Pomp and Gratefulness

My sweet Alexis graduated from Kindergarten yesterday. What a precious ceremony it was. I did not cry through the whole thing, even when they played the sweetest slide show to a version of "This is My Father's World", (the second song on my playlist is similar to this version if you would like to hear). I was strong and just joyful. I love this school!!! She was privileged to be only one of 10 students in her class, and because of that she bonded to each and everyone of her classmates, we all did. Each teacher had no more than 12 kids and so for graduation they each gave 2 adjectives (not limited to 2) about the child that describes their personalities. Miss Jankowski said Alexis was "caring" and "thoughtful." It was so good for us parents to hear what their teachers had to say about them. The kids recited a scripture for every letter of the alphabet and then sang some songs. It was Good! So, I didn't cry the entire time, even when Miss Jankoski, who is moving to Florida, broke down crying. But, evening came and I was bathing the 2 boys, when Alexis, after watching the slide show that they sent home with us, came in the bathroom with swollen and red eyes and said with a choked-up voice, "I got a little teary watching the dvd." Before I knew it we were both hugging eachother on the bathroom floor crying our eyes out! The boys just stared at us funny. She has such a tenderheart and I knew exactly how she was feeling! We cried for a bit and then wrote a letter to her sweet teacher. Later that evening I was folding clothes and watching the slide show of her past year and I boo-hooed again! What a sweet year at Grace Classical! Praise God for his goodness!



Alexis, in her cap and gown, playing bells and singing for us.



I love this look! Our friend Christian is not too fond of clapping

All of the Kindergarten kids raising up their diplomas

The most precious teacher, Miss Jankowski! This was her first year to teach, and she taught with such grace and patience. We were amazed at how gentle she was with the kids, but able to obtain order and respect. We will miss her, especially Alexis.

The graduate and her proud family!

A very proud Granny and Papa!

Just a picture of Aaron this morning at breakfast. He is really growing and maturing these days! I am happy to say that he has put all his weight, and then some, back on since his pneumonia spell.

And this is the honerey(sp?) little Eli who sits at the table now! This picture really sums up his personality. He is truly a stinker!

And this is Alexis with "George." George was a puppet monkey used in Miss Jankowski's class to encourage and motivate. Alexis was particularly fond of George, so Miss Jankowski gave him to her as a gift. Alexis has not put him down since!

Bring on the summer!

Living with Jerry

We had an unwelcomed visitor Monday night. Kevin and I were talking at our kitchen table after the kids went to bed, and while deep in conversation I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I put it off as being nothing, just sleepiness, and went back to the conversation. But the memory of a hole in our bread loaf bag suddenly found it's way into my thoughts. The day before we got out the bread for sandwiches and found a hole in it about the size of a finger, and some of the bread was shredded. We both thought Aaron was the culprit because he loves eating plain bread and, well, poking his finger in a bag would be something he would do for curiousity's sake. Anyway, back to the table. A few minutes had passed and once again something moved out of the corner of my eye. Sure enough, yes, it was a tiny grey mouse! AHHH! After my reaction, Kevin thought someone was behind him with a machetti (sp?). Nope, just a tiny mouse with a disgusting long grey tail. He scurried into a hole under the cabinet by the oven. I ran quickly to put shoes on. We waited for it to come back out, but didn't happen. The next morning I put my shoes on to make breakfast and Lexi's lunch. Opening anything was very difficult for me! I went to go get something out of the pantry and sure enough that little buggar jumped right out of a granola bar box and over my arm! YES, it touched me! I screamed and ran, leaving my poor 2 children (LExi and Eli) to tears at the table! Oh, I am such a pansy! I can handle just about anything--bugs, bees, spiders, etc--but not rodents!! Not even the cute rodents--no such thing, actually. I got Kevin out of the shower to come to my rescue. He stood at the pantry, tapped on things and waited for the little varmit to show himself, but to no avail. He was hiding. GREAT!!!! Kevin was headed out of town for the night. I would have to face him alone. All day long I stayed out of the kitchen until I went to feed Eli. After a couple of bites, the mouse finally comes out of the pantry to his little hole. That night Papa Bill (Kevin's dad) who has experience in mouse catching, came by with traps. First he tried to draw him out so he could catch him and take him outside, the animal friendly thing to do. But, at this point I was ready for the traps. I am sorry, but being alone in a house with 3 kids and a mouse is just too much for this mama to handle. Bill and Fran stayed around after he set up the traps. I had him put them in a box so I didn't have to pick the thing up or look at it. They waited around for it to go off, and while we were chatting in the Living room, that little (explicit) ran into the room, right passed the traps! Before I knew it, Bill had a broom and Fran and I were practically standing on the chairs we were sitting in. He ran under the piano, and Bill shewed him out with the broom, but he ran so fast back to his hideout, we (I mean Bill) couldn't get him. So, they had to go home and I was left alone, once again, with the mouse and the traps. I woke up a dozen times hoping to hear that trap go off. The next morning there was no sign of a dead mouse. Everything that moved wrong or touched me sent me through the roof. I couldn't wait to take Lexi to school. When we got home I went straight in to my room to change Eli's diaper, and my brave son, Aaron, came bursting in the room saying "the mouse is in the trap!" Sure enough I peeked in the box and he was caught. I think that was just as traumatic. A dead mouse in my kitchen. But he is gone now, we found the hole outside where he got in, and though I am still skiddish and ready to throw everthing in my pantry out, I am relieved. And that was my first rodent experience (prayerfully the last). I will spare you and not take pictures!

P.S. We did not eat that bread that day, just in case you were wondering, or just horrified at the thought!

Following the Sun

"Keep you face to the

sunshine

and you cannot see the

shadows.

It's what sunflowers do."

---Helen Keller

I can think of nothing better to symbolize how I would want my life to be like than that of a sunflower. Did you know that from the time a new sunflower sprouts they follow the sun? They have a bud from the beginning that grows upward and larger, some up to 10 feet high, others only 18 inches. But they track the movement of the sun across the horizon, not worried about the weeds growing up around them or the shadows lurking beneath them. When the sun goes down they turn their heads back around to the east to anticipate the sunrise. The sun is their only hope and strength, producing a harvest of seeds for the sower. When they reach the end of their season they turn their heads to the east and they stay there, no one knows why. As their heavy-ladened heads grow weary from all the kernels of life, their heads bow, too heavy to lift. That is life worth desiring. We look to Him each day with out worry, and joyful in the hope that only He can give; bowing faithfully towards Him in prayer in times of darkness and anticipating what He will show us tomorrow as we continue to grow in His wisdom; and when the season begins to come to it's end, or we are just weary from life's suffering and struggles, we look to the East in patience and humility, longing for a Saviour.

Nightmare

Just had to share a little funny story! At 3 am this morning I hear Aaron yelling for me in a very fearful voice, "MOM!! MOM!! Come Here!" So, I run down the stairs to find him sitting up in his bed. I laid him back down and asked if he was okay. He whimpered "I had a bad dream!" I told him he was fine and to go on back to sleep. He said, "No, mom, I had a bad dream that Lexi turned into a pig!" Well, at least he was upset about it? Needless to say, I had a real good chuckle in the wee hours of the morning!

Belles, brothers, and babies

This may be a long post, but there is much to cover. These first 3 pics are of Alexis' history day at her school. The kids had to pick a state and learn a paragraph of information about that state to recite to an audience (us parents). It was so great, and I was so impressed at how well they all did. Alexis chose Mississippi and she dressed as a southern Belle, as you can see. The kids were so cute in their costumes.



I had to include this picture below of Miss Minnie Pearl, representing the "Country musical capital of the world!" I think she wins the best costume award!



Here are a couple of the others, Alexis with Genna who represented Maine, and was a light house, Katie who represented Wyoming and was a wrangling cowgirl, and Silas representing New Hampshire--costume is self-explanatory!

My little brother graduated from Harding University this past weekend. I still can't believe it was him walking across that stage. Doesn't he look so mature and graduate-like? He will be working on his masters as he plays football for one more year. My brother-in -law (not pictured unfortunately), also graduated this weekend with his masters in accounting. We are proud of them both.

This picture is of my dear grandparents, who came up for graduation! In fact, my 88 year old grandfather is on a trip with my 21 year old brother across the country on a train. I know it will be a treasured memory for both of them. We pray for their safety and their time together.

And this is all of us kids with my mom on mother's day! It was really good to be all together for a special day like Mother's day. My little brother actually remembered to order her a corsage for the day-- a southern tradition. Good job, Ryan.

And lastly, here is Eli. My baby. This is the reflective part of this entry. I read a friend of a friends blog the other day about her journey with the third child. It really got me thinking. I heard once that the Lord does things in three's (don't know if that has truthful basis or not) but if He does, this is true with my kids. With one child most of us feel like we get this parenting stuff down--I think I got pretty prideful myself. 2 to 1 is a great ratio, ya know? She slept good, ate good, all that stuff. I remembered actually thinking that I was good at this. Of course I was, there was no competition, no need to seek out our attention.Then Aaron came along and well, things got a little tougher--sibling rivalry reared it's ugly head, I was a bit more tired then before, but still we managed pretty well--2 on 2, they were covered. I still thought "hmm, I am doing just fine all on my own." Well, Eli came along and rocked the boat, really he tipped the boat over and left us doggy paddling, trying to stay afloat. It was then that my desperation for the Lord kicked in. I always needed Him and desired His will, but I became desperate for His providence in my life. Self-reliance was not so appealing to me anymore. Maybe this sounds a little too crazy for you, maybe I am just handicapped in the parenting area and I need to get a grip. Or maybe the Lord knew that three would get my attention. That three would leave me tired and broken each and every night. That three would leave me with a yearning for the Lord that was real and wrenching. That three would start a fire that would begin to finally refine my heart and my soul in ways that I have so desperately needed. That three would show me how selfish I am with my time, my attitudes, my desires and my needs. That three would give me the desire to parent in ways that are not about a reflection of myself, but parent in ways that shepherd my children to an understanding of the Lord and all His wisdom. That three would bring me to such a vulnerability to the world and all it's suffering. And that three would begin the journey to a better understanding of how Big and great our God is, and how He is the same "yesterday, today and forever." Thank goodness for that. So, Little E, I thank you for not sleeping well from the beginning, for never sleeping through the night (I will admit, sometimes crying it out doesn't work), for not eating until you were 10 months old (solid food, that is), for having thrush for 8 months, for all the quirks about you that leave us questioning your health (eczema, chronic cough, cytoma, etc.), and for being demanding and relentless. We would not have you any other way. When I named you Eli, I knew it meant to "lift up in prayer", but I had no idea what that would mean for us. So, to my friend with a new third, that I don't even know very well, there is hope and there is rest. I have no great wisdom (except to say that I DID put my two oldest together in the same room and it has been our best decision) to give to you except to say "this too shall pass" and you are in the Potter's hands! Praise God for that.

This smile makes it all worth it. I am grateful he is with us here, and I can hold him and love him. There are so many who can't do that. For today, I am grateful for that.