I am officially one of the mama's in charge of the shepherds for our church's Christmas pageant. It just so happens that the shepherds are all of the boys 2-9 in the church (two of which are my own) who didn't get a speaking role. Let's just say that these are not the calmest of the children involved in the pageant. We had our first run through tonight and it was a bit rocky.
On the way home (hoping to instill more quietness and reverence for the occasion), I talked to Joseph and Will about how the pageant was an opportunity for us to share what was important about Christmas (the birth of Christ) with people who might not know. We've been having a lot of discussions recently about why some people celebrate Santa Claus instead of Jesus and honestly it is kind of hard to explain. We've made our celebration so Christ-centric that I can't really put into words who Santa is.
I need to do a bit more on decorations for our house so that it won't all hit me at once. I got two pretty poinsettias at Wal-mart today and have made 2 good sized pine cone wreaths. I should make a few more wreaths and get a head start on some cooking for our open house too. Joe is off tomorrow morning and I am hoping that we'll finish painting the bedroom!!
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
To God and to the Lamb I will Sing!
We've been dealing with some sort of stomach bug for over a week now. David had it last Sunday and Joe came down with it this past Saturday. Joseph and Will were sick too on Saturday, but their bug seems to be lasting longer. Joseph is still complaining of a hurt tummy and neither boy has his appetite back. We had thought that they had all gotten food poisoning on Saturday, but since the boys are still sick I am thinking that it must be a bug. I'm fine, thankfully, and am more than able to take care of everyone else! Yesterday was actually a very easy day around here. Since the boys were all feeling puny, they napped for most of the day and when they were awake they were subdued, albeit throwing up. I was actually tickled by the thought that my day was easier with 3 sick little ones than with 3 healthy and rambunctious littles ones. But, God was gracious to me in their illness in that they were never all throwing up at the same time and did sleep a lot. I actually got a ton done while they all napped.
One of the things that I did was Christmas shopping. Thanks the the wonderful amazon.com I got almost all of my shopping done yesterday without packing up everyone and all of their various and sundry equipment and supplies, driving to Jackson, wading through traffic, and strolling the mall. It was bliss for a non-shopper like me to "point and click" my way through Christmas shopping. And with the wishlists on amazon, I know that I got things that people wanted--which is such fun too.
The last thing that I have to write before I post this and get to painting is about a gospel sing that we went to on Sunday afternoon. Oprah Winfrey was born here in our humble town and has donated money to build a very nice Boys and Girls Club for the community. When she was in town a few months back for the dedication, it was quite the event, I am told, although we did not go into town to catch a glimpse of the talk show icon. As part of an effort to build support for the club from within the community, they hold monthly fundraisers that each have a different theme. Joe was asked to speak at this month's gospel sing on "Why We Sing" and did so. My two favorite groups that sang were both families. One was a father and his young adult children--two sons and a daughter--and they sang unmiked and a capella with tight harmonies. The other family was the parents and their 5 children accompanied by two teenagers from their church on the drum and the piano. While less polished in performance, I so enjoyed seeing them singing together that they were just as enjoyable.
The event was organized by Mrs. Katherine Carr Esters, who is a cousin or aunt of Oprah's and she was the glue that held the afternoon together. She greeted everyone as they entered by name and introduced us all to each other--encouraging people and interspersing "Praise the Lord's" in between telling good stories about how she knew various people. I suppose I am a bit partial to the kindness of Mrs. Katherine because as I walked in behind Joe and she greeted him, she turned to me and said, "Why I haven't met you before...you are just beautiful!" :) Talk about a welcome!
Late in the afternoon, Mrs. Katherine remarked that she hadn't known that white people could sing gospel until that day. The connection of black and white around the centrality of praising the Lord through song was a truly unique experience for this little Mississippi town and for me personally. It was a faint foretaste of that magnificent choir in heaven where one day people from every tribe, tongue, and nation will be gathered around the throne singing praises to the Lamb. Since we will no longer be bound by these earthly bodies then, I will be able to sing with a voice like Sandi Patti's. :) Until then, I can sing with the quiet alto that I've been given and look forward to that blessed day.
Mrs. Katherine told us all that she'd be telling Oprah about our gathering and said that she'd especially be telling her about Joe (everyone marveled at his youth and had enjoyed what he said). Oprah or not, it was a notable afternoon and one that I was glad to be a part of.
One of the things that I did was Christmas shopping. Thanks the the wonderful amazon.com I got almost all of my shopping done yesterday without packing up everyone and all of their various and sundry equipment and supplies, driving to Jackson, wading through traffic, and strolling the mall. It was bliss for a non-shopper like me to "point and click" my way through Christmas shopping. And with the wishlists on amazon, I know that I got things that people wanted--which is such fun too.
The last thing that I have to write before I post this and get to painting is about a gospel sing that we went to on Sunday afternoon. Oprah Winfrey was born here in our humble town and has donated money to build a very nice Boys and Girls Club for the community. When she was in town a few months back for the dedication, it was quite the event, I am told, although we did not go into town to catch a glimpse of the talk show icon. As part of an effort to build support for the club from within the community, they hold monthly fundraisers that each have a different theme. Joe was asked to speak at this month's gospel sing on "Why We Sing" and did so. My two favorite groups that sang were both families. One was a father and his young adult children--two sons and a daughter--and they sang unmiked and a capella with tight harmonies. The other family was the parents and their 5 children accompanied by two teenagers from their church on the drum and the piano. While less polished in performance, I so enjoyed seeing them singing together that they were just as enjoyable.
The event was organized by Mrs. Katherine Carr Esters, who is a cousin or aunt of Oprah's and she was the glue that held the afternoon together. She greeted everyone as they entered by name and introduced us all to each other--encouraging people and interspersing "Praise the Lord's" in between telling good stories about how she knew various people. I suppose I am a bit partial to the kindness of Mrs. Katherine because as I walked in behind Joe and she greeted him, she turned to me and said, "Why I haven't met you before...you are just beautiful!" :) Talk about a welcome!
Late in the afternoon, Mrs. Katherine remarked that she hadn't known that white people could sing gospel until that day. The connection of black and white around the centrality of praising the Lord through song was a truly unique experience for this little Mississippi town and for me personally. It was a faint foretaste of that magnificent choir in heaven where one day people from every tribe, tongue, and nation will be gathered around the throne singing praises to the Lamb. Since we will no longer be bound by these earthly bodies then, I will be able to sing with a voice like Sandi Patti's. :) Until then, I can sing with the quiet alto that I've been given and look forward to that blessed day.
Mrs. Katherine told us all that she'd be telling Oprah about our gathering and said that she'd especially be telling her about Joe (everyone marveled at his youth and had enjoyed what he said). Oprah or not, it was a notable afternoon and one that I was glad to be a part of.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
My little men
So after endless hours of unsuccessfully trying to get my boys posed for a Christmas picture, I finally snapped a cute one of all three today just randomly. Granted, they weren't wearing coordinating outfits (we do live in the deep South, y'all, where standard dress for young boys is a smocked john-john, knee high socks, and white leather shoes) or even nice clothes, but they are all looking at the camera and smilling! I call that a success!!!
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Weekend update
Poor David had some sort of food poisoning today, we think. We threw up every 30 minutes for 4 hours and the recovered. Very strange. He's been eating the same thing as the rest of the family and we're all fine. Hopefully, he'll be okay tonight.
We had a fun visit yesterday from our friends the B.'s from Jackson. They stayed most of the day and we had such a good time just hanging out. M. is due in 2 months with their third baby--a girl after 2 boys! What fun!
We had a fun visit yesterday from our friends the B.'s from Jackson. They stayed most of the day and we had such a good time just hanging out. M. is due in 2 months with their third baby--a girl after 2 boys! What fun!
Monday, November 13, 2006
Weekend
We had a good weekend. On Friday night, we enjoyed a chili dinner with our Sunday school class at the H's house. It was a warm evening and fellowship was sweet as the children ran around outside and the adults talked--men around the campfire and women inside around the babies. One of the women there, M. mentioned that she has found my blog and reads it from time to time. (Hi M.!) I don't know why (after all I am posting on the www, after all), but I have this perception that my blog is my own little bit of cyberspace and I am somehow always surprised to find that someone is reading it. It is a place for me to think and process and it gives me a forum--after all, I'm am nothing if not highly opinionated. Yet, I welcome any readers but am still surprised by them.
We painted all day Saturday and the office is coming along nicely. I have started to put the red topcoat on today and I think it is going to look good. There is so much to do on this house that it can be overwhelming....baby steps though, right?
We painted all day Saturday and the office is coming along nicely. I have started to put the red topcoat on today and I think it is going to look good. There is so much to do on this house that it can be overwhelming....baby steps though, right?
Monday, November 06, 2006
Sleepy mama
My blogging has greatly diminished recently due to 3 factors:
1. Joe and I are finally progressing on painting. We've been priming the office and patching holes from tearing down the wallpaper. Thus, some blogging time has been spent with a paintbrush in hand.
2. 24--That's right. We've starting season 3 and are hooked. We've been watching whenever we are not painting.
3. Bedtime. I have been going to bed between 8 and 9:00 each night and that barely leaves me time to get the house straight after the boys are in bed before I zonk out.
Tonight, we went over to the S.'s house and "helped" them work on it (I say "helped" because we did not get much done). M and M bought a 1930's house that needed a LOT of work and had it gutted. The builders are moving along and are supposed to have it finished in 2 weeks. We went over to help them tile their 2 bathrooms and laundry room as I had volunteered our skills. It was a crazy time with 5 kids running around in an unfinished house, but it was good. We love spending time with the people in our congregation and getting more into peoples' lives. There were no earth shattering conversations, but it was a good time of shared food and shared work. We'll go again later this week!
1. Joe and I are finally progressing on painting. We've been priming the office and patching holes from tearing down the wallpaper. Thus, some blogging time has been spent with a paintbrush in hand.
2. 24--That's right. We've starting season 3 and are hooked. We've been watching whenever we are not painting.
3. Bedtime. I have been going to bed between 8 and 9:00 each night and that barely leaves me time to get the house straight after the boys are in bed before I zonk out.
Tonight, we went over to the S.'s house and "helped" them work on it (I say "helped" because we did not get much done). M and M bought a 1930's house that needed a LOT of work and had it gutted. The builders are moving along and are supposed to have it finished in 2 weeks. We went over to help them tile their 2 bathrooms and laundry room as I had volunteered our skills. It was a crazy time with 5 kids running around in an unfinished house, but it was good. We love spending time with the people in our congregation and getting more into peoples' lives. There were no earth shattering conversations, but it was a good time of shared food and shared work. We'll go again later this week!
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
360 reunion
It has been a few days, hasn't it? This past weekend I had the glorious fun of being fancy free and by myself for 2 days! My dear husband stayed at home with the boys while I flew to Charlottesville for a reunion weekend with some of the girls that I lived with in college. It was non-stop talking the whole weekend—laughing, a bit of crying (from me...what can I say? I'm a crier!), and many stories. Husbands, children, marriage, sex, birth control, the Biblical roles for women, houses, dating, being single, wanting kids, miscarriages, pregnancy, labor, the church, politics, death, tragedy, illness....the talking just did not end. And they were good conversations too. Sprinkled with grace and seasoned with the abiding peace of God's goodness and mercy to us his daughters. Each of us were in different circumstances, but each could testify to Christ's work in our lives.
It was such a blessing to see these women who are so dear to me walking with the Lord. I knew them as college students and much has changed for each of us in the ensuing 6 years. But, God's faithfulness has been new to each of us and I was greatly encouraged to see them walking with the Lord.
It was also just plain fun. I haven't left the children overnight except for one night when Joseph was a baby. We saw a lot of the old spots that we remembered from college and we ate at a tapas restaurant for supper—a first for me. Of the 12 girls that lived in the house, only 5 of us made it for this weekend, but you can see a picture of us here. SO FUN!
It was such a blessing to see these women who are so dear to me walking with the Lord. I knew them as college students and much has changed for each of us in the ensuing 6 years. But, God's faithfulness has been new to each of us and I was greatly encouraged to see them walking with the Lord.
It was also just plain fun. I haven't left the children overnight except for one night when Joseph was a baby. We saw a lot of the old spots that we remembered from college and we ate at a tapas restaurant for supper—a first for me. Of the 12 girls that lived in the house, only 5 of us made it for this weekend, but you can see a picture of us here. SO FUN!
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