color a pepper

It’s that time again! Time to color chili peppers at Chili’s to benefit St. Judes.

Every year I stare at my pepper and can’t figure out what I want to do with it. This year I decided to take out a pen and write a short version of Bub’s story. (I think I did that last year too.)

I handed our stack of peppers to our waitress and she walked away with them. Sometimes that’s the end of ‘it’ and other times our wait person will make some kind of comment. Usually to the tune of “I’m so sorry for your loss” and then not really knowing what else to say. Bless their hearts. I usually try to keep the conversation upbeat because I don’t want them to be over-emotional about it or feel awkward or whatever.

But this year’s waitress said something new. She told us that her little brother is a SURVIVOR of neuroblastoma AND he was treated at the same hospital by the SAME doctor as Bub! I just about fell out of my chair. I was so happy for her and her family!

It was sweet and bittersweet all at the same time. Very precious.

an award!

 

I won! Karen at Gberger let me know that I won an award for being a Versatile Blogger.

I guess I’m nothing if not versatile. Little of this, little of that..sometimes wading in the shallow end and other times diving off the high dive of the topic pool.

I’m supposed to pass this on to 15 people but… I don’t have a lot of time for that right now. So!

I will skip the passing it on part…cuz I’d give it to you and you and you…way in the back. So consider yourself tagged and take it if you’d like.  

She also wants me to list 7 random things about me. Hmm…

1. I have a new hobby. (hopefully a post coming soon on that)
2. I am reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan and it’s making me a wreck, in a good way.
3. I am also still reading Laura Bush’s book. I’m kind of nibbling at it, just picking it up for a minute or two when nothing is going on. It’s really good.
4. I love Hobby Lobby. One of the reasons is because they always play instrumental hymns over the speakers. When I want to just be by myself and think and ‘get out for a minute’, that’s where I usually head.
5. I’m watching much less tv these days  and I’m not really missing it at all. I love that it frees my mind up to think something other than “I wonder which house they’ll pick on House Hunters”.
6. BSF starts up again this week. I’m excited and a little bit intimidated.
7. I wish I could wiggle my nose and send all our pollen to the moon.

I know you won’t believe this, but this silly post has taken me several sittings to finish and I still couldn’t think of anything really interesting for my 7 things. But see #7…I’ve had brain fog for a while now, thanks to grass and ragweed. : p

Thanks again for the award!

Hugs! : )

a walk in the park

Things are going along nicely with school. We’re both hitting our stride with it and getting more comfortable. And I think we’re all enjoying the extra free time since she’s not so bogged down doing weird things.

She’s even reading a book. FOR FUN. I know!

But the other day she was commenting that things were a little blurry, soooo… I took her to the eye doctor and she needed glasses! So we got those at the end of last week. They’re rimless and really cute. Makes her look very studious and smart. She’s getting used to them and has mentioned how blurry things are when she takes them off. I feel sorry for her that she got braces AND glasses in such a short period of time, but I’m glad she can see. Now.

We got out a little over the long weekend. It wasn’t soo hot and I was we were just itching to get of the house. So we went to the public gardens in the big city near us.

Very pretty.

They had an exhibit along the outdoor walkways with those museum-like signs that you raise/open the doors and read the answers to learn more about whatever topic. And this topic was, of course, nature and the eco-system etc.

But one question stood out. And I even know the answer.

 

YES!

Oh wait..I know my answer.

Random Dozen

1. What insect are you most afraid of? Feel free to post a picture. Stinging and flying things. I don’t want an unpredictable bug getting on me while I try to kill it.

2. What is the greenest/most organic thing about you or that you do? I bought a set of cheap washcloths and use those to wipe down the counters. I probably have 25 or more and I wash all of them every week, thus saving at least 50 paper towels a week! Woot!

3. Tell me about a recurring dream that haunts you. ??? I got nothin’.

4. Have you ever missed a flight? What were the circumstances? Nope.

5. What do you consider your best feature? I have no idea. Um..my eyes. My empathy for others. I know that’s not a feature, which we tend to think of as a physical characteristic, but I was trying to go a little deeper.

6. What was the last concert you went to? Chris Tomlin!!! Loooved it!

7. Describe the most embarrassing church moment you ever experienced. Ohmigosh! This question alone is the reason I decided to jump into the Random again this week, even though life has been kinda busy lately. My husband and I used to go to a church that was very um..shall we say ”high church”. They had an orchestra and only sang hymns and the ‘special music’ was very VERY traditional. One Sunday there was special music. An older lady went up and began to sing. She had a beautiful voice. But it was kind of...operatic sounding. Lots of high notes. And we couldn’t understand what she was singing. And for some reason we both looked at each other got tickled about that simple fact. And we both (silently) giggled and giggled until I thought we were going to bounce right out off the pew. We were both so embarrassed that we ‘lost it’ like that, and we had the hardest time reigning it all in and moving on. We couldn’t even look at each other through the rest of the service, lest we bust out laughing. Another story involved us going to a wedding and the mother of the bride standing up in front of everybody at the start of the wedding but at the wrong time and letting out a loud “&^%$#*” and sitting back down. Awkwaaaard!

8. Are you a whistler, hummer or singer? I can’t whistle. I think I am mostly a singer, but only in a crowd or when nobody else is listening. I miss the years my daughter was oblivious enough that I could just belt it out off key along with the cd and not be embarrassed or hear a “mo-om!”.

9. George Washington Carver said, "I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in." What is God saying to you through nature today, or this very minute? That it is all His and I need to be in awe of Him every moment.

10. On September, 1, 1752, the Liberty Bell arrived in Philadelphia. What memorable event will take place in your life on September 1, 2010? Um..another day of homeschool.

11. Taco Bell or the Liberty Bell? (You must choose.) I am a patriotic sort, so the Liberty Bell. But I’m not exactly a history buff..and I like mexican food, so maybe Taco Bell instead. (although I don’t like Taco Bell!)

12. Do you believe men and women can have purely platonic friendships? yes.

To see how other people feel about the Liberty Bell and what bugs they’re afraid of and a bunch of other stuff, head on over to Linda’s place at 2nd Cup!

crabby

I guess crabby is just about the best way to describe how I feel right now.

I have not been ‘going there’ very much with my thoughts or feelings and felt like I was doing ok this week.

But there have been these other little things that are bothering me. I can’t find some simple household objects that I need. Misplaced. Lost? I have no idea.  But I’d like to be able to put my hands on these things that just seem to have fallen off a cliff into the pit of nowhere.

And it’s just been gnawing at me.

Some of that hit the wall…and my family (sorry!) this morning. I wasn’t a pretty girl to be around. My husband finally decided I needed some ‘cinnamon roll therapy’ at our favorite brunch place. As an appetizer for our brunch/lunch. It was soo good. Things were looking up.

And then I noticed a little over halfway through my breakfast burrito that it had cheese in it. I can’t eat cheese and had asked for it not be there. Grrrrr. I stopped eating that and wondered if I was going to end up sick.

So I wasn’t in a great mood when we left after lunch. But we were laughing and I was trying to make the best of the day and let go of my awful emotions from earlier in the morning. We flipped on the a/c and headed out of the parking lot.

And then..poof. The a/c just quit on us. So I rolled down the window and we headed straight to the dealer to see if they could work us in or make us an appointment for next week. It turned out to be the later, so we headed on home with the windows rolled down.

Made me laugh and remember going on trips in the summer ‘back in the day’ before cars had air conditioning. My hair would feel like straw after blowing in the wind all day. Thankful we have a/c now.

But this whole thing has been weird. None of the things in and of themselves are a big deal. And just by themselves, I wouldn’t be having a melt down over any of it.

But there is the ‘other issue’ brewing under the surface. I feel like I am using everything I have to keep it in check and then add to that all these pesky details of life. I just can’t handle all of that.

Of course I can’t.

But Jesus can. And He came to take all these burdens that weigh me down and give me peace that is beyond my understanding. And even though I know that and have experienced it, I still forget and need to be reminded.

Thankful to be reminded today.

13 candles

Today is another birthday.

Another one where we look at each other silently and knowingly.

And know there won’t be cake.

Or presents.

Or thirteen candles.

Another year has gone by.

I wonder if there will come a year that we don’t count how old would he’d be.

Or how long he’s been gone.

Probably not.

Happy birthday in heaven today, sweet boy. 

Love and kisses.

Mommy

walking with God…literally

I know y’all are going to get tired of me posting about home school. I can’t help it. Especially because right now while we get rolling, I don’t have time for much else.

We are stepping up her ‘workout’ for PE this week. That means we’re trying to spend a little more time on the treadmill etc. and up the cardio a little bit. Well, I probably don’t have to tell you that she and I are both pretty un-athletic. So bumping up the cardio is a big deal.

And I hate it.

I am not not a big fan of exercise.

The workout center at the church makes it easy as they’ve got TV’s to watch and I always have my iPod in my pocket to listen to music while I walk.

I spend most of my time on the treadmill with earplugs in and my hands lightly resting on the side rail dealies so I can walk with my eyes closed. I know I get a little less of a workout that way because I’m not moving my arms, but it keeps me centered so I can sort of zone out.

I can block out the tv, other people working out (except my girl that I have to remind what to do from time to time) and any other distraction.

And walk with God. Literally.

I listen to music and just worship God. And pray. I love it.