ABC Flashcards

My SIL keeps our Bird on the Sunday nights we have our small group meeting. She loves spending time with her and they both stay busy throughout the evening. Last night my sil was reviewing ABC flashcards with her and trying to get her to come up with other words that started with the sound of the letter on the card. When they reached U my Bird couldn't think of any other words, so my sil said "underwear" which started lots of giggling. My Bird then responded "I know one-Um-diddle-diddle-um-diddleye". I love Mary Poppins!
My gratitude list continues:
21. Mary Poppins
22. Our sense of humor
23. Snow flurries
24. Inspiring words from unexpected places
25. T-Bone's New Job
26. Passion for following Christ
27. Shrimp Creole
28. The New Orleans Saints great season
29. New friends
30. Answered prayers

Family

I'm the youngest of four children, but I'm the only child from my parent's marriage. My older brother and sister were teenagers by the time I was born. My brother and his wife live fairly close to us, but just don't seem to spend much time together. We do the get together at the holidays for lunch and usually everyone will come for the Bird's birthday. I asked both my siblings to go to church with us this past Sunday (my T-Bone was baptized)and it was so funny that the message was on family and the importance of it. My brother reached across and took my hand and my sister's at one point. It really served as a reconnection for us. There is nothing as far as anger or conflict, it is just that we don't make an effort. I'm unwrapping my small gift of a quiet place spending Sunday afternoon with my family in celebration. I know God wants us to be closer. I'm linking to Emily over at Chatting at the Sky.

Home

"When I speak of home, I speak of the place where-in default of a better-those I love are gathered together, and if that place were a gypsy's tent, or a barn, I should call it by the same good name not withstanding." Charles Dickens

August 4th

I just realized that today was August 4th. It's the second day of back to school for me. My school looks all shiny and new. I walked into a newly painted and floored room with no furniture in it. I managed to round some up and am trying to smile. I'm glad I have a room because it means I have a class of my own. Reading-my favorite thing to teach. (can you see I'm counting blessings, so I'm not going to mention the chalkboard).
Back to August 4th, my son is supposed to board a plane out of Kandahar, Afghanistan today and head home for a two week leave. This is what he looked like the day we sent him off to war. I'm thinking he will look pretty much the same. I don't want him to be different. I've prayed a hedge of protection around him. I've asked God to surround him with Christian friends and to give him peace in a land of turmoil.
It's a waiting game now, but hopefully by week's end I'll be seeing him again. What are you waiting for?

I'm unwrapping the gift of a son coming home from a far away land and linking this to Tuesdays Unwrapped over at chatting at the sky. I enjoyed reading her post this morning.

John 15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

I am a Winner!

We had a week of events around here. T-bone and I celebrated our 10th anniversary. We said we would spend the 10th in Ocho Rios, but work and The Bird made that seem impossible. I didn't mind and had a hard time coming up with an important gift. I gave him a little book called I Like You and a bounce house. The bounce house wasn't really for our anniversary, but it seemed expensive and extravagant, so I claimed it as an anniversary gift. The Bird loves to jump! We thought we should buy something or I should get a piece of jewelry to mark the event. I even picked out a ring, but in the end decided I really didn't want it. I wanted the love and adoration of my husband and I got that. He said the sweetest things and I felt loved and lucky to have such a great husband.

The next day was my fil's birthday, the next day my sil's birthday (I made her dinner and gave her a pretty metal mermaid), and the next was T-Bone's birthday. I never bake, but got brave and made his mom's mahogany cake. It's a German chocolate cake with a chocolate coffee frosting. I never got the frosting thick enough and it puddled on the platter. The Bird was in charge of decorating and decided we needed balloons. We made a trip to a party store and she picked five balloons and a flower necklace for the decorations. She picked out three candles for the cake and planted them in the center. I made Green Chile Enchiladas and black beans for his birthday dinner. Usually I try and make something that seems "special" for birthday dinners, but we love these enchiladas and so keeping it simple this year seemed like a good idea. Our evening was fun and we all felt lucky to have each other and to celebrate T-Bone's birthday.

I also had a fun surprise that day. Lucky me! First of all, I never win anything. There could be two names in a hat for a drawing and my name would not be chosen. I had entered the drawing at 4 Reluctant Entertainers for a book giveaway and WON! I'll be receiving The House Always Wins by Marni Jameson. How fun! The Green Chile Enchiladas I made for T-Bone's dinner are a recipe I found at 4 Reluctant Entertainers a few weeks ago.

I feel blessed! Family, birthdays, and ten years married to a wonderful man! Yes, that's icing dripping off the platter.

Mommy, Will You Play With Me?

I loved this article I found over at The Integrated Mother. I spend a part of every day feeling like I'm not truly connected to The Bird. If she asks me to play, I always think I should be multi-tasking and keeping laundry going or cleaning something and I can't sit still for too long. I'm making an effort to get over being distracted when we play and giving her my undivided attention. Mommy, Will You Play With Me?

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Determined to Blog

I'm going to make a real effort to get this blog going. I know I have nothing of real interest to post, but still like the thought of journaling and sharing thoughts. I was so glad this school year ended. It was really a sad long year starting with my mom's rapid decline and eventual death in September. She had Carcinoid Syndrome and it had damaged her GI system to the point that it just finally shut down. A slow painful death. It certainly made T-bone and I think about what we would want if we were the one laying on our deathbed. I miss my mom and have only recently fully understood that she was gone. I had lived away from her since 1984 and so it has not unusual for me to not see her. The months of not talking to her though caught up recently and the reality of having no parents is settling in.