Beach babes

While my parents were visiting we were able to go to the shore for a couple of days. Being early in the season, it wasn't without a cool breeze or the odd shower. But all in all we had a great time.

My parents were the ones who taught be to take pictures, so you know there's a whole bunch...(though I've been careful to keep any beach bodies out - no-one needs to see them!!)

A quick cuddle before the sun came out...

Dad, trying his hand at softball..

A dead horseshoe crab (flipped by Scott!)

A quick picture as we frantically packed up to leave the beach before the rain really started pouring!

Unlike previous trips both kids were very wary of the sand, requiring much coaxing to come off the blankets (and neither wanting to try the water!)...



Toby was much less hesitant when holding his beloved bat or chasing after the ball...


Emma allowed me to put her down while we kicked the ball around, but she avoided moving her feet to join in!
The wet sand was a different story though, here she is doing her crab-dance by the crab we found!

Finally she left the safety of the blanket, but would only walk in the tire tracks...

and where Emma goes, Toby is sure to follow (bat in hand!)
As we stayed the night, we were able to hit the boardwalk. We just had to get some custard (like machined ice-cream), coconut fudge (my absolute fave), boardwalk fries, Johnson's caramel popcorn and more.

and of course, we took the kids to the pier. Toby's first time riding with Emma, and he loved it!

Emma ordered me to sit on a horse instead of standing next to her. I hadn't given a ticket, so you can see I tried to only half sit!!

Our favorite family destination, shared with my parents.

Just Stay

This was sent to me as an email, I thought it was worth sharing!

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.

"Your son is here," she said to the old man.

She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.

Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.

He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.

Along towards dawn, the old man died.

The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.

Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.

"Who was that man?" he asked.

The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.

"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life."

"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"

"I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed."

I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey. His Son was Killed in Iraq today, and I was sent to inform him. What was this Gentleman's Name?

The Nurse with Tears in Her Eyes Answered, Mr. William Grey..............

The next time someone needs you ... just be there. Stay.

I'm still here!

I know, you’re wondering why I’ve been so quiet this week (because you know it’s not that I’ve nothing to say!!). When I went back to work in May, it was only supposed to be for a couple of weeks, but it’s going well and I’m still working – only now it’s just three days a week.

I’m not sure how long it’s going to last, but it’s been great. Most work days feel like a Friday because I have the next day off!! The kids are totally adjusted and are happy to be with Christina and the boys when I drop them off. They are also spending much more time with Daddy who picks them up right after their daily nap (I know – you’re soooo jealous they both still nap!!)

My days off are primarily so that I can take Emma to therapy. But 5 days a week was also too much to be away from them and keep my sanity.

Yesterday I was off and purposed to do something fun with the kids. In the end this took the form of bowling! (It’s free all summer for kids – http://kidsbowlfree.org)

Last summer Emma enjoyed bowling, but Toby was not walking, and therefore was kept securely in the stroller, pacified with food and milk! This year he was free, and took advantage. Thankfully he can still be kept occupied (and stationary) with food and drink.

Here are a few pictures, because I know you miss seeing the little angels…

Toby loves balls! He must say "ball" a hundred times a day, and will use anything that looks remotely like a baseball bat to hit anything that looks remotely like a ball! I thought he'd get a kick out of bowling balls!

And this time he totally bypassed the ramp! This was one of the last shots he took and I ended up throwing another down because it stopped mid-way!

Here are some other snaps from my phone, taken during my parents visit...

Cool bike helmets at Target...

Toby investigates Emma's toy hairdryer - it actually blows air!

Emma tries her new goggles on the way to the beach. We haven't actually used them yet, she wouldn't go in the water!

Napping at the beach.

"Helping" Grandma shop

Ready for departure at the Strasburg Railroad...

...but showing signs of fatigue at the outlets afterward!

Perked up again after some grub, at Cracker Barrel.

(No, he didn't get to keep any of the toys - yes, I'm mean!!)

I'm really planning to go through the other pictures from my parents visit and post them this weekend. We also have the annual reunion at the hospital, so there will be pics from there too!

Out of left-field

The day has come for Grandma and Granddad to go home. It's been a great visit, with lots of fun excursions and memories made (photos to come over the next few days). We were nervous about how Emma would handle their leaving and left it until lunch time to broach the subject.

She was handling it well, asking if they would be coming back etc. All good.

So it came as a complete ambush when Emma hit me with the question I'd dreaded but not expected.

Emma had asked to look in the mirror in our room before going potty. I'd just finished washing the dishes and we were making final preparations for the trip to the airport. As Emma joined me in the bathroom, she let out the words...

"Mom, when I smile my face doesn't go up at the sides - see!"

I really shouldn't have been so surprised. Emma spends ages in front of every mirror she comes across, and seeks others out! She loves to dance and talk and generally perform in front of a mirror, anywhere.

I was surprisingly calm and asked her to show me in the mirror. We both smiled at our reflections. Emma kept pushing the corners of her mouth up and telling me to look.

I asked her to stop for a minute and just smile. As she did I pulled her close, cheek to cheek and told her that her smile is different, but it is just a special smile. I also explained that I know she is smiling and her smile makes me so happy.

It really does. Every time Emma smiles her upside down smile it is like seeing a miracle, each and every time. It may not be a conventional smile, but it is clear, expressive and apparently not possible!

We have done our best to instill a self-awareness in Emma, and an assurance that she is beautiful inside and out. As she becomes more aware of her uniqueness, we will continue to use the truth of God's word, that all are created in God's own image, beautiful and glorious in His sight.

The opinions of others (than God) are inconsequential, because it is God who formed us, loves us and can see the beauty on the inside.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

Psalm 139: 13-14

Jasmine and the Skunk by Jon Walker

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalms 51:7 (NLT)

Jasmine is my beautiful and tenderhearted dog (cockapoo). She knows it is wrong to go near an old barn that’s on the edge of my property, but she saw a black cat run behind it and took off for a playful chase.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a cat. It was a skunk, and Jasmine was quite surprised to get a face full of stink. She smelled so bad I didn’t even want to bring her into the house, but I sequestered her in the bathroom while I figured out how to get her clean.

On the Internet, I found several home remedies for removing skunk stink. The recipes called for ingredients such as tomato juice or a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, and I think one listed dark chocolate (Okay, I made that up. The dark chocolate was for me).

These mixtures removed the bite of the skunk stink (an eye-watering, garlic-like perfume) but the overall smell was still there. By then it was almost midnight, so I took an old blanket, put it on the floor of the bathroom, and that’s where poor Jasmine had to spend the night.

The next morning, I went to the pet store and found a remarkable de-skunker that removed every bit of the stink and left Jasmine smelling wonderfully clean.

The reason I share this story is because it helps illustrate what Jesus has done for you. The Bible says, “But God has shown us how much he loves us—it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us!” (Romans 5:8 TEV)

Jasmine knew she was forbidden from going near the barn, but temptation appeared in the form of (what she thought) was a black cat. Sin is always deceptive, and it always costs more than we think it will. Jasmine thought she’d have some fun; instead, she ended up with the stink of sin all over her.

I still loved Jasmine and wanted her to come into the house with me, but I couldn’t let her have the run of the house while she carried the stink of sin. She needed to be cleansed; otherwise, the stink would permeate my home.

That’s how God views our sin. He can’t let us back into heaven until we’re cleansed from our sin; otherwise, our sin would stink up the whole place. Jesus came to cleanse us from our sin, and his bloody sacrifice washes us whiter than snow (Psalms 51:7 NLT). When we confess our sin and obediently trust Jesus, we can walk confidently into God’s home, knowing he will welcome us as his daughters and sons.

Take time today to thank God because you “have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace” (1 Peter 1:2 NLT).

The kids "help" Scott fit out his shed!

A great day at the zoo!

The final look

It's the moment you've been waiting for (maybe) - the pictures of the finished decorating! I didn't take pictures of the landing or bathroom, so you'll have to take my word for it that they look great!!

The Dining Room

Before:
After:
The paint color stayed the same at the top and everything else is, except the moldings. It definitely loses some of the impact when viewed by picture only, but we are thrilled with the outcome, exactly my vision.

The Living Room

Before:
After:


Clearly the color is the biggest change, and has taken some getting used to for Mrs. Beige (that's me!), but I'm loving it now. With the new cushions (see "Busy Morning") the room feels really cozy and relaxing.

Of course the other big deal is the closet1 It's no bigger than before, but the expanded doorway and custom shelving has given me a dream storage solution. Check it out:

Before:
After:

The Kitchen

Before:
After:

The green was fun, but after 4 years of it, I was ready for a change. The wainscoting on the bottom is to protect the wall, but looks great. The paint color was lighter than I thought, but it does feel much brighter in there.

It's been a long process with me at work full-time, but so worth it. The house feels rejuvenated. It really was the best birthday/Mother's Day/anniversary gift!!

I couldn't finish this post without a big thanks to our friend Grant, who came over and helped us restore our home on several late nights. Not only did he distract the kids when needed, but he also diffused the tension when I [inevitably] started to nag Scott!

Busy morning

Having my parents visit has turned out to be more of a break for me than I expected! Instead of hearing "Mom" constantly, I hear "Grandma."

Last night Emma was calling Grandma up the stairs and getting no response. She called to me "Mom, how can I get Grandma to listen to me?" My mum sat in the very back of the car with Emma today and I kept hearing "I love you Grandma" and "I like your glasses!"

Scott is working the rest of the week, so he headed out as usual at 5.30am this morning. The kids woke up around 7am and I sent them in to see if their Grandparents were awake!! They were.

After getting everyone fed and dressed (with only one bathroom!) we headed out in the car. The main aim of our journey was to hit IKEA, but we took a couple detours along the way.

First, we stopped by my office so my parents could visit my former boss, and so I could show the kids off!! (Hey, I'm a proud mum - sue me!)

Toby ran off as soon as he got inside the office - straight to my desk...

Emma was a little more social, greeting everyone before settling at the desk of my former boss...

The kids were spoiled with lots of the cool giveaways lingering in the storage closet. Eventually we got them out the door, and headed over to 'uncle' Jeremy's work.

Mr. Caesar took Emma on a tour of the main auditorium...

While Jeremy helped Emma hone her public speaking...

Then it was on to IKEA (via Chick Fil A for lunch!), where I snagged some cool new cushions for our sofas...

Quote of the Day

We were at the supermarket, Emma was standing in the cart (maybe it's not allowed, but who has time to wait for a three year old to catch up?!).

Emma points her finger straight out and [loudly] says "Is that my dad?" as she points straight at a nearby African man.

There was not much to do but look the guy in the eye and laugh, which he did right back.

Unfortunately our response served to only encourage Emma, who pointed at a few more men before I could tell her to stop.

When I told him, Scott asked me why she said it. I could only respond that it's not the first time, and often looks at me and says "are you my mom?"

On a different note, you can probably tell how busy I've been by the length of time since my last post! (Sorry to you daily readers - I should have more time from now on and more than two hours a day with the kids, the source of my inspiration!)

Outside of the office, I have been working incessantly on getting the house "perfect" for my parents visit. Several [very] late nights later and I'm almost ready! Their plane lands in a few hours and I still have to clean the floors.

Once I'm done I'll take the "after" pictures of all the work we did and do the final reveal in the next couple of days!

It's getting easier, sort of!

Both today and yesterday, when I left the kids at Christina's Emma just waved and said "See you later Mom."  ("Mom" is her new thing - she's already grown out of calling me "Mommy!")

It's bittersweet.  Of course I don't want her to get upset and cry when I leave, or beg me to stay - it's heart wrenching, even if it was just until I got to my car.  However, there is a comfort in knowing that my kids don't want me to leave! 

It was a little disconcerting when, in the car on Monday, Emma called to me as "Aunt Christina"!  She quickly corrected herself, but it was too late!

I'm consoling myself two-fold:

It is good that they trust me when I say I will always come back.  (God-willing.)

I get the same kind of greeting that Scott gets when he walks in the door after work!  Both kids shouting "Mom" and running top speed to hug my legs.  (Isn't it a shame that we lose that sense of joy in a loved one's return as we get older, or are married longer?!  I guess it's that "young love" that fades when we allow the distractions of life to dull our joy.)

I only have 3 more days to work before my parents come to visit.  After that I will be working for a couple more weeks, but only 3 days per week - Emma skipped therapy the past couple of weeks, but I'm not prepared to let her miss anymore and I need to be there for follow-up!

It's getting easier to say goodbye, but I feel like I'm missing so much of this rapidly-changing time in their life.  I can't wait to have more time with them again.

You don't see it when you're in it!

I was reminded today of God's absolute wisdom and love - that alone made it a good day!

Let me elaborate!  This morning I was working on a Powerpoint project for my boss and he asked me to preview it on the office projector.  That might not sound like a big deal, however if he had asked me to do that 4 years ago, when I had been working there for 9+ years I probably wouldn't have been able to do either.

Added to that the fact that I have not worked for over 3 years you might think this task was pretty daunting.  However it's just the opposite.

Over the past 3 years I have spent much of my time leading audio visual team at church and creating elaborate Powerpoint slideshows!  That's not the typical activities you think of when you picture church involvement, but times have changed and so have I!

Rewind back 20+ years to when I was in junior school (middle school).  I was often chosen to be the narrator in the school plays.  Can you guess why?  That's right - they didn't use microphones and I have a voice that carries well (alright, I'm plain loud!). 

Back to the more recent history and the early days of public speaking gave me a confidence that enabled me to do sales for many years, and speak confidently in front of our church congregation when I give the announcements and have shared our testimony. 

I had a very stable childhood, no family illnesses or crises (that I was aware of), and that continued in to my adult years.  Although I didn't have any "experiences" that prepared me in advance for the challenges we have faced as parents (both medical and financial), God did know that the few years I had walked with Jesus would provide a  solid foundation on which I could stand when those challenges came.

The faith I exercised during those trials, and the faithfulness God has shown to bring me through with joy, peace and love, have prepared me for the response I need to show when trials come again.

You see, God knows us better than we know ourselves - after all He made us and knows what character He deposited in us.  He knows what lies ahead and if we will trust him we will be prepared.

Throughout our lives He will allow circumstances that stretch and test us - not because He needs to know our character, but because we need to know!  Unfortunately, until you build a solid foundation on Jesus Christ, the trials are likely to confuse, anger and maybe even drown you. 

What is a solid foundation in Christ and what difference does it make?  Glad you asked!  Without god, what point is there to life - why are you here?  In that case, is the universe against you or were your trials self-inflicted? 

The truth of Jesus Christ begins with the belief that there is an Almighty God, Creator of the universe and all mankind.  What kind of God?  That is where you need to decide your source of information.  The Bible tells us that He (the Jewish and Christian God) is a loving God, who created us for relationship with Himself.  But, He is also perfect and perfectly just, so when we (mankind, through Adam and Eve) broke the rules, He had to exact punishment on us.

However, He never gave up on His original desire for relationship with us (even sparing Noah though clearing away the rest of mankind) but in order to fulfill the judgment against us, the punishment had to be given.  All attempts by man to keep the commandments failed because we are now fundamentally flawed.  That is where Jesus comes in (as Christians believe). 

Jesus, Son of God, gave up his throne in Heaven to descend and become human in order to live a perfect life, without sin, while enduring the same - if not worse - temptations to sin that we do.  In teaching God's true nature - of love and relationship - he angered the religious people of the day whose own public position was based in legalism and teaching guilt.  It was those people who led the call for Jesus to be crucified, which was in fact the way that he would fulfil his purpose and absorb all the punishment for our sin. 

After 3 days dead, Jesus rose again.  You see, death was the punishment for sin - but as Jesus had not committed any sin death could not keep him!  And so he rose, and after 30 days ascended (fully alive) back to his throne in Heaven.  It is there that he is constantly interceding on behalf of his followers.  And when a follower of Christ dies physically, rather than dying spiritually also (in hell, eternally separated from God), Christians join Christ in Heaven for eternity.

Choosing to follow Christ is not an emotional decision as much as believing in what the Bible tells us (as so many do), which is backed up by the testimony of believers like me, who have experienced the life change.  It's a decision to want to be with God in heaven, and taking the steps He asks of us in the Bible - which is not to be perfect, by the way, but to seek God and his will with all your heart.

It is in the assurance that God made you, loves you and is with you always, that you will grow and become the person God made you to be.

(This post got a lot longer than I planned, but if you got this far I hope it was as meaningful for you as it was for me!)