Time flies.

Is it really 5 years ago that I was great with my first child? FIVE years that I have been a mother?? I look at Grace today and am stunned at how quickly time has gone by. It seems just yesterday that I was up in the middle of the night with my newborn, reading the latest installment of Harry Potter while nursing her back to sleep. Just yesterday that a huge 3 -4 foot stork came to visit and walk around in my pool when Grace was just a few days old. My mom and I think he was making sure all was well at our home.

When Grace was just a few weeks old, I recall meeting my friends with their newborns at the Cocoa Village park. We strolled through the park, talking about motherhood and how it had changed us and what we were anticipating. One friend said, "Do you know what I'm most looking forward to? Bubble baths!" It's such a simple thing. And now I think about how we ran out of Bubble Bath a few months ago and I haven't bothered to replace it, thinking of it as unimportant.

My girl is tall and skinny, with curly hair that she hates to have brushed. Her legs are so long that I've suggested she wear bike shorts under her dresses, which she refuses. She loves to play with friends, and she puts on these new high heeled shiny red dress shoes that are 2 sizes too big for her every chance she gets, so that she can tap dance on our wood floor to songs on TV. Her current favorite is a song Big Bird sings when he misses his best friend, Snuffy, on "Elmo Saves Christmas." She wears hair bows and head bands, sometimes all at once, and loves to dress up and be "fancy". She has a closet filled with dresses. I don't know how to break it to her that in kindergarten, she must wear the school uniform: Khaki shorts or skirts, with a leather belt, and solid navy, green or white polo shirts. I'm sure she'll find a way to fancy it up--probably with elaborate hairbows and pins.

Her last day of preschool was yesterday. When I picked her up from school, I almost cried. I didn't--but it was a very close call. To reflect on the past 5 years and realize that my girl is starting kindergarten in the fall is quite a reality check. Time goes by so quickly--the present is so fleeting. How much time have I wasted worrying about tomorrow or dwelling on the past? Today is all I have. CS Lewis talks about this concept in the Screwtape Letters, where in a demon is advising a subordinate how to trip up humans:

The humans live in time but our Enemy destines them to eternity. He therefore, I believe, wants them to attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of time which they call the Present. For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity. Of the present moment, and of it only, humans have an experience analogous to the experience which our Enemy has of reality as a whole; in it alone freedom and actuality are offered them. He would therefore have them continually concerned either with eternity (which means being concerned with Him) or with the Present--either meditating on their eternal union with, or separation from, Himself,or else obeying the present voice of conscience, bearing the present cross, receiving the present grace, giving thanks for the present pleasure.

Our business is to get them away from the eternal, and from the Present. . . . We sometimes tempt a human. . . to live in the Past. But this is of limited value, for they have some real knowledge of the past and it has a determinate nature and, to that extent, resembles eternity. It is far better to make them live in the Future. . . . It is unknown to them, so that in making them think about it we make them think of unrealities. In a word, the Future is, of all things, the thing least like eternity. It is the most completely temporal part of time--for the Past is frozen and no longer flows, and the Present is all lit up with eternal rays. . . . Gratitude looks to the past and love to the present; fear, avarice, lust and ambition look ahead.

To be sure, the Enemy wants men to think of the Future, too--just so much as is necessary for now planning the acts of justice or charity which will probably be their duty tomorrow. The duty of planning the morrow's work is today's duty; though its material is borrowed from the future, the duty, like all duties, is in the Present. . . He does not want men to give the Future their hearts, to place their treasure in it. His ideal is a man who, having worked all day for the good of posterity, washes his mmind of the whole subject, commits the issue to Heaven, and returns at once to the patience or gratitude demanded by the moment that is passing over him.

Oh, to be the ideal human. Steven Curtis Chapman sings a song called, "Miracle of the Moment."

AJ was watching Dora the Explorer, talking to her when she asked questions, and getting really into it. Then some farm animals were hiding and you had to tell by their sound where the pig was. Well, a cow was hiding behind a tractor, and poor AJ jumped up, terrified, and ran out of the room!!! He stood in the hallway, whimpering, until I realized what had happened. I explained it was just a cow saying, "Moo" and then he came back in the room to sit on my lap. Two year olds.

The Easiest Cake recipe

Someone sent this recipe to me years ago, and it's always turned out moist, flavorful, and delicious.

Take a box of cake mix, a can of pie filling, and 3 eggs. Throw it all in your mixer and mix. Bake according to cake box directions. YUM!!!

I like devil's food chocolate with cherry pie filling, lemon with cherry pie filling, yellow cake with strawberry pie filling, chocolate with apple pie filling. . seriously, you CANNOT go wrong here. And it has ALWAYS turned out wonderful! I get compliments on it every time I make it! So there's my secret. Enjoy.

Asparagus

I took the kids to a U-Pick farm today and we had a great time selecting and picking our own asparagus. The farm provided baskets and knives, and we did the rest. Grace selected each asparagus (it had to be longer than 6" for the $1/lb rate) and I would cut it off and put it in her basket. She loved it. And I bet she actually eats it for dinner tonight. I found a great asparagus recipe on All Recipes. AJ put his basket on his head and played in the dirt.

Pictures to follow shortly.

Memorial Day Weekend

Only in Utah does it snow Memorial Day Weekend.

I spent Friday afternoon-Saturday afternoon on a ladies' retreat with my church at the Brighton Chalet. I carpooled with 6 other women from my home group, had tacos for dinner, played the card game "Sevens" twice and managed to stay away from a negative score both times, ate Twizzlers and Reeses' Pieces and pretzels and drank Diet Coke, stayed up until 1:30am talking with my roommates. . . .aaahhh, it's better than summer camp! :) We got flurries all evening to go with the cozy weather. Someone saw a black bear. Someone else saw a porcupine.

Terry, Grace and AJ picked me up at the conclusion of the retreat and we headed to Park City. We discovered that the road we intended to take was still closed due to snow. We headed back through the chalet area, and pulled into a parking lot where Terry discovered, to my horror, the women from church who had stayed to go hiking. I pretended I didn't know them and asked him to ask someone else for directions. Of course they saw me. Of course they knew how to get to Park City. Of course they had extra snacks for my grumpy children. Of course they knew that I had intentionally not made eye contact!

So here we are, at the same place we stayed back in February. The dogs love it. It's like Doggy Day Camp for them, romping with the owners' two dogs, and getting acquainted with the three horses in the backyard of this 7-acre slice of heaven. The kids played and pet the horses, enjoyed the hot tub, and went to bed early after I made Baked Ziti (well, pasta Shells, really, but who's getting technical here?). I could really use some more chocolate. I was very spoiled last night with the free for all for candy going on.

Tomorrow, we're taking the kids and dogs on a 1 mile hike over a little hill to see an incredible view and have a picnic. I don't care how tired my children get, I am not carrying them. They have legs. Let them walk. Perhaps we can rig some kind of a sleigh up to the dogs. .. . Just kidding.

So here it is, Memorial Day weekend, in the 40's. I'm not sure if I miss 95+ degree weather in Florida or not, currently.

Maria Sue Chapman 2003-2008

Stephen Curtis Chapman's beautiful adopted daughter, Maria Sue, was tragically killed in an accident at their family home yesterday afternoon. My heart breaks for this family. Stephen's music has blessed me so much. I hope that God will find a way to bless him and comfort him during this time. It makes one realize how short life really is. We think we're going to live forever, but ultimately, we only live forever when we find life in Christ. My prayers and thoughts are with this family. My Grace is the same age as Maria, and I'm hugging my girl extra closely right now.

Grace's Preschool Program

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2008947591335330571&hl=en]Remember, they're process-oriented, not results-driven, as their teacher pointed out in a letter before the program!!

Grace's Dance

This was their "practice" for a local middle school, preparing for their "official" dance revue coming up June 5.

 

Pride is a Cheater

My name is Pride. I am a cheater.
I cheat you of your God-given destiny. . . because you demand your own way.
I cheat you of contentment . . . because you "deserve better than this."
I cheat you of knowledge . . .because you already know it all.
I cheat you of healing . . .because you're too full of me to forgive.
I cheat you of holiness. . . because you refuse to admit when you're wrong.
I cheat you of vision . . . because you'd rather look in the mirror than out a window.
I cheat you of genuine friendship . . . because nobody's going to know the real you.
I cheat you of love. . . because real romance demands sacrifice.
I cheat you of greatness in heaven . . . because you refuse to wash another's feet on earth.
I cheat you of God's glory . . .because I convince you to seek your own.
My name is Pride. I am a cheater.
You like me because you think I'm always looking out for you. Untrue.
I'm looking to make a fool of you.
God has so much for you, I admit, but don't worry . . .
If you stick with me
You'll never know.
--Beth Moore, from Praying God's Word

"Pride goes before destruction, a hau

Conversing with a 4 Year Old

Background: Terry said Grace was overtired and coloring to calm down before bed. Unfortunately, several crayons are missing, including tan and brown. This is how our phone conversation went:

Me: "Hi, baby. How are you?"
GP: "Good. What color makes brown?"
Me: "Umm, I don't know. Do you want to say bedtime prayers over the phone?
GP: "Yes. . . . " halfway through the prayer, she breaks off--'Are you in my bedroom? Can you make sure we use the same words that are in the prayer in my room? (The difference being the word "Guard" vs. "be with")
Me: "Yes, honey. BE. . . "

We finish her prayers.. . . "AMEN!"
GP: "Mommy, what color should I make the princess' hands and feet?"
Me: "Why don't you color her hands and feet the same as her face?"
GP: "Oh. Red. Okay. Bye!"

She's so funny.

The Business of Being Born.

AMAZING movie. Every woman who is pregnant, thinks that someday she might want to be pregnant, or is just interested in birth in general should watch this. And the men who think they'll be daddies someday, too!!!

It's the best 1:24 you'll spend watching a motion picture. :) They even interviewed my hero, Ina May Gaskin. The Business of Being Born

Fireproof the Movie

This movie is coming out in fall 2008. The latest movie from the creators of the movie Facing the Giants, Fireproof is the story of a firefighter, his wife, and a marriage worth rescuing. I can't wait to see it!