Happy Mother's Day

To all the moms in my life . . . .

First and most importantly - to my mom: Happy Mother's Day, Mom. Today, I think of the many reasons I love you. I love you for sacrificing so much for me when I was little so that I could have the best childhood possible. I love you for having a committed, loving marriage to my dad. I love you for your strong faith in and love for Jesus Christ, which is the foundation for your life, and by extension, was the foundation of our upbringing. I love you for giving me a sister and brother to boss around. I love you for always being at all my events, no matter what. I love all of your little quirks like your love of auctions and garage sales and the way you have to iron EVERYTHING. I love the way you drink exactly one half of a wine cooler, never more or less. :) And the way you get a little giggly after a martini. I love the way your car is always full of water and diet coke bottles and empty boxes and stuff to take to consignment stores. I love the way you say "ferhita" (fajita). I love the fact that you were there with me when my babies were born, calming me in my moments of terror and seeing us all the way to the operating room doors . . . and that you stayed with us for weeks afterwards, holding me up while I learned how to become a mother myself. I love the way you loved and cared for your own mother during the very difficult end of her life. I love you because you are always able to set me straight, help me see clearly, and give me sound, strong advice. I love you for loving my kids the way you do and I love that they have an amazing Grandma in you. I could go on and on, but I hope you understand how much I appreciate you and I am so thankful that God gave me YOU for a mother!
(Here we are, about 33 years ago!!)

And next, to my Mother-in-Law:
I have been so blessed, LaRayne, to call you my mother-in-law. I've heard many horror stories about in-laws, and I am so thankful that ours is NOT one of those stories! I thank God that you truly feel like my family and that we all enjoy being together so much. I love looking forward to our visits - no matter where we are - you and Paul are simply the most easy human beings to be around! You have the kindest, most gentle heart of literally anyone on the planet. I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the truly remarkably job you did raising my best friend in the world. He is the most wonderful, loving husband and father and it's because of you that he is the man he is today. The fact that you started a daycare 35 years ago so that you could stay home with your boys, and you are STILL doing it today, simply amazes me. I am constantly awestruck by your patience - unmatched by anyone I've ever met. I love how much you love the kids too - they simply adore you and I'm eternally grateful that they have a such a great relationship and connection with you. You were made to be a Grandma! Thank you, and I love you.

To my beloved Grandmas who are both in Jesus' loving care - there aren't words to describe how much I continue to love and miss you. You both played such a HUGE role in my life - your impact on me was immeasurable. The biggest impression you both left on me was your love for Jesus. There are so many things I still wish I could say to you but I take comfort in KNOWING that I will have that opportunity someday. What a blessing. My heart aches that you never knew your great-grandsons - oh, how they would have loved you.

To my sisters and my friends - Happy Mother's Day to all of you as well. Thank you for the part that each of you have played in my journey as a mother. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have all of you to lean on and talk me through things. You know who you are - each of you plays a unique role in my life and I'm so grateful for every one of you. I am blessed to have such amazing women in my life.

And finally, I thank God that He has graciously allowed me the honor of having the most difficult and also the most spectacular job on the planet. There are not words in any human language to describe how much I adore being Jack and Noah's mom. There isn't one other thing I would rather do with my life and my prayer is that I can raise these amazing children of God in a way that honors and pleases Him.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

A little R and R . . . .

We're in Minnesota this weekend for a really quick, too-short visit with Mark's family. Got here last night and we head home in the morning, but we had a very lovely day today of rest and relaxation. It was much needed. Mark and his bro got some serious catch-up time, the cousins had a total ball together, Grandma and Grandpa were in heaven with everyone at home, and I got to finish a mystery, do some bible study, mess around on the computer and start planning the boys' birthday party.

About that.

They're turning 8.

EIGHT, people.

In 33 days.

But who's counting?

I'm thinking some counseling might be in order for me.

Why is it that with each birthday, I feel a little chunk of my heart being ripped out? I remember so clearly their first birthday - all I wanted to do was cry because a year was gone already. HA. And here we are now. We're 2 years from double-digits. 5 years from teenagers. We're halfway to 16. Only 10 years left until they leave. Ouch. Yeah, yeah, I can just hear you all thinking - "10 years?? That's a long time!!"

I'm here to tell you.

No it's not.

I know firsthand how fast eight years went!! 10 is going to be a flash in the pan. And all of these thoughts just make me want to cling to every single little precious moment I have them under my wings. Like I said. Professional help. At the very least, some serious heart-to-hearts with God about helping me let go.

So on a lighter note, here are some photos to share:

This is our weather the day of my retreat last week. The day before it had been 85 degrees. 'Nuff said.

This is Jack with his award that I mentioned previously, along with the winning picture he colored. He's very proud.

And these are the 3 crazy cousins - can ya tell they had fun today?

End of school countdown: 12 days. Although if someone at school comes down with the swine flu, that'll finish our year immediately, since schools are now supposed to close for 14 days with one positive test within the school. Can you believe that? No joke. I'm certainly not hoping for THAT, however.

Have a great week!

And it was a success!

I'm finally getting my wits about me again today - the retreat (Fri/Sat) went great and I am exhausted! What a week. Whew. And the funny thing is - 6 months of planning went into this and it was over in the blink of an eye. There were a couple things I would have changed, but they were minor details, so all in all, I'm very thankful for how the whole thing came off. Such a great journey. Now I have no idea what to even think about! :)

So now I have a little bragging to do about my babies, so if you don't have much tolerance for that kind of thing, here's where you want to sign off. You know, it's the only-a-grandparent-can-really-appreciate kind of stuff. :)

Jack: 1) He had big news a week or so ago - he won a coloring contest sponsored by the major health care provider in South Dakota! 1st graders throughout the state submitted entries - 750 total, and they picked 20 winners. Jack was one of them, so he gets a $50 savings bond! He was SOOO proud. Pretty cool, huh? Noah tried to be happy for him, but got upset at one point when he thought Jack would get to go to college longer than him because Jack now has $50 more in his college account. :) Love it. 2) Jack also scored 4 goals at his soccer game Saturday, so he was a happy kid. 3) The other night, he recited the page numbers of his favorite hymns from school chapel. How cute is that??

And Noah - he's done some interesting things lately . . . 1) He sat down at school last week and wrote down all 32 teams in the NFL from memory. ?!? Not sure how I feel about THAT. And it's not like he even watches that much football! 2) He's proving to be a whiz at piano - he "rewrote" the ending of a song from his lesson book because he thought it sounded funny. And wouldn't you know, his version DID sound better. THEN he replicated a little tune from the Wii on the piano - no music or anything, just figured it out. I was shocked. 3) He finished reading his first novel in 4 days - a 200 page mystery. He's discovered he loves laying in bed reading at night before he goes to sleep. Yep, he gets that from ME. :)

Okay, enough already, right? I just LOVE love love getting glimpses of how God is molding their lives. It's awesome.

This week my focus is getting life back in order around here. I have about 3-4 hours of bible study ahead of me tomorrow in order to get caught up from last week. But I look forward to it - some peace and quiet and time to focus on God. There is no better way for me to spend my time.

(Oh, and I haven't even mentioned the WEATHER here. Oh. My. Word. It was 86 here on Thursday. Then it started snowing on Friday. Snowed on and off all weekend. Then got 6 inches last night. ?!?! Enough already!!)

I got nothin' for ya this week . . .

Wish I had something interesting to fill you in on, but I'm drowning in retreat planning. Our church's women's retreat, which I have been coordinating, takes place this coming weekend so I'm in full "retreat mode" this week, finalizing paperwork and 347 other details. Okay maybe not that many. But I'm feeling the pressure, people.

The build-up of this week is head-splitting (I did this last year too), but the feeling of euphoria once it's all over is unbeatable. Not that I'm dreading it - I'm totally not - it's just so awesome seeing 6 months of intense, hard work come to fruition. And this year has been really special because my committee and I have totally seen God moving and at work in this. We have had bumps, bruises, road blocks, closed doors, and have watched God remove every single issue for us. Incredible. No other word for it.

And that's what I've learned about service. It can be so easy to say no when God seeks you out for a job or project, big or small . . . we have so many excuses . . . but the thing is, if you don't go out on that limb with Him, and take these journeys with Him, you are the one MISSING OUT. He wants to reveal Himself to us, to show us what He can do, but He can't do it unless we make ourselves available. I was terrified two years ago when I was asked to coordinate the annual women's retreat. I'm not kidding - terrified. After several prayers telling God that He had the wrong person, and getting nowhere with that argument, I said yes. Now, two retreats later, I'm soooo glad I did. What a ride!! I feel really blessed to have been able to do this. I can't wait to see what He has in store for me next.

If you are so inclined, say a prayer for me this weekend - and pray that the 65 women attending would walk away renewed and fulfilled. Prayers for good weather wouldn't hurt either!! :) Thanks, dear friends and family!

The proverbial light at the end of the tunnel!

The countdowns are beginning around here - and I am soooo excited. Two days until our big consignment sale at the school (I have 150 items marked and ready to go). A week and a half until the ladies retreat for church that I've been coordinating (that will be one major WHEW when it's over). Three sorority meetings left. Three Awana nights left. Five weeks of BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) . . . but I'm not as happy about that one - wish it went all year. Five weeks of school left, which equates to 25 school days. I feel like we're slowly starting to shed these chains of commitment and we're on our way to being FREE! I'm craving freedom. To go camping. To sit at the pool all day. To sleep in. To play with my kids. To HIDE for the summer! :)

Anyhoo. I have a lot on the calendar between now and then, but at least the end is in sight.

Did y'all have a good Easter? Ours was fantastic - spent too much time in the car (4 travel days, people!), but it was worth it, getting to spend a few days with my sista and her family. It's an interesting milestone in the progression of life when you find yourself spending a holiday with your siblings, but not your parents. We do still spend most holidays with our parents, but this one was different. We felt old. :) We were the adults and our kids were the cousins looking forward to seeing each other. Where do the years go?

We sure do have cute kids, though, don't we?

This is our totally adorable nephew. He doesn't like me. I'm serious. Anytime I tried to hold him he burst into tears. Uggh - broke my heart. Mark, however, is another story. He liked MARK. Why is that?! Mark has earned the nickname "Baby Whisperer" in our family - he has the most uncanny connection with babies and toddlers. They just adore him. Anyway, note to my nephew: listen up little dude, the next time I see you, you had better be over this or you'll kill me!

This is a LONG post. Sorry.

We survived our 3rd major snowstorm in 2 weeks - this one being the biggest in terms of snowfall - 14.5 inches! With MUCH bigger drifts of course. Our neighbors have one in their backyard at least 10 feet high. Unreal. Because in good 'ol South Dakota we always gotta have our 50 mph winds to go with the snow. We don't have that pretty snow with the big snowflakes peacefully falling straight down. Our snow comes straight sideways. And whips you in the face. Nothing pretty about it. Here's a view out our back door:

Poor Mark trying to stay on top of the drifts in the driveway. He snowblowed (or is it snowblew . . ?) FOUR times during this storm. He was a sport.
We made the best of our confined weekend and got very productive.

Studied for Awana. HARD. What these kids have accomplished this week is AMAZING, people. They are working on Psalm 23. Totally adorable. I'll have to record it and post it . . .

Colored Easter eggs. Very intense process with these two - they strive for perfection. Check out their expressions . . . .


Dad even joined in the fun and did his own egg (only one. The boys would only allow ONE for each of us.) For those of you that know him, I'm sure you can guess what he did with his.

His would be the purple and yellow one on the top - ? Guess what that stands for. Nothing to do with Easter, I assure you. Mine is the cute yellow one with green polka dots. I joked that I did green and yellow for the Packers. No one thought that was funny. Hmmph.
When the snow finally quit, the boys all headed outside to assess the damage. That would be Jack laying in the snow. Do you see how much is there???? Uggh.

Here's a shot of the 3-ft. wall of snow along our VERY clean driveway. Mark does nice work, no?

And here's Noah taking a break . . .

Noah got his once-a-month turn sleeping in our bed over the weekend. Here's why we don't make a habit of it.

When I came upstairs to bed, here he was, laying perpendicular across the bed with his THREE dogs and big red blanket. (The head of the bed is against that green wall) Yes he sleeps with all this stuff EVERY night. This is what we have to deal with - Noah's head is usually over there on my stomach and his legs are on Mark's. It's always an interesting night but we put up with it because we're pretty sure he's not going to be asking to sleep with us when he's 16. At least I hope not.

So, moving on to this week. It's nuts. Yesterday I spent the entire day marking stuff for our consignment sale at the school. I marked 100 items. I haven't even made a dent yet, people. I have boxes upon boxes of the boys' clothes to still go through. I might have a bit of a shopping problem when it comes to dressing my kids. Good thing I didn't have any girls. We'd REALLY be in trouble.

Today I spent the morning working on the upcoming Women's Retreat for church that I'm coordinating. Two weeks away. I'm starting to get a little panicky. Then, here was my massive afternoon project:

That would be our former camper on the left, and our new one on the right. Today I moved everything from the old one into the new one. Oh. My. Word. Did we have a lot of stuff in there. Then I scrubbed the old one within an inch of it's life because we sold it to our very good friends, and she is just like I am about cleanliness so I had to be sure it was up to her standards. :) I even vaccumed and scrubbed the icky, filthy external compartments. Then her husband thought he was going to put some wet wood in one of them and I nearly had a fit. He did it anyway. I didn't have a fit, but immediately called her and let her know the front left compartment HAD BEEN spotless until her husband thought he needed to actually USE it. The nerve.

Here's the new one: (I'll give an indoor tour later, when it's all ready to go)
And here's the old one. Goodbye, old friend. I actually felt sad when I saw our friend pulling away with it. We bought this one when our kids were 3. We have more memories in that camper of our babies growing up. Uggh. Yes, only WE can get attached to a camper. I am excited to use the new one, but am thinking it will be JUNE by the time all this snow melts.

Tomorrow is the craziest day of the week - my bible study in the morning, my bible study ladies here for lunch, a retreat meeting, Awana and sorority in the evening. I'll be a happy girl tomorrow night when it's all over. Then we're off to see my sister and her family in Iowa - whoo hoo!

The best part about this week? It's Holy Week. The most important time in Christian history. Every year I love studying about the events of this week, and it never fails, every year I learn something new. Take some time this week - think about the magnitude of what Jesus accomplished for you. It always leaves me awestruck.
Happy Easter!

And here we go again . . . .

Yet another storm has its sights set on the Black Hills - due to arrive here in the next few hours.

The novelty of this is wearing off, folks.

The first storm was a hoot. The second was fun, but cabin fever set in by the end of the 2nd day. This being the 3rd storm in 2 weeks . . . I'm not so amused anymore. The fun is over, and this is now becoming a nusance. Mainly because our new camper has arrived, is all set and ready for us to pick up - - but we can't because we have a few feet of snow and ice blocking our driveway AND it snowed all day today. I was hoping to do the switcheroo (move our stuff from the old camper to the new one) tomorrow. Not going to happen. I don't do well when things don't go according to MY plan. :) I am learning, though.

So I got busy and ran like 100 errands today, preparing this family for another snow day. Lots of goodies from the grocery store, 2 dozen eggs to color, a new card game, and the stuff I needed to get myself ready for our school's consignment sale - my big project for the weekend. At least we'll stay busy.

And oh yeah - another storm is predicted for Wednesday. We leave for my sister's on Thursday. If we can't get there, I will be a tad bit upset.

Oh spring, where art thou? This girl is ready for some CAMPING weather!!