Plans

Quite honestly I have today planned out.

Kids off to school
Good, hard workout for myself
Drop Smiley off at a friends house
Dental appointment for myself
Pick Smiley up
Quick stop at the grocery store
Home for lunch
Read a few books
Put Smiley down for a nap
Prime some trim ~ around a door and two windows
Clean the house and work on laundry
Listen to the sound of the mood of the house change as Sassy and Action blow in from school
Homework
Have one of Sassy's friends come over for the evening to help her Dad out
Church for Sassy and Action
Dinner
Hang out/family time ~ probably with American Idol on in the background.
Bath night for Smiley
Chat with Sassy's friend's dad
Prayers
Get Sassy, Action and Smiley ready for and settled in bed
Put my feet up and relax.

But I received a phone call at 6am and my plans kind of went right out the window.

The phone call was from the kids' school.

Today is a SNOW DAY!

This will be the first snow day since Sassy started going to preschool 7 years ago.  (When I was growing up it seemed we had at least a couple per season)

The kids are still asleep and they will be beyond EXCITED to hear the news.

Me, well I will need to adjust my schedule and my plans for the day.

I guess a snow day is a small reminder to me from God, that I am not in charge.  He is truly in charge.

Proverbs 19:21

Many are the plans of the human heart,

but it is the decision of the LORD that endures.

update....

The kids were/are excited 

their typical cereal breakfast turned into french toast and strawberries 

and now I am savoring the laughter and giggles as they play together...nicely for now anyway :)

Oh, and what are they playing you ask?

School, of course! 

Picture me {im}perfectly @ Capturing Motherhood

What if's.....

I'm not a person who usually worries, but yesterday, worry began to sneak in.

My day started like any other.  Well, maybe not exactly like every other.  Sassy and Action actually slept in a little bit.  But then it was breakfast and off to the health club as usual.  A run, a chat with friends, a little overall body work, some much needed stretching and we were off to the next thing.  A trip to Sam's Club.  But when I got into the car and checked my phone messages there was one there that planted a little seed of worry.

It was a pre-op call from the Children's hospital, regarding Smiley's upcoming eye surgery.  Upcoming as in tomorrow morning at 8am.

I hadn't been worried about this surgery at all.

But I guess I am.  I'm not worried about the decision we have made to have the surgery to straighten her eyes (the technical name of the procedure she is having is bilateral strabismus repair) .  We tried glasses.  They didn't work.  Her vision is equally good in both eyes, so there was no eye patching to be had (Sassy did LOTs of patching.  We've been there and I was willing to go there again). So to straighten her eyes, surgery is the next option.   (You can read Smiley's story here and Sassy's story here)

When I called the Day Surgery Nurse back, she asked me lots of questions, mostly regarding health history and pre-operation physical information.  When she was done asking questions, she went over the items we needed to bring..... my photo ID, her physical report, insurance card, comfort items......

Comfort Items.

That's what got me.  This is big.  She needs her blankie. She may need her baby and her "Minnie". She'll need me and she'll need her Daddy.  She may feel like crud (Sassy puked all the way home ~ 40 minute drive).  Her eyes may hurt and feel like they itch and have sand in them.

That little seed that was planted when I first heard the voice mail from the nurse, well it began to grow and fester ......

What if something bad happens during surgery?
What if there is a slip of the hand by the Doctor?
What if she reacts to the anesthetic?
What if it doesn't work?
What if she gets and infection?
What if.....
What if.....
What if.................?

The thing is, my worry gets me nowhere.  Really, it just creates more anxiety.  And honestly, whatever happens tomorrow, good or bad, is out of my control.  Someone much bigger than me is in control.  And I pray and put my trust in him.

In You In You I find my peace

In You In You I find my strength

In You I live and move and breathe

Let everything I say and do

Be founded by my faith in You

I lift up holy hands and sing

Let the praises ring!

 © 2002 Sony

LET THE PRAISES RING LYRICS - LINCOLN BREWSTER

So I pray, I trust, and I try to let go of my worry.   I may or may not sleep well tonight.  I will try not to  fret as I sit in the waiting room tomorrow morning and I will rush into the recovery room to hold my little girl as soon as she wakes up  from her procedure.  I will hold her hair and bucket if need be.  And snuggle her as much as she wants.  And through it all, I will praise God for so much, and pray for peace and trust in my heart.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

John 14:27  

Forgetful

I couldn't believe it.

I reached in to my huge bottomless pit of a purse.  I reached straight down to the very bottom and slowly pulled my arm back up feeling for it all the way to the top.  Nothing.  I reached down to the right corner.  Nope.  Down to the left corner.  Not there either.  I started to sweat.

My camera.
Not in my purse.

It is always within reach whether in my purse, in my hand, or on top of our refrigerator at home.

And that's where it was today.  I had left it sitting upon the top of the fridge, at home.... in another state.

We had just arrived at my parents home 4 hours away from ours.   I ran to my purse to get my camera to snap a picture and it wasn't there.  How could I have forgotten it on a weekend away.  And not just any weekend, Easter weekend.   You know the weekend of colorful eggs, candies, baskets, excited children and dressed up families.

We colored eggs at my parent's house and I borrowed his camera from on top of the fridge (hmm.... wonder where I get it )

But then our trip continued on.

We went to my hubby's parent's house.

Once again, no camera.  Bummer there was golfing, hot tub time, dressing up, Easter eggs and basket hunting, kite flying and lots of family.

Sure I forgot.  And the moments will be memories captured in our minds instead of on my blog, on paper and potentially in frames.  And as annoyed as I was (and honestly still am ~ although I know I shouldn't be) those "things" do not even begin to compare with what the true meaning of Easter is for my family.  The death and resurrection of our Lord.  And while there are no actual photographs of this blessed event, we remember in our hearts and minds, and we celebrate.  We celebrated with prayer, singing, praise and family.  

I am not perfect.  I forget things.  Not just my camera, but a shirt that my daughter wanted washed so she could wear it to school, a lunch my son wanted to take to school, rolls that needed to be taken out of the freezer for breakfast in the morning and so the list continues.......

But in the end, even though it can be frustrating and feelings can be momentarily hurt, it isn't the "things" that really matter.  And I hope that is something I can teach my children.  For there is SO MUCH MORE.

source

  

76.  The excitement of a little competition
77.  Carnival games
78.  Laughing with my sister
79.  A lazy rainy day
80.  A tip

Something to Think About Sunday ~ The Greatest Gift

The Greatest Gift

Last Wednesday, I was driving with Sassy and Action.

We happened to drive past a cemetery.

Action expressed that "so many people have died."

Sassy replied, "But Action, the people who have died, have received the greatest gift!"

Picture a confused look on Actions face

(after all, those people are dead, how can they get a gift?)

She continued, explaining,
"They are alive, in heaven with God.

Their bodies are buried, but their souls are in heaven, and God has made them new!

They can't come down to earth, but they can watch over all of their loved ones!

See Action, it's the GREATEST GIFT!"

I just drove, smiling because it is a Great Gift, and she understands it so well, even at 9 years old.

Something to Think About Sunday

Lately I've been reading some books that I normally wouldn't choose to read for leisure.  They are good books, but they are kind of heavy books, and I'm not talking about size.

Here's a little background.....

I am a co-leader for our parents group at church (which for some reason is mostly moms).  We've decided to read a book and have a book discussion for one of our meetings.  Which leads me to where I am today.... I have been reading books, trying to find one that is a good fit for our group. However, along the way, I have learned a few things or maybe I should say, I've been reminded of a few things.

Here are a couple of the things I've read lately that got me thinking:

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.  ~ Colossians 3:17


and


Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  ~ Ephesians 5:19-20


Ok, so I'm going to be honest here.  I'm not really a bible reader.  I mean I went to Catholic school from the time I was in preschool until I graduated from high school, so I know the bible.  But I don't sit and read it (although we do have this bible and Smiley could sit on my lap and have me read it to her for hours), nor have I completed a bible study as an adult.   But the books I've been reading have been insightful and have made me think about many areas of my life.  


Obviously by reading the bible passages above, one of those areas is thankfulness.


There are so many things I am thankful for.  Things that are big and things that are small.  And while I am thankful and appreciative for my live and all of the blessings in it, I know I fail to recognize many of them.  And besides thanking my husband, children and other family members for things, I need to remember to look around and truely thank God for so much more.


So, call this a New Years resolution if you wish, but I am calling it a goal, perhaps I should describe it more as a challenge to myself ~ to daily acknowledge something I am thankful for, whether it is "big" or "small" because really, isn't it all big?


Starting today, when I write a new post, I will place what I am thankful for at the end.  Hopefully this will keep me accountable.


And in the words of an old church hymn:

"Count your many blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done."

1.  The first day of a brand new year

2.  One more day of sleeping in before Christmas break is over

3.  Routine ~ although it is hard to get back into it, it is good

4.  A night of nothing

5. Bookstores ~ the sights, smells and sounds.... I could stay forever

6. A quiet 20 minute nap in the middle of the afternoon

7. My hubby ~ you are missed when you are gone

8. The sound of Smiley little voice talking to her dolls upon waking after a good nights sleep

9. Cinnamon rolls (especially the freezer ones ☺)

A Glimpse

God is everywhere,
in everything,
you just need to stop and look around and savor.

A glimpse of God on our vacation:

the beauty of change

The beauty of a sunset

(I'm a sucker for sunsets☺)

and a full moon

the beauty of animals 

a loon

Click here: to hear their sound

bald eagles

(you'll have to take my word for it, I was a little slow with the camera)

hummingbirds

and

black squirrels

Beautiful

Amazing

God

EVERYWHERE!

Have you caught a glimpse?