Katie's piano recital

Katie has been teaching piano for about a year, and held her first recital on Sunday. She has three students: Elijah and two other first grade boys . She has been working hard with them and each one did very well.

Elijah played "Ode to Joy," "He's a Pirate" (from Pirates of the Carribean) and "Firefly."

With her favorite student

Mackenzie was our hostess at the refreshment table after the recital. Katie made music note shaped cookies and chocolate cupcakes decorated with music notes and symbols. Very cute.

They tasted as good as they look.

Toilet Snares

I heard something on the radio the other day about how sometimes little kids misunderstand the words to songs or poems and how cute the results can be. I was reminded of our own children and a couple of the cute things they've said.

Mackenzie, about three and a half or four years old is singing to herself in her room while I eavesdrop... "O victory in Jesus, my Saviour forever, He socked me and bopped me with His redeeming blood, He loved me ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him, He punched me to victory, beneath the cleansing flood." I hurt myself laughing so hard and trying desperately to be quiet.

(In her defense, when our pastor lead this hymn, he would always punch the air on the word "victory.")

About a year later, we were listening to "Oh Veggie, Where Art Thou?" in the van, and suddenly Mackenzie (again) pipes up and asks, "Mom, what are toilet snares?"

"Excuse me? What are you talking about?"

"In the song. It said through this world of toilet snares."

(Just a Closer Walk with Thee..through this world of toils and snares)

I laughed so hard I almost wrecked the van.

It smelled like spring today

I get fussy about the weather here in central Illinois sometimes. Hot humid summers, cold winters without enough snow to have fun in, and rainy springs and autumns with too few beautiful mild days.

Today was so nice. The temperature was in the 60s and I got the rare opportunity to take a walk almost alone. Eleanor was in her stroller, but she doesn't say much, so I had some quiet time to think and pray and enjoy the afternoon.

The air smell positively green today. Do you know what I mean? That moist, earthy scent in the air when the world is waking up...I love that smell.

There were signs of spring everywhere. I saw tulips and jonquils popping up through the ground and heard a choir of birds in the trees. I caught my breath when I noticed a huge maple with branches loaded with buds so big I thought leaves might burst out at any moment. Just like the dwarf told the witch, "This is no thaw, this is Spring!"

As I delighted in the sights and smells and my solitude, I considered that living here is really a blessing. There is something soothing in the rythym of the seasons. Creation provides such beautiful metaphors for our lives and our faith. After the cold and death of winter comes new life, spring, the hope of eternal life. I am grateful to live where I can experience the patterns of the seasons. I am grateful to God who shows us His mercies in every detail of His creation.

"As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seeds for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord's' renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed."

Isaiah 55:11-13.

April foolishness

Very early on Tuesday morning, a couple of pranksters in our home decided to make some mischief in the spirit of April Fool's day.

The notes say:
"Talk about a bad hair day"
"Are you really going to wear that?"
"Yikes!"

Note to pranksters: If you're going to play tricks and take pictures, you should make sure you can't be seen in the picture! :)

This is what they did to their little brother's room....

He was not especially happy to wake up to the mess, but brightened at the news that he would not have to clean it up.

Methinks some girls have too much time on their hands...

Elijah's 7th Birthday

It's official. I've been begging and bribing for weeks now for him not to turn seven but he did it. He's seven years old.

Here's a picture of the birthday boy:

We celebrated with a gathering of friends and family on Sunday afternoon. His birthday theme choice this year was dinosaurs.


Here is my attempt at dinosaur cake. I am sure my sister in law, who makes incredible cakes, will be amused at my cheesy plastic dinosaurs and the fact that the cake is still in the pan, but Elijah loved it and it tasted good.

He got lots of nice gifts. More books for his "library" is always a great thing. A person really can't know enough about sharks.

This is a Webkinz. I didn't know much about them, and neither did Elijah, but they are "virtual" pets that you care for on the internet. Elijah named this frog "Spot" and he LOVES him!


Since our residence above the funeral home is pretty small, we usually have our parties downstairs in the chapel. Some people find this odd, but it's just what we're used to. His sisters decided to make use of the register stand where service information usually is.

Each birthday my children celebrate has a hint of bittersweetness to it. Time passes so quickly and their childhoods seem to be rushing by in a blur.

With my older daughters, each birthday has seemed to be an end and a beginning. As they mark off another year, they leave behind more and more of their "little girl" lives, but they do not depend on me any less. My training of them is still just beginning as I try to help them transition from girls to young women. Even when they are wives and mothers themselves, I will have opportunities to mentor and advise them.

However, I am not sure that will be the case with my little man-cub. He will obviously still need me for some things, like academics, meals and laundry. But I see my role in his life changing. If he is to grow up to be the kind of man I hope he will be, he will have to break away from my influence more and more and look to his daddy for guidance. I can teach him many things, but I cannot teach him how to be a man.

So as he blew out those seven candles, I felt a little lump in my throat. He's growing up. The day will come when he will not need me anymore. He may certainly love me, respect me, honor me even, but he won't need me. And he shouldn't. I want him to grow up be a strong, independent, godly man, who leads and disciples his own family. But it hurts just a little. These moments just go by so quickly.

Tarentella

This morning, Katie participated in a music competition at the University of Illinois. She played "Tarentella", a big piece that she has worked hard on for a very long time. We won't know the result for a week or so, but she played very well and should be proud of her performance no matter what.

The sound is not great, and the picture is a little shaky because I got a case of "mom nerves" when she came out. :)

Easter Sunday

Our family celebrated a wonderful Easter, complete with all the traditions we have come to cherish. Our day started around 4:45 a.m., as we rose early and attended a 6:00 Sunrise Service at the Brocton Christian Church, where we used to attend before we moved, and where Dan's parents still attend. It was a beautiful service, with breakfast served afterwards. It was nice to see our church family from Brocton again.

Then we came back to Chrisman and spent a little time at home before the 9:00 service at our church. The kids peeked in their Easter baskets and had ONE piece of candy. After church, we were off to Newman to see my grandma so she could take a quick picture of the kids all dressed up and so Dan could carry her noodles out to her car for her. Her noodles are the highlight of every Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. Yum.

Next we stop at my parents' house for more pictures and to change into play clothes.

All my kids in their Easter best. We were especially blessed to have Michael home one more time before he deploys to Iraq.

We are very deliberate in emphasizing with the kids the real reason we celebrate Easter--the resurrection of Jesus. Still, it's hard not to get excited about Reeses' Peanut Butter Eggs.

After we stop in Newman, we are off again to my aunt's house for a big family dinner complete with ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, noodles, and an array of salads and desserts. By now, I am completely worn out, but we still haven't had the egg hunt...

Eleanor had her "Mikey" as her assistant this year. The kids had a great time with their cousins, ate way too much candy, and were ready to crash by 7:00 that night (so was I). It really was a wonderful day.

I think as I get older, our traditional family celebrations mean more and more to me, not just because of the fun we have and the love we share, but especially because each year I am more humbled by what the holidays mean for us. Without the Resurrection, there would never be a reason to celebrate anything. We would be utterly without hope. But because He died and lives again, we have every reason to celebrate, in fact we must celebrate! "I tell you," he answered "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out!" Luke 19:40