. Sigh.

I am thankful for… three day weekends. (note to self – go make the man some coffee..) 

I am wearing…  Long brown wrap sweater which will likely follow me throughout the day with this chill in the air. 

I am hearing… fussy baby noises.  She has four giant molars cutting through and ran a fever in the night, which is rare for her. Otherwise can hear Brendan awake now counting Madeline (and her buddies in two straight lines) aloud to Tess in the other room. 

I am reading… The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur,  still. Its more of a 'read a little, think a little' book than a 'find out what happens' book. Imitation of Christ is in my purse. Otherwise I am annoying my school room organizer because every time I walk in there to get a book to read to the kids I pull five. Stop piling books Kim….

From the learning rooms… Brendan played this game at dinner where he asked us all if we knew what came after (insert a number) and he then quickly answered for us.  He does in fact seem to know all the numbers under 100 and 'what comes next'.  He seems to have a pretty good grasp on the addition combinations to ten as well.  

100 Easy Lessons is rolling along.  We are at the stage where he can say the individual sounds but it's hysterical listening to him attempt to combine them. 

I am creating…. space, time, and what may be a whole new future. Still. This 'whole new future' thing takes some work lol.   More specifically I am purging closets and painting a dresser and nightstands for the master bedroom this week. 

Pondering these words.. 

"Everybody's scared to death

When they decide to take that step

Out on the water

but it will be alright." 

–That's What Faith Can Do by Kutless

From the kitchen…  ummmm this is where I wow you with some kind of food right?  pass!

Around the house… contractor didn't show, so
back to drawing board on drywall and pipes. On a happier note, Dh is picking up the new living room furniture today.  We found a set of imported Italian leather at the consignment shop for less than one new sofa at the discount warehouse.  Hurray! I am all about things that spray clean.  

One of my favorite things.  Thick cotton tights that little girls have not been able to put holes into.  

From my picture journal…

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7 Quick Takes

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— 1 —

Late as usual but by way of a weekly wrap up……. the radiator guy finally made it out today to bleed the lines.  When he turned the water back on to the previously frozen zone we learned that there had not been one break in the pipes but several. Water removal and plumbing repair to include tearing out walls and floors and  is in our very near future.  Heat in that zone  appears to be somewhere further down the road.  That's ok. There was no earthquake here this week.  It could be worse. 

— 2 —

Mittens (cat) and I are locked in a battle of wills over the final residence of her litter of kittens.  She is determined that it should be under my bed.  Husband disagrees with her vehemently. 


— 3 —

Good news: I am not allergic to Lindt 70% dark chocolate

Bad news: Lindt 70% dark chocolate tastes rather like dollar store Easter bunnies. 


— 4 —

Time it takes to purchase a vehicle – approximately five hours.  Bring chocolate, even Lindt. 

— 5 —

Did a very scary thing this week.  On purpose. It is so NOT scary for most normal people I won't even share it here.  Just send a virtual high five if you are feeling congratulatory. : )  It was big step for me. 

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Broke down and got a Facebook account. I really don't love Facebook.  It's not pretty at all.  However I missed all my friends terribly and decided if you can't beat 'em you can join 'em.  

— 7 —

Best for last: A certain little person is more potty trained than not at this writing. I am REALLY glad we don't have carpet though.  That's all I am sayin'.

Age Before Beauty – But Goodness Before Both

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A good friend recently wrote a short essay extolling the wisdom of older women and the general public's disregard for the elderly, despite numerous scripture verses exhorting us to honor the aged.  I agree with her completely but have been thinking also that age does not necessarily guarantee wisdom, maturity, nor spiritual growth.  This fact should make people like me, who have reached or passed our 'half life' as a scientist friend used to call our late thirties.  If we are very lucky we are in the second half of our lives, though of course we have no certainty that another half awaits us. What have we done with this time?  What plans do we have for the next half?

Ideally the passage of time should find us gentler, kinder, wiser.  It is just as possible however that  the years may have left us with deeply ingrained vices, bad habits that no longer seem so bad or worse, seem virtuous now.  Our ways can become comfortable and a world of possibilities can subtly narrow to our way of doing things. 

I have thought a great deal about all of this over the past few months.  This might well be remembered as the winter of transformation, personally and collectively in our family.  It is a time of turning the familiar on its ear and looking at it in new ways. It is a time of considering whether the years are finding us better or just older.  

I have asked myself: Are you still making goals, having grand adventures, and setting the bar a bit higher for yourself? Or rather have you settled into a comfortable routine?  Have you chosen safety over facing fear? Do you still feel the need for personal challenge or have you convinced yourself that it's no longer necessary?  Perhaps these can all be summed up with the most pressing question - have you considered hidden areas in need of improvement or have you decided you are good enough the way you are? 

It is my sincerest hope that I never grow so old that I stop trying.  I think that I came pretty close.  Sure I had projects in the works rather regularly.  I cannot say honestly that those projects stretched me terribly far beyond my comfort zone.  In fact, even if subconsciously, I suspect I kept my adventuring and my personal growth within the bounds of my personal security.  They were of my choosing.  That isn't living though.  It is maintaining. It is plateauing. It is settling. Worst of all, it is telling God, "Thanks, but I'm good."  I have pleaded with God to do His will and then added the postscript that His will would be painless and familiar if at all possible.  If these are our conditions we may as well just leave it at "Thanks, I'm good."  

This story will be told in time.  Maybe in bits and pieces.  But this is the start anyway.  My prayer today is that the God who began this good work will see it through.  We don't know how much future any of us really has It is my intention to run this race to the very finish however.  No more strolling.   ; )  

"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."  Phil 1:6

Marriage – through the eyes of a child

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What follows is the answer to an essay question our daughter sent in to school for her Physiology and Health exam:

Question: What are three characteristics of a successful marriage?

Answer:

Three characteristics of a successful marriage are:

Good communication. Couples need to be able to share their feelings and express their needs and concerns. 

Emotional maturity.  People who are emotionally healthy try to understand their partner's needs and are willing to compromise.  

Similar values and interests. When couples share attitudes about the importance of good health, spirituality, ethical standards, morality, family, and friendships, they spend more time together, which strengthens marriage. 

From the mouths of babes. That about sums it up.  : )