Choices

This week ...

THE BAD - Pink eye returned, stomach bug, unexpected travels away from home (for the big girls), loads of laundry (thank you stomach bug), gray skies, pimples, cold temps, Patrick MIA, sleepless nights, coughing and more coughing (me), running out of $$ to pay anymore babysitters, the dogs smell, the carpets are so dirty.

THE GOOD -   my washing machine and dryer that can wash HUGE loads, Patrick's job, my job, Maddie got her book report finished (on time), my mom's prayers, paper plates, while picking up dog poop in the backyard I discovered a few tulips coming up, grace, snuggly sheets, great babysitters, frozen pizza,  last day of February, diet Pepsi, Mexican corn chowder, chats with friends and sisters, hope of Jesus and spring. 

Some days I have to make the choice what to focus on the most.  This week has been like that. 

Good or bad.  I haven't been able to pick which has happened, but I can pick which one I will focus on.  And really, the bad hasn't been all that bad, and the good has been really good. 

 For now all I can say is...

WELCOME MARCH!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8829802@N06/sets/72157623402766969/show/

A quote that's got me thinking

"Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day, I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return."

Mary Jean Iron

Nice matters

I have felt pretty yucky today.  Just a cold, but you know how it is.  Nothing feels right, tastes right, achy and bleck.  BUT...

We went to the grocery store to buy dinner for the kids.  Kid Cuisine and Lunchables.  Donuts for dessert.  Top-notch nutrition, I know, but it's all this sick mama could manage. 

On our way out of the store, a lady stopped me and told me that I had a beautiful family.  I told her thank you and said that I agreed with her.  She was so nice to take the time to share with me what she was thinking, and she probably has no idea that she made my day.  My achy, dreary day just got filled with some sunshine.  From a nice stranger.

We watched "Ice Age 3" while we feasted on our unusal dinner.  It was actually perfect.

I hope that in the future  I can be as generous as the nice lady was this afternoon, and make someone else's day brighter.  It sure matters.  

A proclamation For Patrick

Seven years ago, you found me; you introduced yourself to me as WYSCUTCA;  we talked and then we met.  And in an unconventional way, in spite of my untrusting and wounded heart, you worked your way into my life. In truth, it was really "our" life,  the 3 of us, and the "our" never made you think twice.  Then, one Saturday evening during a spring Mass at St. Joes, I fell in love with YOU,  a man of deep faith, strong convictions, and immovable values.  Someone I could believe and trust with my heart, my soul, and my 2 daughters.   Your deep love and compassion for this broken woman gave me a vision for a life that we would build together;  a life that wouldn't be without challenges but one that would be marked with passion, commitment,  and adventure.  You have given me shelter, leadership and your word.   You have changed me in so many ways.  You have modeled for our children the importance of making memories, exercising stewardship, staying true to yourself and the art of how to make chocolate cake over coals and ice cream formed in a ball shaped creamery. You have taken us to oceans, mountains, plains and deserts.  We have slept in tents and palaces.  Your children mean everything to you and your provision and care for all four of them comes from a heart full of tenderness and mercy.  Thank you for loving each one of us.  You have fully formed us as a family.   Thank you for the faithfulness that you promised to me, to us, even before we said our marriage vows. Your actions have removed any doubts that you are a "forever man".  You have made a strong nest of love for me where there is no longer room for fear. Your constant grace and protective care for me have formed a soft place for me to land when others have battled and bruised me.  Thank you for keeping up your search and for finding me.  I am so glad that I took the risk to love you.  Seven years later, I am so thankful and so very, very blessed.  Ours is a sweet life.  You have my love forever.

Flower power

I'm trying to get some color in the house to liven up this cold winter day.  Here are a couple of pillows that I finished up last night.  They match the curtains that I made.  They brought me some happy, as did these pretty flowers!!!  Oh, the power of some bright colors on my spirit!!     

TGIF

 I am thankful that it's Friday.  I have pink-eye, thanks to my sweet Meredith bringing it home from school.  I'm ready for the weekend and for the text from Daddy that says he is on is way home from DIA.    I just finished up a haircut, and now I've promised myself that I am taking the rest of the day "off".  That is going to include reading a great book that I got from my sister for Valentine's Day, a nap, and a trip to Target where I am going to spend $20 on something that I do not need.  Just to make my itchy eyes feel better.  I will probably get my kids a little treat to thank them for putting up with their mama, who has been a tad cranky and a little preoccupied with herself this week (more than usual!).  They are so tolerant and patient with me; they are so understanding and give me so much grace for the times that I don't show up in the right places with the right words or the right heart.  For the rest of the day I will  put all that I didn't do correctly this week behind me, and spend the time hugging and snuggling and kissing.  I will ask them to forgive me for  my "human mommy" mistakes, and promise to try harder and to pray and smile more.  My kids are the best and are always generous in grace and mercy towards me.  What a gift they are and such a beautiful reminder of my Heavenly Father's heart towards me.   I love them so.

My swimming experience thus far

I have tackled a new thing.  Swimming.  In a pool of  water, with a bathing suit on, with a swimming cap and goggles: dorkville!  This may not seem unusual unless you knew that...

1. I am not a good swimmer - AT ALL.
2. I don't like to do things I know I am not good at.       
3.  I am a tad (alot) bit afraid of the water.
4. I do not look good in a bathing suit. 
5.  I do not like not looking good.
6.  I do not like immersing myself in water that is not hot.  like over 100 degrees. I seriously do not like it.

Seriously... on all counts.  #s 1-6.  Reasons that I do not swim. 

But...
Since my heel breaking incident in the fall, my foot is still not very strong and any exercise that I do that has impact on my heel,  hurts.  Very bad.  I can walk on the treadmill for about 15 minutes, do the elliptical for about 20, the bike for longer but it's sort of boring.  So my foot doctor told me that a good thing to do for exercise would be to swim.  I scoffed knowing what you now know about about me.  I don't swim.  My kids will tell you that I don't get into the pool unless someone that I gave birth to is drowning.  Thankfully that hasn't ever happened. 

About 6 weeks ago, I couldn't take the pain in my heel anymore but knew that I wanted to do some cardiovascular exercise.  The excuses were piling up on my backside. ( I'm sure it was those darn excuses  and not the cookies and cakes and desserts that I had over indulged in over the past 3 months.)  So, I decided to, well, pardon the pun... dive in.  I started to swim.  This meant that I was going to need a real bathing suit; (Isn't it always about the outfit for me?  Sigh... )I just knew that the ones that I use in the summer for sitting by the pool were not going to hold up if I was going to be at all serious about this undertaking.  After the sticker shock and the visual humiliation of swim-suit shopping in January, I grabbed my swim cap and goggles, took a deep breath and went to a part of the gym that I had not yet frequented.  I was quite happy to find out that the pool is purified with salt water and not chlorine and that the water is kept at an almost balmy 90 degrees.  My first trip into the water was still a little shocking, but with the water being that warm, I almost didn't mind.  I used a kick board for about 10 minutes straight and then decided to try a regular stroke.  I honestly didn't think that I was going to make it down one length of the pool.  The last 10 yards had me really wondering as I gasped for breath, my tired legs dragging me towards the pool bottom. But I did make it.  And the next time I went in the water, I swam 2 laps of the pool, but not back to back.  the time after that I did that 4 different times.  The more I have gone, the more laps of real swimming I have done.  Yesterday, I even swam full lengths of the pool one right after another.  What I have learned from my swimming experience is this...

1. Being in the water is somewhat therapeutic for my mind and body.
2. I can encounter and overcome my fears as well as ignore my insecurities.
3. I look forward to my swimming days because it is something new, and the challenge has really been something that I really needed.   
4. Some limitations are only there because I put them there.  

I realize that none of this is rocket science, but is pretty funny because swimming is just not something that I ever thought that I would do.  I have had to really get over a lot a lot in order to do this.  I'm just suprised at what the mental rewards have been for me.  I haven't really accomplished anything for a long time, and even though I'm not doing something that is outrageously important,  I am making myself say yes to something I've always said no to... for stupid reasons.  This has been a rather huge place of growth for me.  So... Yay me, if I may say so!!!  Clap, clap, clap.

Coloring

I wish I had a picture to go along with what I'm writing.  But, if I got up to take one, the moment would be ruined.  Michael is sitting near me, at the kitchen table, coloring a Batman picture.  His poke up hair, and Batman jammies complete this peaceful, happy scene.  He just told me that the picture is for Daddy.  My cutie pie has his tongue out, wiggling side to side on his sweet little mouth, concentrating very intently; every once in a while he pauses and puts his hands to his face, inspecting what he just finished.  With his approval,  and sometimes mine, he continues on.  At 4 years old, he is a very good colorer (is that a word?).  He stays in the lines and picks colors that go together perfectly.  This particular picture is VERY colorful.  Daddy's office will be nicely decorated with this picture.   I am blessed to be home with him at this very perfect moment.

(I snuck over and was able to get a couple of photos before he noticed and told me to stop)

Lots of Love!!!

Happy Valentines Day!

Calendar Fun

After Christmas was over and we put away the advent calendar, Michael asked me, "Where did the snowman go?" The "snowman" that he was talking about is the calendar that we use to count down to Christmas.  As you an imagine, it is 24 days worth of pockets that the snowman travels in until it arrives at Christmas day.   This year Michael was completely excited every day to move the snowman closer to Christmas.  This got me thinking about Daddy's trips and how maybe it would make it more fun for the kids (= less annoying for me) to count down to the day that daddy got home from his trip.  So after much ado (trips to HobbyLobby, glue gun, asking other people for their ideas, stiching and painting), I made this countdown calendar.  It has proven to be just as much fun as our Christmas snowman.  The house goes on the number of the day that Daddy will be coming home, and then the airplane travels in the pocket towards the house... it turned out just so very cute and is so much fun for the kids to have a visual for "4 days".  Truthfully, it may be too much fun for Mommy!!!

Our week in pictures

It is Sunday morning and it is snowing outside.  My coffee tastes perfect, and my little doggie is snuggling with me on the bed.  There is still talk of  *if* we are going to church and *who* is going.  Meredith has a cough, Michael "doesn't like church", and we've missed the chance at the first service.  I will probably go by myself to the later service.   It's just looking that way. We got our fireplace fixed and so now we have a chance to use it. It's cozy.  I'm  not that excited about the snow, as I was on my way to spring, but I can't deny that it is pretty out, and we are so much better off than many people who are really getting hammered by the weather today.  AND it IS February... and we DO live in Colorado.  A little reality check there.  We have vacations plans to go here in June, and I am looking forward to it so much.  I can almost smell the ocean air and hear the waves a pounding. Ahhhhh.... I guess I can "endure" a little snow for now.

We've had a nice week at the Henricks' home.  Daddy has been home all week, I've had time to do some projects, and the kids have had fun times.  In the beginning of the month we have a couple of "special days" so we celebrated those.  Michael must have olives on each of his special days.  It's his thing.  I don't know why he has a princess plate in front of him.  Usually if that occurs, he STRONGLY says NO.  

Michael and I have been helping out a friend and taking care of her little baby every once in a while.  His name is Matthew.  We adore him.  He is 4 months old and is a very happy baby.  Michael loves helping out with him, and calls him "baby Matthew".  We got to introduce him to all of the girls this week because we took care of him Friday night.  They were thrilled!  Meredith even held baby Matthew and fed him his bottle. 

Meredith and Michael got to have a friends over on Saturday afternoon, and then unexpectedly, Meredith got to play with her friend Celia on Saturday night.  Meredith is a very social 5 year old, so her friend-tank was running on full and she was running on happy.  Daddy surprised Michael at the last minute with a surprise.  they went to the Monster Truck event!  Michael was so excited!  He came back home to report that it was loud and the trucks were BIG.  I was so happy for them that they got to go on a boys outing together. 

Saturday night, I got to take my small group from church to the bowling alley.  It was so much fun being with them in a more social setting than church.  Last week, we decorated t-shirts for us to wear while we were bowling.  They are THE cutest things, this group of 12-14 year olds.  I love being with them and investing in their sweet lives.  Being a teenager can be a rough few years, but these girls are fairing just fine. They are Godly and beautiful and it has been such a joy for me to have gotten to know them. 

Marky and Maddie haven't been with us for the weekend, but I know that they were getting to go see the play "Annie" at the local dinner theater.  I hope that they had a great time seeing that.  They both planned and took what they were going to wear with them when they left for their dad's house on Friday night.  I'm excited to hear all about it when they come back home this afternoon.  This picture below is my favorite picture of my Maddie-girl.  It was taken last year when we were in California,  and it's my screen saver on my computer.  I love looking at it - it brings me a smile every time!  You can find me staring at it and other pictures of them when missing my big girls becomes too much for me.  

Well that's all the news from these parts today.  I can smell the yummy breakfast that Patrick has made, and I had better go get ready for church!

Predictions

When I am 100   

 I will be

a Grama

By: Meredith Grace

( I LOVE the white hair and of course she is wearing a skirt.)

I've got the spring fever

Forget H1N1... I've got SPRING FEVER!!!

One stroll down the aisles of Target, and you will know what I mean!!! The brightly colored kitchen towels just jump out at you, begging you to take them home and spruce up your dreary, winter abode.  The temps here have been in the upper 40s for the past few days.  The sun has peeked out of the clouds and the snow is almost completely melted off my yard.  I am so thrilled that my house doesn't face north... I don't think I could face the giant piles of snow every day, knowing that they were far from being melted.  Not that my view is anything spectacular, but even the brown grass makes my heart feel a little anticipation of spring.  On Monday, I even opened up a few of my windows!!  It felt delicious.  I am such a warm weather person.  To be honest, I actually prefer HOT weather.  No coats to struggle with, no boots to keep track of, no wet mittens to dry out.  I keep thinking of all of the new plants I put in the ground last year.  They are thrilled with the winter... they are enjoying their rest and will surprise us all *soon*. My snow drops are the first act of the production that takes place in my yard.  Sometimes these precious white friends pop their little heads up as early as February.  Shortly after that, a few crocus will bravely arise.   Until then, I will continue to do my inside projects, enjoy reading by the fire under my Snuggli,  and gaze longingly at the new Spring fashions in the magazines which promise that my sweaters won't be front and center in the closet forever.  That will keep a little bit of hope in my heart to make it through the next couple of months.