Catching Up

1. Well, it is officially the last day of school for my kids tomorrow. It has been crazy busy (what's new right?). Sam tested in Karate and got his camo-black belt, moving up to the big boy's class. Go Sammy! Now he will start all over earning solid colored belts with stripes like Max does. 2. Both boys did a karate form and then broke a board at the same time for their school talent show Monday night. We had Asian music playing in the background. It turned out well. 3. Max turns age 9 tomorrow! Hard to believe my baby is getting so old. Happy birthday my joy boy. 4. For mother's day I got great cards from the boys. As I ate breakfast on the couch, Sam gave me a back rub and I (amazingly)talked Max into massaging my "stinky" feet. Then I asked them for entertainment and had them dance for me. They did break dancing first, then I asked for some hip action like Elvis the pelvis and they shook it really good! It was so cute. I also told them that since it was Mother's Day, I got a kiss on the cheek every hour. Sam would ask occasionally if an hour had gone by and I always said yes, even if it hadn't yet. I milked it for all it was worth! My brother-in-law got all the women at his house (5-for a luncheon) a dozen roses each! So sweet of him. Jason took me out to dinner that night. Sooo, a good day. 5. We have been doing cleaning, repairs and freshening up of the house to get it ready for sale. The inside has all been repainted in the last year and a half, new carpet, fixed fence, decluttering and packing up of non-essentials to make it look bigger...etc. Ugh. I'm tired. It seems to never end. But I think we are finally there and ready to put it on the market and look for a slightly bigger house. Pray for God's timing and direction. 6. Max came home last night and told me he and his friend J.P. decided to make a "graphic novel" together. (I didn't even know he knew the term). He had already drawn pictures of all the characters they wanted to have in the story and today they wrote some of the story. J.P. called later tonight to let Max know he had typed up the part they had worked on. Wow! Industrious, creative and quick! I was impressed. 7. Jason and I went to a marriage conference at our church a last Sunday afternoon for four hours. Our entire bible study small group went to it and talked us into going too. We all sat together and it truly was powerful and awesome. Joe White (who does the camp Kanakuk cross talk) spoke as well as our pastor and Ted Cunningham. All three awesome speakers. 8. Had an awesome quiet time Monday. It was quick and chaotic with Sam crawling and bouncnig on my bed trying to talk to me as I read and just hoped to get something, anything out of it. And I got a little seed. That seed grew and grew and by the time I had dropped the kids off at school and gotten myself to work I was warm and toasty with the flame inside me. God just really spoke to me about problems and difficulties. I know they help make us more dependent on God and so bless us in that. But it really hit me that without trials there would be no intimacy with Christ. We would never know and understand the depth of his love for us and all he did. It would fall flat on our ears, just head knowledge, but not a true heart felt understanding and relationship from that. Any trial is worth that. It made me think of our best friends are those who have helped us, been with us through the toughest times in our life. It bonds people and creates intimacy that would otherwise not develope. It deepens and add depth of color and hues to life, relationships. Without dark there couldn't be light. Anyway, I'm going on and on as usual. But just wanted to share that and start a warming in your heart too.