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Sew Special

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Over the weekend I made my two oldest boys pajama pants. This week is Spirit Day at their school and each day signifies a different theme. Monday was pajama day so I literally dusted off my sewing machine and very slowly created homemade pjs for my boys. I have a love/hate relationship with sewing. I am not a talented seamstress but really enjoy creating things for my family. It is one of the most discouraging activities I can do but also one of the most rewarding once it’s all done and I have a finished product in my hands.  


At midnight on Sunday, I put the finishing touches to the pants. They were wearing them to school seven hours later. Even those the pattern says it’s Sew Easy, for me, I think it’s Sew Difficult! Several times when I wanted to give up. Like when the bobbin jammed. And when the needle bent. And when the machine wasn’t threaded correctly and I thought it was. And when there were about a million threads everywhere. Sewing is a challenge for me and I don’t have any natural skill. I can get so discouraged but then I remember James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of mnay kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” I felt pride looking upon my work knowing I didn’t give up. Nate’s pj pants were made of light blue flannel and had little lizards in the pattern. It was left-over material from my nephew Josiah’s baby blanket. Even though he’s a senior in high school, they looked seriously cute on him. He was adorable. It was worth it. 

Aaron’s pj pants were black fleece with colorful teddy bears dancing. They looked comfy and hilarious especially when he brought in a stuffed animal and a blankie to complete the look. One of his teachers fell in love with the pants and that’s such a satisfying feeling for me as a mom. Those are the moments when I feel that my perseverance paid off. It was worth the toil and time. The same is true for my faith, I must press on in times of despair and uncertainty. 

If you were to look at the pajama pants you would notice they were not made by a professional seamstress. You don’t even have to get up too close to the pants and you’d know a real amateur made them.  Think about something you need to push through and not give up on. Think about something you want to create. I’d love to hear and see the results.

The next step onto West Point

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Today Nathan got a phone call from the local West Point recruiter.

He is a 1993 graduate and wants to meet my son.

The guy is coming by the school this Wednesday to answer Nathan’s questions and maybe meet with the principal.

One of the things I have appreciated through this whole process is how everyone seems to be very upfront and honest about what it takes to go to West Point Military Academy.

They aren’t sugar-coating this experience; I feel like we are getting an honest appraisal, perhaps more than at a traditional university. 

My son is Army strong but am I?

He can learn to run in the freezing cold and understand military strategy.

He will be able to scale walls and carry a rifle with ease.

But me, y’all, I am so terribly weak and vulnerable. I am such a wimp. Probably can’t even do a decent push up if my life depended on it.

I’m not talking about my physical strength.
I know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I have to tuck that truth deep into my heart.

I know that when I am weak, He is strong. What would I do without my Heavenly Father right beside me? As my friend Janice reminded me, the Lord knows what it’s like to give up your beloved son. While we were walking on the campus, I began to cry as I thought about my dad.

He never met any of my children having died when he was only 44 years old.

Warm tears streamed down my face as I thought about how proud he would have been of his grandson.

I thought my mother-in-law who is with the Lord now and wondered what she would had to say?

Thanks to some sage counsel from another friend, my husband reminded Nathan of this; he is going to a success wherever he goes. Mark is always a source of encouragement and perspective.

When Nathan was staying overnight in the barracks, he called to check in.

I asked my OS, “Well, what do you think? Do you want to go to West Point?”

He gave me the best answer I could have wanted, “I like it but I’m praying about it.”

Awkward discoveries

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In order to thwart a worldwide epidemic which could have threatened humankind, we cleaned Aaron and Isaac’s room. Oy, what a mess! Mark and I must be the worst parents ever because it could have been condemned. Praise the Lord, I didn’t find any moldy food in there, but it was a distinct possibility.

So for the last two days we have vacuumed and dusted, rearranged and threw out. 
A huge pile of items will be delivered to the neighborhood Goodwill tomorrow and children throughout the county will be overjoyed with the stuff we are donating. 

If you are looking for some broken in GI-Joes, matchbox cars, plastic knights and sweaters, you’ll have big fun!

Aaron was underneath the bunkbeds. Before I vacuumed, I had him double check and make sure nothing was there. I didn’t want to suck up a sock. 
That’s not fun and the sound makes me feel weird inside. A long pause and a few moments of silence interrupted his productivity. What was going on???
Here’s the interactive part of this post. What did Aaron find?
Did my middle OS discover: 

Two dried washrags that he used in the summer when he got hot in the room and we wouldn’t turn down the a.c.?
Did my teenager A rotting banana from a bag lunch
Or did Aaron find my blue bra which I had forgotten I ever owned?
Answer is….BLUE BRA!!!
This is a re-enactment of the moment. I honestly thought he found something very scary. The banana would have sent me into orbit. But I guess discovering a blue brassiere in your bedroom is kinda freaky for a 13 year old boy. I think I can use it a lot more than he could or at least I hope so! 

How did it get there, nobody knows! If we wouldn’t have moved everything, it would have been there forever!~I did find two old washrags earlier in the cleaning process. btw. At least we had something to laugh about, the rest of the experience wasn’t terribly amusing! It looks a lot better, yay! 

Bonjour Blois!

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I was looking at my sitemeter today and noticed someone from Blois visited my blog. My husband and I visited Blois about 20 years ago. Quelle coincidence! Situated among the Loire Valley, Blois is a charming little town in France that is known for chocolate production. The entire town smelled like chocolate and we rode our bikes throughout the city. What wonderful memories I have of my time in Blois.  Salut de mon nouvelle ami de Blois! Soyez libre de me laisser un petit message, j’etais ravie de vous connaitre!

I’ve been speaking more French lately than I have in a long time. What is God doing with this? We have been eating late too, a common French custom. Whenever my boys complain about having dinner between 8-9 pm instead of 5-6, I just say, “We’re French.” They don’t find it terribly amusing but it’s a good excuse. Having spent a year in France, occasionally I’ll claim French heritage. 
About three weeks ago, I even dreamt in French and recalled random words I thought I would have long forgotten. A few days previous, I had a student from Mozambique in my class. I spoke French to him for two class periods. He even understood me! 
My husband and I were engaged in France. That’s another story. Here’s a little picture to prove it. Bienvenue mes amis francophones!

Getting the Right Perspective

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Depression can hit me without a lot of warning. It doesn’t take too much to bring on the blues. Starting back to work on January 2nd, returning from a brief family vacation, Christmas being only a week ago and yet it seems like it was only here for a moment, those are the things that have me blue right now. Then what usually happens is that I get angry with myself for being depressed. Thus a stupid, vicious cycle begins until the proverbial fog is lifted. Not a lot of fun…

In an effort to help me gain a more positive perspective, I wanted to reflect on some memorable moments in 2007.

Peru – During the summer, I went on a mission trip to Lima, Peru. The Lord taught me that I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. 

I look at the globe on my desk and find myself in disbelief that I really traveled to that dusty land without my family. 
I remember watching my feet walk along the cobblestone steps on the way to my hotel room and it was like an out of body experience. What was I doing in a place like this? God touched my heart and is moving me to ponder future adventures…hmmm…
Children – My children are growing and I still enjoy them very much. How blessed I am to have three sons who still snuggle with me and display affection. We are silly and serious and my OS bring me joy in every way. I love how Aaron gave me a penguin Christmas card this year and I was the only person to get a card. He remembered that I love penguins (it’s common knowledge that I love penguins) but took the time to buy the card and write a tender message on it for me.  

I love how Nathan indulges my corny jokes and lets me hold his hand. 
Even when we’re at the mall, he’ll still let me grab onto his elbow even if it’s not long enough for me. I rejoice in Isaac’s quick wit and orange hair. 
He is my Freckled Fire and I adore him. 
Organization – It was a brave step to allow an organizational consultant into my nasty home office. For years that room had been a place of embarrassment and shame. With a lot of hard work and her optimistic vision, my home office was transformed into a pretty room with personality. 

I took the doors off the office, that’s how good it looks. 
I never imagined the transformation that took place but it all came together. 
Home Improvements – The Lord blessed my husband this year in the area of home 
improvements. My DH designed our new kitchen island, built me a super cool chalkboard for a kitchen wall and installed travertine tiles on the floor. And that’s not all! Mark discovered his inner handyman and it’s been wonderful to see him develop new talents and prove to himself that he can tinker around the house. 
Nephews – 

This year our family welcomed Josiah Samuel into our lives. He is my sister Denise’s youngest boy. Josiah is a precious butterball. His two year old brother, Jon knows my name and they all live nearby. This is the first time I have had the opportunity to really be an aunt. I love my aunts so much and my boys love my sisters, I just wanted to have the chance to really know what it’s like. As far as I can tell, being an aunt is second only to being a grandparent. It’s the best of all worlds because you’re not responsible to raise them but can lavish love and affection and leave when you want. 
Ok, I’m feeling better. 2007 had exciting journeys and unexpected blessings and the new year is about to begin. I’m sure there will be interesting moments along the way.