Rings . . . Tails and the North Pole

Before this day gets away from me I need to blog two conversations that I've had with Lia.

Without giving the entire background to this story I have misplaced my wedding ring and another ring that I have worn since my first trip to China. Both rings were here Friday and are now no where to be found. Todd and I have talked to both kids and neither of them has a clue to where they are. Yesterday Lia said that she thought that Wilbur had taken them. Wilbur if you have followed this blog is her imaginary friend and at times husband. This is how our conversation went:

Lia: Mom, Wilbur took your rings.
Me: Lia, you need to talk with Wilbur. I'm very sad that I can't find my rings.
Lia: Wilbur, Mom wants her rings. . . . Wilbur said my brothers and sisters took them.
Me: Lia, do you know where my rings are?
Lia: No, my brothers and sisters took them.
At this point Todd takes Lia to her room and tells her to think about where she might have seen the rings. A few minutes pass and Lia comes running from her room:

"Mom, Mom, my brothers and sisters took your rings to the North Pole! Hurry, we got to get there quick and find them."

This morning I woke up extra early to enjoy some quiet time and reading. I was sitting on our couch, sipping tea and enjoying my devotion on Colossians when my sweet Lia-Joy woke up. Really? She never gets up this early. I explained that it's too early for her to be up but she wants to be with me and so I say that she can sit with me quietly while I read. Let's just say my sweet Lia has not had a lot of joy this morning. She wants to eat chocolate and I have told her that we can have some later but that just makes her angry and she has had two "go to your room and calm down" moments in the last couple of hours. The last time she was disrespectful and I held her for a minute and explained that if she had another outburst or was disrespectful that she would have a spanking. This is what she said:

"Mom, I don't like spankings. Spankings are disgusting and they hurt my tail."
I tried really, really hard not to laugh but I couldn't help it. So much for my moment of discipline.

Tractor Ride

The first photo was taken by Lia. She's a pretty good photographer.

The second photo was taken by Zach. I like that this picture captures the motion of our tractor ride through the tree farm.

Photo project

We have two friends that have a weekly photo project called WORD. It's a really cool project and I always look forward to viewing the pictures they have posted each week. The pictures always have some aspect of words in them because they both love words.

I thought this would be a cool project to do with the kids. Each week we will have a theme, the kids will take pictures of things that relate to that theme and then I will post one picture from each of them.

It will be fun and interesting to see what their perspective is and what they find to capture. Hope you will follow along.

Christmas Tree

Baby Jesus

I was doing some work at the computer and Lia climbed up into my lap. She needed some Mommy time so I picked her up and we sat down on the couch to snuggle.

Lia loves to create scenerios for us to act out. Here's the scene she created this afternoon.

Lia: Mom, you be Mary and I'll be baby Jesus and all the people will come to see me and be excited.
Mom: You want to be baby Jesus.
Lia: Yep, the Son of God.

sound of singing

I am sitting at the computer checking e-mails, visiting blogs and all the news sites that I go to every day. Basically, I'm just wasting time.

While I sit here wasting time I hear Lia singing in the living room. I love when she sings. She has such a deep, raspy voice and the words of the songs always get jumbled. I had to pause from my tour of websites to just listen . . .

"beauty that makes this heart adore you, hope of a life spent with you . . .here I am to worship . . ."

sweet. precious. and a reminder of who we are meant for and what we are meant for.

the sweet smell of . . .

While Lia was giving me a hug this afternoon . . .

Lia: "Mom, you smell so great!"
Me: "Thanks, sweety. What do I smell like?"
Lia: "You smell like beeeffff . . . MMMM!!"

Zach and I were laughing too hard to respond. Really? Beef? Perhaps espresso--since I am wearing my clothes for work.

Our friend LauraMcComas came to visit us yesterday. Lia loves LauraMcComas! As we all do of course! Lia kept asking if she could sleep downstairs with Laura. Todd said not this time and put her in her own bed. (lia calls laura by her full name--it's so cute)

3:00 am. Lia is in our room and keeps asking if she could go downstairs and sleep with Laura.

Me: Nope.
Lia: Please.
Me: Nope.
Lia: Please. When can I?
Me: Not tonight. Go back to your bed.
Lia: Scratch my back.
Me: What time is it?
Lia: Mom, scratch my back.
Me: dazed, sleepy, confused . . . scratching her back.
Lia: Keep going. Move to the right.
Me: Lia go back to bed. It's very late.
Lia: I want to sleep with Laura McComas
Me: Not tonight.
Lia: stomp. stomp. slams our door. opens it again. i want to go downstairs!
Daddy: up. frustrated (and he doesn't get frustrated.)
Lia: back in her bed.
Me and Todd: that girl is spicey. what was she thinking?????

a thursday in november

This season of Fall is not disappointing me. It's been beautiful in every way. Here are a few thoughts and observations from this beautiful Thursday in November.

1. This morning I slept in. Normal wake up time is between 6:00-6:30. Since I worked last night I stayed in bed until 7:00. As I was waking up I was surprised to hear Zach talking with Todd. He has been asking for Todd to wake him up early--this is not at all normal. Todd woke him up at 6:30. They ate breakfast, read Matthew 21 and prayed together. Zach loved it. And for me to hear them from our bedroom was pretty wonderful.

2. The wind has been strong the past two days. Watching the leaves blow down the street is pretty fantastic. It's as if hundreds of runners are racing towards the finish line of a long race. Or maybe like dancers twirling around in circles as the breeze carries them.

3. Lia begs to go to Chipolte at least 3-4 times a week. The only thing she eats is rice. A full bowl of rice. Today I took her to satisfy her craving--she smiled throughout her entire meal.

4. A very dear friend, Sherry, is in town for a few days. I was able to spend some time with her this morning and felt so refreshed sitting and chatting with her and her mom. So thankful for these times.

5. Zach told me on his way to school that when he and two of his friends grow up they are going to be roommates. He talked about how cool it was going to be for all of them to be together and that they would have tons of lego's and clones. I smiled and asked, "Do you think that when you are older you will enjoy the same things you do now?" He paused for a second and then said, "Oh, ya! We are going to have so many clones and set up the coolest lego stuff." It's possible I suppose.

6. Last weekend we were in Columbia. It was wonderful. I think I smiled the entire weekend. Fall festival, wedding of a dear friend, appetizers on the patio at Flatbranch with my dear friend, Somer, church Sunday morning, faces and hugs from people I treasure . . . my list could go on and on!

7. Letters from friends are priceless.

Today is Wednesday

I've been sick this week and I have basically have hung out in my bed since Sunday. I had strep throat--it's nasty stuff and made me feel pretty awful. I'm feeling better today. I'm not 100% but I'm better. I can swallow, I'm not running a fever and my body doesn't ache to it's core. I am grateful!

Today is Wednesday. It's an absolutely beautiful day here in Kansas. The sky is bright blue, the air is crisp and the sun is warming my living room. The trees . . . man, the trees are gorgeous. Reds, oranges, yellows, golds . . . fall is grand!

Here are some highlights and thoughts for today:
1. We all overslept. I love sleeping in but not on a school day--it makes for a hectic morning.
2. At my doctor's appointment this morning the nurse said that I am 5 feet 4 inches. Really? I've shrunk an inch. Is that possible? My blood pressure is thankfully normal. Other stats don't need to be mentioned.
3. The receptionist at the Dr's office called me, "kiddo." I haven't been called that in a long time.
4. I realized how messy and out of control our house looks. When mommy is sick things get a little crazy. All is well though--I'm not freaking out about it.
5. This should top my list--I'm grateful for my Darlin'--he is a faithful, patient and kind man. He reflects the heart of Jesus to me.
6. I'm going to take Lia on a little Mommy daughter date--she hasn't had much time with me this week.
7. I miss my friends in Columbia and cry when I think of the church. Though I know we are where we need to be, my heart aches sometimes.

row, row, row your boat

This morning at breakfast Lia and I were reading the daily calendar we have on our table. It's a prayer calendar for China. Each day will show a picture and a city or people group of China to pray for. Lia loves to flip the calendar to the new day. This morning the picture was of a beautiful area in the city of Guilin (Gway-Lin).

Me: I would love to go to that city.
Lia: Me too. I want to sail a boat through those waters. Or maybe I could row a boat.
Me: That would be so cool. I think rowing might be better since there are so many cliffs and rocks.
Lia: Yes, I'm a good rower. I could row you, Daddy and Zach.
Me: That would be awesome.
Lia: I'm a Chinese Rower!
Me: Smile.

She has been very interested in the fact that she is Chinese. We've had a lot of conversations lately about this. After our mentioned conversation, she started talking about being a gymnist and that last night she had a dream that she was. She really loved watching the Olympics. Often she would comment on the girls that "look just like her."

Anger

We have had a wonderful day. It's been a lazy day. Zach is off school so we all slept in, ate a late breakfast, played a few games of Candy Land and watched a movie. It's been a peaceful day. I just made dinner and soon will head off to work. Just moments ago the quiet, lazy day took a turn. It went something like this . . .

Lia: Mom, I'm going outside to ride my bike.
Me: Well, you need to get some pants on, tennis shoes and a jacket. (she is currently wearing tights, a leotard and sandals--it is drizzling and about 50 degrees)
Lia: Mom, I don't need to.
Me: If you want to play outside then you have to do what I ask you.
Lia: I hate this day.
Me: Lia, this has been a great day. All you need to do is put on some clothes.
Lia: I'm just fine. I don't need to.
Me: I guess you will stay in side then.
Lia: Put my door back on! (we took her door off because she was slamming it when she was angry)
Me: Sorry, I can't do that. You lay down in your bed and when you calm down we can talk. (she follows me down the hall)
Lia: I'm not going to.
Me: Lia, you are being disrespectful. Go to your bed and calm down or I will need to give you a swat.
Lia: Make me a hot dog! (I just made one for Zach)
Me: You are making a choice to be disrespectful and disobey . . .
Lia: Why am I angry again?

Seriously, that is what she said-why am I angry. I tried not to laugh. We have these moments in our day often. I say no to something or give direction and she decides that she doesn't want to follow--she clearly knows better in her mind. Her door has been off for about a week. She was regularly stomping down the hallway and slamming her door during these moments of anger/frustration. When we took her door off she said, "my room looks different without the door. I want my door back." When I again explained why we took the door off she said, "well, I slam it because I don't want to talk to you." I'm constantly praying for wisdom, understanding and stamina to teach and train her.

She is in her room calming down. It's always wonderful when peace is restored and all is made well again.

confusion

Lia woke up this morning, stumbled to the kitchen and said,

"Hey, what's going on in here! It's still night time!"

Smiling, I say, "No honey, it's morning time."

Somewhat confused, "Well, I'm going back to bed!"

I wish you could have seen her--dragging her big pink, hair sticking up all over, eyes barely open . . . so cute! She's back in bed and man, how I would love to be too!

Pumpkin Patch

We had a wonderful trip to the Pumpkin Farm Saturday afternoon.

Angels

It's a beautiful cool and rainy afternoon. Perfect for a short nap. I asked Lia to lay down with me. She is always cranky after school and I thought some down time might be good for her and honestly for me too! We lay down in our bed and she starts talking about ghost. She gets this amazing expression on her face, squeals and tells me she can't sleep because there are ghost everywhere. I'm really starting to feel cozy in my bed, there is a cool breeze coming through the window and I'm starting to relax. I somewhat mumble that there are no ghost in our home, only angels. Lia starts asking me where they are. She insist that I find some for her to see. I quietly say some things about how we can't always see them but God does send angels . . . dozing off to sleep . . .

Lia says, "well, pray to God and tell Him we want to see angels."
I simply reply with, "Sure, you can pray for that Lia."
She insistent, "No! You start praying."

So, I pray. It's quiet for about 30 seconds and Lia shouts, "The angels aren't here yet. What's taking so long."

I never got my short nap. Lia kept talking about the angels and about how she knows everything while climbing on my back.

October

Fall is probably my favorite season. I am thankful that we live in a part of the country where we get to enjoy every season because each in their own way are magnificent. But Fall is especially fantastic. The month of October is not disappointing. The temperatures have been perfect, the trees are beginning to change and we've already made a pile of leaves to play in.

A little more than a year ago we were living with our dear friends Bill and Bonnie in Columbia. I will never be able to say how fantastic this time was for our family--we love and are incredibly thankful for Grandpa Bill and Grandma Bonnie.

I thought about these dear friends yesterday when Zach and Lia were raking leaves in the front yard. Lia began directing Zach on where to put the leaves. "Move them this way." "Bring more over here!" I started to laugh because I remembered Bill one evening commenting on Lia's potential future as a "Project Manager." I think he was right. Lia is constantly telling us what could be done better, how it should be done and how she really, really does know everything.

Zach was not impressed with his sister's leadership abilities and simply said, "Lia, just help me pile leaves and stop talking."

should i be concerned

Lia and I were out running errands today. One of our stops was Hobby Lobby. I saw a cool trunk displayed but it was too high for me to see the price. One of the friendly Hobby Lobby stocker guys got a huge ladder, climbed up and found out the cost for me. Now I need to find the 40% off coupon in the weekend paper!

So, as we were walking out of the store Lia says, "I want to marry him." What?!

I replied just to be sure I really heard what I thought I did, "What did you say, Lia?"

Lia: "Oh, nothing."
Me: "I thought you said something."
Lia: "Well, I did. I want to marry him."
Me: "Why would you say that?"
Lia: "Oh, just because."

Hilarious!!! I wonder what Wilbur (Jacob) would think about this.

name change

Lia informed us last night that she and Wilbur have changed their names. She would prefer for us to now call her, "Olivia" and Wilbur, "Jacob"--they don't like their old names anymore. Also, all of their children (it's up to 25 now) are all named Olivia and Wilbur--this could get confusing.

We were also informed that Lia is done with Pre-K and would like to move on and go to Zach's school with big kids. Her teacher said she is very ambitious and she loves that about her! LOL! Really? She is starting to read a little.

Zach and I have been looking for a dog. I always had a dog growing up and would love for the kids to. Zach wants a buddy and perhaps having a pup will bring a little comfort to him. He is wanting to grow his hair longer--something about that's how Indiana Jones had it when he was young. This is hard for me--I like his hair short but it's his hair and not worth a battle--there are definitely bigger battles to be fought--hair is not one of them. The only requirement that we have given him is that he must brush it! If he doesn't, we cut it! :-)

I'm enjoying these mornings while Lia is at school. I went grocery shopping today--alone. I'm going to clean the bathroom--alone. Simple pleasures.

Fall. Here.

The past few days have been beautiful. Fall is one of my favorite seasons and we are experiencing here in Kansas the first signs that fall is approaching. I've spoken to many who are not happy about the approach of fall because it only means that winter will soon follow. I'm not thinking about that. I'm enjoying the cooler temperatures and how the landscape will soon be painted with reds, yellows and oranges. I'm looking forward to a visit to the corn maze, hot apple cider, hay rides and carmel apples.

I'm sitting outside watching Lia ride her bike. The breeze is calm and cool, the sky is overcast--it is simply a beautiful day. I was thinking about where I like to be on days like today and each place I thought of was in Columbia. Sitting outside Memorial Union at Mizzou, Flatbranch on the patio, sitting under our big tree at our old house, sitting on the couch when the tree outside our front window turned an orangish red color and the sun shined through, luminating the room and making me feel like I was being bathed in sunlight.

I do enjoy being here. Here on 82nd Terrace in Kansas watching Lia ride her bike and waiting for Zach to arrive home from school. It feels odd though, even on such a beautiful day that this is where I am. Here I am.

Lia's in school

After two days of school, Lia proudly announces--"Mom, I know everything!"

It was raining her first two days of school so I didn't get pictures. I'll try to post some this week--her backpack is almost the size of her. She loves school!

Art by Lia

I went to tuck Lia into bed and noticed some new "artwork"--on her leg!

Me: "Lia, Daddy and I have told you that you are not allowed to draw on your body. I'm going to take your pen away--that's only for your drawing pad."
Lia: "Why?"
Me: "Because we don't draw on our bodies with pens." (that seems like a lame answer really but I didn't know what to say in the moment)
Lia: "Mom, it's just Sponge Bob Square Pants!"
Me: Sigh. Smile.

What are you lookin' at?

Todd and I were sitting at the kitchen table with Lia tonight while she ate her snack before bed. As we watched Lia put spoonfuls of peanut butter in her mouth, she looked up at us with a wide-eyed expression and says,

"What are you guys looking at me for? I'm not cute!" She paused and started laughing, "I'm just kidding, I'm cute!"

beautiful day

All morning I have been attempting to have some quiet time. Every few moments Lia would have a need and I would get up, help Lia, fetch a drink, grab big pink or just simply chat with her about whatever pressing thing she had to say--"Mom, I just have to tell you something!" Since my time was being interrupted so much I decided I would make us some breakfast and eat outside--perhaps I could finish reading and enjoying some quiet time--Lia would be eating so hopefully, she would be distracted for a few moments.

I'm thankful that though we are approaching the end of August we are enjoying fall like temperatures. It's so lovely this morning! As we went outside this is my conversation with Lia:

Lia: "Isn't it beautiful, Mom?"
Me: "Yes! What a great day!"
Lia: "Are you going to spend time with Jesus now?"
Me: "Yep! I'm going to eat my breakfast and read and enjoy some time with Jesus."
Lia: "Well, I'm not going to be with Jesus. I'm going to hang out with Wilbur and the kids!"

The girl makes me smile!

rise and shine

This morning . . .

Lia: "Wakey, wakey, mommy!"
Tired Mommy: "Good Morning, Lia."
Lia (in a high pitched voice): "Wakey, wakey! The sun is up so you have to get up!"

Zach started 4Th grade last week. His first two days were great. He was very positive about how his day had gone and he really likes his teacher.

Last weekend we took a trip to Columbia. A friend of ours got married in Minnesota in July and to celebrate his family and friends had an open house to meet his new bride and rejoice with them. We were also able to take a stroll through campus--one of our favorite places to go as a family. Since Zach was a little guy we have had lots of fun times on campus. Zach's 7Th birthday party was at Stankowski field. We had an awesome kickball game until I kicked the ball and it popped--I can still knock it out of the field! Even Lia loves campus. She and I often went to campus to have tea and chocolate milk and hang out with the college students! I miss those times!

Our weekend in CoMo was wonderful--until we left to come home.

On our drive home Zach cried several times, when we arrived home he cried again, at bed time he had another good cry. He asked why we couldn't just move back to Columbia. Why do we have to be in KC? Why can't he be with his friends? It breaks my heart that after a year he still struggles to be away from "home".

I thought he was feeling better about being here. Everyone says to just give him more time. We validate how he feels, give lots of hugs and try to encourage his little aching heart. My prayer through this is that Jesus would make Himself known to Zach, that Zach would learn to call on His Savior and find rest and peace in His presence.

mommy day

Mom (me): Lia, what would you like to do with Mommy today?
Lia: Eat lunch.
Me: Is that all you would like to do?
Lia: I would like to eat candy with you?
Me: Can you think of anything else that would be fun to do?
Lia: No.

Lia and I get to spend the day together. Todd and Zach are off to the Royals game. We were going to make it a family trip but the heat index reads 107. Lia does not do well in the heat and we're pretty sure she couldn't sit through an entire baseball game. So, it's Mommy/Daughter day and Lia would like to eat lunch and have candy with me. I'm going to see if we can think of something else to do when we're done with lunch and candy.

today

Todd: "Lia, tell me how your day was."
Lia: "Well, I told Mom that I know everything and she said that I didn't!"

This morning I had offered Lia something to drink. She said she would like juice. I poured juice. She didn't want that juice, she wanted the other juice. I explained that we only had this juice or she could have milk or water. Suddenly, we went from having a quiet morning to Lia shouting at the top of her lungs, "I said get me what I want!"

No need to give all the details of the rest of the events of the morning. Thankfully, our day improved.

energy

Zach was going to share an energy bar with a friend and Lia asked if she and her friend could have one. First, Lia doesn't need any more energy. Period. Secondly, there was only one left so I had to say, "no." Lia, somewhat exasperated, threw her arms up and said, "But I don't have any energy!"

I've been behind in my Lia quotes. I've missed posting some great ones and now cannot recall them. It's always important to document quickly!

The summer seems to be passing by so quickly! Zach starts school in just a few weeks. I'm not ready for him to return and I'm pretty sure he's not excited about
4Th grade quickly approaching.

The kids are taking swim lessons for two weeks. It's been great to see them both gaining more confidence in the water. Lia just 4 days ago would not put her face in the water--now she is going under water and kicking her feet. She is incredibly proud of her abilities and stops anyone swimming past her to watch what she can do! Zach is getting stronger in his strokes and in diving. I love it!

thankful.

Shots from the Farm

Thankfully, our camera dried out!

Worms, Blue Gill, Laughter and Sweat

Last summer I took the kids to a wonderful Children's Farm just south of us. It's a beautiful place with lots of fun things for kids to explore and enjoy. One of our favorite farm activities is fishing in the small pond. For $3 you get a bucket of worms and a "cane pole" and can fish until you run out of worms.

Zach has a friend here from Columbia for a few days so we decided to take him to the Farm! We arrived at the farm at the hottest part of the day but were excited to pull in some blue gills and do a little exploring. As I went to the small concession/bait shop to get our gear the attendant suggested that I cut the worms into thirds to make them last longer. What?! I just looked at him with a confident smile and said, "no problem!" Running through my head though I didn't know how I was going to do that--cutting worms into thirds sounded disgusting!

But I am the "mom"--I had to put on my "I am mom and can do almost anything" face and start breaking(tearing or ripping)those worms apart and putting them on the line. Ugh! It was disgusting--just as I thought!

What I enjoyed was hearing three terrific kids laughing and catching fish with such pride and excitement. The blue gill were tiny but the fun great.

Added to the excitement of our afternoon was a near plunge that I made when my camera fell into the pond. Zach had caught a fish and needed an extra hand--in normal mom fashion, I was holding onto numerous other things when out popped my camera--bouncing once on the deck and then into the water! I dropped to the deck, stretched out to reach my camera that had thankfully began to float. I haven't moved that fast in some time. The lady behind me was quite impressed with my moves and kept saying, "wow! that was great! you moved so fast." Hilarious! I had worked up quite a sweat after all of that excitement--it was time to wash the worm guts off my hands and head home!

The camera was in it's case but needs a little drying out. I really hope it's not ruined--I will be really sad if our camera is dead. If it still functions I will post a few pics of our time on the farm.

Meet Wilbur

Since are move to KC one year ago Lia has had an imaginary friend, Wilbur. Wilbur was first just responsible for any silliness that Lia found herself in, he is who would knock Lia down and tickle her and eventually they moved on in their relationship and were married. There was a small wedding, Wilbur's family and our family of course as well as the 8 brothers and sisters that Lia has also created in her imagination. It's worth noting that these brothers and sisters are very tiny and can fit into the palm of your hand--I've been asked to carry them and it's far easier than carrying the normal sized toddler on your hip!

Today Lia was chatting about Wilbur and his family and told me all of their names. Wilbur's full name is "Wilbur Care Patch", His father is "Sunny Patch" and his sister is "Um Patch." I didn't get the mom's name . . . somehow I just couldn't believe we were having this long conversation about Wilbur and forgot to ask about Mom!

Lia was looking quite cute so I took a picture of her and then she asked if she could take a few shots of Wilburn. I could't resit and let her. Wilbur was being quite silly she said and took two pictures.

I think she may be a genious!

you can listen

Here is a link to the song if you are interested. I keep listening to it over and over. The song title is "The Grace of my God."

http://thebluefish.org/2008/06/like-stars-most-beautiful-matt-giles.html

Incredible Truth

Came across this today.

1. The grace of my God, an unbreakable chain,
for those He redeems, He in grace will sustain.
I will treasure the cross and rejoice in the Prize,
This unspeakable Gift! This the gospel of Christ!

2. Without Him my eyes would be downcast in guilt,
And in trembling shame would my lips have been sealed.
Yet my mouth fills with praise, when I call on His name
And my eyes may delight in the wonders of Christ!

Yes, wave upon wave of grace reaches me,
He deals with my sin and He washes me clean.
And each accusation is drowned by His blood,
For Jesus has paid with immeasurable love!

3. Without Him is hell, where His wrath will consume,
In perpetual fire; an eternity doomed.
Yet in Him is all love, and my soul is at rest,
For hell's gates have been barred through His glorious death!

4. Without Him the darkness is all I can see,
And the terror of sin would abound within me.
Yet a boundless horizon of glory is mine,
When Christ in the depths of my heart is all light!

5. By grace my affection is drawn to the Lord,
And by grace I'm renewed by the power of His word.
It is grace that will strengthen my will and resolve
To live for my Christ 'til I kneel at His throne!

Matt Giles © 2008. Honeycomb Music Publishing Ltd.
v1, v2, ch, v3, ch, v4, ch, ch (instrumental), v5, ch.

she just keeps them comin'

Todd arrived home from a very long interview feeling a little exhausted but thankful to have had the opportunity--he is hopeful an offer will be made. For those reading and asking didn't Todd just get a job a few months ago, why is he interviewing? Well, almost 2 weeks ago Todd's position was eliminated due to company revenue issues. This development took us by surprise but God has been holding and keeping us in His grace and we trust that He is working this together for our good and His glory.

Now onto my story . . . Daddy is very tired so he sat down to rest his eyes for a few moments. I come downstairs and say to Lia who is talking non-stop,

"Lia, let Daddy rest."
Lia replies, "I can't, I have too many words."

lia

after an emotional evening lia ask,

"Mom, does God hear me when I cry?"
"Yes, He hears you when you cry."
"Is God like an angel?"
"God's greater than the angels!"
Smile. Eyes closed. Sound asleep.

more of lj

Lia, it's time to go to asleep. Turn off your light.
I am asleep.
Oh, really? You don't look like your asleep.
I am asleep . . . in my head. I'm sleeping in my head!

Lia with a shout out from the back of the car--
"Mom, can you get me a cranberry SLIME aid from Sonic?"

monday

all i want is for you to have your way
you are the potter, i am the clay

all i need is for you to have your way
you are creator, and i'm what you've made

you are god, i am man
you are sovereign

finally, i surrender

words by misty edwards

when i grow up . . .

My conversation with Lia tonight at dinner . . .

Lia in her sweet raspy voice, "Mom, I don't like wine."
With a smile I reply, "No, wine is for adults to have sometimes."
Lia with wide eyes and a convincing tone, "Well, when I'm grown up I can have it if I want."
Again I reply with a smile, "Maybe you won't like it."
Lia replies, "Mom, when I'm grown up I'm going to be the boss!"
"Really?" I say
"Really!" she replies with a nod

what's going on

It seems that each day passes by so quickly. A month has almost passed and I'm trying to remember what in the world I've been doing. Some days I can't remember what I've done the day before. I thought it might be beneficial to do a little reflection to help me recall the past few weeks.

Most of the past few weeks have involved our new home. We have officially been in our new home for 3 weeks. It is slowly feeling more and more like our house. We seem to be doing a lot of projects--garage door installation, painting, hanging curtains, planting, mowing, and the list goes on and on.

I've spent a lot of time in Lowes.

Celebrated being a Mom. It was a great day. We actually celebrated with friends by grilling and relaxing. I'm incredible thankful for the gift of being a Mom to Zach and Lia.

Applied and interviewed for a job at Starbucks. It's true. I have been offered a job and will start this Thursday. I will be working 15-20 hours a week. I'm looking forward to smelling like a bean! :-) Call me Barista!

Played a lot of wiffle ball in our large backyard! Zach is quite the slugger!

Hosted a brunch for the Leadership Interns at church. It was a blast. My dear friend Ray-Ray and I woke quite early and made a fantastic brunch for 20 plus new friends.

Todd and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary--May 25. We were able to enjoy brunch on the Plaza, walk some beautiful gardens near the Nelson Art Gallery and shop for flowers at a nursery. Being together and not rushing through a meal or our walk was wonderful! Oh, and my Darlin sent me roses for our anniversary. I was so surprised! They are lovely!

As we drove to church the morning of our anniversary I told Zach and Lia that when Dad and I got married we hoped to be blessed with kids and we got two incredible kids. Zach smiled so big when I said it and reached out his hand to hold mine. It was so precious!

We are keeping Zach's class pet, "Leah the Lizard" for the summer. Leah is pretty cool. We fed her crickets today and it was interesting to watch her position her self to pounce her prey. Wow!

We've lived in Kansas City for 1 year. We've been reflecting a lot about the past year. It's incredible to think of all that has transpired in our lives over the past 12 months. Those thoughts are worth a separate post.

There is probably more but I can't recall it right now. :-)

God is indeed good and faithful.

New Life

Spring. What a beautiful season. New life surrounds me. Beautiful Red Buds are in bloom, flowers in an array of colors are adoring the landscape of homes and parks, vibrant green leaves have burst from the branches that hold them, birds are singing their songs and keeping watch over their nest. This season is an amazing reminder of the new life that's in me and available to me.

As I think about the past year of our lives, it's amazing to consider all the transition and changes we've walked through. I have known great joy and grief, faith and doubt, provision and need, acceptance and loneliness. The connection in all those places of the heart is hope. Hope that God is faithful and good. Hope that what God says, He will do. Hope that He will never leave me, nor forsake me. Hope of spring and new life.

Outside our front door a mother Robin has built a nest. Whe we first discovered the nest, it was in the beginning stages of being formed. We moved the nest to another location thinking that it may not be good for a bird to be flying around the front door. This mother Robin was determined to have her nest between our outside light and stone wall and rebuilt her nest. The nest now holds 3 blueish eggs. She is carefully keeping watch over the life that's held in those eggs.

Soon life will break forth from those eggs and in a short time the tiny birds will take flight. It's my hope that the life of God in me will also spring forth in this season. I long to rise up with a song in my heart, embracing all that God has before me with gratefulness and abandonment.

"Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away.
For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone,
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come . . .
Song of Solomon 2:10-12

all moved in

It was almost a year ago that we moved to Kansas City. It's amazing to think that a year has passed. What a journey it's been!

Today we woke up bright and early to start preparing for our move. The thought of what all would transpire in the day ahead seemed some what daunting to me. For the past week I have spent hours and hours painting and cleaning at our new house. My body was tired and sore and I couldn't imagine putting myself through another day of work! Oh, I thank God for wonderful friends!

Everything is moved. The kitchen is set up. The kids rooms are functional and our bed is made! I am now sitting, dirty and smelly in our new living room--which is so lovely! I was going to start unloading our books and setting up the bookshelves but rest is my greatest need right now-not organized bookshelves. Typically I am pretty anal about this--I would work until I just couldn't lift my arms because I don't like my world to feel as though there is disorder. A little disorder is good. Rest is really good.

Goodnight from Kansas. Peace.

It's official

At 8:30 this morning we arrived at our realtor's office to sign, what seemed like a ga-jillion (i know that's not a word but that's what it felt like) documents, to take ownership--sorta--of our new home. Everything went well and by 9:30 we had our house keys in hand.

My friend Julie went to the house around 3:30 to start prepping for the painting party that will take place Saturday morning. We wanted to pray over the house before moving invited several friends to join us. Our sweet and precious friend Melba brought her guitar and led us in a beautiful time of worship mingled with prayer. I can't begin to say how precious this time was and how much I treasure our friends. God is indeed incredibly good!!

Pictures: 1. Our first family pic in the new house. 2. A few of our friends who were able to join us to pray--unfortunately, I didn't have my camera out earlier when everyone was still there. In this photo from left to right--Anna, Susannah, Me and Rachel (aka Ray-Ray). 3. Todd and I in our very turquoise master bedroom. That will be the first room painted Saturday!

After a year of feeling somewhat in limbo we have a home and can see how God has sustained and provided for us in the most incredible and beautiful ways.

LJ

I enjoy cooking. Even if it's simple things that please the kids like mac-n-cheese. I like the process of preparing and the sitting down to enjoy the meal with my family. Today Todd is at work to try to get a head start on a project that's due so it's just the kids and I. We sit down to eat and my sweet Lia starts complaining. It's always a bummer when you've taken the time to prepare a meal and all you hear is, "I don't want this!", "I don't like this!" From out of no where Lia is now angry about what I've served her to drink. She threatens to leave the house, to runaway and never talk to me. Really? All we did was sit down to eat a nice quiet meal together and now she is angry and completely changing the atmosphere at the table. I tried to encourage her but she wouldn't hear it. Here is our conversation:

"I don't drink milk. I will not drink this milk. I want water!"

I reply, "Lia, please drink your milk and when you're finished I will be happy to get you some water."

"I will have no milk go into my digestive system!"

I smile and reply, "Well as soon as your digestive system decides to drink that milk, I'll get you some water."

"My digestive system doesn't like milk!"

She moves to another seat at the table so that she doesn't have to sit by the mean Mommy! I could tell she was contemplating whether or not she should give in. After a few moments she takes a few drinks of milk and says, "Mom, I'm sorry that I was dis-re-pec-ful and angry." I of course rejoiced that her heart had changed, that she drank her milk and could offer forgiveness with a hug and a glass of cold water.

little Lia

Todd and I had a meeting tonight and our dear friend Becky watched the kids. Everything was quiet when we got home--nice, the kids are asleep! Not exactly. Zach was in bed and almost asleep and Lia had just woken up. Darn! Todd and I went to their room, gave hugs and kisses and wished them sweet dreams.

15 minutes passes and Lia comes out to see us . . .

"Mom, my throat is hurting inside."
"Does it hurt to swallow?"
Lia then stretches her neck out and says, "it hurts in there."
I then feel her head to see if she feels warm. Lia says, "Mom, my brain is fine, it doesn't hurt. My throat hurts."

Of course her "brain" is fine! I'm not sure about my brain.

My rays of sunshine

chocolate

Lia: Mom, can I have some chocolate?
Me: Nope, you didn't finish your breakfast. No treats!
Lia: Mooommmmm, I need chocolate!
Me: Sorry, no chocolate. You can finish your breakfast.
Lia: I can't. When I was eating my tummy hurt so I stopped. I think chocolate will make it feel better. Pleeeaaasssseee!!!

Funny, funny girl!

Our new house

God . . .

When Lia goes to bed at night she usually sings or can be heard talking to her animals that line the side of her bed. It's so sweet to hear her from the living room--her raspy voice singing sweet songs and discussing the day with her pig and puppy. Two nights ago as she went to bed we heard something very different--it went like this:

"God, will you talk to me. God . . . talk to me! God will you read me this book. God . . . "

When she woke up Saturday morning her first words to Todd were, "Daddy, God didn't talk to me last night."

Todd then talked to her about how God might speak to her. I'm not sure if it really helped because she just kept saying, "God didn't talk."

What a beautiful, simple and yet profound longing--to hear God speak to our hearts.

Moving

Our offer was accepted! There was a little negotiating but everything turned out really well and we're happy with the outcome. Closing date is April 25. Inspections will be next week. We don't foresee any problems--one can never know though!

I'm excited to pick out paint colors and make it a home for us!

I'll post pics soon.

Thankful.

making an offer

I've been looking at houses for about 3 weeks. It's been a lot of fun and a little exhausting. Over this 3 week period I have seen over 40 homes. I have spent hours on-line viewing what seems like hundreds of homes. After I see the homes I think we'll like, in areas I think that we'll like, I send my favorites to our wonderful realtor, Sharon and we schedule to see them. Some homes we just drive pass, once I'm there I realize this doesn't look as nice as it did on-line. Other homes are are wonderful but the street is really busy or the foundation is leaning or the kitchen is like a small box. One of the most fun things about my on-line home searching is the google map feature--street view. It's wonderful. I type in the address and get an aeriel view of the area and then click on street view and can literally feel like I'm walking down the street. I can see the home I'm interested in and all the houses around it. Very cool.

My search parameter had to enlarge a week or two go. I was focused in on certain areas and Todd (and our realtor) suggested that we broaden our search. I felt a little out of my comfort zone and a bit like I was giving up something really special to me. It's been good though. We've seen some really nice homes that seemed like they might actually work for our family. One house in particular I knew that Todd would like so we went back again Saturday--I was right--it was Todd's favorite of any that we've seen up to this point. I also like the house and the area but I had something else envisioned for our next home.

I decided it might be good for me to take a friend with me to look at the house. Maybe a friends view of things might help me have a little more excitement about the shift I was needing to make. My friend, Tara, met me at the house this afternoon. She didn't encourage or discourage but was supportive and helpful in pointing things out to me--she also lives close so that would be cool. After we left I drove through the neighborhood. It's quiet, a lot of kids were out in their driveways playing basketball and mom's were out taking walks. I actually stopped one of these mom's and asked how she liked the area, the school, etc. She was helpful and I continued my drive. The school is in walking distance, the community pool is maybe 5 minutes away, there are trails and parks near by--nice.

After talking with Todd and evaluating the homes that we have seen, the price, location and how nice the home really is, we decided to make an offer. Now we will wait. The family that owns the home no longer live in the area so they will need to be contacted and then we'll see if they accept our offer. The house has been on the market for 560 days--no offers have been made during this time. Hopefully, this will be to our benefit.

It they don't accept. Well, then I guess I'll probably be staying up too late, looking at homes on-line, google mapping and scheduling more homes to see. I really hope not though.

haiku

Zach's class has been working on haiku poems.

dragonfly

I fly over ponds
I am small my wings are thin
I am flying fast.

--Zach, 2008

make a wish

Lia yesterday afternoon while we drove around looking at houses--"Mom, I wish I had a fairy godmother." I smiled and said, "Really, why is that?" "If I had a fairy godmother and she had a wand she could change me into a mermaid and I would really like that!"

I just love her imagination.

you gotta love the midwest

Today it was 73 degrees. I broke out my Chaco's (the best sandals ever--they make my feet happy). This evening it started to rain and the temperature started to drop--quickly! The temperature is currently 37 degrees and it's beginning to snow! Snow! Is that crazy or what?!

Zach was asking at bedtime if he'll have school tomorrow--he's really hoping for a snow day! It's probably not going to happen.

cuteness

First pic:

Lia's cute new hair cut! Does she look like Mulan?

Second pic:

Lia with our beautiful friend, Chelsea at the hat shop in Westport.

A hunting we will go . . .

No! Not deer hunting! Or any other type of hunting that involves shooting a weapon at some cute furry animal. I can't even bare the thought of that.

We are house hunting! Yes! Now that Todd has a secure job and we are just two months away from our lease ending, we can start to search for our next home. To say that I am excited about this journey would be putting it mildly. Every day I am on-line searching for a house that meets our criteria. One of my main criteria and it may sound silly, is that outside landscape must have trees! Yes, trees! I know that has nothing to do with the actually house but trees are important.

Our first house was lined with trees--large-mature-trees! Zach actually has a picture of the tree in our backyard on the shelf by his bed. That tree provided hours of play time and shade for a very happy and active little boy. We often told people we bought the house because of that tree. A slight exaggeration but only slight.

Other things we desire--Openness. Backyard. 2 baths. An extra room for when people stay with us. Wood floors.

I don't feel stressed about this at all--thank God! We have a great realtor, great possibilities and much to look forward to!

Let the search begin.

It's too quiet

It was quiet, my beautiful and small little shadow wasn't following me around as I cleaned up the kitchen. Why would this be a concern? Well, there are hardly any moments in the day where I am not in Lia's view. She keeps close tabs on me and doesn't allow me out of her sight--that includes when I go to the bathroom--she feels that I need company.

So, I went on my search to find her. Was she playing in the bathroom sink? She loves to play in the water and has been told numerous times not to do this. Nope. She wasn't there. Perhaps the other bathroom. She loves to get into my makeup. Again, she knows that this is a no-no so I was hoping she wasn't there. Nope. I guess I should try her bedroom. There was small movement under her blanket. That's strange. Why is she under the blanket? This can't be good.

I slowly removed the blanket to find Lia curled up underneath. A look of surprise and guilt was on her face. Then I saw why. She was holding a pair of scissors and around her were locks of her beautiful black hair. Not just a few strands of hair either. My first grab was at least one hand full.
I took the scissors and tried to assess the damage. Bangs--gone. Around her face--shortened. She quickly said, "Mom, I want my hair short." I tried to explain that we can go to the special hair salon to get her hair cut but she wasn't allowed to do it on her own. "I'm sorry. I just want my hair short."

I cleaned up her bed and then noticed on the floor several more large strands of her beautiful hair. Sigh.

Since her hair is so dark you can't tell the chunks that she took off from the back. We will be taking a trip to the hair salon--soon!

I was able to get a picture of some of what came off today. She is such a funny little girl! As we
were driving to pick up Zach I discovered what inspired act of spontaneous craziness--Mulan! I think we need to put that movie away!

Conversation with Zach

I usually have notable quotes from Lia but today I must note some thoughts and advice from Zach to his Dad.

This is the conversation between Zach and Todd about his new job.

"Dad, do you think when you get to work your first day people will smile and say hello to you?"

Todd smiled and said, "Ya, I think they will."

"You'll probably make some new friends. That's nice."

Todd, "I'll be working with 4 other people who seem really nice. I'm sure I'll make some new friends."

Zach, "Mom told me that you are a Scientist. Are you going to work with fossils or something?"

"Yep, I am going to be a Scientist working with molecules. I'll use an instrument called a Mass Spectrometer to help me study those molecules."

Zach and I were looking puzzed at this point and just said, "Cool!"

As Todd was walking out the door this morning for his first day at the new job, Zach shouted,

"Dad, remember to smile!"

can you start on tuesday?

After 2 1/2 months of searching, praying, applying, praying, interviewing, praying, waiting and praying . . . Todd was offered a position today with a Pharmecuetical company. Wow! Todd has had numerous interviews and has applied for a number of positions. The process has seemed long. He had two interviews yesterday. After the second interview he called before coming home and was really excited about the way things went. Of all the positions he has applied for, this position was exactly the type of work he really wants to do--he had begun to think that a position like it didn't exist in KC. The HR guy said that they would contact Todd in a week to let him know their decision. That sounded reasonable--it was just more waiting and we were use to that. This morning they telephoned Todd to say that they were all impressed with him and would like to offer him a position with their company. He of course accepted their offer and starts work Tuesday.

Our dear friend Rachel was visiting me when Todd called with the good news. We both cried. We thanked God for His faithfulness and hugged! It was nice to share that moment with her--how great to share life with such amazing people who really rejoice with you when you rejoice and carry the burden with you when life throws a few curve balls.

Todd has said several times that we wouldn't have asked for this season in our lives but it has been extremely wonderful to experience such beautiful acts of provision and kindness that have been shown to us. I thought today about how much I want to continue in this time of dependance because it's been so wonderful despite the moments my heart has felt so burdened.

I went back to Psalm 37 this afternoon. When all this began I read this Psalm over and over. I meditated on each verse. Waited. Cried. Rejoiced. I don't want to rush away from this place of surrender. Every day, regardless of what state or circumstance I find myself in, my life should be lived in the place of surrender and trust. Is He not trustworthy?!

Peace.

tea makes the world go round

It's been awhile since I last posted. It's not because I've been so busy that I can't find the time to post. And it's certainly not because I don't have anything to say. There are always stories to share about the kids, updates to give about our family and of course what stirrings are floating around in my heart. I've just plain been lazy I think! Laziness is behind me . . . I've cleaned and done laundry all day--I'm feeling productive and thought it would be good to give a little update.

A notable quote from Lia at bedtime. I was sitting at the kitchen table with a friend and Lia, who was suppose to be asleep in her bed, ran out to me and said, "Mom, I just want you to know, I'm fast asleep." That was pretty darn funny. There are far too many things that Lia says on a daily basis for me to keep up. I should keep a pad and paper with me at all times.

Zach is surving 3rd grade. He still misses his old school. He misses three recesses, lunch around the round tables and of course his friends. Zach will be 9 next month. It's amazing to think he is about to leave the single digits. Where have the last 9 years gone. He loves to wrestle with his dad, play baseball, build with legos and beat his dad at soccer on Gamecube. Often after a 7-0 win Zach says to Todd, "it's o-kay Dad, you played a good game."

Todd is still in search of employement. It's been over two months since his contract ended. We wouldn't have asked for this time but God has certainly enlarged our hearts and provided for us in beautiful ways. This week Todd has had several phone interviews and has an on-site interview scheduled for next week. We trust that God has the right job for Todd and that he will soon be back in the work force!

Last week my mom was hospitalized for congestive heart failure. It was a very scary time for our family. Thankfully, she has responded to treatment and has improved throughout the week. I'm grateful for everyone who prayed for her and our family.

A friend of mine gave me a small gift book for my birthday about friendship. It's a fun little book. Great quotes and thoughts about friendship. Lia was looking at the book today and asked me to read it to her. One of my favorites:

Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea? --

How did it exist? I'm glad I was not born before tea!

William Taylor Coleridge

I'm thankful for all the friends that have sat at our table enjoying a cup of tea and shared life with me.

Peace.

moments with lia

Lia and I are sitting in our big overstuffed chair that I like to refer to as sitting in a big puffy cloud. It just swallows you up and it's hard to get out once you get cozy and comfortable.

We've had a wonderful but very full day so I was catching up on e-mails and news while the kids play. That's when Lia climbed up to snuggle in close. Now I enjoy snuggling but snuggling with Lia sometimes is a bit hard because she is moving the entire time. There are pokes, tickles and lots of touching--sometimes it feels more like being malled! After about 15 minutes of this I asked if she could just sit next to me and not "touch." I said, "please, just for a few minutes let's not touch." She looked at me with her beautiful almond eyes and said, "why mom? touching is good!"

I remember when Lia was first placed in our arms and touch was foreign to her. We would attempt to cradle, rock and snuggle her but it made her uncomfortable and she would turn away from us. Over time touch became good to Lia and she accepted our embrace and moments sitting in the rocking chair so that we could snuggle. So though at this very moment, Lia is touching my hair, poking me with her bear, who is taking a walk from the top of my head to my toes . . . I will have to agree that touch is good.

all i can say . . .

exceedingly, abundantly, above anything that we could possibly conceive, think or imagine.

grace.

Wednesday

It's Wednesday. It's 9:30 am and I'm still in my pj's. I made breakfast smoothies (mine included my first taste of coconut oil--it's suppose to provide lots of benefit to our bodies--we'll see), I've done some laundry, cleaned the kitchen, sipped on some tea and watched a squirrel play on our balcony. It's been a good morning.

Soon I will spend some time feeding my soul by reading and meditating on some food for my soul . . . for if I don't I will begin to starve and grow weak in my inner most being. During the past month that Todd has been unemployed I have had moments where I am confident that God is working all things together for good and then, just as quickly, my heart wanders away from this hope to a place of anxiousness and fret. How is that possible? Did I actually have faith in that moment? Am I delusional? Perhaps. But I think that God is in both of those moments. Faith. Assurance. Fear. Anxiousness. Faith is being enlarged in me. Each time I wander, God draws me back. He woos me. Reminds me. Gives me peace. Hope. And most amazingly, the awareness of His love and affections towards me and our family.

It is well with my soul.