Day 4

I'm at home for day 4 of a coughing, fever, sick boy. It's one of those weeks when I went out to the store in sweats.  I know he'll be better soon, and I know there are so many Moms who deal with their babies being sick with serious things.  My heart hurts when I think about it.  I am thankful I have a Costco sized bottle of Tylenol to cure fevers, and think of the Moms who have no access to such things, and wait in worry.  I shudder to think about the infant mortality rate in other 3rd World nations where a large majority of woman have felt the loss of a child, or 2, or 5, without a hope for better health.

I became a nurse for those very reasons. I wanted to be on the mission field helping those Moms, those babies, battling tropical diseases, performing surgery with a pine needle, some twigs and suet. (I'm kind of enjoying this new show as long as it doesn't become too soap-opera-y). And so sometimes I sit and wonder where life took a different turn for me.  And some of it makes sense, why we are here, how God led us, but there are days when I want more adventure, to make a big difference, to be doing the dream.  But I think that is a lot of it, "doing".  I want to live as Christ in whatever He puts before me for today.  But where does the doing fit into it? because we can't just be "being" all the time.  Yes, I'm so Martha, not Mary.  And now, there are more of us to fit into my "dream", and it has to be God's plan and it has never quite felt right, like it was the time or the place to follow that, the opportunity.  So I'll wait and see.  But sometimes I just don't understand it all.  Why I was given a longing, for a place, for a people, that was used once for awhile, and then sat stagnating for so long.  But I know I am lazy, and now become more afraid of change. I'm 40 you know. 

So I'll stay home on this Friday and nurse my own boy back to health, give him some love, make my hubby some cookies, DO all the Mom things I love to do. To be in a place I love. And stay warm!

It was a Rush

1400 kids came from all over BC, Yukon, who knows where else.  It was a privilege to be part of it for my first time.  I had no injuries during my 1st Aid watch, thankfully!  Gave out some Tums.  Ya, I feel nauseous too when I haven't had enough sleep.  It was a little crazy, but in a very organized sort of way.  Jacob is grumpy and tired this morning, and we are wishing we had Family Day today like our Calgary cousins.  And I continue to pray for the kids who met Jesus and now have to go back to their regular lives... that the low wouldn't hit them too hard, that Satan would not steal away what was sown, that the seed will be watered and grow.

I could use some seeds to grow too!  Come spring!

Courage

This parenting thing takes some courage especially these days.  Courage to remain the adult, courage to keep going when you feel like quitting, courage to make the right decisions and hope they are right when your kids question them.  I've had a few Moms say how hard they are finding it lately.  I think a big part of it is that it's February, we're all feeling a little cooped up, finding it a little more easy to fight with each other, and wanting to run out in the open air, but it's still brisk. 

I look at my boy yesterday and suddenly he feels taller, like I don't even have to bend down to look him in the eye.  KD had measured everyone 3 weeks ago on the back of the bathroom door.  So I take him over there, and yes in 3 weeks, he's grown almost an inch.  No wonder the amount of sleep he seems to be needing and the grumpy, moody mornings, and the grazing of the kitchen cupboards hourly.  So I shall be the adult and support him in it, not complain more as he complains more.  And...Oh... this weekend, we shall all need a little more courage... I shall have a growly bear on Sunday afternoon after a youth weekend without enough sleep, for one who needs it so badly.  But he tells me he wants to know more of God through it, how can I not let him go?

I'll be manning the First Aid station for a few hours, I'll need a lot of prayer for that too and ear plugs:)  Lend your prayers before the throne if you don't mind, for my boy and 1000 or so odd others.

Happy ♥ Day!

 

We had some Valentine's Day treats yesterday.  Erin made some cute roses out of gumdrops that turned out amazing!  A little afternoon snack of fruit and yummies on skewers and heart shaped pizza for supper.   A long overdue date night will hopefully include a Valentine's dinner with my sweetheart  this weekend :)

A Thousand Gifts

I'm excited about my Bible study: we've chosen as something totally different to be a book club for a few weeks (don't worry we won't forget THE BOOK), and this is the book we've chosen.

She's the author who has spurred on the idea of creating a list of things you are thankful for, to think and thank God for small gifts, be fully present in your moments, and that I've tried to keep up with doing every Monday.  It'll be totally different than the type of indepth Bible studies I'm used to doing, but we're hoping to really spur on some good discussions, right girls?

So to continue my list of gratitudes...
241. the snowy flakes pasted to the windshield this morning that were so separate and perfect, each one
242. getting more notice for my short call shifts these days, I don't like the phone calls, "Can you work, like right now?"  I'm not that spontaneous, unless it's like coffee date or something fun!
243. warm chocolate chip cookies
244. meeting a professional soccer player today from Sweden, and "hiring him" to take on part of our coaches training for my new role on the board of directors for the soccer club. He's so young and cute! What was I thinking taking this on?  He'll be relieving a lot of stress for me.  (he'll never read my blog and his photo is already on the www. so I figured I could post his stats)
245. great report cards x2
246. spontaneous trips to Superstore
247. a job for friends who have been waiting
248. hearing, "Hi! Jacob's Mom" a few times today
249. Jesus being able to redeem hurt and thinking of a girl named "E" (not my E)
250. family laughing in the living room, got to go join them

Kids Come up with the Greatest things

There's something about the mundane, cabin fever of winter that does bring out the creative juices once in awhile.  I found this sweet nativity sitting atop Jacob's dresser.  I almost glanced past without even noticing because of the simple whites of it, that and the piles of everything else in his room.  Isn't baby Jesus about the cutest Lego Jesus you've ever seen?  And the little animals? It doesn't take much to entertain me.

A Saturday afternoon with a friend is all it takes to find a fort build in the air with tacks all along the ceiling.  Oh well, stipple is forgiving.  It's so cool up in there!

 

My Bible study ladies wrapped up Esther Tuesday, in a very anti-climatic way. The DVD stopped working and we didn't hear the end.  But I don't know how one of the Moms doesn't just die laughing all the time at her little guy.  He comes running upstairs, "Hey, there's a guy down there!"  He'd seen Kevin heading from the bathroom to his office and was of course a little surprised. The other little boy says, "Ya he's the Dad of the this WHOLE house!"   They are so funny!

I Have Always Loved Paint Chips

Even when I was a girl, I remember going to the paint store and taking a few of my favorite colors from the paint chip wall.  I had a book that I kept them in and would imagine and write down the best combination of colors.  Now I am much more liberal in my taking of the chips, I think I have pretty much an entire collection, at least in the colors I have in my house or that I like.  People laugh at me when I pull my basket o' chips out of my coffee table, but you just never know when you might need a color match or have to find the exact perfect shade of blue.  I know I don't get out much.

You may think there is nothing creative you can do with paint chips except look at them, well you are wrong!

Erin made an amazing Christmas wreath with reds and greens.  I love the "Holly Leaf" and "Elf Hat" near the top.

 

For Christmas dinner, Erin made each person had a Christmas tree of color, with words representative of them.  Mine were colors like "Garden Flower", "Uplifting", " Gentle Touch", "Olive Oil", "Faded Jeans", "Dusty Countryside".  You'd be surprised how many colors have the word Jacob in them for his.  Kevin got to be "Magnificent" and "Amazing", but also "Worn Glove".  I think it'd be a good therapy exercise. 

So I made Erin one back for herself:

And this is my latest favorite use:

 I didn't really think that I had painted Erin's room like a paint chip when I did it, but I think subconsciously that's what it is!

I think the LORD likes His name written on "Lake Crest" and Wildflower Wind"

Winter Ramblings

We've had a spell of cold, but that means clear skies, which sometimes here in the valley loom a bit grey for a bit too long, so I like today.  The puppy dog is laying in the one strip of sunlight coming through the French doors soaking up the warmth, when suddenly we both just jump about a foot as a poor, chubby quail flew full speed into the front window and now he's laying on the front walk with his beak opening and closing with his last breaths.  He's is looking definitely like a goner!  Left a nice feather patch on the glass... Poor little guy!  Ditto's now pacing around because I know he wants him.  One minute peace and quiet, the next dead birds laying on the ground.

The past few days have been an upheaval of re-scheduling.  Of all the classes that got messed up for the start of a new semester, Erin's foods class was cancelled and they dumped her into Art.  She thinks she has not an artistic bone in her, but you've seen some of her creativity.  After waiting in lines to see a counsellor, twice, 2 phone calls by me, and some angst, she's happy to be into Foods 10.  I can't imagine a world where Erin didn't get to cook, let me rephrase that.. bake!  She still has to take Art, but after revealing to her that she doesn't HAVE to get an A, she could just enjoy it, she resigned.  She's a happy girl.... young lady, almost 16 she keeps telling me!  It's official, she's now taller too.  5'11"

Jacob got into the van pointed to his cheek bone and said, " It feels like a headache, right here."  Well did you hit yourself there with something?  He's always been a VERY physical boy, everything is about movement, physicality, being close, pressing up against, using the big muscles.  "Well", he says, "I did bang heads with Brody in the wrestling free for all, every man for himself, in PE". He grins a huge, satisfied smile.  I cringe.  Who is this PE teacher?  I guess he must know a thing or 2 about boys, but yet I cringe. "I was in the last 3 standing!!"  Go and tell your father, I don't want to know these things.

Tomorrow I think is a day for thrift store shopping.  I want to do another quilt - I've caught the bug - but want to use vintage fabrics, and don't like the cost that really getting into it could entail.  Anyone want to come along?

I looked out the window again to see the poor, chubby quail and he was gone.  Maybe he just had the wind knocked out of him and flew away. I'll hope so.