Tomorrow I am turning 30.
Wince.
Sob.
Sigh.
Accept.
Tomorrow I say good-bye to my 20's and hello to the doorstep toward Middle-Aged Land.
I know most ppl in my life who ARE over 30 are laughing at me, telling me to "come on in, the water's fine!"... I don't really have a choice BUT to come wade into the water.. I can't turn back time (and if it means being Cher, why would I want to?!BUT I digress..)
I have spent 12 months knowing tomorrow would come, and dreading it.
But I haven't been idle with my time.
I've done alot of things that I have wanted to do for years...
I am taking piano lessons, to learn an instrument (and I really enjoy it!)
I am actively trying to learn how to roller-skate! (yes, already fell!)
Yesterday I got a perm for the first time in my life.. and I DO love the way it looks! If I'm gonna get old, at least I can feel beautiful doing it...
You could say I've kinda had a mini-29-yr-old life crisis.
So much of what I have focused on this year has been "before I turn 30"...
But now that day is a mere 11hours away, and I look back over the last 12 months, and you know what??
Twenty-nine was a great year for me!!!
And I stop, catch a breath, think about all the ways I am truely blessed, and know that walking into my 30's,
well, I'm gonna be just fine.
I've found love... the kind that lasts a lifetime...
I've been blessed with these two amazing Elephants to watch and help grow...
I've got the basic necessities of life covered and don't want for anything truely necessary to life....
And most important, I've got my Savior to guide me on my journey.
Yes, I may be saying goodbye to a decade that holds a spectrum of amazing memories (college life, falling in love, marriage, babies, growing spiritually) but I am truely hopeful about the time AHEAD, knowing that "further up and further in," (see C.S. Lewis) is where the greater joy of this journey of life awaits.
I am getting old.
Tomorrow I turn 30...
And I can smile about that!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
The Best for Them
All I really want in my parenting is to do the best thing for my kids. The hubs and I have made many decisions for the sake of the "best " for these two little Elephants, and I know that many of them go against the flow of the general population...
We are going to homeschool. We enforce vegetables, and dont believe in "picky eaters". We will spank if the situation warrants it (gasp!!). We are doing without alot of "things" for the sake of Daddy spending more time at home, being very present and involved in their lives. We cut out influences we don't agree with (we did not go see Cars 2 based on the needless violence). We are not popular....
But still we press on.
Now, do I think that all of these choices are going to miraculously keep my children from some evil harm? Why would I assume to be that niave? In reality, I know they have friends in public school, and are going to "hear" all the same stuff that the other kids do. I know they will rebel about something, at some point, and that is normal. They do put up a fight about the broccoli at dinner. (they are kids!) They do not appreciate the swats on the bottom for disrespecting us. They have seen movies/t.v. shows we don't approve of. Our kids are in the real world.
But still we press on.
Because in this world of "whats right for me may not be right for you, but thats okay we are both still right".. We still believe in absolute truth. There is THE right, and THE wrong. There is THE truth, and THE false. And embedded in the choices we have made about how we raise our family, the core of it centers around Jesus Christ. NO I AM NOT SAYING that all of our choices are superior. We are homeschooling because we feel its the best educational fit for a too-smart-and-mischevious-for-his-own-good little boy. It happens to work out that we can impliment the Bible and Jesus Christ into our school time, since we have the freedom to do so.
I do NOT think broccoli is going to get them closer to Heaven. But a good nutritional base now increases their chance of having a strong, healthy body for serving the Lord later on.
I do NOT think spanking is for every child, or that the Bible says not doing it everytime is wrong. Some kids are too emotionally sensitive to endure that type of correction.
We don't think we have all THE answers or the FINAL word about how to raise children.
But we do the best for OUR two elephants, because we want to raise them in an environment that upholds Jesus Christ as the Lord and THE answer, and THE truth. And the choices we have made for them are NOT popular. (Trust me, we have gotten lots of comments).
But we press on.
We will do the best for them.
Because He called us to. :)
We are going to homeschool. We enforce vegetables, and dont believe in "picky eaters". We will spank if the situation warrants it (gasp!!). We are doing without alot of "things" for the sake of Daddy spending more time at home, being very present and involved in their lives. We cut out influences we don't agree with (we did not go see Cars 2 based on the needless violence). We are not popular....
But still we press on.
Now, do I think that all of these choices are going to miraculously keep my children from some evil harm? Why would I assume to be that niave? In reality, I know they have friends in public school, and are going to "hear" all the same stuff that the other kids do. I know they will rebel about something, at some point, and that is normal. They do put up a fight about the broccoli at dinner. (they are kids!) They do not appreciate the swats on the bottom for disrespecting us. They have seen movies/t.v. shows we don't approve of. Our kids are in the real world.
But still we press on.
Because in this world of "whats right for me may not be right for you, but thats okay we are both still right".. We still believe in absolute truth. There is THE right, and THE wrong. There is THE truth, and THE false. And embedded in the choices we have made about how we raise our family, the core of it centers around Jesus Christ. NO I AM NOT SAYING that all of our choices are superior. We are homeschooling because we feel its the best educational fit for a too-smart-and-mischevious-for-his-own-good little boy. It happens to work out that we can impliment the Bible and Jesus Christ into our school time, since we have the freedom to do so.
I do NOT think broccoli is going to get them closer to Heaven. But a good nutritional base now increases their chance of having a strong, healthy body for serving the Lord later on.
I do NOT think spanking is for every child, or that the Bible says not doing it everytime is wrong. Some kids are too emotionally sensitive to endure that type of correction.
We don't think we have all THE answers or the FINAL word about how to raise children.
But we do the best for OUR two elephants, because we want to raise them in an environment that upholds Jesus Christ as the Lord and THE answer, and THE truth. And the choices we have made for them are NOT popular. (Trust me, we have gotten lots of comments).
But we press on.
We will do the best for them.
Because He called us to. :)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
multiple trunkless ones...
After little over a month of being a one-cat family, my hubby decided that Licorice needed a playmate. This is the same man who, when we married, "hated" cats... now he wanted 2!? It was an easy decision for him, seeing how he is at work all day, and I do all the pet maintenance around the house. So, after a short talk, we went to the same friends who had given us Licorice, and brought home Stripes yesterday evening.
The little Elephants are already in love, again...
I do have to say, its interesting having two pets when for so many years all our pet aspirations amounted to the idea of fish, and one sad attempt at a turtle out in the back yard.
The problem with these two cats is that, as of right now, they are NOT too thrilled with eachother. Although, we are experiencing a minor victory as I type this... they are both asleep in the same room. Other than that, they have spent all their free time squalling and squabbling about the territory issues. I have given Stripes his own space in the upstairs bathroom, with a litter box and bed and food dishes... Licorice doesn't agree that Stripes should be allowed past the edge of the bathroom door frame. I beg to differ, little kitty. We will keep trying to get them to agree and at least come to ignore/avoid eachother if they can't be friends.... but really, my felines, I just have to know... "Can't we all just get along?!"...
The little Elephants are already in love, again...
I do have to say, its interesting having two pets when for so many years all our pet aspirations amounted to the idea of fish, and one sad attempt at a turtle out in the back yard.
The problem with these two cats is that, as of right now, they are NOT too thrilled with eachother. Although, we are experiencing a minor victory as I type this... they are both asleep in the same room. Other than that, they have spent all their free time squalling and squabbling about the territory issues. I have given Stripes his own space in the upstairs bathroom, with a litter box and bed and food dishes... Licorice doesn't agree that Stripes should be allowed past the edge of the bathroom door frame. I beg to differ, little kitty. We will keep trying to get them to agree and at least come to ignore/avoid eachother if they can't be friends.... but really, my felines, I just have to know... "Can't we all just get along?!"...
Friday, July 22, 2011
I do exist! :)
It's been almost a month... sorry!!
In this month, we have had a blur of a week of VBS at church (nine kids came to know Jesus, yay!!), thrown Pink Elephant her 3rd Birthday... a Belle Tea Party, overflowing with Disney Princess paraphenalia.... (or however you spell that word) ... I've been in a minor car accident and have been dealing with the phone calls and chiropractor appts resulting... All that to say, here I AM! I do exist! :)
Summer is quickly ending. This week I bought Pink Elephant her backpack for her first year of preschool. She wants to wear it everyday, and always asks when she gets to GO to preschool. I'm not ready for my baby to be this old, yet... sigh.
One great activity that we do from spring to late fall is our twice a week trips to the Farmer's Market.
I LOVE the Farmer's Market! We get our eggs and all our veggies from there. Shamelessly, I also enjoy the homemade jams and Amish treats available. :) My kids LOVE to get "honey sticks" . One of the vendors sells honey and makes flavors and colors and puts them in plastic straws.. like a honey pixi-stick. Every Friday, BE and PE get their quarters and pick their flavors.
This summer has been full, and I'm sure in the few weeks remaining it will continue to burst at the seams with activity and adventure. I love it, though. It may be frenzied, it may be hot and hurried, it may be stressful, but it is a summer in both my precious little ones' lives that won't come again. I love to make memories with my treasured children. If I have to be over-busy for a season, its worth the sacrifice! :)
Alas, I shall strive to not sacrifice (so drastically) the time between my blog updates! :)
In this month, we have had a blur of a week of VBS at church (nine kids came to know Jesus, yay!!), thrown Pink Elephant her 3rd Birthday... a Belle Tea Party, overflowing with Disney Princess paraphenalia.... (or however you spell that word) ... I've been in a minor car accident and have been dealing with the phone calls and chiropractor appts resulting... All that to say, here I AM! I do exist! :)
Summer is quickly ending. This week I bought Pink Elephant her backpack for her first year of preschool. She wants to wear it everyday, and always asks when she gets to GO to preschool. I'm not ready for my baby to be this old, yet... sigh.
One great activity that we do from spring to late fall is our twice a week trips to the Farmer's Market.
I LOVE the Farmer's Market! We get our eggs and all our veggies from there. Shamelessly, I also enjoy the homemade jams and Amish treats available. :) My kids LOVE to get "honey sticks" . One of the vendors sells honey and makes flavors and colors and puts them in plastic straws.. like a honey pixi-stick. Every Friday, BE and PE get their quarters and pick their flavors.
This summer has been full, and I'm sure in the few weeks remaining it will continue to burst at the seams with activity and adventure. I love it, though. It may be frenzied, it may be hot and hurried, it may be stressful, but it is a summer in both my precious little ones' lives that won't come again. I love to make memories with my treasured children. If I have to be over-busy for a season, its worth the sacrifice! :)
Alas, I shall strive to not sacrifice (so drastically) the time between my blog updates! :)
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