Monthly Archives: May 2015

Daily Life, Daniel, Project 365

“To My Dearest Mother…”

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Wednesday morning I came downstairs; the living room blinds were still shut and blankets were strewn about the room (half on the couch, half draped on the floor – remnants of our family movie time the night before). Tim was already gone to his early, early guy prayer time. The children were all asleep, happily snuggled under blankets and oblivious that the sun was trying to peek through the clouds. I was hurrying to gather some breakfast and finish getting ready for my morning meeting when I walked past my computer desk.

Clue Number One

Clue Number One

What??

I looked closer. There on top of my keyboard was a note, written in bright red sharpie, from one of those precious, sleeping children. Daniel has been working steadily at Chick-Fil-A since they opened 2 weeks ago. He often closes the store, cleaning and working until late, and doesn’t get home until we’re all in bed.

I guess this night he brought home a little treat for his mama.

Clue Number 2

Clue Number 2

The notes continued into the kitchen – the second one was taped across the doors of the fridge.

I have to admit it, I LOVE gifts. It’s one of my love languages. Quality time is probably at the very top, but surprises and presents and gifts (big and small) is definitely next on my Makes Me Smile list. Of course, I also love it when Tim works on a project around the house or the yard. And I need hugs and compliments too. So basically I’m greedy and like all of the 5 Love Languages.

And I DEFINITELY love celebrations and morning treats.

Clue Number 3

Clue Number 3

Just when I feel weary and busy with the every day routine of life, the Lord comes alongside me and blesses me anew. Without a doubt, my amazing, kind, generous, thoughtful, fun, crazy, family is the greatest blessing.

Thank you, Daniel, for MAKING my morning!!!!! I Love you.

P.S. They were delicious!

Project 365 – Day 126
Kathy

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Daily Life, Project 365

Dishwasher Happiness

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Yesterday the kitchen island was covered with dishes. And the floor was crowded with a brand new dishwasher. Time for some kitchen help.

So many dishes - so little counter space.

So many dishes – so little counter space.

Somehow my whole “I Don’t Do Dishes Anymore” stance has fallen by the wayside in the face of our broken down dishwasher. The kids have done a marvelous job trying to stay on top of the mess, but we’re continually overrun with more dishes.

Please, hurry, someone install this!

Please, hurry, someone install this!

I think it’s mainly because we don’t have a system or set up for handwashing all the dishes. Plus, we really like to store our messy cookware and unwashed plates, cups, and silverware in the dishwasher and not on the counter. How else can we keep up any kind of a facade that the house is clean?

Sarah was the first to load the new dishwasher.

Sarah was the first to load the new dishwasher.

Thankfully Tim is very good to me, and let me pick out a beautiful, new dishwasher. We waited and waited for Lowes to deliver the new, shiny appliance. Every day Sarah and I would whine and fuss and hope TODAY would be the day it was delivered. Okay, maybe not quite that dramatic. I mean, Sarah and I would NEVER complain of fuss about such things.

When it did finally arrive, we had to suffer and wait one more day for the handy men Tim hired to come and put it in for us. Talk about torture here. Or maybe, we should just go ahead and admit that these are definitely first world problems and say how blessed we are. Indeed, there was much rejoicing when the dishwasher was installed. Sarah offered to put in the first load of dishes. Ahhh, the simple pleasures of life.

All clean!

All clean!

Not only did Mark and Peter (our handy duo) install the new dishwasher, they also replaced 10 electrical outlets around the house, installed a motion sensor light out back, put in a new light on the front pole, rewired our instanta-hot dispenser in the kitchen and put up two new fluorescent light fixtures in the garage. Wow!! Such a great day.

Very thankful for all our house and backyard blessings this week!

Project 365 – Day 125

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Kathy, Project 365, Sarah

May the Fourth … Be With You

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For Christmas, Sarah and Rachel bought me a Star Wars themed “Vader’s Little Princess” calendar. As most Star Wars fans know, Princess Leia turns out to be the sister of Luke, and the daughter of the evil (most of the time) Darth Vader.

Not my actual daughter.

Not my actual daughter.

The calendar’s premise explores the question: What if Darth Vader actually had to raise Leia as a princess? Each month, there is a new silly scene as the artist develops this idea — Leia cutting hearts out of his cape, or having to write a report for school on his job, and so forth.

In honor of Star Wars day, I’ll post this month’s calendar page. When I flipped it last weekend, it made me laugh out loud to think of Vader’s wrath against the rebels being actually a front to intimidate his daughter’s roguish suitor.

I'm really looking forward to helping Rachel and Sarah with their young admirers.

I’m really looking forward to ‘helping’ my little princesses to manage their young admirers.

Most young girls think of themselves as princesses in one way or another, but it is rather telling that my daughters cast me as Darth Vader. I only wish I was that intimidating. Thank you, Rachel and Sarah, for such a fun, silly present.

Project 365, Day 125
Tim

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Being a Disciple of Jesus, Events, Kathy, Project 365

Women’s Retreat Part 2

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Tim and I are racing to post blogs tonight. He “forgot” (likely story) to take any pictures on the 1st, so no one blogged that day. Thankfully I had suspected such a thing might occur, so I snapped a few shots with my phone while I was at the women’s retreat. Whew! The sanctity of Project 365 was preserved. Hey, this is important stuff here. We’ve been taking a picture a day and blogging it EVERY DAY since January 1st. We can’t let lapses occur just because certain people “forget” to take a picture.

I managed to post date a blog for Tim’s day (the 1st), and now he’s writing something for the 2nd. I guess I’ll use the photo I took today, combined with the other retreat pictures from yesterday, and count this post as May 3rd blog.

Confused?

Don’t worry. You can just sit back and enjoy the pictures, skim the cheerful, rambling words, and go back to your busy life. :)

Our women’s retreat was exactly what I needed – a weekend away with some of my closest and dearest friends, a time of relaxation and reflection, a chance to walk several of the beautiful paths of Gig Harbor, a sweet opportunity to hear a beloved friend teach 80 of us from God’s Word, and the blessing to get to know some new women from our church.

Heading out on a hike

Heading out on a hike

One of our beautiful views

One of our beautiful views

On Saturday afternoon, a friend and I hosted a breakout session on homeschooling. I love talking about homeschooling with curious, interested moms. And it was an extra joy to have several faithful, long-time homeschooling friends join us for the seminar. We talked about 10 Myths of Homeschooling and answered as many questions as we had time for. We all agreed many of these topics could be whole seminars all by themselves.

Time for some research and review before our talk.

Time for some research and review before our talk.

And of course we had some giveaways.

A little Starbucks and Barnes & Noble gift cards for our audience.

A little Starbucks and Barnes & Noble gift cards for our audience.

The annual women’s retreat holds a special place in my heart. I have served on the planning committee many times. I’ve written and performed skits and co-taught various seminars over the years. I have enjoyed countless conversations, often lasting LATE into the night.

Love these friends!

Love these friends!

This year was no different except for one thing – I actually went to bed at a decent hour (for me anyway) AND I got up each morning to walk with the (I’ll just call them beautiful and crazy) morning walkers. The sun was shining so brilliantly this weekend, I couldn’t help but get outside and praise the Lord for the beauty of His Creation.

I know I’ll forget someone, but I just have to say a few Thank You’s!!!!

Thank you, Tim, for letting me sneak away this weekend.
Thank you, David and Sarah, for cleaning up the house BEFORE I came home today.
Thank you, Holly, for sharing your heart with all of us as you taught from the scriptures.
Thank you, Krystal and Michelle, for being great friends and roommates.
Thank you, Beckie, Krystal and Debi for taking the SHORT version of the hike with me on Saturday.
Thank you, Nancy for getting us outside walking each morning.
Thank you, to the wonderful women in my small group.
Thank you, Susan for co-teaching Homeschooling 101 with me.
Thank you, Debbie for putting together a relaxed, God-focused retreat.
Thank you, Krystal, Becky, Nina and Kirstin for planning and preparing and working on the retreat.
Thank you, Sue, Ellen and Lura for leading us in amazing worship.
Thank you, Amy, for picking me up some Starbucks on Saturday.
Thank you, Lisa, Karen and Jen for working the sound and PowerPoint for our worship this weekend.
Thank you, Amanda and Rebekah for selfie mixers and silly games.
Thank you, Shari, for making me laugh on Sunday morning with all your hugs.

Thank you to ALL the incredible women who came away from the busyness of our ordinary lives to celebrate together and learn something fresh about Jesus.

Until next year….

Project 365 – Day 123
Kathy

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Daily Life

When Kathy’s Away

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Every now and again, Kathy abandons us. We try not to take it personally. We know that she needs time away, and we really don’t begrudge it. After all, we don’t want to wake up one day and find that she’s checked herself into the Whispering Pines Home for Deranged Homeschool Moms.

So whenever she goes away, we try to make her glad when she comes home. Positive reinforcement is a very powerful motivator, I’m told. Sometimes we try to come up with a surprise for her by completing a project that she has wanted done, but didn’t have time to complete.

We decided to improve the beauty of our back yard, to please and encourage Kathy.

We decided to improve the beauty of our back yard, to please and encourage Kathy.

This weekend, Kathy attended a Women’s Retreat with about 85 other ladies from our church. We had glorious weather, and so we thought it would be a perfect time to surprise her. But there is a problem. Kathy is very curious, and she is constantly connected to the entire internet through her phone. So if we try to keep our activities a secret, we soon find ourselves subjected to an inquisition.

“What are you up to? What did you do, all day?” Innocent-sounding questions, but designed to penetrate to the very core of our secretive project.

“What should I tell her,” wails David. “Tell her we burned some boards. That’s true, it just isn’t ALL of the truth,” I advise. I’ve become wily, over the years, having dealt with Kathy’s insatiable curiosity before.

We had decided to remove several of my defunct raised gardening beds which dot our back yard. Kathy hates them, because I haven’t grown tomatoes the past two years, and I let them grow wild with grass; they do look pretty ugly. She’d like our yard to be a place she could use to host her girl friends for tea.

David and Sarah, victorious over one of the gardening beds.

David and Sarah, victorious over one of the gardening beds.

I tried inviting a few of the ladies from our church over to our house for tea while Kathy was off at her Women’s Retreat, and sure enough, the yard wasn’t inviting enough, because they all declined. Come to think of it, it was a little awkward to invite them while Kathy was away. Also, they were all away at the Women’s Retreat, too, so there were some logistical issues. I tried not to take it personally.

In any case, we managed to clear away two of the garden beds. I was so proud of David and Sarah, who worked tirelessly to demolish the frames and to cart away the dirt. We all spent almost seven hours working to make our yard a little prettier.

Now we just need a little grass seed, and no one will remember the ugly, overgrown monstrosity that once stood here.

Now we just need a little grass seed, and no one will remember the ugly, overgrown monstrosity that once stood here.

It may not yet be tea-worthy, but we made a good start.

Project 365, Day 122
Tim

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