Baby Got Back...I mean...

Muscles or Mussels...

On our semi-impromptu date night tonight, Josh and I were enjoying some recent laughable moments about our children. I thought I'd share one. A few nights ago, our family went our to dinner at a local Ashland favorite restaurant. Jett ordered a typical giant hamburger, Sailor ordered a chicken salad of some sort and Chase...our adventurous Chase. She asks us if she can have muscles. Totally confused, we said, "Oh Chasey, you already have so many muscles, you're just one big muscle." She said, "No, I want mussels for dinner." Still slightly confused we said to go ahead and order what she wanted. Like a big girl that knows what she likes, she told the waitress, "Can I please have macaroni and cheese and mussels for dinner." We all giggled not thinking she really knew what they were. That girl got a heaping plate of disgusting looking things that smelled gross, I moved seats so I didn't have to look at her plate and she ate almost every single one of them. Oh my...who is this girl? She eats anchovies with our neighbors, orders salads at Wendy's and will only eat vegetarian pizza...unique...that's Chase.

Say it ain't so Joe (I really mean Donnie though)...

I wondered why there was a strange credit on my credit card today. I did a little research and the answer was devastating. My life is so sad today. My BFF and I were going to the New Kids on the Block concert next month and they cancelled the show. WHAT???? It was sold out, how could they? Apparently, an invitation to the American Music Awards trumps me...ME...their #1 fan...NO FAIR...I'm kicking my feet, pounding the floor and crying while I'm having my 34 year old tantrum. Do they not realize it's been 20 years of LOVE for them...ugh! Here's their new video which is almost as devastating as the cancelled concert. What's up with all the hoochy skin...these are married fathers...I hope those are their wives so their kids don't have to ask, "Daddy, who's the skinny girl in a bikini you're rubbing all over." Oh well, still love them!

Here it is finally...my new favorite song...

While I'm Waiting

I see boyhood leaving...

Oh my, say it aint so!  I've been realizing this past year or two that my boy is leaving boyhood.  He is a ball of many emotions.  Boys are "what you see is what you get" but teenagers are a different story.  I'm realizing lately that I need to work a little harder now to find out what is really going on in Jett's heart now that he is 10 and the his awareness of the world is expanding...along with his hormones.

I had a day that needed some venting so I asked my family if we could take a walk after dinner around the block... I was imagining a 20 minute outing would make me feel better and back on track.  The girls immediately took off on scooters and Josh was close behind.  Jett was immediately grumpy because he couldn't find his helmet so he could longboard...therefore, he had to ditch the wheels for our walk.   Half way around the block Josh and the girls were way ahead which left me to try and scratch the surface with Jett and see what was up.  It didn't take long until he started gushing to me his heart...his real heart...not the surface stuff of not being on his longboard.  We walked together around the block and back around again...got home and he asked if we could go again.  What???  Okay and THANK YOU GOD ran through my brain.  Some incredibly good stuff was shared and I didn't want it to end but I also wanted to play it cool so he would feel comfortable coming to me again about such big 5th grade issues.

I've always known there's magic in a good walk.  I love walking with friends because you can go to places in the conversation that you usually don't in passing, over the phone or at the gym.  I never thought my sweet boy would be a part of that same magic tonight.  I know now.  God gave me the most amazing tool to connect with my son tonight...a walk in the brisk dusk of the day.  A 20 minute revive turned into an hour of pure soul connection with my son.  

When we remove the distractions and discouragments of our daily life and let love lead, God will bless us with unexpected vulnerability and connections to those around us.  An hour later when I put Jett to bed...he continued to tell me how nervous he was to share and how he was about to burst if hadn't done it.  He told me he felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders.  And finally, he said, "I love you so much momma, thank you for listening.  Can I keep talking to you about this when I need to?"   Oh my, oh my, oh my...God showed me tonight that I don't need to hold on to Jett with a death grip trying to fight for him to stay young.  I can relax my white knuckles, open my fingers and let Jett slowly take a few steps towards manhood.  As long as I release with love, he'll come back into my arms and tell me he loves me instead of running in the other direction.  

***My encouragement...walk with your kids...maybe only 5 mintues but give them your complete attention and be amazed at the magic that will ensue.

Bradda..."While I'm Waiting"

God's hands are all over this boy.  Bradda is doing miraculously, remarkable and absolutely amazing.  He is far from out of the woods but 99% of his malignant brain tumor has been removed, he's alive and can completely respond physically and verbally thus far.  There is a several month plan of attack that will be happening up in Portland and God is continually, minute by minute, answering prayers.  Please continue to lift up this wonderful boy to God and his will for their family.  Specifically that the fluid in his lungs today clears and pneumonia doesn't ensue.  

While we're waiting, we need to continue to praise him, worship him and serve him...he is working and he is good...we can rest too "While We're Waiting".   

John Waller, "While I'm Waiting" song

Prayer Request for Bradda

We have an urgent prayer request for our friend, Bradda.  He is our 7 year old friend who found out yesterday afternoon he had a large brain tumor.  He was immediately life flighted up to OSHU and underwent an 8.5 hour surgery today.  The doctors said he was probably not going to make it.  After the surgery he came out with 99% removed.  What is left is malignant and a 3 hour MRI is determining what the next plan will be.  His parents, Nicole and John, his twin sister, Ula, and his younger siblings, Kaili and Kavi are all up there with grandparents.  This family is involved with so many of us in Ashland, our kids are all friends and this event is affecting so many people.  Prayers of "miracle now, to show many" are being said and I want to ask you all to join us in praying God will continue to embrace this incredibly sweet boy and bring comfort to his family as the plan for his life unfolds.  I'll update more later.

Equal screen time...Sailor's adventurous 8th bday...

Despite the pic, I'm not pregnant so don't be calling me! :)  We broke Sailor out of school early on her birthday and took her up to Seattle for Coffeefest (new business...long story).  We went with another family in our shared RV and enjoyed Sailor's birthday weekend at Gramma Kim's house.  
Good morning Sunshine...You're Beautiful!!!
We arrived at 11 pm to Gramma's house and she had it decorated with cupcakes, presents and pretty streamers and balloons.  It was special and a memorable and full of sugar right before bed...wahoo!!!

The Monkey has turned 6...

Chase beating her monkey pinata at her "Breakfast Birthday Jammie Party".  We stayed in our jammies all day because there was no school and her party was done by 11 am...yyyyyeeeesssss...that's my kind of party.  We spent the whole day relaxing and playing, it was wonderful.  The best part... the monkey's bum broke first, released it's guts (candy) and Chase was able to keep the cute monkey pinata for her own personal candy jar in her room.
Good morning Monkey Sunshine!!!  She loved the day being all about her!!!  

El Presidente...Where for art thou...

  Can it just be over already...The more interested I get in the election the more tired I get of hearing about it too.  We are spending completely way too much time thinking, talking and watching election coverage... NOVEMBER...PLEASE HURRY!!!

Peace...I love my Prince of...

I love it when that lightbulb goes off in my head that God is trying to teach me something.  I love it when the lightbulb doesn't just flip on in one moment but that he continues to illuminate that light in many areas of my life.  This past week my bright light is the word: PEACE!  It is my week to prepare to teach my high school kids at church so I dove into my research and study.  During my week of preparation, Josh and I went to see the movie, Fireproof, and the song I previously posted about embracing peace while I wait for God's timing to move my life along has been my song of hope all week.  And then again, a few conversations with friends inevitably moved back to that word, PEACE, based on different situations they were going through.  Over and over God brought this word to my heart and has caused me to reflect on how sincerely I believe in it...God's peace we house in our hearts.  These are the things that ring true to me and solidify my belief that without God, I would run my life into a reckless, selfish and hopeless pit in this world.

**When I'm hurting, what are my options?  I can have peace in my heart that my Father loves me, is available to comfort me and wants me to grow stronger because of it.  I can also choose to believe there is no God, no one greater than me protecting me and no reason to persevere through it.  I choose PEACE.

**When I'm going through something too personal to explain, what are my options?  I can have peace in my heart and rest in the fact that my Father will never be farther away from me than my heart and understands all that I'm feeling at all times.  I can also choose to believe that there's no purpose in life's difficulties, no one will ever truly understand me and I'll always feel some sense of aloneness in this world.  I choose PEACE.

**When I need provision in my life: financially, relationally, more time..., what are my options?  I can have peace that God promises to provide all my needs if I wait on his timing with faith and trust.  I can worry and fret and become anxious because my needs are not being met and work myself tirelessly to get what I think I need.  I choose PEACE.

The opportunities to choose peace are endless in every day.  I will choose to tap into the resource of Jesus at every turn, to own that gift of peace that has been given to me.  When we choose to worry, fret and become doubtful, we are basically showing God and those around us the lack of faith and trust we truly have in his ability, his power and his love for us...  We have been given "the peace that surpasses all understanding" in this world...Receive it, Believe it and Own it!!!    

Hamster in Distress...oh yes (Murder at 02:30...)

So to our startledness, at 2:33 am this morning we hear a panicked, scared and distressed cry with Sailor's voice all over it. The words that sprung us to our feet and caused us to dash at light speed to her room, "My hamster is out...my hamster is out of the cage and the kitties are trying to get him!!!" Oh my, this was bad. Some back story: we've recently installed a cat door to make our lives easier and odor free of a cat box that we adopted with our new kittens last fall. IT has been lovely for trips and cleaning purposes. HOWEVER, other cat friends around the neighborhood discovered it too and like to come in and have cat parties in our house while we're sleeping...this is reminiscent of my high school days when "friends" would sneak into my room via my window or the outside bathroom door that was next to my room. What I didn't know back then was I wasn't fooling anyone, my parent's room was above mine and they always heard what was going on...I digress...so the same scenario is true of the midnight cat parties. We can hear them and often Sailor will come into our room in the middle of the night and say, "Daddy, Snowy is in my room standing on Half Pint's table (the blueberry dwarf hamster she got last month for her birthday and loves with all of her heart). Josh gets up like a devoted dad, shoos the dumb cat out, hides our kitties food so not to entice more "friends" coming in and we try to get some sleep....Well...last night was a different story...Back to the scream of terror...we bound out of our beds, flip on a couple of lights, see Sailor frozen in panic mode on her bed and I go into super mom mode. I direct Josh to close off the entrances to the house (CAT DOOR) in case one of our 3 black kitties has gotten Half Pint and is making a run for it. Chase and Jett have entered the scene now and Chase is on a mission to find the hamster. Jett is dazed in the doorway doing nothing. Immediately, THANK JESUS CHRIST, Chase spots the furball and tries to grab him but needs dad's help...He was running like a free man, jumping rope over the lamp cord and possibly oblivious to the fact that there were 3 killers on his tail (literally). Josh put him back in his condo (not sure why he wanted to escape), we closed the door Sailor had left open and went into consoling mode. Sailor was crying with relief and Chase was choked up and shaking from her adreneline rush. Chase tried to console Sailor with a broken, shaky and thankful voice, "We got him Sailor, we got him, he's okay Sailor, he's okay..." followed by Sailor, "Get away Chase, be quiet!" Aww..this was a beautiful family moment. We all went back to bed approximately 15 mintues after the first yelp and Sailor, Josh and I began to lay there wide eyed for 2 1/2 hours...we played a little bed swapping leaving Sailor in our bed and Dad on hamster patrol in Say's bed. The cats were still wiley with the smell of the kill still swirling their nostrils...

I'm so grateful, which I openly praised God at 2:45 am, that Sailor heard a funny noise, saw something scattering across her floor and put the pieces that the big black things following it was a problem. All is well and I'm hoping our stinker cats will get over our new family member and let him be...but after last night they may be plotting as we speak.