gainfully employed...

This mama's heart is happy...

after a great interview...

he's gainfully employed!

Do you suppose this

will help my grocery budget?

a Spring Break recap...

Spending Spring Break with those you love is never a waste of time...

...so we started our spring break with grandparents and cousins and cousin love...

in never ceases to amaze me how much my children miss their cousins when cousin time comes to an end.

On the very middle day of our Spring Break, my friend, Rachelle, returned the favor and took me and six others to Pickles for a belated birthday celebration....

where I managed to spill my plum iced tea and laugh until I thought my sides would seriously split wide open.

And, the end of our week brought a visit from dear Ohio friends, my college roommate and her family... 

beautiful weather, beautiful conversation and lots of fun as we celebrated friendships that have stood the test of time... the kind that you just pick up where you left off a year and a half ago...

and we watched in amazement as the man-cub finished off not one, but two, "Big Mike's" at our favorite deli.

there is no greater spending of time than spending it with those you love.

a great gift...

Who would have thought it?

Swimming in the lake

on April 1...

no joke...

no April Fool's

just a great gift

of cousin fun

on April 1

in Michigan!

and a great campfire

to end a wonderful day

Counting gifts on this beautiful spring morning with the gratitude community at Ann's...

the list never stops...

~*~

... for an incredible spring

... for splashes

... and giggles

... and deep belly laughs

... for "watch this, Grandma!"  

... for the lake that remains year after year

... for the memories that run deep

... for brats over the campfire

... for the call of the loon

... for the encouragement of other authors

... for good books

... for time to read

... for campfire conversations

... for the friends willing to take our dog on short notice

... for car conversations to deliver a child

... for a trip of a lifetime for the man-cub

... for the fact that I miss him

... for the man who loves my family as much as I do

... for the fact that I miss him too

... for his example of working hard

... for the time he takes to raise a man

... for His faithfulness

... for the ways He loves and gifts

... for the gifts of early spring

... and cousin time

how to roast a peep...

you might have a large pile 

of spring sticks and limbs 

that cause you to wonder...

what to do with these?

you might have a mountain

of landscaping stones from years ago

that cause you to wonder..

what to do with these?

you might have a flock of spring peeps

and a curious mind

that cause you to wonder...

what would happen if I 

combined those two with these?

so, you find a good spot

and sink your shovel

and dig and dig and dig

and dig and dig 

and dig 

some more

while someone else moves stones

heavy, heavy stones

one at a time

in the warm spring sunshine

together, the two of you

with giggles and laughs

work side by side

to build an accidentally

egg shaped 

fire pit for all to enjoy

you add the big pile of sticks

a few at a time

then a match

or two... or six...

and voila!

next you choose your favorite peep

from the flock

to be the lucky one

carefully, you spear it gently

and slowly roast over the fire

spinning it round and round

on your own rotisserie 

you watch the sugar coating

snap and pop

and smell the caramelization

you watch your lucky peep

 turn golden brown

when you are done 

you have a roasted peep

crunchy outside, melted inside...

its what happens

when you combine

a pile of sticks,

a mountain of old landscape stones

and a flock of peeps...

with some curious kids

of this... I am proud!

I've done five things in my life that I have NEVER regretted.  Five things, of which I am extremely proud.   Though, I could let go of everything else I have ever done without regret, I hold tightly to these five.  They even define who I am....

1) I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior...

the greatest thing I have ever done

2) I married the man who has held my heart all these years...

my love, second only to Jesus Christ

3, 4, 5) three times over I gave birth, became a mom...

starting with the mancub 15 years ago...

today 

this one, right here...

he has been used of God to stretch me and shape me

he has made me laugh until tears flow

and weep until tears were spent

I like to think I can look at him

and think of all that I have done...

...and then I remember...

the things that I have done...

...and I bow the heart and thank the One

who has interceded on my behalf

and who has raised up this one 

to be a God-fearing mancub

fifteen years ago,

a young, naive, and exhausted mother

was handed her son...

HER SON!

and...

I wondered why they gave him to me?

Did they know I had NO idea how to take care 

of someone else?

so...

we learned together, my man and I

and we prayed...

and we pray.

thankfully, he is so much more like

his Heavenly Father

than his earthly mother!

and though I have failed him

time and time again...

of this one, I am proud!

a lesson on blooming...

God continues to use my kids to teach me much

and my greatest life lessons have come from being a parent

...this week the lesson came from #86

He got in the truck after practice on Wednesday and said

"I'm starting"

woo hoo!!  Yes!  Yeah! 

and then I saw his face...

"at left guard"

oh....

you see... he's a receiver

the roster says so

the depth chart says so

he thinks so

and yet, the higher authorities were starting him

in a defensive position on the offensive line

and he was less than thrilled

look at that incredible block by the left guard!

by game time on Thursday, though,
he was ready to go

he chose to be the best
left guard he could be

and he did

in the end

he played 5 different positions
including receiver

and most of the winning game

27-6

What's the life lesson?

Well, I don't always like my

starting position either

I want to be what I think I am

and when I find myself filling another role

I'm not often thrilled

I watched my son bloom

where he was planted

and I saw his reward...

a boy more than thrilled when he walked

out of the locker room

with that deep thrill and contentment

that comes from doing a great job...

regardless of what the job is.

He who is faithful in a very little thing is

faithful also in much

Luke 16:10

**all photo credit goes to my very talented neighbor, Doug Vogel, who posted these great shots on facebook and graciously is permitting me to blog them.  Thanks Doug!!

queen for the day...

sometimes you just need to 

surround yourself with friends

and be queen for the day

you can convince your friends to be

your ladies-in-waiting

if you invite them for a 

tea party breakfast

and offer lots of dress up

clothes

sometimes the best birthdays

happen when

you get to be queen for the day

Walk It... Talk It... gratitude

On a beautiful Saturday in August,

at a equally beautiful park in town

74 children, ages 1-18,

representing 5 different churches

came together to learn

how to tell their friends about Jesus

6 hours of lessons, snacks,

games, lunch and treats

 and a staff of 19, including 3 Lovely Lunch Ladies,

working as likeminded friends

equipping these 74 children

to Walk It and Talk It

at school.

adding to my gratitude list...

~a beautiful day

~safety

~friends bringing friends

~enough t-shirts and bands for all

~a yummy lunch of Walking Tacos, cookies and watermelon

~a servant who brought coffee and homemade scones for the staff

~a full staff

~the freedom to coordinate without teaching

~teachers who love to teach

~friends who volunteer

~surprises

~answered prayer

~a great first week of school for Emme

~football game playing time for Eric

~snuggling under a blanket reading Farmer Boy with Ellen