Purse Meme

The following post is my "Purse Meme" -- a expose on the contents of my purse. Why? You might ask. Several of my favorite blogs have done purse memes recently, and it's amazing how much is revealed about a woman from the contents of her purse. So, without further ado, the Purse Meme . . .

Here is my purse. It's a backpack-style purse. It always seems that I never go anywhere with JUST a purse, so I actually carry it like a backpack most of the time, and then I'm free to slog a big bag or whatever as well. I've had it for about five years. I am monogamous to my husband and to my purse. I don't own any other purses. When this one finally dies (loses a handle, gets stolen/lost, becomes unsightly), only then will I go back on the hunt for another purse. I would like to stipulate here that if Keith should ever lose a handle, get stolen/lost, or become unsightly, I WILL NOT replace him.

Here's the front of my purse. I got it during my "brown" accessories phase. At the time, I bought cute brown boots to go with my cute new purse. Today, it's looking a little the worse for wear and getting close to "meeting its reward."

And now for the contents of my purse. I want to add here that I did not edit ANY contents. I took the contents of my purse and spread them on my bed and snapped a bunch of pictures. (I know this must be absolutely fascinating!) : )

First of all, I do not leave the house without some form of writing utensil. So I usually have at least two pens stuck in the big outside pocket of my purse. I've been writing stories and letters since junior high years. And now blog posts are just an extension of my writing bug. I'm currently writing a story that I keep in a spiral notebook in the bag that I schlep around with my purse. If I don't have my notebook . . .

. . . then I grab scrap paper and scribble part of my story on that to be alter transferred to my main story. So that's what this paper is, tucked somewhere at the bottom of my purse. I remember writing this particular tidbit while waiting for pizza at Little Caesar's.

Here we have the all-important paint chips. How can one go shopping without having one's color scheme close at hand. And how could one not fully discuss said color scheme without showing friends the many and varied possibilities! The four strips in the forefront are the current colors of choice while the ones in the background are the contenders and/or bedroom color paint chips. Do you recognize the "electric lime" that is now actually on the walls of my kitchen/breakfast area? so it's blue on the left for the living room, a deep peachy color next for family room, the lime that I already wrote about and the red for the dining room. (Ginny might be the only one remotely interested in the colors!)

Hair care, of course. Keva hates this brush! The pony tail holders are for protection against are roll-down air-conditioning in the van.

I had at the very bottom of my purse a packet of AA batteries still in their bag from Kroger. I have to literally hide these batteries from my children who will appropriate them for their various plug-and-play game systems and for their other electronic toys. This cannot happen because I NEED to have batteries for my little $5 cassette Walkman for my walks and for the boredom of dishes and laundry.

One charger for my cell phone. This is a charger that plugs into an outlet because are van cigarette lighter went the way of the air-conditioner. So, just in case I run out of battery power, I have the option of plugging it in when I reach my destination. I also have in my purse (I just realized -- an ear piece -- for talking while driving (always SUCH a good idea!) It's tucked away in the cell phone compartment in my purse. I never use it so I forget it's there. The cell phone should be pictured here, too, but I always put it in a special place next to my car keys when I come home. I never leave home without it.

Next to the charger is my pile of trash -- old receipts mostly and grocery lists. I'm always amazed at just how much trash I can accumulate all by myself.

My purse has a front pouch that contains these items: 1) Mints pilfered from the church's women's restroom. Kade lives for these mints on Sunday mornings while waiting to be let loose to children's church. He's always STARVING until he gets one of them. 2) Three of eight flight cards for when we fly stand-by. Keith has his own and I supposedly have mine and the kids. Maybe Keri Lynn has hers. Why I'm missing four, I don't know. 3) A cute little flashlight key chain my father-in-law gave to each of the grand kids. I ended up with one of them in my purse. I never use it, but there it is anyway -- just in case!

There's an inside zippered pouch that contains my LOADS of change. Said change usually consists of pennies and an odd nickle or dime because the kids like to riffle through my purse in search of money. Then, I have my wallet that contains about a hundred receipts and ATM slips and the usual wallet stuff. Then, there's a little notepad with a running list of books that I want to read. My checkbook -- duplicate one since I'm terrible about keeping track of my checks -- especially because I almost exclusively use my debit card. And this year's Womens' Bible study name tag that is now over for the summer. (I'm going through Bible study withdrawals! boo-hoo!)
There's a make-up compartment at the front of the purse. The story of my make-up would take a whole series of posts all by itself, but I will try to sum it up! First of all, I no longer put my make-up on while driving to my destination. This habit was stopped when we moved to Georgia. There are simply not enough red lights to give me time to put on make-up. It used to be my big time saving strategy. Not anymore. This girl now does hair and make-up at home! So the make-up that I keep in my purse is strictly for putting something in the make-up compartment. I never use any of this stuff, except for maybe the lipgloss. The other lipsticks -- I don't use. Why do I have an eye pencil sharpener when I don't even have an eye pencil to sharpen? Don't know, but I did put it right back into my purse when I took the picture! I might use the toenail clippers on occasion, but I do that mostly at night at home. (Is this TMI?) Anyway, the compact has no make-up in it and is missing one of its two mirrors. I used it for the first time in months yesterday when Keri Lynn wanted to see what she looked like in Michaels wearing a tiara. Oh, and the two syringes in the picture are for Kody's use. I got some worm treatment for him that I have yet to give him. The medicine is up in the medicine cabinet with the people meds (and hopefully I won't accidentally dose someone in the middle of the night with worm treatment when they really have a cough.)

How many readers have I lost now?

I'll lose the rest with the next few pictures. This was in the main compartment of my purse -- library paperwork. When we check out our books, we get a list of the books we have just checked out. Last week, the librarian felt that I needed a reminder of the circulation policies like only five videos out at a time, overdue fines and stuff like that. The librarians might have a system similar to the police using "good cop/bad cop." Last week was "mean librarian" and today's visit we had the "nice librarian".

Visitor tag for when I last went to Keva's school. I never bother filling it out and most of the time I don't even stick it on. I have yet to be questioned. The office staff all know that I'm Keva's mom. Under the visitor tag is a list of family addresses for when I went to the post office to mail out our family picture. Was it January or February that I sent those out?

Cough drops and a receipt from the latest visit to the pediatrician. I was popping cough drops like candy during the pollen season. It's finally starting to go down. Spring is so pretty, but I sure am a coughing, sneezing, nose-dripping mess.

This picture cracked me up as I set up the receipts. In case you haven't yet guessed, they're grocery receipts. Sometimes I actually look at them, but usually I just crumple them into my purse along with the rest of the trash and move on with the next item on the agenda. The receipts also tell me that it's been exactly five weeks since I last cleaned out my purse -- five weeks of grocery store trips.

I accidentally took two pictures of the cell phone charger because it's such an exciting and important part of my existence. And then, there's an empty prescription bottle from my last trip to the pharmacist. I can never handle ordering my prescriptions ahead of time. I always must do it at the last minute. I think it has to do with my need for excitement or something.

Anyway, wasn't that interesting, Mom -- who's the only person still reading this post, I'm sure!

The Princess

Home Economics Field Trip

I'm going to make this quick because I've got to post pictures on the blog and then get on to some paperwork and laundry before we head off to Wednesday night activities.

Yesterday, Keri Lynn and Kristofer both pounced on me and said that I had to take them shopping. Kristofer decided that he wanted to spend his money that he had earned on some kind of electronic pet that he'd seen at Target. Keri Lynn said that she wanted to look for a formal dress for her Sweet Sixteen party coming up in (gasp!) less than a month! Must. Find. Dress. Now.

So, we all piled into the van this morning and made the rounds. Most of the stops were for Keri Lynn as we needed to check thrift shops and J.C. Penney. We found the perfect dress for her upcoming Cinderella experience. I got a little taste of what it might be to go looking for a wedding dress someday. (Sweet sigh!)

Anyway, since prom season has passed, J.C. Penney had all formal wear on sale! The dress was originally $160 marked down to $84.99, and that got marked down to $74.99 because of a small run in the back. Since we got such a great deal, we went off to get the appropriate underclothes and shoes to go with the dress. We also looked at wraps. Then we went to go drool at the tiaras at Michaels. Alas, the tiaras went over our price range, but there is still a little less than a month for Keri Lynn to rake in that much more babysitting money. Keri Lynn is very pleased with her finds and she truly does look like a princess.

Kristofer got his electronic pet that he has since been happily caring for. He, however, does not look like a princess, especially since hanging around J.C. Penney for hours on end is not his favorite thing to do. We did happen to see a John Deere Monopoly game there that would be PERFECT for Father's Day.

Several people wanted to know why the kids were out of school. I never was asked that in California where there is such a diversity of school schedules and a bigger homeschool contingency. I answered that we homeschool and that today was a home economics field trip. : )

Halfway through our shopping excursion, we stopped by Taco Bell and had lunch. This was a special treat as we have been cutting back a lot on eating out. I have to interject here about the 7-Layer Crunchwrap at Taco Bell. That 7-Layer Crunchwrap is seven layers of heaven. Absolutely yummy. Keri Lynn, Kathleen and I each had one. I love just about anything with those tortilla strips in them. Mmmmmm-mmmmmm.

Cute kids

Each kid can be so different. Keri Lynn has her birthday party invitations all ready to be sent out. She has planned everything out to the minute. She wants a beautiful dress to wear for her sweet sixteen party. She wants her friends to dress up, too. They're all going to go see Pirates 3 in their finery. It will be a lot of fun.

Then there's Kristofer.

At the table this morning while we were having Bible time, Kristofer was writing the date, "Is it MAY already?!?"


I finally did what Keith has wanted me to do for years now. I delegated laundry. It wasn't so much that I didn't want to do it, but I didn't know how to do it and still have the laundry end up looking okay. It finally occurred to me that it didn't have to look okay. It just needed to be clean and not my responsibility. So currently, Keri Lynn does her laundry on Tuesday afternoons, Kathleen and Kylie team up to do their laundry on Thursdays, and Kristofer does his on Fridays. So far, so good. I'm actually caught up on the rest of the kids' laundry at this moment. I'm behind with Keith's, though. He was asking in rather a pathetic whimper late last night if he had ANY underwear. Any clean underwear at all?

Another major breakthrough has been pushing the bed-wetters to stop bed-wetting. One of the major motivations was the cost of getting diapers for the three bed-wetters: Kylie, Kade and Konner. As it turns out, Kylie just needed a push in that area, where she was forced to stay dry or be wet through the night. She was embarrassed going to sleepovers and to camp last year, and now she's super excited about being able to go for sleepovers without a diaper! Yippee! I'm excited, too! Kade stays dry most nights and Konner is dry some nights, so that means I still have to wash sheets and comforters, but I think they are both improving. We're working on the basics, like not drinking anything before bed, and keeping their beds comfortable for a good night's rest.

Kody has also had some change. We used to put him in his crate for the night to make sure he didn't have any accidents. Dogs do not poop or pee in the place that they sleep. We have rejoiced in the wonders of The Crate! But lately, because his hip is so bad, he was having a terrible time getting up from whatever comfy spot in the family room he'd found himself and dragging himself off to the crate when we turned off lights and went to bed. So, we started leaving him out. So far, no accidents at all. In fact, he hasn't pooped or peed in the house in months. He does have the occasional vomiting, because he likes to chew anything he can get his canines on, especially flavorful paper towels. Kody LOVES paper towels! Paper towels do not like Kody.

I wonder if I will ever get used to the fact that family means constant change and adjustment. Nothing ever is stagnant. Just when I think I've got the whole mother thing down, something happens, and I've got to figure it all out all over again.

In a few short days, my very favorite day of the year is coming. Mother's Day! Can't wait. It's better than Christmas! Since we've been cutting back on expenses, I didn't give my usual Mother's Day message to the masses: "JEWELRY". Instead, I'll settle for being Queen of the Day.

Kathleen wanted to know what I wanted for breakfast in bed, so I decided to lay all my cards out. I let her know gently that I really don't like breakfast in bed. I'd rather have it at the table, if that's all right with everyone. Eggs and toast would be just great, thank you.

"Okay, but you need to sleep in, until about 8:30, then you can get ready for church."
I smiled.

"We'll make sure Keva is dressed. We'll take care of everything. But don't expect that we'll clean the house or anything like that."

I smiled again.

I've got cute kids.

Go with God, Alese

I've been checking Alese Coco's site off and on all day today, and got the sad news (at least sad on this side of life) that she died this afternoon. Her parents and sister were at her bedside. Please go to her website to read about her life at www.alesecoco.org. She has definitely touched this life all the way across the country.

Here's the deal, though, for Alese. SHE, at least, isn't sad. She's in the very presence of God. She gets to see Him face to face. He is wiping the tears from her eyes. And she is doing what anyone would who's in the presence of God -- she is worshiping at His feet and praising His name.

So join me in prayer for her sweet family as they mourn the loss of daughter and sister. Go with God, Alese.

Grandma Rich

Here is my grandmother, Margie Rich, sporting her new power chair that helps her get around wherever she needs to go. Note the camera on her lap. Hmmm? Where do you suppose I get my snap happy ways?
Grandma with a visiting friend from Florida.

Space Craft on the Deck

Kristofer, the grand architect of one super spacecraft.

One must prepare proper snacks for space travel.

A space traveler revving up the engines

Phoning his mom before the trip.

"Hold on, Nelly!"

Alese

Please pray for Alese as she is in decline once more. She is listed on the sidebar just to the right. Go to "Journal" to see daily posts on her condition. I have been checking on her condition nearly every day for the last several months.

This is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to faith in God. If God were to take my child from me, would I still love Him? Would I still serve Him? I hope that the answer is a resounding YES!

Alese is 23, at the prime of her life, standing at the cusp of what should be a new season in her life, yet she is fighting for her very breath. Fighting and fighting for life. She won't give up, her parents won't give up until she has given up her last breath.

Lord, I ask that you would be with this dear family as they continue to hold on hard to You. Bless your girl Alese whether in this life or the next. You are the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. You are the Creator of all things. There is nothing that happens that does not first come through Your capable hands. You are righteous and just. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Amen.

Thursday Plodding

Because Wednesdays are our busiest day of the week, Thursdays are usually plodding. This morning, Kathleen came out in a panic saying that she'd left her purse at the playground at church. Normally, I would have just called and had someone keep it for us, but it had Kathleen's CD and script from a church play she's in next week. So, off we went, Kathleen and Kade -- who was the only other kid awake -- to bring back Kathleen's purse. Thankfully it was right where she'd left it. So now we're home and trying to get back into our regular routine.

Then, Keri Lynn tells me that we HAVE to go to the library this morning rather than this afternoon because she's babysitting this afternoon. She can't not have a pile of books to read. (Don't know where she gets THAT from.) So I guess we'll be going in a few minutes to the library.

Keri Lynn continues to make money hand over fist as World's Best Babysitter. Or at least World's Best Babysitter at Maple Creek. Keith and I were chatting to one of our new neighbors, and it went something like this.

Neighbor: So, you have seven kids, right?

Us: Yep.

Neighbor: Tell me, how old are they?

(I'm already guessing where this is going, because I know he and his wife have a three-year-old and a baby.)

Us: 6 to 15, almost 16.

Neighbor: Is the oldest a boy or a girl?

(Yep, I'm right. He's fishing for a babysitter.)

Us: A girl.

Neighbor: Um, does she, by any chance, um . . . babysit?"

(Hope gleams in his eye. Desperation, maybe. I've seen it all too many times.)

Us: Why, yes. She already babysits for four other families in the neighborhood. She's very good and mature for her age.

Neighbor: (Face relaxes) Oh, that's good . . .

(And then we go on to talk about jobs and lawns and the Homeowners Association.)

The Test Drive

This morning, as I dried and put away clean pots and pans, Keri Lynn and Kathleen both plopped themselves down at the bar and we all talked. Just us girls. Kristofer was upstairs. The little kids were busy playing. It was just us. These are precious times. Times when we share our hearts. And, of course, some of you know where I am going with this . . .

We talked about boys.

Hormones are raging here at the Johnson household with two teenagers and one girl at the cusp of teenhood. Even Keva has blossomed into womanhood in a varying degree. So each of these teaching times are priceless to me as a mother. Keri Lynn wonders if fellow high school students can actually see a difference in her, and she was told by a couple of boys last weekend that she is, indeed, very "mature." They were flabbergasted that she doesn't date and won't date until she's truly interested in someone as a marriage partner. She's also talked with her girlfriends on many occasions. Many cannot understand why she won't date.

We've been brainwashing, I mean, teaching our children about how they are to conduct themselves with the opposite sex for some time now. And we are as conservative as most families get that don't wear gingham dresses with head coverings or black suits.

I know that a lot of other Christians think we might be a bit extreme when it comes to our tactics, and that's fine. Parents are entitled to do what they deem fit for their children. But I would like to interject a warning to fellow parents as many enter into those amazing teen years with their children. Be careful what you allow your children to be exposed to. Protection is a GOOD thing. It's what we're supposed to be doing for our children.

My Mom got me a book for Kathleen for her birthday, Gentle Passages: Guiding Your Daughter into Womanhood by Robin Jones Gunn. It is a sweet book that urges young women to hold themselves as precious to God and to their future mate. Mom also sent a beautiful china plate to remind Kathleen that she is precious in God's eyes. She's not a throw-away paper plate, but a china plate to be used by God for His service.

Which brings me back to the "Girl Talk" we had this morning. One of the arguments that Keri Lynn gets when she talks to her friends about dating is "Well, how are you supposed to get to know the boy if you don't date? How do you know you're marrying the right guy? It's like test driving a car! You would never buy a car without taking it out for a spin!"

The test driving of a car is such a great analogy, but like most analogies, it is somewhat flawed. Of course, one should test drive a car before buying it. One should also do research, get counsel from friends and family, save up for it, have license/insurance/enough money to buy gas, buy it from a reputable dealer, etc. There are many things that one must do before one even gets to the test driving stage.

Then, I would add a little bit to the test drive itself to make it a more accurate analogy to marriage. And this is what I told the girls as we talked at the bar in our kitchen. When one gets INTO the car for that test drive, this is analogous to the many behaviors that occur during dating: hand holding, kissing, necking, and even sex. Whenever this "test driving" is going on, each time there is a "test drive", the driver (and I'm using a girl as an example here) is leaving something of herself IN the car. Think of it as graphically as if, when she got out of the car, some skin peeled off on the seat, and some seat material has peeled off onto her. Now she has left a little of herself with the car, and the car has lost a little of itself to the driver. BOTH have lost something during the "test drive."

If you think this might be a little hard core in thought -- "Come on, Jackie! Please! It's not a big deal to go out on a date with a guy" -- then tell me about that first guy you had feelings for, the first guy you might have given yourself to in some physical or emotional way -- You can never get that back again. Some innocence is lost. Innocence that should be given as a gift to the marriage partner.

It is my fervent prayer that each of the kids will one day be able to present themselves to their spouse as a wonderful present to open. A present that has never been opened before. Because the opening of such a present is only the beginning. So much focus is put on finding that perfect mate, in getting to know him/her, in planning the perfect wedding and honeymoon, that we kind of forget, "Oh, yeah, and then there's the marriage part!"

Marriage!

Which leads me to my last point in my little dissertation of why I think single people should avoid dating. The emphasis should be on the eventual goal -- marriage. Not fun, not experimentation, not disobedience to God. Marriage. If we are truly serious about marriage, then we ought to, as a Christian community, be serious about the way our young people are conducting themselves as they prepare for marriage.

Coming off my soapbox now. : )

The Bosticks

Another Monday. Another start.

Our weekend was a fun one.

Friday night, the Bosticks came by for dinner. Byrne and June were in Georgia for a week for their oldest son's graduation from officer training school in Fort Benning. So the three of them came to visit. We've known the Bosticks for ages. Several pieces of their used furniture have graced our home: dining room table and chairs, couch, and my very favorite -- a piano that we had to leave in California. Their youngest daughter and our oldest daughter have been friends since nursery days. Keri Lynn was sad that Sarah wasn't part of the party.

Their son, Gordon, is outrageously tall. I liked standing next to him! All of the boys of our family were also suitable impressed with his officer status. Congratulations, Gordon!

What a treat to see old friends. In just a few weeks, it will be two years since our move from California, so visits from friends and family get more and more precious. We're expecting my brother, Danny and his wife Jessica, sometime in July. And, if anyone else wants to swing by and say hello, we'd love to see you!

Saturday was a busy day for Keith. He got up early to take Keri Lynn and Kristofer for double-header softball. In between, he took Kade to a fund-raiser car wash at the church. Kade WAS! SO! EXCITED! It was all he could talk about in his usual dramatic exclamations. When he came home, I asked him how he liked it.

He said, "Mom, we washed A LOT of cars!"

Hmmm. Wow.

Kade is also recovering from a face plant he did last week on the playground. He was doing a trick on the swing and somehow managed to do a flip off it and land face down in the wood chips. He came up sputtering and bleeding and crying. So, I rushed him off to the bathroom across the street to clean him up and see if there were any teeth missing or any stitches needed. All was well, except for a ton of scrapes on his forehead, the side of his nose, and along and under his chin.

As I cleaned him up and assured him that he'd be okay, he told me regarding his swing stunts, "I will NEVER do that again!"

Then, he wanted to know if he'd be able to go BACK to the playground. I assured him that he could after he rested a little. Then he started worrying about the upcoming car wash. Was he going to miss that?!? I assured him again, that he'd be fine for that too. (I told you he was excited about it!)

When we made our way back to the playground, three mothers were waiting to find out how he was doing. I assured them that he was fine. Two of the mothers only have daughters and they both looked a little white, but the other mother was sagely nodding along with me about the resilience of boys. It's true. If a girl was STUPID enough to do the swing stunt in the first place, and had done the same face plant, she would undoubtedly never step foot in the playground again. Whereas, Kade, being the boy that he is -- and even being the wimpiest of the Johnson kids -- will probably be doing the exact same swing stunt next week. Mark my word!

When the Bosticks came for a visit . . .

It is my hope that my children will someday come out of their shells -- especially when we have company.
The Grown-ups -- Or so they tell us!

Byrne, June and Gordon
Another serious picture.

Kathleen's birthday letter

Dear Kathleen,

From the day you were born, I have so enjoyed your big, bright, expressive eyes. Your soul shines through those eyes. And as the years have gone by -- 11 now! Can it be? -- you've developed a quirky sense of humor that makes us all roll our eyes, groan and choke back laughter.

You our the quintessential middle child.

I'll never forget that horrible day that I left you at home. Thank God for our neighbor, Mrs. Collins who took you in. You were in the bathroom. You heard the van drive away. You ran out the front door in a panic, locking the door behind you, and went running after us, only to see the van make the turn two blocks down. Thankfully, Mrs. Collins saw you and took you into her home.

It was a full 40 minutes into our 45 minute drive, that I asked you a question. No answer.

"Okay, Kristofer, see if Kathleen is sleeping in the back!"

No Kathleen. Panic took over. I popped open the cell phone and called home. No answer. We raced home, all of us praying on the way for your safety. I felt like the world's worst mother. I didn't even have Mrs. Collin's number in my cell phone listings. I knew for sure that as I finally turned the corner to our house, that I'd seen the siren lights of police cars swarming the building. That drive was the longest drive I'd ever made.

But there were no police cars in sight. I brought the van screeching to a halt in the driveway and immediately saw Mrs. Collins bringing you out from her home. And all was explained, and exclaimed over and I cried, and hugged you, and made sure from then on that I would ALWAYS do a head count at the beginning of every trip.

I wish that was the only time I've forgotten you somewhere, but it isn't. The other times haven't been nearly as dramatic, but I've always thought, "Well, maybe there is something to the 'Woe is me' second child syndrome."

You've taken it all in stride, though. Perhaps that is why you've always been, by far, the loudest, orneriest, most dramatic child in our family. And I mean that with all my love! For God has given you great gifts, Kathleen. He's given you beauty, humor, grace, musical talent, and DRAMA. He's given you ALL of it. And I wouldn't have you any other way!

I have seen you growing up before my very eyes. It's true you're not a teenager yet. Thank God! However, you're emerging into maturity with great purpose. You've got a list every day of things that you want to accomplish. You have a devotional book, your Bible reading, a prayer list -- for starters. You like to do your hair up in 15,000 different hairstyles. You take the dog out every single morning and make sure he's fed. You like to stay in your big blue terry cloth robe and fuzzy slippers for as long as possible until it's time to get dressed. You like hot raspberry tea in the morning. And you love to read before going to sleep at night.

With all of that drama constantly swarming around inside you and around you, you've also got some fears that sometimes like to take over. Spiders, big and small, are a source of great concern. Any kind of creepy crawly bugs make you scream. You don't like to ride in elevators. You don't like small spaces. You would NEVER think of sleeping with the window open. However, you're dying to get a rat for a pet some day, which I've told you will never happen while you're under MY roof. However, if you want to get a rat when you're grown up in your own place, that's another thing entirely, but don't expect any house calls from your mother!

Your faith is growing, though. And we know that perfect love casts out all fear. You write songs to the Lord straight from your precious heart and I listen and cry. You're used to me crying, though. It's just how it is. In fact, you made me cry again on Sunday, when you were singing in church with your friend and with your sister. You were singing with all your heart. It touched my soul.

May you always know God's perfect love in your life, Kathleen. My prayer for you is that you will always look to the Lord for each and every one of your needs, that you will always call to Him first, for He always answers us. I pray for your future husband, that today he is also seeking the Lord. I pray that God will bless you with children just as He has blessed me with you. I love you, sweet one.

Mom-entine

Glory Revealed Tour: By His Wounds

Be careful how you vote

The Ant and the Grasshopper

OLD VERSION: The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed.

The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for yourself!

************************************************************

MODERN VERSION: The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.
Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.

CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. America is stunned by the sharp contrast.

How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?
Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper, and everybody cries when they sing, "It's Not Easy Being Green."

Jesse Jackson stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the group singing, "We shall overcome." Jesse then has the group kneel down to pray to God for the grasshopper's sake.

Nancy Pelosi &John Kerry exclaim in an interview with Larry King that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.

Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity and Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer.

The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the government.

Hillary gets her old law firm to represent the grasshopper in a defamation suit against the ant, and the case is tried before a panel of federal judges that Bill Clinton appointed from a list of single-parent welfare recipients.

The ant loses the case.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around him because he doesn't maintain it.

The ant has disappeared in the snow. The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the once peaceful neighborhood.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be careful how you vote.

Kathleen's Tea Party

At the table. We served tea in our dining room. We've used this room only three other times, so it's always a special treat to be allowed even to sit in there!

"Can we eat, now? We're starving!"
Some of the spread!
Georgia brings a cake that she made in the shape of a teapot.

Kathleen and Kylie took the two end seats - both of those chairs had a leg missing! So they were balancing their way through tea. I didn't get a picture of just Kathleen. I don't know WHAT I was thinking, but in this picture you can see a little bit of her cute curls. Always styling her hair, that girl.
Isn't it cute!
The guests, Molly, Christiana, Hannah, Madison, Samantha, Georgia, and (in the front) Kylie and the proud birthday girl, herself, Kathleen. Four are neighborhood friends and two are from church. (Note the green breakfast area in the back! I got several compliments on our new paint!)

Tea Party Bonanza

I've been busy lately, trying to get us all back on track with school, and getting ready for Kathleen's birthday party.

School is still a little shaky, but the party was a smashing success.

Kathleen had seven guests for a tea party on Saturday. Instead of bringing presents, the girls were asked to bring food for the party. We had cucumber sandwiches, a chocolate fountain, strawberries, pretzels, and lots of cookies. One of the girls made a cake in the shape of a tea pot. It was a lot of fun!

I organized some fun girly-party games -- the kind that drive most adult women crazy at showers -- but that I love to play and that 10 and 11-year-old girls love to play, too! Kathleen begged me NOT to play the fork and spoon game.

I said, "But, Kathleen, remember last time? We weren't going to play the fork and spoon game and then everyone asked to play it anyway? What if they want to play it?"

"Mo-om! Please don't play the fork and spoon game!"

We played it anyway, because, of course, all of the neighborhood kids who have not been traumatized all their lives by this game wanted to play it. By then, all of the other kids who had not played it before wanted to know what it was, and Kathleen eventually joined in the fun as well. Every birthday party should have the fork and spoon game! Go ahead, you can hire me out for your next party! I also come with a set of kids. Rent a Party.

After the party, Kent and Kradan came with their daughter Jordan, so that she could have a sleep-over with Kathleen. Kathleen was one big ball of frenetic energy the whole day and well into the night! She and Jordan were so tired the next day, that they quite willingly volunteered for Sunday afternoon naps!

Kent and Kradan stayed Saturday evening to play a game of Risk with us. Keith and I met over Risk -- Lo, so many years ago! -- and have been slowly building up Risk skills in our own children, so that one day, when they meet that special someone over the Risk board, that they'll know what to do. So it was Kent, Kradan, Keith and I, joined by Keri Lynn and Kristofer. Anyway, I won! Did I mention that I won that particular Risk game that night? I WON! Whoooo-hooooo! (I don't really care if I win a game anymore, really.) But I WON! Total world domination! I'm the Queen of the World! (And I did it without the pink armies.)

Later that night I did have to return to my Cinderella life of dishes and laundry and blogging. But it's not too bad!

That reminds me of earlier in the weekend. We got our latest installments of Netflix. One of them was Cinderella:Twist in Time, in which the evil stepmother gets a hold of the Fairy Godmother's wand and turns time back and makes the prince fall in love with her own daughter. Kathleen and Kylie did a happy dance when the movie came in the mail, but they had other plans that afternoon, so it was that Keri Lynn and I were the ones that ended up watching it first. Every girl likes to play Cinderella, I guess!

Friday morning, I made some pancakes, and Kade served himself a plate of warm pancakes and put them up to his cheeks and said, "Hello, cuties!"

Kathleen, once again showing her brilliance, decided to take the day before her party as her day to be Queen of the Day. Each kid gets to take one day out of the year to be King or Queen for a day in celebration of their birthday. This means that they don't have to do any chores and we're all supposed to treat that person extra special. Usually, the birthday person picks their actual birthday as their special day, but Kathleen was out with her Daddy most of the day, and wanted to THOROUGHLY enjoy the perks. So she picked the day before her party, when we were doing most of the clean-up work for her party. The stinker. Only she had even bigger plans for the day. She wanted everyone to do her bidding for cleaning and preparation. I had to put a stop to that, and remind her that being Queen of the Day didn't mean that she got to order everyone around, just that she got out of work. If anyone was born to be a queen, it would be Kathleen.

We're expecting a visit from our friends the Bosticks sometime this week. I'm not exactly sure when, but we're excited about it. Their son Gordon will be graduating from Officer Training school on Thursday at Fort Benning, which is about two hours from here, I think. It's always a treat to see family and friends from California.

Saturday morning groceries

I don't usually go to the grocery store on Saturday mornings, but I did today and joined the happy throngs of Saturday shoppers.

Today's grocery store comment came from the bagger.

"Wow! I can't believe you fit all of that into ONE cart? You must have experience. Were you ever a bagger?"

It was cloudy most of the day today and then finally around dinner time, it started to drizzle. We even got a bit of a tornado watch -- which for all of you in earthquake country -- means that we then have to keep an eye on the weather reports in case of a tornado warning. Tornado warnings send us down to the basement to be same. Just in case. No tornado warnings this time, though.

This was good, because Keith was off for the evening visiting a friend and Keri Lynn and Kristofer were gone to a church weekend event. So it was just me, five kids and a dog. It was a perfect macaroni and cheese night for the kids and leftover El Charro's for me. Yum!
I watched the last part of Flywheel on DVD after dinner. I'd started that movie two other times this week, but was interrupted. As usual, I was crying through the mushy parts. The kids are used to me sniffling through movies, but when it involves the precious relationship between family and God, it is especially moving.

Friday the 13th in pictures

Proof: Kristofer is indeed gaining on Keri Lynn. For years and years, he has been a full head shorter. Not anymore!

The wounded soul with his makeshift sling. When I told him I was going to get my camera, he said, "You're not going to put it on your BLOG, are you?!"

"I like to be in Mom's blog!"

Keith missed his calling. He should have been a Disneyland tram driver.

Spring is here! The trees are naked no more.

I just LOVE this picture. Look at Kody -- he thinks he's a kid, too.

One of the trees Mom and Rich planted for us -- I think it's the pear blossom.

"Hold on, everybody -- here we gooooooooooo!"
Birthday girl Kathleen shows off her muscles.

"Take us for another ride, Daddy!"

Where's my parade?

Usually I don't mind going to the doctor. In fact, when the kids were younger, it was a treat to go to the doctor. In the last few years, though, it started to become an ordeal. I'd feel guilty about my weight and hated that the doctor would feel compelled to remind me about how important it is to lose weight.

THIS time, though, I was actually anxious to see the doctor. Just a regular check-up for my blood pressure, but I'd get to hear how PROUD he was of me for losing weight. Imagine my disappointment to find out that my regular doctor was out, and I'd be seeing the doctor on call. I thought, well surely the on-call doctor would be impressed, too.

Nope.

I had to even say something, "Yes, everything's fine. And I lost some weight, too!"

This is what he actually said, with chart already handed off to the discharge nurse, "Oh, good. Just make an appointment in six months to see your regular doctor."

Just like that. And gone before I had blinked. Where were my roses? My parade? My gift certificate to El Charro's?

Oh, well.

I felt a lot better when I got home and pulled into the driveway. There was Keith riding his beloved John Deere, with the three little kids hanging on for dear life in the trailer. It was the cutest thing I'd seen in a long time.

Keri Lynn and Kristofer are going to a church weekend event tonight. This is excellent timing, because Kathleen has been enjoying her birthday today and will be Queen Bee for the evening. Our family tradition is for the birthday person to be Queen for the Day on their actual birthday. No chores for the entire day. Differential treatment. A special trip out with Daddy. In other words, for Kathleen it's a chance to be the diva she was born to be.

As I type this, everyone but me, Keri Lynn and Keva are at Mac's pool. When they built their pool over the winter, we KNEW that Mac's family would be our "bestest" friends! Keith went over with his swim trunks and his white legs to scare everyone off. And now I'm about to go on my walk . . .

Back from my walk that turned into a social event. Met a new neighbor down the road, stopped by to see one of our newest neighbors (3-week-old precious little boy), and met another neighbor who is five months pregnant.

Keith is bringing home pizza for dinner tonight which will be a big treat for us all. There is not a crumb of food left over in this house. I need to get groceries tomorrow. Konner polished off the rest of the macaroni and cheese. And everyone else ate up the extra two dozen pancakes that I'd made this morning. And Keva dumped out nearly a half box of cornflakes.

George of the Jungle

On Friday afternoon, Kristofer was swinging from a vine from a neighbor's tree, like George of the Jungle, and fell on his shoulder and back. It's a unwritten rule that children must hurt themselves before bed, or in the middle of the night, or the weekend, or going into the weekend, or (better yet) going into a holiday weekend in order to avoid regular doctor's office hours. It's just the way of things.

I called Keith and we talked about his symptoms and we both decided that he was okay, that he more than likely did not injure his bones or joint, but rather wrenched some muscles. So Kristofer finagled his own sling and has been hobbling about as The Wounded Soul since.
By Sunday, I was feeling like the worst parent in the world, because he didn't seem to be feeling any better. But then, one of the men at church, who's a coach at a local school, had a look at it and told Kristofer that he thought he was fine, too. That it would just take some time to not feel so sore. That made us ALL feel better. Whether it was psychological or not, by Sunday afternoon he was already starting to feel better and had gained back more mobility.

Meanwhile, Kristofer is still soaking in the joys of being wounded. He got out of weed picking (the dreaded Saturday chore), and he hasn't taken out the trash, nor has he had to help with dishes. Instead he's been reading more of the Redwall series and playing Lego games on the computer.

Keith took me to dinner last night at our favorite Mexican restaurant. I ate well, but still modestly according to my diet plan, BUT I'm afraid it's true . . . .Keith and I are getting older. We simply can't eat Mexican food at dinner any more. Lunch is fine, but dinner is too close to bedtime. We both didn't get to sleep until very late. Keith slept fitfully, and I didn't even try to go to sleep until 2:30 in the morning. Not exactly a great way to start off a new school week.
Nevertheless, four hours later, I was getting Keva ready for school and then making some 100 pancakes for the starving minions. I finished making the pancakes and then fell back into bed for a few more hours of restorative sleep. At noon, I was struggling to get a hold of my day! No more Mexican dinners!

Keith has the week off for vacation. He got the slaves kids to help clean up in the backyard while he moved the lawn. All of the fruit trees that Mom and Rich got us in the fall have leaves, especially the pear blossom one. So do the maples that we planted along the inside of our fence.
Speaking of growing, I had Kristofer and Keri Lynn stand back to back, and Kristofer's head comes halfway up Keri Lynn's head. He's always been at her shoulders for as long as they've been growing. I have a feeling that it won't be long before Keri Lynn and I are both looking up at him. Weird. It's not wonder, though, because he eats like a horse.

Kathleen bemoans the fact that she is STILL not 80 pounds. She eats up a storm and says something about how maybe now she'll be closer to her goal. When she gets to be 80 pounds, then she can sit in the front seats of Daddy's truck and the van! She can't wait for the day! Meanwhile, she's still got about 10 pounds to go. This morning, she went off to go weigh herself at my scale and came back, "Mom, I can't believe it! I LOST one pound! How can that BE?!?"

Life is tough sometimes.

On their way to a slumber party

Tonight Kathleen and Kylie are going to Christiana's birthday slumber party. Here they are with present wrapped and ready to go. It has been a big anticipation for two long weeks.

Good Friday

Good Friday to everyone.

The kids put on the movie Jesus as I prepared breakfast this morning, and we all watched it. I asked them, as we watched the crucifixion, what Good Friday meant, and why in the world did we call it "GOOD"!

Bless her heart, Kylie was quick to reply, "Because Jesus saved us from our sins!"

My heart can't contain this amazing gift. Thank You, Lord.

Last night, we watched all of the special features for the movie Facing the Giants. If you haven't gotten a chance to see this movie, please do. I highly recommend it. After we watched the special features, we then watched the whole movie with the commentary on. Commenting on their film, were the two directors, two brothers. One of the brothers played the lead role as coach of a sorry little high school football team in Georgia.

As we settled in to watch the movie, Kody nosed open his crate and pulled out his comfy comforter and dragged it out to the center of the family room, and plopped himself on it. The rest of the kids thought this was a great idea, and brought out their comforters, too. Pretty soon, there was a hoard of cocooned creatures spread around the floor and couches. Konner went right to sleep, followed shortly by Kade. Konner went to bed when I woke him up, but Kade said, "No, I'm awake! I'm watching!" and promptly went back to sleep again.
After the movie, we all woke Kade up again to get him to bed, and he made it as far as the bottom of the stairs before collapsing into a cocooned heap, too tired to get up again. He is not one of my night owls.

Our heater went on for the second day in a row yesterday. Temperatures have dropped considerably after several weeks of the most gorgeous weather in the world. Rain brought the pollen count down into the 500s after being in the 5,000s. (Extremely high pollen count is 60-120!) Kids have been wearing jackets and shoes again to go outside. Even Konner came in a few minutes after going outside, saying, "I'm putting on some shoes!" So it must be cold! At Keith's work, the whole reservations building was without restrooms for three hours, because the cold had caused the pipes to burst. Burrrr!

Keri Lynn is doing her level best to bring me to the brink of insanity. All of her life, each year she has plotted and planned for the momentous day that is her birthday. It's only TWO MONTHS AWAY! So we must plan it now! Before it's too late! I'm such a last minute person, so I've always been a little chagrined at this daughter of mine who plans ahead. She certainly didn't get that from me!

Kathleen has been planning her birthday party, too, but it's coming up next Friday, so she should be nailing down final arrangements. She's going to be 11. She wants to have a tea party next Saturday. In lieu of people bringing gifts, we're going to have her guests dress up and bring something for the tea party -- a tea set, chocolate fondue, strawberries, sandwiches, etc. It should be a very frilly girly event. Kathleen at her finest!

But, as Keri Lynn has reminded me repeatedly, HER birthday party is going to be for her SIXTEENTH birthday. How did this happen? How did that sweet round-faced, bud-mouthed little imp get to be that tall willowy woman who likes to watch romantic movies with me? So her plan is also to invite her friends to come all dressed up, but not just in pretty tea dresses, but in formals. We're going to drive the young ladies to a movie matinee, limousine-style, in our van, then drive them back home for a formal dinner -- Olive Garden style -- with chine, sliver, in our formal dining room. They will also be asked to bring something for the dinner (in lieu of birthday gifts.) Keri Lynn would like Keith and Kristofer to help serve, while I cook. She wants a tiara, too. Her whole concept of formal wear and fine dining came from our recent trip to J.C. Penney, where we all ogled the pretty formal dresses there. Hopefully we'll be able to find something suitable at Goodwill that won't dent our family budget!

Things are going well as I continue to strive to be a healthier person. I've now lost 24 pounds! I didn't walk at all last week, while Ginny was here, but I did move around a lot with the painting and cooking and keeping the dog out of the painting and cooking. This week, I haven't walked at all out of sheer laziness. So now I need to get myself back into gear again. Yesterday, I did walk for about five minutes, but was stopped by a neighbor who wanted to know if I knew of any good babysitters, Hmmmm. Let me think. Uh, yes! So I went home and sent Keri Lynn to go to talk with her and meet her kids. This neighbor, who we don't know much at all, has a three-year-old and a one-year-old, with no family or friends in the area. She is desperate to be able to get out with her husband alone! I felt her pain! Even with family and friends in the area, it was hard to take care of two little ones all the time. I don't want to overwhelm her, but I'm hoping that she'll come for lunch with her kids some time soon, so she could have some friends close by again.

I'm rather long-winded today. Nothing new, I guess.

Yesterday was an interesting day in Blogworld. I finally figured out how to put up links on my blog. Kent, the one who introduced me to blogs in the first place, showed me last time he came to visit us, and then I forgot one of the steps, and then couldn't do it after all. That's the thing about most things computer -- if you forget ONE step, the whole thing goes down the toilet. But then I played around with the clickers on my mouse, and after dozens of failed attempts finally figured out what I was doing wrong, and now I've got a bunch of links on my blog to OTHER blogs. Go ahead, give it a whirl!

Warning: Have Kleenex handy

One of these days, I'm going to figure out how to do a fancier link, but you all have to check this one out.

http://www.ignitermedia.com/products/iv/singles/570/99-Balloons

Grocery Story Trump

I always get some kind of comment at the grocery store. It never fails. It usually has something to do with the amount of groceries, but not this time.

Today's question trumped them all.

"Are you interested in using our senior citizen's discount?"

EXCUSE ME?!?!

If I were a swearing woman . . .

My answer, "I might LOOK like it today, but no thank you."

Mortification. Then, I looked at my expanse of groceries: six packs of spaghetti, eight cans of spaghetti sauce, three bulk packs of Top Ramen, etc, and thought about the movie Bridget Jones' Diary (which, of course I don't recommend but secretly like anyway) where she writes about eating herself to death and being found in her home being eaten by wild dogs, or something like that. Anyway, my point is I was mortified!

Next time, I'm maybe getting a little more prettied up to go to the grocery store. Today, I ran out without make-up, my hair in a pony tail, wearing my hokey Wal-Mart shirt, comfy yellow capris and Mom shoes with ankle socks. I was not looking all that sassy.

Vacation Daze

Card games on a lazy vacation afternoon. (Don't let anyone know Kristofer was playing with Princess cards!)

One of the many advantages to having a lot of brothers and sisters -- lots of friends to play cards .
"I'm lonely. No one wants to play with me."

Keri Lynn ushers in spring with shorts! She was complaining to me about how hard it is to have long legs. Oh, the PAIN!

Keva hangs out in the family room. She loves to pull on Kody's tail.

Kody taking a break from Keva.

The aftermath of kids playing outside. Can you see the dirt going from the carpet to the floor of the sink in the bathroom?

Then, of course, after supposedly washing in the bathroom, messy people must also make a snack, and put muddy feet on white cabinets. *Note to self: If ever ordering cabinets again, get the wood color.

Absolutely Nothing

I am doing a marvelous job today (AGAIN) of doing absolutely nothing. For some reason solitaire on the computer holds great appeal. Sleeping in. Watching the world go by. Reveling in the recent rains. Watching the trees get their leaves. Complete and utter lazy contentment. Gotta love spring break.

After playing several rounds of Speed, War and Go Fish, the kids are playing a card game called Liar. It's hilarious watching them try to bluff their way through the game. Each of them have a strategy. Kade plunks down each card with gusto and tends to get away with the most lies. Konner tries to look smooth, but just can't pull it off. Some are good liars, a little too good for comfort, in my opinion. Some are horrible liars. I guess honing lying skills isn't the best way to wile away an afternoon, but it has been entertaining.

I need to go get groceries. We're down to the last dregs. Kids come into the kitchen looking sunken-cheeked. "There's nothing to eat!" wail the starving minions. My real motivation to go to the grocery store is that I need batteries for my Walkman (to listen to books on tape while I walk) and diapers for Keva. And maybe because I want some feta cheese. I'm on a feta kick right now. Yum.

Last night, we watched A Night with the King on DVD. It's the story of Esther, and it was pretty good. They just got off track a little bit, and it actually could have been even more of a nail biter if they'd stayed more within the biblical story. All in all, though, it was better than most biblical movies. I was engrossed enough in it to realize, as the credits rolled, that I had just missed half of American Idol! I only got to hear Hailey and Sanjaya, before a phone call came in, and those two are not on the top of my list. So I don't have an Idol Recap this week. (I know so many of you are crushed!)

I would like to take this moment to say how disappointed I am in TV these days having been a regular TV-a-holic most of my life. There's just not much out there anymore. I've been convicted about watching House, which used to be my favorite show. It's just gotten too raunchy, like ER. That one episode where the two doctors decide to have c*asual s*ex is just too much. Sigh. So no more House for me. I may get the first few seasons of 24 and Lost to see if those interest me at all. I try to watch, but haven't gotten hooked on either of them yet. Anyone have a favorite?

I tend to read a lot more now, with Keith gone in the evenings and TV being what it is. I just finished Father Melancholy's Daughter, but found it kind of slow and maybe a little too real-life. And then I was disappointed in the main character as she made her life choices. I did just finally get the second book in Francine River's Mark of the Lion series, so now I have all three books in my hot little hands at last. I started the first one just last night. I've heard all kinds of good things about it.

Easter Pageant Snaps

Stage Make-up for Keith. As he says, "Is it me, or is it Maybeline!"

The kids gather around "Jesus". Isn't Chris a nice looking Jesus! Ben, hamming it up on the right, is one of the thieves on the cross.

Here's Ben before the make-up. He twisted his ankle badly just days before the pageant. His Mom said that the agony on the cross didn't have to be acted. In real life, as you can tell, he's quite a character. He and Jared are a couple of Keri Lynn's buddies.

Here's Kristofer, center, with his costume and make-up. The lady in charge of costumes came up to tell me that I sure had some great kids, "especially Kristofer!" He's sitting with Annette, Kylie's choir director and choir member, and Becky, a flutist.

Kathleen and Kylie with some of their fellow cast members playing cards to keep busy while they wait for their cue. Shhhhh. Cards at a Southern Baptist church . . .

Kathleen and Kylie . . .

up close!

Here are the make-up tables. The cast had to show up two hours before each performance to get ready.

The Garden

Recuperation day for me. After the whirlwind of guests, pageant and painting, I'm EXHAUSTED. One final push and then I can get back to normal. I need to make a meal for my friend Joy and her family tonight in celebration of her baby girl Mary Joy. Isn't that a sweet name for a little girl?

We had the final presentation of the Easter Pageant on Sunday morning. I didn't go with the kids on the Palm Branches Parade because Keva does not enjoy walking for any length of time. So she joined me in my Sunday School class instead, and then I went to pick up the little boys to see the pageant.

At first, I wasn't going to take the three (Keva, Kade and Konner) because I thought they'd be bored, having watched it already on Friday night. But both boys begged me to take them again. They really like the big bad Roman soldiers! It isn't the greatest reason to watch the Easter story, but it will do for now!

This time, we sat right behind the orchestra. Konner was fascinated with the cello. Kade pointed to the violin section, "Look at those things (he meant the violin bows) -- they're all going up and down at the same time!" And I tried not to cry as the kids came running down the aisle. I kept telling myself, "You know what's going to happen. Please don't start blubbering again," but, of course, I did!

The poor guy, Chris, who played Jesus had a terrible time this last time, though, because his crown of thorns kept falling down onto his eyes and then finally nearly around his neck. He was trying to secretly scoot it back up, but he couldn't very well position his own crown of thorns back on his head and the Roman soldiers behind him couldn't see what was happening. They were the only ones who could have done anything about it and still stayed in character. Mary, Mary Magdalene and John couldn't exactly put the crown of thorns back into place either!
Chris played Jesus last year for the first time. And this year, again, even with the crown of thorns mishap, did such a great job. His wife played the woman who was healed when touching Jesus' hem of his garment. Their daughter was one of the kids who came running down the aisle yelling "Jesus is coming!" It was so sweet to see this precious family playing these precious roles, but it really got me to thinking about Jesus Himself.

Jesus Himself. Who sacrificed EVERYTHING for us. He could have married, had his own children -- but even that he denied Himself -- all for the sake of the cross -- and all for the sake of us.

One of the most impactful moments of the whole crucifixion story for me is when Jesus is praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. He has asked his closest disciples -- Peter, James and John -- to pray for Him because He is sorrowful even unto death. As He prays, He begs the Father to let the cup pass from Him.

I believe this is the most critical part of the whole deal. Here Jesus at last gathers His strength. He comes to the point of no return. And I don't think it has anything to do with being afraid of the pain and death of a horrible execution. I don't think He worries about the people who will revile Him. I don't think He's afraid to stand before Roman rule. He's not afraid of being left alone by His disciples.

He simply does not want to be separated from God the Father. He does not want the horror of the whole sin of the world upon His shoulders that will rip Him away from all that is holy. "He who knew no sin became sin for us."

Still He was obedient.

He took the cup, "Not My will, but Yours."

All of His actions glowed with obedience -- through chains, rotten courts, cowardly rulers, angry mobs, bloody beating, carrying the cross, thorns thrust into His head, nails pounded through his hands and feet, and horribly pain. He did not complain.

Only once do we hear the words shortly before His death, "My God, My God! Why have You forsaken Me!"

His ONLY words of complaint. When God the Father deserts Him.
And then, those wonderful words, "It is finished."

Thank You, Lord, for saving me from my sins. Thank You for Your faithfulness in going to the cross. Now the grave stands empty, and you sit at the right hand of God the Father, the Lamb that was slain. Thank You.