A Few Weeks Left.....

Can it be true? 

 Can there really only be a few weeks of Summer left?

Today I spent ordering textbooks, book soxs and backpacks........my husband and I discussed the possible chaos of this year's school calendar and all the extra curricular activities that come with it.....

This is definitely a different culture than when I was a child.  I remember having alot more extra time than seems conducive now.  There were many slow days of summer and time for spending with friends, playing in the street and walking to the corner store for candy.....

Time is such a luxury these days, even in the heat of summer....By the time school begins schedules can become so tightly wound its hard to breathe......

I find it hard sometimes to find the balance of it all......Sometimes it just feels so overwhelming trying to keep up with all the responsibilities of motherhood, marriage, work obligations and church commitments....I wish I had more time to see friends and even family.....I wish I had more time to spend focusing on my health and more time to spend with God.

I know, not very far from these fast-moving moments in time, I will look over my shoulder and in the quiet stillness, wonder where it went...this fast-forward life....I will yearningly long for these days that move without pause.....that run on auto-pilot without room for error....

For now I will try and remember to be thankful for just being together.....Someday, my firstborn won't spend his summer's with us, he will have his own home and just visit when time permits....

My sophomore wont need us to walk through his summer school "pace chart" with him because he will be organizing his own life and his own schedule.....

My final child wont need me to take her to riding lessons and doctor appointments because she will be driving herself to see her pony and her doctors.

I will miss these days...

I am so blessed to have this chaos.....

These days are what I have always dreamed of....

I am more blessed than I deserve......

A Pony and His Girl.....

The love between a pony and his girl is one of legends.......It is a story told over and over, in movies and books......I suppose it isn't unlike the tales of a relationship between a man and his dog.

Pets are extraordinary in how they teach us about love.  

Its utterly unconditional, fearlessly faithful and uniquely loyal.......

We could learn alot about the way they love us.

But truly, watching this experience and this relationship take place between my daughter and her pony is priceless.......

He loves everything about her.....

the way she says his name, the scent of her hair, the tiny crook of her neck...

He loves to kiss her and he loves when she wraps her arms around him.

He is obedient beyond measure and if she falls from the safety of his back he stays right by her side kissing her and worriedly nudges her until she is back on her feet.

It is adoration in all its glory.......

I am so blessed and so thankful to be able to observe this special pony and his love for my daughter.

Snoring Slumber....

Listening to the sweet sound of snoring slumber......

My husband and son made it home safely from their trip.....

I am peacefully thankful......

Just A Few Steps Behind......

Its still so hard to believe what transpired a few days ago.  My heart is still heavy, aching for the families who lost loved ones as a result of a very ill human being.

I spent an early morning with my daughter, surprised by the tears of thankfulness that soaked my cheeks. 

 I allowed that moment to fully fill my heart and as my breath deepened and slowed, I watched her, amazed at her strength, her determination and her courage......

I am so thankful to be her Mom.  

To walk beside her and sometimes a distance behind her, not far, just a few steps so she knows I am close behind. 

 That I am right here..... just a moment away........

It is so hard to not want to keep her hand tightly in mine, or my arm firmly around her as she grows older.  The fear of the unknown in whatever forms that may be, can be so overwhelming......

But as long as I continue to breathe, trust and live thankfully, in each moment, I can let her steps get longer......Her stride a little quicker.....and I can manage to ungrasp her hands that fit so perfectly in mine.......and let my arm slide slowly from her shoulder........and follow her at whatever distance she needs........

So she'll always know I am here for her........

ALWAYS.....

Did You Know..........

Did you know that right now, as I type this, there are 35,000 Lutheran youth in New Orleans praising, serving, praying and seeking the wisdom of God????

Three years ago, at this same National Youth Gathering, 36,000 Lutheran youths made historical news coming together for the largest service project ever!

The power of prayer going on in the Superdome right now must be palpable!!!  I know they are praying for all people involved in yesterday's tragedy.  My heart is full just thinking about the love in that place!!!

My husband and my son will have so many moving stories of the spirit to share with me when they get home. Here is one in my husbands words:

" It was raining hard once we left for our .5 mile walk to the hotel. We were all already soaked but so it wasn't really even a bother, but at some point the sky's just opened up and it was like God had turned the faucet open all the way. We had lightening and thunder and as we were about two blocks from the hotel and waiting for the light to turn green, a man pulled up to the light, rolled down his window and handed us his golf umbrella. This man didn't know us, he just knew we were in need. We didn't know if this man was Jewish or Christian or Muslim. We didn't know if he was rich or poor. We didn't know if he owned a hotel or an umbrella shop. We just knew that he acted like Jesus. Today, and throughout the conference, we have been learning about breaking down walls and barriers. We could listen to speaker after speaker, sing song after good song, participate in practicing peacemaking, discipleship and peace, but our world...our lives...won't change until we learn to act like that man with the umbrella. It is an example I will remember for the rest if my life. "

Yup, that's my Wise husband loving and serving the Lord!!! 

And he's mine!!!!

May you be someones umbrella today......

Our Hearts and Prayers Are With You......

There are no words that I can write here to describe how much my heart aches for all the people who were innocent victims of this mornings tragedy.....

We love you and are praying for all the victims and their families and friends.

Today is my son's 19th birthday.  

He was at our local theatre with his closest circle of friends at the midnight showing of this Batman movie...... 

Hold your children close tonight.  Tell them what a treasure they are to you.  Share with them the love God has for them, even in the face of danger, ugliness and pain.

May God wrap His loving arms around you.......

May you feel Him carry you across this wide, raging river.....

May you see hope in the outer banks....

You are loved....

"Ginesthoi".....The Search for Cleopatra....

Today my daughter and I joined a dear friend to view the Cleopatra exhibit at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. 

 It was mesmerizing. 

 If you are in the area and have the opportunity to see it, I highly encourage you!!  I also recommend you stop here so I don't spoil your visit!  

Here is a sneak peak of what we saw:

This is an authentic signature of Cleopatra:

She wrote the word "ginesthoi" which translates "make it happen".

Isn't that amazing......Its hard to wrap my mind around this particular exhibit.  We seem so modernized today and yet the craftsmanship in art, architecture, jewelry making and metal sculpting almost seems as advanced and even more complex in many ways......

Really amazing....

Here is my very own queen of Egypt:

I wonder if Cleopatra had sunsets like these:

Hope your Wednesday is filled with exhibits that are "feasts to the eyes".....

"Ginesthoi"

Restful Family Restoration......

This is what we've been doing this past week....

Relaxing and spending time together.......

My wee ones have spent alot of time doing this:

We are here:

In the beautiful California desert.  It was 120 degrees when we arrived on Monday.  The past few days we have had some welcoming thunderstorms keeping the temperature just below 100.  

Its really been superbly restful and soul-restoring.....

We made a trip to the local candy shop.  Its adorable inside and we all get excited to fill our bags with our personal sweet favorites:

We leave tomorrow both sad for quality time together ending yet happily anticipating the busy week ahead, sleeping in our own cozy beds.  We are so blessed......

We also celebrated my husbands 46th birthday:

My sophomore made a chocolate cake and successfully added some necessary substitutions to his ingredients because we forgot a few at home.   It came out delicious without a hint of diversion....

We walked out front yesterday after a warm, summer shower and saw this:

That handsome man in the photo is my firstborn.....

I hope he knows that whenever he is home with us he fills our hearts with rainbows......

"zfahhwhfhewqkl;enkl"..........

Today was all about this:

I have never had a back problem in my life.  But yesterday, like many gazillion other Saturdays, I reached into my dryer to get my finished load and "zfja/nckdhewqkncknkjio"......My back twisted up and I have been icing/heating ever since.  Last night I tossed and turned and could not find a comfortable position.  I missed church today and have pretty much stayed in the same spot for the entire day, completely useless.   My husband and son had to help my daughter with her pony, which is not something my husband usually has to do.  He is my hero today!!!

I am missing our firstborn who is spending time with friends at the beach for a long weekend!!!Missed him on Friday for dinner and the Spiderman movie.

Hoping tomorrow I will wake up upright and untwisted!!! 

Tomorrow morning my sophomore and final child will have their yearly check-ups.  Hopefully without shots.  I will miss these yearly appointments.  This will be my firstborn's first year without his check-up.  He now has graduated to the same adult physician my husband and I use.  

It really does go by so quickly........

Kiss your babies.........ALOT!!!!!!

Delicate Summer Necklaces........

Delicate Summer Necklaces........ by wiseacrewisedom featuring lagos jewelry

Prayers for Those Experiencing Severe Weather.....

Today was this kind of a day:

It was 70 degrees here in Southern California today.  We spent the hottest part of the afternoon with my daughter and her pony.

My prayers go out to most of the rest of the country who is experiencing sweltering heat these past several days.  I pray you can find solace under shady trees, ice cold watering holes or drinking frosty, slushy drinks.

I also pray for those experiencing severe thunderstorms today.

May you find comfort and safety today knowing you are not alone.

Love and peace......

Minnesota "Tacos"?.............

My firstborn met a dorm mate from Minnesota last fall.  In December, he visited him for a few days right before Christmas.  One night, for dinner, his dorm mate's family mentioned something called "Tacos in a Bag".  Us southern Californians had never heard of such a dinner.  But guess what!!  I found the recipe here:

It was super easy and really fun!!!

We felt like true mid-westerns!!!

Happy Thursday!!!

Happy 236th Anniversary, America!!.........

Happy Independence Day, America!!

Today we are spending the day with our extended family at the beach.

I am so deeply thankful and extremely proud to call myself a 2nd generation-born American.

My Father's parents immigrated here as young adults, from Spain and Mexico.  My Mother's Grandfather, my Great-Grandfather, immigrated from Canada as a young child.

I am so grateful to celebrate today, the 236th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence!

Happy Anniversary, America......and may God bless us all........

An Unstraight Path....An Unwelcome Horizon...

Our paths are not always straight and well defined...

There are sometimes bends in the road that cause us to brake hard and fast and brace ourselves for what we cannot see ahead..

There are times when we have to fight back the tears that sting, bite our bottom lip, and find a way to put one foot in front of the other...

When the horizon begins to come into focus, it isnt always welcome....At times that horizon is painted with a panorama of jagged ridges, ones that seem insurmountable...

The only thing I am sure of is that I am loved.  God has a plan and a purpose for my life.  

and with Him.......

"all things are possible".....