Stream: From my brain to yours...

There is lots to write about and not enough time to write it.  I have a running list of things I want to blog about, but once the kids are in bed and everything that I need to do in the evening is done, I'm tired.  Or it's 9:46 p.m., like right now.  And my bedtime is at 10:00.  Can't blog much in 14 minutes.

Tonight, my husband asked me the question, "Are you sewing?  Are you actually sitting there sewing?"  No, but I was ripping out a seam, which is sort of in the same category, right?  Turns out that we have moved onto Costume/outfit 2 of 4 that Rex needs this week:  a town crier costume.  Now, if I were my best friend from high school, Sasha, I would simply pull out my material, thread, and sewing machine and whip somthing up.  She's super duper creative that way.  And handy.  But unfortunately, Rex doesn't have Sasha for a mother; he's stuck with me.  So here was my plan:  go to the after-Halloween sales, find a costume that works (I did--a vampire costume that is perfect, minus the bat collar.), and alter it.  So I was ripping out the seam and removing said bat collar.  I felt slightly domestic for a moment.

There is a sub woofer working its magic outside right now.  Not quite rattling the windows, but close.

My legs and back ache, and my sneezes feel like I'm getting sick.  Uh oh.

Back to the town crier:  tomorrow morning, Rex gives his presentation on Medieval Farming.  The 4th graders at our school have been studying the Medieval period for the last few weeks, and it culminates in tomorrow's presentations (which parent are invited to) and feast (which they most certainly are not!).  Rex will lead the classes through the halls of the school as the town crier, announcing the coming of the queens (the 2 teachers).  His costume is awesome, and I can't wait to see him and the rest of his classmates tomorrow!

My friend, Jessica, has been on my mind all day.  Praying for her tonight as her husband lies in ICU, recovering from a very serious operation.  Praising God that he is alive and that he was able to talk to her tonight!

The house is quiet.  Neil had a rough day and was in bed by 6:30.  I wonder what time he'll be up tomorrow morning.  And I wonder if he'll remember these rough days when he grows up.

I like chocolate.  There is a lot of chocolate around here right now.

I leave you with a preview photo of Rex, the Town Crier...

Trick-or-treat!

Hearing Rex's annual costume idea is always a favorite part of October.  He's so creative, and I love how he comes up with an idea and sticks with it, rarely wavering.  Neil, on the other hand, was changing costume ideas on me, literally, until the last minute.  To the point where I finally had to say, "No!  You said that you wanted to be a tiger.  You are GOING to be a tiger!"

So, without further ado....meet our Bag of Jelly Beans Rex, Tiger Neil, Princess Beth (Yes, it's the same outfit as before--still--with pants underneath this time.), and First-time Trick-or-Treat-er Tom.  He was supposed to join Rex as a bag o' jelly beans, but having him carry a jelly bean (er, a balloon) was about as far as we got.

Update on my dad

Last on my first-day-of-November blog post list (last but certainly not least) is to give an update on my dad.  I hardly can believe how well he's doing, but it's true--he's been home from the hospital for over a week now, and today, he got a really good report from his doctor.  He doesn't even have to go back to the doctor for another month!  He still can't drive, is taking it easy on steps, and is breathing with oxygen quite a bit of the time, but considering where he was a couple of weeks ago, we are thrilled.  God is the Great Physician, and we are beyond grateful for His healing.  Thank you, Lord!

Beth the Ballerina

When I was out of town a couple of weeks ago, Beth went to ballet class with her friend, S.  S's mom texted me with this picture, and I thought she meant that they just got dressed up as ballerinas.  No.  They actually went to ballet--I would love to see 3-year-old ballet class!

My favorite part (besides the obvious adorable cuteness)?  Beth's foot attire.  :)

November WIGs

Have you heard the new buzzword?  I hadn't.  But now I have.  WIGs....Wildly Important Goals.  Word on the street is that having one goal isn't enough but having four or more is too many.  Two or three goals is the optimum number for making sure that your goals are met.

So I have some personal WIGs for November: 
1)  Blog each day.
2)  Do my Bible study each day. (We are studying Acts this year in BSF.)
3)  Go to bed at 10 p.m. on school nights.

Blogging doesn't seem particularly important when you add the "wildly" adverb to the deal, but I'm going with it.  As for the other two, these are both important area that have lacked discipline in my life.  I am a night owl, so if I hit WIG #3, I will even be impressed with myself.  Honestly, I just hardly believe that it's possible, as it's so against my default.  But here, on Nov. 1, it seems like a good thing to shoot for....and actually try to hit.  As for #2, I would prefer that it was such a part of my daily routine that it doesn't even need to be a WIG, but alas, it's not.  I haven't had all of my BSF homework done even one time yet this year.

It is absolutely worth mentioning that, in my own strength and stick-to-itiveness, these goals will not be met.  Period.  I've tried that.  Over and over, actually.  But God actually can and does give strength to do what seems impossible when it will bring Him glory and when He so desires.  So I am asking Him to strengthen me to meet these goals for His glory alone.  I believe that recording what He is doing pleases His heart, studying His Word will draw me closer and make me more like Him, and getting to bed earlier will make our mornings go more smoothly and will help all around as we try to raise our kids well.  I can try to pretend that lack of sleep doesn't effect me, but of course that's ridiculous.  A tired mama most often = a slow morning, a short fuse, and a negative start to the day.

Looking forward to this month of WIGgin' it up, trusting God, and seeing what happens!

NaBloPoMo, Day 1

So what is NaBloPoMo, you may be asking?  NaBloPoMo (which I can't say 3 times fast, even if I try) is National Blog Posting Month, which just happens to be in November.  November is also National Adoption Month.  Clearly, the latter is more important than the former, but hopefully, the former will give me some space, time, and motivation to write more about the latter.

This month, you will find me writing lots of different kinds of things.  I will be posting updates on our family (hopefully with lots of pictures!).  I will be writing about encounters I have with people in the city.  I will be attempting to move far forward in the Our Cramazing May episodes (which I have given myself just one short year to finish in total...I have a long way to go).

Life is moving at break-neck speed....it's just kind of the way it is, I think.  But all I have to do is spend time perusing through my first blog book to know why I do this:  This is a record of our family.  This blog houses our memories on paper, rather than just leaving them to be forgotten in our ever-fading memories.  This blog will be read by our children and maybe even by their children.  How are we living?  What things do we care about?  What are we learning?  What fun things do we do as a family?  These aren't getting collected elsewhere these days--In my dreams, I am a "scrapper" (shout out to one of my fav movies, New in Town!)--but that's not my life, so this is a great alternative.

Let the NaBloPoMo adventure begin!  (Think I can do it?  If you are reading this, post a comment below and tell me what you think the odds are that I will actually post at least once each day this month.)

Trusting in the True Keymaster

My Redeemer Lives, by Nicole C. Mullen.
Starry Night, by Chris August.
Some other awesome worship songs I can't remember right now.

What do these have in common?  They were all playing on the radio, one right after the other, as I was driving up to Indianapolis to be with my mom and dad at the hospital tonight.  And they were each, in their own way, one at a time, helping tune my heart to the heart of God.  Perspective, Truth, Reminders of His Sovereignty, Goodness, Faithfulness, and Power.  All very much needed right now.

Dad is in congestive heart failure and today, kidney failure.  It doesn't look good.

Yet tonight, his numbers look much better, his blood pressure is up and potassium is down, and he is talking a little bit more.  It's looking kind of good.  Okay, maybe not good, but definitely better.

While watching him lie there, I was reminded of just how desperate we all are.  The doctors can do what they can; the medicine can help in this way or that; tests can be done; nurses can be called.  But God--the Great Physician Himself--holds the keys to life and death.  He is God of all....He is Everything.

And we have given our lives to Him, the only One who makes the moon reflect the sun, who designed every single starry night, who designed our amazing bodies in such a way that the heart will create its own tiny tributaries where the arteries aren't functioning.  He is the One on whom we cast our cares, our fears, our doubts.  He holds them all right there in His hands, and He never tires of His children crying out.

This is not what I had planned for this week, but there is no place I'd rather be.

The doctors reminded us today that he is very sick.  God has reminded me today that He is very able.  There is no question in my mind that Dad will be healed...I just don't know yet whether it will be here or There.