Thankfulness

I'm really am thankful.  The last couple of weeks have been hard.  The kids were crazy from Halloween candy.  And they were puking from the flu the next.  But I did it.  I got away.  With friends and no kids.  It was wonderful.  I wish it would have worked out for the other five girls to come but that just makes another girls weekend a must!

My friend Melissa invited me on a weekend away trip.  No kids, just shopping, eating, talking, lattes, hot tubs and friends.  It sounded too good to be true so when my husband was completely for it, I was in.  He and the kids did so good.  No one else got sick.  They went to Bemidji to bring our dog to the breeder, Christmas shopped, went to church and had fun together.  My mom watched our youngest and it was a success.  I've even been encouraged to plan another.  Yipee!

I think it is so good to take care of ourselves to be able to take care of others.  I am so thankful for friends, husbands and grandparents that make it possible.

These women along with a few others enrich my life.  Ann is a lifelong friend that has had great influence in my life.  I've watched her become a wife and mother before me and learned so much.  We have been together through sunday school, confirmation, highschool, Bible camp, college and life.  She is a treasure to me.

Alesha is like a sister.  We are both nurses which is how we met.  I fell down the stairs at a movie theater and sprained my ankle the first time we did anything social together in a group of friends... so she knew what she was in for.  She is my listening ear.  She is always there for me.  And she is like an aunt to my children which is such a blessing that her friendship has continued through all our changes in life and location.

Melissa is a friend that has recently come back into my life more intentionally.  We have known eachother for about 5 years but have not really been really close.  However, now we find ourselves in the same season of life and are intentionally putting effort into our friendships.  We have started meeting at eachother's homes once a month (she lives an hour away) and just letting our kids play, our lives meld and our thought and feeling spill.  It's great and oh so refreshing.  It's nice to just have someone to hang out with for the day and not let distance, naps or emotions prevent a good time. 

The other few friends are equally as valuable to me but I can expand on their special place in my life later!  I love my friends and am so thankful for them.

So the kids are glad I'm home and so is my husband and parents.  We work really well together.  This week is not much smoother so far but I'm trying to treasure each moment and give my kids grace.  We are in this together and have so much to look forward to this week and weekend!

Random Thoughts

I have had a roller coster of emotions these past couple of weeks.  And one would think that children that make such great/crazy faces would bring everlasting joy to my heart but they don't all the time.  Isn't that sad... how discontent we all can be with all that we have been given.

I made a conscious decision about a week and a half ago to fast and pray one morning for a girl at our church who was having surgery which included pathology that would confirm or deny malignancy.  I have had such a growing desire to minister to the girls in our youth group at church and she is one of them.  A battle in my mind started the moment I started to wake up.  My mind went back and forth from excuse to benefit this fasting and prayer could bring to my day.  And from the moment I decided I was going ahead with the plan I felt God had laid on my heart, my day fell apart and so did most of the week.  I let it get me down... I fasted from food and said only a couple prayers but guess what.... the surgery went well and the pathology on the growth (where the report could have taken many many days only took a couple of days) came back confirming a diagnosis of it being benign!  God is so good!  And that's when it hit me...  as long as we are serving the Lord, things are ok.  They may not always to be going well but God is so much bigger than all of that. 

Also one the subject of children.  I want more.  I know I want more.  But I also want to concentrate on the husband and family I have now and not dwell on past or future.  So there, I said it, I want more children.  I don't know from where or when they will come or if they only be the grandchildren or nieces and nephews I will hold in the future but there will be more.  For now, I'm ok with just dwelling in the present.  Loving and cherishing my husband and children now where we are at.  Oh the relief.

Sickness and friends too.  I don't always mind when my kids are sick.  I don't want them to be but when they are (like they have been this week), it gives me an excuse to lay low and veg and not feel guilty about it.  However, this weekend I have a girls weekend planned.  Shopping, sipping coffee, talking, eating out and sleeping through the night.  It sounds so lovely but my kids have been sick.  Should I go?  Everyone is on the mend and only one child has yet to get it so I think everything would go well.   Plus my husband is encouraging me to go.  He thinks I need a night away (he really is so good to me).  But am I being selfish if I go?   I hope not because I really think I am going to go.  I need this, I want this.  And I could get Christmas shopping started and buy my husband a birthday gift; these are all good reasons right?  So we will see.  I hope all stay healthy so I can enjoy nurturing friendships!

Also our dog is ready to breed.  This is one of the main reasons we picked the puppy we did.  She has great genetics.  This has not worked out in the past but we love her and she is such a loyal family pet so it hasn't bothered me.  I'm not a dog person so I have my preferences, like the dog doesn't sleep in our room, she isn't in the kitchen when we eat, etc.  But this is one of my husband's dreams... breeding dogs and I want to support him in it.  So this weekend we will make the decision whether or not to try breeding again.   I hope we do and that is works.  I really want something special to happen for Jay.  He takes such good care of us.

So these are many of my random thought.  They don't really make sense together but they are in my head so I'm glad I could share!

Photography

I have really never dreamed of being a photographer of humans.  Animals and landscapes, maybe... but really never people.  But now that I have a decent camera and lens, I really wanted to take pictures for people for fun.  Meaning, if they have no expectations for perfect pictures and I have no expectation of payment it would be fun.  So I had the opportunity to take pictures of some friends.  While it was fun and a great learning experience it was stressful.  I really felt the need to capture perfect moments in time.  I did capture some but they were blurry or dark beyond editing repair.  Wow what a gift professional photographers have in their responsibility to capture these moments perfectly.  I love this challenge.  I want to learn, improve and continue to serve others in this way.  I am having fun taking pictures of my own children and family and hope the tradition started by my dad (recording family life through film) will continue with me!  Any photo tips for me?  Like in the above pic... I wish I had paid attention to getting the entire rocking chair and her feet in the frame... maybe next time.  Let's talk and learn from eachother!

Friends (cont)

Making time for friends and cultivating relationships has been heavy on my heart lately. My heart's cry was encouraged to know it was on to something when I read one of my favorite blogs the other day (http://www.kellehampton.com/) and at my weekly Bible study on Tuesday morning. Kelle wrote her Hallmark post on friends, which was such an insightful read for me as my heart had been stirring and mind had been rolling through thoughts and feelings of my friends. But at my Beth Moore Bible Study, the video message she presented touch my soul.  She spoke on how we need to be good traveling partners (http://www.lifeway.com/Product/stepping-up-a-journey-through-the-psalms-of-ascent-video-sessions-M00000129#).

One of the Bible verses I came across was... Exodus 33:11a "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend."  This made me start thinking.  Negatively at first in regards to people who don't bring their complaints directly to a person.  They just write a facebook status or blog post about it or talk to someone else about it.  How many times have I done this myself... shame on me.  Perhaps more conflicts would be easily resolved if we just talked directly and only to the person with whom we have the problem.... but I'm getting away from my point.

Friends talk face to face!  And while I love facebook and blogs as much as the next person; I love my true friend more.  They are part of me.  Last Wednesday felt like the perfect time to put my thoughts into practice.  I went to visit a friend.  She used to live close and even attend the same church however since they moved (almost 4 years ago), other than emails, facebook messages, occasional phone calls and Christmas cards, they only time we see her and her family is when they came or were passing through.  So I packed up all four kids (ages 1, 2 1/2, 2 1/2 and 4) and headed out for a road trip.  It was a great adventure.  It was exactly what my heart needed.  I  loved the visit more than you can imagine and I think it touched her too.  We made effort to go to them, to see their new home, to play in their yard.  What a blessing.

We plan to do this again tomorrow except with different friends.  I want to make the effort; to go (even if traveling an hour or two can be hard with so many small children), to spend time in their life.  I cannot wait. We have pizza, pumpkin carving and pumpkin patches and visits to the mall planned.  I love these women and their families... they are family to me!

So love your friends.  Make real time for them.  Love on them.  Talk FACE to FACE with them and your hearts will bond!

Friends vs Enemies

Tea & Sweets, a photo by janelleh1 on Flickr.

Friends are the best! I feel so blessed with friends in my life. I feel like I have always had close friendships with a few people. I love groups of friends... and feel like I wouldn't know what to do without them. But what about the FRIENDs that feel like sisters and the friends that you feel like as the years pass are becoming like sisters. These are the best.
The above photo was taken because I had a friend call and ask if she could just come to visit and bring me cookies to bake. Can you? Sure.
To be continued...