Summer

Hard to believe that August is here already! Where has the summer gone?! It's been a nice change of pace from the regular school year -- except with a Senior and Junior in High School, I feel that this summer has required more "running around"! Certainly we are enjoying every minute of it!

My garden is growing like crazy! Starting to see some harvest come from it! My zucchini plants always grow like wild fire! I planated four tomato plants this year and it looks like they will produce enough to feed an army! :) With my surplus of tomatos I will freeze them and use them in spaghetti and chilli! Yum!

My flowers are growing beautifully this year as well! It helps that I remember to water them! ;) Speaking of flowers, I'm heading out the door to enjoy my afternoon latte with them! In the sunshine and the quiet!

May the Lord bless your day!

The Roller Coaster

Life, when I was younger, seemed like a roller coaster going up the ride. It took FOREVER, or so it seemed, to reach different milestones. Like going to highschool, getting my driver's license, being old enough to get my first job, moving out on my own. Waiting for that boy to ask me out, waiting for Mr. Right, Mr. Right comes along and then more waiting and waiting...finally the wedding! Then waiting for the "right" time to buy a new vehicle, to purchase our first house, the "right time" to get pregnant. And then all of a sudden there is a a little precious one growing inside of me....

Fast forward several years and a few more children added to the mix and now life seems to be on a DOWN HILL ROLLER COASTER!!! Where has the time gone? I want it to slow down! My babies are no longer babies but young men and a little girl -- oh my goodness she is growing up to fast!! My oldest is a junior! Next year he graduates from High School and the year after that my second oldest graduates! Where has the time gone? Slllloooowww dddooowwwwwnnnn...please!! :)

I'm realizing more and more that I need to take time to enjoy my life in spite of the busyness. I need to make time for those family sit down meals in spite of hectic sports schedules, put my agenda on the back burner and go to my children's basketball/wrestling/soccer...games. But more than anything I need to take time for Jesus, time to spend quietly with HIM. Time to listen to HIM, time to read HIS word, time to act on what HE tells me.

The speed of the roller coaster may not change but I'm learning that I need to lean on the ONE who is holding me close through all the loops, turns, ups and downs!

A New Year...

Looking forward to 2010 and all it may hold. These last several weeks have been difficult as dh was once again unemployed (and continues to be) just before the Christmas season. But, once again, we see the faithfulness of Christ. We are trusting Him for the impossible and looking foward to what is in store. The road appears very harsh with lots of potholes right now, but I chose to hang on to the ONE who is holding tomorrow, and not fall into the potholes.

It always seems like my new year does not actually start til the second week of January -- that's when everything seems to fall back into routine. School has started, preschool has restarted, company's all returned home, the tree is down and most of the Christmas decorations are put away.

I'm debating on whether or not to put away the manger. Last January one of the Pastor's at my Mom's church did a sermon about not packing away the manger. (Oh, I know she meant it figuralitivy, but I'm very visual -- thus the dilemma.) I'll leave it out for a while longer and then decide.

On a cute note -- in preschool chapel last week the pastor asked why we celebrate Christmas. A little girl answered, "So we can celebrate Easter." The pastor commented that that was correct and then asked what happens at Easter, because Christmas and Easter are connected. The little ones said, "We get Easter eggs!!" It was really cute!d

Happy New Year!