Learning about popcorn. Thanks Shelly and Jackie!

Teaching Rylan about Matchbox cars and centrifugal force...

Sometimes it's a tough climb, straight up...

Eclectic

Cleaning up the kitchen I just found the sheet of paper Denver wrote a few weeks ago when we were in the car on the way to the other grandma's house. We were talking about school and why kids need to go. Denver piped up with, "I already know school stuff. Here, let me show you." With that he wrote down the formula for (I think) an isoceles triangle with no coaching from me. I was so astonished, I made him write his name and the date on it. Denver is 7 and lots of the time, a handful. When I asked how he knew that, he told me his Uncle David explained it to him. I laughed because I have often heard that Uncle David (Tommy's brother-in-law) is a lot like Uncle Greg. Both are mechanical engineers and I could easily see Greg teaching Denver formulas, assuming anyone can learn that at 7.

All this to say, I marvel at the potential in children...and how lucky I am to have a bunch of cool, smart grandchildren. Just yesterday I went on Facebook, (Yes, I have a Facebook Account, I am probably the oldest person to have one!) and checked out the pictures my beautiful granddaughter Brooke had posted from her international track team adventure. There she is, half a world away, experiencing a whole new cultural way of life and loving it!

Isn't it great to keep on learning? What a wonderful responsibility we all have in the lives of our kids and grandkids...and to ourselves.

Note: See, I'm still learning ( or forgetting what I already learned!). Thanks small group Lisa, for gently telling me Denver's formula is the Pythagorean Theorem , not an Isoceles triangle. And now I have looked it up and an Isoceles triangle is one with two equal sides. Oooh, I feel smarter already.

Smile...

I love this picture of Kylie and Rylan and Katie posted it in her blog but I just couldn't resist. It would be great if this is how we all looked at life, full of smiles. But the reality is there is lots of sadness around. Monday night was the final meeting of Grief Support for the winter session and there were still plenty of tears there. I have been asked to speak to a Campus Life group in a few weeks about the impact of suicide on a family. I have been told that there are several students struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts in the group...

Choose joy. Don't be robbed of your joy. Smile even when you don't feel like it, maybe it will brighten someone else's life, maybe even your own. Today's devotional was titled "All is well" and went on to describe that even if it does not feel as if all is well, God sees the bigger picture and His plans for you are great. Romans 8:28 comes to mind. Thanks, dear friend Margie, for so many things: the voicemail the other day, sending me the "God Calling" devotional two years ago, and being the first to talk to Lin and me about having a relationship with Christ over thirty years ago now. Wow, I cannot imagine life without having found Him! I am choosing to smile today.

So cute....

Still gorgeous after running 26 miles...

Renaissance Woman...

Renaissance man or woman: By definition, one skilled and knowledgeable in many fields.

I am thinking this is a pretty good description of my daughter-in-law, Cheryl. She is an amazing, creative cook; she decorates with exquisite beauty; she sings like a bird; she loves to read; she is a gracious and enthusiastic hostess. Cheryl is not deterred from reaching her goals. She ran a marathon, for cryin' out loud. She is the glue that maintains the homefront in a foreign country and loves it! And now she is back in school getting her degree in music!

Beyond all that she loves Greg well and pours herself into her daughters. She knows how to laugh - loud. And she loves Jesus with her heart and soul.

And so wonder woman in faraway Malayasia: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHERYL

Wasn't gonna write; Wouldn't be prudent...

I used to love church lady on Saturday Night Live. She captured the sarcastic, obnoxiousness of some Christians. And the irony is, I am sometimes the church lady and I can't stand that in me. That is why I am so grateful for real life to bring me to reality.

I had been reliving two years ago alot and trying to bring myself out of the funk. Last Thursday was PADS night for me and Pete. "Serving will help me get out of this sad mood," I thought. We arrived at 11:00 PM, got the basic info on the special needs of any of the homeless people there that night and then I went to start to dig in on the laundry. I was even so perky, I had brought our camera to take a pic of Pete and me at our posts.

Not too big a dent on the laundry had been made by the first shift, I harrumphed to myself. I switched loads, worked on paying our bills and getting our tax stuff ready for the accountant. Switched more loads, folded, bagged and tagged load after load. Pretty soon my right arm was aching for no apparent reason, now I'm not quite so perky. At midnight, I am given three more bags of laundry and the dryers are taking especially long to dry. And then, I see it. A note one of the homeless men had attached to his bag of clothes to be washed. "Turn clothes inside out. Dry on low." it read. Arrrggghhh. I mentally flip out. Why the nerve! The audacity! I blabber to Pete about this is the limit...There had been some other situations that night and this was the straw that was breaking my back. I continued to be whinny when our wonderful PADS leader showed up at 3:00 AM to relieve us. The church lady in me was indignant that "this" person that "I" was "serving" would make such a request.

It was somewhere about 3:45 AM where I got my slap to reality. Just before going to sleep, I am praying, thanking God for the blessings He has bestowed on me and I realize I am in this nice cozy bed, next to this wonderful, loving, snoring husband (who does ALL of our laundry!) and I know where my next meal is coming from. Hello, duh, Barb, how about giving respect to the man who made a simple request that probably made him feel like he had a little bit of control in his life?

So I pray, "God, help me not to be a pompous jerk. Help me to love You and love others, really."

Amen.

Is Cub season around the corner?

Yeah, it is still really cold...

The last few weeks, especially last week, have been cold and blustery. Snow and ice are still on the ground and today, I managed to fall getting out of the car, slipping on some ice. I am fine; one of these days I won't be able to get up so speedily. This time I just jumped up, looking around to see if anyone saw me.

To lighten my spirits, I want to post a picture of the twins in their Cubs baby seat covers. Katie sewed the covers and the twins, who are already show-stoppers, get even more coos and comments from anyone who sees them.

Spring is on its' way, isn't it?