Five Minute Friday - Fly

I have always hated to fly. It makes me nervous and nauseous. I hate being in a closed in space and I hate not being able to get up and move around as I please. Or leave the plane if I wanted to because I get anxious and can. not. stand. being. in. it. for. one. more. minute.

I try to put on a brave face for my son, when I was a single mom as we fly to Missouri to see my sister and her family. And it works. He loves to fly. He wears his plastic wings like a badge.

And I do it again as a married Momma of 5. All buckled in and settled with snacks, I assure the 3 year old that it is going to be fun and to look out the window. I sigh heavily and nurse the baby, gripping the arm rest. I smile at the teenagers. I pray through the whole flight.

It never really gets easier to fly, but that one flight where he was by my side was the best flight I was ever on in my life. I snuggled up next to him, with the boy on the other side of me and I was at ease.

I still hate the closed in space, the inability to move around as I please or get of the plane when and if I want to because I might go crazy if I can't. But, it was different by his side.

It's the only time I loved to fly.

 

 

 

Link to Lisa Jo's blog and FLY!

 

Five Minute Friday - Tree

The tree's bright red leaves are brilliant against the blue sky. It spreads its branches wide and tall, stretching toward the top of the house. It invites us, as children, to climb it, to explore each limb. But, we are forbidden to touch even its trunk. For it is beloved my our mother. She warns us to never even be tempted to touch it. Only our father is allowed to shakes its wet leaves over our heads after it rains. 

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The tree is towering at the end of the driveway. It's piney needles nestle together, allowing us to hide. We climb quickly, scaling each branch, almost scraping the sky. We are all in the tree, pretending to be woodland creatures, chattering, scattering, gathering. All of us, but the littlest, the youngest. We tell her she's too small, but we mean she doesn't belong. Four to one, she is forbidden to climb and pretend. I wish I could go back and invite her to join us.

 

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Its trunk is thick, able to uphold the generously large branches that stretch out over the lawn. It's inviting our children to climb, explore, to see the world from a bird's eye view. We encourage them, joining them, climbing higher, exploring more. Everyone is invited. Everyone is allowed. Everyone is welcome.   

 

 

 

I wasn't able to link to Lisa Jo's blog last week for this prompt but, will be linking this week. 

Maybe you should, too!

La, La, La Life Goes On!

I was really doing well for a while there. Updating and even getting some pictures up on the blog. And I was participating in Five Minute Fridays and it felt good to write again. But, knowing that you do not really have an audience, no one checking back in daily to see if you have written, can crimp your style as a writer/blogger. I have had to ask myself why I write here and if the answer is for others, then there is really no reason to write anymore. But, if I am writing for me, I need to be writing every day, if not at least every week. I need to participate in blogging parties and writing prompts and remember why I love to write and why I started to blog in the first place. Because everyone has a story and I want to share mine.

And sharing mine here, even if no one is reading it or checking to see if I have written, is important to me.

Because even when I am not writing life is still moving at a faster pace than I would like it to move and there are parts of my story that need to be told. The beautiful parts and the not so beautiful parts. All of those parts are being woven together to create a greater masterpiece, that may look twisted and tattered now, but is shaping up into a glorious pattern of love, grace and mercy.

Life definitely goes on and I am ready to start writing about it again.

  

  

Mercy

I always hated it when my older sister wanted to play the game called 'mercy'. Her arms were longer and stronger than mine and she had long fingernails. And when she'd bend my fingers back so far that they'd almost touch my wrists. Ouch! I hated the game, but I hated saying 'mercy' even more. Saying it meant I had given up and given in to her. That she had won. I hated when she won.

To me, mercy was a sign of weakness. A sign that I couldn't, wouldn't ever match up to her and her strength.

It wasn't until many years later that I realized that mercy didn't mean weakness. That it meant love.

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much,.....Ephesians 2:4

It was because of His great love, that He bestowed mercy on His, while we were in our sin, Christ gave His life for us.

He wasn't giving up as much as He was giving in to the plan God had for Him, for me, for mankind.

Mercy is not about weakness. It is about love. May I love mercy and show mercy as He does.

Link up to Lisa Jo's blog with your post on MERCY!

Noah's 9th Birthday and Misc. Summer Photos 2013

Noah turned 9 on July 6. I can not believe he is the same age that Josh and Devin were when Rick and I got married! Only two more years of elementary school and he'll be in middle school with Kari. But, he'll always be my baby boy.

We went low key for his birthday as well. On the day of his birthday, we let him choose his cake and dinner choice and just hung out at the house. The following week, he and Rick went to see Despicable Me 2. He asked a few friends to go, but no one else was able to go, so he and Rick went and then at lunch at Dave and Buster's. They also found a really cool Tails hat at F.Y.E. on sale.

This picture was for Kari

Lunch at D&B's

Here are just some random pictures from the summer. We really had a relaxing, albeit fast time off of school and work.

Noah at his friend, Lawton's Lego birthday party

They didn't even realize that they were dressed alike

On our way to date night

4th of July

Flower Power

The Key Bridge at sunset. 

Rick and Noah were on a boat, fishing with some friends.

My 41st birthday cupcakes

  

O's Game Summer 2013

Rick and Noah were gifted some tickets to an O's game at the beginning of the summer. It ended up being hot and they were losing so, they left. Then the O's started winning. LOL Anyway, here are some pictures....

Summer Days 2012*

We have been taking the summer nice and slow and easy. Sleeping in and staying up late have been two daily activities along with going to the new Sonic and getting 1/2 price slushes during Happy Hour. We have also gone to two church sponsored activities - a crabbing/swimming day and go carting. The kiddos have also enjoyed going to the library and playing tennis in the evenings once it cools off for the day. Here are some pictures from the past few weeks.....

 Kari on her way to Six Flags with her friend, Amberly for the day

So in need of a haircut!

 (Before)

 (After)

Now that his hair is cut, he thinks he can drive the 'Stang!

Can't wait to see what the rest of the summer holds! 

*Found this in my drafts folder, but never posted it.

Kari's 5th Grade Promotion June 2013

It's still a bit unreal that Kari promoted from elementary school to middle school, but she did! She received various awards, including the President's Award for Academic Excellence. We are so proud of her and know she will do as well in middle school as she did in elementary school. Way to go, Kari Bear!

These girlies have been together since preschool

Kari and her best friend, Amberly

Kari and her friend, Emma. 

They walked to school together every day of 5th grade 

Kari's self portrait

Kari stating that she wants to be a 

musical performer when she grows up.

Kari and her teacher, Ms. Mueller

Kari and her principal, Ms. DeJesu