I know you're wondering...

She (they) made it safely and we're having a great time!!! I'll blog more...soon.

This is the day!!!!

We're counting down from 10 hours...

I'm about to jump out of my skin....I'm SO EXCITED!!

From one Cracked Pot to another...

A friend sent this to me and I wanted to share...

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots; each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck...

One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."

The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?"

"That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them."

"For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.

Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.

You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

SO, to all of my crackpot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!

OKay Folks...

...She's in the air!!!!!! with a few layovers...and after a SUPERLONG flight and not much sleep...she'll be landing (with ED, of course).

We got a piano!!!

If you've read my blog for very long...you know that one of the things I love MOST is when the King sits down at the piano to play..anything. We didn't have a super nice one in the states...but we had one. The Prince has had some lessons and we wanted to get the kids going again. However, we're strangers in this land and were unsure if it was a wise investment. The King plays on the one belonging to some relatively close neighbors, but...it's not the same as having his own. Anyway...I've been pleading my case for a couple of months...the kids could take lessons...I could practice, too...it'd be good for my arthritis...it's good for my mental health to hear you play...you could keep writing songs...it'll add to our family worship time...yada yada yada. You get the point. Apparently he did, too.

This one is German and has a great sound...or it could just be that I've been deprived and ANYthing sounds good...not.

It came with this purple cover...there is so much dust that settles every day. It'll help to care for it.

I haven't been able to keep the kids OFF of it. They REALLY want to learn. I don't have books to teach them...so we've been surfing the net...looking for stuff.

Apparently, the Princess loves to hear him play, too...

A day in the life...

Husbands alarm goes off...
10 min. later mine does...
MORNING TIME!
Morning Ablutions... (I've always thought that was a neat word...I'm weird, I know.)
Some quiet time before kids get up...or rather get dragged out of bed!
Start breakfast and stirring children...
Last child to the table has "trash" duty... (in the states...no big deal...here...much bigger deal!)
Breakfast and small devotional
Kitchen cleanup and school begins...each in his own room...King at the table
Morning routine and snack
More school and then lunch
After lunch is "downtime" LOVE THIS! Wish we had siesta time in the states! Sometimes it actually means I get a nap!
Check email/blog comments
Outside time until it gets too hot. Bikes, ripstick, sunshine!
Tutoring from 3-5
Cook dinner
Clean up
Family devo. time
Dancing with National Ladies (more like aerobics)

Now mix in a daily does of never knowing who's going to call to do something, random chances to practice language, College class schedule, Tae Kwon Do, grocery shopping, Post Office runs, errands to pay bills, etc.
I left out a few things, but really it doesn't seem like all that much...but somehow there are many days when I get to the end of the day exhausted and wonder WHAT I actually accomplished because I KNOW I was busy all day!

Lately God has reminded me to be intentional. Be intentional. Simple enough. Not really, for me anyway. I fight the battle daily of what is good versus what is important. I find that the urgent sometimes pushes out the important. And the urgent is not always most important. For example, language learning is very important..for many reasons, but the needs of my family, RIGHT NOW, sometimes push language learning/studying to the back burner. So, I'm practicing intentionality. Not a new concept to me, but one I seem to need reminding of when life gets busy. How about you?

Blessings...

I started to post just to get MKRH off the top (she hates the spotlight), but as I scrolled through some pics to post, I found this one (that I LOVE) of another BFF(whom I LOVE)...I got to thinking how blessed I am. Truly.

Let me explain a little...

I am a creature of habit. I like order and some spontaneity thrown in to spice things up( I love surprises!), so I would probably stayed relatively close to my small hometown my whole life, but God had other plans and in those plans I have been abundantly blessed. Change is hard for me...always, but after the initial shock wears off, it's like peeling back layers of an onion to find blessings hidden in places I'd never look. God has moved my family (immediate and extended) to various places and I have never been happy about it. I've had to fight jealous feelings(for years) of those whose parents (and siblings) live in the same town and get to watch their grandkids grow up. I watched many a friend get put out with their mom or MIL because they are TOO close, when mine have not been for most of my adult life. I would have changed that about my life if I could...but...God has given me some things that many people don't have...friends that are as close as family. Friends who would fly to ABQ to be with me at the funeral of my beloved brother. Friends who would show up with bags of grocery items during my husbands chemo because they knew shopping for toilet paper was not on the top of my list at the time. Friends who would drive hours to spend less than 24 hours with us...just to be with us. Friends who would shop for VBS items at 10:30 at night because it was the only time I could and we could be together. Friends who would move us in and out of homes. Friends who would celebrate with us the births of children by waiting hours in the waiting room for one and then showing up at the break of day to welcome the other. Friends who watched my kids while I was out of the country or at a conference, etc. Friends who love, encourage, support, and strengthen us in so many ways. Every place we've lived we've made these lifelong friends. I've always tried to be thankful for that particular "season" of life when they were a constant. Now, though, when we are on the other side of the world...it is truly impossible to say what all the friendships mean...when a card arrives....when a care package arrives...when the newest Karen Kingsbury book comes in a single package...when a skype comment is left...when an email comes...when an "I prayed for you today" comes our way... when the burdens are shared, then the joys are multiplied. And then...add back into that mix the wonderful families we are so blessed to come from and who could ever complain about anything (other than not enough time with them)?

I am truly humbled that the God of the universe would bless me with these. You are one of these and I thank the Lord for you...daily. :)

Happy Birthday, BFF!

One WEEK from today I'll be picking you (and ED) up from the airport! I'm SOO excited!

However, I hope today you are marinated in God's richest blessings! Soak them in, friend. You are a treasure. Love you.

Wish the whole family was coming...but I'm glad they're letting you come! These are the only pics I have that I didn't think you kill me for posting!

Do you hear it?...

It's the Prince singing the Hallelujah chorus because we found Dr. Pepper and it's only a 15 minute walk from our house. It's not cheap, but it's available. :)

Happy Birthday BFF.

The Princess misses you...more than you'll ever know. Happy birthday, sweet one. We all love you much! Enjoy your smilebox.

Can it be? A wordless post...

A thought for the day...

Every day you live you're in the process of becoming. WHAT you become, however, depends on what you give yourself to.

Author Unknown

Happy Mother's Day to me...

My daughter made me a panda of cotton balls and pipe cleaners, a bouquet of flowers from colorful pipe cleaners, and wrote me "a book". My son wrote me a poem (which was a labor of love, because he recently finished a poetry unit and he "never wants to write another poem as long as I live") and my husband game me a beautiful bouquet of flowers as well and of course...no cooking.

I don't know why the pictures are sideways. They are not that way on my computer and I've tried to change it. Oh, well.


The Princess locked herself in her room and forbid anyone to come it. She was creating... The book says, "Mom is graet. She is preety. She is a good cook. She make's good food. She cudel's with me. She read's with me. She talk's with me. She is graet."


The Prince wrote,
"My mom is the greatest
I know that is true.
She has the greatest singing voice
And the greatest hairdo.

She gives the best back rubs
And makes the best food.
She has the best looks
And the greatest attitude.

My mom walks with God
And loves me for who I am.
If she asked, "Do you love me?"
I would say, "Yes, ma'am!"



Thank you to the Father, who has, for now, blessed me with these children.

A blast from my past...

I just received an email from my best High School friend. She moved in the middle of our Jr. year and eventually we lost track. Our birthdays are two days apart and I've prayed for her every year on her special day.

Repeat, if you read this, please know how thrilled I am to be back in touch with you. Let's not lose touch again.

Now to those of you who are thinking of a dear friend fondly, whether you know where they are or not. Stop and lift them up to the Father. He knows where they are.

Be encouraged today. You are dear friends to me and I thank my God upon every remembrance of you. ;)

UPDATE: Here's a picture. She hasn't changed A BIT!!!

Happy Mother's Day.

My Mom, MIL, and SIL all sent this to me...thought I'd share it with you. ;)

Before I was a Mom ,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom ,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom ,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom ,
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her (or him) down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.!
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom .

Before I was a Mom ,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body..
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom ,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom .
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom .

For all of you mothers, for those wanting and hoping to be, for those struggling to be...

May you always be overwhelmed by the Grace of God rather than by the cares of life.

An idea for you...

My MIL sent this to me recently in a care package and I haven't started it yet with the Princess because I'm reading ahead and gathering some supplies that are not readily available, but...it is precious. For all you mothers of young daughters...check it out. See what you think.

Ever felt this way? LOL.

• AAADD
• They have finally found a diagnosis for my condition. I have Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder...
• This is how it goes: I decide to wash the car; I start toward the garage and notice the mail on the table. OK, I'm going to wash the car.
• But first I'm going to go through the mail. I lay the car keys down on the desk, discard the junk mail and I notice the trashcan is full. OK, I'll just put the bills on my desk and take the trashcan out,
• But since I'm going to be near the mailbox anyway, I'll pay these few bills first. Now, where is my checkbook?
• Oops, there's only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk. Oh, there's the coke I was drinking. I'm going to look for those checks.
• But first I need to put my coke further away from the computer, oh maybe I'll pop it into the fridge to keep it cold for a while. I head towards the kitchen and my flowers catch my eye, they need some water. I set the coke on the counter and find my glasses. I was looking for them all morning! I'd better put them away first.
• I fill a container with water and head for the flower pots. Someone left the TV remote in the kitchen. We'll never think to look in the kitchen tonight when we want to watch television
• So I'd better put it back in the family room where it belongs. I splash some water into the pots and onto the floor, I throw the remote onto a soft cushion on the sofa and I head back down the hall trying to figure out what it was I was going to do?
• End of Day: The car isn't washed ; the bills are unpaid ; the coke is sitting on the kitchen counter ; the flowers are half watered ; the checkbook still only has one check in it and I can't seem to find my car keys!
• When I try to figure out how come nothing got done today, I'm baffled because I KNOW I WAS BUSY ALL DAY LONG! I realize this is a serious condition and I'll get help,
BUT FIRST I think l'll check my e-mail.

Happy Birthday, My Hampsome Man.

Hey Dad! I love this picture! I hope you like your Smilebox. We are missing you. I have a favorite picture of us that I couldn't scan...we were on the family cruise, dancing around the dinner table...remember? I love that.

I hope your day is wonderful. You are and have always been a wonderful Dad and I am and will always be a Daddy's girl--through and through. Miss you much and love you more. CYH.

A book I'm reading...

Of course, I stole the picture....so you can't click to look inside.

I wanted to share something that I read today.

"Parenting is not just providing good input. It is not just creating a constructive home atmosphere and positive interaction between a child and his parents. There is another dimension. The child is interacting with the living God (emphasis mine). He is either worshipping and serving and growing in understanding of the implications of who God is, or he is seeking to make sense of life without a relationship with God. If he is living as a fool who says in his heart there is no God, he doesn't cease to be a worshipper-he simply worships what is not God. Part of the parent's task is to shepherd him as a creature who worships, pointing him to the One who alone is worthy of his worship. The question is not 'will he worship?' It is always 'whom will he worship?'"

Food for thought...

Goodies recieved...

They LOVE their new hats...of course the Prince loves anything with longhorns on it.


Matching shirts...how tall the Prince really is...compared to...

...how tall he THINKS he is. LOL.

For the taking...

Been away for a few days, but some of you requested this photo from the Smilebox. So...right click and steal to your hearts content. You know I would...DO. I've already confessed (multiple times) to being a blog thief. LOL.