40 - ROUND ONE

I'm about to turn 40 and Tim had secretly contacted Toni several months ago to see if some sort of gathering could be arranged with local friends from the Sonlight Sisterhood, as this is a milestone birthday. Toni, Thea, Faith, and Cheri coordinated schedules and ended up treating me to dinner at ParkStone last night. Good food (shrimp for me, which I love and haven't had in ages) and lots of chatting made for a fun celebration. 

After dinner we did some shopping and browsing at nearby stores, chatting and laughing along the way as we looked for specific items, laughed like immature little kids as we listened to all the sound effects in a book about farts, bought gifts for other people, read a ton of funny cards, and caught up on each other's lives.

I'm thankful that Tim was proactive in trying to coordinate something he knew I would enjoy and that the Portland-ish girls were willing and able to clear their schedules, coordinate childcare, and battle horrific traffic to celebrate the youngest of the bunch entering the 40s decade.

6/9/16 - THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that I've never been homeless.

What's one thing that you're thankful for?

SOME MOFFIT TIME

The Moffit crew arrived at our house yesterday afternoon for what my sister dubbed the Beep and Bertha (our nicknames for each other) reunion. Blog posts, Facebook pictures, and weekly Skype dates are great, but hanging out in the same room was way better!

Beep and I, sisters who are usually on separate continents instead of the same couch.

Naomi loves wearing makeup around the house, so she was thrilled that Aunt Beep was willing to put some on her.

Beep let Naomi return the favor, so here are the two of them post-makeup session.

As if that wasn't enough to make her day, Daisy and Ally also let Naomi put makeup on them.

Some of the little Ws had purchased pop-its earlier in the day, so Neo and Teebs tried to look tough as they posed with their tiny explosives.

All the Ms and Ws in one spot.

The cousins.

The siblings and in-laws.

There was a rousing game of Headbanz played by Josh and some of the kids.

Then Josh, Tim, and the bigs played one of many games of Bananagrams.

Here's the "look athletic" pose these four struck before heading out on a run this morning.

The dynamic dish washing duo of Neo and Naomi cleaned up after breakfast.

Of course, there were more games played, trees climbed, trampolines jumped on, frisbees thrown, popsicles eaten, and conversations had, but we didn't get pictures of everything because we were just taking time to enjoy it all.

6/2/16 - THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for a grey day of rain before the hot weekend arrives.

What's one thing that you're thankful for?

BOOKS I FINISHED - MAY 2016

The Beach Trees, written by Karen White

A woman who's spent her life searching for her missing sister befriends a woman whose own family is searching for her. When the second woman dies, the first woman becomes guardian of her child and ends up helping to unlock her family's secrets. In the process, she learns about moving forward when it seems impractical.

p. 222, "Sometimes you got to put up with a whole bunch of ugly so you can appreciate a little bit of beautiful."

p. 332, The word that came to me now was "defiant". Because a person had to be defiant to be able to stand amid the wreckage of her life and instead of shaking a fist, pick up a hammer.

Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awakening Your Soul to Rest, written by Bonnie Gray

Crystal mentioned this book a couple times on Money Saving Mom, so I got it from the library. The first few chapters were really timely for me to read, hitting me right where it hurts (in a good way), then it fizzled out for me. I can't put my finger on why I lost interest, but I did. I skimmed the rest of the book, but didn't read the whole thing.

p.28, My greatest fear was failing to find the freedom I believed came from walking with Jesus.

p. 40, What is the mat you want me to pick up, Jesus? What realities have I accepted living with for decades that have been immovable parts of my identity?

p. 46, Even trusting God became a test of my resolve. Rest became a battle to run away from the things that break me  - instead of allowing the brokenness to bring me to him. All this running, it's exhausting.

Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden and Your Neighborhood into a Community, written by H.C. Flores

The title is pretty self-explanatory, although the book goes beyond basic gardening and gives various ideas for how to use our resources in responsible ways. Anyone, regardless of their commitment to environmental concerns, food sources, or community involvement/relationships, could find at least an idea or two from the book to put into practice.

p. 2, Those who control our food control our lives, and when we take that control back  into our own hands, we empower ourselves toward autonomy, self-reliance, and true freedom.

p. 210, Try spending a week without any clocks, calendars, or mirrors. < snip > Imagine waking up when you feel rested,eating when you are hungry, celebrating holidays on whatever day you want, and basing your self-image on how you feel rather than how you look.

p. 211, If you spend five minutes every day looking for your keys, that's thirty hours each year. If you spend a few minutes creating a convenient place  to keep your keys and train yourself to put them there, you can use the saved time for something you enjoy.

Living on Less and Liking it More: How to Reduce Your Spending and Increase Your Living, written by Maxine Hancock

Peg mentioned this book when I asked about books people read multiple times and it sounded like one I'd like. The book serves as a good reminder that we live in culture that encourages us to constantly spend money, rack up debt, and never be content. Not only that, but many Christians live under the false belief that material wealth is a sign of great faith and holy living. Many of the ideas presented are ones I already felt strongly about, so there were a lot of quotes I liked. Here are some of them.

p. 29, (referencing Mark 12:43-44) Jesus enunciated a principle of reality in the kingdom of God: that our giving is not measured by the amount we give, but by the amount we have left over when we have given.

p.48, And, since all the other joys of life are actually dependent upon contentment, it is contentment we need most to learn.

p.66, But allowing yourself to buy things you cannot afford today, in the hope that you will be able to afford them - plus interest - next month, is living a myth.

p.74, And, as C.S. Lewis puts it, "If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small."

p.111, Whatever the solution to meeting the housing needs of your family, the real joys of any home are not in the size of shape of the physical plant, but in the spirit of love and contentment that prevails within the walls.

p.121, I have found that God is just as accessible from the square of linoleum that is my kitchen floor as He is from the loftiest mountaintop conference.

p.131, There is a sense in which feeling "poor" or "rich" depends only upon to whose condition you compare your own.

p.136, Real poverty is when material things are uppermost and pressing - whether because we have too few or too many of them. It is poverty, because the human mind and spirit are made for higher things, worthier pursuits.

p.138, Godliness is using the good things of this life as God would, as a means of bringing blessing to others.

p.141, The good life is not one which can be defined as being above any arbitrary poverty line. It is, simply, "godliness with contentment." It is simplicity with dignity. It is having without holding.

Moloka'i, written by Alan Brennert

Liesl recommended this book and, being totally unfamiliar with the leper colony that used to be on the island of Moloka'i, I was intrigued. Although it's a work of fiction, it's inspired by specific people and is a realistic portrayal of that time and place. The story is about young girl in the late 1800s who finds a red spot on her skin and is sent away from her family because of it, then follows her life for decades as she grows up and makes a life for herself at the settlement. Parents, kids, adoption, love, marriage, friendship, courage, fear death, life ... it's got a little of everything and serves as a reminder that your life is what you make of it, that your attitude matters so much more than your circumstances.

p. 205, Fear is good. In the right degree it prevents us from making fools of ourselves. But in the wrong measure it prevents us from fully living. Fear is our boon companion but never our master.

Thirteen Reasons Why: A Novel, written by Jay Asher

Debi recommended this book in a reading group I'm part of. Heart-breaking and sometimes disturbing, but also important, it's the fictional story of a teenage girl explaining why she chose to end her life. Her creatively designed explanation is interspersed with the reaction of one of her friends.

p. 53, - but the point is, when you hold people up for ridicule, you have to take responsibility when other people act on it.

p. 156, No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Oftentimes, we have no clue.

p. 201-202, You don't know what goes on in anyone's life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person's life, you're not messing with just that part. Unfortunately, you can't be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person's life, you're messing with their entire life.

Everything ... affects everything.

A Thousand Nights, written by E. K. Johnston

The library linked this book on their Facebook page and the description reminded me of Susan Fletcher's Shadow Spinner, which I loved, so I checked it out. It's a young adult book about sisters, marriage, murder, life in the desert, royalty, family, loyalty, and magic.

BOOKS THE KIDS LIKED

Chalk, illustrated by Bill Thompson

A wordless book about chalk pictures that become real when kids are drawing.

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5/26/16 - THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful we didn't have an open house this month. We all enjoy them, but life has been unusually busy lately and I'm exhausted. So after a year and a half of hosting, it's been nice to take a month off.

What's one thing that you're thankful for?

BECAUSE, WHY NOT?

A few weeks ago there was a conversation in the junior high group at church about what Silas was going to do with his hair when he was done with the fro he's been sporting for a while. Suggestions were tossed around and a plan was made between him and one of the leaders of the class, which led to this chain of events.

Silas this morning.

Silas after I sectioned out his hair this afternoon.

Silas and Melanie in the junior high space before church this evening.

Silas when Melanie was done with him.

Beautiful Melanie, the one with a flat iron, and laughing Silas, the one with hair to straighten.

This is obviously a temporary thing, but he's having a lot of fun with it! Meanwhile, I snapped a picture of this picture, which was on the junior high bulletin board. It was taken during a photo scavenger hunt, though Silas can't remember the word his team was trying to capture with this particular shot.

Never a dull moment in the hair department around here!