So Long Ordinary

For the first time ever I've entered a blog give away contest. They are "all the rage" in bloggity world now and since Heather invited me to join hers and I would absolutely LOVE for her to do a painting of the girls (one of the prize options) I just had to enter! If any of you are bloggers, you are invited to join the drawing as well. I encourage everybody to peruse Heathers blog "Graced by Christ." It is a lovely blog and I'm glad I've finally discovered it! Thanks, Heather!

*UPDATED FOR CLARITY* I just realized why so few people comment on this blog. It's kind of hard, isn't it?! Well, I just made it easier. Now you can leave a comment without a Blogger account. Just click the comments link, add your comment, and choose "Other" where you can place your name (a web address is not required to use this option) or use "Anonymous" and be sure to sign your name at the end. After the word verification, you can send your comment! I'd love to hear more from you at anytime, about anything! If you don't see your comment right away, don't worry - it has been sent to me to review first and then I'll post it. (This is to avoid "junk" or spam.)

Somebody very, very special to me is turning 60 today. This person has influenced my life in ways he probably doesn't even know. He raised me to work hard, to love God, to finish what I started (I'm still working on that one), and to talk less and act more. He taught me how to ride horses, fish, hike, camp and enjoy the mountain air. He was patient enough to teach me to drive and he made me learn stick shift first. And he just laughed when I drove my mom's car into the ditch...the laughing became less and less frequent in direct proportion to the amount of little accidents I had. He even surprised me and fixed my new car after I ran into my old car with it. A very patient man. And I scared him more than once. This man even let me have pigs in 4-H. I think we both learned from that one. But, in the end we had good pork. He tolerated me "helping" him while he puttered around the farm. He gave me my first job sweeping hangars out for $2 an hour. He bought me countle...

Busy, busy, busy. I know I seem to have fallen off the planet...just so busy with lots of stuff that takes priority over blogging. Someday I'll be back, I promise! I'm hoping that by mid-week next week my life will have calmed down enough that I don't cringe at the thought of sitting still for a while and trying to organize my thoughts well enough to create a blog post. My brain is like Jell-O, I tell you. Jell-O. My condition is compounded by the fact that suddenly Brooklyn is not taking naps. Yes, I know that those of you who have had the painful and unfair experience of kissing afternoon free time goodbye can understand now where I have been! But I will be back soon and you can look forward to more regular updates. Until then, you have my permission to back away from the computer and step outside to enjoy the sun and summer fun for a while.

I know I've been sort of hit-and-miss with the blogging the past month or so. I've been busy with some special projects, summer Bible studies, and just trying to keep on top of the usual chores, errands and responsibilities! I really haven't had much to say but I've been thinking...I've got a list of blog topics I really want to write about someday. The nature of my blog may change somewhat in the next several weeks as I implement a little more writing about topics other than family updates and pictures. I've said all along that this blog is an opportunity for me to improve my writing skills...family updates don't quite do that even if I do love writing them! At the same time, I know that the majority of my " readers " - doesn't that sound fancy, I have readers! * ahem* Anyway, most of the people who check in on this blog are either relatives or friends and really only care about the cute antics of my children.... So, the family updat...

This is why I love blogging. You put a little something out there - such as a hint that you need a little comic relief in your life - and people start praying and telling you their jokes and sending encouraging notes and things start happening and suddenly.... Man, my life is funny! We all know that life isn't always all giggles and snorts - unless, of course, you are at a junior high girls' slumber party. And that is okay. Because I can honestly say that even though I passed a few days without anything really good to laugh about, I never lost my joy. Not once. You see, that is the really awesome thing about our God. I can't quite explain it, but I look back and see that the joy of the my Lord was there - even though I was more stressed than usual, maybe a tad grumpy, a little excessive in my self-pity, way over-tired, more growly than giggly, and seriously feeling some culture shock.... again. He used friends and family from near and far to help me gain perspecti...

I so needed a laugh. It's been hard to find anything remotely funny about my life lately - then I read this post and I'm still giggling! If she can turn that awful day into something hilarious then surely I can see the humor in my own bad day/week/month.... Go read - "Ode to Mary" by Antique Mommy It's there - the humor in my life, that is - somewhere! I'll let you know when I find it.