Graham Does

My kids are home from school today because one was sick all night--Graham. He just wsalked into my room, and said, "Mom, I threw up on my bed twice." :(

Yuck. Someone has laundry to do.

As I was stripping down his bed and putting on clean sheets, this quirky little guy informed me, "This is the 17th time, I've thrown up in my whole life--counting these two."

Who counts?!

Of course, Graham does.

Blogging in April

I wonder how many others find it difficult to blog at such a beautiful time of the year. I'm LOVIN' this weather! I landed up digging three gardens--count 'em, one, two, three! :) And I'm grateful to have a teenager who's on the verge of manhood, but can still be bought with a large Slurpee! Yippee.

My husband is far more cautious than I, so if I were to tell him that I planned to cut a big kidney shaped hole in the center of the front yard, I know he'd nix the idea before I finished a sentence. So the boys and I got out there and had the garden dug before my sweetie got home. 20 minutes to dig a garden! Wow that kid is made for work. Michael says it looks good, but I have to admit, even I was nervous before digging in.

I'm feeling so refreshed these days, and so much like the old me that I've been missing for a while. Maybe it's the sun, maybe the gardening, or maybe it's the prayers. I'm guessing it's all three--thanks God!

Ting!

Guess what I got today for my birthday? And, no it's not a mustache--that was last year :)



I also got a firepit for the backyard, and I'm raring to garden and whip the yard into shape this year! Since we moved in a few years ago I didn't plant anything, but I absolutely LOVE gardening and plan to start breaking ground soon. I hope I get to garden in heaven. What would it be like without weeds?

Please Lord, just a few weeds, I do love digging them so...

Encourager of the Month - Wow!

If you don't know Iris from Sting My Heart already, then you are missing out on one of the greatest treasures the internet holds. Iris is an amazing woman, who never ceases to amaze me with a heart that reflects a devotion to God. She's been such a big part of CWO this past year, taking over all kinds of tasks to lighten the load, never asking for a penny or recognition in return. She has been such an encouragement to me, which is why I'm humbled to receive the Encourager of the month award from her. Wowzers!!

Thanks Iris, I so appreciate this award:

You're right!

Ok, so you were all smart enough to figure out that it's me having a birthday tomorrow (Saturday), but I'm not the only one!

Nettie at http://www.nettiebelle.com/ is going to be 22! Happy birthday Nettie! You have been one of my looooong time blogging buddies, and you're still my precious Nettie, even if you always do point out that you're way younger than me. But I'm older and I have more wisdom. Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah! :) Big hug to you, tiny thing.

The other blogger is Ruth from "It's true, sighed roo." Ruth lives only about 1/2 hour away from me but we've never met in person. I only found out this week that we share the same birthday. Happy Birthday Ruth! Have a good one tomorrow!

So I'm celebrating birthday eve right now, as I'm waiting to put on a movie with my husband and Brendan the teenaged eating machine, in about 10 minutes.

Guess Who?

Guess who's 24 tomorrow? (Now keep in mind, I am dyslexic) :)

Today's the Day!

Today is the day that I wait for, more than any other day of the year. It's not Christmas, Good Friday or Easter, but it's the Lord's day nonetheless. It's the day when the snow has finally melted off of the streets and the air is warm enough to venture outside in a pair of shorts. Now, my fellow Manitoban friends like Mrs. Diamond or Ruth will definitely think I'm a cracked pot for heading out in shorts when other people are putting mittens and hats on their kids, but this cracked pot knows that we haven't seen warm weather for what feels like eternity, so I'm taking advantage of every moment.

So what does a woman like me do on this blessed day of the year? It begins with a leg shave early on in the day and by mid day two white legs scurry accross the yard to a sheltered corner where I rest on a lounge chair. I didn't rest long, but I did decide to tune out the world for a moment in time and let myself drift to far away places...

I was back in the second grade, lying on a blanket in Margo's back yard, she had just gone into the house to get us both lemonade. I remembered the cool feel of the cotton beneath me while the warm sun painted a silver hue on the clouds.

I was 10 again, lying on the beach listening to the sound of the waves mingle with the voices of children. My sister Bonnie was next to me, her short legs burried deep in the sand.

I was 16 laying in St. Vital Park with Ginger, it was Friday afternoon and neither of us wanted to head back for last period, so instead we closed our eyes and let the warmth of the sun ease our guilt.

Today was the best day I had all year. God's gift of sunshine is one that I treasure more than words could explain. It's a soothing balm on a otherwise frustrating day, and a warm embrace on another. It takes me away to places I've been and brings me to another where I want to stay--in the arms of the one who created it all. Blessed be His name.

Can't Figure This One Out

I'm still thinking about this tooth thing, since as I mentioned in the last post, Graham lost a tooth. I wonder why with my children, I've only seen 8 at the most of the teeth that they each lost. I know we have something like 28 teeth in our mouth (I should know that number) so where do the teeth go? Do they swallow them?

My teenager says that you don't loose all of your teeth, only some are replaced by adult teeth, but my husband says that all of them fall out.

I'd love to know what other moms know that I don't.

Toothless

Yesterday morning just as we were getting our coats on for school, Madison hollered out, "Oh, Graham, you forgot to check under your pillow!"

I froze, while the words ran through my brain, Uh oh...I did forget something, argh!.

The toothless grin that washed over his face told me he was about to race to his bedroom.

"Hold it!" I hollered in my best mom voice, "no one is going anywhere until you are all dressed for school."

Running up the stairs I hustled trying my darndest to beat a seven-year-old to his pillow. Reaching my hand in the Dad Box, I rummaged through change, grabbed a shiny gold coin, flew down the stairs, rounded the corner and stood at the head of his bed.

"My precious," I whispered looking down at the tooth in my hand. (that line's for you Lisa :))And then I slipped out of the room unnoticed.

Graham, in his red jacket, whipped past me en route to the treasure. "Hey Mom," his voice rang out from his room, "I got a dollar!"

Smiling, I reached down, feeling the tooth in my pocket, "Awesome!" I said, "Now let's get to school!"

Ancient Words

When I was pregnant with Graham I found out he was ill, and although we weren't sure exactly what we were dealing with, we knew for sure that he'd have severe kidney problems. My daughter was still young and loved her afternoon nap, so with Graham in my womb, I'd pick up the Bible every day at 1:00 and fed his soul with mine as together spent time abiding in the vine with our Lord.

With five miscarriages previous to Maddy, I had decided to sit still for much of my pregnancys, and since we didn't have television, I read, absorbing the ancient words and letting each one fall on the soul of my child. I'd would read the afternoon away, and anytime I could, I'd sneak in another hour or two as though my soul was thirsting to be quenched.

Just after his birth, and before his operation, I remember sitting in bed reading about the ark of the covenant and how it brought power and strength to the Isrealites when they posessed it, and how when it was gone, they lost all power.

"The ark is like our Bible..." I told Michael, nudging him out of a sleep. The Word is so powerful it brings strength and power into our lives when we posess it.

I know that onionskin and leather in itself doesn't posess a great power, but the words they contain bring life and strength to those who absorb them.

Michael and I got up from the bed, and quietly made our way to his crib. Opening up the little red testament, we placed it on his cookie sized belly where it stayed for the night. For eight weeks we did the same thing, placing the word on this tummy as a symbol of our faith in the power it holds.

Graham has grown into such an inquisitive child who's always hungry for more of the Lord. I can't help but think that feeding his soul during pregnancy planted a garden of seeds that are blooming over time.

"Ancient Words, ever true
Changing me and changing you
We have come with open hearts
O let the ancient words impart."

~ Lynn DeShazo~

Visit Loni from Joy in the Morning who is our host this week, and find other participants listed there too.

Distractions

I'm over at The Internet Cafe today, talking about life's little "Distractions". I hope to meet you there...:)

Paying it Forward

I'm so thankful for the women who appreciated my posts enough to choose me for the "Thinking Blogger Award." Wow, thanks Iris, CJ, Laurel, and Preacher's Wife! I'm honored to be mentioned and so I'm taking the opportunity to pay it forward by mentioning five posts that made me think, some made me cry too, but I do a lot of thinking, when crying.

The Five Winners of the Thinking Blogger Award are...

1. I just finished going through a few of the links in CWO's blog challenge, and call me weepy today, but I got all sniffly over Amy Grant's post, "Celebration of Life." I even called my husband to sniffle in his ear a little. It was great. I look forward to reading all of the blog challenges, but this one reading "Amy Grant" caught my eye....No, it's not El Shaddai Amy. :) Amy made me want to breathe in every bit of life, careful to not miss a thing.

2. Elise Hooper's article at CWO's blog yesterday, "Martha, Martha," tugged on my heart too. Awesome article!! Elise really knows how to bring a story to life and make me think. She never ceases to amaze me.

3. She's not a blogger, but I have to mention Candace Cameron Bure's article last month at CWO's Candid Candace. When confronted about the issue of submission, Candace wasn't afraid to answer the question according to the will of God, putting her own pride aside. I can't link directly to the article, but I can link to the page (here) saying it's the forth Q & A down. I love Candace more and more as I get to know her. She's a real blessing to CWO. She's having a birthday in three days (April 6th) so happy birthday, girl! Thanks for making us think.

4. With Holy Week upon us, who can't help but turn our thoughts to the cross. Ann Voskamp wrote an amazing article--as she usually does--titled "Age-Old Questions" which explains the significance of the passover and how to reflect on our Lord with our family. The blogosphere wouldn't be the same without Ann, and I'm so blessed to know her.

5. I don't know why I'm listing her last, because her post is definitely not least. The Preacher's Wife inspired me so much last week that I was shouting her praise from the rooftop. Well not literally because my husband would have me institutionalized if I was actually up there yelling like I wanted to, but in blogland where shouting is welcome, I did. "You Can't Have Her" is the post that spoke volumes to me and will continue to resonate with me forever. Thank you Lisa for encouraging me on in the battle and for riding beside us in war.

So, ladies if you enjoyed receiving the award, feel free to choose award five bloggers of your own and pay it forward.

Snap Preview Anywhere? Uh...no.

I'm not much of a ranter, but here goes...

After receiving a letter from a concerned blogger tonight, I spent the past hour looking at the CWO blogroll, appalled at my findings. Tracey from www.show-me-state-of-mind.blogspot.com informed me that Snap Preview had labelled her blog to read "athiest" and others "pro-choice." Thinking this must have been gathered from key words on her site, I searched blogger at her site and couldn't find it. So, this got me thinking, and so I hovered over a few of the others. Sure, words like Christian, Mom, and Bible, religious showed up, but more often than I'd like to see, Tyra Banks Fat, Nudity, and Sex Scenes, adorned what I once thought were snazzy little snap previews.

Apparently my good friends over at "Laced with Grace" are labelled as "Religious Drivel." Uh...not so!

What really got my goat is the fact that if you click on a word like Playboy, you're taken to a search engine with a featured Snap Preview. I can only imagine the other previews I might have been led to had a clicked "Pro-choice." I understand the need for advertisements, and could understand related key words popping up. But when "Tyra Banks Fat" "Nudity" and "Playboy" keep appearing on an all Christian Blogroll, it's obvious that something other than a keyword search is taking place.

I could probably do a search to find out how to remove the keywords and clean up the boxes somehow, and while I'm at it, I could also dig through the trash in hopes of finding a snack--no thanks.

Religious Drivel and porn ads are enough for me to throw in the towel and say, you can keep your little Snap Previews, I'd rather take my chances.