September 2008

Well, it has been a full couple of months. This weekend it again has struck me how much I am trying to juggle each day. Having 2 teenagers and a 1 year old is quite a contrast! Thankfully the Lord is sovereign. He knows what is best and he has brought us another little life to invest in.
We had a fun time this weekend visiting with Keith's sister and her husband. They came here from Pennsylvania. They left this morning. While Keith and the other 2 kids visited with Jan & Denny on Saturday, Katie and I worked at the school concession stand at the University of Michigan game. The crowd was going crazy at the end of the game. U of M was losing 19-0 and in the last quarter they ended up winning the game. It was amazing! Michael Phelps was there but never bought anything from our stand. Bummer.
This week it is getting a little cooler and greyer outside.
Keith hung our blinds in the family room. They look nice. Now, we have a border to hang. Bookshelves are being built for either end of the room and then we get to decorate the walls, put cushions on the sofas and better lighting. It is coming together. Fixing up our house is a huge project but well worth it. Our goal is to provide a great place for everyone to come home to and for others to enjoy with us. We love having people over but haven't done much of it.
Sarah is walking quickly, working on some new teeth, saying "flower" a lot, and growing her hair longer. David is driving them to school fairly often which frees some of my time up(and sanity, since the school parking lot can be a bear). He continues to take drum lessons, play for the worship band at youth group and hang out with his friends. Katie is anxious to start drivers ed. She'll probably take the 3 week class in the Spring. She is enjoying piano and has lots of fun being with her friends. She told me this weekend that she really enjoys watching football and soccer. She is a sports person.
Keith has been working hard on home projects and he's doing a great job. Our 20th anniversary is on Wednesday! That is hard to believe. In honor of our anniversary, we have a special trip planned for the end of February.
Til next time...

Summer 2008

I have been reflecting on what life was like a year ago. I was almost 8 months pregnant and not feeling well. Little did I know that I was about a week away from giving birth to little Sarah ( see picture from the day we brought her home from the hospital, July 9th, 2007)! She has grown so much this year (the other picture is from Mother's Day, the day she was dedicated to the Lord, in Church). Her personality is really coming out these days. She squeels when she sees us and waves good-bye. She loves to climb the stairs and play in the kitchen cabinet. She pulls the popcorn packets and raisin boxes out of a basket in the cabinet and puts them in and out, talking the whole time. She loves David and Katie. They are such a great brother and sister. For me, knowing that Sarah will be 1 is a wonderful thing. We are through with a very tiring and full year.

The kids are enjoying their summer so far. David and Katie helped out at our church's Bible School last week. David helped out with games and crafts. Katie and one of her friends were in charge of eight 3rd grade girls. She also helped with 2 other girls in doing hand motions for the opening session for Bible School. In the picture, you can see Katie's hair and how curly it gets. And I'm liking David's hair in the picture; it's nice and short! Well, his summer hair is pretty nice too but it gets kind of long. He loves summer when he doesn't have to go get it cut according to school dress code.

For me, personally, God has been teaching me that he is faithful. His love and faithfulness remain with me. This is a real help to me. Remembering who God is rather than focusing on me or others faults. I'm also seeing the importance of turning my anxieties into prayer. It's a way better use of my time and it brings me rest rather than distress!

It's a beautiful evening here. I love summertime!

Wedding in PA

This was a scorching hot weekend! We went to Keith's nephew's wedding in PA this past weekend. I saw temperature readings that said 102!! The wedding was beautiful. Clint and Katy are a cute couple and it's great to add another Katy to the family. We stayed with my Mom and had a really nice time. She's a great hostess. Mom took us on a drive down by the Susquehanna river to a very restful scene with lots of boats, picnics, and relaxed visiting. We then drove back to see if we could find Jon & Kate plus 8's home. We knew the neighborhood since one of our good friends taught one of the twins piano. They live in the same neighborhood. We found the home right away. Mom and Katie noticed the dark blue van and their other van parked in their driveway. It was oddly peaceful looking... That evening we went out for ice cream. Thanks Mom! That's where the picture was taken. It was a quick weekend and now it's time to get started on our summer schedule.

Go Red Wings!!!

This is our neighbors' truck. (2 doors down) Note the home-made Stanley Cup in the back. These are the neighbors with the elaborate Halloween display including sounds. Just thought that those of you who aren't from Detroit would enjoy the team spirit.

Beginnings and Endings

This blog is just beginning.
And School is ending.
My children have so many beginnings and endings. Sometimes it overwhelms me. This is the time of the year when I feel the changes. David and Katie finish another year of school. They're another year older. How can it be? This evening I walked slowly by a small boy and his Dad as they played baseball together and I heard little David's voice from my past. Tears came to my eyes. How time keeps moving. Katie finished up soccer about 2 weeks ago. They had a really good season. David played in Baseball Districts yesterday. They won their first game and lost the second.
Sarah is just beginning her life. I'm still amazed that she is ours. She certainly keeps me busy but she is such a blessing. What a joy she is! She is beginning to creep and grab at things that she shouldn't be grabbing such as cell phone cords and moss at the base of our ficus tree. She had lots of fun today taking the newspaper completely apart and lifting pieces of it up in the air, inspecting it front and back. By the end, her fingertips and toes were black from the newspaper ink. Which reminds me of the Lancaster New Era, whose ink doesn't smear. That's one of those small things that I did appreciate!

As for me, God is teaching me much about perseverance and hoping in him. What does that mean? For me it means Hope in his unfailing love; Hope in his promises; He is my sustainer.

I just picked up 2 new Penelope Stokes books at the library. I love her stuff and haven't read these yet: "Delta Belles" and "Circle of Grace". I started reading "Circle of Grace" first.
As far as movies, Keith and I just watched "Chicken Little" Friday night. It really is a funny movie. This afternoon I caught the end of "Doctor Doolittle" with Eddie Murphy. My life is so tiring right now that those movies are just the medicine I need!

Til next time...