Perfect Pairings Job 37:6

We got our first snow here in Iowa.  As much as I lament winter, which is especially true the older I get, this snow was also especially beautiful.  The flakes were big, fluffy and picture perfect.  

I think God uses the beauty of His creation to give us these tiny glimpses of how incredibly awesome, powerful and beautiful He is.

Job 37:6

New International Version (NIV)

He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ 

   and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’

Head on over to Baloney's, where all the pairings are perfect.

Getting My Pucker On...

So. Really. These cheeks.  Resistance is futile. I had to kiss them all weekend.  Big Benny pretty much stole our hearts.  Talk about some cheap entertainment.



We ooo'd and ahhh'd over every little expression. He is just the best little guy as long as his milk was warm, diaper dry, and Harry was in view.  Who knew Harry could be such a good baby sitter?

The girls were really great help too.  They love their sweet little cousin.  I don't know how many times I heard them squeal "oh mom, he's so cute....". Even when we changed his diaper, Maren crooned "oh mom, even THAT is cute".  We had to have a little anatomy refresher on THAT.  And so it goes in a house with girls.  But we'll take Big Benny back any old time.  Kiss. Kiss.

Playing With the Boys

The BOYZ have been in the hood.  Hanging out with the GIRLZ. They play with the TOYZ. And pretend to leave FARTZ.  Ok, enough with all that.  Sorry.

We love it when the boys come over.  Oddly enough, Jackson and Maren are in the same grade at school, but they are about a year apart in age. You would think those two would play together, and they used too.  It's not that they don't like each other, but it seems like Marissa and Jackson usually pair off to get their Mario Kart on. The night the boys were over, Mason had a slumber party he had to go to, but he fits well into the Mario Kart mix also. Tyeson just turned five and he and Maren are big buds.  I secretely think it has a lot to do with the fact that Maren just enjoys bossing leading and at this point, Tyeson is OK with the following.

I enjoy having my nephews around - fake (or not so fake) fart contests and all. They make me laugh and remind me of growing up with my two brothers.  Living in the same small town, we see them often coming and going, busily rushing to the next event or whatever, so it was good to spend some time with them.

This weekend we get to watch Big Benny.  I'm getting all puckered up to lay some kisses on those cheeks of his.  And how.  

So how many of you, after reading this post's title, thought of this?

Yeah, me too.  If not, glad I could help with a little Top Gun eye candy.

Perfect Pairings x 3

Well, here it is 4:15 AM, and no sleep in sight.  I long for some uninterrupted sleep, but with this cough/cold /flu/nigh on to dying illness that I've have obtained, it just isn't happening.  So, what are blogs for if not to pass the insomnia time away.

We have had our hands full lately.  Between me trying to get my head around my new job position, the girls random pattern of school days and various snow days, and trying to keep Harry from licking his, well, you know, we have had some busy days.  So, I'll get you up to date and try to add some perfect pairings along the way.

Snow days:  I think all the world has had a snow day as of late, well at least here in the states.  The girls informed me they have make up days scheduled into June.  It's going to be a short summer.  But, snow days make for good sledding days.  Photo credit goes to the Captain - love this shot.

This was almost a good sledding day turned bad though.  Remember a long time ago when I told you about the infamous hill with the creek at the bottom?  Well, let's just say Marissa found the creek. 

She was okay, thank goodness, but I think she has found new meaning to the word "BAIL". 

Perfect Pairing:

Job 37:10

By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen fast.

 

And speaking of ice, tis the season for ice skating.  The girls are doing their thing again with ice skating lessons.  Surprisingly, they have been able to make it for all of their sessions without any weather cancellations at all.  Seems it only snows on Mondays round these parts. 

 



They always enjoy the lessons and have improved a lot.  I am glad to see them out and moving this time of year when the winter duldrums set in. 

Perfect Pairing:

Psalm 126:2

Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”

And lest we forget, there is Harry.  Always Harry.  Harry got well, you know, neutered, this past week.  He has had to wear the cone of shame so he doesn't lick his, well, you know, wound.  If you think he was mad at me for the haircut, well ....

....actually, I think we have made up.  I could only stand to see him knock his cone into things for so long, before I had to haul him on my lap and give in to those big brown eyes. 

Pefect Pairing:

Isaiah 56:3

3 Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,

“The Lord will surely separate me from his people”;

and let not the eunuch say,

“Behold, I am a dry tree.”

Well, that's an interesting verse.  Hmmm, but yes, Harry's "dry tree" has healed up rather nicely.

On a more somber note, my dad was admitted to the hospital again the other day.  He has a little pneumonia, a urinary tract infection and a good old sinusitus.  Praying that all these little things don't add up to a big long hospital stay again.  We'll take as many prayers as you can give us.

Head on over to Baloney's for some more perfect pairing action!

Halloweening 2010

What a weekend. Busy. Good. Fun. Spoooky. All the above. Here's a re-cap. 

Marissa and Her Pumpkin:

Marissa's 5th grade class had a pumpkin decorating contest and Marissa won one of the 10 or so prizes awarded.  She was high on pumpkin love, let me tell you.  I'd like to tell you we were creative enough to think this one up, but we did a Google image search.  She looked for "cool" and I looked for easy.  Have to say it worked for both of us.

Halloween costumes:

Were pretty stress free this year.  Maren used the pumpkin costume I hand-labored over with blood, sweat, and tears for Marissa one year.  Marissa was the "like 80's girl". Like totally.  Like, I had no input whatsoever into the makings of that costume.  You know you're old when your high school years are "retro" and become cool again.

A mighty fine time was had by all.  The candy overfloweth. As did the sugar high and the giggling that accompanies such states.  Lucky Sue and Dennis were around to keep things sane. 

 The Two Bennets:

One of the highlights of our trick-or-treating adventures was hitting the care facility where my Dad, Bennet, is living.  One of the residents was even dressed as a witch and gave the girls a pretty good scare. We also got lucky and Baby Bennet was there too.  Love this shot.  What a perfect ending to a fun weekend.  Hope yours was a good one too!

Divide and Conquer

The pumpkins were conquered once again this year.  Think large saw and power tools.  To be continued...

The End of a Season

It's been so long since I have blogged, that I don't even know where to begin again.  I just know that I am feeling a little nostalgic, relieved, sad, happy, confused ( ya think?) about the fact that our Summer 2010, is coming to a close.  Oh, we might still score a nice sun soaked day at the lake, weird Iowa weather permitting, but really, this summer is a done deal.

I will remember many things about this summer, some good and some bad.  Seems like we were always busy, but yet feel like there was so much more that we wanted to do too.  I only know that it just flew by. And that is both a literal and figurative interpretation for a pilot wife.

Marissa - what did Marissa do this summer?  Well, most importantly she turned 10....10.10.10.   Really? That time flew by faster than this summer.  The pediatrician told us she grew 5 inches this past year.  Yikes.  The girl is growing up, in more ways than height.  I am trying to keep up, but sometimes I just want to lock her up for a years and keep her all to myself.  Alas, she took a liking to softball this summer, took her first big overnight (make that several overnights) trip to her Grandma's a lengthy 7 hours away, starred in a major supporting role, and along with slumber parties, pool parties and a burning desire for a cell phone, she would like more of all the above.  Guess the whole locking her away thing ain't gonna work.

Maren.  Maren and I got to spend lots of time together this summer.  Mostly at night.  In our bed.  During thunderstorms.  The thunderstorms have stopped , but unfortunately Maren has taken a liking to our bed and sleeping next to momma.  Sigh.  She's a first grader now you know.  Big stuff. Until bedtime.  Then she wants to cuddle in close.  She's a hard one to resist.  She's decided she doesn't really like t-ball or soccer, but loves to swim.  This year she learned how to go off the board and down the slide on her own. She makes a good fish and a monkey.  Now, if only she would stay in her own bed. We would all be in a much happier, less sleep deprived place.

One of the not so good things about this summer was admitting my Dad to a nursing home.  We always knew this might be a possibility, but we really hoped we could avoid it.  Mom was starting to develop some health problems of her own, and needed to go back to work this August.  Dad was improving and seemed to be getting stronger, but not quite strong enough.

Another huge problem was the lack of nursing home beds here in our small town.  We were number 10 on the list, so we were looking at a facility about 20 miles away.  So, one day after work, I headed there to check it out.  Nice staff.  Private rooms.  Just not home. I got back in the car and cried and prayed in frank desperation the whole way home.  I just couldn't see us "leaving" Dad there.  I didn't know what to say to mom.  Turns out she had something to tell me.  In the hour and half I was gone, the director of the nursing home in town called and told mom they had a room for dad. Miracle of miracles, all of the nine people ahead of us turned the room down!

If there is anything I have learned in dealing with dad's illness, it is that we are not in control.  We have tried to stay ahead of things and imagine best and worst case scenarios and plan accordingly, but it has always worked out with some twist, that only God could provide for.  And although I realize this and I am so grateful for these unexpected answers to prayer, it has been hard. There were days on weeks of waking up to this deep and profound sadness.  Guilt, hopelessness, loss, and an eerie feeling when I would drive up mom and dad's driveway walk in the door, and not see him sitting in his chair. Maren says it too.  "It just isn't the same without Grandpa there."

It is getting better.  After some rough days, Dad is adjusting.  I think we all are, to some extent. He is slowly getting used to the routine, has gotten to know the staff well enough to give them a little good natured grief, and I think he enjoys some of the programs and activities they have.  He and my Grandma have a standing Friday afternoon bingo date.  I feel a huge sense of relief in knowing that he is safe.  That I won't have to walk into their house to check on him and find him hurt or worse has won out over the "what if we had tried harders".  I hope too that Mom has a little more time to take care of herself and her health.   It is all uncharted territory.  You hear stories and read books and might even be a nurse, but its a whole new journey when it is your family involved.  I hope I have finally learned to follow and not try to navigate.

So it is the end of one season and the beginning of another.  New beginnings mean new hope.  I hope for a good school year for the girls.  I hope Mom and Dad adjust and find a different sort of happiness in this new chapter of their lives. I hope we and my brothers and thier families get to enjoy them both for a nice long time.  And I hope for sleep. Better go work on that.

Good Hunting!

We interrupt this regularly scheduled vacation (one more day to go) to present to you - The Jungle Book!  Right after we got home from vacation, the Missoula Children's Theatre arrived in town.  Marissa and Maren also started swimming lessons that morning at nine and the auditions were at ten.  This is when I am thankful for small town living.  We barely made the four minute commute - or so the Captain tells me.  I had to be back at work myself.

About 60 kids tried out locally and they had parts for 40 or so.  Although MCT had been here in summer's past, Maren wasn't old enough and Marissa just wasn't interested.  So low and behold, we were pretty thrilled when Marissa got the part of part of Kaa ( the snake) and no that wasn't a typo.  She was PART of Kaa as in 1 of 8 kids playing Kaa. But she was the neck of Kaa.  The neck holds up the head of Kaa, so this was a major supporting role. ( Do snakes even have necks?)  Maren got the part of a monkey. How fitting is that?

The girls and I couldn't be happier with their experience with the MCT.  Have you heard of it?  I guess they are a nationwide and even an international deal.  They travel throughout the country in teams and give the small towns some exposure to the whole theatre experience.  Dylan and Amy were great with the kids and the girls came home excited and giggling after each practice.  Some of the kids practiced for 5 hours every day for a week.  It was amazing what a great show they put on after that short amount of time. Make-up, sets, costumes, songs, and speaking parts - it was the real deal!

So here is Kaa.  Even if Marissa hadn't been the neck of Kaa, Kaa would have been one of my favorite characters.  They all came winding around and slithered across the stage.  Noah (the head of Kaa which Marissa supported) would speak his line and the rest of Kaa's body would repeat it.  Very effective and a little creepy. And just darn cute. ( Did I really just say that a snake was cute?)

 Kaa taking a little nap...

Kaa listening to Baloo giving his sage advice..

Kaa hanging out with Bagheri...

Interestingly enough, Kaa and the Monkey people have sort of an adversarial relationship.  Maybe that's why the girls got the parts they did.  The monkeys made fun of Kaa and called him a "yellow nightcrawler" and many times we heard Kaa refer to the monkeys as "nasty creatures".   Life has imitated art a few times in the past few days.  When the girls aren't getting along they refer to each other with their stage insults.  Have to say it is a refreshing change from "Dork" and "Brat."

So here is Maren as a monkey.  I didn't get such good shots of her in the actual play since she was on the opposite side of the stage from where I was sitting.  They provided some nice photo ops for us proud parents at the end of the show though.  There were many proud parents I might add.  All the kids did such a great job!

Such a cute little monkey! Anyway, what a fun thing to do for the week! Can't wait until next year... and neither can the girls!

Where Am I?

For a minute - well, make that about 30 - last night, I thought I was back in Tulsa.  We had one doozie of a storm.  I have always said that storms up here in Iowa are different than what I had experienced in T-town (does that "t" maybe stand for "tornado town"?).  They seem a little whimpier up here.  A little less violent.  Never quite had that intensity that one feels down South.  Well, I take that back.

Typically, the weather yesterday was hot and humid and then some.  The girls and I went for a bike ride (Hey! I got a new bike - more on that to follow) to the folks and came home just sopping wet with sweat.  We're talking a measly 5 blocks here folks and it looked like we had just completed RAGBRAI or something.  The evening news warned us about the bad weather to come and in retrospect, they had the time and place pretty much nailed.

So, about 10:30 or so the far off rumblings of thunder seemed to build.  I brought Maren to the basement to sleep down there with Marissa.  By 11:30 they had called the first tornado warning for our area, but it was east of here by a ways, so figured we were good on that one, but you could definitely feel the intensity of this storm.  It was non-stop cloud to ground lightning followed by quick and noisy cracks of thunder in succession.  I told the girls we could stay in Marissa's room unless the sirens went off or we heard the "train" coming.  I added this last bit jokingly to lighten the mood for both them and myself.  No sooner had those words been breathed from my lips than the sirens started.   I think I may have scarred them for life - if you went by the looks on their faces.

Off to the bathroom with the brick enclosed shower we went.  We sat on the floor with the lights flickering and our ears pitched for the train.  We prayed. Fervently.  Marissa actually suggested this.  I had been praying in my head all evening, but this was a good reminder for me to not only pray for my children, but with them.  I hate storms when the Captain is gone and tend to get a little uptight in time such as these. Not long after this the storm seemed to lose some of its oomph, but not before pouring out 5 inches of rain in those same thirty minutes I mentioned above.  Today at the hospital I heard they had a funnel cloud spotted just west between here and the next small town over, making good time, aim, and effort to hit the OC.

I'd like to think it was our fervent prayers that changed the course of this storm. Some may say, maybe. Some, maybe not. Some may say well, it was just a little storm, but these things do happen.  Just ask Mrs. E or the people of Parkersburg, Iowa.

 Parkersburg, Iowa  EF5 tornado 5-25-2008

 To me, it was a remarkable lesson in His faithfulness, protection and care, both for me and the girls.  I hope they remember that and not what a basketcase their momma was.  So along with your flashlight, your battery powered radio, your bottled water or whatever you need for your tornado preparedness kit, add a little fervent prayer - preferably by a nine and five year old.   It's a powerful thing.

Stick a Fork in Me....

...I'm done.  Granted, this is a little saying borrowed from PW, but I cannot think of any other sentiment that would adequately describe my current state of being.  And if you actually did stick said fork in me, I probably wouldn't bother to protest much.  Maybe a small squeal, a slight quiver of the affected extremity and then I would again lie dormant in my doneness.

Oh, enough with the drama.  Somewhere back in the early part of May, that feeling of having it all together that I somewhat tentatively grasp, began to unravel, and it has been rolling downhill ever since.  I have had plenty to blog about, but just not the time or inclination to get it out there.  I wanted to blog about my Mom's birthday (May 2), Mother's Day, Maren's soccer games, Marissa's viola recital,  Marissa's fantabulous room redo, my 5K training (or lack thereof) and the Tulip Festival.  And maybe on the down side, the fact that my dad was once again in the hospital.  That journey has been harder than expected.  Someday I will write about that again, but not today.

On a lighter note, I think I will just cover all the above in one fell swoop.  So bear with me. 

Mom's Birthday.  Mom turned another year older on May 2.  She spent a large portion of the day assaulted by the clamor and noise of her 8 grandchildren.  She wouldn't have it any other way.  All her grandchildren complain about her wet, sloppy kisses, but they always seem to come back for more.  Even Jackson.  Lizzie is too young to know better and therefore carries the brunt of mom's affections, as you can see here.

 Lizzie doesn't really mind at all.  Mom loves all her grandchildren full well.  I think the feeling is mutual.  Happy Birthday Mom!

Which brings me to Mother's Day.  My heroes have always been Mothers.  The Captain and I have been blessed to come from good mothering stock. I had a wonderful day myself.  The Captain was gone, but he had coached the M's quite well.  I asked Maren if she was going to feed me breakfast in bed, and she went and got me a Dt. Dr. Pepper.  Good girl.  I love being a mom. So does my sister-in-law Michelle.  This pictures speaks Mother's Day to me.

Being a Mom means attending soccer games. Even in bitterly cold "Spring" weather.  I almost wished for a Snuggie.  Then I stopped.   I will not give in to the Snuggie.  I will prevail.  Anyhoo, this was Princess Maren's first year of soccer.  She seemed a little more interested in doing cartwheels on the sidelines or playing with her new soccer friend than actually chasing that silly soccer ball around.  She actually scored a goal.  Much to her surprise.  What can I say, she loves being a princess.

Moms also go to recitals.  Sweet Marissa had her first viola recital.  And in the words she loves so well -  she rocked!  So proud of her!

Moms also have to step back and let their babies grow up a bit.  Sweet Marissa recently decided that she needed her own room.  Some privacy. A place to call her own.  So we did some renovating in the basement guest room.  Here's the before and what Marissa thought of it.

Here's our after:

And Marissa helped.  Helped paint.  Picked colors. Made a cute little bulletin board insert for the back of her bookcase.  She did good.

Yes, she still tolerates a visit from the Princess Maren every now and then.

Moms occasionally try to end their lives prematurely by running participating in a 5K Run that they may or may not have adequately trained for.  I got a little off track with my C25K training program with Dad in the hospital and a little brush with the start of pneumonia this late winter/early Spring.  I had to do a little walking to get 'er done.  But regardless, I did it! I am proud of me. Next goal: complete a 5Kwithout walking. Notice no pictures here.  The IA Pilot Wife wogging just ain't pretty.

And at long last we come to the Tulip Festival.  We were happy to have the Captain's fam come to visit all the way from Wichita, KS, again this year.  Had a good time. Lots of laughs, lots of food, and maybe one too many parades. : )

The local yokels like to compare Tulip Festival battle scars. Goes something like this.

  We did Ride Night, 4 parades (afternoon and evening), street scrubbing in authentic Dutch costumes, saw the Dutch Dozen, the Night Show, ran the 5K and hit the Pancake Fly-In Breakfast.

 

Well, we'll raise you 6 parades, Jr. Dutch Dance times 4, float riding, one trolley ride, the Quilt Show, worked the poffertje stand,watched fireworks and the Night show, did Vande Fear AND we even made it to the Community church service on Sunday morning.

Phew!  Nothing speaks to our fine Dutch heritage like martyrdom.

So I will leave you with some shots of the Tulip Festival.  I feel much better.  I feel caught up.  I feel like I can go on.  To Kindergarten graduation, summer rec registration, last day of school.... ahhh guess I'm not quite done yet.

Ok.  Now, I'm done.