Saturday, October 16, 2010

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...Oct 15th verse (20)

We've been having the kind of weather that makes people want to move here.

The boys and I either biked or walked to the playground four days this week.  (Well, I biked two days and walked the others.  While it may be true that one never forgets how to ride a bike, one's posterior may need some readjusting....)  Our neighborhood playground is tucked away behind some houses with lots of tall pine trees almost completely shading it.  And it is vintage playground.  No primary-colored plastic interactive multi-purpose play structures here.

There is a large metal swing set with 6 swings on one side.  Another large metal swing set with 6 faded baby/toddler swings on the other.  Metal monkey bars.  A metal merry-go-round.  Are you getting the metal theme?  Lots of nice hard surfaces.  Old school, I tell ya.  And they love it.

And today, just like last Saturday (which I do realize is the 16th and not the 15th and I'm a day late posting my verse), was spent outdoors.  Carpentry style.  Sam and I drove up to my mom and dad's house so my dad, who is a major handyman-and-fix-it guru, could help Sam with his Boy Scout Carpentry Merit Badge.  (My dad took wood shop every year in high school, and was his teacher's favorite.  I totally get why.)

Here's a picture of the almost completed project.  In case you can't tell, it's a book trough/shelf that will sit at the end of my avid reader/book-a-holic's bed.  (Hmmm, wonder where he gets that?)  Next week he'll add trim and then paint it.  I think it's going to look great and he's done a super job working on it with MacGyver Grandpa.  We did let the professional handle the use of the shrieking, saber toothed table saw though.













And in other news, I've been re-infected with the decorating bug.  It lurks below the surface, then, usually after I've been in the company of others who are infected (and you know who you are), it rears a "needs-to-be-sanded-primed-and-painted" head.  Or a "pull-out-a-hundred-staples-so-you-can-change-that-ugly-red-fabric-seat-cover-to-some-cute-burlap".  As shown below....  Thankfully (at least Jack thinks so) it comes and goes.



















Well, I'm sure I've got lots of other earth-shattering news that's fit to print, but it's getting close to bedtime and I had better help feed the posse and herd them off to dreamland.  And I'd also like to collapse on the couch with some Goode Company BBQ and give some serious thought to thanking my lucky stars I'm in Texas.  Except it seems like they've gotten a little proud of their BBQ.  So next time I might just give some serious thought to thanking my lucky stars that I'm saving a few sawbucks at the BBQ joint down the road.

Without further ado (you're welcome), here's my verse.

Psalm 30:1-3 NIV
I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.  O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.  O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit.

Friday, October 1, 2010

In the wee small hours....(Oct 1st - Verse 19)

when the whole wide world is fast asleep....

Two boys lie awake insisting that they can't go to back to sleep.  And I, envisioning the crankiness that is two boys who have been awake since 3 AM, is equally insistent that they must.  But now, it is quiet, so hopefully the "just-lay-there-with-your-eyes-closed-and-don't-talk-to-each-other" approach worked.

It did not work for me, however.  But, as an adult, I can use the "all the caffeine I can injest" approach to the day.  Which hopefully will be especially effective since I haven't had caffeine in about 5 weeks.  (But who's keeping track?)  (And chocolate doesn't count.)  And since since the day involves me leaving the house at noon (at which point one of my fellow escapees will be tapping her toe at my front door) and not returning until Sunday, and I can sleep late all weekend if I want to, I may just do that.  Woohoo!

I am so thankful for Jack's willingness to hold down the fort.  He is such a good sport to bless me with this time away and I am grateful.  For him and the R&R.

I've been cooking like a fiend all week in anticipation of being gone.  Because while Jack has many skills, culinary abilities are not among them.  If he had his way, everyone would eat Raisin Bran all weekend.  Hence, the cooking.  So, in a few minutes I'll finish here, hit the shower, and then the kitchen, for my last bit of feeding the brood and prepping before I head out.  And again I say...woohoo!

On another, somewhat verse-related note, I've been reminding the boys lately that their words have power.  (And I'm sure there's no correlation whatsoever between what I hear from my boys' mouths and what comes out of my own.  Uh, uh, no way....)  So, we're trying to cut back on the complaining and the "I can'ts", and take seriously the creative power of our words.  So for this time, I'll be working on Isaiah 55:11 from the NKJ.

"So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

So with that I'll say adios, and this is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it!  Talk to you in a couple of weeks.

And post a verse!