Graduation

May 13, 2011

Graduation 007Graduation is tomorrow.

Everybody’s been asking me if I’m ready for the big day.

Ready?

Well – the house is clean, the food is prepped, the invitations are sent, the cap and gown are pressed and we have several house projects completed in anticipation of the after-graduation party.

But am I ready?

Hmmm…good question.

Is it ever possible to be ready for major life changes? Was I ready when Matt was born? When we sat down at the kitchen table and started school? When he started driving?

Yet – at this point – after all the planning and preparations – I think I’m ready to just get it done and get back to normal.

But wait – that’s the problem isn’t it.

After tomorrow our “normal” will be different.

At the end of the summer there will be only be four students sitting around our table doing school.

My first-born will be out of the nest.

And it’s that thought – dear friends – that leaves me in a puddle.

When my sister Teresa graduated her oldest – she would burst into tears whenever anyone even said the word graduation.

I used to tease her about it.

Silly me.

I guess it’s my turn now.

Somebody please pass me the tissues – ready or not – here we go!

By Country Gal | Posted in Deep Thoughts, Home School | Tagged , , | Comments (8)

Grace

April 21, 2011

“The work God wants you to do is this: Believe in the One he sent…” John 6:9
Grace

Only believe.

“The cross was heavy,

the blood was real.

and the price was extravagant.

It would have bankrupted you or me,

so He paid it for us.

Call it simple.

Call it a gift.

But don’t call it easy.

Call it what it was.

Call it grace.”

Max Lucado

Photo by Juliux

 

By Country Gal | Posted in Deep Thoughts, Holidays, Spring | Tagged , , | Comments (4)

50 and Fabulous

April 15, 2011

My oldest sister had a milestone birthday this year. She turned the big 5-0.

Yes – that is an entire half of a century.

And being the really good sister that I am – always so supportive <wink> – I thought she might need some guidance on how someone of her new social standing should dress. :)

I figured that I just might be an expert on that – after all I grew up watching Lawrence Welk every Saturday night!

DressEverybody knows that the well-dressed 50 year old wears polyester!

So I found her three lovely house dresses for spring in a rainbow of pastel colors designed to compliment the gray in her hair.

And since I never do anything halfheartedly – I also added 2 lovely brooches to accessorize.

Dress 2And my oldest sister – always a good sport – modeled one for us.

Now doesn’t she look smashing in the blue floral with the black handbag?

I do think we need to be looking for a sturdy shoe with arch supports – or maybe some canvas Keds like my grandma always wore. :)

Seriously – although we like to kid each other – she has always been a model to me – and not just how to rock a polyester house dress!

Being the oldest, she was the first to graduate, the first to go off to college, the first to get married, have children, home school.

She’s modeled how to be a wife and a mother. I’ve watched her launch her sons – one at a time – and stand back to let them fly.

She’s shown me how to make my faith real and how to breathe hospitality as  she ministers to the steady flow of young people through her home.

She truly is 50 and fabulous and I’m blessed to have her.

I only hope that in a few very short years when I reach this milestone for myself – that I can be as gracious and lovely as she is (and that she has forgotten this little polyester incident!)

Happy birthday Bee – I love you!

By Country Gal | Posted in Deep Thoughts, Family Traditions, Memories | Tagged , , | Comments (5)

God of Wonder

March 23, 2011

God of WondersWe had some massive storms roll through the state last night – tornadoes warnings, hail, strong winds, heavy rains.

With three of my kids at Teen Pact Camp in Des Moines – this momma bear was relieved when one of the coordinators posted this on Facebook:

“I just got back from the Teen Pact Camp. There was a tornado warming so we all went into this ‘cozy’ (that was the word we agreed on) basement. I must say, if being in a basement can be epic, this totally was. We did a bunch of singing. Let me tell ya, ‘God of Wonders’ takes on a whole new meaning when there’s lightning, hail and wind outside!”

Thank you Josh.

I had to smile. I knew exactly what he meant.

Years ago – when I was in youth group – we were on the church bus on a very hot and humid July night traveling home from an activity.

The air was so still it was suffocating.

There was lightning off in the distance.

We watched the storm get closer and closer – until the sky got dark and our church bus full of kids was in the middle of the rain, wind, and lightning.

It was a little scary.

Then someone started to sing the scripture song from Isaiah 41:10:

“Fear thou not, for I am with thee,
be not afraid, for I’m thy God.
I will strengthen you, yea I will help you,
yea I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.”

We all joined in. Song after song flowed out of that bus on that dark stormy night.

Singing “How Great Thou Art” while the lightning cracks above you and you can feel His power in the wind and rain is an incredible experience.

That impromptu acapella worship service in the church bus on a country road in rural Iowa surrounded by the raging storm remains one of the most meaningful ones in my life.

God of wonder indeed.

By Country Gal | Posted in Children, Deep Thoughts, Spring | Tagged , , | Comments (4)

Random Snapshots

March 18, 2011

Photo memoriesWe’ve been looking through the photo albums in the last few weeks searching for pictures of Matt to use in a video for his graduation party in May.

Talk about a trip down memory lane!

I haven’t taken the time to look at photos in years!

Boy, did Jan and I look young – and skinny – and tired! :)

My how fast life changes!

I can now understand why people who have lost everything in a disaster will mourn the loss of the photographs the most.

You can trace our history through the  long line of birthday cakes, family Christmas pictures, and summer vacations.

The birthday parties, the Christmas pictures, the family gatherings are all so fun to remember, but looking at them now – the pictures I appreciate the most are the ones of our every day life.

You know – the random shots. The ones where the kids are sitting – happy as clams – in the middle of a floor strewn with toys.

Or the one of the family sitting around the table for meal on a weekday.

Those pictures captured the “everydayness” of life – the everyday dishes, the everyday clothes, the everyday moments that we often overlook.

I think it’s those every day moments  -

the house messy with toys,

every chair around the table full at a mealtime,

the swing set filled with laughter,

the little helper doing chores with daddy – that we miss the most when they are gone.

Which makes those pictures even more precious – they are an irreplaceable reminder of who we were and where we’ve been.

Priceless.

By Country Gal | Posted in Children, Deep Thoughts | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)