Thursday, May 31, 2007

Congrats Alexis!

Alexis receives her diploma
Alexis and Miss ValAlexis and Miss Yiu Alexis loves posing for the camera









Alexis had her last day of preschool today, quite a change from the first day!!




Here are some pics from the days events.



Tuesday, May 29, 2007

The Dash Poem

I went to a funeral today for a 22 year old. She was a passenger in a car that ran a stop sign and hit another car killing her and the driver of the other car less than a mile from her home. Her Uncle read this poem and I thought it was thoughtful and beautiful.




The Dash Poem




I read of a man who stood to speak, at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on this tombstone from beginning ….to the end.

He noted that first came his date of birth and spoke the following with tears.
But he said what mattered most of all, was the dash in between those years.

For the dash represents, all the time he spent alive on earth.
And how only those who loved him know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own; the cars, the house, the cash, what matters most is how we live and love and how we spend our dash…
So think about this long and hard. Are there things you’d like to change?

For you never know how much time is left, that can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough, to consider what is true and real.
And always try to understand, the way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger, and show appreciation more,
and love the people in our lives like we’ve never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect, and more often wear a smile…
Remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read, with your life’s actions to rehash
would you be proud of the things they say and how your spent your dash?

by Linda Ellis
You used your dash well Carolyn, can't wait for the reunion.
Carolyn J. Merrill May 3, 1985 - May 24, 2007

Sunday, May 27, 2007

At the Zoo, too!

Tuesday was the picnic for the kindergarten rediness program for the lansing school district. Alexis and I dropped Daniel off at Miss Char's and headed off to my work to stop in and say hi. Alexis met Nancy and Kelly, the housing specialists at my office.
After, we decided breakfast was in order and went to Coney island on Pennsylvania, right by the zoo. I ordered Alexis one egg and one pancake. Both of our mouths dropped open when her pancake was delivered and it was the size of a hubcap! Bigger than the plate! I cut off the equivalent of about 2 regular pancakes and she ate those and was full hahah After that, it was ZOO TIME!
We stopped at the giraffe for a hug



And were excited to see that the ponies were giving rides!


And so were the camels :) Alexis, growling at the camera
Of course, a stop at the tiger!
After the zoo, we had lunch in a big pavilion with 1000 other preschoolers and their parents. I met up with a friend from high school, Matt Williams and met his wife Tracy and their daughter. It was a fun day!

Friday, May 18, 2007

A day at the zoo!

Miss Char, Mr Scott and Daniel all took a trip to Potters Park Zoo on Thursday!




Since it was chilly, I decided to see if Daniel's leather coat fit yet...it did!





After Mr. Scott made a yummy breakfast,



it was time to go!

The ducks, swans and deer came to play

Daniel loved the goats! He kept hugging the little ones and saying "baby" Now he "Baaaa's" at me haha

We're having fun!

Snakes!!

What a great day!

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

A loose tooth!

Alexis has her first loose tooth! An apple last night brought it to light. She thought it was going to fall out right away! She's so excited about this new deveopment. She called Grandma, Daddy, Papa, and Lori to tell them all the good news. After I had gotten some toothy pics, we took some silly ones :)

Friday, May 11, 2007

One Flaw in Women

One Flaw In Women
Author Unknown

By the time the Lord made woman, He was into his sixth day of working overtime. An angel appeared and said, "Why are you spending so much time on this one?" And the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable and able to run on diet coke and leftovers, have a lap that can hold four children at one time, have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart -and she will do everything with only two hands." The angel was astounded at the requirements. "Only two hands!? No way! And that's just on the standard model? That's too much work for one day. Wait until tomorrow to finish."
But I won't," the Lord protested. "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart. She already heals herself when she is sick AND can work 18 hour days." The angel moved closer and touched the woman. "But you have made her so soft, Lord." "She is soft," the Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish." "Will she be able to think?", asked the angel. The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason and negotiate."
The angel then noticed something, and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek. "Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one." "That's not a leak," the Lord corrected, "that's a tear!" "What's the tear for?" the angel asked. The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love, her loneliness, her grief and her pride." The angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything! Woman is truly amazing."
And she is! Women have strengths that amaze men. They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to scream. They sing when they want to cry. They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous. They fight for what they believe in. They stand up to injustice. They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution. They go without so their family can have. They go to the doctor with a frightened friend. They love unconditionally. They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards. They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding. Their hearts break when a friend dies. They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left. They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you. The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning. They bring joy, hope and love. They have compassion and ideals. They give moral support to their family and friends. Women have vital things to say and everything to give.
However, if there is one flaw in women, it is that they forget their worth. God determines who walks into your life.....it's up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go!

Tithing and the price of gas




It's always a stuggle with me to tithe the way I'm supposed to. I've found though, that when I do, God finds little ways to bless me. Like today :)

This morning I groaned when I saw gas prices at $3.29 a gallon. Listening to the morning news a gas station employee had indicated that prices would most likely go up even more by this afternoon! After leaving Salvation Army, I booked it over to Speedway and was relived that it was still at $3.29. However, when I pulled up to the pump and went to put in my card, I noticed the price of unleaded on the pump was $2.24!! I quickly filled up and went into pay. When I came out, the price on the pump had been corrected to $3.24. Whew!! Now does anyone know where I can find some discount brake work??

kid's got a big noggin

Daniel had his 2 year physical today! He's 33 1/4 inches tall and weighs 23lbs. I think most of that must be head. His head circumference is 50cm! For those of you who are metrically challenged, that's almost 20 inches! Well he's going to need those brains to keep up with his sister.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

An eye for an eye

It's funny how grief goes. Most times, I'm ok...there might be a thought in the back of my brain, but it's just a thought. Sometimes though, that thought starts high kicking it's way through my brain and becomes overwhelming. At the strangest times. In the shower, driving down the road, at work... When that hurt just bubbles up in your throat and you weep.
One bit that has helped me is on 88.1 smile.fm, they have Up Words with Max Lucado. One that has really helped me with my anger has been this:

"Gandhi was right, if we all lived by 'an eye for an eye' philosophy, the whole world would soon be blind. Do yourself a favor, entrust your enemies to God. Remember, He always judges justly. Scripture helpfully explains 'wise men turn away from anger'. When you forgive someone you're not endorsing their behavior, nor their misbehavior. You can hate someones action without letting the hatred consume or define you. Forgiveness isn't excusing nor is it pretending. You can forgive the abusive husband, but still be smart and not go to bed with him. Be quick to give mercy to the immoral pastor, but be slow to give him another pulpit. Give the child molester another chance, but lets be smart enough to keep him out of our playgrounds.
Forgiveness isn't foolishness nor is it naivety, and nor is it 'An eye for an eye' retribution."

trying to be good

Its not easy though! This morning, while dropping Alexis off at school...what's that smell? Oh right...it's the Krispy Kreme store less than a mile away. dang!

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

My baby is 2! *sniff*








Saturday we had Daniel's party at Chuck E. Cheese. Daniel loves "zaaaa" and I love not cleaning up. It all worked out.



The party was a lot of fun! Daniel loved ALL his presents.








He loved the tambourine so much he broke it about 5 seconds after getting ahold of it by using it like a drum. We decided to take all the white off the tabourine and just get him a drum hehe






He also has been loving his new stacking train!




He got a really fun Diego bike, and the adorable outfit was a perfect fit!

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Party!


Since my baby turned 2 on Monday, we're having a party on Saturday! Although I dread the thought of Chuck E. Cheese, it's way better than Caeserland.