A lovely poem...

My nephew who is in the Army in Germany sent this poem to me. It is written by a young cancer patient with six months left to live. As we enter the holiday season, it has a good point to consider. Life does go by so fast.

SLOW DANCE


Have you ever
watched kids

On a merry-go-round?

Or listened to
the rain

Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a
butterfly's erratic flight?

Or gazed at the sun into the fading
night?

You better slow down.

Don't dance so
fast.

Time is short.

The music won't
last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?

When you ask How are you?

Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done

Do you lie in your
bed

With the next hundred chores

Running through
your head?

You'd better slow down

Don't dance so
fast.

Time is short.

The music won't
last.

Ever told your child,

We'll do it
tomorrow?

And in your haste,

Not see
his
sorrow?

Ever lost touch,

Let a good
friendship die

Cause you never had time

To call
and say,'Hi'

You'd better slow down.

Don't dance
so fast.

Time is short.

The music won't
last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere

You
miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry
through your day,

It is like an unopened
gift....

Thrown away.

Life is not a
race.

Do take it slower

Hear the
music

Before the song is over.

My Little Orphans....

 

We got our costumes for the Christmas Madrigal play. The kids are in the orphan choir. They are so cute in their rags!

 

I'm delighted with my costume. It is so pretty! And it's pink! The costumer said I was supposed to be the "cotton candy" of the play. I am "Cousin" in "The Calling of Everyman." It is a medievel banquet theatre. The basic premises is that your kinsmen and cousins, worldly goods, fellowship or good deeds will not go with you when you're called to your maker. Only wisdom of the salvation of Christ will go with you, everything else will forsake you. It is a good gospel message and should be entertaining as well. It has been a lot of work, but it has been fun!

Abundant Blessings... Abundant Turkeys!

 

The Lord has such a sense of humor! I was shopping at our Grocery Outlet on Saturday. I was standing over the turkey case, wondering if my sister or my mom was going to do the turkey, or if it would be me. I had forgotten my cell phone at home, so I wasn't sure what to do. I was talking with the Lord, wondering if I should buy one or not.

The Grocery Outlet was having it's anniversary that day. They were playing a bingo game. Every ten minutes they would call out a number. There were numbers taped on the ground throughout the store. I had three of my kids with me and boy, did they have fun! We walked out of the store with THREE turkeys!! Each of the kids won!!

Then on Sunday, Christalin's sunday school teacher told her she had a surprise for her. After class she gave Christalin a turkey!!!

Here I was asking the Lord if I should buy a turkey or not. I guess that answered my question! FOUR turkeys!!!! It's a good thing we have a freezer! The Lord is so good!

Decorating the church...

 

We had a long day on Sunday. After teaching for two services, we had play practice. We got to church at 8:30, and were finally ready to leave at 4:30. However, my daughter must have gotten some of my love for Christmas decoration genes. She saw that they were putting together the Christmas tree. She beelined it over there and invited herself to the decorating party!

 

She got to go on the lift too. We all got together to fluff branches on the large Christmas tree. I didn't realize how much work went in to putting a tree together! We got a pizza feed for our efforts, and was able to leave at 6:30. We left the real decorating crew there to finish trimming the church. It was a fun night, but a looong day! 10 hours! whew!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

 
Well, it's official. Christmas is coming. While the kids have been having Christmas Play Practice every Saturday morning since the end of September, I just haven't had the holiday spirit yet.

On a whim, I signed up for an ornament exchange. We were to make 11 ornaments and send them out, then we would get 11 ornaments back again. It sounded like fun! So the kids and I decided to make some Norwegian Heart ornaments. Then they had the idea of choosing stickers that would correlate with the certain books in the Five in a Row curriculum.

I think they turned out really nice. I think we will try and make more to give out to family for Christmas.

Our first Christmas decoration we put up this year is a wreath we put on the kid's bedroom door. We're hanging all the ornaments we receive on it.

Now it is beginning to look and feel like Christmas.......

Random Acts of Kindness...

It's amazing what 20 cents can do. We went to a field trip yesterday to the Children's Hands on Museum. My kids are getting a bit old for it, but we talked some dear friends of ours into coming along, so either way, it would be a fun trip.

I don't know about you, but I hardly ever carry cash. I especially don't carry change. Before we left, I knew that the parking was metered by these special meter boxes that only took coins. So, I glanced at my change purse and quickly counted out $1.50.

When we got to our destination I parked and pushed the buttons for the meter. I had asked for parking in the amount of $1.50. Unfortunately, I found I actually only had $1.35. The meter would not give change. It also stated that even if I canceled the transaction, I would lose the $1.35 I already put in. I only had pennies left in my purse, which of course, the machine wouldn't take. I started asking the kids if they had fifteen cents. They of course didn't.

Then, a perfect stranger walking by said, "I do." She then proceeded to dig through her coin purse and give me twenty cents. She saved the day! My kids were able to have their fun afternoon with their friends.

I know that doesn't seem like much, but we really don't get out that much. The kids were so looking forward to this. They got their school work done quickly and efficiently. They hadn't had a "play date" with their close friends FOREVER. This ladies' random act of kindness, while didn't cost her but twenty cents, made our day and made a memory that will last a lifetime.

It makes me want to pass it on! How about you?

Hands on Museum

 
I know my kids are getting a bit big for the Children's Hands on Museum... but sometimes it's just fun to act little again! We met our friends, who have boys the same ages as our boys, at the Children's Hands on Museum. I think one of the favorite things was the bead board. I don't think I could have stuck my face in it though. I'd be worrying to much about germs! The kids had a great time though!

Holidays for the troops

 
For the boys' Scout service project, they manned a booth at the local Walmart. They were collecting items and money for the troops. Over the two days, the Boyscouts collected over $400. We will use the money to buy hats and gloves and socks to send to the troops. It was a cold night, but they made a difference for a great cause. I'm proud of my boys!