Happy Memorial Day!!

Thank you to all the veterans and families of veterans and all those who support those who have served our country and kept us FREE!

Sunday Update...

from Graphicsfairy

Oh boy, it is already Sunday.  I'm looking forward to our last Love Dare study time... our group is having a finale in a few weeks... but this is the last class time.  After class it is time for church, which always inspires me, calms me, uplifts me, motivates me.  Church is just a wonderful way to commune with God.  I love to sing, too.  God did not bless me with a singing voice, but I am sure to lift what He gave me in song and praise at church!  And, it is not even embarrassing!

I was super sick Thursday and Friday this week.  The I-can't-walk-to-the-bathroom-from-my-bed-without-feeling-like-passing-out type of sick.  It was a bummer.  In a weird way, though, it was relatively peaceful to do nothing but rest.  The kids didn't like it, much, but thank the Lord I have an awesome friend that took them for Friday afternoon for some play.  Also it was good that Mark was out of town, so he wasn't really impacted by a wife laying around all day in not-attractive pajamas (my favorite PJs are his least favorite!).

Yesterday the kids went to spend the night with Nina and Papa, so I even had most of yesterday and this morning ALL TO MY SELF!  (Big Sigh...and another big sigh)  Silence is sooooooo sweet sometimes!  I feel a tiny bit guilty for not attacking some big project, like closet cleaning... but I'm still not feeling 100% , so I'm still just resting...

Maybe that is the theme for this post.  It is so important to rest.  If possible, it is so important to be alone.  Even Jesus went off alone to pray by himself, and he went out on a boat to be sad by himself.  These are examples...(Tommy says that all the time). Quiet and alone time are important.

from ShareFaith

Please continue to pray for the O'Brien family and friends.  She is thankfully home in hospice care.  Pray for peace and gentleness.  My Uncle could use some prayers as well... he really needs a job.  My Seattle family has some testing this week- so pray for them, too.  Clarity and wisdom. Lift all things to prayer!

Mud Run in Richmond

 OK... so I'm slightly proud of myself for doing this:

running with Mark and buddies from LifeEvac
pre-mud

post-mud... and post-river... and need oxygen, and a shower

May 9- 16

What a week... Actually... well, yeah... what a week!  PRAISE GOD for blessing me with all He has blessed me with, and for numbering my steps.  Things actually seemed to fall in place this week, where they were supposed to fall- or they landed, at least according to MY plans.  While being stressed and anxious on several occasions, most of the situations led to other opportunities for good talks, better decision making, being in the right place at the right time... etc.  So.  Stressful, but productive.

Katie's MRI is normal.  No pressure on the optic nerves, no abnormal structures.  The eye doctor noted some peculiarities about her nystagmis and amblyopia (those are my SAT words for the week), but at this point we are just going to  (are you ready?) "keep an eye on things"... (HA!)  She seems to be doing well.  I am so glad we are almost done with school, though.  She just needs to run. Continuously.

Tommy is having a week.  That is about all I can say that is nice.  He has been anxious and defiant, and defiant and anxious.  Which is coming first, the chicken or the egg?  It is SO hard to tell.  He seems very happy right now, but twelve hours ago I was about to banish him to his room for the next three days.  It wouldn't have done any good, but I would have felt better, and he would have been safe.   Alas, that is just not going to work, and now he is being my sweet, funny boy.  Maybe we were all tired and crabby last night.

Danielle danced yesterday and her team scored a first place gold medal. YEA!  She did really well, and the routine looked very crisp.  She was a bit emotional after; and that is just so typically me, though, so I can relate.  Calm during the excitement, fall apart later.  She is totally vegging out this morning, and I'm letting her.  My sweet, sweet girl: 9 years old, going on 16.  She is so generous and responsible.  She needs a break this morning! Watch a movie, girl!

I ran my first ever mud-run on Friday.  VERY fun!  I had to totally step out of my comfort zone.  I had to run (first of all... I want to be a runner, but I am a dancer) for three miles!  The three miles consisted of: interstate, trail, river rock, mud, and the James River.  Yes, I jumped in the James River (Mark did it twice with his crazy helicopter pilot friend).  We finished the race though, together.  It was way fun, I have to say I'm a bit proud of myself.  Now, I'm hoping that my scraped up knee doesn't get some off-the-wall, wierd infection from being in the funk James River.  I showered, loofahed, scruncheed, soaped and rinsed with VERY hot water several times....

I continue to pray for Mrs. O'Brien and her family.  Lung cancer is, unfortunately, big, and endings are sad.  I'm praying for my Seattle family.  Peace and Wisdom!  I'm praying for my Uncle.  He needs a job. I thank God for all of my answered prayers!  THANK YOU!!!!! 

Isaiah 40: 28- 29

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."

Fun May Week

Ohhhh!  I'm so happy it is Spring!  The weather has been really nice.  In spite of raging high pollen counts, Virginia continues to be beautiful in the spring time.  The flowers are really great, I even have a white peony blooming in my front yard at this very moment.  I do not have a green thumb, so this is nothing short of miraculous!  I have three peony plants... but one full bloom flower... and I just love it!

Woodlawn Stables

My friend Cindy came to Virginia yesterday from San Diego, and I got to spend all day with her and her beautiful baby girls (age four, and two... younger than mine, so babies).  We went to lunch at the Silver Diner.  We went to Woodlawn Stables for a home school field trip focusing on the care and keeping of horses (which was totally an eye opener... so much work!), which all the children loved.  After that we went to Occoquan Park (way cool), and then we finished with dinner at Potomac Mills (complete with a stop by Books-A-Million).  We had a totally fun, busy day. 

My kids playing with Cindy's kids

Cindy is an amazing friend that I have known since I was thirteen years old (ugh- middle school years), and she was nice to me when others weren't during those horrid, awkward years.  Our dads were both Navy, and by God's Grace they both ended up in Burke, Va; so Cindy and I actually got to finish grades 8 - 12 together.  We were in each other's weddings, too. I am truly blessed to have such amazing friends, sisters, really, in my life.  Three are on the west coast: San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle; and the rest are here in Virginia. I love them all. If I had my way we would all be within walking distance of each other. 

Me and Cindy!

Katie's MRI went well - no results,yet.  She was a trooper, and a bit of a diva after... wait, she is always a diva. So, any way, she was a trooper.

crazy Tom and Kate

crazy Danielle

The school year is almost over!  We studied Persia this week... King Cyrus, and King Darius, and the prophet Isiah, and the stories of Daniel.  It is always amazing to me when it all comes together and I have these big AHA! moments.  This week was like that (for me!) - I love, love, love history!

Please pray with me for Eileen's mom and family. Cancer is just a really heartbreaking thing. I hate it that so much changes so fast.