Christmas Fun!

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Merry Christmas

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Surprises

We returned home yesterday afternoon from a wonderful weekend in Columbia. Despite my roller coaster ride of emotions all weekend, it was so good to enjoy time with friends and to have a break from my own wandering thoughts and anxieties for a couple of days. For those of you who read this blog you may or may not know that Todd is without a job. The job that we moved to Kansas City for was a contract to hire position. It had been our understanding that the position would turn into a permanent position at the end of his contract. For whatever reasons he has yet to be hired permanently and we are uncertain if he actually will. The contract company Todd was hired through is uncertain as to what is happening and is trying to help Todd find another position and feels somewhat responsible for what has transpired. We are dealing with the government here so it's not a surprise that there are probably policies and procedures that must be done before hiring someone. That said, it has been frustrating and discouraging. Todd is applying for other jobs in the area. It's not exactly the best time to find employment but Todd is optimistic that something will work out soon.

We have never lacked anything. God has always faithfully provided for us and He most certainly will now. Though I've always known for this to be true, a reality in our lives, my heart at times is so overwhelmed that I am filled with anxiousness and fear. I've been going again and again to Psalm 37 to meditate and when I set my eyes on these truths I find rest . . .

Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. verses 3-4

I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends. And His descendants are blessed. verses 25-26

In the midst of all of this are beautiful little surprises--light making it's way into my heart through friends that God has so graciously put in our lives. Last night we were going to a friends house for dinner. I have met three really great ladies at church (Amy, Tara and Elise)--we meet together each week for prayer and to share our lives together. We wanted to get together with our husbands and kids for a Christmas dinner. When we arrived at their house Amy greeted us at the door and pinned on me a blue ribbon that reads, "Look who's 40!" We were having a little birthday celebration . . . much to my surprise! I have to say that I am still smiling by their warmth and kindness. They sang happy birthday to me . . . twice . . . I blew out the candles . . . twice--once it was just with the adults and then we decided to get all the kids in on it. We all had a wonderful time . . . good fellowship, food and wine!

Undone.

Another little surprise . . . a Secret Santa! We received an e-mail today from a Secret Santa saying that we would be receiving some special things this week! Zach and Lia both received special packages today from this mysterious Secret Santa. How fun, mysterious, and wonderful . . . I have no doubt that this "Secret Santa" is someone we love very much!!

Undone. And grateful.

Snow and Ice

A few days ago we had our first snow. Lia was begging to go outside to play in it. I was making dinner so I bundled her up and let her enjoy the snow on our balcony. She was satisfied! Last night an ice storm hit the area and we woke up this morning to the trees covered with ice. It almost feels like we are in some fairy tale land. Although it's quite dangerous and many people this morning are without power it's so beautiful. The rain continues to fall and freeze so we could being hanging out at home for a couple of days.

when i turn 40 . . .

I am turning 40 in just a few weeks. When asked how I feel about this I respond with, "I'm really excited." I am excited. I'm not in some type of denial and this is my way of getting myself psyched about the start of a new decade of my life. I feel like there is much more for me to experience in my life, much more to learn and to enjoy and I'm looking forward to the journey. And hey, isn't 40 the new 30?

This past weekend we went to a birthday party for a friend. He turned 30. He wanted to do some crazy thing on his bike, "a test of strength and skill!" So he and some of his other biking friends were all in the garage watching and cheering him on as he set out to conqueror his birthday test of strength and skill!

I later teased him and said what was I to do now that I am turning 40 in a few weeks. What fear could I conquer? What test of strength could I face? (which sounds hilarious) or what kind of fun could I have perhaps with my friends?

At one time I wanted to run another marathon when I turned 40 but since that's out of the question I'm not sure what I should do. Todd suggested that I repel down some cliff or go skydiving. I've already been repelling and sure I was 16 years old and thought I could do anything and today I probably would be too scared to try. Skydiving? I don't think so. That is simply nuts.

Honestly, I don't have to do anything. It's not as if I'm having a crisis of identity by turning 40. But it is fun to set a goal for something and then work towards it. Or simply try something that I haven't before. Maybe I could try my friends crazy bike trick in his garage . . . probably not!

Any suggestions?

Mom, I'm getting . . . .

I am sitting at the dining room table trying to have some quiet time. I have my journal, books, candles, and of course my cup of tea. For the majority of the past 40 minutes I have served my dear Lia. Mom, get me something to eat. Mom, watch me dance. Mom, I'm going to blow out your candles. I suggested she go play for a little while and then I would play with her.

Her first response, "No! I don't like anybody." "I'm going to leave this house." And then she announced her wedding! With arms folded and a frown on her face she shouted, "Mom, Wilbur and I are getting married. I'm going to marry Wilbur and you can't!"

I'm still laughing. Wilbur is her imaginary friend. Usually she and Wilbur are playing silly games and pushing one another over. I guess they have moved on from these childish pleasures to something more serious. She's not even 16 and she's threatening to run off with a boy . . . a boy named Wilbur. Wilbur isn't here yet. He's on his way. I guess I need to get ready for a wedding!

Our Biggest Christmas Tree . . . Ever!!!

Every year we make the trek to our favorite Tree Farm outside of Columbia to hunt for the perfect Christmas tree for our family. We always have a great time. We found out that this year we would not be able to find a local farm and have a real tree for Christmas. The apartment has a rule that no "real" trees can be used. We didn't want to purchase an artificial tree for just one year so we had a bit of a dilemma. Well, in one evening two friends had offered us Christmas Trees . . . how wonderful is that! A friend called and said he wanted to drop something off for us. When he arrived he had with him a 9 foot Christmas Tree! I love surprises!

Lia was already in bed so Todd, Zach and I put the tree up and strung the lights so that Lia would be surprised in the morning. The next day the kids and I decorated the tree with all of our ornaments. Each ornaments holds a memory of a Christmas in the past or a friend who we treasure. Our friends said they felt bad to surprise us . . . but they gave us the best Christmas gift . . . another year of memories and a reminder of God's provision to us in the smallest and greatest of ways.

I'm melting!

Lia has been whining a lot today. I was going to lament through the blog about all the whining today but that would mean that I'm whining and I don't want to whine. No whining!

This evening I told Lia she needed to take off the shoes she was wearing. The shoes, "her dancing shoes" are way too small and they clunk as she walks. We can't have clunking because our neighbor downstairs is very sensitive and we want to respect her desire for silence (that's another story for another time.). On with the story. I told Lia at least 3x to take off her shoes. Her only response was whining . . . long, strung out words in her raspy and whiny voice about how she couldn't dance without her shoes, how sad she would be not to wear her shoes, how dancers had to wear their dancing shoes (all valid points but she still needed to take them off). I decided she could sit alone a bit until she could stop whining and took off her shoes.

As she sat in her "quiet spot" I hear her say, again in long, strung out whiny words, "Mom, I can't take off my shoes because then I would melt!"

36-28

36 Mizzou 28 Jayhawks

Mizzou came out on top last night with an impressive win over the #2 Kansas Jayhawks. It's quite possible that today Mizzou will be placed at the #1 spot.

It would be so fun to be living in Columbia right now! The next big game is the Big 12 Championship next week in San Antonio. Tigers vs Oklahoma. Wow! I just never thought this would happen.

Go Tigers!

We took the kids downtown tonight for the Mizzou Tiger Pep Rally. There were 100's of people crammed together in the freezing temps chanting MIZ-ZOU! Truman, mini-Mizzou and the cheerleaders were all out for the ZOU! The rally started about 45 minutes late and the kids started losing their enthusiasm. We didn't make it to the end of the rally but did enjoy shouting and cheering on the Tigers.

For those who don't know Mizzou is having a great football season. They are ranked #3 in the nation. Saturday night Mizzou will play KU (our biggest rival) at Arrowhead Stadium in KC for the "border showdown." The stakes are high. A national title could be at stake. Who would have thought!

thanksgiving

It's the day after Thanksgiving! I wanted to post yesterday but after cooking, eating and chatting for a majority of the day I was just too tired and full to think. Todd's parents, sister, our two nephews and a new friend celebrated the day with us. We had good day. I enjoyed cooking and having our family here.

A year or more ago I was asked to speak at a Woman's meeting at church. I had everything prepared for that meeting until one afternoon when I was at home, fretting about the future and attempting to gain some control over the outcome of our lives. Why do we do this? The energy spent in worry and trying to manipulate our circumstances is futile. No, I'm not saying we shouldn't make plans and make wise choices but there is a reality to the verse in Proverbs that says, "A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps." (I live in Kansas case and point.)

I remember clearly what happened as I sat quietly, going over my notes for the meeting that was just two days away and fretting over our future--I was multi-tasking. God showed up. No, I didn't see Him but I became so aware that He was there with me, at that very moment and the word "thanksgiving" came to my mind. In a moment I started thinking about all that I was thankful for. Suddenly, I wasn't consumed with anxiousness or fear but joy. It was a beautiful moment. I pushed aside my notes and changed everything that I was going to share with the women. I won't elaborate on what I shared about these areas in my life but here is my short list of things that I am thankful for.

Thankfulness.
1. The Cross of Christ. Eternal Life
2. My life isn't about me. It's all about Him.
3. My life from when I breathed my first breath to this day is marked by the faithfulness of God.
4. My darlin, Todd. 16 years of marriage.
5. Our children, Zach and Lia-Joy
6. Family and friends.
7. Our church
8. Seasons
9. Music
10. Nations and Cultures

"The person with an abiding heart/spirit of gratitude is the one who trust God."--Brennan Manning, Ruthless Trust
"We need only to know who and what we really are to break into spontaneous praise and thanksgiving." --Hans vrs Von Balthasar, quoted by Brennan Manning in Ruthless Trust

Monday

I couldn't think of anything clever to title this post. It's Monday. It's been a great Monday. So that's what I came up with. Monday.

Two of our friends were here from CoMo today. We had a quiet and relaxing day together. Todd is always wanting to make pancakes so visitors are always reason enough to make a great big stack. We enjoyed our pancakes, coffee and being together.

At dinner tonight Lia talked about how she is growing into a "woman" and Zach is growing into a "man." She then went into an explanation on how Zach would be a husband and she a wife someday. As she sat processing her own stories of her future life, she paused and asked if she could marry her daddy. How sweet is that. I remembered when Zach insisted that he would only marry me when he was a "big guy." How can it be possible that one day Dad and Mom won't seem so cool and the thought of getting married will seem "gross." Although I want Zach and Lia to "grow up" to be healthy adults, I also want to capture these moments when they are "just kids" and never release these moments to just my memories.

As we finished our meal and Zach and Todd cleared the table it came to Zach's attention that his fish, Twidgey had died. Todd and Zach stood over the fish bowl, staring at the lifeless fish, laying flat at the bottom of the bowl. Zach received Twidgey 1 1/2 years ago from his 1st grade teacher for doing a great job in summer school. Zach was trying to understand how Twidgey met his fate and we didn't have an answer. It seems like it should be so simple, it's a fish. But as Zach stood there asking his questions with strain in his voice, we didn't have a good answer. He started to cry . . . all we could do was hug him and say that we were sorry that his fish died.

He and Todd are now playing Madden Football and I suppose that is easing his loss. He said he didn't want another fish. This is the second Beta that Zach has had. The first, Sparkly, lived for almost 2 years. We bought Sparkly the day Zach fell at the swimming pool and had to get his first stitches--he was 3 years old. Because he was so brave we bought him a fish. The day that Sparkly died was Zach's first encounter with death. He laid in my lap and cried--a deep cry--over a fish name Sparkly. We buried Sparkly in the back yard.

Lia would like for me to dance with her now. She has asked me to stop typing so I can join her on the dance floor. Of course I'm not wearing a dress so I can't be a real dancer like her.

Monday.

fall 2

Fall in Mission

Lia and I drove around one afternoon taking pictures of the beautiful trees that are brilliant with color this Fall. We stopped in at our favorite coffee shop for a tastey warm drink and I let Lia take a few pictures. The picture of the blue sky is one that she took.

Trick or Treat

We went trick or treating with friends in their neighborhood last night. It was a lot of fun. Every house we visited welcomed the kids warmly and with lots of goodies--it reminded me of when I was a kid and would trick or treat in my Grandparents neighborhood. After each house Lia would shout, "Mom, I have more candy. They gave me more candy!" Several times instead of saying Trick or Treat she said, "Surprise!"

Zach dressed up as Obe Won Konobe from Star Wars and Lia was Tinkerbell. She had to give up her wings since it was so cool outside but that didn't hold her back--she was either hopping or running most of the evening. Her friend Xen was a Kangaroo--the cutest Kangaroo ever I must say. Lia kept saying, "Come with me Kangaroo."

More of our day in Lawrence

A day in Lawrence

I'm squeezing in several post to close out the month of October. Last Saturday we took a day trip to Lawrence with some friends. We stopped at a Pumpkin Patch just outside Lawrence--it was FREE and so much fun! We then headed down to Massachusetts Street in Downtown Lawrence. We had heard that Lawrence had a great downtown area--it's true. We are still fond of Downtown Columbia and nothing could I think replace that for us but we did enjoy the day of exploring a small little part of Lawrence.

beautiful song . . . the cry of my heart

MY SOUL IS WEAK my heart is numb
I cannot see
But still my hope is found in You
I’ll hold on tightlyYou will never let me go
For Jesus You will never fail
Jesus You will never fail

Simply to the cross I cling
Letting go of all earthly things
Clinging to the cross
Mercy’s found a way for me
Hope is here as I am free
Jesus You are all I need
Clinging to the cross

Even darkness is as light
To You my Lord
So light the way and lead me home
To that place where
Every tear is wiped away
For Jesus You will never fail
Jesus You will never fail

What a Saviour, what a story
You were crucified but now You are alive
So amazing, such a mystery
You were crucified but now You are alive

Tim Hughes and Martin Smith
Copyright © 2007 Thankyou Music & Curious?Music/Bucks Music Ltd

from the mouths of babes

I have been battling a migraine all evening. I took some medication that made me feel worse then I did prior to taking it . . . it was meant to take the edge off and instead it made me feel nauseated. As I lay in the dark for awhile with a cold cloth on my head I experienced only little relief.

I was saying good night to Lia and she asked if I wanted her to pray for me. She said,"I could talk to Jesus." I laid my head on her pillow and she offered a sweet and sincere prayer--"Jesus will you take away mommy's headache?" Then with wide eyes she looked at me and said, "He said Yes! He will give you some ibuprofen!"

I think . . . no, I know that God smiled and I was given some relief . . . the prayer and kiss on my head from my little girl and the miracle of a gracious Father in Heaven who hears when we call upon Him.

BELLA. A movie that must be seen. This movie is now on my top 5 list--perhaps at number 2.

Fall

Every season holds something beautiful. I'm grateful that I live in a part of the country where I can experience every season. This fall has been especially wonderful. The tree outside my window has slowly begun to wear it's fall colors--orange, yellow and a hint of red. The crisp air, the smell of Fall, the colors . . . it's fantastic--absolutely fantastic.

A friend of mine who lives in Arizona is missing the beauty of fall and asked if I could take pictures of trees to send her. Absolutely! Knowing that she is missing out on all of this beauty, I must give her the small gift of a few pictures--hopefully, I can capture a little of this season for her.

Zach has been off school the last two days. Although I haven't been feeling that well I thought we should get out and enjoy the beautiful blue skies and sunshine. I had recently seen an add for a pumpkin patch and corn maze so I thought we would take a little trip to Louisburg to check things out.

We had a great time despite the fact that the pumpkin patch and corn maze were disappointing--and the cost was outrageous. I will spare everyone the details--it's not worth going into. I did get some great pictures of the kids and we enjoyed being together--that's really all that matters.

Some notable quotes from our afternoon:

Lia--at the top of her lungs as we are passing a horrible waste lagoon near the corn maze--the smell was nauseating! "I am going to sing that smell away! Go away smell, go away smell, I am singing you away!"

Zach--as we were driving home he had taken off his shoes and socks in the car. He ask me why he has hair on his toes and also noticed that his legs seem to have more. I, in very simple terms, said that he was growing up. He smiled and then let out a shout, "I'm becoming a man!"

Today

Today. Today is a gorgeous day. The sky is clear, the air crisp, the trees beginning to wear their fall colors. I'm so grateful I live in a place where I can enjoy all four seasons. I can't imagine missing a day like this.

Lia and I met a friend this morning at our favorite little coffee shop. I really need to take a picture of it so that those of you who actually check out our little blog can see it. If I could have, I would have spent the entire day sitting on the patio-- gazing at the sky, sipping my tea, enjoying the way the leaves were blowing off the trees, reading a great book and pausing to give thanks to Jesus for His grace to me. But . . . Lia had to go potty and we had to leave . . . I still enjoyed our brief time on the patio and have been thankful all day for Today.

Today. I received an encouraging word from a friend. A friend who seems to always call or write just when I need to have my eyes turned back to all that is good, true, lovely and pure. I believe the Holy Spirit often prompts us in these ways--to be vessels of His grace and mercy to one another. It's as if He is saying, I am very aware of the quiet and restless places of your soul and mind and I am very much with you. I'm extremely grateful for my friends faithfulness to always follow through when led to pray for me. She sent me verses from Psalm 34. I have read the Psalm several times this afternoon. I would type out the entire Psalm but it's quite long. If you have a Bible I would encourage you to read it. Pause. Meditate.

Today.

extravagance

Last night Zach and I were watching Man vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel. "Bear" (that's the survival man's real name) had para glided into the jungles of Ecuador. I actually like these shows and the shows are fun to watch with Zach. Bear was making his way through very thick brush, even for this experienced survivalist he was struggling to push his way through all of the wildlife around him. There is a moment in this journey where he suddenly stops to point out a flower--yes, a flower. A beautiful pink flower. He smiles, pauses and shares what type of flower it is. He then says something that totally surprised me but was so beautiful. Bear then says, "you know sometimes when you are rushing around or even just trying to make it through something very difficult in life you just need to pause. These are moments where God shows His EXTRAVAGANCE. Here in the middle of the jungle a flower displays the extravagance of God." (part of that is paraphrased)

I agreed with Bear and then I started thinking about how many simple moments in my day God displays His extravagance and grace in my life. The very breath that I'm breathing in this moment, the leaves outside my window that are beginning to change colors, the smile and laugh of my children, the thought of a friend, the still small voice of God, beautiful words, . . . I can go on and on. God is extravagant in every way--in His creation, in the demonstration of His love towards us in the life and death of Christ and in the relationships He has given us to enjoy.

I want to pause more to celebrate these moments of God's extravagance in my life.

more pics

Where's my birthday?

Last week Lia turned 4. It's hard to believe that the last 2 1/2 years have passed by. She is growing up so fast! :-) We had a wonderful birthday day together. We met friends at our favorite little coffee shop, we picked up Zach from school and had a picnic lunch at a little park near the library and we had a wonderful dinner at home with our family. Lia kept saying two things all day that are worth noting because they were so cute. The first, "Where is my birthday?" I'm not sure what she meant by that--I tried all day to figure out what she meant. The second, "I am 4 today!" She was quite proud and would tell everyone we would see. Another highlight of her day was when Daddy came home with a birthday balloon and flowers for the birthday girl! Wow! Did daddy ever win her heart!

The day after her birthday we had friends over for pizza and cupcakes. Lia loved all of the attention except for when we started singing happy birthday to her. She refused to blow out the candles. It was really funny. After it was all over she was quite happy to eat her chocolate cupcake but didn't want to have anything to do with the song or the candles.

This past weekend was also pretty fabulous! Our wonderful friend Rachel came to hang out with us. We made our first trip to the city market to purchase yummy veggies and fruit. It was so much fun. Sunday we had lunch at D'Bronx--yum and took a very long nap! We also watched one of my favorite movies--Babbett's Feast! If you haven't seen it you should!

I'm posting pictures of Lia's birthday and our weekend with Ray-Ray!

please forgive me

I read thru my last post and noticed several errors. I'm too tired to change them so plese forgive all the typos!! :-) You wouldn't believe how long it took me to finish the post because I kept changing things. I need an editor!

Just like baby Moses

It's been weeks since my last entry. We have been in KC for 3 months now--we actually arrived 3 months ago today. Part of me feels like I just arrived yesterday and yet I also feel like we have been here forever. There still are times when I miss CoMo deeply and I ache for our friends and all that is familiar. I'm also beginning to enjoy the city. When asked if I'm starting to like it here, I simply say, "I'm surprised to say that this is actually a beautiful city and I'm really starting to enjoy living here." It's also helped to have many friends who have come to visit! It's great to have our apartment full of friends . . . cooking, laughing, making cups of tea, chatting, sharing life . . . these are the things I love.

Zach has started school. It's been an emotional transition for him and for me (probably more difficult for me). It takes time to adjust and make new friends . . . we are learning patience together. This week while we were working on his homework he informed me that he didn't need to learn how to read a map. He will just buy a GPS! All I could do was laugh! How does he even know what that is! :-) He is so smart and clever!

Lia is continuing to try and solve the mysteries of the human anatomy. Her latest statement, "I just ate my (insert food item that she's enjoying) and it's in my digestive system." Tonight Lia kept asking me to tell her stories about when she was born in China. She said, "tell me the story of when I was just like baby Moses in a basket." We've been telling Lia her story since she was first placed in our arms. She will occasionally tell us her story by piecing together various parts that she remembers. One night we were reading stories from her Bible and we happened to read the story about Moses. I wont tell the entire story but this is what happened to Moses when he was born. Moses was born during a very turbulent time. In order to save his life his mother placed him in a basket and sent him down the river in hopes that his life would be spared from the soldiers who were taking the lives of all the first born sons of Israel. Moses was found by Pharaohs wife and raised as part of Pharaohs family. Lia's story is somewhat similiar. For very different reasons and reasons we are not certain of, she was wrapped in a blanket when she was four days old and placed in a bamboo basket with a note and bag of rice. She was then brought to a safe place, where a woman found her and brought her to the orphanage until we came to bring her home. Just like baby Moses . . .

Todd is doing well. Enjoying his job. Still finalizing his thesis. Still my wonderful darlin! We finally were able to celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary (our anniversary was the weekend we moved). It's so amazing to think that we are approaching our 20 year mark--how great is that!

I read these words from a puritan prayer book tonight . . .

I wish not so much to do as to be, and I long to be like Jesus; if Thou dost make me right I shall be right; Lord, I belong to Thee, make me worthy of Thyself.

Peace.

fishing

These are pics from our day at a Children's Farm near us. We spent the entire afternoon fishing. Lia's first drop into the pond landed her a nice size fish--it freaked her out so she was then done with fishing and became our "bucket girl." She gave herself that name. Zach loved fishing and caught about 7 fish total. He was also chased by a roaming buffalo.

Anatomy lessons continue

Today we visited a fun place for kids of all of ages, Wonderscope. The building was once used as an elementary school but is now a fun place to explore. Classrooms are set up with different themes--grocery store, space, tv/film, doctor/hospital, raceways and an art room. Zach spent most of his time in the Raceways room. There were different ramps and mazes--some you could construct yourself--that you would drop a golf ball in and watch it go. The room is sponsored and was designed by engineers. When Lia discovered the Doctors room she was quite excited. The room had actual x-ray pictures of different parts of the body and she spent a lot of time studying these pictures. Our 1 1/2 hours there were well spent!

The rest of the day Lia has talked about how our bodies have bones, muscles and blood vessels. Her question to me this evening was, "Mommy, why do we have bones and blood vessels." At first I'm thinking, I'll just give her a standard answer and hope that it will be enough. "Well, God made us that way." I knew that wouldn't fly with her--that answer would lead to another question. So in my very simple way I tried to explain why--why God made us this way, why are bones are under the skin as opposed to just being exposed, why the veins carry our blood and why are heart goes, thump, thump, thump. (I need help--where are all of our doctor friends when you need them.)

When you think about it . . . the human body is pretty amazing. I think the Psalmist says it well, "we are fearfully and wonderfully made."

expression

Anatomy 101

This is just funny so I thought I would post it. Lia tells us often that she is going to be a doctor (and a wonder pet ballerina). We are not sure where her inspiration comes from but she always wants to bring aide to anyone in need and is fascinated by any "ouie" that someone might have. She tell us that dr's help people and make them better so that's what she's going to do when she's "big."

A few days ago Lia asked me a question that made me laugh. Her question, "Mom, can you take your skin off so I can see your blood and bones?" I tried to explain that I couldn't do that (the thought of peeling back my skin for her to have a quick view is just disturbing) but would try to find a picture of what our blood and bones look like. Her questions about our anatomy came again today so I decided to do a little google search of the human anatomy. For about 30 minutes she sat mesmerized as I showed her picture of our nervous, skeletal, and digestive systems. She loves it and if it wasn't for her favorite show coming on she would have continued sitting on my lap as we explored--the human body is quite amazing!!

Perhaps this desire to be a Dr when she is big is exactly what she will be . . . she could have completed anatomy by then if we keep spending time on innerbody.com.

Smiling.

A drive down Broadway

Oh my goodness . . . I had just completed a few paragraphs for my new post. I did a spell check and then . . . Bam! Everything was gone . . . gone! Wow! I don't think I'm going to type all that again. Unbelievable. All my thoughts . . . vanished just like that. Sigh!

Well, in a nutshell. We were in CoMo last weekend for a few short hours. We drove down West Blvd and saw our old house . . . it still looked like our house. We could have just pulled in the driveway and walked right in the house--familiar! Home! We then headed down Broadway . . . another familiar path . . . a path that I often traveled several times a week to meet with a friend at a local coffee shop--I really miss that. We enjoyed lunch at Flat Branch with precious friends. It felt like we had just been on vacation for a month--we were home. but only for a short time.

We were soon on the road headed West to KC . . . now we are here. I don't have too many familiar paths yet . . . or coffee shops to meet with friends but we are exploring, we are forging ahead and making new paths . . .

I really can't believe I lost all my previous thoughts . . . they were so good and thoughtful . . . :-)

A visit to the museum

Today our dear friend Laura came for a visit. What a wonderful day!! Todd took the kids swimming while Laura and I went to the museum. It was great to stroll through the museum and enjoy the company of a friend!