Pictures

Well I never could get the videos to load, so pictures will have to do.

The first shows Matigan dancing at half-time of the girls' high school b-ball game. She had a lot of fun.

The next is of Elliott giving his 4-H Days talk. He did great - had it all memorized! He said afterwards - "Mom I was shaking up there!", but you couldn't tell!

Talent

Today Oprah had on the world's most talented kids.

I happen to think mine fall within this group - just check out the videos below:
(Sorry about the quality - our camcorder stopped working, and I had to use our old digital camera.)

* Technical difficulties: I can't get my video to upload! I gave up, but will try again tonight - that or just go with pictures!

Sadness

I don't understand why children die . . .

and it's not my place to ask why.

My heart is saddened by the recent knowledge of so many young lives lost or suffering due to illness.

My prayers go out to them and their families.

. . . the 3 Baquero children

. . . baby Cora

. . . baby Reese

Hug your children tight every chance you get - life is often too short. I pray that these families will find peace in the only one who can provide that during this time.

"For in our suffering, not apart from it, Jesus enters our
sadness, takes us by the hand,
pulls us gently up to stand, and invites us to dance.
We find the way to pray, as the psalmist did,
"You have turned my mourning into dancing" (Ps 30:11),
because at the center of our grief
we can find the grace of God."

(excerpt from Henri Nouwen's "Turn My Mourning Into Dancing")

Starting a Tradition

Are your kids like mine? Do they love breakfast more than any other meal - it is the one meal where I rarely get complaints about what we are eating. Therefore, it isn't unusual for us to have a bowl of cereal or pancakes for our dinner. I do have to admit that I also enjoy the breakfast for dinner as we frequently did this when I was a child. But . . .I do feel guilty that this isn't the best meal, so I decided to at least make it a little more special. How do you ask? Well first I think it will be a weekly "Thursday night Breakfast night." Then, we will eat out at the dining room table - maybe even with candles and grape juice in fancy glasses. Hopefully, the kids will remember these evenings as something special rather than just their mom not feeling like spending a whole evening cooking a meal.

The kids loved it! They are excited for the next Breakfast Night. Matigan's friend even got to join us last night.

Pancakes with whip cream and strawberries - yum!


Elliott's pancake snowman.