Dragging my feet...

I've been draggin' my feet, but this week I WILL start two things...

1)vaccinations-for obvious reasons, no one looks forward to vaccinations. Ouch, these are going to hurt not only physically, but the pocketbook as well!

2)reading recommended books. Initially, we had several required readings and articles, but there's several books that I need to read as well. It's not that I don't enjoy learning or that I don't see the necessity of this. I want to be prepared as much as I can. It's just the fear of what some of these books will contain. Scary! You've heard the adage...what you don't know, doesn't hurt you.

So here's to a week of sore arms, tired eyes, and heavy hearts... but it's all for a purpose for which I could NOT be more overjoyed! Bring it on, if it gets me closer to them!

The best kind of music...

...is the music sung by your child!

As I was getting dressed in the bathroom this morning, I heard Mary Katherine singing. I peaked around the corner to see her holding a song book open and acting as if she's reading it.

The song was more of a medley. It started with a few rounds of Jesus Loves Me, followed by Jeremy Camp's Give Me Jesus, and the grand finale was Happy Birthday Jesus.

Her voice to those words brought tears to my eyes.

Miss Creativity

I love to watch MK's mind at work. Her actions often surprise me on things she's picked up. She is always finding everyday household items and making them into other things. Her favorite activities as of late would be... (in no particular order)

kitchen

music--singing and dancing

princess

doctor

babies

The other day I found her kitty here and asked MK what happened. She replied..."Kitty is taking a bath".

I guess a garlic salt bath. They can be therapuetic.

A few minutes later she saddles up her horse to go to the grocery store. But ,of course, brings along her now clean kitty. You always want your "children" to be presentable when you go to the store. The pompom was the hay for the horse. You always have to be prepared when you leave the house.

Laverne is small town, but don't worry we're not still riding horses to get here and there. Mary Katherine is quite the pioneer.

Picasso

When Roger is busy at the farm, I am often left with two choices....be patient for tasks to be completed or do it myself. Most of you who know me, knows it's the latter that wins out most of the time.

Mary Katherine had a Christmas gift that was waiting to be put together. She decided to help by reading the instructions first...

The end product, as you see, was her easel. It's still waiting on some reconstruction, but for now Picasso has been able to work.

Right now she's mainly working on abstract art. She knows that's where the money is.

He sets the lonely in families...

Psalm 68:5-6

Father of the fatherless and protector of the widows is God in his holy habitation. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing, but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

As I've been discouraged and frustrated with the waiting, I've tried to focus on two truths from these passages this week.

• Verse 5 tells me that God's love for the orphans (including my children) is far greater than my own.
• Verse 6 is a hard one for my natural tendencies. It says that it is HE that sets the lonely in families. It's his business not mine. He is the redeemer and I am not. In His perfect timing, he will set the lonely in families. I will trust in these truths as I struggle in the waiting.

Running the race...

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to JESUS, the founder and perfector of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2

Changing perspectives...

I'm a sucker for close-ups! I generally try to shoot one right at the child's level and then one directly above her. I'm always amazed how different a person can look from shooting directly above. It typically gets big, beautiful eyes and rich color.

Big smiles seem to always be the mother's favorite picture. (Well those and the ones where the mom looks skinny. ;))

But sometimes the serious face gets my vote. After all, don't we all know that two year olds show extremes of both emotions!

And black and whites, sometimes they are so much better than color!

Mary Katherine--29 months @ the park