tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16762796764234091242024-03-13T06:58:00.353-05:00We choose to Live THIS Life"In Christ, it's the covenant of Love that we call Our Life" -Hugh Springer Jr.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger330125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-44555091783763561642014-06-19T05:03:00.001-05:002014-06-19T05:03:21.528-05:00She's A Teenager "We choose to live this life" means we choose to honor and celebrate the new teeneagers in our life.<br />
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We'd rather embrace the complexity and maturing and changing and growth and joy that comes with entering the teenage years than fear, pull back or give up.<br />
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With an affectionate and fun Nana and Pops...<br />
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With prayer...<br />
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With sisters who've got your back...<br />
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Godparents who guide you (and give fun gifts - <i>642 Things To Write About</i> is a great companion to <i>642 Things To Draw</i>, both big hits!)...<br />
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And a Grandma who generously shares her life and wisdom with you...</div>
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These are sure to be wonderful years and times!<br />
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Looking forward to spending quality days, months and years with this gal.<br />
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Happy Birthday, Dear.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-51589640497112430172014-06-18T06:50:00.000-05:002014-06-18T06:50:13.760-05:00Spring BloomsEverything's coming up roses....<br />
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Not quite, but close.<br />
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The vegetable garden is flourishing, the lilacs are done, the pussy willow is full and green, the endless summer hydrangea may just pull through this year.<br />
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The color of late came from the few early blooming perennials we get to watch unfold (literally) before our eyes for about 8 days each year.<br />
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These babies are short-lived, but leave BIG impact.<br />
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I always enjoy a huge bouquet of peonies perfuming the house, the quick bursting of the poppies (look away and you may miss it), and the delicacy of the iris, gracing the garden one bloom at a time.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-2636262296980432752014-06-06T06:48:00.000-05:002014-06-06T06:48:01.524-05:00Best Sidewalk Chalk EverWe've gone through our share of sidewalk chalk. Hundreds and hundreds of pastel, round, fat pieces of chalk used for temporary designs and games on the driveway and sidewalk. With every semi-annual cleaning of the deck box toy bin we find itty bitty bits and pieces of the stuff.<br />
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I recently found this box on amazon and would not buy another kind again. Though sad to say though we are nearing the end of our sidewalk chalk era. (We are beginning the discussion of what kind of second car to buy since we will soon be a family of<i> three</i> drivers. Help!)<br />
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Just look at what the <b>48</b> different colors has inspired.<br />
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My camera does not do justice to the vibrancy of the colors. This closer view of the bursting flower/sun gives a somewhat better idea of just how bright they are.</div>
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We left this message to my two still-in-school-finals-in-full-swing-wish-I-were-enjoying-summer-like-my-older-sister girls who walk from the corner to home.<br />
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The easy to carry box contains 48 pieces that squared or cornered (so they don't roll) and recently sold for only $3.50 on amazon. That deal looks like it has passed, but they are still on the inexpensive side especially if you are an amazon prime member.<br />
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Check it out. I mean <i>chalk</i> it out!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-60842459393294289082014-06-05T06:41:00.000-05:002014-06-05T06:41:57.724-05:00Art In Bloom Inspired?School is not yet out, but the girls are making time to create outdoor summer time "art". They are only limited by what they can find outdoors and their imagination.<div>
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They like to hold contests for who has the best creation.</div>
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How would you rate the ones below?</div>
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Note: Most of these are meant to resemble fancy cuisine. The girls pretend they are chefs and prepare their "courses" for mom to judge.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-15956455628118712342014-05-07T07:13:00.002-05:002014-05-07T07:13:53.593-05:00Blooming Art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We took advantage of fine weather and a long lunch break and made two trips to the <a href="http://new.artsmia.org/">Minneapolis Institute of Art</a> this past week.<br />
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Our lunch date was <a href="http://new.artsmia.org/matisse/?source=BSDads_GoogleSearch_Matisse%20-%20Brand_Brand_mia&gclid=CLDSm7nkmb4CFa1cMgodvl8AFw">all about Matisse.</a> I learned a lot and appreciated his stamina and creativity even when wheel-chair bound and elderly.<br />
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Our second outing, a ladies afternoon, was all about flowers. We explored the third floor of the MIA on a day when all of Minneapolis and half of St. Paul had the same idea. Meandering through the crowds, sometimes up on tiptoe to peer over heads at famous works, was totally worth it.<br />
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This is the one weekend of the year when people create floral arrangements inspired by masterpieces. Some are more literal interpretations, others give more of an impression or suggestion of elements of the painting or sculpture.<br />
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Here are the side by side shots we managed to capture. Turns out one camera was not enough for one mom and three daughters. We kept jockeying for turns and positions in front of the works hoping to capture our favorite pieces. (I learned later that afternoon that Churchill Downs would also be home to this behavior. The Kentucky Derby, the fastest two minutes in all of sports, was set to run that day.)<br />
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Loved this one. Check out the drapery, the gorgeous fabric on this woman. Even the little dog got a nod from the florist/artist.<br />
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Taken by one of the girls. I love this shot.</div>
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The Magi - stunning.</div>
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Not sure what happened with this photo, but I like it.<br />
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Ahhhh. Van Gogh.</div>
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This painting we thought was kind of funny. The dove, the Holy Spirit, seems to shoot the baby, Jesus, straight at Mary's head. </div>
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We liked how the scene was imagined and represented in this arrangement. The yellow orchid traveling down the vine towards "Mary".</div>
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Being afraid of heights, it was hard to get this shot but I somehow wanted to capture the space. Two floors below a string quartet was playing and it was lovely to listen to the sound ring through the hall.</div>
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My youngest insisted that we couldn't leave without seeing the "big white dog".<br />
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I can see what she means. He was big and white and a dog. The floral arrangement was just as simple, but impressive, I thought. His little nose, a red gerbera. Cute. See the partial view of that guy's face? More on that later.<br />
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Heading back to our car I stopped to take this picture.<br />
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It reminded me of the image as the backdrop for this blog. Minus the fake flowers.<br />
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Good times in Minneapolis!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-3192819162355645432014-04-29T07:33:00.001-05:002014-04-29T07:33:40.687-05:00DIY CenterpieceOne detail I spent time on last week was creating four centerpieces to decorate tables for our guests as we dined and celebrated our daughter's making her First Holy Communion.<br />
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It's important to me to draw attention to the heart of the event, occasion, or reason for any gathering. In this case, we were celebrating the presence of Jesus in the bread and wine and remembering his words to his friends. It seemed appropriate to highlight this in our home.<br />
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A quick google image search provided this arrangement of John 6:35: "I am the bread of life..."<br />
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I printed it and wrapped it around a mason jar. Digging through our wrapping paper box I found the perfect color and size of ribbon to tie around the jar and conceal the line on the back.<br />
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My daughters assembled the tulips in nice arrangements and voila! A Spring centerpiece - beautiful and meaningful for this special occasion.<br />
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Now we just need some sunshine to open these babies up!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-29219443357285182592014-04-28T07:38:00.000-05:002014-04-28T07:38:01.798-05:00Friday Evening Art CrawlOur Friday family night was glorious - the weather, the scenery, the creativity, the spontaneity.<br />
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We visited two locations where local artists are displaying their creations in our hometown city as part of the weekend's <a href="http://www.stpaulartcrawl.org/">Saint Paul Art Crawl.</a><br />
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First we stopped in at the <a href="http://www.grandhillgallery.com/">Grand Hill Gallery</a> to check out <a href="http://www.joshuacunningham.com/studio/JoshuaCunningham.com.html">cousin Josh's paintings</a>.<br />
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Here's the artist himself (on the right) and a couple of his paintings we admired.<br />
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Other artists displayed their works here too. I think our collective favorite was this sculpture - Dancers. Simply made with two forks. Brilliant.<br />
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Upon leaving the Grand Hill location we took a quick detour to this tiny park near our beloved first house.<br />
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Then we headed to the newly renovated <a href="http://www.schmidtartistlofts.com/">Schmidt brewery artist lofts</a> to check out<a href="https://www.facebook.com/dave.j.cunningham?fref=ts"> cousin David's paintings.</a><br />
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It's a talented artistic family I married into. Here's a shot from David's studio.<br />
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And this building and lofts are<i> amazing</i>. I just couldn't get enough. A gorgeous blend of the old and new.<br />
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Here are the shots our eldest captured as she meandered through the building.<br />
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Sunset on the way home was a perfect end to our evening excursion.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-17710066812127903782014-04-21T09:54:00.001-05:002014-04-21T09:54:16.095-05:00Easter Crepe CakeWe had an unusual Easter. Sickness kept the family divided for the Triduum. Sickness kept us from enjoying the taste of delicious food and pleasant company altogether. Bummer of a weekend in one sense.<div>
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A few highlights made is memorable in a good way though. We initiated the Italian soda and cannoli dessert as part of our timpano tradition. We tried an all natural version of egg dye by using left over cabbage - it worked! We almost overheated in the pure glory of 70 degrees and clear skies.<div>
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And we enjoyed the heavenly crepe cake that my sister made and served for brunch.</div>
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<a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/06/having-my-cake/">Smitten Kitchen's recipe for Crepe Cake</a>.</div>
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Divine. Simply divine.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-40293089102900562692014-04-11T06:57:00.000-05:002014-04-11T06:57:00.682-05:00Sew Good Goods<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Combine a traditional skill, socializing, and compassionate giving and you get<i> Sew Good Goods.</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.sewgoodgoods.org/">Sew Good Goods</a> is a Twin Cities based non-profit organization that provides materials and instructions to any individual or group who wishes to sew bibs, receiving blankets, or pillowcases. These are then collected and distributed to those in need, both locally and abroad.<br />
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Whether you are a novice or expert sewer or somewhere in between, you can participate in creating beautiful items for children around the world to enjoy. We take for granted the mile high shelves and dozens of aisles of baby items of every shape and size begging to be purchased at Babies R Us. We register at multiple locations for the perfect matching baby items to complete our nurseries. We pack our bags in advance for the hospital stay with a cute take-the-baby-home outfit, nuks, blankets, burp cloths, etc. We buy, accumulate, donate, pass on, replace, cherish, and store bins and more bins of items to clothe and comfort our little ones.<br />
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In some places, mothers don't bring even a blanket to wrap up their newborn - apparently it is considered bad luck to come prepared in that way.<br />
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<i>Sew Good Goods</i> provides the opportunity for young and old to sew and donate items to those in need.<br />
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All you do is ask for a "kit". You can request to sew bibs, blankets, or pillowcases. Each kit comes with easy to follow instructions, material (some pre-cut), and thread. You provide the time, a sewing machine, and skill.<br />
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This is a great activity for one to just have on hand and do in those spare moments, or it can be a fun group activity for a birthday party or service project. There is no requirement for how it comes together - you can decide the timing and who helps get it done.<br />
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I have made pillowcases and blankets so far and each of my kids has helped in some fashion. Even a little help with ironing counts!<br />
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<i>Sew Good Goods</i> has also hosted mitten/scarf making events and a children's birthday party at which the guests made one pillowcase to donate and one to keep.<br />
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Follow them on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sew-Good-Goods/336696183133812">facebook</a> and check our their <a href="http://www.sewgoodgoods.org/">website</a> for more information!<br />
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Giving through sewing is a wonderful experience!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-91991490642673753482014-04-08T20:54:00.002-05:002014-04-08T20:54:54.017-05:00SPRINGing Into ActionThat's one small step for kid.<br />
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One giant leap for kid-kind.<br />
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Today was the day. Our official start to spring is here.<br />
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For some it is March 20.<br />
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For others, the first sign of a robin.<br />
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For some die hard, desperate and delusional fans, it is the Twins Home Opener.<br />
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For us, it is the set up of the trampoline.<br />
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And this year, little hands made light work.<br />
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Let the good times roll.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-28824590045147822312014-04-04T08:02:00.000-05:002014-04-04T08:02:21.832-05:00April Snow DayLook what Ol' Man Winter brought us over night!<br />
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Could barely open the back door this morning.<br />
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I have my shoveling work cut out for me. But today I have an extra helper - school called off<i> again.</i><br />
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Gorgeous morning!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-7029812535738437922014-04-03T07:12:00.002-05:002014-04-03T07:12:47.814-05:00Vacation: His Version<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This blog entry was meant to be posted weeks ago - just behind my Florida getaway post.<br />
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Life happened in between. Some serious back issues, to be exact.<br />
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It hasn't been the same since this trip.<br />
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I rarely "put my foot down" in our marriage. But this once I think I have a point.<br />
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If you camp next Winter,<i> please</i> bring a dog to drag that massive sled with all your gear. Or hire a sherpa. If it works in the Himalayas, it will work in the Boundary Waters. I am sure you can find some hungry college kid who doesn't mind sleeping in 0 degree weather, waking to dog slobber on the face and unidentified debris in his drinking water. If he doesn't jump at the chance, sell him on the scenery, the company and the sauna waiting for him on the last night.<br />
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Trying to wrap my mind around how one wraps his mouth around this. Looks delicious!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-42372128316610224122014-04-01T06:27:00.000-05:002014-04-01T06:30:45.487-05:00Enriching Dinner Conversation<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here is the second part of the sharing I gave at a recent retreat for women in the People of Praise.</div>
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Secondly (and on a somewhat lighter note), I'd like to share one way we have enriched our family dinners together.</div>
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One of the points of attraction for me to this life is that I have brothers and sisters in Christ all over the country with whom I can share a Lord's day with, or pray for from a distance, or celebrate a wedding with and it seems completely natural and normal to do so. I have been fortunate to visit branches and form friendships over the years.</div>
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One desire I have as a mom is to help my daughters see more of the richness of our life and the breadth of the body. So, if they choose to live this particular life as adults, they'll at least have some more knowledge of it beyond what they see at our area and overall gatherings and what they experience in youth group and at <a href="http://www.servantcamp.org/sc/">Servant Camp</a>.</div>
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Along with that, Ben and I have been thinking about what it takes to have good conversation together. We make it a priority to eat together every night. Yes, we are entering that phase of life where extra-curricular activities compete with dinner time, but we limit those extra activities so we can spend quality time together around our table most nights of the week.</div>
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Typical conversation tends to fall back on reports from the day. These conversations are sometimes lively and fruitful. One cool thing about these last two years is that all our girls are studying the same period in their history class. It has been a gift to hear them respond to each other and recognize what the others are talking about. But, these conversations can also be stale and sometimes we just need to break up the routine.</div>
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So, to create another starting point for conversation I talked with Ben about us reading aloud some of the articles from <i>Vine and Branches</i> while we ate. <i><a href="http://www.peopleofpraise.org/thevine/">Vine and Branches</a></i> is a People of Praise magazine published a few times each year and distributed to all members of the community.</div>
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I have taken it for granted that leaving the magazine out in plain sight will be picked up and read by all of us. It just doesn't happen. Occasionally we also receive an email with a special news item or announcement from the central office….but these aren't visible to our kids. There are many amazing stories our girls just aren't aware of that are happening all over in POP.</div>
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So on a weekly basis, I bring an issue to the table and read an article as we eat. The storytelling and pictures bring a vividness to the lives of others and a familiarity with all the people and works of all the branches. It awakens the imagination of our girls – Look what God is up to across the country!</div>
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What we appreciate about V&B is the articles are short and easy to read aloud, they are well written, there are pictures, they are Christ-centered, and they cover a variety of topics (art, music, evangelism, technology, summer camps, caring for the sick and elderly, etc.)</div>
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Even the tributes to people who have died is inspiring and gives us something to talk more about.</div>
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We've enjoyed learning about:</div>
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<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“writing” icons from Kati Ritchie. In fact, we are making a trip to Colorado this summer and I hope we can see some of her work up close at a church in Denver.</div>
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<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Kay Keller her life-long ordeal with cerebral palsy; amazingly, she lived to be 72 because brothers and sisters in the Appleton branch loved her and cared for her. Kay was even blessed to have teenage girls from the Appleton branch worked with her in her home. What a witness to us!</div>
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One evening I brought my Samsung tablet to the table to read the email news item of Peter Smith's appointment as auxiliary bishop to Portland. My daughter remarked, “He's from Africa? He doesn't look African.” This led to a discussion about<i> South </i>Africa.</div>
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The stories from V&B have brought a new spark and life to our quality family time together. They inspire storytelling, like me sharing memories of Kati living with me when I was growing up. They have opened our eyes to some of the real issues in our neighborhoods and the world and how members of the POP are responding and laying down their lives. There is both an enjoyment in reading V&B and a seriousness that we can't ignore. Our girls are poised to know and see one way how God is moving in the world.</div>
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We don't intend to keep this effort just related to community topics, but it has been a good place to start. I can see this spilling over into world events as someone may bring an article or story from another source to the table. For now, this is what works. It's not too structured or with too lofty expectations. Like our family prayer, it's <i>us</i>. The motivation comes from recognizing what is important to us and what is a good way to live it out in our home.</div>
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In these areas of family life we've just decided to dive in and our home life is the better for it.</div>
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To read a recent issue, of<i> Vine and Branches</i>, click on a cover image below.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-49509256819514924612014-03-30T06:45:00.000-05:002014-03-30T06:45:13.115-05:00A Family That Prays Together...Yesterday my oldest daughter and myself attended a People of Praise women's retreat. The theme of the day was Joy.<br />
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I was asked to give a sharing about "Family Life in A Complex World". I chose to relate two stories from the past year as the substance of my talk.<br />
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This is the first:<br />
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The first topic related to family life
that I would like to share with you explains how our family got
started with praying more together. Secondly, I'd like to share one
initiative that has enriched our meal times together. Both of these
stories are from this last year and still “works in progress.” I
find that embracing the complexity of family life is first and
foremost accepting the evolving process of learning and growing
together; it involves some trial and error and tweaking our methods
as we enter new “phases” of life. We are now 15 years into family
life and have three girls between the ages of 8 and 14.</div>
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First, our prayer life: It was a
Tuesday evening in September and Ben, his head Tom, and myself were
sitting in our back porch having a difficult, but good conversation –
sorting through some issues, expressing hurts and the need for
reconciliation - all good things.</div>
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One of the areas of family life that we
brought up was praying together. Praying together as a family has
always been a desire of mine and over the years we have experienced
it in one form or another, but it never developed into a habit. I've
admired the families who wake up the household early, gather everyone
around and sing, pray, intercede, share, etc. The picture I have in
mind always involved a guitar, boisterous praise, sincere
intercession, and a joyful send off to face the day.
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This picture never seemed quite
attainable for us. I am a morning person. Ben is not. We don't have
instrument talent in our family. Fitting in personal prayer was
challenging enough, family prayer? That seemed like adding one more
thing that would take a great amount of effort.
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As we talked with Tom that evening we
kicked around some ideas for prayer. What format should we use? How
long should we pray? On which days? At which time? Etc. We seemed to
be at a crossroads, no clear plan in sight when it occurred to me to
say, “Well, why don't we just start with something that is really
important to us now? I'm pregnant. I'm sick. Let's just gather to
pray over me and the baby and see what comes of that. Let's keep it
simple. I think we can handle that.”
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I was 16 weeks along and spending most
of my time on the couch since moving around made me nauseous. We all
agreed that my approach would work and chose to pray on Monday
mornings just before the kids headed off to school and Ben to work.</div>
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It was a simple plan, but one that
seemed doable and more importantly, one we thought we could be
faithful to because it started with something that really mattered to
us. It was relevant to our family.
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I told Tom that it would probably be a
good idea if he periodically checked in with us to see how it was
going. Building accountability into our life helps. <i>A lot</i>.
Knowing we had Tom to support us was helpful in moving forward with
our plan.</div>
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So, Monday morning rolls around, but
sitting together praying as a family was the last thing I wanted to
do. Two days before, on Saturday, at about 9 in the morning, Ben and
I found ourselves in the ER and heard the doctor say (for the third
time in our marriage and the second time in nine months), “All your
levels look good. But your baby does not have a heartbeat and there
is no fetal movement.”</div>
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Now I had lost my dad to cancer two
months before this. Losing a parent was really hard to live through.
I am still sad that my dad is gone, I miss him a lot. But I had 14
years to adjust to the fact that he probably wouldn't live to be an
old man. And I have 39 years of great memories of him.
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But this news on this day was
devastating. My world came crashing down around me. The grief that
comes with hopes and dreams unfulfilled is really hard to bear. <i>My</i>
heart hurt deeply for my loss, but I also had to watch a husband
grieve for the son he would never raise and to comfort and pastor
three daughters who had prayed for years for another sibling and were
now experiencing the pain of losing that again in an instant.
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So here we were. On Monday morning. Our
intention to pray over me and for the baby was completely flipped
upside down. How could we possibly proceed now with our reality being
what it was? This was a nightmare for me. I felt abandoned by the
Lord and his promises to me. I was struggling to face Ben and the
girls, much less wanting to face the Lord.
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But, we said we would pray and we did.
We had made a commitment to each other and to the Lord. Somehow Ben
called us together and we sat around our coffee table. Only by the
grace of God, I believe, did he have the strength to lead us in
prayer. He picked up the devotional he uses for personal
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prayer and the psalm for the day was
126. Admitting this was going to be hard to read, Ben started,
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<i>“When the Lord brought back the
captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream.</i></div>
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<i>Then our mouth was filled with
laughter, and our tongue with singing.</i></div>
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<i>Then they said among the nations, 'The
Lord has done great things for them.'</i></div>
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<i>The Lord has done great things for us,
And we are glad.</i></div>
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<i>Those who sow in tears shall reap in
joy.</i></div>
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<i>He who continually goes forth weeping,
bearing seed for sowing,</i></div>
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<i>Shall doubtless come again with
rejoicing...”</i></div>
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While there are many things that I can
look back to as the Lord caring for us through that time: Amy Root
coming over one morning just to do my dishes; I needed someone to
just feel the freedom to pop over and do something; Beth Bulger
reaching out to me and tenderly saying, “I just love how you loved
your little boy”; I needed someone to affirm my motherhood of <i>that</i>
child; Jeanne Stauble dropping off a meal immediately after she heard
our news; the Trinity faculty donating a generous amount of money so
we could have a nice meal together and the girls could attend a
Cirque du Soliel performance.....the list goes on.</div>
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But, I also needed Ben to lead us
through the next days and weeks and it started with that morning
prayer.</div>
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I believe that the truth of the
Scripture Ben read was also the Lord gently reminding us that this is
not the end for us. When the ugliness of Satan's whispers, doubts and
despair entered my mind and pain and loss gripped my heart, I needed
the Truth of Scripture to cling to. We all needed the word of God to
ring throughout our home. And I believe it was important that it come
from <i>us</i>. Ben's leadership that morning, sitting us down,
reading from the Bible, then saying a simple prayer for all of us set
us on a path of healing that continues today.</div>
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Since that first Monday morning family
prayer together, we have continued to pray. As December approached,
we again asked ourselves, “What is important to <i>us</i>? Well,
the season of Advent is.” So, we used the book of Advent
reflections provided by our church as the framework for prayer that
month. In fact, we prayed almost daily those few weeks rather than
just once a week. I can honestly say that the effort has become a
habit. This season of Lent has been much the same. Recently we even
prayed together over Google Hangouts while Ben was on a business
trip. It was funny to watch Izzy try to “hold Ben's hand”
virtually as we closed our prayer with the “Our Father”.</div>
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I can't say we have a perfect record.
We're human. Occasionally we have forgotten or there just wasn't time
to sit together as a family, but for the most part, we've done it.
Following through with our initial intention to pray for a specific
need, the baby, and having that need drastically change, but staying
faithful, was life changing for us.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-63981100160333892632014-03-25T09:04:00.003-05:002014-03-25T09:04:39.125-05:00PentatonixNever heard of this group before.Don't know where they are from or who they are, but this medley is fun!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/lExW80sXsHs" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Wish they would have spent more time in the previous centuries - those went by too fast with some of my favorites getting a few nano seconds on center stage.<br />
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Will have to investigate this group some more. Love the acapella sound and the harmony!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-5008301895677933062014-03-18T20:52:00.002-05:002014-03-18T20:52:36.591-05:00A Very White World<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">"The cold, however, was severe;</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"> and by the time the second carriage was in motion, </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">a few flakes of snow were finding their way down, and the sky had the appearance of being so overcharged as to want only a milder air to produce a very white world in a very short time."</span></i></div>
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-Jane Austen</div>
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A few weeks ago I came across this line and paused. I was reading aloud to my daughter from <i>Emma</i> and smiled at Austen's description of the weather. Made sense at the time I was reading - we were in the "dead of Winter". How fun to come across a passage so easily understood. Our experience with snowfalls is sometimes just as she describes. The ground can be brown, bare, ugly and in a couple hours blanketed - pretty, clean, soft, peaceful. <br />
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On the day we were snuggled up together in the living room sipping tea and reading Austen, we only had to look out the window to see it in reality.</div>
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Today, <b>March 18</b>, against all our wills and all that is normal and all that is reasonable, our world is<i> again </i>very white.</div>
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Some say, "Enough already. Spring, two days away? C'mon. This is just insane."</div>
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But, even though this has been a loooooooooooong winter, there is still something magical about the very white world that begins with a few flakes "finding their way down."<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-53463117296984760582014-03-17T04:48:00.002-05:002014-03-17T04:48:24.319-05:00Top O' The Mornin' to Ya<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Been up since 2am. I've already had two cups of coffee, written a sharing for a retreat and folded laundry. </div>
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No, I am not crazy. Just a weird early early <i>early</i> morning person on this particular day. </div>
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And this particular day is one of my favorites - The day of the Irish! It's a wonderful day and the whole mood was set on Saturday night.</div>
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While many of my O'Reilly relatives are celebrating good ol St. Paddy's day in Montana complete with my cousins, the bagpipers...<br />
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....we gathered at the Druffner home/hobby farm in Hudson for an evening complete with poetry recitations, dancing, singing, Irish trivia, laughter, food and drink and meeting more Trinity families.<br />
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This is the type of party I love.There was good company, the biggest container of Irish stew I had ever seen, and incredible hosts who greeted us warmly and invited us in to share our talents and enthusiasm for this day,<br />
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Their Great Room was grand - large, open, huge fireplace, looked like a room from the Austen era where you would dine and dance. And we did. Dined and danced and listened as guest after guest shared his/her talents during an open mic time.<br />
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I nearly swooned as one guy played an Irish jig and then a farewell song on his fiddle. And it wasn't the Bailey's Irish cream I was sipping. I just love the fiddle. Could have listened to that all night.<br />
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But I was treated to more:<br />
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One couple's acapella duet was tender and moving. <i>Thigpen's Wedding</i> song moves me <i>every</i> time I hear it. (You can hear it below. Although I don't particularly like the video, the music and words are beautiful.)<br />
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A husband read and dedicated Seamus Heaney's <i>The Skylight</i> to his wife and hostess Molly. (Poem is included below)<br />
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A mother sang an Irish farewell song to her son who was returning to college the next day.<br />
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A father beamed as his young daughter recited "Ooey Gooey" with perfect poise and confidence.<br />
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Corny jokes followed - "The cornier, the better", Molly says, "It's the Irish way."<br />
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The Irish way was indeed alive and well on this evening - one that I will never forget.<br />
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Erin go Bragh!<br />
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That's "Ireland Forever!" as I learned during our trivia game. Which our team lost by the way.<br />
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But I am not bitter. The memory of the rest of the evening makes me smile and not care about not winning.<br />
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The Bailey's helped too.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EmGWC3SM5u8" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<div class="poem" style="border: 0px; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; padding: 0px 0px 1.5em;">
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<span class="poem" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b>The Skylight</b></span></div>
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You were the one for skylights. I opposed<br />Cutting into the seasoned tongue-and-groove<br />Of pitch pine. I liked it low and closed,<br />Its claustrophobic, nest-up-in-the-roof<br />Effect. I liked the snuff-dry feeling,<br />The perfect, trunk-lid fit of the old ceiling.<br />Under there, it was all hutch and hatch.<br />The blue slates kept the heat like midnight thatch.</div>
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<span class="poem" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">But when the slates came off, extravagant<br />Sky entered and held surprise wide open.<br />For days I felt like an inhabitant<br />Of that house where the man sick of the palsy<br />Was lowered through the roof, had his sins forgiven,<br />Was healed, took up his bed and walked away.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-16047970191486517822014-03-10T08:26:00.000-05:002014-03-11T17:59:17.972-05:00The Nothing Box and the NailOur hub dinner last night included some special entertainment.<br />
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Ben took us through a slide show of his Winter Camping trip (which I will post pictures of soon).<br />
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But first, we were treated to a viewing of these two youtube videos.<br />
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The context here is that during our dinner Shellee began telling us about a class she is taking at UST as part of her pursuit to attain a Master's degree in Pastoral Ministry. The subject of her course got us to talking about our understanding of the differences between men and women. Two videos captured some of the inherent distinctions.<br />
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This one, a snippet of a longer lecture, is titled <i>A Tale of Two Brains</i>.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/3XjUFYxSxDk" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Now watch this one - it highlights insights shared in the first.<br />
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I had seen this one before, but appreciate it much more in light of having watched the first.<br />
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I recommend watching with your significant other.<br />
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Much laughter and "Aha" moments occurred as we all watched together.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-69935359282325737022014-03-08T07:38:00.000-06:002014-03-08T07:38:20.097-06:00Blessings of the DayAlthough yesterday was tough emotionally, it was not without it small blessings to lift my spirits.<br />
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Blessing #1. My chat with the Target clerk who rang up my items this morning. Turns out we both lost our fathers in the last year. I listened as she shared about her experience and the anonymous gift of an airline ticket she got so she could visit him after his series of strokes and say goodbye. I was blessed she shared so freely and walked out the store happy to have shared such a moment with a stranger.<br />
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Blessing #2. My husband's advice for improving my resume. I am applying for a part-time position and needed a second pair of eyes on my writing. I am blessed he shared his wisdom between conference calls and while his back pain flared. I delivered the resume with confidence.<br />
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Blessing #3. My bathroom/laundry room floor. Just enough tiles were installed this morning to confirm that my instinct for the black and white checker pattern was a good one. I am glad I asked for this - my one and only idea for the floor.<br />
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Blessing #4. Flowers delivered by Nana and Pops. Always lovely to receive a bouquet from them and have their cheerful presence in our home.<br />
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Blessing #5. An ice cream delivery from Amy. Special treat this Friday in Lent: Ice cream for dinner!<br />
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Blessing #6. A spontaneous game of 500 to end the day. Aided by handfuls of popcorn and nibbles of incredible date bars, Beka and I came out on top. Won two games!<br />
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Blessings abound. I am grateful.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-8092016446413814792014-03-07T06:30:00.000-06:002014-03-07T06:30:31.181-06:00David JohnWe would have met him by now. We would have had a little boy in our family by today.<br />
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But, we don't.<br />
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We learned on September 21 that his heart was not beating.<br />
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That news stuns me every time. This time, the third, I could again feel the choking sobs starting and only composed myself long enough to exit the ER door of the hospital and get to my van.<br />
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In the van I somehow felt secure and free to let it all out. Strange, but that's where I continue to have the most "real" moments of grief still today.<br />
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I love this picture of the next day, September 22.<br />
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I needed some air and just sat in our yard. The girls played and Kate took to combing my hair. Her tender touch was so soothing and comforting.<br />
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Izzy's playfulness was a gift to watch.<br />
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Can't help but smile a little even though I had a child within that I couldn't smile at or cuddle or feed or sing to. To be able to do all these things again was fixed in my mind and heart as real possibilities. All I had to do was wait till March. It was going to be a long, but best wait of my life. The hope, the dreams, the future were well formed in my head and we started talking about all the good changes that we would be allowed to experience as a family. What a surprise gift for us!<br />
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Every day I die a little more to those dreams.<br />
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Grief is so powerful. It has touched every part of my being. No part of my life (physical, emotional, spiritual, relational) is the same as before that excruciatingly painful time. Sleep, dreams, mood, energy, appetite, ability to think and communicate clearly, basic functioning - are all effected. And only time passing, choosing to trust the Lord who loves me deeply, and the constant active love of people around me has helped me move through the pain.<br />
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So here we are. We are a changed family.<br />
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In the last few years we have experienced a lot of hurt and grief. Grief piled on top of grief on top of grief.<br />
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But that's not the whole story. We love each other.<i> A lot</i>. We are open to what these circumstances and experiences are calling forth from us. More love. More compassion. More empathy. More calling on God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit to help see us through.<br />
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I love the five of us and I love those children we conceived whom we never met.<br />
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I know that they are somehow enfolded in the Father's arms and hanging out with this guy.<br />
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I would say there are in good company.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-28706213832121248102014-03-05T10:44:00.001-06:002014-03-05T10:44:07.226-06:00Dishes with JerryOne of the blessings about not having a dishwasher.....<br />
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Who am I kidding? The ONLY blessing about not having a dishwasher is that we have built-in quality time with each other every day of the week right after dinner. We have a rotating schedule of chores and one lucky girl gets to spend some time with dad each night as they wash, dry, and put away the dishes<i> by hand.</i><br />
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In order to make the time go by easily and to distract from the actual<i> chore </i>part of the chore, we've taken to listening to comedy routines via our "Jerry Seinfeld" Pandora station.<br />
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Here's a favorite one from Mr. Seinfeld. I know the Olympics are already a distant memory, but I think we can all get a chuckle out of this.<br />
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Let me tell you - some of our funniest family moments are generated by these sketches. Laughter over dishes works wonders.<br />
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And what's more, Kate seems to have a knack for memorizing this stuff and just pulls it out of her brain at the right moments to lighten the mood around her.<br />
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Maybe that's the Second Blessing of not having a dishwasher.<br />
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It will take me a looooooong time to think of a third. So I won't.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-65802965149522806142014-03-04T14:48:00.000-06:002014-03-04T14:48:24.671-06:00The "M" Word<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I came across the video below while scrolling through facebook posts.<br />
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It's about the evolution of the bikini. And it's about <b><span style="font-size: large;">M</span>odesty</b>.<br />
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I was immediately intrigued. <i>Modesty in swimwear</i> is a phrase that I am very conscious of as a mother of three girls, but I don't have much to reference in society that upholds and supports it as a value for girls and women. Just taking a walk through Target after Christmas was eye-opening with the displays of swimwear prominently positioned for all to see. Buying a magazine at the airport last week was tricky. Do I really need to see three behinds staring me in the face as I am trying to choose good reading material for my flight? That SI swimsuit issue is<i> terrible. </i>And yet, its right there for<i> all </i>to see. What's worse is three women thought it was ok to pose that way, in those "suits".<br />
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I wonder how mothers and fathers of sons handle this topic.<br />
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Anyway, I appreciate the message that Jessica Rey offers - I mean, this is pretty counter-cultural. The fact that it is even brought up and shared across the country is amazing, I think.<br />
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<script src="http://www.godtube.com/embed/source/00jf2mnu.js?w=400&h=255&ap=true&sl=true&title=true" type="text/javascript"></script><a href="http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=00JF2MNU">The Godly Truth About Bikinis - FINALLY Someone Gets It!</a> from <a href="http://www.godtube.com/sharethemessage">sharethemessage</a> on <a href="http://www.godtube.com/">GodTube</a>.<br />
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I plan to show it to my daughters and know for sure that one will light up when Jessica references Ms. Hepburn as the design inspiration for her line of swimwear.<br />
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Here's some more food for thought.<br />
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Swimsuit weather is still a ways off in my neck of the woods, but it's never too early to start (or continue, in my case) the conversation about modesty.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-39794799843226374302014-03-03T08:34:00.001-06:002014-03-03T08:34:02.772-06:00Last Week, Her VersionThis was my home for the week.<br />
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I vacationed with friends and sisters in the People of Praise in beautiful laid back Marco Island, Florida.<br />
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I had my morning prayer times here. Somehow this space was more inspirational than my deck back home.<br />
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On one of our excursions, I enjoyed this view of the Gulf as we meandered up to Naples.<br />
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I marveled at the size of the homes once we were in sight of Naples.<br />
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I mean, these are worth<i> multi</i>-millions of dollars.We're talking 47.5 million. Numbers like that.<br />
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They are sprawling mansions. They seem to go on<i> forever</i>. </div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Who lives here? No idea. I saw only one person who looked like a resident in our whole tour of the waterways. Kind of sad, if you ask me.</span></div>
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Coming in to Naples, I briefly thought we made a wrong turn and were in Europe.</div>
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We ate lunch at a burger joint and headed back home.<br />
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This is the tiki hut at the Marriott that provided the necessary shade for my pasty white skin for our day on the beach.<br />
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The friendly server cruising around in her beverage cart provided a cool mojito while I relaxed under the shade to protect my purplish whitish freckled blotchy Irish skin.</div>
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This is the beach where I found a few shells to bring home as evidence I was really there. Only one broke en-route to Minnesota.<br />
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This is where my husband would have spent his entire week, morning, noon and night, if he were with me. He could live on a boat or be content to watch the waves roll in for hours.<br />
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These are the Burrowing Owls that live 1/2 block from our rented house. Mom and Pop Owl kept a close eye on passersby and photographers like me who tried to get a close up view.<br />
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These are the kids who reminded me of home when I toured the Botanical Gardens in Naples.<br />
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Does anything beat a tree-house for fun?<br />
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These are the butterflies I managed to capture in the Butterfly House.<br />
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This is the mini-garden that reminded me of mine back home. One that is covered under feet of snow and, at this rate, am likely to not see til August.</div>
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This is the planter that reminded me of our toilet back home. It's also blue. Some may say "vintage". I just say "old and needs to be replaced." And you wouldn't catch me dead placing it in the yard sprouting elephant ear plants for all to see.<br />
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These are just some funky flowers I liked.<br />
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This one is called "Blue Tango." Cool name.<br />
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These trees have prickly personalities.They scream, "Don't mess with me!"<br />
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These giant lily pads are made of legos. Kind of random.<br />
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This is the flower that reminded my girls of koosh balls. Remember the 90's and koosh balls?<br />
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This path is a popular aisle for weddings. I was reminded of my lilacs back home. Which I won't see for ages.<br />
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This sign didn't scare me at all.<br />
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I mean, don't I look right at home cozying up to this little guy?<br />
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Really. Despite all appearances, I have never been more calm.<br />
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See? I am happy to be holding this guy. I could do this all day long. I could bring him home. For a pet.<br />
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No, that wouldn't go over well. I had a pet salamander once and he met with a dreadful end. </div>
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This is a baby alligator's ear.<br />
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He also has two sets of eyelids. Reminded me of the creature from <i>Men In Black</i> that blinks two ways at Will Smith. Creepy.<br />
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This is the air boat we took to spot more alligators. My seat was up front, on the edge. I felt adventurous and totally vulnerable.<br />
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This is the captain who manned the boat and told corny jokes to keep us entertained. For a minute there I thought I was in an episode of <i>Duck Dynasty.</i></div>
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This is the big mama we stopped to observe. She looks happy and relaxed. She is also protecting her 23 babies tucked away somewhere in those trees.<br />
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This is the part of the tour where the captain said, "Are you all okay about snakes? If we see a kingfisher, then there are no snakes in these trees."</div>
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Please, Lord, make a kingfisher just appear. <i>Please. </i>I can't tell you how hard I prayed to see a kingfisher. Never in my life would I expect to do that. But I did. It worked. One kingfisher in sight. No snakes. </div>
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This is the alligator that the captain beckoned to come and say Hi to us.<br />
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Just a little guy. You know. 12 or 13 feet long. No big deal.<br />
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Yes, please Mr. Alligator. Come closer so I can get a better look. (My feet were tucked way into the boat at this point.)<br />
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That's a marshmallow the captain tossed to lure this guy closer. Yes, please, Mr. Captain, drop them as close to the boat as you can. On my side. So I can get a real close look at those teeth.<br />
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Ok. You are just crazy.<br />
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Really? Petting his nose?<br />
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At this point I went to my happy place in my mind.<br />
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Yes, that's much better.<br />
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Next day was the travel day.<br />
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My final hours in Florida included an extra long wait at the airport.<br />
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This is the last item of luxury I enjoyed before heading to the Frozen Tundra.<br />
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This is what I left. Lush. Green. Water. Sun. Mojitos. Delicious seafood. Dolphins. Wonderful fellowship with friends. Alligators.<br />
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This is what I woke to a couple hours later. No need to explain the difference.<br />
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Yep, I am <i>really</i> home.<br />
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Thank You, Lord, for a relaxing, fun, adventurous, blessed trip!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-74785914842077051232014-02-22T21:58:00.000-06:002014-02-22T21:58:08.425-06:00FOUR TeenI neglected to put my battery back in my camera after re-charging it this morning.<br />
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I was so bummed about that.<br />
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I drove dozens of miles over inches of ice covering hours of slow driving to fulfill her birthday wish - to visit the arboretum and check out the new display of fairy gardens. I turned the "on" dial of my camera to catch all of the beautiful moments and scenery. No power. Battery left at home. My fault. Total bummer for me.<br />
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I didn't have a working camera to capture her joy on her birthday.<br />
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I was looking forward to all the other awesome photo opportunities of the outing. The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is gorgeous with all this snow covering its terrain.<br />
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I. I. I. I. I.<br />
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This day was not about me.<br />
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It was about her. My beautiful fourteen year old who didn't care if my camera was working or not.<br />
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She had a ball with her friend Emmy and was blessed to spend time with her mom and sisters. We hiked in thigh-deep snow, played checkers by the fire, soaked up the sun and humidity in the conservatory and tasted delicious desserts.<br />
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Dad honored her at breakfast before heading to the Northern frozen tundra to camp and do other crazy guy stuff.<br />
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What more could a girl want?<br />
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Happy Birthday, Daughter! You are lovely.<br />
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And very forgiving.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676279676423409124.post-34553027301601157282014-02-21T08:04:00.001-06:002014-02-21T08:04:42.968-06:00Up and At 'Em<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Snow day today. Kids are off school and husband is working from home.<br />
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Yet here we are, awake early and facing the effects of the overnight blizzard.<br />
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I took in the scenery of the neighborhood.<br />
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Ben and Kate tackled the plowed in driveway.<br />
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That girl was out there before breakfast!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1