Waiting....

In my mind I have a whole long post on 'waiting' but I only have a few moments now so you'll have to keep waiting for that post. However, I thought I should let those of you who are waiting for news know that we are indeed, still waiting...

I have been enjoying spending time with Rachel and Cain, although I have to admit that even now it is so hard on my "mama heart" to see 'my baby' so uncomfortable. Over all she is well, but just ready to not be pregnant anymore and so anxious to hold that baby!

I've also been able to spend some good time with dear friends, which has been very encouraging to me, but I too, am anxious to hold that baby!

Soon, I'll post pictures of the waiting that I've done, and of what we've been waiting for, but for now we'll just go on record with this as my shortest post ever and continue waiting...

Two Years in the Making....

So... we don't really celebrate Halloween... I just have to say that up front. Many, many years ago I remember inviting an English friend to our church Halloween party. She was 'dumbfounded' because to her the two did not mix at all.... a few years later we started looking at life in a different light and became convicted that indeed, the two.... evil and good (or shall I say God) did not mix. Now that's not to say I think there is anything wrong with dressing up like a princess and getting candy, or cutting funny faces in pumpkins, but for the most part, we have done away with celebrating Halloween for the last 8-10 years... mind you, that is most of Rian's life...


Having said all that, you'd think it would have surprised me when in September, two years ago, Rian said "Mom, can I have some cardboard, I'm going to make a Master Chief costume for Halloween."


Sigh.... From the other two, it would have surprised me, but this is Rian... ... Rather than go into the whole subject again, I simply reminded him that we were moving and the packers were coming on Halloween Day. To the best of my memory the conversation progressed something like this.... "But Mom, what about the Harvest Party at church"... sigh... "Rian really, I just don't think it's going to happen... and who is Master Chief anyway???"

"oh he's the main character from Halo..." Needless to say if you know, you know that explanation didn't really help me much but after a little more explaining and a few more weeks of him 'badgering' me, I got the picture and with all my motherly wisdom and encouragment I said ... and I quote.... "Rian you can't make that out of cardboard!!!!"


If I only would have known then what that simple little comment would have meant to my life I might have chosen my words more carefully! .. at any rate, I convinced him that if he wanted to make something out of the moving boxes before the Harvest Party it would need to be something square-ish.... like Sponge Bob.... so two years ago tonight, this was Rian.....


And I was relieved as Halloween was over and I didn't have to hear about "Master Chief" ever again. We packed out, stayed on a few more weeks in California and then headed for Texas for the Holidays. You can only imagine my frustration when I hear the words.... "Grandpa, do you have any cardboard I can have?????" AARRGGG...... He spent the next few weeks in Texas cutting, bending, taping and painting cardboard and came up with a Master Chief costume ... so there I was eating my words for Christmas Dinner.... but now, after about 3 1/2 months of hearing about this Master Chief it was finally done.... we got on a plane (costume in tow) and headed for Alaska.


We settled in, survived the winter, but when summer time came, so did the creative bug... and that costume, well, it just wasn't good enough...


So Rian spent the better part of the last year and a half teaching me a VERY important lesson. I really think I already knew this, but trust me, I will never, ever, EVER say "you can't make that....." to him again. He has amazed me with his persistence, creativity, ingenuity as he taught himself how to use (and how not to use) Fiberglass cloth, fiberglass resin, bondo, a dremil, paper, glue, paint, and God only knows what else! ... And this was Rian tonight at the church Fall Festival .... might as well have been Master Chief himself......

So.... if you know me, you'll know I was relieved to think it was finally over.... if you know Rian, it won't surprise you to hear that his next project is already in the works.... the helmet from Halo ODST (can someone explain that one to me??). The first thing he said to me this morning was "Mom, can you take me to Walmart, I need some Resin...."


That Boy.... I know God has a very, very, VERY, special plan for his life.... I just hope and pray that I can survive being his mother so I can see it!!!!!!

One by One...

"Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through.

Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it.

This is a kind of death."

(Anias Nim)

I've sat down to blog so many times since August and end up with a messy conglomeration of thoughts. I think I'm on to something and then end up with a depressing, discouraging post that will have someone calling the guys in the whitecoats out for me and I wonder where I went wrong. Although I have my days, that's for sure, I'm certainly not ready for a straight jacket.... well, not anymore so than usual anyway... so I think "WHAT is the deal with these blogs?????" then hit delete and move on to something else feeling guilty for not posting some cheerful thought or yet another story of a moose... (although I do have a good one ... )

As I was perusing my facebook for the 'umpteenth' time last week I saw the status of a dear friend and I thought.... that's it!!! That's the problem with my blogs.... she wrote....

"Fall always makes me Nostalgic..."

Bingo!! I don't know what it is about the change from summer to fall and fall to winter that puts me in such a nostalgic/melancholy mood, but that's definitely the culprit! We had a wonderful summer. We were blessed with great spring & summer weather, a new house, Gerad home for the summer, visits from friends, my nephew, my oldest sister and her husband, my sister Terri and her family, and ended it with a visit from Rachel and Cain, again, a wonderful time...



But then everyone left... and we woke up to that familiar chill in the air... the one that reminds you that things don't ever stay the same, a reminder of how fleeting life can be.



At this time of year we are encouraged to look back and see at how God has blessed us, but I've found it just as important to continually look ahead to what he has for us and believe that even when we can't see around that next bend, God can, and he has a plan ... what a comfort!


Although I've found this season of my life to be so bittersweet, I try to continually count my blessings, (yep, kids...that means the leaves are coming out again, aren't you glad....glad you're not here, poor Rian will have to suffer alone...). Let me be the first to start counting my blessings and naming them, one by one....... (hum along if you know the song!)

4 amazing children (3 by birth, 1 by marriage)

Parents that love us.

A grandson on the way.

Beautiful, beautiful, fall weather

Dear friends, old and new.

So, What about you? Have you counted your blessings lately? Lets start the Thanksgiving season early....leave me a comment about what you're thankful for...

Praise the Lord, all you nations,

extol him, all you peoples.

For great is his love toward us,

and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 117