Sick Little Girl

Our whole family has had a minor cold for a week or so - but our daughter decided to kick things up a notch last night by puking. On me. Lovely.

It was a long, miserable night with very little actual sleep involved. Thankfully she seems much better now - still a slight fever (she told me that her hair was hot :) and very clingy, but that I can manage. Now I'm just praying that the rest of us can stay healthy!

(On a side note, the snow was all melted by dinnertime, and our son's field trip was postponed until tomorrow)

Brrrr!!

Our son has his first-ever field trip today. They're going to a farm in NJ, where they're scheduled to go on a hay ride, pick pumpkins, etc. The part that HE is most looking forward to is riding the school bus.

Sadly, today's weather is miserable. It's cold, wet, and windy. The high is 41, and it's actually snowing right now (although nothing is sticking).

Is it bad to admit that I'm now thankful I'm not one of the moms accompanying the class this time around? Here's hoping my turn will involve a nice, warm museum :)

(photo taken out the front door, then the door was rapidly closed to keep the cold out!)

1:00 Update - I am *NOT* dreaming of a white October... but here's a shot of the backyard

A Last Minute Funny

I just finished tucking our son into bed - as he's the oldest, he gets to stay up later than his sister. One reason we do this is so that we have a bit of time with each of them individually.

Tonight, I was reading him a story and he was playing with my hair. Nothing unusual there - he's always loved playing with my hair. As I neared the end of the story, though, I became aware that he wasn't just doing his normal thing, but was methodically working through, a section at a time. When I asked him what he was doing, he replied, "I'm looking for the white ones. I know you've got 'em!" (he stated this very emphatically, complete with hand motions for emphasis)

How lovely to have my aging process discussed as part of the bedtime routine! :)

And I've been meaning to share this one for a couple weeks now: if you *really* need a humor break, then click over here for some all-out belly laughs. She starts off by talking about a speaking engagement, and then shares little incident in which she was, well, humbled by her children. There are also some hysterical stories in the comments...
(BTW, if you have never been over to this blog before, then you need a find a hunk of time one day to read the incredible story. It's written by Angie Smith, wife to Selah member Todd Smith. They've endured some very difficult things this past year, and she shares the story with such honesty and amazing faith. Grab a box of tissues, and prepare to be blessed)

Checking In

I know I've been pretty quiet these past couple weeks - there's just been a lot happening. So hold on tight as I plow through the random bits!

• This past Saturday was our annual Fall Fest. Hubby and I coordinate this event with one other couple, and it requires quite a bit of time. I'm happy to say that all went well, though. The guys cooked 212 pounds of pork over an open fire, and it was scrumptious. We came home with some leftovers, too, so we've been enjoying those this week.


• I've been spending more time in the kitchen. I'd slipped into the habit of using prepackaged foods a bit too often, and it's better for us AND our budget for me to do get back to mostly "from scratch" meals. I made a yummy pancit with some leftover pork (didn't fry the noodles, though, and added even more veggies), and last night I made a big pot of black bean soup after dinner specifically so I could freeze individual portions to grab for a quick lunch. I've also discovered that mixed greens with a bit of red onion, half a mango, and light Italian dressing is really, really good (add a slab of multigrain crispbread, and I'm a happy camper!). Enough talk about food - I'm getting hungry! :)


• Our church is doing a photo directory, so we headed up there for family pictures. I had carefully coordinated our outfits and had high hopes, but was really disappointed with the results (odd poses, crazy smiles from the kidlets, etc). After talking with some friends, though, I'm rather thankful that we didn't want to purchase any of the photos, as the prices were pretty steep.


• Hubby flew out this morning for a business trip to Texas/Mexico. He'll only be gone 4 days this time, but that doesn't make me miss him any less!


• Less than two weeks until the election... I'll be relieved that the campaigning portion is over, but regardless of who wins, I think our nation is going to be going through some really difficult things. I pray that those in leadership will be willing to make the difficult decisions - ones that may be unpopular, but will re-establish a firm foundation.


• I'm teaching the 2/3 YO class this month, so have a few more preparations for the lesson. We're currently using the Faithweaver* curriculum, and I'm really liking it. I'm enjoying the adult classes (it's been neat to go back through the Old Testament stories that I haven't necessarily thought about in awhile and really dig in) and the children's curriculum is done well, too.


• Fall has definitely arrived here in Pennsylvania! We had our first frost earlier this week, the leaves are covering the ground (really need to rake soon), and I've been drinking hot tea pretty much every evening. Oh, how I love this season!

Well, I think that about covers it all - for now, anyway :)

*The main Faithweaver site is down right now, but I thought this website explained the program really well

Friday (Sorta) Funny

Yes, today's post has a story behind it.... I joined Weight Watchers this week. I had done WW about 7 years ago and lost a substantial amount, but after two babies and everything else I'm now at my highest weight ever. Not a nice truth to face, but I need to make changes and I'm not doing very well on my own. Not to mention the fact that it's not just a health issue, but a sin issue. So I'm starting down a long road - no diets, just making better choices that will make (and keep) me healthier. And I'm really looking forward to being able to say I'm a big loser! :)

Christmastime!

I'm really not trying to scare anyone... but do you realize that Christmas is just 10 weeks away?! Earlier this year, I'd promised myself that I was going to be better organized so that we could have a more enjoyable holiday season. I know that it's going to be busy regardless of how prepared we are, but I don't want to be so rushed. The kids are old enough that they can help make simple gifts if I take the time to pull it together now. I want more time to reflect on the real gift of Christmas, rather than fighting through crowded stores to find the perfect gift or starting a batch of cookies at 11 PM...

Great post here about planning ahead, and there's even a six week plan here (kicking off Oct 26).

He Keeps Me Singing

There's within my heart a melody
Jesus whispers sweet and low
Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still
In all of life's ebb and flow

Chorus:
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Sweetest Name I know
Fills my every longing
Keeps me singing as I go

All my life was wrecked by sin and strife
Discord filled my heart with pain
Jesus swept across the broken strings
Stirred the slumbering chords again

Feasting on the riches of His grace
Resting 'neath His sheltering wing
Always looking on His smiling face
That is why I shout and sing

Though sometimes He leads through waters deep
Trials fall across the way
Though sometimes the path seems rough and steep
See His footprints all the way

Soon He's coming back to welcome me,
Far beyond the starry sky;
I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown,
I shall reign with Him on high.

(by Luther Bridgers)


Well, our plans for yesterday didn't quite work out. Our daughter was running a low fever and just generally mopey, so we stayed home. Since hubby had taken the day off, he hung out with the kiddos while I ran a couple errands by myself. As I was driving between stores, the CD was playing and the words "Fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go," seemed to bore into my heart. Have I been been willing to give Christ every longing, or I have I been holding onto them tightly and trying to fill them myself?

I came home and did a bit of research into the background of the hymn, and it's generally believed that Mr. Bridgers wrote this hymn shortly after the death of his wife and three sons in a fire. He was only 26 years old, and already experiencing great tragedy. Rather than succumbing to bitterness (which would have been so easy!) he chose to rest in His Savior, and even turned his pain into this encouraging, victorious song, much like It Is Well With My Soul by Horatio Spafford.

I'm not going to be able to keep singing unless I'm being filled... and that means allowing Him full access to all the cracks and crevices in my life. Then, and only then, can I know the peace and joy that allows me to not only get through life, but keep a song in my heart.