Our Family

On Sunday evening we asked someone to snap a quick picture of our family.  Here it is:

Okay....So I'm the overweight one second from the left.... next to my handsome husband and surrounded by our three cute kids.  I think it's time to go back on a strict diet.

It's late at night....

...and I'm still up listening to Caroline and her friends giggle and laugh....but they are having such a good time! I'm going off to bed....

Today I made everyone breakfast, went to co-op, taught British Lit, taught Beginning ASL, helped in Chemistry class/lab, took Caroline and three of her friends to paint pottery and out to eat (late birthday celebration), came home and watched a movie with them, and now am definitely ready for a good night's sleep.  Hope they all go to bed and get a good night's sleep, too.

God is so good.  All day today I've been thinking about how blessed I am to have a Saviour!  And beyond that, to have a great husband and wonderful kids is just icing on the cake.

Today is Caroline's Birthday...

...and I can't believe she's 16 years old already.  Especially after seeing a baby born yesterday, I keep remembering the day she was born.  She was nearly nine pounds, extremely alert, and ravenous from the get-go, not just for food but for knowledge.  Sixteen years have flown by in a flurry of learning to sit, crawl, stand, walk, run, talk, sing, read, write, play the piano.....and a blur of birthdays, growth charts, new clothes and shoes, first tooth, first tooth lost, and so much more.  Now she's 5'9" and I think she's absolutely beautiful.  She's not just my daughter, she's one of my best friends.

What I Did Yesterday....

....was just as amazing as the first time I was present for a baby's birth.  I was honored once again to be able to assist my sister-in-law in child birth.  They had a beautiful baby girl, and my S-I-L did an outstanding job!  I'm so impressed with her labor and delivery skills.  Here I am with my sweet, precious niece:

A Scarlet Amaryllis....

...sure adds a gorgeous splash of color to our kitchen during these cold, gray winter months.  Here it is in various stages until full bloom:

It Snowed!

We got about half an inch of the white stuff last night, but by this morning it had all melted off.  We all ran outside and acted like kids.....It was great fun.  Caroline heard our little three-year-old neighbor exclaiming "Daddy, it's snowing!"  She had never seen snow before.  Our poor sago palm and azalea bushes didn't know what was hitting them.  There has not been a snowfall with significant accumulation here in Savannah since 1989.  Eric is tossing around the idea of getting T-shirts made that say "I Survived the Blizzard of 2010."

We May Actually Get Snow....

here in Savannah tonight!  Weird.  The weather guys are predicting we could have a whopping 1-3 inches of snow accumulation.  (smile)  That may not seem like much to anyone living in the north, but down here it's a nasty business.  Consider:  no salt or sand for the roads, no snow plows, and most people have no idea how to drive in snow or on ice.  Most of us are just going to stay inside until it all melts off, which should be tomorrow by about noon, I guess.  If it does snow we'll take pictures.....

Sleep Study Failed, Semi-Trailer Prevailed

Last night I was supposed to be doing an at-home sleep study with the device pictured here:

But it was not to be.  (And yes, it's a little annoying wearing the device, but from what my Mom tells me it's a lot more comfortable than the sleep study they do at a sleep center, with multiple wires/leads hooked up all over you.)  As I lay down to sleep, I pushed the tiny "ON" button to start the device.  I heard a woman's voice say, "Unicorder is ON."  Great, I thought; I'm on my  way to finding out if I have obstructive sleep apnea.  But the nice lady's voice continued:  "Call tech support.  Internal check failed.  Study cannot be performed.  Code 5."  I called tech support.  I got an automated system.  There were numbers to push for Code 1, Code 6, and other general alarms, but nothing for Code 5.  After two more tries at starting the thing up, I removed it from my head and went to sleep.  I took the machine back to my doctor today, and my sleep study will be re-scheduled for whenever my doctor's office can get the little device fixed.

On my way home from returning the WM Ares Unicorder, I thought it would be nice to get my kids some junk food/fast food for lunch, a treat they don't usually get.  So I pulled through the drive-through at our nearest Wendy's, which is adjacent to our Walmart.  Fast food: got it.  I pulled out the access road from the Walmart parking lot, and stopped at a red light.  I was on the phone with my sister-in-law Esther (It's not illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving in GA.  Maybe it should be, but nevertheless....) and I saw a Walmart tractor-trailer turning in front of me into the entrance road on which I sat.  I was commenting to Esther that the semi seemed HUGE, when I suddenly realized that  he was not going to make the turn but was in fact going to hit my van in some manner.  My words to Esther went something like this:

"Are they making semis bigger than ever, because this truck seems enormous....he's taking the turn REALLY tight and awfully fast....I think he's going to hit me!  He's going to hit me!  HE'S HITTING ME!  HE'S HITTING ME!  Aaaaaaaahhhhhh! (screaming like a little girl)  Oh, okay, he's stopped!  THANK GOD!!!! He stopped!!!!"  Poor Esther.  Here is my little diagram of how the accident looked:

He stopped just before his back wheels were going to hit the front of my van.  Thank God he stopped!!!

So, to make a long story short:  I called the cops, they came, they wrote up a report, it wasn't my fault, the officer in charge was really nice and told me there was nothing I could have done without backing into the pickup truck that was behind me, and I am okay physically although rather shaken up emotionally.  There was actually a split second there where I thought that I might die.  It ran through my mind that it would be pretty terrible for Esther if I died while I was on the phone with her.  It also ran through my mind that I really don't want to die yet.  

Here is what our van looks like now.  It's really not that bad considering what could have happened.

Isn't it nice of God to give me some interesting things to write about now that I've determined to get back into blogging?  I'm only kidding.  I did learn some patience today through the sleep-study delay, and I learned once again that God is in control and has complete charge over our lives.  I'm grateful to be alive.

I Was Shocked to Discover....

...that more than 3 people actually read my blog!  Oh, the pressure to perform..... : )  Just kidding.

So....I went this morning to my doctor's office and picked up this thing.  I will wear it tonight while I sleep, then take it back to the doc's in the morning.  It will tell us if I have sleep apnea or not.  Then, if I do, we'll figure out how to treat it.  My doctor says that having my tonsils/adenoids out is one possible treatment option.  OW!!!

The kids are busy doing schoolwork.  Caroline is still all stuffy and not feeling good.  I still think it's allergies.  Our tree pollen has already started, and mold is really high in this area from all of the rain.  It's beautiful and sunny here today, although only about 40 degrees and feels like 30.  I can't complain, since we aren't getting pounded with snow.

Last night our Women on Mission (still called the WMU at our church) group had a good meeting.  I'm always encouraged to see ladies come out to discuss outreach, and last night we talked about local, national, and international opportunities.  It was great.

We have this week off from our home school co-op, which is a much-needed break.  Of course, I'm still doing work on my classes this week, but it means we have Friday off from co-op.  Sort of.....I'm inviting my British Lit. students over to watch the movie of Pride and Prejudice.  It ought to be fun.

Maybe more later from my perch at the dining room table.

The More Things Change....

The more they stay the same....

If things go much longer this way I may have to give up the blog entirely. I have so many things floating around inside my head, brewing and boiling, and yet rarely have time to sit down and write about them. Even now, as I'm writing this, there are other more pressing responsibilities that I'm ignoring. If I don't blog, I feel guilty, and if I do blog, I feel guilty. It's time to go somewhere and indulge in a primal scream.

I wrote that in September 2006 before we headed overseas. Here it is 3 1/2 years later and it's still the same story. I think I need a new approach---perhaps just blogging a little here and there about more mundane things, not thinking that I have to expound on a subject and sound smart all the time....


So here goes:


Today we're doing school as usual, and Caroline isn't feeling well.  I think it's allergies.  It's cloudy and rainy, which I'm sure people will complain about, but we need the rain after so many years of drought.  My scarlet amaryllis (which my friend Allison gave me for Christmas) is starting to bloom.  I'll post a picture of it when it does.  Later today I have piano students, and then tonight I have Women's Missionary Union, which should both be worthwhile endeavors.  I'm currently reading or re-reading several books:

Pride and Prejudice (teaching it in my AP Brit Lit course)
Frankenstein (will be teaching it in a couple of weeks)
Pontius Pilate (Christian historical fiction)
The Time Travelers Guide to the Medieval World (just for fun)
David Livingstone (YWAM biography)
The Bedside, Bathtub, & Armchair Companion to Jane Austen
Genesis, Mark, Job and Romans (reading through the Bible in a year using this resource)


So there you have it, all three of you who still read this blog!  More later today....

A T-shirt I wish I had....

My reaction to seeing some people in Walmart with body parts exposed or obscene words on their T-shirts.

You can order this on a T-shirt, by the way.....

Making Decisions

When our children were much younger, Eric and I used to depend on rock-paper-scissors to make many decisions for us.  Who should change the baby's dirty diaper?  Who should get up to comfort the crying child in the night?  Who should feed the baby in the high chair?  Who should respond to the call from the bathroom for "help"?  For these decisions we often immediately put out our fists for the challenge.  Now, I think that this led to an equitable sharing of these duties, but Eric thinks I won more often than he did.  (Winning, of course, means NOT having to do the unpleasant chore....)Obviously this method won't work for any weighty decisions, but for mundane things it's great.  Now I realize there are people who take rock-paper-scissors VERY seriously.  But for us it remains a lighthearted way to make a quick decision about things that don't really matter in the long run.

Words of Wisdom

Just came across this blog post about the busyness of the Christmas season.  Sally at Eternal Echoes has elucidated my thoughts exactly:

No wonder we are weary, we have lost the ability to truly rest, and have forsaken the wonder of waiting, replacing anticipation with headlong rush of activity adding stress to a season that sends bank accounts and relationships spiraling into disaster. How tragic that parents are judged not by the love, care and concern that they have for their children but by the size of the parcel they are able to provide. I speak to mothers who sacrifice bedtime stories and cuddles for part-time jobs simply in order to buy that latest toy for a child whose head has been filled desire for a toy that has been advertised solidly from September onwards. I speak to families stressed out by not being able to buy the approval of relatives and friends. I hear it from my own children as living on student loans they struggle to resist the perils of the season!

Advent is not about chocolate filled calenders it is a season of repentance and fasting just as Lent is, it is also a season of preparation, one that calls us not to look to the babe in the manger but rather to the risen Christ WHO WILL COME AGAIN.

The rest of her post is equally thought-provokoing.  It's nice to see others are pondering these issues and writing about them.


Hat tip to Dave Black for the link.

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.--George Santayana

Sixty-eight years ago today Japanese navy planes attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  Most of you who read my blog probably don't need a long description of this event and its consequences for our country.  That's not what I'm writing about today, although it's a fascinating subject. When I was in high school I read everything I could get my hands on about WW II, and wrote a lengthy research paper on the Battle of Midway.  Names like Nimitz, Yamamoto, and the Enterprise, Hornet, Kaga, and Akagi still bring back memories for me of studying that battle in depth.

What's on my mind today, however, is this:  today will pass, for the majority of Americans, with little thought of the historical import of Pearl Harbor.  In February 2008 journalist Steven Knipp wrote for George Mason University's History News Network:

In 2001, the U.S. Department of Education reported that nearly six out of 10 high school seniors knew so little about their own nation’s history that many are basically historically illiterate.

The rest of his article is worth reading, if you can stand to read about just how uninformed American teenagers are these days.  I wonder how much they know about World History?

I don't have the time to get into the "Who is to Blame?" factor, especially since right now I'm supposed to be doing school with my own children, whose schoolwork has devolved into sitting across the table from each other seeing who can roll their tongue or turn it over.  Is it the schools' fault?  Parents?  TV? iPod? Video Games?  Individuals?  I really don't know.  I'm merely lamenting the fact that most people I know don't care about history, don't know about history, and apparently haven't learned anything from history.  As a Christian who believes God's Word is true AND historical, I value history highly.  It makes me sad that most people do not.

Pictorial Essay

The pies the kids and I made the day before Thanksgiving: (guess who made the apple pie?)

Our table set for the Thanksgiving meal:

I treasure the cornucopia that was always on our table when I was a kid:

Our Christmas tree!

Better Than Emeril....

Two weeks ago a member of our church blessed our family in a way we've never before experienced. While I taught my Tuesday afternoon piano lessons, a young man name Micah came and cooked a delicious meal for our family. Micah has gone to cooking school, and his skills are impressive. Here's how it worked:

Earlier in the week Micah sent us an ingredient list for a lemon-and-garlic themed meal. My only labor in the meal (besides grating some cheese....) was to go to the store and purchase the ingredients. At about 4:30 Micah arrived with a huge bag of his own cooking implements: utensils, a stand mixer, roasting pan, etc. He set to work in our kitchen, and soon the smell of roasting garlic permeated the air. My piano students were sniffing appreciatively as their lessons ended.

After a lot of work on Micah's part, and a teeny bit of effort on mine (the aforementioned grating of cheese,) we had delicious, better-than-restaurant-quality food: lemon-garlic-herb-roasted chicken, cheesy-parmesan-roasted garlic potatoes, wonderful lemon-garlic haricots vertes, and a citrus cake with lemon-cream cheese frosting for dessert. Eric and the kids and I were all wowed by the flavors of each dish. Bobby now thinks I should always use roasted garlic, parmesan cheese, and real cream to make mashed potatoes. Everything was seasoned perfectly, and we all ate too much! I should have taken pictures.

What a blessing this was to me and to our whole family. I know that Micah loves to cook, but he did so much work that night that I felt guilty for not helping out more. As a busy home-schooling mom and wife it was an incredible feeling to just sit back and let someone else do all the work. He even did most of the clean up! We are thankful to God that He has added Micah to our Christian family. Not only is he a good cook, but he's fun to hang out with, too. Bonus. Better still, he's planning on cooking for us again. But first I'm going to cook Indian food and have him over to eat with us. I'm already planning: dal makhani, naan, chole.....

Do you ever feel like this?

Once again...

we are at my favorite place on earth, Seneca Lake. One reason why I love it here:

My older daughter took that picture last night as we sat around the fire talking, toasting marshmellows, eating s'mores, and drinking coffee.

Two Trees

During our family Bible study this morning we discussed something that I had never really put into words before. We were talking about how the Bible is not only God's Word (inspired, inerrant, infallible) but also a great work of literature with all types/genres of writing in it(narrative, poetry, philosophical exposition, hymns, law, etc.) as well as all literary devices and great over-arching metaphors throughout. It's the greatest work of literature of all time. One of the symbols we see throughout the Bible is the tree: in the Garden--the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; in Psalm 1--the godly man as a tree planted by the water while the ungodly man is the tree that withers; in Revelation, the tree of life; and finally, the cross as a tree. We also see fruit used as a symbol: in the Garden (although I believe it was a real, edible fruit, it's also symbolic,) and the fruit of the Spirit; the word fruit is used 75 times in the New Testament.

Now the thing I had never really put into words before: In the Garden, Adam and Eve ate fruit off a tree, thus losing the innocence wherein they were created, and falling from that state into a state of sin. On the cross, Christ the Firstfruits of man ("But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" I Cor. 15:20) was placed up on a tree and sacrificed atoning for our sin and allowing us to one day--in heaven--return to that state of innocence.

I think I need to do a word study on tree and fruit in the Bible to examine this symbolism more. I mean, I've always known that these words are used frequently, and I've heard sermons about them, but the idea of the fruit coming down off the tree and then Christ being put up on the tree is one I had never truly meditated on before...

Conventional Wisdom Says I Should Be Happy...

...but I'm sad. Google the word "mother-in-law" and you'll find these website gems:

"Mother-In-Law Stories and Mother-In-Law Jokes,"
"Mother-in-Law HELL » Mother-in-Law Advice and Mother-in-Law Stories,"
"Dealing with Mother-in-Law Conflicts - FamilyEducation.com," and
"I Hate My Mother In Law | An Anonymous Group with Personal Stories ...."
Lovely, isn't it?

Most people assume that I would be happy that my mother-in-law and father-in-law left today to go to Kenya for a year to teach at a boarding school for missionary kids and other American students in Africa. (I think they also have African students.) And while I'm happy for them that they have this incredible opportunity, I'm sad for myself, my husband, and our children. We have been blessed to live near them from 1996-2002, and now again from 2007-the present. My mother-in-law is one of my best friends, and I talk to her on the phone nearly every day. My children love going to "Mimi and Papa's" house, and are a teeny bit spoiled by their grandmother (not in a bad way at all---just a little bit of indulgence now and then.)
While we lived in North Carolina from 2002-2006 they frequently came for visits, even surprising the kids a couple of times, and Eric and me once! My heart is too heavy right now to write much more....this is going to be a weird year not having them around....