This is just unbelievable! I don't even like Rock music - most of it - and here I am in the middle of planning a Rock Concert! Here's how it happened:
Along the top of our latest newsletter about the school in Gorodishi, I wrote on a friend's letter, "Help me get the word out!" Got a telephone call within days of sending it.
"I know some Christian rock artists that have a real heart for Russian children. Let's do a benefit concert." It was Bob Noonan.
"Ooo-Kaaay," I responded slowly. "What do I do next? How do I get in touch with theses guys? What do we do first? A date? A venue?" I was full of questions.
"Let me call Darrell Mansfield and tell him to expect a call from you," Bob told me.
"Who?" I said. "Who's he?"
"You know. He's really big, and has won some Dove awards for his Christian recordings. If he can come, we really have a good deal on our hands."
Now, I trust Bob Noonan. He knows just about everybody. And he's just enough younger than we are to know a lot about the current Christian artists. But Don and I are not concert goers. We had never heard of Darrell Mansfield or Brian Duncan either. The last time we paid to go to a concert was before we were married when we went to the Greek Theater in Glendale to hear Harry Belafonte. (Remember, we couldn't go to movies?!) That was more than a half century ago, too.
I felt totally out of my element.
"Let's do it! Call me when you are able to reach Darrell, and I'll give him a call."
So he did, and I did, and we are - planning a Rock Concert, that is.
May 2, 2009, at Whittier Hills Baptist Church - 7 PM - all to benefit the school in Russia!
Who would ever have thought that God could use Rock Music to fund a project that we have felt was getting over our heads in terms of finances? God is not limited. Why should I worry, or fret? He is in control. And since this was never our idea in the first place, and we had never set out to have a Christian school in Russia, and did not feel we could raise the amount of money it was going to take to keep it growing like it is, we have just HAD to let go, and let God do His thing!
Unbelievable! Remarkable! Wonderful! Astounding!
Be sure to save the date! It's going to be good!
And I'm still shaking my head.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Date Night
Been thinking about our "Date Nights." When you've been married for 52 years, and dated two years before that, it adds up to a lot of Date Nights!
How they have progressed and changed. We've been through a lot of phases.
Dating before marriage usually consisted of dinner out, since I was not allowed to go to movies, and it was a top priority of mine to honor my parents. After all, that's the first commandment with a promise - "....that your days may be long on the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."
(We were a King James family, too!)
Married, and on our honeymoon, I saw the first movie of my life. OKLAHOMA! It was great, and I was hooked.
Then Don went into the service, and one of his patients was the ticket taker at the movies. He let us in free, and in those days at the PX theater it was only twenty-five cents anyway. But one of the objections to movies that I heard all my life was that we were supporting a lifestyle that was anything but godly. So with a free movie, I didn't think I was supporting anything. Boy, how I wish my parents had taught me to make choices in entertainment. This was before the days of ratings, and even that can be deceiving.
Date night became dinner out and a free movie!
Once out of the service and with a young family, we began having date nights in the evening with a babysitter. This was the '50's and early '60's. It was always great to get away for a while, but we usually spent dinner talking about the children. I loved to tell Don all the warm and funny things they had done.
Date night was dinner out, a movie, and a babysitter!
Then we gave up date night for a long time (at least it seemed like it to me) because the children were growing older and we "wouldn't have them with us forever." Used the same excuse for vacations. "They'll probably not want to come with us when they get in high school, so we'd better be sure to have a nice family vacation now!" They still come with us now and then, and the last time we were all together on vacation was in Oceanside with 4 condo timeshare units. It was a great time to remember.
Date night was everybody all together, eight adults, eight grands. This stage was rare.
After that, we began to be too tired to go in the evenings anymore.
Date night became lunch and a matinee.
Now, with Don on a 24/7 oxygen tube, and even less energy and more pain we have entered into another phase. We've joined Netflix, and have a ton of choices at our fingertips. We love the historical fiction movies and have watched a wonderful series on the establishment of the Israeli nation. As soon as we return one DVD, another comes! Our queue stays about 20 ahead, so there are a lot of dates out there. The big flat screen TV in the bedroom is great for viewing and one of the few pleasures Don still has.
Date night is Take Out and a Netflix movie.
How thankful I am that I have a date! Phil. 4:11 has become a reality, and I am resting in it, and content in this state. It may not be the last, so I had better learn the concept well. What blessings we have - each other, and breath with which to Praise God - each day!
How they have progressed and changed. We've been through a lot of phases.
Dating before marriage usually consisted of dinner out, since I was not allowed to go to movies, and it was a top priority of mine to honor my parents. After all, that's the first commandment with a promise - "....that your days may be long on the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."
(We were a King James family, too!)
Married, and on our honeymoon, I saw the first movie of my life. OKLAHOMA! It was great, and I was hooked.
Then Don went into the service, and one of his patients was the ticket taker at the movies. He let us in free, and in those days at the PX theater it was only twenty-five cents anyway. But one of the objections to movies that I heard all my life was that we were supporting a lifestyle that was anything but godly. So with a free movie, I didn't think I was supporting anything. Boy, how I wish my parents had taught me to make choices in entertainment. This was before the days of ratings, and even that can be deceiving.
Date night became dinner out and a free movie!
Once out of the service and with a young family, we began having date nights in the evening with a babysitter. This was the '50's and early '60's. It was always great to get away for a while, but we usually spent dinner talking about the children. I loved to tell Don all the warm and funny things they had done.
Date night was dinner out, a movie, and a babysitter!
Then we gave up date night for a long time (at least it seemed like it to me) because the children were growing older and we "wouldn't have them with us forever." Used the same excuse for vacations. "They'll probably not want to come with us when they get in high school, so we'd better be sure to have a nice family vacation now!" They still come with us now and then, and the last time we were all together on vacation was in Oceanside with 4 condo timeshare units. It was a great time to remember.
Date night was everybody all together, eight adults, eight grands. This stage was rare.
After that, we began to be too tired to go in the evenings anymore.
Date night became lunch and a matinee.
Now, with Don on a 24/7 oxygen tube, and even less energy and more pain we have entered into another phase. We've joined Netflix, and have a ton of choices at our fingertips. We love the historical fiction movies and have watched a wonderful series on the establishment of the Israeli nation. As soon as we return one DVD, another comes! Our queue stays about 20 ahead, so there are a lot of dates out there. The big flat screen TV in the bedroom is great for viewing and one of the few pleasures Don still has.
Date night is Take Out and a Netflix movie.
How thankful I am that I have a date! Phil. 4:11 has become a reality, and I am resting in it, and content in this state. It may not be the last, so I had better learn the concept well. What blessings we have - each other, and breath with which to Praise God - each day!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Singing your string
Been trying to teach my grandsons to sing in parts. I thought everyone could do it since it always seemed to come easy for me. Funny how that works. If you can do it you think everyone else must surely be able to do it, too. Not so. Especially in this singing thing.
When I got married I found out that some people can not even carry a tune, let alone hold their own parts while you sing the harmony. Oh, well. How tolerant and understanding we get as we grow older!
Every week, I take the boys out to lunch just to give Mom a break from homeschooling. The car is a wonderful place to have their complete attention. Like a cocoon.
We started out whistling in the car to a CD piano rendition of "The Rose." The piano held the tune steady, and the boys and I would whistle a third above in harmony, and the entire car would be filled with music. What fun! I looked up the words to the song on the internet, and decided we wouldn't need to sing, just whistle.
This week, I wanted to go the next step and start singing in parts. In my training as an elementary teacher, we had a segment on music in the classroom. Way back 50 years ago, the method was to learn a melody, then sing it as a round, graduating to 3 parts. I thought we could do that. The boys are very quick, and very musical. Later the harmonizing would come.
We (I) chose "Row, row, row your boat." As soon as we got home, I asked Ethan to get his guitar, and play it for us. He was all in to chord progressions, and wanted to get really fancy, but with rounds, you can't do that. It's all the same chord throughout the whole song. Next, Ethan sang it by himself, while Davis and I came in on the second part. That worked nicely, too.
Then the real test came when I dropped in to the third part and we were each singing our own part, and holding our own pretty well, if I do say so myself!
Now we wanted to get a little creative at the end when we all ended up singing "Life is but a DREAM." So we slowed it down, modulated up, with great pomp and circumstance, and held out "DREAM" as long and as loud as we could. The only trouble was, we tended to drift together.
"Sing your string, guys!" I told them. Ethan plucked out each string of the chord, and one by one we sang our string until we had a beautiful chord. We were singing our string. It worked! We did it with gusto! And tremelo! And lots of volume.
Then Kathleen came home, and we had to show her what we had been working on all afternoon. She thought we were pretty good, too, I think. And we sure did have a lot of fun singing our string!
Next step, two different melodies in counterpoint. Who knows where this will end? Sometimes the most fun is in the process.
When I got married I found out that some people can not even carry a tune, let alone hold their own parts while you sing the harmony. Oh, well. How tolerant and understanding we get as we grow older!
Every week, I take the boys out to lunch just to give Mom a break from homeschooling. The car is a wonderful place to have their complete attention. Like a cocoon.
We started out whistling in the car to a CD piano rendition of "The Rose." The piano held the tune steady, and the boys and I would whistle a third above in harmony, and the entire car would be filled with music. What fun! I looked up the words to the song on the internet, and decided we wouldn't need to sing, just whistle.
This week, I wanted to go the next step and start singing in parts. In my training as an elementary teacher, we had a segment on music in the classroom. Way back 50 years ago, the method was to learn a melody, then sing it as a round, graduating to 3 parts. I thought we could do that. The boys are very quick, and very musical. Later the harmonizing would come.
We (I) chose "Row, row, row your boat." As soon as we got home, I asked Ethan to get his guitar, and play it for us. He was all in to chord progressions, and wanted to get really fancy, but with rounds, you can't do that. It's all the same chord throughout the whole song. Next, Ethan sang it by himself, while Davis and I came in on the second part. That worked nicely, too.
Then the real test came when I dropped in to the third part and we were each singing our own part, and holding our own pretty well, if I do say so myself!
Now we wanted to get a little creative at the end when we all ended up singing "Life is but a DREAM." So we slowed it down, modulated up, with great pomp and circumstance, and held out "DREAM" as long and as loud as we could. The only trouble was, we tended to drift together.
"Sing your string, guys!" I told them. Ethan plucked out each string of the chord, and one by one we sang our string until we had a beautiful chord. We were singing our string. It worked! We did it with gusto! And tremelo! And lots of volume.
Then Kathleen came home, and we had to show her what we had been working on all afternoon. She thought we were pretty good, too, I think. And we sure did have a lot of fun singing our string!
Next step, two different melodies in counterpoint. Who knows where this will end? Sometimes the most fun is in the process.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
A New Low
Today we reached a new low! Couldn't believe it! Don was asked to produce a picture ID for some business he had to attend to, and he didn't have any. I quickly called the writer of the letter - in Barbados, no less - and explained the situation to her.
"He doesn't drive anymore since he's on such heavy pain medication," I said.
"The passport we have on file is expired. Does he have a new one?"
"No," I replied. "We don't travel anymore either because he is on oxygen 24/7."
"Well, does he have any picture ID?" she inquired.
"Only his COSTCO card," I answered.
"That will do. Just get it notarized and send us a copy."
I thought, "You've got to be kidding! Use his COSTCO card as his picture ID for this offshore business?" I guess they were just updating their records and noticed his had all expired.
So, off we went to the Notary, feeling a little silly. Now this is a man whose last passport had to have added pages because he had used up all the ones that come with a passport. He had visa entry stamps from Mongolia, Russia, China, war-torn Kosovo, Ukraine, Japan, Greece, Italy, India, Pakistan, and a few dozen other countries. Now he was suffering the humility of using his COSTCO card for photo ID!
Wow! Getting older can be quite humiliating at times. On the way home he told me he thought he would like to get a DMV identification card which may be a little more generally accepted. So we will jump on that right after our naps. Or maybe tomorrow. Or maybe next week.
"He doesn't drive anymore since he's on such heavy pain medication," I said.
"The passport we have on file is expired. Does he have a new one?"
"No," I replied. "We don't travel anymore either because he is on oxygen 24/7."
"Well, does he have any picture ID?" she inquired.
"Only his COSTCO card," I answered.
"That will do. Just get it notarized and send us a copy."
I thought, "You've got to be kidding! Use his COSTCO card as his picture ID for this offshore business?" I guess they were just updating their records and noticed his had all expired.
So, off we went to the Notary, feeling a little silly. Now this is a man whose last passport had to have added pages because he had used up all the ones that come with a passport. He had visa entry stamps from Mongolia, Russia, China, war-torn Kosovo, Ukraine, Japan, Greece, Italy, India, Pakistan, and a few dozen other countries. Now he was suffering the humility of using his COSTCO card for photo ID!
Wow! Getting older can be quite humiliating at times. On the way home he told me he thought he would like to get a DMV identification card which may be a little more generally accepted. So we will jump on that right after our naps. Or maybe tomorrow. Or maybe next week.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
The Phantom
It still hurts. Not much. Not often. But it hurts. And it's not even there! My brain tells me that the second toe on my left foot hurts, or sometimes that it itches a little. When people ask me how my toe is, I always want to say, "I don't know. I haven't seen it in awhile."
I know it's been amputated. I know it could have caused me a lot of problems. The Dr. said that sort of infection could go to the heart valves, and I agreed that it had to be taken care of. After all, I have 10 toes, and only one heart. Two-thirds of a toe to protect my heart --not a bad trade, right? Right!
The path report came back clear, but the bone had turned to butter. We don't know why or when. They call it osteolysis. I've heard of Butterfingers. It's one of my favorite candy bars. But Buttertoes? That will never make it as a candy bar. It just sounds so gross.
Phantom pain is something I had heard of, but never experienced (maybe because I've never had anything amputated before.) My brain hasn't gotten the message that the toe is not there anymore, so it still sends those pain sensations. I couldn 't help but think of Christ's message in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. He tells us that if our eye causes us to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. If our hand, even our right hand causes us to sin, cut it off and throw it away. That's pretty drastic in dealing with sin. But James 1:15 tells us that when sin is finished it brings forth death. So I guess it does require drastic measures.
Now, I'm wondering - when we deal with sin in our lives, is there "Phantom Pain" involved? Does it take a while for our brain to get the message that we don't do that anymore? When it's truly amputated from our lives, what is the residual pain, if any? Does it itch? What are the chances of it coming back? I know my toe won't grow back, so maybe that's why Jesus used the example of a part of our body. It's not supposed to grow back. We need to be done with it!
The image of standing before Christ in the final judgment completely naked with all my sin revealed used to trouble me until I realized that I will be clothed in the righteous robes of Christ. That's what God will see. My sin is separated from me as far as the east is from the west.
Most mothers count their baby's toes when they are born. Do you think He will count my toes when I am born into eternal life? I think I will have them all, then! Until then, 9 1/3 isn't bad. Could be worse!
I know it's been amputated. I know it could have caused me a lot of problems. The Dr. said that sort of infection could go to the heart valves, and I agreed that it had to be taken care of. After all, I have 10 toes, and only one heart. Two-thirds of a toe to protect my heart --not a bad trade, right? Right!
The path report came back clear, but the bone had turned to butter. We don't know why or when. They call it osteolysis. I've heard of Butterfingers. It's one of my favorite candy bars. But Buttertoes? That will never make it as a candy bar. It just sounds so gross.
Phantom pain is something I had heard of, but never experienced (maybe because I've never had anything amputated before.) My brain hasn't gotten the message that the toe is not there anymore, so it still sends those pain sensations. I couldn 't help but think of Christ's message in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. He tells us that if our eye causes us to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. If our hand, even our right hand causes us to sin, cut it off and throw it away. That's pretty drastic in dealing with sin. But James 1:15 tells us that when sin is finished it brings forth death. So I guess it does require drastic measures.
Now, I'm wondering - when we deal with sin in our lives, is there "Phantom Pain" involved? Does it take a while for our brain to get the message that we don't do that anymore? When it's truly amputated from our lives, what is the residual pain, if any? Does it itch? What are the chances of it coming back? I know my toe won't grow back, so maybe that's why Jesus used the example of a part of our body. It's not supposed to grow back. We need to be done with it!
The image of standing before Christ in the final judgment completely naked with all my sin revealed used to trouble me until I realized that I will be clothed in the righteous robes of Christ. That's what God will see. My sin is separated from me as far as the east is from the west.
Most mothers count their baby's toes when they are born. Do you think He will count my toes when I am born into eternal life? I think I will have them all, then! Until then, 9 1/3 isn't bad. Could be worse!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Little Piggy Problems
This little piggy has a problem. No, it's not the little piggy that went to market, not the little piggy that had roast beef - the one in between. Yes, that one! The little piggy that stayed home. On my left foot. It's been sore for quite a long time, but it's always easy to put it out of my mind because it's such a little thing. I thought I must have broken it and it was taking a long time to heal. Who spends a lot of time thinking about their little piggy toes? Not me!
When it was time to see a podiatrist after my recent diagnosis of pre-diabetes, I told him I thought I had broken it a while back, and it was still sore.
"I'd like to get an X-ray of that toe," he said. We were off to the X-ray room. It only took a minute to look at it, and he said it looked like osteomyelitis in the second digit. When he showed it to me, I could see the darkening - meaning the bone was eaten away - and easily agreed to an MRI. Now, I've had a lot of those things, and they usually portend something rather serious. And I'm used to going in head first. Imagine how silly I felt going to the radiation center, and just putting my left foot in. I felt totally upside down!
That's what it was, all right. Osteomyelitis of the distal and probably middle phalanx of the second digit, accompanied by mild soft tissue edema.
"What's that?" I asked.
"The bone in your toe is infected, and if your immune system would ever be compromised, that infection could go to your heart valves. We need to do surgery to open it up, scrape, then flush out as much of the infection as we can. Then you will be on antibiotics for a while."
I was sick all over! My whole body could be compromised because of infection in one little toe! Never before had my one little toe been so significant to me.
How I was reminded that it's the same way the body of Christ is all knit together, and in I Cor. 12:26, it says, "And when one member suffers, all the members suffer with it." Each member of the body of Christ - each Christian - is extremely important, and is needful of all the care the rest of the body can give it.
While relating this development to another Dr. who watches over us well, he looked at me and said, "Are they going to amputate?" Of course I assumed he was teasing, and replied, "I've always said, when it came to surgery, that anything I have two of, or am through with, they can have. And I have ten of those!"
Found out he wasn't teasing! Bone infections are very difficult to get rid of, and sometimes if the infection is really bad, they do amputate! Oh, my. I kinda like my little piggy that stayed home. I think I'll give it a little more respect after this.
In the same chapter of I Cor. 12, verse 23 says, "Yes, we are especially glad to have some parts that seem rather odd!" I thought back to the time, when our daughter, Julie, was all focused on a toe, and said what an odd thing a toe all by itself would be. I think she was in Jr. High, and strange thoughts came and went on a regular basis. "Wouldn't it be wierd, Mom, if you just saw a toe all by itself on the sidewalk when you were walking uptown?" It is odd to contemplate a loose toe all by itself, removed from the body. Only Julie could come up with a vision like that! You always sort of think of toes as connected to a foot!
So Paul summed it all up in verse 27: "Now here is what I am tring to say: all of you together are the one body of Christ and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it."
Sorta made my little piggy that stayed home pretty significant! And I feel sort of significant being connected to you all who are in the body of Christ. May we take good care of each other.
When it was time to see a podiatrist after my recent diagnosis of pre-diabetes, I told him I thought I had broken it a while back, and it was still sore.
"I'd like to get an X-ray of that toe," he said. We were off to the X-ray room. It only took a minute to look at it, and he said it looked like osteomyelitis in the second digit. When he showed it to me, I could see the darkening - meaning the bone was eaten away - and easily agreed to an MRI. Now, I've had a lot of those things, and they usually portend something rather serious. And I'm used to going in head first. Imagine how silly I felt going to the radiation center, and just putting my left foot in. I felt totally upside down!
That's what it was, all right. Osteomyelitis of the distal and probably middle phalanx of the second digit, accompanied by mild soft tissue edema.
"What's that?" I asked.
"The bone in your toe is infected, and if your immune system would ever be compromised, that infection could go to your heart valves. We need to do surgery to open it up, scrape, then flush out as much of the infection as we can. Then you will be on antibiotics for a while."
I was sick all over! My whole body could be compromised because of infection in one little toe! Never before had my one little toe been so significant to me.
How I was reminded that it's the same way the body of Christ is all knit together, and in I Cor. 12:26, it says, "And when one member suffers, all the members suffer with it." Each member of the body of Christ - each Christian - is extremely important, and is needful of all the care the rest of the body can give it.
While relating this development to another Dr. who watches over us well, he looked at me and said, "Are they going to amputate?" Of course I assumed he was teasing, and replied, "I've always said, when it came to surgery, that anything I have two of, or am through with, they can have. And I have ten of those!"
Found out he wasn't teasing! Bone infections are very difficult to get rid of, and sometimes if the infection is really bad, they do amputate! Oh, my. I kinda like my little piggy that stayed home. I think I'll give it a little more respect after this.
In the same chapter of I Cor. 12, verse 23 says, "Yes, we are especially glad to have some parts that seem rather odd!" I thought back to the time, when our daughter, Julie, was all focused on a toe, and said what an odd thing a toe all by itself would be. I think she was in Jr. High, and strange thoughts came and went on a regular basis. "Wouldn't it be wierd, Mom, if you just saw a toe all by itself on the sidewalk when you were walking uptown?" It is odd to contemplate a loose toe all by itself, removed from the body. Only Julie could come up with a vision like that! You always sort of think of toes as connected to a foot!
So Paul summed it all up in verse 27: "Now here is what I am tring to say: all of you together are the one body of Christ and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it."
Sorta made my little piggy that stayed home pretty significant! And I feel sort of significant being connected to you all who are in the body of Christ. May we take good care of each other.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Been Scrappin'
When I was reminded that it had been a month since I had posted anything, I couldn't believe it! Getting totally engrossed is what I am doing at the cost of everything else has always been such a problem for me.
I have been out in the yard up to my elbows in dirt until 5 minutes before we were to be somewhere for dinner. The computer is another place where I can get lost. And I hate to think of the time I allowed the water to run in the pool until it overflowed! Oh, my! I am becoming a best buddy of my kitchen timer.
But lately, I've been scrappin'. In 2005 I decided to do a Creative Memories book for each of my children with thoughts I could remember, pictures and souveniers saved in a box in the drawer in a fairly unused desk. That year all the slides (we have an entire closet given to slide trays from day 1 of our marriage) were viewed and placed in envelopes. One was for Lori, one was for Julie, and one was for Tim, and the last was for all three.
Monte's must have had a record month because it took a lot to redeem all those slides when they made prints of them. Then they sat. All through 2005. In 2006, I began to talk about it. Hang the surprise! In 2007, I finally began, of course, with our oldest child. The dining room was a mess all year, as I finally told the kids what I was doing, and just left all the mess out. Got Lori's book done about August, and started in with Julie's. That girl was so active I had to buy several sets of extra pages. Her book was so thick, the backing had to be glued in, and time was getting short. About October, I gave up trying to do all three. I would just finish those two books, and Tim would have to wait another year for his.
How I loved presenting the books to the girls! It brought back so many memories! I remember the smell of their little heads, as I rocked them to sleep, their little dimpled hands, and the many hours of singing "Oh, How I Love Jesus" at bedtime. I remember...... but I wrote all that in their books!
Now, I've started on Tim's book, and I confess, I can just get lost in the process. We are up to his first haircut, and the preschool years, and it's only July! So if I don't post regularly, you will know I'm working on a project that requires a lot of remembering, pondering, sorting, sticking and journaling. I'll let you know if I make it by Christmas. From the look of all the momentoes, it may take 2 whole books!
I have been out in the yard up to my elbows in dirt until 5 minutes before we were to be somewhere for dinner. The computer is another place where I can get lost. And I hate to think of the time I allowed the water to run in the pool until it overflowed! Oh, my! I am becoming a best buddy of my kitchen timer.
But lately, I've been scrappin'. In 2005 I decided to do a Creative Memories book for each of my children with thoughts I could remember, pictures and souveniers saved in a box in the drawer in a fairly unused desk. That year all the slides (we have an entire closet given to slide trays from day 1 of our marriage) were viewed and placed in envelopes. One was for Lori, one was for Julie, and one was for Tim, and the last was for all three.
Monte's must have had a record month because it took a lot to redeem all those slides when they made prints of them. Then they sat. All through 2005. In 2006, I began to talk about it. Hang the surprise! In 2007, I finally began, of course, with our oldest child. The dining room was a mess all year, as I finally told the kids what I was doing, and just left all the mess out. Got Lori's book done about August, and started in with Julie's. That girl was so active I had to buy several sets of extra pages. Her book was so thick, the backing had to be glued in, and time was getting short. About October, I gave up trying to do all three. I would just finish those two books, and Tim would have to wait another year for his.
How I loved presenting the books to the girls! It brought back so many memories! I remember the smell of their little heads, as I rocked them to sleep, their little dimpled hands, and the many hours of singing "Oh, How I Love Jesus" at bedtime. I remember...... but I wrote all that in their books!
Now, I've started on Tim's book, and I confess, I can just get lost in the process. We are up to his first haircut, and the preschool years, and it's only July! So if I don't post regularly, you will know I'm working on a project that requires a lot of remembering, pondering, sorting, sticking and journaling. I'll let you know if I make it by Christmas. From the look of all the momentoes, it may take 2 whole books!
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