Prom...

So Grace and I spent the afternoon on Saturday getting our hairs cut. Always an adventure...but this time more of a princess story. For, you see, the high school had prom on Saturday and the salon was just filled with lovely high school princesses getting their hair and make-up done. Grace's eyes just about popped out of her head and she may need to be treated for whiplash from all of the necessary quick head turning from 'do to 'do. Her favorites seemed to be the curly up-do variety. At dinner on Saturday night she told us all about her future prom look and I thought I'd share it with you. Grace's hair will be pulled back and covered in flowers. She will be wearing blue eyeshadow and dark red lipstick. Which is great because the blue will match the blue in her blue and purple gown. The gown will have a huge purple flower on it (she draws a circle on her chest and tummy covering the whole area) and tiny blue flowers all around the purple flower. She will wear blue and purple shoes with pom-poms on the toes. Her neck will be adorned with a necklace which says Eli, Noah, Mommy and Daddy all around it. And on her ears will delicately hang HUGE hoop earrings that go down to her shoulders. Daddy says that look sounds just fine to him. After all, he plans on being her prom date, anyway!

Eli Dances to 80's Tune

Noah's Splits Walk

Thankful Thursday...Let's just pretend it's Thursday, shall we?

I am thankful for...

• Grace's fever going down, for catching that she had the flu in time to give her medicine and that the rest of us haven't caught it
• Esther! I spent the last 1/2 of the week doing the Beth Moore study on Esther...Amazing!
• Steve's hard work in building the new fence which will allow the dogs to wrestle, run, and be crazy labradoodles without tearing up the lawn, the flowers or any people.
• Snuggle time!

What are you thankful for this Thankful Thursday (we're pretending, remember?)?

And we've got talent...

Yesterday we had a family recital/talent show. It was pretty darn fun and hilarious. Everyone in the family including the great grandparents had to come up with a talent to share. Our little (and big) pianists shared their hard work with us. Grammy has been teaching Grace, Caleb and Uncle Matt piano for the last few months. Each of them did a fabulous job on their little duets with Grammy. Eli played I'm a Little Monkey on his violin. Noah played the We Will Rock You rhythm on his drums. Joshy played on his drum. Joey sang I'm a Little Teapot and counted to 10 and Levi showed us rolling over. Papa Joe taught us about sculpting and Grandma June taught us about finding inspiration for art. Grandpa Lou taught us what different tools are for and about the best tool of all (the Bible). Gigi read a poem about a shadow to us. Aunt Brooke shared her scrapbooking skills, Steve did magic tricks, I did two minute poems and Auntie Mimers played the water flutes. It was awesome. Can't wait until the next one in the fall!

You've Got Talent...

I don't know how many of you have watched Susan Boyle sing I Dreamed a Dream on YouTube but if you have not...DO IT!
Here's the link if you haven't seen it...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY.
Today, when I watched it for the first time, it had more than 12 million views. I watched it with tears in my eyes and then immediately watched it again...once was not enough. Why do you think 12 million plus of us are drawn to watching Susan sing?
Could it be that we each have the hope that there is something secret inside us that is valuable? Could it be that we dream that we've been gifted in something in such a way that it would make people stop and take notice? That we hope that the real could be much more important, much more beautiful, much more valuable than the reconstructed, the repositioned, the skin-deep beauty that greets us from billboards, television shows and magazines over and over again. I think it could be, friends. I think you are gifted in that way. I think God has something in you that the rest of us severely need. And I think that in fear, we all hide that very thing away. Afraid it wouldn't be enough. We allow the jeers of the crowd and their contemptuous glances at us to paralyze us and keep that something hidden. What if we, like Susan Boyle, stand up in all of our human glory with our scary flaws that petrify us and go ahead and share with gusto whatever it is we've got? I can't imagine anything that would make God smile more than that!

Thankful Thursday...

Today I am thankful for...

• Crazy, amazing opportunities to do last minute really fun things...like, for example, going to Argentina in May to lead a women's retreat! I'm so excited I can't stand it!
• Claire and Marc who will come to team up with Steve while I'm in Argentina to take care of the three amigos.
• Noah is napping. Noah needs naps. When he has enough sleep and enough of the right stuff to eat, Noah is a super fun, amazing, wonderful kid. When he doesn't, he's a bit of a bear. This morning was rough but HOORAY! he's sleeping! Looking forward to a great afternoon!
• Eli's annual review...for him being able to have another year of services in preschool and for some special education teachers that really get him and love him! Thanks, ladies!

And you?