Don and the kids had a great time at the new arena watching "Walking with Dinosaurs". Don took some videos and it's amazing how realistic they seemed. My wonderful Aunt Janet treated them, what a blessing!! They were even interviewed on KSN!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
How Not to Clean a Swimming Pool....With your BUTT!
THE POOL BEFORE
Tonight was very productive and we managed to scrub down several walls in the house and we have completely drained the in ground swimming pool except for about 6 inches of sludgy goop at the bottom. The pool slopes to a depth of 10 feet and made of fiberglass with a vinyl liner. I was standing on the side spraying around the perimeter to scrub the sides to loosen debris so I could spray it off better. While wearing my very well-worn traction-free flip flops, I decided to climb in and I got a little too close to the slopey part of the deep end and down I went over and over again.....with my kids sitting on the edge watching in horror. I realized I couldn't get out without a little help, so I sent the kids in to find Don. He came out with his hands on his hips and yelled.."What are you doing down there?" He repeated his question 2 more times, I can not publish on this lovely blog my response, but the gist of it was..."Stop asking me and throw me a rope so I can climb out!" Anyway, the part where my butt slid down is much cleaner. Mission partially accomplished!
Of course, I had to apologize to my better half for my unlady like response, and he said he was sorry he was so slow to respond but he was in shock because "Honey, you don't usually do such stupid things." Yeah....usually! We all laughed about it on the way home and the kids asked if after the pool was all cleaned out if they could ride on "the slide".
Tonight was very productive and we managed to scrub down several walls in the house and we have completely drained the in ground swimming pool except for about 6 inches of sludgy goop at the bottom. The pool slopes to a depth of 10 feet and made of fiberglass with a vinyl liner. I was standing on the side spraying around the perimeter to scrub the sides to loosen debris so I could spray it off better. While wearing my very well-worn traction-free flip flops, I decided to climb in and I got a little too close to the slopey part of the deep end and down I went over and over again.....with my kids sitting on the edge watching in horror. I realized I couldn't get out without a little help, so I sent the kids in to find Don. He came out with his hands on his hips and yelled.."What are you doing down there?" He repeated his question 2 more times, I can not publish on this lovely blog my response, but the gist of it was..."Stop asking me and throw me a rope so I can climb out!" Anyway, the part where my butt slid down is much cleaner. Mission partially accomplished!Of course, I had to apologize to my better half for my unlady like response, and he said he was sorry he was so slow to respond but he was in shock because "Honey, you don't usually do such stupid things." Yeah....usually! We all laughed about it on the way home and the kids asked if after the pool was all cleaned out if they could ride on "the slide".
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Not So Green Pastures: Our "New" House
I always tell the kids.."Life is an adventure." And this certainly will be that! We purchased our new home in foreclosure, it had been abandoned by it's previous owner. It needs lots of attention, having been neglected and abused. Benny has given the house a nickname..."The Dirty House." We have been cleaning, and cleaning...like cRaZy! I didn't know it was possible to have so many layers of grime. On a positive note, the house being empty and all has AWESOME ACOUSTICS, so we have been singing up a storm while we scour. I'll be posting updates and pics as we go.....we are just praying our current house sells soon!!Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Bamboo
I found this story online while searching for a story about humility to share at Children's Eucharistic Adoration. I was very moved.
Bamboo
Once upon a time, in the heart of the Western Kingdom, lay a beautiful garden. And there, in the cool of the day, the Master of the garden was wont to walk. Of all the denizens of the garden, the most beautiful and most beloved was gracious and noble bamboo. Year after year, bamboo grew yet more noble and gracious, conscious of his Master’s love and watchful delight, but modest and gentle withal. And often when the wind came to revel in the garden, Bamboo would cast aside his grave stateliness, to dance and play right merrily, tossing and swaying and leaping and bowing in joyous abandon, leading the Great Dance of the garden, Which most delighted the Master’s heart.
Now, once upon a day, the Master himself drew near to contemplate his Bamboo with eyes of curious expectancy. And Bamboo, in a passion of adoration, bowed his great head to the ground in loving greeting.
The Master spoke: “Bamboo, Bamboo, I would use you.”
Bamboo flung his head to the sky in utter delight. The day of days had come, the day for which he had been made, the day to which he had been growing hour by hour, the day in which he would find his completion and his destiny.
His voice came low: “Master, I’m ready. Use me as Thou wilt.”
“Bamboo,” – The Master’s voice was grave --- “I would have to take you and cut you down!”
A trembling of great horror shook Bamboo…”Cut …me… down ? Me.. who thou, Master, has made the most beautiful in all thy Garden…cut me down! Ah, not that. Not that. Use me for the joy, use me for the glory, oh master, but cut me not down!”
Beloved Bamboo,”—The Master’s voice grew graver still—“If I cut you not down, I cannot use you.”
The garden grew still. Wind held his breath. Bamboo slowly bent his proud and glorious head. There was a whisper:
“Master, if thou cannot use me other than to cut me down.. then do thy will and cut”.
“Bamboo, beloved Bamboo, I would cut your leaves and branches from you also”.
“Master, spare me. Cut me down and lay my beauty in the dust; but would thou also have to take from me, my leaves and branches too?”
“Bamboo, if I cut them not away, I cannot use you.”
The Sun hid his face. A listening butterfly glided fearfully away. And Bamboo shivered in terrible expectancy, whispering low: “Master, cut away”
“Bamboo, Bamboo, I would yet… split you in two and cut out your heart, for if I cut not so, I cannot use you.”
Then Bamboo bowed to the ground: “Master, Master… then cut and split.”
So did the Master of the garden took Bamboo…and cut him down…and hacked off his branches…and stripped off his leaves…and split him in two…and cut out his heart.
And lifting him gently, carried him to where there was a spring of fresh sparkling water in the midst of his dry fields. Then putting one end of the broken Bamboo in the spring and the other end into the water channel in His field, the Master laid down gently his beloved Bamboo… And the spring sang welcome, and the clear sparkling waters raced joyously down the channel of bamboo’s torn body into the waiting fields. Then the rice was planted, and the days went by, and the shoots grew and the harvest came.
In that day Bamboo, once so glorious in his stately beauty, was yet more glorious in his brokenness and humility. For in his beauty he was life abundant, but in his brokenness he became a channel of abundant life to his Master’s world.
Author Unknown
Bamboo
Once upon a time, in the heart of the Western Kingdom, lay a beautiful garden. And there, in the cool of the day, the Master of the garden was wont to walk. Of all the denizens of the garden, the most beautiful and most beloved was gracious and noble bamboo. Year after year, bamboo grew yet more noble and gracious, conscious of his Master’s love and watchful delight, but modest and gentle withal. And often when the wind came to revel in the garden, Bamboo would cast aside his grave stateliness, to dance and play right merrily, tossing and swaying and leaping and bowing in joyous abandon, leading the Great Dance of the garden, Which most delighted the Master’s heart.
Now, once upon a day, the Master himself drew near to contemplate his Bamboo with eyes of curious expectancy. And Bamboo, in a passion of adoration, bowed his great head to the ground in loving greeting.
The Master spoke: “Bamboo, Bamboo, I would use you.”
Bamboo flung his head to the sky in utter delight. The day of days had come, the day for which he had been made, the day to which he had been growing hour by hour, the day in which he would find his completion and his destiny.
His voice came low: “Master, I’m ready. Use me as Thou wilt.”
“Bamboo,” – The Master’s voice was grave --- “I would have to take you and cut you down!”
A trembling of great horror shook Bamboo…”Cut …me… down ? Me.. who thou, Master, has made the most beautiful in all thy Garden…cut me down! Ah, not that. Not that. Use me for the joy, use me for the glory, oh master, but cut me not down!”
Beloved Bamboo,”—The Master’s voice grew graver still—“If I cut you not down, I cannot use you.”
The garden grew still. Wind held his breath. Bamboo slowly bent his proud and glorious head. There was a whisper:
“Master, if thou cannot use me other than to cut me down.. then do thy will and cut”.
“Bamboo, beloved Bamboo, I would cut your leaves and branches from you also”.
“Master, spare me. Cut me down and lay my beauty in the dust; but would thou also have to take from me, my leaves and branches too?”
“Bamboo, if I cut them not away, I cannot use you.”
The Sun hid his face. A listening butterfly glided fearfully away. And Bamboo shivered in terrible expectancy, whispering low: “Master, cut away”
“Bamboo, Bamboo, I would yet… split you in two and cut out your heart, for if I cut not so, I cannot use you.”
Then Bamboo bowed to the ground: “Master, Master… then cut and split.”
So did the Master of the garden took Bamboo…and cut him down…and hacked off his branches…and stripped off his leaves…and split him in two…and cut out his heart.
And lifting him gently, carried him to where there was a spring of fresh sparkling water in the midst of his dry fields. Then putting one end of the broken Bamboo in the spring and the other end into the water channel in His field, the Master laid down gently his beloved Bamboo… And the spring sang welcome, and the clear sparkling waters raced joyously down the channel of bamboo’s torn body into the waiting fields. Then the rice was planted, and the days went by, and the shoots grew and the harvest came.
In that day Bamboo, once so glorious in his stately beauty, was yet more glorious in his brokenness and humility. For in his beauty he was life abundant, but in his brokenness he became a channel of abundant life to his Master’s world.
Author Unknown
Monday, March 1, 2010
Before They Call, I Will Answer.
A friend of mine sent me an email forward and most of the time, I confess, I delete them. This one however sparked my interest because it was a verse from the Bible. I clicked to discover the verse is the title of this post from Isaiah 65:24. "Before they call, I will answer." Isn't this the truth? How much time do we spend worrying, pondering, and stewing, when all along the plans are already in the works to answer the prayer we have yet to pray. Case in point was Don's job 13 years ago. Don and I both had jobs(not careers) and we found out that we were expecting. Despite the fact that quitting my job would make things super tight(below the poverty line) we knew this was what God was calling us to do. We paid off debt, sold a car, stockpiled the pantry and prepared as much as we could. Even when I unexpectedly had to be put on bedrest 2 months before Noah's due date, we trusted. As time went by things became very tight and we realized that Don needed a higher income. We prayed and Don sent out resumes and had interviews and was about to accept a job at QT which neither of us felt comfortable about because it was the night shift. I was worried for his safety and he was worried about leaving his little family alone at night. The phone rang, Don's mother, told us she received a letter for Don from the USPS requesting an interview. We were shocked at how this was possible. We then remembered that while dating we decided to take the postal exam together...that had been 3 years ago! I know...how romantic, huh?? Well, he did get the job and it has indeed been a blessing!! It's funny to see that before we ever needed it, God had a plan already in place. Praise be to God!!
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