Not Everyone Has a Good Job

The kids and I went to eat lunch with Vance at work today. His employer has a company cafeteria and Noah thinks it is just about the best thing in the world. He loves to go to eat lunch with his Daddy at work. He's just fascinated by the whole concept of "having a job" and "having an office".

(As an aside... he told me the other day that he got fired from his job and he now wants to get a new job working at the Golf Warehouse!)

As we were sitting in the cafeteria today, surrounded by hard working men and women, I couldn't help but think about the fact that another local company had laid off 1,200 employees yesterday. There are 1,200 people in Wichita today who don't have a "job" to go to or a Daddy to visit at "work".

And I was overcome with gratitude for my husband's good job. As I thought about it, I told Noah that we really needed to thank Jesus for Daddy's good job. I then went on to attempt to explain to him that not everyone is able to have a good job right now (I even used the word "economy" which was a mistake. Have you ever tried to explain what the economy is... in four year old terminology?!).

My explanation didn't exactly induce the response I was hoping for... Noah proceeded to point out different individuals in the cafeteria saying "I think that man in the red shirt has a good job." "Mommy, I really think that man has a good job, right?" And so on... all around the cafeteria.

His response led me to realize that he was doing exactly what I often do. On a very basic level, he was just taking for granted that everyone around him did, in fact, have a good job.

I do it too. I take for granted that all of my basic needs will be met on a day to day basis. I dare to say that I think most of us, even in the seemingly dire state of our economy, take for granted that, at a minimum, our most basic needs will be met.

While I admittedly worry about our local and national economy and what that might mean for our family, I never question whether or not I will have food to eat. I never question whether or not I will have a warm place to sleep. I never question whether or not I will have clean clothes to wear. Never.

Not even for a moment.

The news reminds me on a daily basis of the overwhelming "needs" that many, many Americans have right now. There is need all around me and it's hitting closer and closer to home. My personal friends are now being affected by the failing economy. It's very real. I realize that it is very real. There are people in "need" everywhere.

But despite the desperateness that we feel here in our local community and in our country at large, I was reminded today that it pales in comparison to the conditions in other countries.

I was reminded of that today in a way that really impacted me.

You see, I follow Angie Smith's blog, Bring the Rain. I knew that she was planning a trip to Calcutta, India to participate in a "blogging mission" of sorts for an organization called Compassion Ministries.

I didn't think much of it. I've been familiar with Compassion Ministries for over 10 years. It is an organization that provides sponsorship to children in very poor countries. The sponsorship not only provides basic care for the children in terms of food, shelter, and clothing, but also provides them with education and teaches them the Gospel.

Don't stop reading yet. I promise you will be glad you stayed with me on this one. This is not an advertisement, I promise.

I became interested in this organization over 10 years ago when I was newly married and just beginning my career. Being the diligent CPA that I was, I even looked at its annual report to see what percentage of my money actually went to the children as opposed to overhead costs, etc. Of all the child sponsorship organizations out there, I was pleased to find that Compassion had the highest percentage of its donations actually going directly to the mission.

So I jumped on board. Vance and I sponsored a Compassion child named Camilla. I delighted in sending her care packages and did so very regularly. I sent her letters filled with stickers, coloring book pages, and hair bows. I loved finding special little things to send to her. She was like the little girl I always knew I wanted to have. I proudly displayed her picture both on my refrigerator at home and also on my office cubicle wall. I wrote her letters, told her about myself, filled her up with words of encouragement and praise. And she wrote me letters too. And drew me pictures. I adoringly hung her drawings on my office cubicle wall as a reminder of the difference I was making in her life. And I sent her pictures of my family, being careful not to send a picture that showed too much in the way of material items. I didn’t want her to SEE how I lived because I was AWARE of the extreme poverty in which she lived. And I didn’t want her to be sad. I wanted her to be filled with joy when she received my packages. I sent extra money at Christmas time to make sure that the un-sponsored children would also receive a Christmas package. I knew when her birthday was and always made sure she received something special for her birthday. I was “into it” for lack of a better term.

Through the years of letters, pictures, and care packages, I don't think I ever really thought much about WHY Camilla needed my help. I didn't really stop to SEE the poverty that was the only way of life she knew.

Time went on. Camilla got older. I got busier. I switched my contribution to an “automatic bank withdrawal” and the whole thing became less “real” to me. My enthusiasm waned. My care packages were sent less frequently and eventually, Camilla’s pictures even came down from my cubicle walls. There is no good reason why. It just happened. And eventually, Compassion had to withdraw their ministry from her country due to security concerns. And Camilla was no longer mine.

I was assigned another child in another country and I have faithfully financially supported that child for at least 6, maybe 7, years. My bank account is debited for $32 each month and has been for many, many years.

I am going to be brutally (embarrassingly so) honest and confess that although I have “sponsored” a child for a long time, I do not know what my current sponsored child’s name is. And to be even more brutally honest with you, I cannot tell you with certainty whether I sponsor a boy or a girl. And I most certainly can not tell you what country my sponsored child lives in.

And I have not given even a fleeting thought to the conditions in which this child might live.

So when Angie started talking about Compassion and asking her readers to consider sponsoring a child, I didn't think much about it. I was already a Compassion sponsor.

Then I read this. (Click it, read it, and then come back to me!)

Wow! And I don't know the name of the child I sponsor. Shame on me.

And then I read this. (Again, click it read it, but come back!)

Again, wow! Did you SEE the change in that little boy's eyes?

I did.

Did you read what he understood? He understood that Angie was not just going to be a "financial donor" to him, but "another mother". And knowing that changed his entire countenance.

Again, shame on me for reducing my sponsorship to a mere financial donation.

It is very easy for me to make a financial contribution without really KNOWING or SEEING what it is that I am giving money to. It’s easy to give financially and not allow myself to SEE the true poverty in which the child I am supporting is living. It’s easy to say I believe that Compassion is a great organization, but not really give myself the opportunity to SEE how dire the living conditions are and how badly Compassion is truly needed. It’s so easy to get caught up in the “out of sight, out of mind” concept.

And to be shamefully honest, I’ve even allowed myself to feel good about the “difference” I am making when I fill out my tax return each year and fill in the “Compassion” line on my charitable contributions form.

Embarrassing and shameful as it is, this is how I have been “supporting” Compassion Ministries for a very long time.

Until today.

Today, I read this and I SAW the faces of real "need". Through Angie's masterful story-telling, I was struck by the faces in her photos. I was struck by the hope I saw in the eyes of the Compassion children. I was struck by the joy their smiles conveyed.

I was struck by the story of the little girl who shared her tiny home with them. She was so joy-filled to meet real sponsors. She was so genuinely excited and proud to share her "home" with them.

Looking at these pictures and reading Angie and Melissa's words (click here for Melissa's take on the day - wow too!), I could SEE that these children cling to the hope that a sponsor brings them. They care very little about the financial aspect of their sponsorship. Like little Mohit, they need and long for "another mother". They want pictures. They want letters. They want to know that someone knows their name. They want words of encouragement and love. That's what they need. They need that more than I can bear to imagine.

They deserve that.

With great embarrassment, I confess that sitting next to my laptop, at this very moment, is an unopened letter from Compassion. Shamefully, it is no different than the hundreds of envelopes I have received from Compassion over the past years. Unopened. And truth be told, the back side of the envelope is covered in scribbled “to do” notes. It has been sitting here for well over a week. It has been nothing more than a scratch piece of paper.

But because I have seen the faces of those children in the slums of Calcutta today, I am moved to open it up.

Right now…

My hands are literally shaking as I type. I just opened up a letter from my sponsored child. Her name is Yasmines. She lives in Columbia. She thanked me for a Christmas gift I didn’t even know I had sent. She is going to turn 15 years old in August and she wants to know when my birthday is. She signed her letter to me, “your Colombian daughter, Yasmines.”

She has a name. Her name is Yasmines.

And she thinks of me as “another mother”. It’s how she signed the one letter I have ever read from her.

I also found something inside of that envelope… something I haven’t seen in a very long time. It is the Compassion form used to send letters to your sponsored child. A long, long time ago, I filled these forms out often… with vigor and delight. I haven’t done it in so many years. Of that, I am ashamed. I have reduced my sponsorship to a mere financial contribution. But that is going to change.

Today.

Today, I am going to fill out the form. I am going to write a letter to Yasmines. I am going to tell her my name is Danielle and that my birthday is August 24th. I am going to pray for her to pass her grade level because that is what she asked me to do in her letter to me. I am going to tell her about my family and my children. I am going to send her a picture of my family. I am going to tell Noah about her and have him draw her a special picture. I am going to buy her some fun things to put in a care package. I am going to ask her to send me a picture of herself so that I can post it on my refrigerator. I am going to give her words of love and encouragement. I am going to give her what she deserves… a sponsor who is not merely a financial donor, but one who is “another mother”.

She has a name. Her name is Yasmines. And Yasmines KNOWS what true poverty is. She lives in it.

I can't comprehend it. I simply can't. But I feel very strongly that I am called to do much more than just send Yasmines money. I'm sorry that I allowed myself to become so comfortable in my own life of privilege that I failed to SEE what my sponsorship really meant to my sponsored child.

Tonight, I told Noah about poverty (yes, I used that word.) I told him that some children do not have enough money to have a bed and have to sleep on the sidewalk. I told him that some children have to take a bath with dirty water on the street.

I showed him the pictures of the children in Calcutta.

I told him about Yasmines and Compassion.

I used four-year old terminology as much as I could. But I told him.

I wanted him to know that not everyone has a good job.

And guess what?

The very first thing he said to his Daddy as he walked through the door this evening wasn't "Hi Daddy" as it usually is.

The very first words out of Noah's mouth were:

"Daddy, not everyone has a good job. There are some children who don't have enough money to sleep on a bed. They have to sleep on the sidewalk. And some of them have to take a bath in the street with dirty water."

That's right. He saw it and he shared it with his Daddy.

And then he did this.

He drew a picture for Yasmines.

And tonight, while grocery shopping, I looked for something to send to Yasmines. It's hard to find much because everything has to be flat, but I settled on some cute hairbands, some stickers fit for a teenager, and some fun note cards.

And for the first time in a very, very long time, I used the Compassion form that was inside my opened envelope to write Yasmines a letter.

And I lovingly gathered a family photo, the picture Noah had made, and the items I had purchased at the grocery store. I put them all in an envelope and addressed it.

It will be sent to Yasmines tomorrow. It will be a long time before she actually receives it. But when she does, I hope it brings a smile to her face. I hope it gives her hope. I want her to know that even though it took some time, I know her name.

And tonight, when I go to bed, I will thank the Lord for my husband's good job because I am humbly aware of how incredibly blessed we are.

And I will pray for my friends who lost their jobs and for those that fear losing their good jobs in the coming months.

And I will pray for Yasmines. Because while we fear the effects of our failing economy, the things we fear pale in comparison to the realities so many fellow human beings live on a day to day basis.

It is true. Our economy is in bad shape. Not everyone has a good job.

But as I sleep in my bed tonight, there are people in this world sleeping on sidewalks and whether or not they have a good job is the farthest thing from their minds. Their fears relate to basic necessities. The ones I take for granted everyday.

No, not everyone has a good job. But some people have nothing.

I'm glad I saw the pictures and I'm glad I read Angie's posts. (I hope you read them too.)

And I'm glad to have the opportunity to make a difference in the life of a child who understands, in a way I never will, what it means to not "have a good job".

A Few Funnies

Don't kids say the cutest things?

Noah's verbal skills really are quite remarkable (yes, I know I'm biased!). He has been engaging us in all kinds of in-depth conversations since the ripe ol' age of 2!

Over the years, I've tried to journal and write down some of the cute things he has said in his online "Babybook", but I recently decided to keep track of his "funnies" in a separate location. Of course, I rarely think to record the cute things he says, but there are times (like tonight) that I do remember to record his 4 year old thoughts.

He made me laugh out loud tonight and I recorded it here.

Enjoy a few four-year old funnies!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Can I say D-I-V-A?!

Consider Helping a Family in Need...

As I have noted several times in the past, I had an epiphany of sorts when my friend, Michelle, started a blog to report about the open heart surgery her newborn baby, Zachary, had to have immediately following his birth. During her hospital stay, Michelle met other parents whose babies were in worse condition that her little Zachy... babies who needed heart transplants and sadly, babies whose earthy lives were taken much too prematurely. As she blogged about Zachary's condition and progress, she also asked her readers to pray for these individuals who were part of a "heart family" she now belonged to.

And so I started to read their stories.
I started to pray for them.
I started to realize how incredibly blessed I was.

And that was the epiphany.

It's not that I didn't KNOW how blessed I was prior to Zachary getting sick or prior to "meeting" Suzie & Lindsay or Rebecca & Annabelle or the others I read about...

It's just that I was too busy getting caught up in the struggles of daily life to FOCUS on how blessed and lucky I was to be in those so-called "struggles"...

It hit me:

There were babies out there who didn't have the health to be able to scream at the top of their lungs just because a toy got taken from their hands....

There were babies out there who didn't have the health to eat real food and subsequently throw it all over the floor...

There were babies out there who didn't have the ability to roam freely around their homes destroying most everything in their pathway...

There were mothers out there who didn't have the privilege of hearing their children fight together anymore...

There were, and are, mothers out there who would consider it a privilege to have the "frustrations" that I blogged about earlier today...

It hit me:

What I considered to be "struggles" really were blessings!

And that's how my blog started.

I've continued to follow the stories of the babies who are struggling.

I pray for them.
I rejoice with them.
I hope with them.

And I continue to FOCUS on acknowledging that my own "struggles" really are "blessings". I'm not perfect. I still lose my patience and find myself complaining much too often. But I'm trying.

This brings me to my point.

I've been following the story of a little girl who was born 3 months early and weighed only 1 pound. She is now 10 months old and has never left the hospital. She was very close to being able to possibly be discharged, when things went terribly wrong during a surgery last week. It now appears that Kayleigh, too, will leave this earth much too soon.

I checked in on her tonight and read a post about the dire circumstances this family is currently in. I urge you to consider reading it and consider donating if you feel that you can. I know there are so many people in need right now, but I honestly cannot imagine the extraordinary stress and grief this family is currently enduring. You can read about Kayleigh and the post at:

http://www.kayleighannefreeman.blogspot.com/

And as far as my friend Michelle's sweet boy Zachary goes, he will undergo a second open heart surgery in May. He recovered very well from his first surgery, so please keep them in your prayers in hopes that he will fully recover from his next surgery... and quickly! Michelle has 4 older boys on top of little Zachary... she deserves a parenting award!


Thank you for considering the intentions of those mentioned here.

Now...

Go give your kids an extra hug & kiss tonight!

An Entertaining Missed Photo-Op!

Of all the days to NOT have had my camera in my pocket...

this afternoon played out to be a day that would have made for a very entertaining photo opportunity!

While my words will in no way compare to the story a picture would have told, I'll do my best to relay the antics that occurred only moments ago...

I met my friend, Jenny, at Target this afternoon to meet with a lady who makes darling hand made "girly" clothes for little girls. She lives slightly outside of Wichita, so we had to find a neutral meeting place and it happened to be Target. (Aside: They are really cute clothes and I'll post pictures when they are complete so you fellow-Wichitans can take advantage of the cute girlyness!)

So after an hour or so of looking at fabrics, my children were tuckered out and ready to make a prompt exit home.

So we made our way to the car.

I got Emily buckled into her car seat...

I put my purse in the front seat....

I made my way to Noah's side of the car and got him buckled into his seat...

I made my way back to my driver's door, only to find that the wind had blown my door shut (Remember our Wichita wind? Don't get me wrong... I'm still thankful for it, just a little less so than normal today!).

And all of the other doors were locked too!

My children, my keys, my purse, my phone....

were locked inside my car!

Fortunately (for the kids) and unfortunately (for me!), today was a COLD and WINDY day! So they were not in any danger of overheating while trapped inside the vehicle!

So what to do?

I RAN (and realized that I am still able to do do that!) into Target and used their phone to call 911. After a LOT of useless questions, the 911 dispatcher told me they would send "someone" to help me.

I RAN back out to my car to assure my locked-in children that I would be inside the car with them momentarily.

As I was doing my "assuring", I didn't realize that I was leaning into the car (to see through the tinted windows AND the sun shades!) and I set off the car alarm!

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Actually, it was more of a...

HONK! HONK! HONK! HONK! HONK!

And it was L-O-U-D!

Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to be standing outside in a Target parking lot, hood up, hands in pockets, with your car alarm BLARING and have no where to go and no way to stop it?!?! Trust me, embarrassing is an understatement!

I didn't know who the "someone" would be that the 911 operator referred to, but after about 10 minutes of waiting in the cold and the wind, I discovered the "someone". Only it wasn't some-ONE! I saw a HUGE firetruck pulling into the parking lot (#16 as Noah so observantly noted). This was not one of the small firetrucks... this was a full-blown HUGE one... the kind like you tour in preschool!

After it found a large enough place to park, firemen (in their bright orange coats) starting pouring out of the truck.

The first one came out and started walking towards me...

Then another one followed him....

And another one followed him...

SIX firemen piled out of that truck... SIX!

And guess what?

They can't do anything to help me because the city of Wichita took away their "slim jims" for liability reasons.

Then why on earth were SIX firemen dispatched?!

The best thing they could offer me was the use of the Captain's cell phone.

I called my neighbor to go over to my house and get my extra car key from my house...

only to realize (AFTER she was already there!), that my house was locked and there was no way for her to get inside to get the key!

While I was attempting to get a hold of my mom and/or my husband (on the captain's phone), the City of Wichita Police Department showed up. So now 2 Wichita police officers are now on the "scene".

And in case you are keeping track, we are now up to EIGHT men hovering around my mini-van in the Target parking lot... and me now donning the fire captains ENORMOUS orange fire coat!

(picture the above... only with BRIGHT ORANGE stripes!)

And guess what? They can't do anything either! Same issue about the "slim-jims" and liabilities.

They did "radio" a cab company for me. Apparently the cab companies do have "slim-jims" available for a $25 fee. That sounded like a great plan to me!

At this point, you may be wondering how my locked-in children are doing.

So far, they are laughing, smiling, and relaxing from within... where it is warm and cozy.

Noah reported to me:

a) I received 2 emails on my phone,
b) His Sissy had thrown her shoes and bow on the floor,
c) He spotted a "blue cruiser" and was now winning our game of "Slugbugs & Cruisers",
d) His Sissy was requesting a "nana" (which means banana)!

And Sissy Kate... well she was just hamming it up with a great big grin on her face!

So as we wait...

and wait...

and wait...

for the cab company to arrive, I attempted to make small talk with the entourage that had assembled near my car.

Have you ever tried to make small talk with 6 firemen & 2 police officers in the cold wind?

Well let me tell you... even my etiquette training didn't prepare me for that scenario!

After about 20 minutes had passed with no cab company, the police officer "radioed" to check on it only to hear that it would be another 30 minutes!

At this point, I was just ready to call my husband out of the "management meeting" he was leading and get this car opened!

However, one of the officers remembered that his friend, "Vasquez" worked for the Maize police department where "slim jims" have not been banned. So he "radioed" Vasquez and lo and behold, he HAS a "slim jim"!

About 8 minutes later, Vasquez enters the scene.

For the record, we are now at 6 firemen (I still have no idea why they were still there!), 3 police officers, and me now donning a wool fire blanket around my shoulders!

(while the above is not actually me, it is probably what I looked like!)

With 8 men surrounding him like this was a spectator sport, Vasquez began trying to get the car unlocked.

After trying for nearly 10 minutes, he FINALLY got one of the side doors unlocked!

Good thing... because by this point...

a) over an hour had elapsed since the ordeal began,
b) both children were now inside SCREAMING,
c) the van alarm had gone off again and had ensued with the "HONK", "HONK", "HONK" ing,
d) my husband's secretary had offered to drive to my house with my husband's keys to put an end to this mess,
e) and I was starting to reek of smoke (from my wool "fire blanket" that they assured me was brand new...hmmm)!

Although the actual "unlocking" was a bit anti-climatic, all NINE of the city personnel cheered aloud! After receiving my sincerest words of thanks, they returned to their "emergency vehicles" in search of bigger and better emergencies!

Really, I wish I would have had a camera.

Even more than that though...

I really wish I would've taught my 4 year old how to unbuckle his own car seat!

And in case you were wondering, Noah did, in fact, WIN the game of "Slugbugs & Cruisers"!

Consider Yourself Warned!

Consider Yourself Warned!

Never, under any circumstances, EVER....

take your children to the Zoo on Earth Day (and/or FREE Admission Day)!

Unfortunately, I learned this lesson the hard way... today... on Earth Day.

Consider yourself warned:

On Earth Day, when there is FREE admission to the Zoo, every single public school child within the city limits and beyond will be at the Zoo.



And the Zoo, quite literally, is a ZOO!

Truth be told, had my sweet Noah not just professed his ever-so-enduring excitement about our Zoo trip as we unknowingly & happily drove to the zoo, I would have promptly turned my car around at the very sight of the 1,000 buses in the parking lot and the traffic directors (yes, you read that correctly... traffic directors!).

Their faces pretty much sum up how I was feeling when I laid eyes on the parking lot and front entrance!

NEVERTHELESS....

Because I love my kids, and because my sweet Noah told me only minutes before laying eyes on the miserable-looking parking lot, that "when I woke up in my bed, I was excited, because I thought we were going to the zoo today", I did it.

I loaded up the kids and went in.

And treacherous though it was, we did manage to see a few exhibits...


and when there was a momentary break in the sea of people, we even managed to see a few animal exhibits!




And....

Against my better judgement, I even ventured into the petting zoo (gasp!)... with FOUR children. But when the goat standing right at my feet decided to start going to the bathroom (out the posterior end), I drew the line.

We promptly exited.

And I am not the least bit ashamed to admit that I may have even squealed while we were in there and my face perhaps looked a little bit (okay, maybe a LOT) like Emily's face in this photo...


So... Lesson Learned.

Avoid, at all costs, the Zoo on Earth Day!

BUT...

In the spirit of celebrating ALL the "little things" in life - the good, the bad, and the crowdedhotdirtyfrustratingmessy...

I will celebrate these very cute pictures...



And, of course, the opportunity to be outside, with my children and our friends, exploring & learning about the animals. And really, in the end, it's all about the kids anyway. And they didn't even notice that Earth Day was any different from any other day at the Zoo.
Still though, consider your warned!

Be THANKFUL for the Wind

Before Vance and I were married, he would come to visit me in Wichita and he always said that Wichita was the "windiest place on earth"! I never thought much about the Wichita wind. Because I had grown up in Wichita, I suppose I had just grown accustomed to it.

After we were married, we lived outside of Kansas for almost 7 years in destinations that were not windy... at least by Wichita's standards! It was when I would come back home to Wichita that I would notice the wind... and how strong (and annoying) it was!

Since we have moved back to Kansas, BOTH myself and Vance routinely complain about the wind. We both say, on a very regular basis, that Wichita is the "windiest place on earth"!

As a matter of fact, I spent the majority of an afternoon last week visiting with a lovely lady about how much we despise the Wichita wind...

It ruins our beautifully adorned porches (or at least our attempts)...

It doesn't allow for picturesque Spring planters on the front porch...

It messes up our perfectly coiffed hair...

It is just NOT pleasant!

Although it's not an attractive feature and not one that I'm proud to admit, I must confess that on a very regular basis, I complain about the wind! And I do mean complain!

Until today.

I will no longer complain about the Wichita wind... no matter how hard it is blowing.

Instead, I will choose to be thankful for it.

Why?

Because of her.

This is Lindsay and she is 10 months old. Sadly, she has spent all but about 2 months of her life living in a hospital. She was born with a congenital heart defect and is in need of a transplant to live. She will continue to reside in the hospital, hooked up to monitors and tubes, until she receives her "angel heart".

To those of you who live in Wichita, she is Zachary Hagerott's "heart sister" and her parents are dear friends to Steve and Michelle.

Anyway, I follow Lindsay's blog and am one of many who are praying that she will be given a second chance at life... and soon.

Over the weekend, I saw this...

And then I read this...

She is OUTSIDE!!!!!!!!! Finally, after 6 1/2 months of being in the hospital, she went outside!!!

I took her to the courtyard and then picked her up out of her stroller. The wind started to blow and she realized that something was moving her hair. She felt her head and then looked and me with the biggest smile.

She just loved it!

"The wind started to blow..."

My heart melted. Tears welled up in my eyes.

And I instantly thought about the Wichita wind... and how I complain so often about it.

And then I thought about this precious little person... who experienced WIND for the first time in over 6 1/2 months and "loved it"!

To say that I take things for granted, like the wind, is quite an understatement.

We all do. It's human nature.

But sometimes, we are lucky enough to have a realization or an experience that forces us to remember how blessed we are.

And Lindsay has been a "realization or experience" of sorts for me. Not just on matters of the wind, but in many other ways as well. In fact, truth be told, it is as a direct result of reading her story (and several others) that I started blogging and started to NOT take the "little things" in life for granted.

So, with Lindsay in mind....

I now choose to be THANKFUL for the wind!

When I have to go outside for the umpteenth time to pick up the flowers strewn across my front lawn, I will be THANKFUL that I had the health and the ability to walk out the front door.

When I get dirt in my eyes and my planters break from falling over (again!), I will be THANKFUL that I have the freedom to spend the day outside where I can SEE the flowers and all of God's amazing creation.

When my hair is blowing all over the place and getting tangled to pieces, I will be THANKFUL that I have the opportunity to feel that "something" moving my hair! And I will most certainly think of little Lindsay!

So, from today forward...

I am THANKFUL for the Wind!

Yes, even in Wichita... "the windiest place on earth"!

* * * * * * * * * *

If reading this has given you a new appreciation for the "little things" in life, then join me in praying for little Lindsay. You can click here to read her story and see more pictures of her chubby, precious cheeks!

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Easter!

He is Risen, Allelluia!

Happy Easter from our family to yours!

Below are a few photos of our sweet peas all dressed up in their Easter best and a few more of our Easter celebrations...

Happy Easter!

Noah Robert - 4 years

Emily Kate - 15 months

Cute as Can Be!

Noah was so excited about his new underwear!

Recall from my previos post... "I love how easy he is to please"!

Perfect Example!

Emily adores her new sunglasses...

They have entertained her endlessly!

Noah found all of the eggs that the Bunny hid at our house!

Well... most of them!

I found a few more today!

Remember Noah's Jelly Bean project?

On Easter morning, he awoke to find a jar that was filled to the brim!

Sadly, I did not get a picture of how full the jar was prior to Easter morning.

Let's just say it wasn't quite a quarter of the way full!

Thank goodness for God's FREE grace!

When my mom showed it to him, she said...
"Look Noah, we did our best. And God did the rest!"

I wish I would've had a picture of the expression on his face...

mouth WIDE open, eyes in utter AMAZEMENT!

And after a brief explanation of how
God did everything for us on the cross,

Noah finally got to enjoy a taste of his jelly beans!

An already tired Sissy before Mass started.

Isn't she just precious?!

The best I could get!

Why is it so impossible for me to get that "picture perfect" picture of both children smiling angelicly at the camera?!

I need proof that I actually existed during Emily's babyhood!

I'm ususally the one taking the pictures!

Noah with his "Lamb of God"

Every year, Nonny gives the kids a lamb to represent Jesus being the Lamb of God.

This year, Noah's lamb was extra special!

It was decked out in a soccer uniform in honor of

Noah's first year to play soccer.

And... it even had glasses!

Emily in a sweet embrace with her new bunny!

This is about as sweet as it gets!

By the time the 2nd egg hunt rolled around at Nonny's house,

Emily was ready to participate!

She LOVED it!

Lots of eggs were found!

I love this picture because it just encompasses all of Emily's sweet, innocent, little girly-ness!

And yes, she has changed her shoes!
She is her MaMa's girl (and loves shoes!)

At the end of the day, we all RESTED...

Thank you Lord, for "doing the rest" for us!

Happy Easter Everyone!