Broken Hearted

Yesterday I was privileged to go with my sweet, dear friend, Gwen, to hear her speak at an adoption fund-raiser. It was good to get out of the house and just sit with Gwen when she isn't in the midst of doing ten things at once and even though she was nervous about what she was going to say, she was strapped into her car seat so she couldn't exactly run around and package shirts and check e-mail. It was nice.

Gwen did an amazing job and of course, she spoke out the truth, calling folks to action and testifying to the changes in her life since she has adopted. All of that was beautiful and glorifying to the Lord. I expected to be proud of Gwen, but I didn't necessarily expect to hear anything that was any sort of revelation to me, after all, I talk to Gwen every day and, well, inevitably, ALOT of our conversation centers around orphans. But God can send a Word, even when your senses are dull and not on the look-out.

She spoke about how we have a choice. We can look into the faces of the homeless, the orphan, the poor, the enslaved, and we can choose to see them. We can make that choice, knowing we will be broken hearted. Or we can choose to protect our hearts and not see them. Of course, you can guess what she thought the right choice was. The thing that was an epiphany to me was that I have been walking around thinking that God must be wanting me to do something different, something more, something that I just wasn't getting! In reality, I think He has me right where he wants me. Just because I am broken-hearted, does not mean that He is trying to get me somewhere else. It's just that where He has me is heart-breaking. I'm privileged that He chose me to be here, broken hearted with Him on this. Because He IS BROKEN HEARTED TOO!!!!! The good news about injustice? God sees it and He's there! I am choosing to serve orphans in the way that God has given to me, with the talents He has given me, and it's heart-breaking and it's always going to be because there is no solving it, there's only making a small difference. But if each of us make a small difference, it will be a collective huge difference. It will break your heart, but God will hold your hand!

I know you all "get it". I'm preaching to the choir. I wish I had a thousand followers who were so obsessed with me that they have their own side group on Facebook, but I don't. I just have the 38 of you who already get it. :) But boy if I did have thousands of followers, couldn't I challenge some folks to help the helpless? Thanks for listening. It helps so much to lay it down with those of you who truly understand my heart!

Matthew 9:36-38 from The Message translation:

"When he looked out over the crowds hies heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. "What a huge harvest!" he said to his disciples. "How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!"

Got any good shots of YOUR week?

Greetings Earthling! I come in pieces peace! (Actually, he came from the drier... I know there will be a day when little things like this don't greet me in the laundry room. I want to cherish it while it does!) Remind me I said that next time I post photos of a laundry mountain!

"Mommy, look at my Mick-ick!"

"Beautiful Meg... now get your shoes, we're late for football practice!"

(Why yes, we DID go to football practice like that. What????)

"Aaaaahhhhhhhh! What the heck?" What was in YOUR sink this week? (Why yes, that IS a toothbrush this frog is sitting on... what????)

Mom: "What was that noise?"

Connor: "Your camera.... hitting the floor. It was in my way."

Mom: "Connor, you are in so much trouble."

Mom: "Connor, it works, but you still owe me!"

Connor: "How much?"

Mom: "You have to pose for a photo any time I ask for the next ten years!"

Connor: "Okay mom."

By the way, does anyone know how to reply to comments left on your blog? I get my comments delivered to my e-mail in-box, which is fun. But I can't just hit reply and send a message back. The only way I know to comment back to someone is to go to their blog or profile and leave a comment for them. Sometimes when I leave comments for people on their blogs, I will get an e-mail reply from them regarding my comment, so I know there is a way to do this, but I am totally lost! Anyone know what the heck I am talking about?

Where in the world is Ondrea...

Did you know that my "town" is so distinctive in it's own style that it has a style named after it? Well, I did, but it didn't hit me until I got an invitation to an ultra-cool event that this is something that is not just a local term.  Can you guess where I live by this description.... the term is known as "_______-casual".  When you get an invitation with this dress code on it, you would automatically assume that you should come in your "dress" jeans, funky shirts, (the more rhinestones the better) the coolest boots you own, and anything goes in the hair department.  Do you know now?  And if you know where I live, no fair cheating on this quiz!  Can you guess where I live?

I love our "hometown" (even though this is not where I am from, it's where I've been for 17 years!  (I moved here when I was only one year old! :) hehehe  It's definitely home for me now.  It's a wonderful place to live and here's another hint.... we were voted "Friendliest City in the USA" but USA Today.  Now surely you know where I live.  I have a friend who moved here from Houston (another friendly city.)  When she first moved here she was commenting on how nice the people are here and she said, "I never imagined I'd live in a city where I am the asshole."  Isn't that funny?

And just because it's Friday, I feel compelled to post a photo (or three).... these are from last week at Connor's birthday celebration.  I was playing around with the functionality on my new photo editing software.... fun effects. 

This photo is of my neighbor and sweet friend Sonja.  She had a baby a few weeks ago and Jack is pretty much in love with this pint sized fellow.  The baby's name is Finn and he has two older brothers, who are Jack's best friends.  Sonja sent this photo to me in an e-mail entitled "Finn's Fan Club".  I'd say that just about hits the nail on the head, huh? 

Do you notice the boys have matching shoes and coordinating shoe laces?  These three are tight!

A little perspective over here, please!

First, before I get into the aha moment of the week, I have to share this yummy photo!  This will probably qualify as my fav photo of the week, just because of all the lovin' involved.... ahhh, sweet times!  Just ignore how awful I look... oh never mind... yes, I am actually in the photo.  I know you hadn't noticed because you were too busy staring at yummy little Lucy Lane!  Oh how I love this little dumplin'.  And her mommy let me hold her for a LONG time while she slept.  You all know how much I love to hold a sleepin' baby!  LL is from Ethiopia and if  I had even one more hour in my day and a spare 20 grand, I'd go get me one of these!  Meg told LL's sister that "That is not your baby, that's my mommy's baby."  Ooops! 

Okay, on to the perspective part.... 

Last weekend Brian and Liam went to a father/son bonding weekend.  They had an amazing time doing lots of guy stuff (you know, getting eaten alive in the process by mosquitoes didn't seem to be a very big deal to them?????)  Anyway, one of the exercises they did was where the team blindfolded Brian and Liam had to lead him through a "mine field."  Brian said they gave no instruction at all, just that his son was going to lead him and that he should trust Liam.  In the middle of the exercise someone runs up behind Brian and starts to whisper in his ear, "He's going the wrong way.  You're going to go off the trail.  You're going to hit a "mine", you need to turn around!"  Brian, being the patient, non-reactionary person that he is, thought through it and realized that they were trying to trick him into not trusting Liam.  (I would have immediately started questioning Liam, maybe I should work on that!)  Anyway, I thought this was an amazing exercise and a good lesson for me even though I wasn't there.  This happens to me so many times throughout the course of my journey.... I'll be following my heart or trusting my instinct (which, in my experience, is usually planted seeds of the Holy Spirit) and suddenly, someone will whisper doubt in my ear.  I'll hear the words, "How do you know you're following God's will and not your flesh?"  I'll start to have all sorts of doubt and get all confused about which voice to listen to.  Is this voice a messenger of the Spirit trying to turn me around, or is it a messenger of evil trying to get me off God's path?  Again, it's about my perspective.  In this case, I could immediately identify with all the questions running through Brian's mind!  What a great visual though, of how the world tries to put doubt into your journey!

However, and this is why I'm so thankful for Godly friends, Gwen immediately got tears in her eyes when I told this story and she said she was just feeling what Liam must have been thinking, wondering if his dad was going to trust him.  She immediately identified with Liam, not Brian.  She was the child.  How God must love hearts like that, who are naturally in the "child mode" of submission.  How He must want to beat His head against a wall with hearts like mine who immediately think it's up to ME to figure it all out!  Ugh.... remember that personalized pit... still living there!  

Anyway, Gwen's perspective really got me thinking about how many times throughout my day I think it's up to me to make decisions and do do do do do do without stopping to think about what it all looks like from the perspective of my children.  I'm so glad God has given me friends like Gwen and my sweet friend Sonja, who are SOOOOO good at seeing the other side and pointing out to me that there is another perspective in every scenario, not just MINE!  Thanks girly-pies!  I love you sweet friends-o-mine!

Psalm 25:14-15

"God-friendship is for God-worshippers; They are the ones He confides in.  If I keep my eyes on God, I won't trip over my own feet."  

Forget the Fav Photos, I can't miss this

Okay, hold on to your pants because this is going to get pretty deep here.  Sort of like a typing purge of all the yuck in my brain!

I'm not going to go into all the history at this point, but some of you know that one of our sons has ADHD (pretty severe) and some other issues.  It's something that we have a handle on and have to constantly work to stay ahead of.  But lately, I've just been sucked down by all the yuckiness of it.  I feel like I'm walking through a bog, I'm putting forth ALOT of effort, but not making too much progress.  Part of it is that for some reason, his medication doesn't seem to be working. This is a big deal because he's one of only 5% of kids for whom Ritalin or it's paradox does not work.  We only have a very few limited options in terms of medications.  So when it appears that something is causing his medication to have NO affect on him, it's a pretty scary thing for me.  

Anyway, I usually have a pretty good attitude about it.  No sense complaining, it is what it is, this is my life, I love him, I will do what I need to do, yada yada yada.... but lately, I've been worn out by how many times I have to reprimand, repeat, remind, prompt, remove, and restrain.  I feel like all I am doing is negative and that I don't get much opportunity for praise.  Praise of good behavior and actively ignoring negative behavior is the foundation of our therapeutic parenting that works really well for him, so when there doesn't seem to be much opportunity for that the whole thing starts to come unraveled.  We are back to chewing on clothing, not eating, just general ADHD yuck.

So much for not going into it all, huh?  Anyway, this morning I found myself with a little spare time after the buses left for a conversation with my Lord.  And what a sweet conversation it was!  I just sat down with no real plan in terms of prayer, Scripture reading, etc.  I just started pouring out to Jesus what was on my mind and telling him how yucky it all is and how tired I am of it and just generally complaining and confessing my many shortcomings.  Then I picked up the book that Gwen told me to get this week (folks, I JUST bought this book on Tuesday!)  God is good like that, don't you think?  He sent me over to Lifeway for a book because He had a message He needed to get to me today!  Just stopping to praise for a second here!  Anyway, so after that prayer, I open up my "Jesus Calling" devotional.  Here is what it says for today... you ready?  

"I am a God who heals.  I heal broken bodies, broken minds, broken hearts, broken lives, and broken relationships.  My very Presence has immense healing powers.  You cannot live close to Me without experiencing some degree of healing.  However, it is also true that you have not because you ask not.  You receive the healing that flows naturally from My Presence, whether you seek it or not.  But there is more - much more - available to those who ask.  ..... When the time is right, I prompt you to ask for healing of some brokenness in you or in another person.  The healing may be instantaneous, or it may be a process.  That is up to Me.  Your part is to trust Me fully and to thank Me for the restoration that has begun.  I rarely heal all the brokenness in a person's life.  Even My servant Paul was told, "My grace is sufficient for you," when he sought healing from the thorn in his flesh.  Nonetheless, much healing is available to those whose lives are intimately interwoven with Mine.  Ask and you will receive."  

So, deep exhale here!  It's not up to me.  How many times must I learn this lesson?  Seriously folks, talk about a pit!  I have fallen into the pit of me so many times that I have a personal private pit just set aside for me.  I'm in there so much they had to give me my own so that there would be open pits for other unsuspecting believers to occupy.  I want to smack myself right now and say, DUH!  It's amazing the relief I feel just from this reminder.  I don't have to have all the answers.  I don't have to heal my son.  I just have to attend the GEIT meetings and IEP meetings and search for another medication and find a doctor who can get the right combination of holistic and Western medication and remember to focus on the positive and ignore the negative and pray pray pray pray pray pray pray pray pray pray pray!  This is MY journey, this is my path!  And I do not walk it alone by any stretch of the imagination.  How do people do it when they have no faith?  I honestly don't know.  It must be hard to get out of bed in the morning!  

This is the honest truth of what it is like to parent a kid who has residual affects of institutional life and a very toxic fetal environment.  This is not every kid adopted from an orphanage or adopted from Russia.  But the truth is, if you adopt a child from an orphanage, and I don't care HOW GOOD the orphanage environment is, you will most likely face some difficult days.  There will PROBABLY be affects of institutional life that you must overcome.  Not all will be debilitating for life, like what we are probably facing with my son.  But some will!  Some children are born into very healthy families with debilitating limitations too, but those odds don't stop people from giving birth.  And it certainly shouldn't stop you from adopting!  In the end, like Paul, God gives us all certain paths to walk because it keeps us closer to Him and He knew that I was going to need this "thorn" to remind me of my insufficiency.  It was my assurance of salvation, set in motion for me LONG before there ever was a me.  It was written on God's calendar that I would walk this path before time began.  Why?  Because He loves me so much that He wants to spend eternity with me and being the perfect parent that He is, He is willing to give me discomfort in this life to deliver the GOODS in the next life!  This is total nonsense to non-believers, but can I get an AMEN from all who know this as truth!  

One point I want to make is this.... I have spent a very long time working in the field of orphan adoption.  Not long in comparison, but what feels like a lifetime to me.  I spent a good portion of that time not revealing the ugly side, not talking about how hard transition can be, not wanting to talk about the risks because I didn't want to be the one who discourages someone who might otherwise adopt.  But the truth is, if knowing there are difficulties involved in parenting discourages you, then you probably SHOULD be discouraged.  Adopting is the easy part! So is pregnancy and childbirth... the hard part is the day in and day out of whatever you get!  I have said it a million times!  There's a satisfaction in walking through the orphanage doors that cannot compare to any other peace I have felt in my life.  The truth is, if you aren't willing to prepare in advance for what you need to do, if you aren't willing to face the fact that there are risks and not every child coming from an orphanage is "perfect" or even will be after some months of love, then you will need to spend some more time on your knees. It's not that I think God is going to discourage you, I think He's going to prepare you!  But you do no one any favors if you bring this child home and aren't prepared to parent the child in whatever may come.  Sometimes it's a very easy process.  It certainly was with Jack.  We hit the ground running, never looked back and he's been one of the easiest kids I know since that day.  But it's not always this way.  And that's okay too.  Because neither are birth children.  My biological child is one of the hardest children in my house at times.  (He's too much like me!)  So, there you have it, a verbal "throw up" of all the randomness I had in my heart and mind this week.  And some major praise that God wants us to get the message.

And if this post doesn't do it for you, then just know that my dear friend, Gwen, got her referral for her daughter "Abigail", who we've been praying for since I have known her.  In January Gwen started selling T-shirts to help fund the adoption of Abigail.  And the shirts had a daisy on the front, dropping it's petals because it's "broken".  Guess what, this week, Gwen got a referral for her Abigail and her name is DAISY!  Thousands of people have been wearing DAISY on their chests for MONTHS!  You don't think God loves the details?  You don't think He wanted us not to miss that this was His will do you?  He's so tender like that and it's amazing!  And yes, Gwen is naming her Daisy... seems too Providential not to, don't you think?

2 Corinthians 12:9

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness."  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."

Another one bites the dust... hey hey!

I bet you already guessed it by the title of the post....

And another one's down, another one's down, another one bites the dust.... or porcelain, as the case may be.  Bubbles, the freaky, grotesque bubble eyed fish is swimming the sewage pipes tonight.  I really appreciate Lindsay trying to tell me how to fix the fishies scale issue.... but in the end it wasn't meant to be... In the words of Vito Corleon, Bubbles is, well, sleeping with the fishes.  

Also, can someone please tell me what exactly it is that people see in cats?  (Sorry Amy, I'm sure your's are VERY sweet!)  But I mean, I kept noticing that my garage was really stinky.  The cat drinks from the place where we pee, why must he pee where we park?  I mean, isn't the world enough of a toilet?  What's with the desire to pee on a plastic pool float instead of our mulch, grass, garden, etc. etc. etc.  Argh!  Why the heck do I even HAVE pets (other than my sweet poochy, of course! :)  Gwen, don't answer that!

On a much happier note, today was Connor's birthday.  We went to eat at his favorite hibachi restaurant to celebrate.  I guess you know what's coming up for Favorite Photo Friday, huh?  That boy has it made.  We've been celebrating his birthday for about six months now! :)  He's been to Bounce U, Chuck E. Cheese, Game Stop, and Shogun and the kid is only 5!  We need to tone it down or we won't be able to afford his 10th birthday.

And for those of you who aren't as into the "cute kid posts" and want more meat and potatoes... be forewarned, I've been doing alot of thinking lately and I have a list of about 50 things that need to be aired out of the cob-webbed attic that is my brain.  But Brian's taking ds2 (I know that I use my kids' real names in this blog, but I always love it when people refer to their kids by code names, so I thought I'd give it a try... anyway..... ) on a father/son weekend retreat so I'll either get lots of blog time or none at all.  Anyone else ever notice that when ONE child (doesn't matter which one, really, it can be ANY ONE) is out of the house, the vibe is so much lower key????  Maybe it's just my particular kids????? 

We Adopted Her

Yesterday at guitar lessons Jack was introducing his teacher to his little sister.  He said, "We adopted her."  I thought that was the sweetest thing ever because it was an acknowledgment that it was something we were all involved in.

We had his teacher orientation meeting last night.  I think this is going to be an amazing year for Jack.  His teacher seems to be unbelievably committed to her profession.  She was very intentional in all the things she has chosen for the class this year.  She seems to be a great teacher for the way alot of boys learn because she is applying math and other things to every-day life.  It's so different from the way I was taught.  But it was really sweet because she just said, "How could you not like Jack?  He's a great kid."  Of course, as his mom I think that's true, but it's always great to hear other people say that too.  And he is the neatest kid.  This boy just has something special and I am overly blessed to be parenting him. 

God gave me Jack (an easy child) because he knew that my third son would try every single day to push me off of the very narrow ledge I'm hanging from.  Seriously, today we had a 30 minute melt-down because we threw away an old plastic garbage can that was broken.  Apparently that garbage can was "special" and he "wanted it!"  He actually asked me at one point if I could chase down the garbage truck and dig it out of the back.  Yeah, okay, I'll get right on that.  :) 

So anyone want to come and entertain a 4 year old who's distraught over his brothers leaving for school without him?  I promise it will be alot of fun.  And you might even get lucky and get to sweep my floor or do my laundry while you're here.   

Okay, gotta run... I'm typing to a cacophony of "I want to get the teeeeennntttt out!"  Read that in your whiniest voice!

1 Corinthians 13:4

"Love is patient, love is kind..... "

The Fish Saga Continues

Okay, first of all, honey, if you are reading this post you are going to have to make more coffee in the morning.  You just can't possibly expect me to make it through these days with only three mugs.  Seriously, can you just go ahead and make a little more?

I know you are all on the edge of your seats wondering what the heck is going on with our fish.  Well, let me tell you.  The snail died this week. No fanfare, no warning, he just floated out of his shell. I am pretty sure it was a slow death of starvation.  I was putting the algae tablets in the tank as prescribed, but Jack's big FAT fish was eating them.  Seriously, his fish, which has lived for at least two years, is abnormally large and honestly looks a little bit freakish due to his size. He lost so much weight that he fell totally out of his shell.  Weird!  

This weekend Brian took the boys to the Harpeth River to play and they came home with a gallon jug full of minnows that they caught.  So into Jack's tank they went.  Freakishly large fish went into Liam and Connor's tank with small, grotesque bubble eye fish.  Small fish "woke up" this morning to some bloody looking fins.  Could freakishly fat fish be trying to eat small gross fish?  The saga continues.... stay tuned! 

And don't even get me started on the cat!  RUDE, RUDE, RUDE!!!!!

And no, Connor is not at the actual rodeo... this is him admiring the rodeo play set in the window of our local toy store!  I wish you could have seen the sparkle in his eyes! :)

Isaiah 1:5-6 "Why bother even trying to do anything with you when you just keep to your bullheaded ways?  You keep beating your heads against brick walls, everything within you protests against you.  From the bottom of your feet to the top of your head, nothing's working right.  From the Message translation

Favorite Photo Friday

This week we started 2nd grade, and we got THE teacher that we wanted.  This is the first time Liam has had the same teacher Jack had so we are excited that we know what to expect and that we know Liam will be totally loved on this year.  We love his second grade teacher!  This is him the first day of second grade.

Fourth grade!  I just can't hardly believe it!  We got a teacher that everyone says is great with boys, so that is going to be perfect for us because Jack is definitely 100% boy!  He's excited about his class and it's shaping up to be a great year already.  This is Jack on the first day of his last year of Elementary.  :(

Connor cried almost every morning at the bus stop when he had to separate from his beloved brothers.  This boy is a BIG fan of the big boys!  So we did alot of creative entertaining between bus pick-up and bus drop-off.  One day we went "magnet fishing" off the back of the couch.  Am I a bad mom that I let him fish for candy?

We turned a worm into a gorgeous moth.  I can't believe that Connor caught this caterpillar, we googled how to keep him alive, and he actually spun a cocoon, busted out and flew around the house.  That never works like it's supposed to, but this one time, it did.  Now we can't find him.  He's probably in my closet eating all my winter sweaters! :(  Man, do I need to paint my baseboards! :)

And we rediscovered some great uses for a well loved tree.... "cat fishing"!

Pirate ship!  You can't see Connor, but he's in there, sailing the high seas with his stick-sword.  

And that's life in the trenches of suburbia this week.  What were your favorite things this week?

Seriously People, there is something wrong with me!

Really, I think I have some kind of genetic code that is wired wrong or something.  There is something in me that loses all inhibition, loses all common sense, and goes into complete auto-pilot whenever there is a weak and helpless creature who might need me.  Notice I said "might" because in this case, I am pretty sure that I overreacted.  Our cat, you know, the demonic one?  Well he got himself "stuck" in a tree today.  Now my neighbor said there is no such thing as a cat stuck in a tree.  Proof? Have you ever seen a cat skeleton in a tree, EVER?  Nope!  Not me, so obviously, the cat could have probably eventually figured out a way down.  But the kids were wigged out and the cat was panting as if he had just run a marathon and he was clinging by his front legs to these twigs at the end of a limb.  So I got the ladder out and seriously stood on the very top part (you know that part that says, "This is not a Step!"?)  Yeah, that part!  I stood there on the side of a hill with my kids holding the ladder.  I stood on my tippy toes and reached as far as I could to grab the cat, who I had to basically knock out of the tree into the outstretched beach towel awaiting him.  Of course, the minute the cat hit the towel, the kids all let go of the ladder and there I am hanging from the tree branch trying to get myself down without breaking a leg.  Jack was the only one who stayed to save his mama! :)  But the cat is safe.  So, what IS it that makes me ignore all possible risk to go into super-hero mode when I see a helpless creature, even ones that I don't particularly care for?  Must be some sort of genetic mix-up, I'm pretty sure this is NOT part of evolving.  :)

Hope you all had a fantastic Thursday with no drama.  

You can say you knew him when....

**** Don't ask me what's going on with the font in this post... I'm still trying to figure out how the heck to do things on this MacBook.  It's a steep learning curve!*******

Man, growing up is hard.  For mamas!  My 4th grader got on the bus this morning and it was so hard for me to see him ruling the roost.  I watched him as he selected his seat, remembering well what it's like to be the top dog in the school.  Not that he himself is the top dog, but as a 4th grader, he's in his last year of Elementary because our school district only goes through 4th grade.  So that means that all 4th graders are the holy grail at our school, right?  And I watched him as he decided where to sit on the bus and I was happy for him, that this year, he has his choice of seats and he can sit anywhere he wants.  Cause next year, he'll be low man on the totem poll again and the older kids will be dictating where he sits and who he sits with.  But it's hard, you know, seeing that little baby of mine, being the big dude on the bus.  I remember crying the first day he got on the bus, thinking about from whence he came.  It's hard to think about what his life might have been without Providential intervention.  It's an humbling thing to know that God chose us to be a part of what He has planned for this special child's life.  And he is so very special.  

One of the neat things I have seen through adoption is that your kids are like little gifts in a different way.  You don't know what hidden talent and desires they will have.  You unwrap them as the years go by.  They don't have a genetic code that is familiar to you so you can't necessarily expect that because you were good at baseball that your offspring will be good at baseball, you know?  And lucky for Jack, he did not get his musical abilities from me or his dad!  Because apparently the boy has some talent.  

My baby boy, you know, the one who should still be in diapers, he started bass guitar lessons yesterday.  He's going to love it.  He had already picked out the chords to "Another One Bites the Dust" by ear.  He learned to play "Sweet Child of Mine" yesterday and that is what he has been charged with practicing this week.  Can I tell you how excited I am that he is playing and practicing stuff that is from "my day" rather than his?  Save this post so you can prove you knew him before he was famous! :)

I'm just humbled and continually awed at what God is doing in the lives of my children and what He is doing in my through them.  Brian and I are blessed.

Busy, blessed weekend and the first day of school

This weekend we were busy busy busy... we celebrated Liam and Connor's birthday.  We bounced at Bounce U and had a great time.  Lots of friends came, my sister-in-law and her family drove in from Memphis and my mom and step dad came in from Kentucky.  My brother and his wife came too.  It was great.  

Then Meg was baptized in the afternoon.  This was such a sweet service.  Our good friend, David, is Meg's godfather and Dave's brother happens to be a priest.  So Father Dennis drove in from Memphis to baptize Meg, which was really neat to have him standing there with his brother, all of us promising to reject Satan and help raise Meg in the faith we all share.  My other dear friend, Amie, is Meg's godmother, which just rounds out our family and commitment so sweetly.  Afterward, Brian and I splurged and took everyone out to eat at Bucca di Beppo (Italian) and it was alot of fun.  Dennis did an amazing job with the ceremony and included all the kids in the service.  He had everyone participating, asking questions about water and Bible stories and he let all the kids smell the chrism oil that he anointed Meg with.  It was sweet.

Today is the first day of 4th and 2nd grades for my older boys.  They were both very very excited about going to school this morning.  They like school, for the most part.  But it broke my heart because when Liam got on the bus, Connor SOBBED!!!!  He did not like seeing his brother head off to school without him.  He said he wished he could go to Kindergarten.  I could have sent him this year, and part of me wishes I had sent him.  But on the other hand, I really think I'll be glad when he doesn't leave for college at 17.  I will have an extra year with him at home when he is older, but today was hard on him.

Here are some photos from the weekend... sorry so random, but I am determined to get my house back in order today and start this week off on the right foot.  It looks like a bomb went off in here!  :)

Channeling Sally Fields

"They like me, they really like me!"  :)  

I just wanted to say thanks for all the words of affirmation from you guys about the charming qualities of my "randomness."  :)  Only sort of tongue in cheek, I'm sure!  But seriously, though, I have had a week worthy of forgetting and I really couldn't have picked a better time to post something that prompted all of you to affirm that I'm not a nut-job.  

And on a note of further randomness, my darling husband has been on the project from outer space and sometimes that's where I want to send him.  He's working 60 hour weeks, has about 1/4 of an attention span (of an already only barely functioning attention span to start with) and is consumed by work right now.  I know that it won't last.  I'm not complaining, really, I'm not.  I'm so thankful that he has a job, particularly one where he is so needed at this particular time because we went into this year uncertain of where the economy would take his business.  We were afraid in January that there would be lay-offs, but in reality, he's been blessed to be on a project that required ALOT of him, which was a direct answer to prayer, so truly truly I am not complaining about the way in which God answered our prayer for job security this year.  But, there are some things that go along with a husband who is an IT project manager AND who is never home anymore.  So, randomly, I decided to start making a list of things that happen when you are in this situation.  Lucky you!  :)

#1 you get to make important family decisions via text messaging conversations!  (This actually happened to me yesterday, by the way.  Lucky me! :)

Who am I?

Just thought I would share a funny conversation that happened yesterday.  A dear friend of mine (Meg's godfather, in fact) told me yesterday that he had read my blog for the first time ever.  I asked him what he thought of it and he said he thought it was a bit "random."  Okay, I'm not disagreeing there, but I asked him to expound.  Then he told me that he read one post that said I wanted to move to a tropical island and quit being a mom and then my next post said I loved being a mom and that I was praying, etc.  He didn't think it jived.  Of course, he had some thoughts on whether either of these posts are who he sees in real-life too, but that's another post.  Anyway, I thought it was kinda funny, but it also made me think... that's pretty much who I am.  This random person who has so much more than "one thing" that defines me, but yet, also, is totally driven and defined by this "one thing" that makes my heart in sync with so many others who share it too.  

Anyway, this post is nothing if not random, but I thought it was pretty interesting that someone who just popped in for the first time, even the person who knows me well, might think I'm just too random!  :)

Hope you're having a good Monday!  It's the last week of summer for us.  We go back to school on Monday of next week so we are trying to enjoy ourselves.  Where has the summer gone anyway?