Grandpa's Gone...

We've all been hanging out in his home, watching him breathe. He's been in a semi-conscious state and hasn't really actively responded since Sunday morning. We've just watched over him and waited. Priscilla and I have spent the night the last couple of nights along with my mother and her sister. In fact, we've all been around, in and out since Friday. My Dad came over a little earlier today along with my both of my brothers and my daughter.

There was a housefull here.

At about 2.25 pm, I heard his breathe change, I asked Priscilla to turn the TV on mute. We both walked over to him. I started stroking his head. We told him that we weren't sure who he is waiting on but we all love him and have all told him that we love him..and that it is OK to go...he doesn't have to stay here for us.

...then he skipped a breath...

Priscilla ran to get my mom, aunt, dad, brothers, and grandmother...

We all stood around him watching him take his last breaths...

I kept stroking his head and we all told him that we loved him, that it would be OK and that he could let go and go see Jesus.

He took his last breath, surrounded by his family's words of love and encouragement. The whole time I stroked his beautiful grey hair.

We recited Psalm 23, together, in unison...they say the hearing is the last thing to go...so he heard the voices of his family - children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren - as he entered glory...

Unbelievable.....

Giving Roses to the Living

What a blessing to have time. There has been time to say goodbye, time to say thank you, and to say I love you.

I've always heard that we should give people their roses while they are living. It has been such a blessing to do this as my grandfather is on his passage from this earthly world to his heavenly home. God has been gracious to give us this opportunity - to give us time.

So many times, life does not afford us this chance.

The problem is we who remain don't know with which of our loved ones we will have the time, at the end, to share special thoughts and words.

The assumptions we make regarding our time and the amount of it we personally have left represents such a false blanket of security. We maintain a false sense of comfort when we measure what we have left to finish and the time that we think we have.

I am compelled to give my roses to the people who deserve them at the moments I have available to me. To wait is to gamble.

I typed up my roses for my grandfather and walked around with them in my purse for a long time. I don't know why I avoided sharing. Thank you Lord for still giving me an opportunity even though I drug my feet.

As I left him on Friday, I leaned down, put my mouth close to his hear and read my written thoughts...

Grandpa,

I want to thank you for striving to raise your children in a Godly home and for bringing up a Christian family. I meet so many people who only wish they had the wonderful heritage that I have and I'm very grateful to you for your commitment to the Lord and to your family. I know that the only reason that I am able to give the gift of a Christian home to my children is because it was first given me by my parents. They only had it to give because they received those blessings from their parents. Grandpa, I know that however much longer I have you with me here on this earth, I'll have an eternity to share this with you but, I still wanted you to know how I felt in time. Thank you who you are, all you've done, and all you mean to me - I will appreciate you for eternity.

As I neared the end of gift of roses, I choked up as I heard him begin to say over and over, "Thank you, thank you, thank you"...

Is there someone you should bless with roses? You will be glad you gave them. The person you give them to will be glad you did too.

And My GrandPa Was Dying...

As I sit here watching my Grandpa taking labored breaths, I reminisce about the last couple of days. Today is not a day that I want to forget. Minute things, major things, random things...all things that I noticed on my journey through the last two days of my grandfather's life.

On Friday I heard my Grandpa was not doing well
We went over to spend some time
My sat around laughing and talking
but my Grandpa was dying...

His great grandchildren played in the backyard
They ran in and out
Their little voices were heard all over the house
but my Grandpa was dying...

The TV was on
CNN first, then some other mindless TV
Just something to provide a little background noise
but my Grandpa was dying

Grandchildren held his hands
Whispered sweet thank yous and I-love-yous
We wanted him to know how much we appreciated his life
but my Grandpa was dying

Great grandchildren ran to his side and stared
Trying to figure out why "Grandpa" was laying so still
They touched his hands and quietly said "Hi Grandpa"...
but my Grandpa was dying

Hospital bed, medical equipment, and medication
Litter every room of the house
Hospice nurses in and out all day long
because my Grandpa was dying

Random shouts of praise, random words of thanks
"Thank you Jesus, God is Good, Wonderful Savior"
These are all things I heard my Grandpa say
as he lay dying....

We left and went home for the night...

Saturday morning I woke up
It looks like it would be a beautiful day
I hear the little birdies singing outside
But my Grandpa was still dying...

Someone outside was mowing their lawn
Someone outside was going for their morning run
Someone outside was walking their dog outside
at the same time my Grandpa was dying

In such a weird way
Life goes on
Time goes on
Even though my Grandpa was dying

The imminent end of things has been nigh for awhile
Friends and family have had much time to say good things
Much time to tie up loose ends
Because we knew my Grandpa was dying

At first I felt calm
Took a long shower
Played with my kids
Even though my Grandpa was dying

My family needed bread
I set my hands to being busy
My heard was pounding, I needed to be
with my Grandpa because he was dying

Half of the bread got baked
The other half got in the car with me
I could finish up what I had started in my grandparents home
Because my Grandpa was dying

In and out all day
Conscious one minute and then out the next
He would talk about sports for a minute then go to sleep
because he was dying

The NFL draft was on
Normally a focal point in this house on this day
Somehow so unimportant now
that he lays dying

Sips of tea, sips of water, straws in coffee cups
Rubbing his hands, stroking his forehead
Leaning close to his face to hear his words
because Grandpa was dying

Some discomfort, a little pain
Some grimacing, very little swallowing
Lots of sleep, joy at each phone call and doorbell ring
even though he was dying

Children in Germany, London, and near Canada
Children in Houston, Maryland, and Texas
All either called or kissed him
because their father lay dying

Son-in-laws came to visit
Shook his hand and said hi
Seemed to find it hard to sit and watch
Grandpa because he was dying

Grandma was busy, oh so busy
Sweeping, dusting, straightening,
Glad for so much company
even though Grandpa was dying

Prayers, visits, songs,
Scriptures, words of encouragement
Food, hot tea, hugs, kisses
So much activity as Grandpa was dying

Great grandchildren came to see him again
Sang Sunday school songs for him to hear
Kissed him on his cheek multiple times
because their great grandfather was dying

Many times today I've hard him say things like...
"God is so good, life goes so fast
I'm so glad my children know the Lord"
even as he lay dying

It's 11:30 pm.
From across the room I watch a man I've always known
Earning each breath that he takes
because he is dying

He's a patriarch
He's a leader
He's a minister
He's an educator
He's a worshipper
He's a family man
He's a good man
He's a hard worker
He's an immigrant
He will be the first person I've known in my family tree to go to see Jesus
He's my Grandpa

Weight Loss Journey 4/22 - 4/28

Weight Loss This Week - 1.5 LB
Current Weight Loss - 27.5 LBS

LBS to go - 1.5 LBS

...Almost there...!

Workout Diary...
My accomplishment this week is that I didn't let schedule messups get to me. If I couldn't get to the gym I still worked out. Twice, I just put on my tennis shoes and just went for a walk.

Sunday - took a brisk 30 minute walk on the campgrounds of the Above Rubies Retreat
Monday - no workout
Tuesday - Spin Class @ 24 + 20 minutes on StairMaster
Wednesday - 30 minutes elliptical + 30 recumbant bike + situps
Thursday - no workout
Friday - took a brisk 30 minute walk through the neighborhood
Saturday - no workout

Eating Diary...
This week was one of good decisions. I felt very "clean" after doing the Herbal Cleanse. I didn't want to ruin the feeling by putting junk into my system. It was kind of like being on a roll :) My body has become conditioned to being treated right. It's nice to be on the road to recovery :)

Sunday (@ Above Rubies Retreat)
Breakfast - Total Raisin Brain + Green Smoothie + a bit of Scrambled Eggs
Lunch - Taco Salad + 1 Chocolate Chip Cookie
Dinner - PB&J + Cheetos + Apple
Water - didn't measure :(

Monday (Coop Day)
Early Morning - Fiber Drink (part of 10-day Herbal Cleanse)
Breakfast - 1 cup of Total Raisin Bran + 1/2 cup milk
Snack - none
Lunch - 1 Slice of Pizza + Salad
Dinner - 1 Slice of Pizza + 1 cup of Green Beans

Tuesday
Early Morning - n/a
Breakfast - Smoothies + 1/2 Toast w/grape jam
Morning Snack - Fiber Drink (part of 10-day Herbal Cleanse)
Lunch - PB&J + Smooth Move Tea
Afternoon Snack - a couple of wheat clubhouse crackers.
Dinner - tomato/cucumber salad + lightly steamed cauliflower followed by a toddler-sized bowl of pot roast over rice (probably about 3/4 cup) + one oreo cookie.
Late Evening - Lemon Tea w/1 tsp sugar
Water - 2 Liters

Wednesday
Early Morning - 1/2 Banana
Breakfast - High Fiber Oatmeal Walnut Cookie
Morning Snack - Banana
Lunch - Big bowl of Total Raisin Bran (waited too long to eat)
Afternoon Snack - two crackers
Dinner - 1/2 of my dinner at church (I'll save the other half for tomorrow's lunch) 1 Chicken Enchilada, 1/2c rice, 1/2c refried beans + thumb's length of chocolate cake.
Late Evening - Lemon Tea w/1 tsp sugar
Water - 2 Liters

Thursday
Early Morning -
Breakfast - Total Raisin Bran
Lunch - Total Raisin Bran (again)...
Snack -
Dinner - Tomato+ Cucumbers, Broccoli, + a tad of pot roast over rice
Water - 1.5 Liters

Friday
Breakfast- Pancakes w/ Maple Syrup
Lunch - PB & J + Banana
Dinner - BBQ Beef Sandwich + Root Beer (Friday Family Night)
Late Evening - Smooth Move Tea

Saturday (@ Grandpa's House)
Breakfast - Banana
Lunch - Burger & Fries
Dinner - Pizza

Now I REALLY Feel Smart!

My blog now has MUSIC! I finally figured out how to do it. I hope that when you visit my little home in bloggityville the melodies help you feel a little more inspired during your day.

If you are interested in seeing exactly which tunes and which artist is playing at any given moment, just scroll down to the bottom of the page. There is my music player with my playlist available for your perusal.

I'm all about making melodies in my heart. Now I can make melodies on my blog :) Hope that this little splattering of music encourages your heart to sing with praise for the King!

Enjoy!

Oh and let me know if this adds any unforeseen difficulties to the site (slow) or even if it drives you bananas.

The Importance of Having and Raising Children...

I am currently moving over posts from an old blog in an attempt to merge the two and make life more simple. This is one of my favorites. I hope it give you food for thought. If this post stirs something inside of you, please listen to Closing the Generation Gap by Voddie Baucham. At last check, his sermon is number [08] so you will have to scroll down a bit to find it. Anyway, in this message, he convincingly argues the Christians need to rethink their view of children.

Originally posted 11/06:

Gracie has to read about three current events a week then type up a written summary. Today, she documented the killing of Lebanese minister/politician. Sometimes, I look up her sources and read them to check for plagiarism. While perusing this article, I ran across the following statement:

Christians make up about 35 percent of Lebanese, down from estimated 55-60 percent before the 1975 civil war. The decline is attributed to emigration of Christians and higher birth rates among Muslims.

In reading this, my heart ached. I want the world to be influenced for Christ and to see an area where the Salt and the Light is decreasing makes me sad. Christian people are leaving this war-torn area and moving to other places, leaving behind less of God's people in a place that suffers tremendously.

Also, Christians are just not having as many children as others are. How can we possibly influence the world for Christ if we don't continue producing other people to continue the work?

So many times I hear people discussing the number of children based on what's comfortable, convenient, or desired. Rarely do I hear people discussing the number of children they have based on God's prodding to grow the kingdom of God.

Let's face it. It's a numbers game. Everything is a numbers game. The more people that believe in a particular value, the more likely those values are to infiltrate the culture in which those folks live. The same holds true for Christians and our role in society. Not to negate God's power nor to negate the minority voice, but more people typically carry more power.

How in the world can Christians expect to continue replicating their beliefs and worldviews if we base the number of children we have on the same foundation as non-Christians. Our view of our role as mothers/parents/life-givers must change.

I don't say that everyone should have 12 kids, nor do I believe that people with two children are in sin. I do believe, however, that most Christians I know (including myself) have to take a HARD look at our reasons for our attempts at opening and closing the womb (God is the ultimate opener/closer :). We must constantly evaluate our desire for children and the number of them in the light of God's purposes and plan.

This brings my role as mother into a whole separate light. I view my role as infinitely significant b/c I am raising the leaders of tomorrow. I try to see beyond learning colors, shapes, reading, and algebra. My children have to be prepared to lead in a nation of followers and to think in a country of people where a large majority are trained to be robots and to follow the herd.

Our world is dying. My children will be the tools God's uses to affect change in that dying world. My job is to prepare them. The state of affairs in the world now, and in future generations, far supersedes my desire for comfort and financial surplus. I, along with my husband, must continually check with my Father to see if I've done my part in adding to the number that are marching in his army.

Help me Lord to think of the size of my family in light of YOUR plan and purposes. Help me to view my daily routine/activities/ and sometimes grind as a series of events that lead to a glorious end for my children's future. Help me to see past "getting them to "18". Help me to my children as world-changers and to view my time with them and input as deposits to their future contributions to society.

Sneaky Smoothies...

We drink smoothies for breakfast in our house every Tuesday morning and sometimes on the weekend. I taught Gracie to make them and now she prefers me not to be involved at all.

We have a standard recipe for the smoothies and they always end up tasting something like Strawberry Banana. However, I've recently realized that good smoothies are wonderful for hiding good foods that you want to get into your family.

Here is our basic recipe (all ingredients are approximate):

8oz of milk
8-10 frozen strawberries
3 bananas
2 T Flax Seed Oil
Wheat Germ
Honey to taste
Add ice to preferred consistency

We've been known to sneak in some other items on occasion such as: Avocado, Spinach, Fish Oil, Kiwi, Blueberries, Dates (as a sweetener), Orange Juice (from freshly squeezed oranges), or plain yogurt.

This may seem weird and over the top to some I'm sure, but I assure you that it is a quick fix in the morning and the little people in our house LOVE these concoctions. We normally serve smoothies with some kind of bread or muffin. The kids don't know they aren't supposed to like spinach in a smoothie. If the color is a little "off", they never know (except for Chef Gracie) because their smoothies are served in cups w/tops and a straw (we save the cups that come with kid's meals at restaurants).

This weekend, I had the privilege of attending the Above Rubies Women's Retreat, a conference geared towards encouraging women in motherhood. A "Green Smoothie Demo" was provided for the two mornings of the retreat. I thought I was sneaky!

Here is the recipe for the smoothie I tested that I liked the best. It REALLY was good!

Enough water to cover the blades
Flax Seed (whole)
Almonds (whole and raw)
4-6 apples (whole w/skin & seeds, quartered)
2-4 bananas
1/2 head of lettuce
1/2 head of spinach




If all the variations are overwhelming...don't worry...start with something small the you know you will like. I've been making smoothies for probably four years. I started with a protein shake mix and a banana to make it sweeter. It's taken me awhile to experiment (I love routine and hate change). It's all about the journey right!?!?

Works-for-Me-Wednesdays: Coupon Organization

I've been a coupon cutter on and off for a long time. The most frustrating thing about cutting coupons is doing all the work to cut them out and organize them knowing that sometimes you will never use some. Well, I've recently stumbled upon a little system that will work for me.

I just take the coupon books out of the Sunday paper and punch holes in them with a 3-hole punch. I put them in a binder and arrange them with dividers by the week of the paper they came in. This probably sounds dumb but let me explain why it work.

A friend of mine recently told me about www.couponmom.com. This is a FREE site that tells me what is on sale for the stores in my area and which coupons give me the most bang for my buck. It also tells me for each coupon, which week and which coupon book the coupon can be located. I just open my binder, flip to the appropriate week, and cut out the coupons I need. This system has made me so happy because I can cut what I need when I need it and not spend every Sunday evening collecting pieces of paper I might never use. It also keeps me from extreme sorrow when I have weeks where I can't keep up with my couponing. I don't have to lament weeks of work gone down the drain because I cut coupons and they have now expired.

Coupon Mom also has a coupon index of sorts so...let's say I need to buy something specific and I just want to know where to find the matching coupon. I can just enter the item name and search for it. The site will tell me exactly where to find it.

I'm not one of those super couponers who pay -$5 for their whole grocery budget every month, but I DO like saving pennies. I figure my role in our home isn't to go out and make the money but I sure can SAVE some! Every little bit counts. This system allows me to save money without a huge front-end time commitment.

Hope this helps someone. It's something that makes my life easier and works for me!

Be sure to check out Rocks in My Dryer for more Works-for-Me Wednesday tips.

Weight Loss Journey 4/15 - 4/21

Weight Loss This Week - .5 LB

Current Weight Loss - 26 LBS

LBS to go - 3 LBS

...making s-l-o-w but steady progress.

Workout Diary...
Definitely got to a groove with my workouts. I enjoyed every minute of it. I have also updated my IPod and created a special workout mix. I had a blast jamming and praising while I huffed and puffed. People probably thought I was crazy. Praising Jesus on adrenalin is awesome! So, now that I'm back on my routine, I'll be trying to increase my workout time to what it was before.

Monday - no workout
Tuesday - 30 minutes elliptical + pushups + situps + squats
Wednesday - BootCamp! in the am + 30 minutes elliptical in the pm (due to Wed afternoon snack)
Thursday - Spin Class @ 24
Friday - took a walk to the store...walked back with bags as weights :)
Saturday - no workout

Eating Diary...
This week was a bit better but still not great on the carbs and the sugar. I had too many opportunities to "celebrate". I'm having to learn that even for special events I can still say no. The one thing that is still with me from my Sugar Fast is that I don't really like the idea of the sweets or carbs in my body. My mind knows that food with no nutritional value is in my system and I don't want it there. So, when I did eat sweets this week, I had very small portions. I was grateful not to be dominated by cravings and the flesh.

When I look back at my week, I see good eating at home but bad eating when eating out. I'm learning to be consistent about my food choices no matter where I am. Singlemindedness is the goal.

I also started a herbal cleanse from Advocare. My husband uses some of their products and gets a discount. I'd never done a cleanse before so I thought I'd give it a try.

Sunday (Last day of Anniversary)
Breakfast - none
Lunch - :) Cheeseburger & Fries
Dinner - Can't remember

Monday
Early Morning - Fiber Drink (part of 10-day Herbal Cleanse)
Breakfast - 1 cup of Total Raisin Bran + 1/2 cup milk
Snack - none
Lunch - Salad
Dinner - Chicken Pot Pie (1 cup) + Broccoli

Tuesday
Early Morning - Apple + Fiber Drink (part of 10-day Herbal Cleanse)
Breakfast - Scrambled Eggs + Toast w/grape jam
Morning Snack - String Cheese + 5 Crackers
Lunch - Half of a sweet potato sweetened w/maple syrup + steamed broccoli (2 cups)
Afternoon Snack - Too many chips with salsa (I couldn't just eat one)
Dinner - Spaghetti ( 1/2 cup noodles + 1 cup of sauce) + Salad (my teenager made it...amazing....iceberg lettuce + red pepper + apple + almonds + cucumber + cheese + bacon bits)
Water - 2 Liters

Wednesday
Early Morning - Apple + Fiber Drink (part of 10-day Herbal Cleanse)
Breakfast - Total Raisin Bran
Morning Snack -
Lunch - Meal Replacement Shake from Advocare (my hubby get a discount)
Afternoon Snack - Started with a half bag of Doritos. I was able to stop but when I ran into an unexpected hospitable gift of chocolate chip cookies...well I just lost control (talk about Buyer's Remorse...sigh)
Dinner - 1 cup of Chicken Tortilla Soup + 1/2 Salmon Caesar Salad (dressing on the side)
Late Night - Lemon Tea w/1tsp of sugar..
Water - 3 Liters (Whoo Hoo!)

Thursday
Early Morning - Banana
Breakfast - Go Lean Kashi
Lunch - 1/2 Chick Fil A Wrap
Snack - Salsa & Chips
Dinner - Variety Salad + a tad of tuna casserole (maybe 3/4 cup)
Water - 1.5 Liters

Friday (A day with too much sugar)
Breakfast- Pancakes w/ Maple Syrup
Lunch - 1/2 of a 6 inch Subway sandwich + Chips + Cake(Preschooler Birthday Party)
Dinner - Taco Salad + a little peach cobbler and ice cream (Date w/hubby)

Saturday (@ Above Rubies Retreat)
Breakfast - Bowl of Total Raisin Bran + Banana
Lunch - Turkey and Cheese Sandwich on Crescent Bread w/ Vegetable Soup
Dinner - Grilled Chicken, Steamed Veggies, Wild Rice, Wheat Roll + a thumb's length of cheesecake.

A Super Sonic Family Night Disaster...

Last night we decided to go and hang out after dinner. We loaded into the car for a "surprise ride". This is what we tell the kiddos when we don't want them to ask question :)...and we want to build excitement about where we are going. So last night, we headed to Sonic. I found a new Sonic while running an errand one day. It is HUGE and has a nice playground set on sand. We knew it would be messy but we figured the kids would have fun. They did have fun and the fun lasted right up until our last 10 minutes.

The drama started with our two year old, K-No. The play area is surrounded by an iron fence and he decided that he didn't like it. We laughed as he put both of his hands on the fence and tried to lift up. He strained and huffed and puffed, throwing his head back and grimacing because of his overwhelmingly effort. It was a hoot.

The iron fence was situated over a two foot concrete wall. From the ground the two foot concrete wall rose up and then the iron fence rose up, supported by the wall. He decided he could get more leverage if he climbed up on the concrete wall and stuck his legs through the opening between the wall and the bottom of the fence. We laughed at that too....until he fell. He fell trying to get down and so he landed smack on his face. As soon as he got up, we saw that his mouth was filled with blood and he had a bruise in the middle of his forehead. He was screaming bloody murder.

Less than a minute later, the 4 year old, Sumo, started screaming too. After a solid hour of playing in the sand without event, he had finally decided to get sand in his eyes. He screamed louder than K-No and wouldn't let anyone help him. He just took off like a wild man, rubbing his eyes and hollering at the top of his lungs.

So much for a fun family night.

We were eventually able to calm both of them down. K-No left with a swollen lip and Sumo held a baby wipe over his eyes on the way home, looking like he was in mourning. He asked for a new baby wipe every 60 seconds, claiming that the old one was "de-wa-ty".

Chalk this one up to a family story we'll tell for a long time.

You Must Be a Natural

I hear this all the time. People seem to think that because I choose to be at home with my children and especially because we homeschool that I must have an extra dose of something. It's gotten to the point that it almost irritates me to hear that. Why? Because I know I'm not a natural. In fact, everything about how I live my life now compared to where I've come from is a choice.

You have to understand. I was a single parent before I was out of my teens. My life was built completely around "making it" and that included working as I had myself and a baby girl to support. I didn't want to live my life like this. All of my friends were kicking back, starting their life worry free. Not me. I was a twenty-something young black woman doing my best to get ahead because I had to. It was a choice.

Everything that I had went into making a way for myself and getting ahead. I moved around a bit looking for a job that was a right fit. When I found myself at an money management firm, I realized I had a good job and stayed put. I learned to love this job. It was a life-sucking job. Most Wall Street jobs are. I arrived before 7 a.m. and there was pressure to stay after 6 p.m. I did what I could. A job that I despised originally because of the tough work life quickly became a way to make an excellent living. I got promoted and wound up 3 years later as a VP, researching publicly traded companies to evaluate them for entry into the portfolio. I learned to love this job. Why? A great salary, wonderful bonuses, and I had worked my way up to being important. I had arrived.

Then...I met my husband.

He is in the entertainment industry and travels quite a bit. We decided that we would never see each other if we both worked the way we did, something had to go. I went part time on my job. This lasted for two months. It never failed. When I was home, he'd be gone. When he was home, I had to work. I decided to come home.

I was excited about coming home. I regretted not being able to be all there and I had quickly grown tired of balancing my job and the new family we were trying to blend.

That excitement was the initial shot of adrenalin. Being at home was the hardest job I'd ever done. I put my all into being at home because that's how I've always operated. When I have something to accomplish, I give it my all. Why did my family deserve any less?

I learned to decorate. I learned to cook. I learned to keep house. I learned work in the yard.

Then enter babies. We've added two little boys since or union. This catapulted me into another dimension of motherhood. I had never actually been at home with my oldest daughter. I knew nothing about potty training, setting up a home routine, teaching my children to mind, etc.

I learned. I'm still learning.

But this is from the girl who had learned to be committed to corporate life - the same girl who had gotten used to a lot of perks, recognition, and MONEY. Life on one income is doable but very few who choose this life are rich.

I enjoy my children because I chose to commit my life to raising people of character. I've learned to enjoy them.

I enjoy cleaning house...NOT BECAUSE I LIKE TO CLEAN...but because I have learned to do what I have to do for the sake of the people who live in my home.

I have learned to enjoy cooking...because I have chosen to put the health and nutrition of those under my care ahead of my desire to eat out.

I have learned to enjoy teaching my children. My husband and I choose to be completely responsible to God alone for the spiritual and intellectual education they receive and this is the best option for our family at this time. I chose homeschooling before I thought I would be able to stand being around them all the time.

There is a spiritual concept anytime something appears natural. You do what you know you should do. The feelings come later.

If I look like I'm a natural. It's because I've learned to be.

What do you want to be naturally gifted to do? Do you think it is out of your reach? Learn to do it. Work at doing it. You'd be surprirsed what then can come naturally.

Philippians 4.13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The question is not and has never been, what do I want to do, but instead...what does Christ want me to do. Whatever it is...he will provide the know-how and the will power to get it done.

Works-for-Me-Wednesdays: Teaching ABCs

I never cease to be amazed at what my young ones learn from EXPOSURE. I was insanely worried when my now 4yo was 2. I wondered how exactly I was going to teach the alphabet to him.

Fast forward a few years, he not only knows his ABCs but is reading.

Here is one thing that I did to expose him early on.



I figured since we were up and down the stairs all day, we could say the alphabet and point us various letters as we traveled. Now I take some of the work we do and tack it above the letter that the picture represents. Our elephant (made at the library) goes above "E" and the blueberry painting goes above "B".

We have gotten a little off track lately because "life" happens sometimes but we are following the well planned guidelines from Letter of the Week to help us make it through the alphabet. This Mom has great ideas on books to read and activities to do for each letter if you are creatively challenged like me!

Be sure to check out Rocks in My Dryer for more Works-for-Me Wednesday tips.

If You Blink, You'll Miss It

Recently, my family hit the highways and took a weekend roadtrip. In Texas, a road trip includes lots of flat land, miles of pastures, and rows of crops. It can get monotonous. When you are sitting in a car (or a minivan in our case), the view can seem all the same. The temptation would be to stop looking and to stop taking in the scenery. A good book or a few minutes of sweet "car" sleep might seem a whole lot more enticing then staring at the same old mile after mile.

The photo above is what I almost missed because I was engrossed in some book I had brought along to read. I happened to glance up mid-page and caught this sunset. I grabbed my digital camera and proceeded to break all safety laws as I stood up and leaned as close as I could get to my husbands window without obscuring his view (yes...as he drove). I just had to catch this beautiful sight.

It's a pretty good shot considering the fact that we were moving at about 70 miles per hour. The picture is good but not great. It's enough for me to have a memory but not enough to actually show the detail. We were just moving too fast.

Life moves fast. Even when it feels like it's moving slow. It moves fast...it just does.

And we get busy...we get busy doing so many things that aren't bad or that even make sense for the journey that we are on. But...when we look up and realize that something beautiful is happening, our ability to capture and remember the details may be limited because of the speed at which we travel.

My lesson from this photo...S-L-O-W-D-O-W-N.

Now this is a photo, that I took at a standstill. We were traveling on a dirt road...somewhere in between two teeny-tiny towns. Because the road was so rough, we had no choice other than to proceed at a snail's pace. Because we were moving so slow, I did not miss this:


In fact, I asked my husband to stop the RV. I leaned over him, completely obscuring his view to catch the shot. This is the driveway to someone's home. Gorgeous. I captured this sight on my camera and in my memory because we stopped to gaze.

Life is beautiful. My desire is to take it all in and to move slow enough so that I don't miss it's beauty. I figure that if I move fast I may still arrive at my planned destination, but what good does that do me if I missed the moments of beauty along the way?

Lord, help me to slow down...help me to keep my eyes peeled for those memory-making moments that you provide. Help me not to blink. I don't want to miss anything that you have given me to enjoy along the way of my journey.

Six Years...

This weekend, my husband and I celebrated six years of marriage. I am very thankful to be married to a man who is so selfless and who is patient with me as I learn to be.

Here is our engagement photo...

His birthday gift from the end of last year was corrective eye surgery but we couldn't schedule it until this weekend so...our anniversary has been carefully planned to be in our room mostly, relaxing, sleeping, and talking while he rests his eyes. Kiddos are home but being cared for in shifts by Granny, Sister, & Antie. It is so very nice to be able to "kick it" at the house with one another. It's been like vacation at home. Our anniversary was actually Saturday but we've been lazing around for three days. Can someone say W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L.

It's so rare that we just do nothing. I'm grateful for this time, for my marriage, and for my very own personal "gentle giant".

Weight Loss Journey 4/8 - 4/14

Weight Loss This Week - .5 LB

Current Weight Loss - 25.5 LBS

LBS to go - 3.5 LBS

Eating Diary...
This week was terrible...absolutely terrible. I actually was not going to post the eating and workout diaries at all out of embarrassment at not being able to stick to my goals. Then I remembered that the reason why I post is a) to help someone else on their journey and b) to hold myself accountable. If I'm going to be held accountable, even it it's only by my actions in print, I've got to be honest.

My main problem...once again...was lack of planning. Last week's plans didn't exactly come into fruition. I was on the run too much and ate out too much. I drank too little water and didn't eat near enough fruits and veggies. So that's my diagnosis of the problem. Next week let's pray I learn from this week's mistakes :(

Sunday (Easter)
My stomach has strunk a bit so I couldn't overdue it to bad. Let's just say we went to a brunch and I had a smattering of everything. I tried to fill a plate with a sampling of different desserts but I couldn't only have a bite or two of about three things. It was too sweet!

Tuesday
Breakfast - Smoothies and Toast
Lunch - Two soft chicken tacos
Early Dinner - Amy's Enchiladas
Dinner - Salmon Caesar Salad (ate out with family)

Wednesday
Breakfast - None
Lunch - Cheeseburger meal from McDonalds
Dinner - Chicken Sandwich + Small Caesar

Thursday
Breakfast - Go Lean Kashi
Snack - Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Lunch - Turkey Sandwich w/cabbage slaw
Dinner - not hungry

Friday (Start of Anniversary Weekend)
Breakfast- Apple + Chicken Biscuit
Lunch - Chicken w/spinach & tomato (Macaroni Grill's Lite Fare)
Dinner - None

Saturday
Breakfast - Waffle, eggs, toast, & OJ @ Waffle House w/Hubby
Lunch - none
Dinner - Steak, Potato, & Salad @ SaltGrass Steak House


Workout Diary...
Had lots of trouble getting in my groove this week. I was sleepy all week - probably because I wasn't working out or eating my best. So I didn't workout b/c I didn't have enough energy because I didn't work out....(sigh)...my head hurts.

Tuesday - 30 minutes elliptical + pushups + situps + leg lifts
Wednesday - 30 minutes elliptical
Thursday - no workout...too sleepy
Friday - no workout...too sleepy
Saturday - no workout...too sleepy

One Reason I Love My Teenager...

Teenage years are often spoken of in terms of what goes wrong with the children that a parent has worked so hard to raise. Although I completely agree that this time can have many twists and turns both for the young adult-to-be and their mother and father, I also believe that this can be a wonderful time too. It's the time where I'm allowed to see my precious little one blossum into adulthood. Like peering into the inner sanctuary of a cocoon, I get to watch the metamorphosis up close and personal. It isn't always a picture of perfection but it certainly is awesome to watch the transformation. Because we homeschool, I have the pleasure of observing many moments where I just can't believe the baby I brought home from the hospital is a woman.

I think the most important thing that a parent can do while there children migrate the transition into adulthood is to CHOOSE to look for the wonderful things that comprise their personality. Your teenager NEEDS to hear what they are doing right. They NEED to know that you still think highly of them. They NEED to believe that they still hold a precious place in your heart.

So sweet "Gracie" this post is for you :)

One reason I love my teenager is that she is compassionate and caring. She always shows concern and looks for ways to be sensitive to the desires of others. We work hard around our house, partially just because we live here and we should take care of our home, but mostly because we live here all day and messes just naturally occur. We make three meals a day plus snacks and so our kitchen always looks like we've just finished a meal.

Gracie is a whiz in the kitchen and cooks at least one dinner a week as well as breakfast two or three times. There are a couple of meals that I just don't do anymore and for that I am grateful. One of her meals is pancakes...always on Friday. She makes perfect pancakes with bacon (broiled in the oven) and doesn't even want me in the kitchen when she's at work.

Little brother likes to bother help me when I am in the kitchen. Sometimes I shoosh him away; sometimes I allow him to help. But when I turn around and see my teenager loving on her little brother without coaxing from me, my heart jumps for joy.

Every Friday morning we make pancakes for breakfast. On this Friday morning, "Sister" is letting her little brother help her...

Gracie also has learned how to play the guitar this year. Little fingers now seem to be heard at the most random times strumming her guitar in secret. Instead of getting mad and ranting about how the littles in our house keep messing with her stuff, Gracie make time to let them play...legally.

There is so much to be thankful for during this season of life. Albeit, sometimes you must choose to LOOK for what is wonderful about this person who is growing all the way into their skin. So today I'm going to look. I'm going to look and after I complete this blog I'm going to march into the kitchen, hug my wonderful daughter and tell her how great I think she is to be so compassionate and caring. You be sure and do the same with the precious gifts you've been given.

Buyer's Remorse

After balancing my checkbook tonight, I've had to take a bag of items and put them in the back of my car. It contains a few things I purchased from a an outlet store a couple of weeks ago. It's in my car because I need to return them.

While I was in the process of walking around this kitchen store and picking up various "neat" items, the thought did cross my mind multiple times that "I just didn't need the stuff". I shoved that thought to the back of my brain because I wanted the stuff and I deserved the stuff.

I didn't buy anything too frivolous - just a couple of pans and a Santuko knife. At the time, I figured I just had to have that knife because I've wanted a better knife for a long time. I figure that better tools will make me a more consistent efficient cook. The problem was I didn't NEED them and I actually bought the items without taking a look at my checkbook and counting the cost. Now, a couple of weeks later, I've decided that the items I purchased really weren't necessary and that I'd rather have the money to spend on other things. Now I've got to find the time to drive 40 minutes back to the outlet store to return my purchases.

Why do we do this? You know, wasting money on things we want or desire only to realize later that we spent our precious resources on products that just aren't that important when compared to other things that are more crucial. I can't even count the number of times that I've experienced some level of buyer's remorse. The high from spending unwisely doesn't last long at all.

This little spending escapade reminds me of how I feel when I spend money on food that "hits the spot" so to speak but holds absolutely no lasting value or nutritional content. Why do I do that?...spend money (and precious calories) on something that gives me a moments pleasure?

I am reminded of the scripture from Isaiah that says...

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. - Isaiah 55.2 (KJV)

I love this version from The Message:

Why do you spend your money on junk food,your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest.

The fact is that in this day and time, the world is full of wasters - wasters of money, wasters of food, and wasters of time. We spend our resources and our years chasing after thrills, must-haves, and oh-I-want-its. Unfortunately, many folks end up near the end of their lives, only to realize that they have a giant case of buyer's remorse and the time limit for redeeming the years of bad choices has run out.

Life is too short to live looking back at regretful decisions. It's too short to mess up by making bad choices when there is a better path. We are not perfect beings and so we will have moments where we trip up. However, I don't want to live a life where I regularly trip over the same cracks.

Spending money I don't have doesn't bring joy.

Eating food with no nutritional value doesn't bring good health.

Wasting time and energy outside of my purpose and calling doesn't bring fulfillment.

Living to please anyone other than the Lord doesn't bring eternal significance.

I asked my paternal grandmother (who I fondly call Two Mama) what she would change if she could live her life over again. Her answer is etched in my mind forever. "Well, I didn't do things perfectly, but I did the best that knew to do at the time".

What else can we do but the best we know to do. My fault lies in choosing less than the best even when knowledge of the best choice exists. The result is always REMORSE.

So how do we avoid remorse. How do we avoid the feeling that we could have done better, avoided disaster, or steered clear of disappointment. The precious Word has an answer for that too:

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Isaiah 55.6 (KJV)

And again, The Message is a wonderful paraphrase:

Seek God while he's here to be found,
pray to him while he's close at hand.
Let the wicked abandon their way of life
and the evil their way of thinking.
Let them come back to God, who is merciful,
come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness.

"I don't think the way you think.
The way you work isn't the way I work."
God's Decree.
"For as the sky soars high above earth,
so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
and the way I think is beyond the way you think.

Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
and don't go back until they've watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
So will the words that come out of my mouth
not come back empty-handed.
They'll do the work I sent them to do,
they'll complete the assignment I gave them.

There is a simple way to avoid buyer's remorse. Follow God's instructions. His knowledge about life and it's twists and turns way surpasses ours. There are so many regretful decisions that we can avoid and pitfalls we can sidestep if we just stop to get instructions. God's Word truly is a light and a lamp that will guide our everystep if we will only use it.

His Word addresses everything, how we spend money, how we spend our time, and even how we should treat our bodies (NO OVEREATING).

I imagine a life where I'm free of that sinking feeling because I've made an avoidable decision. That life is possible if I following the directions I receive from Somebody that's already been there and back and is more than willing to be my Guide.

I imagine my life - a life lived without unnecessary pitfalls. I imagine a surrendered life - a life lived in humble submission to the direction of Another. I imagine my life - a life lived without buyer's remorse.

Weight Loss Journey 4/1 - 4/7

I'm slowly making changes to this site to personalize it a bit more since all my blogging will be done here. Sooner or later I'll get my weight loss ticker up. In the meantime, here are the stats.

Weight Loss This Week - 1 LB

Current Weight Loss - 25 LBS

LBS to go - 4 LBS (to meet short term goal...then we have to reset the goal...but one thing at a time :)

Workout Diary

Monday - didn't work out :(

Tuesday - 30 minutes on the elliptical machine

Wednesday - 30 minutes on the "elliptical machine and 15 minutes on the "sit-down bike". Situps and pushups (don't remember how many) and squats.

Thursday - Walked/Ran through the neighborhood for about 30 minutes. There's something about running on the street that makes you feel like you can't stop and walk with people looking you know :) Didn't overdo it b/c I was sore from Wednesday!

Friday - 30 minutes on the elliptical machine, two sets of pushups (20 each), and two sets of situps (25 each). Then I jumped on the bikeTraining session with Cophie. 30 minutes of cardio - 10 minutes elliptical and 20 minutes walking on an incline.

Saturday - Stayed home with a sick baby.

Eating Diary

So this was my second week without sugar. I'm really getting the hang of not eating any. It is so funny how putting action before feelings really does the trick. I'm gonna have to apply that philosophy to the rest of my life. I did have some sweets on Easter Sunday but they just didn't have the same effect on me. This was the goal - getting to the point where the cravings of my flesh don't control me...getting to the point where what my spirit wants for my body outweighs the wants of my flesh.

I do have to say that I didn't put a whole lot of energy into meal planning this week and I just got plain bored. I snacked alot but I chose healthy snacks because the Oreos in the pantry that have been staring at me for the last two weeks weren't an option.

I have learned that eating to live is a completely different mentality than living to eat. Every meal is not entertainment, nor does every meal have to be tantalizing to the tongue. Sometimes you just eat because it's time to eat and because you recognize that your body is a machine and has to have good fuel to run. That means that I was able to eat oatmeal w/o butter and sugar (I took mine out and then doctored up the kids version) because I was eating for a purpose and not for a taste. The same thing applies to popping raw veggies. I'm cutting up broccoli to steam for the kids for lunch and putting a few to the side for myself. I admit it tastes very "green" but again...the idea was purpose now taste...imagine that...developing a completely different mindset....hmmmm...

I've found my husband making a trip to Whataburger and calling me to see if I want him to bring me anything. I never in a million years pass up a hand-delivered fast food dinner/lunch/late night snack. But now,....it is unsettling to think of eating that junk on a regular. If I do eat it (which I have once during the past month). I'm irritated at myself for putting the junk in my mouth. On Thursday night, we drove through Whataburger. I ate a few of hubby's fries (because if you didn't know...Whataburger has the BEST fries in the world) and then ate a salad with HALF of the dressing they provided.

I'm falling in love with how I feel about me AFTER making a good decision. That feeling is a whole lot better than the feeling of being full of stuff that doesn't do my body good.

I am doing sugar this week. Trying to see what things look like when I try to operate in moderation. We'll see how this goes :)

Next Week's Goals

• Better Planning
• Exercise five days through a combination of gym plus at home workouts (Pilates DVD or a walk outside.
• Keep better documentation of what I eat...Seeing it in print is a wake up call :)
  
• Getting more rest!

Below the Belt...

Ummm....let's just say that today I was hit below the belt on my no sugar thing. As I have said before the no sugar thing is mainly for refined sugars and "sweets", but I have been trying to eat healthy in general though. The idea has been to watch my carbs and eat lots of veggies and a bit of fruit.

Well today, my oldest daughter, who is becoming quite a whiz in the kitchen, hit me below the belt.



For crying out loud....NO FAIR~~~

These are our "Pumpkin Muffins". This is how we cook pumpkin bread when we are in a hurry and don't want to wait on the loaf to cook. Divide the batter into a muffin tin, and ~VOILA~... same tasty goodness in less than half the time.

Whenever these are cooked up, they whisper sweet nothings in my ear from across the room, gently whooing me in their direction. I've had two since this morning...so far...

As you can see, I'm not the only one enjoying these...or am I :)

Pray for me!

This recipe is from my Mom who is the ultimate whiz in the kitchen. We grew up eating tons of it at Christmas time and sharing tons of it with friends and family during the holiday season. Per my four year old''s request, these are officially no longer reserved for a certain time of year.

The now is to limit my snacking so that these muffins don't literally show up below the belt!

My Baby Seester...

Sometimes you just have moments of pride, you know?

My sister sent me these photos a few days ago. She is a Bible teacher and just recently did a Lifeway Women's Event called Deeper Still where she spoke alongside, Beth Moore, and Kay Arthur , encouraging thousands of women to walk closer with the Lord. Lifeway will also be partnering up with Priscilla's ministry, Going Beyond Ministries, to do Women's Conferences across the country.
I keep looking at these photos and wondering if this is the same sister who used to fight with me at night over whether or not to keep the door open
or closed when we went to bed.

Is this the same sister who would make up games with me after our Daddy had told us to go to bed?

Is this the same sister that would steal my clothes out of the closet and then lie and say she hadn't taken them?

Is this the same sister who didn't like to read and that has now written 3 books?

Is this the same sister who always talked too much....is she now talking for a living?

Is the the same sister who used to fight with me about whose turn it was to do the Sunday dinner dishes?

Is this the same sister who, when it was her turn to make lunch for all the kids, ALWAYS made egg sandwiches (to my great dismay)

Is this the same sister who took great pleasure in beating me to the shower because she knew I hated not to go first?

Is this the same sister who has been with me through thick and thin? Is this the only sister that knows about my whole history...good and bad....? Is the only sister I have that I will cherish FOREVER!????

Yes....this is my sister....
I am proud of my whole family. Links to their websites are listed along the leftside of my blog. Oh...and I'm proud of my brother Anthony too who is visible in the second photo.

The Art of Napping

One of the beauties of doing school at home...When you need a nap, you don't have to put your head down on a desk.

Seven Days Without Sugar....and Counting!...

I made it! and I'm going to keep going another seven days.

As I wrote in the original post on this "No Sugar Journey":

I'm committed to going 7 days without refined sugar. I might stretch it to 14 days and then to 21 but right now I can't think that far. I'm avoiding "sweets", allowing myself natural sweetener on occasion (honey in tea for example). No oreos, no ice cream, no brownies, no sweet tea, no candy bars, no chocolate chip cookies (Lord help me), no Starbucks, etc..

This past week was challenging as I practiced the art of not putting certain things in my mouth out of habit, circumstance, and just plain 'ol lack of discipline. I tried my hardest to avoid situations that would provide the greatest temptations. The biggest problem was that life still goes on even whilst I'm attempting to become more disciplined!

Wednesday nights my sweet hubby takes the kids to church and I get a night off. It's really not a night off because I have a part-time WAHM job and I actually get work done when it's quiet around here. However, it's quiet here none the less. I take the opportunity to treat myself to dinner. You know, no kids, no sharing, and hot food - all brought to me while I sit, and taken away when I'm done....HEAVEN.

Normally, when I treat myself, the word TREAT implies that my scrumptuous dinner will be followed by....you guessed it...something sweet...preferrably something with chocolate...like a cookie served a 'la mode....WHEW!...IT'S GETTING HOT IN HERE!

I didn't do it. I didn't cave. I sat down, looked at the menu and opted for the Salmon Caesar Salad.

On Friday, we had a family birthday party. My little cousin turned 3 and we celebrated at Chick Fil A (my digital camera is broken or else I'd have a pic or two). This was all out war! Cake was served as well as ice cream. What did I have? a salad...without my beloved sweet tea. My sister ordered a Oreo Cookie Shake and sat right in front of me slurping it up. How encouraging :(

Self-denial is empowering. Not only did my foray into no sugar land result in a week of victory, but eating sugar is somehow connected to eating bad in general. I was more empowered to avoid white flour, fried foods, eating late at night, and other detrimental norms.

Overall a good week. My indulgence was homemade wheat pancakes on Friday morning (our norm around here at the end of week), covered with a measured amount of pure maple syrup (oh and a vat pat of butter). I also did eat fruit during the week for good carbs, energy, and fiber. I thought about extending my little project into refined carbs but then I decided to take one thing at a time. I did good...but not that good...

So here we go...Week 2. I've already decided that on Easter Sunday I'll allow myself a furlough but I think I'm good for a 3 Week Commitment.

How's it going for those of you who were going to join me?

FYI for those that have been following the weight loss journey from the other blog, my weight didn't change last week. I am in the process of moving things over and I hope to have the weight change ticker up here soon! For now you can view it here.

Story - Part IV

For Part I of this story, CLICK HERE; For Part II , CLICK HERE; For Part III CLICK HERE

It started with a jacket - a jacket with a small tear. The sea captain was a stickler about his appearance and immediately wished to fix his uniform. Although his mother would do anything for him, "anything" did not include sewing. It would ruin her manicured hands, so she thought, and so she avoided manual labor of any kind.

The captain's Mother, we'll call her Mrs. Henderson, vaguely remember overhearing from some other folks in town that her neighbor Olivia was a great seamstress, and prompt in doing the job and returning the garments. She also knew of a more established seamstress in town, who had a storefront and was a custom clothesmaker for people of status. Considering her son of high status, she mentioned both women, one for reputation, the other for proximity, all the while gently nudging her son to go into town.

The captain, definitely a man of class, was also fond of practicality. He chose proximity.

On the day that he planned to deliver the jacket to Olivia, he planned to wear a clean white shirt with khaki pants. Glad to be home, he relished the opportunities provided him to "dress down" when he was on furlough and away from commanding people and things. But instead, he donned his uniform because he was going in public, to the home of someone he did not know, and he didn't want to appear too familiar. He check himself in the mirror, picked up the jacket to be mended and headed out the front door.

Olivia was sitting at her window, with a mending job in her lap, needle in hand. She focused intermittently between her work and the children who were in her plain view. Quietly moving her lips, she recited Scripture verse to herself, Psalms 34 to be exact, ..."Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name...". This was her way of staying encouraged, continuing to be grateful, and keeping that pleasant smile on her face.

Although Mrs. Henderson and Olivia were neighbors, the houses were not exactly close together. There were still quite a bit of beautiful foliaged land in between houses and each house itself, although modest in size sat on a couple of acres. The captain strolled slowly down the street towards Olivia's house, taking in all of the sights and sounds of home. It was not often that he had the opportunity to take a walk without the weight of business concerns. This furlough would last almost two months and he intended to enjoy every moment of it.

His shoes crunching underneath him on the gravel path that led to the house, the captain broke a small sweat. It was quite a warm day already. He noticed Olivia in her window, noticed her smile, and her moving lips. He paused for a brief second, half wandering at her simple natural beauty and half wandering if he had stumbled onto the property of a person not having a full deck. He remembered his mother's recommendation and knew she would have been aware if this was the case. The captain called out to her as he held up the arm holding the jacket.

"Hello, mending work?"

Olivia looked up. "Oh, hello. Sure...come on up. Children we have company."

Quickly, a six year old girl immediately stopped her play and ran into the house ahead of the captain. Another girl, about four years of age ran up the steps leading to the house and grinned broadly at the captain as he approached the porch. "Tank 'u fo comin' to owa howum".

The captain laughed aloud and said a hearty, "You're welcome!" He climbed up the steps and entered the house. There Olivia was, standing to greet him.

"Now what can I do for you captain?"

"Well, it looks as if I've put a rip in my jacket and I was hoping that you could mend it for me. I've heard from around that you do a great job."

"I do try my best. Let me take a look at the damage". She gently took the jacket from the captain's arms and ran her slender fingers over the spot in question. "Well, captain, this jacket is very well made and this rip ought to be easy enough to fix. I can have it ready for you in about half an hour if you like".

"Half an hour! Indeed, I heard you worked fast but I didn't realize... Miss, there is truly no need for such a hurry. I can pick it up tomorrow morning if it is all the same to you."

Just then, the six year old, walked proudly into the room with a glass of iced tea. "Captain, please enjoy something cold for such a warm day". Charmed the captain bowed just a tiny bit to the little girl who in turn curtsied and took the tea.

The captain turned to compliment Olivia on her training of her children. "My what a job you've done with your young ones. So helpful and well behaved."

"Thank you Captain." Olivia smiled a little and glanced down. "The jacket will be ready for you in the morning. Feel free to come by after nine."

The seamstress named the price to which the Captain happily agreed, and he turned to walk out the front door, glass in hand. Walking onto the porch he paused for a second, and brought the glass to his lips. Olivia stepped onto the porch after him and made her way behind his back over to a white rocking chair . She settled in with his jacket, needle, and thread in hand.

"Oh, Miss, I don't want you to stop working on your previous project to fit me in. Once again, I need my jacket in no hurry".

"Captain, it's no problem at all, I was only mending one of my own dresses. I will finish it later. Please, have a seat and enjoy your tea."

He took too large steps and sat down in a brown wicker chair near the door. They sat in silence and peace for about five minutes. Nothing really was said. Nothing needed to be said. Here on this porch amongst paint-chipped wood, and mismatched furniture was peace. Children's laughter, trees bustling, and sun shining, peace seemed invited and hovered over this little spot. Olivia worked quietly. The captain sipped the tea ever so slowly, enjoying the calm and the unexpected sense of comfort. He drank every last drop, put the glass on the wood floor, and rose to his feet.

"Thank you for the tea and I will see you in the morning."

Olivia nodded and smiled. The captain walked down the steps and back onto the gravel driveway.

As he rounded the bend in the road and gradually lost sight of Olivia's home, he smiled at the memory of the children chasing each other through the yard. He loved children. He hoped to have some of his own one day. It was just a matter of meeting the right person.