Thankful

Thankful for these...

And, this HOT rockstar...

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Who (or what) are you thankful for today???

kv

Trust

trust  (tr

 st)  n.

1. Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing.

2. Custody; care.

3. Something committed into the care of another; charge.

4.    a. The condition and resulting obligation of having confidence placed in one:

        b. One in which confidence is placed.

5. Reliance on something in the future; hope.

6. Reliance on the intention and ability of a purchaser to pay in the future; credit.

7. 7.Law
   

I’m sitting in a neighborhood coffee shop (as I do most Tuesday/Thursdays) thinking, contemplating, and wrestling with this word...

I’m face to face with my...

...lack of

and my 

...need for.

And, ALL OF THE ABOVE definitions seem to apply in my life currently.  

Do I trust others?

Do I trust myself?

Do I trust God?

Realizing my lack of... and my need for... makes grace that much sweeter today.

-Kristin

Photo Shoot With Miss Kyla

Aunt Amy and cousin Kyla came down today to play in the leaves and take some Fall pictures... We had a blast walking thru Leiper’s Fork and letting the kids run wild.  I love this pint sized sassy girl!  She is FULL of FUN!!!

Flat TIRE-D!

This is my day...

I wake up to my sweet son peeing in his bed....AGAIN!  Then, I rush off to get him cleaned up, put the new sheets on the bed (again!), argue with my precious daughter over crocs vs. tennis shoes, drop both children off at school, and have a mom friend say to me... “You look TIRED today?!?!”

WTHeck???  It definitely sounded more like a statement than a question.    How does one answer this “question-statement”....???  “Thanks???” 

Just wait, it gets better...

I manage to have 45 (glorious) minutes of uninterrupted quiet time at Border’s when God meets me in my “mood” and all kinds of emotions (feelings) begin to rise up out of me.  I quickly slip out of the bookstore before someone notices me, glasses on and snot running out of my nose.  Yeah, I’m looking HOT!

I meet my friend Eve to help with some YL admin stuff where I curse at the PC, the printer and the Excel spreadsheet for a little over 3 hours.  (My dad’s love language is “spreadsheet” by the way... sadly, I did not inherit his gift).  My dear husband came to the rescue though and we finished right before picking Mac up from preschool.  And, speaking of preschool...

Mac is only on his 3rd day of school when I receive a call from his teacher this afternoon... (while in mid cuss word with the PC)... she tells me that “Mac was playing outside during recess and was stung by a bee”.  “Is he crying?” I ask.  “No, not now”, says Ms. Amy.  “Ok, I’ll see you at 2:00”, I say.  Ohhh, the mommy guilt begins to set in... really, what kind of mom would not rush to their child’s aid?  Me.  Ughhhh.  

So, we are on our way to pick Mac up from school when D’s head starts bleeding...literally people... blood is running down his face.  I go in alone to get Mac (not wanting to scare any of the tots with my bloody husband)....and, my sweet boy is sound asleep on his nap mat.  I throw him over my shoulder and head back to the Mini to check on D.  The blood has stopped (for the time being) and I buckle my bee-stung son into his car seat.  We head off to a very late lunch...finally!  Food.  In.  My.  Belly.  

Mac wakes up to inform me that “the fly got him”.  “You mean bee”, I say.  “No, a fly”, he insists... so, a fly it is then!  :)

After “dunch” or “linner” (not lunch and not dinner), we leave to pick up Emma from school.  D and I are chatting it up in the car (beautiful day, windows rolled down) when we hear this crazy, screeching noise.  “What is that?!?!” we both say simultaneously.  Darrell proceeds to say “what is that??”  like a hundred more times when we realize that our “beloved” mini van has a flat tire!!!  So, we are on our way down Hwy 96, riding on the rim of our car.  NICE!!!  

I dial Emma’s school to tell her to ride the bus home when an old man pulls up next to us, hanging out of his car window, screaming at the top of his lungs.  Yeah, like we don’t have a CLUE that our tire is completely FLAT!!! 

I start cracking up... the ABSURDITY of my day has finally hit me!!!  Plus, I’m SO embarrassed.... I sink down in the front seat (laughing hysterically) hoping no one will recognize us. 

We finally get home and D begins to inflate the flat tire (with a bicycle pump no doubt) so he can drive it to the mechanic.  I go out to tell him bye and notice that blood is dripping again from his head to his eyebrow (for you SNL fans...cue the “Head Wound Hairy” skit).  He wipes up the blood as he pulls back out of the driveway...meanwhile, I go back into the house to find out Mac has pooped in his pants.    Can I be even more graphic for you... he has pooped a TON!!!  In his pants, down his legs, on his shorts and on his socks!  The boy knows how to poop... 

By this point, I am TOTALLY DONE... I’m officially a “Hot Mess” as we say in our family...

What else you say?!?!  Well, we left the house very late for Emma’s skating lessons... I drove like a mad woman while D was lacing up her skates in the back seat...I was honked at (again!) from yet another disgruntled driver... did not get back home until 7:30 (which on a “typical” night IS bedtime)... fed the kids toast with honey for dinner (hey, it’s what they wanted and honestly I just didn’t care)... went over spelling words for tomorrow’s test... abandoned the baths... and tucked both children into bed at 9:00.  Hmmm, what would Super Nanny say?!?!

Guess what???  Now, my darling husband and I have TAXES to work on... yes, they are due TOMORROW!!!

And, YES...to answer the “question-statement”... I am one “TIRE-D” woman!

KV

p.s.  In case you are worried about D... he is ok.  His head is still bleeding (I can’t make this stuff up!) but I won’t steal his thunder... I’ll save it for another blog.

First Day Jitters

Today was the first day of first grade for Emma... in a brand new school! 

The day was picture perfect in every way!  God had orchestrated a sweet plan and we got to see His faithfulness unfold.  This has been a HUGE step of faith for me, as well as Emma.  It has been SO fun to watch as God has surrounded us (all of us) with an incredible community of neighbors and friends!  I’m very thankful for these...  Amy, Mark, Joelle, Elaine, Lisa, Ashley, Hailey, and Gina.  Thank you all!!!

Blessings,

Kristin

Writing Our Names in the Sky

One of the perks I love about my job is some of the incredible places I get to visit.  And  the best perk of all is when Kristin, Emma, and Mac get to go with me, which was the case this past weekend.  You see, Mac’s birthday was this past Saturday and he LOVES airplanes....I mean really loves them.  It just so happened that one of the artists I manage was performing at the Wheeler/Sack Airfield on Ft. Drum, right outside Watertown, NY.  So, we threw Mac a grand ol’ party on the flight up, had cake in the terminal there (at 9:30am), and proceeded to the airfield where we had one of the best parties I’ve ever been a part of.  

I did have one thought......

I was gripped with incredible fear and gladness as I watched Mac’s face light up when we arrived on base.  The fear was from the thought of Mac growing up and wanting to join the military and go off to fight wars, sometimes wars I might not want him to fight.  The fear that I might loose him to a cause that doesn’t mean as much to me as he does.  

But the gladness came from the same thought and how we were able to take him to the place where seeds might have been planted, a place where he could stare his passion in the face and feel his heart come alive, even if it means he wants to join the military and go off fighting wars I might not want him to fight.  And yet all of my fear and even gladness was no match for the love of my son.  I will love him no matter what and I will fight for him and alongside him.  

I was reminded that God feels the same way about me and you.  

As you will see from the pictures, we were alive and our hearts were soaring as high and as robust as some of the F-16’s that shook the ground we were walking on.

It was like they were writing our names in the sky.....

Sacred Ground

This is where I have rested, played, laughed, cried, screamed, prayed and loved...

I have watched sunsets (and the occasional sunrise), swam, sunburned, built sandcastles, fallen in love, raised my children, lost a child, lost my faith, grieved, sang at the shore, danced on the waves, and worshipped my God.

It’s not just a house or place to vacation....

to me, it is Holy.

K