The Rest of the Weekend

Dominic and Stacia brought joy to our house! Fred and I always seem to be caught up in never-ending tasks and forget to have fun. Maybe that's one reason the girls are so thrilled to have guests come. Then their parents relax and are open to adventure.
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We didn't do anything big or travel far. We went lamp shopping at the shop where Gretchen works. But then Dominic and Stacia turned it into fun by suggesting we stop at an ice cream shop. Then we enjoyed our treats while walking around the town.

On Saturday night I thought the younger people would want to get away and spend time with friends or the other kids. But Dominic suggested we play miniature golf. And he wanted to wait until dark. Usually Fred and I would be setting our minds on finishing chores and getting ready for bed at that time. But this night we headed off to the golf course. What fun we had! Of course, it was better in the dark, playing in the lights and shadows. None of us are very good at golf--well, maybe Fred and Stacia--but that made it even more fun as we shot balls into waterfalls and sent them rolling down hills. Liana even got a hole-in-one on the last hole and won a free game!

After we finished the game, someone suggested the batting cages. Dominic, Stacia and Fred got their helmets on and hit several rounds of balls. Next, there was the driving range. The guys bought a jumbo bucket of balls and we all took turns trying to send them off into the dark field. Even the girls gave it a try. Dominic said last time he did this he hit a fellow golfer and knocked him out. That wasn't too reassuring, so we decided to move our bucket to the end of the range, out of the way of others.


Dominic carried the bucket over and as he set it down, he spilled the balls. They started rolling down the slope as he tried to gather them. For some reason this struck me as hilarious and I laughed and laughed until I was in tears. This was so typical of Dominic! He always made life humorous and fun. My heart swelled with love for him, even as I laughed hysterically. He is a grown man, but not above reverting back to his boyish antics. He is still my little boy!

I told Stacia later it was so good for my husband who works so hard to actually get out and PLAY. Stacia said Dominic also needed to just play. We all do. Laughing and just being together. It's the best of life.

The next day we had another family cook-out. Each person in our family came, with the exception of Kelsey and Seth who are in Minnesota. All our kids are together so infrequently that it was time for a photo shoot! We cooked and ate and sat outside until the night became cool. The big kids played bocce ball and the little ones played on the swings. Dominic gave Liana and Lana horsey rides. We told stories and passed Deacon around when he got fussy. We ended the evening with Marissa toasting waffles and serving them with ice cream and homemade strawberry topping. Oh, life is good!

Summer is over, but what a last hurrah!

The Boys

The Kids

The Girls

Cooking Lessons

Dominic and Stacia came over Labor Day weekend. We always have lots of fun with them. Both are very attentive to Arielle and Liana, so of course the girls are thrilled to have them here.

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Stacia has taken the time to cook with the girls nearly every time she is here. I remember them making homemade applesauce and green beans with almonds on previous visits. This time Stacia made stuffed peppers with Liana. We had just gone to a local farmer's market and bought the peppers and Stacia already had a good recipe. This was a rather labor-intensive project with lots of prep and many steps to do. I tried to stay out of the way and let Stacia and Liana have their time together.

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Liana likes to get out the aprons, making it official that she is cooking. Stacia allows her to do things in the kitchen that she hasn't done before and that makes Liana feel very capable. And she is quite capable. It is hard for me to accept that my baby is growing up and can do many more things than I imagine she can do. Stacia gives her the freedom to test out new skills.

When I saw them working so closely together over a bowl, I had to momentarily interrupt them to take a picture. This moment was precious. The two of them were talking softly, about what I don't know, but Liana was enjoying it immensely. She was so focused on her task and Stacia's words.

The finished product! Liana was so proud of herself! The peppers were delicious, too. But even more important than a great dinner was the relationship building between the two of them. For Liana, this was an event, a memory to be cherished. Stacia could have quickly prepared these peppers by herself. But she took the time to nurture a little girl. Maybe she is following in the example of her own mother who took time to teach her to cook. Stacia is a treasure and I appreciate how loving she is with my daughters. I have a lot to learn from my future daughter-in-law, and I look forward to the years we have to share together.

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Now for anyone feeling sorry for Arielle left out of this cooking experience, she was having her own fun with her big brother. No matter how busy he is, Dominic always takes time for his sisters. These two have an on-going Blokus competition and here they are again. After several games, I think it ended up a draw. They will continue next visit, I'm sure.

Perfect Gifts

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights..." James 1:17.

Fred read that verse at Arielle's dedication. It was very meaningful to us because our baby daughter was the perfect gift from God. Right now my two sleeping girls are still perfect gifts, as is my husband hard at work since early this morning.

God gives many gifts if we have the eyes to see them. The other night Fred came home and told me a praying mantis was on my car. Arielle and I ran outside to see. We slowly approached with the camera and as we did, the insect pivoted his head and glared right at us. We snapped a picture anyway. We were amazed to see that the mantis was a mixture of red and green. Did it change color to be camouflaged against my car?

Yesterday the hibiscus I just bought at a bargain price opened its first wide, purple flower after basking in the sun all afternoon. I have been waiting a long time for hibiscus to bloom on my deck. I do believe it is my favorite flower. Unfortunately, I killed two beautiful plants by leaving them outside after a frost and I have wanted another plant every since, but they are usually so expensive. I was lucky to find this one.

I was talking with my friend Connie in the kitchen a few days ago and a brown streak flew by the window. Then another and another. We ran to look out the front of the house and there was a herd of deer standing under our big maple, in the middle of the afternoon, not six feet away from the window. What beautiful creatures! My usual annoyance with them for the damage they do to our garden was suspended as we watched them.

All gifts! All perfect gifts from the Father! This morning I was reading World magazine as the sun rose over the field in front of our house. An article entitled "Wanted: Spiritual Eyes" by Andree Seu made me think about these things. What exactly is a good and perfect gift? She said what it meant to her was to "see God's love in the details of my day."

It is easy to see God in nature. But what about events and circumstances? Maybe ones that appeared good but turned out to be not so good? Do we withhold judgment on whether these are good gifts until we see the outcome? If the outcome is poor, was it not a gift? Or what about real problems that arise? What if those things are as she states, "a necessary stepping stone to better things" and therefore a gift? I don't know all the answers.

When I look at the sunrise, I'm good at blocking out the telephone wires and the noise of the traffic to see the beauty. I love cool September mornings like this, despite the ragweed pollen that clogs my nose. Fred and the girls took a hike and played around with his metal detector. After a strong positive reading behind our house, Fred dug out of the dirt a honey-combed black rock bejeweled with sparkles. The girls were so excited to find this treasure.

I pray my spiritual eyes can be more attuned to filter out the pollution and dirt of this world and see the gems, those perfect gifts, the gifts from the Father, given freely for us.

The Rest of the Gettysburg Trip

The next morning the girls and I returned to the Visitor's Center and spent a lot of time in the bookstore. My son Jon, like Liana, was drawn to the Gettysburg Address as a child. His birthday is coming up and I saw a picture book in the store that the girls and I read last year. It is called, appropriately, The Gettysburg Address and the author is Abraham Lincoln. That's all it is, but the illustrations and how the text is divided on each page makes this a beautiful book. I thought Jon would enjoy reading this to his daughter.

We don't usually spend money on souvenirs when we take a trip, but I told the girls they could each get a little something in that store. Liana chose a book of paper dolls of a family at the time of the Civil War and Arielle chose a copy of The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. We did not visit the Cyclorama or the museum again due to the cost, but for anyone traveling to Gettysburg, these are a must! As we were leaving we saw a display set up where visitors can send a postcard to our service men and women, so each of us wrote a message and mailed it.

It was near lunchtime so we found a Farmer's Market nearby. August is a little early for apples, but to our delight, one farmer had his first pickings. Nothing compares to a fresh apple right from the tree! And he had my favorite, Honey Crisp! He also had fresh, ripe peaches and tomatoes. Great lunch!

Fred had some free time in the afternoon so he took us out to the battlefield. We climbed the high tower at Culp's Hill and then said the girls could return to their favorite places. Liana chose to see the Pennsylvania Monument again and Arielle wanted to go back to Devil's Den. I wanted to visit Little Round Top. We all had recently seen the movie Gettysburg, so we could picture some of the events in these areas. Now when we hear about Pickett's Charge and General Armistead leading his troops across the fields, the Highwater Mark is more meaningful. When we walked through the woods where Colonel Chamberlain ordered the bayonet charge down the hill, it is not just a history lesson but real people who walked and died on this ground.

Back in the hotel, Liana busied herself cutting out her paper dolls and Arielle watched a movie on TV. They look forward to the pool later with Dad. How relaxing to be together and have no agenda or schedule. It was a wonderful vacation.

Time With My Girls

I spend lots of time with my daughters, actually, most every minute. But vacation time is different. We had three and a half days in Gettysburg to do whatever we wanted while Fred was attending his seminar.

First we had to figure out the lay of the land before we could roam around and look for things to do. Soon we had a map in our heads and knew where everything was. Gettysburg is not very big, but the battlefield can be confusing to find where you want to go with all the one way streets.

The girls' choice for our first event--go to the outlet mall at the outskirts of town. Shopping at home is usually stressful for me. There is always some item we must find and we are always on a tight schedule to get back home. This day, no pressure. We wandered in and out of stores and the girls found some fall clothes. They both finally spent the Claire's gift cards that they got at Easter. Liana bought earrings and Arielle bought a purse.

We drove into Gettysburg for lunch. The girls wanted Chinese food and we found Ping's Cafe on Baltimore Street in the center of town. On our April trip we ate the worst Chinese food ever at a different place, but this restaurant was one of the best. We each thoroughly enjoyed our food, but best of all, we had fun just being together. It is a special treat to have lunch out with my daughters. We just never do that at home.

We visited small shops along the street after we ate. The girls won't let me take silly pictures anymore. I had to coerce them to pose in front of the statue of Lincoln, but of course, they don't want me to post those pictures here. We passed the David Wills house where President Lincoln stayed when he came in November of 1863 to dedicate the National Cemetery and deliver the Gettysburg Address and I really wanted to tour that museum. But this being our first day, we had to plan our expenditures, and the girls had already told me they wanted to see the Hall of Presidents.

So that is where we headed next. This tourist attraction is a wax museum with life-size models of each President. Visitors go from room to room and chronologically listen to each President tell what was happening during his presidency, and in some cases, hear his actual words in his own voice. It was a condensed history of our country in about an hour. Some of the Presidents looked remarkably like the real person, some not so much so. Still, we found it very interesting and sometimes creepy when certain figures seemed to be looking right at us as we sat listening.

The girls said later they enjoyed seeing the men's fashions change through the years, as each was dressed in the attire of the time period when he lived. In another room were smaller models of each First Lady. These figures were not made to look like the actual women, but attention was given to their clothing and hair styles that they wore to the Inauguration. We were told they were modeled after the Smithsonian collection, so of course, some day we would like to see that.

So ended our Day 2 in Gettysburg. We met Fred for dinner and headed back to the hotel. For the girls, evenings in our room while on vacation are just as fun as whatever we did during the day. I love seeing them so happy.

Back to Gettysburg

Fred had a chiropractic conference in Gettysburg so we went with him for a little vacation. The girls and I had a lot of time to spend together while Fred was in his classes.

Several people advised us to visit Eisenhower National Historic Site. It is the home and farm of our former President. I didn't really know much about Eisenhower except for the fact that he was elected to be President around the time I was born and that he directed the invasion of Normandy. I thought it was interesting that a great war general would choose to retire in Gettysburg.

We rode a tour bus through the battlefield to get to the private estate. The last time I rode a bus like this was in China. Today ours was equipped with a crying child, which reminded me of China even more. A tour guide met our bus and told us how the Eisenhowers had acquired these 180 acres for a mere $44,000 back in 1950. It was the only home they ever owned. After a brief talk outside, we entered the house. Arielle and I were in awe. We stood in a beautifully furnished, elegant living room. Large oil paintings hung on the walls and interesting and ornate artwork of every sort decorated the room. We found out most of the items were gifts from foreign heads of state. The guide said 99 percent of the furnishings in the house were authentic and actually belonged to the Eisenhowers. We were told they did not actually like this particular room and found it too stuffy. Then we were led to their very casual enclosed front porch that opened to the lovely woods and farmland that surround Gettysburg. Here we found out General Eisenhower entertained guests like Nikita Khrushchev and Charles De Gaulle.

The home was comforting and welcoming. I said to Fred, "I feel like I'm visiting my grandmother's house." Then I realized why I was so drawn to this place. The furnishings and personal belongings of the Eisenhowers came from the 50's and 60's. I started to recognize different items--the telephone! The old corded, dial phone. In my childhood home it was black. I even remember the number, written right on the phone in the middle of the dial, Temple 8-0848. "Old" friends, remember that? And the TV! Years ago we had one very similar to the one here. Those simple knobs to change the channel or volume--no remotes back then. Televisions were encased in a cabinets too, blond wood being popular. Summers at my home my mother and us kids watched Queen for a Day on our set while she ironed. What memories the old TV brought back.

In the kitchen I recognized the linoleum floor. I remember how it felt cool on my bare feet. And there was my grandmother's Revere Ware pot on the stove! It looked like the very same one. The old refrigerator resembled one we used to have. When the handle broke off my dad fixed it with some kind of epoxy he called "greenie." Even the white wicker hamper in the bathroom was familiar. I want to live here! It was an eerie walk back in time. But curiously, I was drawn to it. The warm feelings this tour brought was a reflection of the memories of my mother's love and care for us as children.

Outdoors we walked past a well-cared for rose garden and viewed the Eisenhower's old cars still parked in the garage. This tour was a fascinating look at another era and a glimpse into the lives of our former President and his wife. After the horrific stories told from the battlefields of Gettysburg, it was a reminder that this land has seen more pleasant times.

Taming the Tongue

Damien and Gretchen invited us over for a cookout because Gretchen's mother is in town. I had only met her once before and we both wanted to get to know each other better since our kids will be married next year. So we waited for dinner and made small talk. I hate "small talk." I like big talk about meaningful topics. So I asked Gretchen's mom her views on immigration since she lives in Arizona. Mistake! Soon people jumped in to express their opinions while some people simmered holding theirs back. At one point I thought, "I'm just like Dominic--stirring up people!" He always knows how to get the conversation ball rolling with his questions. Actually my son Jon is like that too. At a crowded 4th of July event, as we waited for fireworks to begin, Jon casually asked my friend, "So what do you think of Obama?" I was worried about shouting and fist fights erupting in the crowd.

As I reflect back on our conversation at Damien's house, I realized our discussion was inappropriate for the time and place and I was insenstive in what I said. It was an opportunity to bring Biblical perspective to the conversation and I did not do that.

So today I read James 3. "For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things."

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness...no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God."

So what is the answer? Jesus said out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. I need to clean up what's inside, so what comes out in words is not poison. James 3 ends with the solution. The verses say we need wisdom--wisdom that is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. The chapter ends with: "A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."

Housecleaning

Life gets complicated. I like routine and I don't like changes. Summer is stressful for me because each day is different and we don't have a schedule.

Fred's change of career back to chiropractic has brought many changes. I haven't been so happy about some of them because Fred is seeing patients at our house. (What about my routine?!) But I am accepting this as God's chosen way to provide for our family.

So with people coming into our home, we've got to clean up! No clutter allowed. The patients walk into our family room, then go into a treatment room. Across from that room is a bathroom. All these rooms must be kept spotless! Not only that, but patients can see into our school room with the big guinea pig cages and into our sewing room, usually strewn about with on-going projects. Bottom line: we've had to organize and throw lots of stuff away. Our house is too small to just transfer junk to another room. We've got to get rid of it. I realize I cling too much to useless objects. I cling too much to the past. I clutch onto my sacred routines and schedules. And worst of all, I hold on to attitudes and habits that hinder me from moving forward in life.

Today I read Colossians 3. "Set your mind on things above, not on things that are on earth." There is a long list of things to get out of our lives. Impurity, evil desires, covetousness--which scripture says is idolatry. Whoa! Think about that. God's word tells us we must throw away anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk, and lying.

So I clean my house and ask God to clean up my heart. A new season is approaching. We can't be hindered with useless stuff.

"Let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith." Hebrews 12:1.

The Zoo

Post by Arielle

Today my mom, Liana, and I went to the Philadelphia Zoo. My mom's friend is a member to the zoo so she invited us to go with her. I wanted to go to the zoo two years ago, but we never found time to go until today. I loved seeing all the animals!

Before we got to the zoo I told Mom that I wanted to see the giraffes and elephants. Well, when we got there the giraffes wouldn't come outside and the elephants had been transferred to a different zoo.

I think my favorite animals that we saw were the snakes, alligators, crocodiles, tigers, the capybara, and the okapi.

Mom and Liana went into the bird cage to feed the birds this liquid stuff. They held their hands out and the birds landed on their arms and ate. I didn't want to do it so I just took pictures.

I hope we can go back to the zoo again next year.

My Brother the Writer

Last night I got an e-mail from my number two brother, Shane. He is a published author and now has a new website. Shane calls himself an American humorist and that he truly is. He always makes me chuckle with his reflections on life. Sometimes he triggers a memory with his reference to our shared childhood. I remember the rocket in the park, Shane!

But he is more than that. His longer passages go deeper. I just read "Me and Sam" this morning. Growing up along the Mississippi myself, I know how he feels. I can relate to that longing to write. It's in me, as it is in him. But then reality sets in and we feel inadequate and go back to the real world.

Back to the Fair

Since January, all the Saturday mornings spent sewing, and this summer, all the hours spent sorting and measuring fabric, ultimately comes together at the annual 4-H Fair. The projects are judged and on public display and all that donated fabric becomes a store for buyers. The fair lasts three days and the girls couldn't get enough of it. We were there for most of the hours it was open.

This fair is low-tech and old-fashioned. There are lots of farm animals, simple games, food booths, a variety of exhibits made by kids, a tractor drawn wagon to ride around the grounds, and a DJ and a local band playing the oldies. Why do my girls love it so much? They even got a kick out of climbing in the parked fire truck. My daughter-in-law and my granddaughter Lana went with us one day and Lana couldn't get enough either. She didn't want to go home.

The first stop is always the clothing exhibit. The girls turned their projects in about a week ago but did not know the results of the judging. The green clover award is the coveted prize. Maybe "coveted" is the problem and there is too much importance placed on it. Arielle and Liana are very gracious about being winners. They don't boast and they feel compassion for those who do not do so well. But since they both won at the regional show, I'm sure they expected to win at the fair. The results: Liana got a clover for her dress and Arielle got one for a purse she made, but Arielle did not have the clover attached to her dress for all the world to see. She never said a word but I imagine she was disappointed. I didn't know why she didn't get it, but there must have been some mistake the judges found in the garment.

Their club participates in a very casual fashion show during the fair. It is just for fun, not prizes. The girls were getting ready and we were taking down the outfits for them to get dressed. When I unpinned Arielle's name card from her dress, I noticed it said "clover award." I opened up the judges comments and there on the bottom it also said "clover." So we asked and sure enough, Arielle had won the clover. We're not sure what happened to it, but it was never attached to her dress. She was very happy though. Maybe it was a good lesson in humility for her.

We visited the chicken barn several times. I am always amazed by the variety of chickens people raise. One boy about eight or nine was carrying his chicken around in his arms and later we saw him with his duck. He let us pet his animals and we talked to him awhile. There was some sort of contest for fair-goers to vote on their favorite fowl. For a dollar you could buy 10 tokens and little boxes were attached to the cages to receive the "votes." I noticed the boy periodically shaking his boxes to see if he had any votes. With so many chickens and ducks, it was likely he would get little to none. His chicken was kind of plain and there were several ducks like his. So we bought tokens and voted for his birds. I hope it brought him some joy.

We spent many hours in the rabbit and cavy tent. I had lots of guinea pig questions for the experts and also inquired about selling our boys. They are being tormented by living next door to the girls. They spend their days trying to figure out how to get into the cages with the girls. We really don't have the room for the two huge cages and the expense of keeping four guinea pigs is becoming a burden. But my mistake was not informing Liana ahead of time about these thoughts. At the fair, I even put up a sign about our boys for anyone interested in them. Later in the evening Liana was sobbing. She admits she doesn't love the boys like she loves Poppy, her own pig, but she is very concerned they might go to a home where they will not be cared for properly. I assured her we would screen the potential buyers very carefully. Still, she wants them to go to a home of one of our friends so she could visit them from time to time. Friends! Would you like two very cute guinea pigs?

Because we had worked so many hours getting ready for our club's fabric sale, we had lots of buying credit. It's $5 for every two hours worked. We came home with beautiful fabric and dreams of winter projects. I hope the girls will continue to be inspired to create. I didn't need any new projects with three quilt tops pieced but not quilted, but I couldn't resist the new colors and designs either.

So the fair is over and that means summer is almost over too. We're looking ahead to the start of school and fall activities.

Summer Redeemed

Just when it seemed like summer was lost in census work, the last couple of weeks have been full and complete. We can now face starting a new school year with good memories behind us. And, of course, summer is not over yet!

Once my work ended, I needed to focus on my grandkids. Kelsey and Seth are in town for such a short time and my girls love being with them. We looked for simple things to do since finances prevent us from going to big events and expensive places. Jon suggested a hike along the river with his family. At first Kelsey and Seth weren't too sure abou that. What would we do? What was there to see? Water, trees...

The trail is incredibly quiet. It isn't desirable for cyclists because it isn't paved. Jon led us to a rocky beach and the kids tried to capture tiny toads. We skipped flat stones across the slow moving river and we shared in Jon's world. He is an outdoor guy and has explored this area many times.

Our long walk led to pairing up and good conversation. When do we ever have time for that anymore? Jon and Seth led the way. I was glad to spend time with my daughter-in-law. Lana and Liana were in their own world of imagination. Kelsey and Arielle lingered behind, deep in girl talk. We ended our adventure with ice cream!

We spent another day at Nick's house, looking out for all five of his kids while he and Kristina worked. At first I thought, what would we do? Small house, very hot day, no room in my car for all of us to go somewhere. But I enjoyed the time with the little ones. Laci is two, such a delightful age, and Deacon is a calm, affectionate, good-natured baby. Mattie and Liana have lots of fun together. Yes, that is Seth with a moustache. He wore it most all the time. The older kids had fun playing Scattergories in teams and the room filled with laughter.

On our last visit with Kelsey and Seth, I took them to a park they had enjoyed last year. Kelsey admitted it wasn't quite as much fun this year--after all, she is 15. I guess this will be our last year here. The magic has gone. But the kids still climbed the rocks and ran up and down the stairs in the big castle.

We stopped at a grocery store on the way home and bought all their favorite junk food for dinner. Grandmothers are allowed to do that. I wanted Kelsey and Seth to enjoy their last dinner with us, picky eaters as they are. I bought hamburgers and waffle fries and chips and ice cream.

As we prepared dinner, Jon's family came over, along with Marissa and Damien and Gretchen. They all wanted to see the kids before they left. Kelsey and Seth seemed surprised. I told them everyone was there just for them. As we walked them to the car, they were surrounded with lots of hugs and last minute words to be careful and make good choices. I hope they feel the love of their family and that it will carry them through when they are so far away.

Everyone went home. It's quiet again at our house. We had summer after all.

Day to say good-bye

Post by Arielle

Today was the last day we saw Kelsey and Seth until next year. We went to the outlets to get Seth shoes, but the ones he liked weren't in his size. Instead of him getting shoes, Liana and I got new shoes. I got black, blue, and purple Converse, and Liana got some white and pink shoes.

After shopping, we went to Castle Park. I don't think it was as fun as last year, but we still had fun. Julia and Mrs. Gallagher even went to Castle Park for a little while.

When we got home Marissa, Jon, Chrissy, Lana, Damien, and Gretchen all came over to say

good-bye to Kelsey and Seth. It's sad to say bye to them. I wish we could see them more often, but they live in Minnesota!

Today with the kids

Post by Arielle

This morning Mom, Liana, and I went to my brother Nick's house to spend the day with Kelsey, Seth, Mattie, Laci, and Deacon while he and Kristina were at work.

Last year we did the same thing, but last year my mom filled up the whole house with smoke while making mac 'n cheese, melted Laci's bottles while cleaning them in boiling water, and broke a door handle off! This time nothing happened. She made mac 'n cheese, but the house didn't smoke up.

It was nice seeing everyone. Marissa even stopped by for a couple of hours, but she had to go work. We just got back, and I am tired and hungry! =)

Monday

Post by Arielle

Last Monday my mom's friend invited us to go bowling and swimming with her and her girls. Her daughters are the same ages as Liana and me. We get along really well. The last time I went bowling was when I was around 6 years old, and we went with the whole family so bowling was kind of new to me. I did fine though (I think). I got two strikes and I think that was good, but I don't know much about bowling terms. We bowled from nine to twelve. We also got pizza and soda for lunch. I had so much fun!

Our friends belong to a pool so after we were done bowling we went swimming. Their pool was really nice and had really clear water. The pool also had two diving boards. One diving board was higher than the other. It was nice going swimming because we don't get to go swimming a lot.

After we got home we were in a rush to go to 4-H. We were being judged for our outfits that night. The 4-H fair is coming up soon. Everyone was there measuring fabric, moving boxes full of fabric, and packing boxes of fabric.

When we got home we were all so tired we went to bed half an hour earlier than usual! I must have been tired because I don't remember complaining about going to bed early =)

A special day

Years ago we used to host big celebrations on August 4th to honor Arielle's first day as my daughter. We toned down the festivities as she has gotten older. But every year I remember that day. It was one of the best days of my entire life.

My mother and I had flown into Hong Kong the night before. After a big dinner with nine other families in a fabulous restaurant that we couldn't really enjoy due to extreme jet lag, (there is a 12 hour difference in time!) we collapsed into bed at the hotel. But the next morning we knew we would most likely have our babies.

We were to take a short flight into China and then head to our hotel in that provincial city. We were beyond excited. It was impossible to predict the day's events. Couples who had adopted before filled us in but we couldn't imagine how it would be. I had never even seen my daughter! What was she like? What would she do? Would she cry when strangers took her from everything familiar? We would look different and smell different and sound different. She was 8 months old with big dark eyes and black hair. That is almost all we knew.

We boarded the Chinese plane as "Home on the Range" played over the speakers, which added to the surreal quality of the morning. I still remember looking outside the plane window as we were about to land, getting a glimpse of the country of my daughter's birth. China! A place I'd only read about, but now we would actually be walking on the ground. Unbelievable!

The heat was stifling, suffocating us with every breath. We piled into a bus with all our luggage and rode to our hotel. We tried to see the city from the dirty windows. First we traveled along rice paddies where water buffaloes waded and men with big straw hats worked in the hot sun. The city was crowded. Bicycles fought for road space, rolling alongside other buses and cars driven erratically. Small shop owners stood outside on the sidewalk eating watermelon. Soon we arrived at our luxurious hotel, a sharp contrast to the scenes right outside its doors. My mother and I opened up our room and saw a small wooden crib set up beside one of the beds. We both cried tears of joy and anticipation. A baby would soon lie in that little crib.

We were summoned to dinner and began eating a delicious meal around a large round table. Dish after dish was served on a lazy susan in the middle of the table. As we were stuffing ourselves, someone announced, "The babies are here!" Immediately we all jumped up from the table. We were told to go to our rooms and wait. We went to our rooms, but no way could we just sit and wait. All of us came back out into the hallway, chatting nervously with cameras in hand. Where were the babies? When would we see them?

Soon our facilitator came to talk with us and then came a parade of babies came down the hall. Women formed a line, each of them holding a baby. A young boy held one of the children. I didn't realize until later when I watched our video that this boy was holding Arielle. The caregivers waited patiently. Our facilitator called out a baby's name in Chinese. Then he said a family's name. A couple stepped forward and a baby was placed in the mother's arms. The mom cried. We all watched this private moment, snapping pictures. This family stood to the side of the hall. Then another baby's name was called. And then my name. I stepped forward and took Arielle. My own daughter. She was thin and her serious eyes were huge in her baby face. She did not cry. She just looked at me calmly. I hugged her and she lay her head on my shoulder. My own baby! What indescribable joy! I loved her fiercely right from the start.

She was a tired little girl and half slept through her bath and dressing for bed. It had been a three hour bus ride from her town to our hotel. It was as if I'd never had a baby before! I didn't seem to know what to do. Without my mother, I don't know that I could have given her a bath. It took two of us to figure things out. I gave Arielle a bottle and put her in that little crib. My mother and I finally could relax enough to sleep. I awoke to a small cry at 3:30 am. I immediately sat up and the thought that filled my head was, "I have a daughter!" What a glorious day! What a gift this child was and continues to be! What a precious time to share with my own mother. The three of us were inseparable on this trip. Arielle loved her grandma and seemed to know we were her very own people. In no time at all she clung to us and cried if strangers approached. Even now, Arielle and her grandma share a special bond.

So today I look at my daughter who is too quickly becoming a young woman. Her eyes are still serious and thoughtful. She has her own ideas and is her own person. I am so proud of her. And I am so thankful she is my daughter.

New Summer Recipe

My step-daughter gave me a great recipe for using our bountiful garden produce. Don't say, "I don't like eggplant." This is so good!

Baked Eggplant and Tomato

eggplant
tomatoes--local, fresh, ripe
olive oil
salt and pepper
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Peel and slice eggplant and sprinkle with salt. Let sit awhile on paper towels, then rinse and pat dry. Slice tomatoes. Heat a little oil in skillet and fry tomatoes 30 seconds each side. Put on plate and season with salt and pepper.

Wipe out pan and heat a little more oil. Fry eggplant until brown on each side. Put a little oil in a baking dish. Arrange the eggplant with the tomato on top. Sprinkle the cheese between layers. Top with bread crumbs or cornflake crumbs and drizzle with a little more oil. Bake about 30 minutes.

THE FUN DAY AT THE BEACH

Post By Liana

We woke up in the morning and got in the car and drove to the beach. We met the Gallaghers there, which made it very exciting. We walked down to the beach and played in the water. Julia and I tried to build a sand castle but we forgot our sands toys, so it didn't work out very well. Mrs. Gallagher then suggested that we go on a walk at the edge of the water. While we were walking, Julia and I were on the lookout for good seashells. I found a very nice one called a kitten claw. Plus I found lots of shells with holes in them to make necklaces.

Later on we went on the boardwalk and found a penny arcade. Julia told me it was a tradition in her family that they play skeeball every time they go to the beach. Just like it's a tradition for Arielle and me to go on the merry-go-round. It was getting late so we headed over to the rides, which was a bit far from where we were.

First we went on the merry-go-round. Then Julia suggested we go on the log ride. It was my first time so I was a little scared. As we were going up on the conveyor belt Julia and I screamed. When we raced down the slope, everyone screamed, even Mrs. Gallagher. After the log ride, we went on the ferris wheel which was much calmer than the log ride.

When we were done with the rides, we drove to Obadiah's and ate dinner. After dinner, we said our good-byes to the Gallaghers and drove home. We got home very late and I was very tired. It was a fun time at the beach.

Day at the Beach

Post by Arielle:

Yesterday we went to Ocean City, New Jersey for a day with the Gallagher family. Most of the time we were just on the beach, but we also went on the boardwalk. We went to the arcade because part of the Gallagher's traditions is to play skee-ball. Before dinner we went on the rides. Mrs. Gallagher, Liana, Julia, Jacob, and I went on the log ride! It was so much fun! I think we got more wet sitting on the seats in the plastic log then getting splashed by the water. It ended up that on that same day my church went to the beach for a day with the middle school and high school kids. All day we tried to find them. I wanted to look for my friends, and Jacob wanted to look for his. It was at the end of the day we finally caught up with them on the beach. When we were on the big ferris wheel we saw a group of kids on the beach. After we got off the ferris wheel we went to check out if it was the right group. It was funny to see my friend's faces when they saw me because I knew they were going to be at the beach, but they didn't know I would be there too. It was around eleven at night when we got back home. I was so tired I fell right to sleep. I hope we can go back to the beach this year again.

My Fellow Americans

Counting the people has ended, as least in our area. I am out of work and I feel guilty for being so happy about that. I feel guilty for hating my job so much. I told my team leader one day that was I was very disappointed in my fellow Americans. I encountered such hostility! Such rudeness! Such distrust of government. But now that it's over, I think maybe this is not such a bad thing. Americans are tough and don't like to be pushed around. We are independent and private and don't like intruders asking nosy questions.

In just a few months I feel like I've seen it all--every kind of American. I've knocked on the doors of million dollar homes and run-down apartments. I've traveled through mobile home parks and retirement communities and even tattoo parlors. I've seen all colors of people. I've met people from all walks of life--housewives and bikers and businessmen and day laborers. I've found people in all kinds of circumstances. A single dad with a baby in diapers clinging to his leg, too busy to talk because he was trying to cook dinner. I met an elderly woman whose husband had recently been admitted to a nursing home. She was lonely and scared and wanted someone to listen. One man just buried his wife the day I was on his doorstep. I felt like the worst kind of intruder. I found a woman sitting in the sun on her front porch. She said, "I've been waiting for you." I enjoyed talking with her. I was invited inside homes for refreshments and shown family portraits. Now that I am writing this, I realize how many people I met who were not rude or hostile. Maybe many were guarded and wary, but kind and helpful. I liked all these people. They shared a glimpse of their lives with me. But then there was the other side of this job.

I've been threatened and yelled at and had the door slammed in my face. I've heard people ranting and raving about politics. If I could have removed this intimidation factor, I would have enjoyed meeting all the people who live in my community. But there was always the fear of what kind of person would answer the door. These people made the job miserable.

Now it's over. What an experience! I told my team leader today, "See you in ten years!" He said, "No way! Never again!" I know the feeling.

Good-bye, Hello Kitty

The girls wanted to get new clocks for their rooms. They don't like their cute Hello Kitty clocks with the built-in nightlights anymore. Instead, they are interested in decorating with the dorm room accessories that are sold everywhere this time of year.

This must be another milestone. It was sad for me to unplug their childhood clocks and replace them with square, fluorescent digital clocks with no nightlight, which means I can't see their sleeping faces when I check on them in the middle of the night. Maybe they don't need checking anymore.

Arielle is almost as tall as I am now. She rides in the front seat. Another milestone. Liana doesn't need her booster anymore. Where did my little girls go? My adorable, chubby babies with the colorful barrettes in their shiny black hair? Fred cleaned out the storage room and took the big plastic wagon out to the shed to be used now for gardening. As he rolled it out the backdoor, my heart broke. Fred knows we won't ever again be rattling down the boardwalk with the girls in the wagon, both of them giggling in the cool breeze of the evening after a day in the sun at the beach.

Maybe all this struck me this week because I have been going through old boxes, sorting through the memorabilia of my little boys' lives so long ago. I found soccer trophies and an old Pinewood derby car. More trophies for Raingutter Regatta winners, plaques and ribbons of every color for track meets and writing contests and orchestra events. I searched for the boys' names in old, yellow newspaper clippings. I found school report cards and standardized test results that seemed so important at the time, but now are meaningless. Who cares if you made an A or a B in high school biology? I laughed when I pulled out an old postcard that Dominic wrote when he spent a few weeks in North Carolina with his best friend when he was maybe 10 or 11. His postcard reads, "It is fun here. I almost got my ear chopped off, almost drowned in the ocean, and almost got killed by a tornado. " The next line, "Brad and I chewed 8 packs of gum." Dominic always loved the drama!

Arielle and Liana, who are always in trouble for bickering with each other, were delighted to discover Dominic's eyewitness account of a battle between his two younger brothers. Dominic meticulously recorded a word-for-word narrative of what I'm sure was a typical day in the life at home with my boys. The chaos! The noise! My rough and tumble boys! I miss them so much.

I found lots of creative writing assignments the boys wrote through the years. These are small windows into their minds as they grew up. Jon, full of ideas even back then, had words of praise written across the pages by teachers who appreciated his talent. Damien's stories were always short and to the point. He had better things to do than silly writing projects. Nick had quite the imagination. He won a short story contest in high school. It was supposed to be a true story, but I guess real life was too boring, so he made up a "true" account. Dominic's writings were more serious, essays on freedom and government.

Best of all I found volumes of funny, sweet cards the boys made for me through the years. Not just for birthdays, but for Valentine's Day and the Fourth of July, Easter and Christmas. Cards that were cleverly cut and glued and colored with pencils or crayons. Oh, what a fortunate mom I was to receive such gifts! And I am still so fortunate. Yes, I miss my little ones, but I have my grown-up sons and my growing up girls. Life is rich. My heart aches with each milestone passed, but each day brings new treasures, and years from now these things will be the precious memories.

Practice

I planted these black-eyed susans years ago and they were pitiful. Only a few bloomed each year. Then we had a huge maple removed from the yard due to ant infestation and now the flowers have multiplied and flourished. They just needed more sunlight. It was as simple as that.

Sometimes when God is trying to tell us something, we will hear a message over and over. This morning I got a devotional in my e-mail from a man at our church. He was an ER doctor and he wrote about going to school and gaining a lot of knowledge but the real test came in how he applied that knowledge. It didn't do him much good in the ER if he couldn't take what he'd learned and use it to help his patients.

It made me think about my walk with God. I have a lot of Bible knowledge. I know what God's word says. But what good is that if I don't apply it to life situations? If I don't have patience with my husband and children, if I complain about circumstances, if I lose hope at the first sign of a disturbance in my routine? I am like what James 1:22-25 describes--the person who looks in the mirror and then walks away and forgets what she looks like. This person hears the word of God in the morning, but then lets it slip from her mind for the rest of the day.

Fred left early to go to breakfast with his friend. I opened my Bible to where I left off in my reading. I was on I Timothy 4. At the end of the chapter, these words caught my attention. "Set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Devote yourself to the public reading of scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have been given. PRACTICE these things, immerse yourself in them. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this..."

Now I am not a leader in the church like Timothy, but I have my own little sphere of influence, namely my family. What kind of example am I setting for my children? What do my actions teach them? That life is a difficult drudgery to be endured? When my words are harsh and my actions say nothing of my faith, my children are watching.

We've been given all the tools and resources we need. We have power from on high. Our Lord is there to cheer us and give us strength when we spend more time in the sunlight. I'm not one to promote endless introspection but maybe I need a little more honest evaluation on how I interact with my family. My husband and children are precious gifts from God and I love them more than anything else in my life. Today I will PRACTICE godliness in my speech and conduct and attitudes. Practice implies a good effort, not perfection. It might be hard work, but not impossible. Today I will not walk away and forget God's words. My family will be grateful.

Laughter and guacamole

Dominic and Stacia came for the weekend! We haven't seen them in awhile and it was a wonderful visit. Since they don't own a car, they rented one to drive here and haul back a lot of goods. So we got to go shopping with them, much to the delight of the girls.

We spent Saturday at Ikea and it was so much fun watching Dominic and Stacia buy furniture and plan for their lives together. Arielle and Liana loved exploring the store and imagining their own dream homes. After making sure we had seen every item in the entire store, we came home hungry and there was still dinner to prepare. Dominic had brought two ripe avocados from his house, so we searched my cupboards for something to use to make guacamole. Here is our improvised recipe: It was yummy and we wolfed it down immediately with a big bag of tortilla chips.

2 mashed avocados
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 tomato, chopped
hot pepper sauce
salt
2 T. lime juice

For two nights after dinner I enjoyed conversation with my soon-to-be daughter-in-law while Dominic and Liana cleaned the kitchen and did the dishes. (Liana never helps me like that.) What a treat! Years ago my mom and I always lingered at the dinner table after everyone ate. We picked at the leftovers and shared one-on-one time while the rest of the family took off to avoid having to help with clean-up. Back then the dishes awaited us. Not now! Dominic and Liana gave me a break. Stacia also gave Dominic and me an opportunity to talk by spending time with the girls as the three of them colored pictures.

It was Chrissy and Jon's first anniversary this weekend, so when I reminded the kids of that, Dominic set to work making a very silly card. I told the girls I have a big box of silly cards he's made for me through the years. He always brings such fun to our house.

On Sunday Dominic and Stacia packed the car and we said our good-byes in the street. I think of many other farewells when my heart would break not knowing when I would see my son again. But now he is not so far away and his future is full of promise. Stacia is a lovely woman and became part of our family the day we met her. I'll be glad when it's "official."

After all the drama of the last few weeks, Dominic and Stacia lifted us up from the gloom and doom and made us laugh.

More drama

For family following Fred's health, we have more drama. Last week he was having severe abdominal pain and went to our family doctor. A stat CT scan was ordered and he went to the hospital. Of course, no dental appliance could be seen. The best test for that would be an MRI, but our insurance won't pay for it. But the radiologist did see evidence of the appliance because Fred has an intestinal infection. The doctor ordered heavy duty antibiotics. What next? No one seems to be able to predict, or even guess, the outcome of this event. Fred presses on, working and doing all he has to do. He has lost a lot of weight and looks very thin.

As for me, I pray and trust. Fred is in God's hands. I went out to the garden with the earth radiating heat from our 103 degree day and spent a couple of hours picking beans. Life goes on.

The Guinea Pigs

Post by Arielle

The baby boy guinea pigs are now bigger. They fight for some of the vegetables and fruits we give them even though there is another one on the ground next to them. They like to jump on top of their box houses, and they are really fast. The two girls are totally opposite. They do not like to jump on top of things, and they don't really like to run fast. We trained the girls, and when we give one of them some lettuce, the other one does not try to steal it from the other. The other one waits her turn. I think it's funny how they do that. Here are more recent pictures of them and two little videos showing how the boys run fast and like to steal each other's food.

A video of Clover and Nutmeg running

Both boys fighting for an apple

The 4th

Post by Arielle

Yesterday was so much fun! Last night we went to our library park and watched fireworks outside on the grass. My mom's good friend and her two daughters, and my brother and his family went with us. It was nice seeing everyone. Here is a picture of one of the fireworks.

I also took a video of part of the show.

Holiday weekend

Holidays are family time. We started a little early this week when Marissa asked us to go biking with her. Fred and I had so much work to do that day. Why do we hesitate to take the time and have fun? So we are glad we dropped everything else and just enjoyed the day. It was a cool, beautiful morning with a light breeze and high puffy clouds in a perfect sky. We biked along the river with green surrounding us on every side. The drought has not yet taken its toll on the trees and plants, and we reveled in riding in and out of the lush shade. The river sparkled in the sunlight and we did something we rarely do--relax! Maybe Arielle and I were the ones doing most of the relaxing. We led the way while Fred and Marissa trailed behind to keep a watch on Liana.

Later in the day Nick came over with ALL of his children. We rarely see them all together, so this was a special event. Liana and Mattie immediately retreated in Liana's room to play fashion show, changing into many different outfits and occasionally modeling them for us. Arielle was torn between talking with Kelsey and Seth and playing with the babies. I was just glad to have everyone here, especially having time to talk with my oldest son.

Home alone

The girls went to their regional fashion show today. But it's not just a show. They also have classes on different topics, do a craft, and work on a community service project. Today they sewed bags with pockets to attach to wheelchairs or walkers so people that use those things can carry around their supplies.


I dropped the girls off at noon and then Fred and I did some errands. Then he went to work. I had a total of three and a half hours HOME ALONE! That just never happens for me. I am usually never apart from my girls, and even if I was, Fred would be home. I was kind of excited about this unexpected time.


So what did I do? First of all, I ate a bowl of ice cream and picked up the book I've been trying to find time to read. Pearl of China by Anchee Min. That was a very nice treat! Then I took advantage of the quiet to read the book of Titus and spend time in prayer. Convicting verses in that passage of scripture.


To catch up on housework, I decided I would try to do at least one project per day this summer. Homeschooling moms just never seem to find time for house cleaning. It's not just me with a messy house at the end of June. So I cleaned my room--dusting, mopping, getting rid of clutter. Then I scrubbed the tub in one of our bathrooms. Next, I made dinner for Fred to eat when he gets home. I folded laundry. The UPS guy delivered hay I had ordered for the guinea pigs. And then my time was up. It was a long drive to the fashion show, and I wanted to get there early for a good seat. It was a novelty to have time alone at home, but I missed my girls! Life would be so boring without them.


It was an exciting night. Girls from nine counties modeled their outfits. What amazing clothing they had created! It is unbelievable that children so young can sew so well. And the high school girls? Even more spectacular. They made prom gowns, coats, suits, and office attire like silk blouses and wool pencil skirts. Truly awesome outfits. My girls in their little cotton dresses didn't stand a chance.



First the winners of the juniors were called. Juniors are ages 8 to 12. It is Arielle's last year as a junior. Her name was announced! Immediately after, Liana's name was called! We were shocked. This is Arielle's fourth year at regionals and she never won before. Liana did not win last year either. I took home two happy girls. They are already dreaming of next year's outfits.

Here comes summer

Summer is here! It comes when the schedule clears and we enjoy time at home. Summer comes when the Rose of Sharon bloom. I can see these beautiful flowers from my kitchen window. Early this morning I ran across the lawn in my pjs to snap pictures as the sun rose and the blossoms opened to the light. Later in the morning after the girls dressed for church, I got another picture of with their beautiful shining faces.

Summer is here when we bring in the first cucumbers. We made our first batch of Sweet and Sour Cucumbers, my mother's recipe, and we ate them all in a day. Here is the recipe if you would like to try them. Just mix all this together:

3 cucumbers, sliced thin

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

2 T. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. oregano

Summer is here when we get to read. Now that most events are over, the girls and I are going to try to have daily reading time. D-E-A-R. Drop everything and read! Dropping my compulsion to complete tasks is the hardest. But we did it--all three of us in the living room, silently reading as we snuggled on the couch. It was heavenly! We're also going to do some read-alouds together. I bought a book at the homeschool conference just for this purpose. It is the true story of Olive Oatman who was captured on the Santa Fe Trail by Yavapai Indians in 1850. But Arielle discovered the book and she is almost finished with it, so I guess I will just read it to Liana. I love when we all read one together though.

Summer is here when Lana spends the night! She had a great time playing with Liana and vice versa. Those two are lost in their imaginary world for hours at a time. At 10pm last night I had to gently tell them the toys would have to wait until morning because they had to get to bed. But their eyes weren't opened for 30 seconds the next day before they were back playing. Neither one said to the other, "Let's get up and play." They must just think alike because they both awoke and ran to the kitchen without a word. Jon is worried Lana plays with toys too much. I told him they are little girls for such a very short time. Let them play!

Summer is here when we have A DAY WITH NOTHING PLANNED! Hurray! That's tomorrow. I can't wait.

Camp and the Guinea Pigs

Posts by Arielle



We just finished a whole week of Camp Little Bear at our church. It was a fun time to be with the kids, but I am soooooooo tired!!! I was working with the young three year olds. Liana and my mom were working with the snack block. They served snacks to the campers and counselors. My little niece is going to sleepover tonight so she can go to church with me. I am going to help out with the little kid classes, so it works out perfectly. Usually I go to my own classroom for my grade, but tomorrow I will be helping.


All four guinea pigs are fine. The boys are getting bigger and bigger. We are still waiting for a bigger cage to come in for them. When Liana and I were at camp we pretended that the guinea pigs went to Camp Baby Pigs ( like Camp Little Bear). LOL. =) I will put some pictures and a video of them on the blog later.

Moving on

It bothered me that I haven't written in awhile when the last thing I wrote was titled "a defeated life." How depressing just to look at it. No, we are not defeated. We are moving on to other things.

School finally ended, the portfolio was completed and taken to the evaluator, books were labeled and packed for the used book sale at the homeschool conference, the girls finished their dresses for the 4-H Fashion Revue, Fred's medical problem is resolved for now, and CENSUS WORK ENDED! Thank you, Lord! I'm not complaining. God gave me the job just when we needed it and it got us through a tight spot. But the job was not fun and I am glad to see it end. Although it probably isn't really over. I was approved to go on to "Phase Two," whatever that is. I just hope there is no more door-to-door. Oh, the stories I could tell. But can't. The census is confidential!

This week we are going to church each morning for the preschool camp. Arielle is a junior counselor and Liana and I are working to serve all the kids snacks. We are mainly going for Arielle because she just loves working with the little children.

On Saturday the girls had the county fashion show. They modeled the dresses they have been working on for the past five months and won ribbons and qualified to go on to the regional show. Yes, the girls were excited about winning at the moment, but both of them were quiet and subdued on the way home as they thought about the girls who did not win. None of us liked seeing the sad faces on those girls. Arielle said she would be willing to give up her spot in the regional show so one of the runners-up can take her place. I don't know that her 4-H teacher would want her to do that though. We'll see what happens. Both the girls did a great job and worked very hard so I wanted to post their picture.

When is summer actually going to start? Those lazy, hazy days of summer...I don't want to miss it. I think I'm missing it already. It's almost the end of June!

A defeated life

I realized that all week I have been living in defeat. Fred has me very stressed out with all that is going on with him. I've been waiting for the next catastrophe. What else will happen to him? Besides the broken leg incident last October and the dental thing now, I didn't even write about his torn rib cartilage and our middle of the night escapade with that. We're all on edge. But is this the way to live?

Consider the plans of the evil one. If he can't get us to lose our faith, he will discourage us so we live in defeat--frustrated, joyless, tired, trudging through our day. Falling into bed at night, another day gone. Another day gone? We have limited days! We can't waste even one! And what are we teaching our kids? Scripture says, "Let no man steal your joy." In our case, we should let no circumstance steal our joy.

I need a reminder that God is in control! This is his battle, and it's a spiritual war. The enemy is without, but the enemy is also within--our negativity and our hopeless attitude. I've been reading a daily devotional from the words of Charles Spurgeon. He says, "The battle is the Lord's and he will deliver his enemies into our hands. With steadfast foot, strong hand, dauntless heart and flaming zeal, rush to the conflict and the hosts of evil shall fly like chaff before the gale."

Today I will look around at all the gifts I've been given. When trouble comes I will call upon the one who has already won the battle. He is the sword and shield of his people.

So here is what I did today: Fred called me on his way home from the hospital, concerned about the two rows of lima beans that never germinated. He said he planned to replant them when he got home. He can't do that! What is that crazy man thinking? But I know how he is when he gets an idea in his head. So the girls and I put on our gardening clothes and got out the hand tools. I don't know how to use the rototiller. I took an old-fashioned hoe--great tool--and set to work on that end of the garden. The sun was hot and the ground dry and hard. I beat it until my muscles ached. Bugs tormented me. But I conquered. I raked the plot smooth and planted new beans. I pulled the radishes and picked the spinach and arugula. Tasty gifts. I sat in the dirt and weeded the onions. I hilled up the potatoes. Life is back in order.

I read this today: "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep." Psalm 127: 1, 2.

Rest and sleep, beloved.

What could have been...

Do you ever stop and think about things that could have happened but didn't? You have a near-miss with another car on the road. A child takes a bad fall but doesn't get hurt. Someone has an illness that could have been fatal but wasn't. How many times God intervenes to spare us and give us more life! We have no idea how many close calls we've had in the course of a lifetime.

This morning was one of those times. In a most bizarre accident, Fred ended up once again in the emergency room. It was scary-- but it could have been much, much worse.

At 6 in the morning Fred was getting ready for one of his jobs and had a sneezing fit. He has allergies this time of year. As he inhaled sharply to sneeze, his dental appliance was forced into his throat. I awoke to him shouting, "I HAVE TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW!"

Yes, he was speaking. A good sign that his airway was not blocked. Of course, I didn't know what had happened but I jumped out of bed and into my clothes. Then he said he swallowed his "tooth." This tooth is attached to a plastic, sharp-edged plate about the size of a half dollar. Even if the plate wasn't in his trachea, it could not be good to have it in his esophagus. The girls woke up and we all headed to the hospital.

Thankfully, X-rays determined the plate was not anywhere in his throat or chest. So it had to be in his stomach. "It will pass," the doctor said. On the way home we kept thinking of what could have happened. If he had inhaled it, instead of swallowing it, he would have choked to death. That plastic would have sealed off his airway and prevented any breathing. God is merciful. We are grateful.